Tech-ade of Agriculture in Punjab

The total number of land holdings in Punjab is 10.93 lakh, out of which 2.04 lakh (18.7 percent) are marginal farmers, 1.83 lakh(16.7 percent) are small farmers, and 7.06 lakh (64.6 percent) farmers hold land above two hectares. While piloting a mission to penetrate the agriculture realm with technology in Punjab, we must take notes on the success of the e-commerce industry. The whole idea needs to be carefully built around drastically turning around farmers' convenience and experience. It's easier said than done because of the disparity between theoretical knowledge and hands-on

agriculture experience. Simply providing them with information about different kinds of crops and climates wouldn't cut it.

In a recent interview, something Ramesh Doraiswami, Managing Director & CEO, National Bulk Handling Corporation, told me was similar in nature. "Having a grassroots level understanding of the dynamics of agricultural business is important for anyone who's trying to understand and solve its problems. It's never about creating an app. There's a huge, critical element of operations involved," he said.

The Indian agritech industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~32.0 percent till 2025. But to hack into these opportunities, the agritech leaders must have the big picture in mind and focus on providing the comprehensive, world class experience the farming community deserves. The agriculture community needs to have everything at their fingertips, from delivering farm inputs at the doorsteps to farm management, from quality management & traceability to tech-enabled supply chain & output market linkages and financial services. So far, the influx of funds to the sector is also skewed towards startups serving these five sectors.