Is ‘Farming as a Service’ model the path ahead for revival of agriculture in India?

#Discussion(AgriTech) [ via IoTForIndiaGroup ]

Question: Will this work? Any expereince

The Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model has transformed the IT sector through innovations and productivity; can a similar model also transform India’s ailing agri sector?
Today, around 70 percent of the agricultural households, mostly comprising of small farmers with less than one hectare of land holding, struggle to make ends meet and depend on loans for their farming activities. Further, only 45 percent of the net sown area has access to irrigation facilities, leading to challenges in the production phase itself.

Advocating for ‘Farming as a Service’ (FaaS) model Christopher Mitchell, from Bain and Company and co-author of Farming-as-a-Service, a report published in partnership with Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, says that this solution can improve the efficiency and productivity of Indian agriculture.

“Private sector participation could redefine the sector through innovative solutions (such as Big Data and FaaS) and make it more efficient via improved access to technology, capital and entrepreneurial skills.”

Solutions offered by this model are a mix of organised and efficient re-inventions of existing practices, combined with tech-driven innovations.

The FaaS model
These farm management solutions allow stakeholders to make data-driven decisions to boost productivity and efficiency. FaaS converts fixed upfront costs into variable ongoing costs for farmers, thus making the techniques more affordable for a majority of small farmers.

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