| | DECEMBER 20208Vantage Point T he agricultural industry needs urgent digitization, today, more than ever. The industry has to overcome major obstacles when it comes to increasing prices of stock, insufficient labour, and changes in con-sumer preferences for transparency and sustainability. Apart from this, when we talk about crop production, individuals solely think of the process of produc-tion of the specific crop, i.e., right from the sowing to the cultivation. Howev-er, there is a lot more to crop produc-tion than just the yearly crop cycle of 3 to 8 months. Farmers prepare for the sowing season months before its com-mencement. They have to look after the soil, make sure they have the right seeds according to the current grade of soil in their farms, whether or not they have enough capital, and if there is enough market demand for the specific seed they are cultivating. Having sufficient information and knowledge of any new seed they might be growing according to the market's demand and getting the best price from the buyers also goes into this prolifer-ated process. Amidst all this, they also have to be prepared for any natural crisis or phenomenon, pest attacks or crop diseases, an unexpected turn of events in financial matters, all of which could hinder the process of getting a good harvest and in turn getting decent sales along with an adequate income. Keeping all of these factors in mind, the use of a farming technology can change the entire picture of this process while making the entire cycle of crop produc-tion streamlined and more profitable.Facilitating an agricultural tech-nology platform, or more specifically a farming technology platform would bridge the gap between farmers and other stakeholders in this industry. A Tech-empowered agribusiness adds to the profitability of the farmers directly from giving better access to seeds, to guaranteeing support in the form of in-formation, services, and agri-contribu-tions during the time of cultivation, and offering direct access to a selection of business sectors, stockrooms and cold stockpiling post-reap.CLOUD COMPUTING IN AGRICULTURE - FORTIFYING FARM FUNCTIONS WITH DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONSWith food demand bound to increase substantially in the next decade, it will be imperative for farmers to adopt da-ta-driven decision making. However, changing weather conditions, growing pest infestations, infertile lands are af-fecting data acquisition processes and ultimately, the final crop outcomes. A need for SaaS-based agriculture has been observed that can provide precise and error-free information to adapt to these changes efficiently. REVOLUTIONIZING CROP PRODUCTION USING ADVANCED FARMING TECHNOLOGYBy Santosh Shinde, COO & Co-Founder, FarmERP
< Page 7 | Page 9 >