“Keeping our agricultural sector strong and secure should be a bipartisan concern.”
In today’s scenario, ‘bipartisan’ more likely indicates the proper cooperation of resources and robust AgriTech solutions, especially when it comes to exports.
India is an agricultural economy, implying that agriculture is vital to meet our consumption requirements and churn revenue, a considerable part of which comes from export.
Export and import play a big part in the nation’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Agricultural products are one of the most exported commodities which keep foreign currency rolling in. Steady imports and export also keep a check on the value of the Indian Rupee from dropping in comparison to the US Dollar. Some of the major agricultural commodities exported from India, for instance, are basmati and non-basmati rice varieties, sugar, spices, tea, raw cotton, and castor oil.
Source: Grant Thornton (2017)
However, India faces a few challenges in exporting a lot of other commodities. A commodity needs to meet certain quality and safety considerations for it to be shipped & exported. The Government of India and several revolutionary institutions like Cropin are constantly striving to improve the quality of our agricultural produce with cutting-edge farm management software. These solutions will not only expand our market horizons but also help rope in higher national revenue.
Quality and Export: The Crux of Farm Management Solutions
According to the World Bank collection of development indicators, exports accounted for about 18.1% of India’s GDP in 2020. That is a big number, and we want to push this figure even further.
As per the Economic Survey, Indian agri-exports clocked Rs.2.52 lakh crores in 2019-20. However, we occupy around 2.5% of the global agricultural trade. India can substantially improve the number if we are a little more invested in our agricultural GNP (Gross National Product).
Here’s how. To export more of our agricultural produce, it needs to be exportable, as already pointed out. When it comes to consumables, the commodity needs to meet or surpass the standards set by the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission or CAC. A particular produce meeting those standards not only implies it is of high quality but is also eligible for a global and more rewarding market.
Meeting Export Quality Standards Is Indispensable
The idea of setting these standards by the WTO (World Trade Organisation) is to ensure food safety. With agricultural and aquacultural produce, individual consumers and respective national governments are concerned about what gets consumed by their citizens. The prime objective of CAC is to ensure health security for consumers, bringing a consensus on the application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS). Providing safe trade practices also brings coordination in all food standards undertaken by the national governments.
Now, smallholder farmers constitute a majority of the producers worldwide and cultivate crops on nearly 12% of the world’s farmlands. Hence, the importance of these standards needs to be successfully conveyed to our farmers and help them understand the requirements to get their produce qualified for export. This is where newer and ingenious farming apps can further help the cause.
The Consumer Needs to Be In the Information Loop
With a significant boost in the Purchasing Power Parity of each consumer, quality now enjoys a higher priority than quantity. This scenario is even more evident in developed countries, which is also a higher-paying market avenue.
Consumers now want to be aware of what is on their plates. With ‘you are what you eat' becoming more popular every passing day, people make healthier and more informed quality choices.
Farm management solutions allow enhanced food traceability, which has made consumers more aware. This, in turn, develops a sense of harmony and trust among consumers, producers, and brands, thereby fueling the export industry in the long run.
Revitalizing the Export Industry With Intelligent Farm Management Solutions
We, at Cropin, understand how beefing up agri-export can boost the economy only if we can empower each farmer. With conjoined efforts from the Government of India and our partners, we are successfully executing such activities with the following farm management solutions.
This revolutionary product by Cropin is making farmers’ lives easier and agribusinesses more efficient. Mapping individual farm plots give an exact idea of the plot’s performance regarding its location and actual acreage, the crop variety cultivated, its sowing date, and current crop stage, and offers yield-specific information. The application also comes with livestock guidance, yield enhancement, weather and other alerts, and several preventive measures to ensure optimum yield.
With SmartFarm, the field staff can capture farm data for each activity from pre-planting to harvest to ensure adherence to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and other international compliance standards. This smart solution not only makes farm management more straightforward but also enhances yield and quality. With the help of our unique inclusions like VRPs and SMEs, farmers comprehend and execute better.
The digital record can then be extracted as customized reports to provide evidence of compliance with import/export regulations, along with vital information from lab reports and quality control processes. The infusion of technology to achieve transparency and traceability in the cultivation process has empowered organizations involved in procuring and exporting to proceed without any setbacks or delays.
| Why is a traceability system a necessity for agri-food producers? We give you seven reasons. Read them here. |
Traceability in agriculture is the primary goal of RootTrace which offers end-to-end traceability throughout the supply chain. It aids in leveraging brand credibility and consumer confidence while meeting and maintaining export standards. It also offers authentication via its QR codes and tamper-proof labels, helping local farmers and brands aiming for global recognition. On the one hand, F&B companies can use RootTrace to market their certified brand of produce while preventing counterfeiting. On the other hand, customers can verify the authenticity of the product by scanning a unique QR code.
AcreSquare works to improve cost and time efficiency and boost productivity – two absolute must-haves to the quality management of crops in the export industry. The primary objective is to facilitate direct business-to-farmer engagement.
To ensure optimum yield throughout the crop season, agribusiness can either automatically send pre-configured advisory or configure instructions as per the activity schedule and push them to farmers as reminders through SMS whenever the activity is due. Producer organizations can share training material, files (images, PDF, word documents, videos, and web links) with farmers through the AcreSquare app. It ensures that farmers adhere to the recommended practices. Businesses can thus keep the farmers informed of recent events and updates. It also ensures farmer’s loyalty to the brand, thereby leveraging technology and developing a healthier supply chain.
With the help of technology, brands can enjoy more profitability by becoming export-ready. Such projects simultaneously act as CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) as it helps bring better opportunities to individual farmers, thereby also taking a step forward to realizing Sustainable Development Goals.
At Cropin, we also understand that for different products, the supply chain works differently. Hence, it is essential to implement customized crop management software solutions for the export industry, which Cropin has done successfully, to ensure that your food traceability labels tell the true story.
It is crucial to identify what works and what doesn’t and build around the resources. Such efforts will undoubtedly lead to better collaborative development in the export sector, thereby benefiting modern economies and all involved trading parties.
If you are looking to boost your export and expand to new markets, our farm management solutions are just what you need.
