Digital technology is transforming Indian agriculture by integrating cutting-edge digital technology into the farm production system¹. The digital transformation of agriculture occurring worldwide holds some promise for progress in India¹.
Digital innovations are supporting moves toward higher incomes for smallholder farmers¹. Digital technologies could enhance production at every step, from high-quality agriculture inputs to world-class agriculture outputs. This could help create sustainable growth for the Indian farmer, boost economic fortunes in rural areas in a flourishing ecosystem, and benefit the entire economy⁴.
The digitalisation of agriculture describes integrating cutting-edge digital technology into the farm production system, including artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, uncrewed aviation systems, sensors, and communication networks². Digital agriculture is an emerging area of agricultural technology that uses digital tools and systems to improve farm productivity. It includes sensors, GPS tracking, and mobile apps to help farmers manage their crops and livestock more efficiently³.
Sources:
(1) How digital innovation is transforming Indian agriculture | McKinsey. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/agriculture/our-insights/how-digital-innovation-is-transforming-agriculture-lessons-from-india.
(2) How agtech is transforming agriculture in India | McKinsey. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/agriculture/our-insights/how-agtech-is-poised-to-transform-india-into-a-farming-powerhouse.
(3) Digitalisation of Agriculture in India. https://www.investindia.gov.in/team-india-blogs/digitalisation-agriculture-india.
(4) Digital Agriculture in India: Challenges and Opportunities - AgriFarming. https://www.agrifarming.in/digital-agriculture-in-india-challenges-and-opportunities.
(5) Digital Agriculture - The Future Of Indian Agriculture | IBEF. https://www.ibef.org/blogs/digital-agriculture-the-future-of-indian-agriculture.
Application of digital agriculture technological interventions based on soil sensors, remote sensing unmanned aerial surveying and market insights, etc., are permitting farmers to gather, visualize and assess crop and soil health conditions at different levels of production.Digital Agriculture is “ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) and data ecosystems to support the development and delivery of timely, targeted information and services to make farming profitable and sustainable while delivering safe nutritious and affordable food for all.” Farm management and post-harvest handling: technologies to monitor crop productivity, weather patterns, soil temperature and moisture, water usage and pests and recommend targeted inputs and other actions to increase productivity and reduce post-harvest losses. Digital farming involves the use of varied technologies, including sensors, drones, precision irrigation systems, GPS-guided machinery, and data analytics and machine learning tools. The digital marketing is the great opportunities to the farmers in terms of marketing their produce. Smart phones can even breakthrough the small and medium farmers, where Apps are used for agricultural marketing. Digital marketing in agriculture and agribusiness markets means being able to tailor a strategy that drives both organic and paid traffic towards your business's preferred goals and KPIs. Digital Marketing helps the farmers to increase their income. The internet has significantly facilitated lead and sales generation for farm yields and other related products. With the internet, you can significantly increase the visibility of farm products and the engagement of new customers. Digital Agriculture can play an important role in supporting rural development initiatives. For example, it can help farmers’ access new markets and technologies, improve irrigation systems, and boost crop yields. It can also help farmers develop new skills or find new employment opportunities. An effective marketing system reduces costs while increasing benefits to all segments of society. It should provide remunerative prices to farmers, food of sufficient quality at reasonable prices to consumers, and adequate margins to middlemen to ensure their continued participation in the trade.Digital Marketing is helpful to farmers to reach out the multiple buyers and get higher prices for their products. It empowers agricultural startups. With the increasing amount of literacy in rural areas and development in agribusiness infrastructures, young farmers are ready to adopt Digital marketing platforms.Digital marketing allows businesses to offer their products and services online, allowing rural businesses to reach customers outside of their immediate region.