With a population of 1.3 billion and growing, India is home to hundreds of thousands of citizens dependent on farming for income and ever-increasing food demands. However, Indian farmers often struggle with losing crops to disease or achieving fair prices at the market. Companies are hoping to ameliorate this through tech resources.
Digital Green is a startup that aims to help farmers by providing a database of informative videos on farming tips and practices. The company has also launched its Loop initiative, which is essentially an Uber service for getting produce to market. Loop allows farmers to track their produce, sales, and profits more effectively.
The German app, Plantix, is focused on crop health. Its 1.1 million users are able to upload images of their crops, and the app can diagnose a variety of plant illnesses and recommend solutions. So far, the app can use AI to recognize 450 diseases.
These companies credit the success of “Agritech” startups to increased cell phone use in the country. Dropping cellular rates have allowed cell use to expand rapidly, connecting farmers to a myriad of online resources.
These companies found their footing in the Indian agriculture market but hope to take their ventures international and apply innovative Agritech to regions in Ethiopia, Ghana, and even the United States.
