Agri-Tech Startups –a boon for farmers

Owing to inadequate irrigation systems dwindling landholdings, erratic rainfall, rising farm production and management costs, and inadequate access to timely information, credit and markets Indian farmers are suffering a lot.

However, with the advent of the mobile and digital revolution in this country, a slew of technology-based startups have emerged, offering technological solutions to some of the problems afflicting the agriculture sector.

Here is a list of five such start-ups offering farmers unique solutions to overcome some of the fundamental structural issue they face.

 Kamal Kisan:

To reduce the cost of farming for small-scale farmers and their labour requirement, engineer and business graduate Devi Murthy started a company named Kamal Kisan, which develops customised low-cost farm equipment based on their specific needs. The  company has developed vegetable planters, power weeders, sugarcane planters, versatile mulch layers and bed makers, among other equipment.

Ninjacart:

This Bangalore-based startup has developed a technology-propelled supply chain to reduce the distance between what farmers grow on their land and retailers/merchants looking to buy their product.

The firm got rid of the middlemen and has been able to increase the income of over 2500 farmers, while also reducing crop wastage. At present, NInjacart deals in over 14,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables, while reaping of about Rs 4 crore in revenue every month.

FlyBird Innovations:

This Bangalore-based startup has developed sensors, among other products, that are used across farmlands in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to reduce the need for water while growing crops. These sensors allow farmers to observe moisture content levels and consequently spell out their irrigation requirements. These sensors have helped  affected farmers to improve their crop-yield by 15-20% while saving up to 25-30% of water.