Sehrish TariqCan you tell us more about FarmERP?
We are a digital ERP platform designed to help agribusinesses enhance productivity, profitability, and predictability. Our platform supports farms and plantations, contract farming companies, and exporters by providing digital tools to boost business efficiency and profitability. We’ve been operating in this space for over two decades, and about three years ago, we launched FarmGyan, an AI and machine learning-based solution for agribusinesses. This intelligent layer sits on top of the ERP system, providing predictive analysis to support better decision-making and profitability.
Currently, we’ve deployed this solution in nearly 30 countries, covering around 800,000 acres of farmland. That, in brief, is FarmERP and FarmGyan.
Talking about FarmERP’s use of AI and machine learning, how is it helping to address food security and climate change in the Gulf?
Recently, climate change has increasingly threatened food security due to various climate adversities and extreme events. Agriculture is often the first sector affected, especially open-field farming, which suffers from extreme heat, excessive rainfall, cold snaps, and untimely weather changes. These conditions severely impact productivity, ultimately jeopardizing food security.
Using AI and machine learning, FarmERP provides growers with predictive insights on crop health, yield forecasts, and tailored recommendations. For example, we advise on preventive sprays, appropriate nutrition based on crop conditions, and measures to achieve optimal productivity. Our machine learning models, developed over time, provide valuable guidance to FarmERP users.
Additionally, we support carbon reporting, helping users monitor carbon sequestration and emissions to maintain a sustainable balance. In brief, these tools empower farmers to increase productivity and sustainability in a changing climate.”
Can you explain how FarmERP’s climate-smart advisory works and its impact on crop yields and sustainability?
Certainly. Let’s take potatoes as an example. To achieve optimal yields, farmers need to follow best agricultural practices, which include timely agronomic operations, irrigation and nutrition in the right amounts and at the right times, pest and disease prevention, and harvesting at the ideal time. To manage all these factors, growers require advisory support that guides them on when to plant, which operations to perform, and how much nutrition and irrigation to apply based on factors like soil type and weather conditions.
For instance, if there is heavy rainfall, minimal rain, or a high rate of evapotranspiration, FarmERP can provide specific irrigation advice tailored to the region’s weather conditions, indicating the exact amount of water required. If growers have details about their machinery, FarmERP can even suggest the run time for pumps or motors, such as running them for two or three hours to deliver the optimal water volume.
FarmERP also advises on the precise amounts of nutrients like NPK, specifying application times. It provides pest and disease forecasts based on upcoming weather conditions, recommending preventive sprays, their intervals, and the best time of day to apply them. Additionally, it offers yield forecasts, allowing growers to estimate their expected yield and the best time to harvest.
We have developed various models for yield forecasting, harvest date prediction, nutrition, and irrigation requirements, which we deliver as automated advisory services based on the farm’s location, crop type, and crop age. This enables our users to receive tailored, data-driven insights that enhance productivity and sustainability.
