Bayer, Cargill partner to provide farmers with innovative solutions and market access
Bayer has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Cargill to offer farmers innovative solutions and facilitate the achievement of optimal pricing for their produce.
Drawing on the capabilities of innovative platforms such as Cargill’s “Digital Saathi” – an AI-driven mobile service platform tailored to very local needs, and Bayer Better Life Farming Centers, the partnership is dedicated to improving market access for smallholder farmers. The two companies said in a statement. They said they are committed to providing farmers with digital solutions, including discussion forums and comprehensive information on market prices, weather forecasts, and pre-harvest and post-harvest insights.
Initial partnership
Through this partnership, both companies aim to reach three million farmers across India over the next five years. Initially, the partnership will be implemented in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh and later expanded to other regions.
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Bayer’s e-commerce strategy includes expanding tailor-made solutions through the Digital Saathi app, starting with corn cultivation in Karnataka and later expanding to other crops and regions. By collaborating with food value chain partners, the goal is to revolutionize and impact the agricultural sector sustainably. This partnership also provides farmers with access to Bayer’s flagship corn portfolio, DEKALB®, on the Digital Saathi platform, enhancing their farming capabilities.
In addition, Cargill’s Digital Saathi platform provides convenient e-commerce for crop inputs and crop sale offering features, ensuring farmers have improved access to market linkages through a digitally enabled marketplace. The statement said that this integrated approach aims to enhance the decision-making capabilities of farmers, streamline agricultural operations, and promote effective and smooth communication within the agricultural ecosystem.
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Digital Saathi has already partnered with more than 50,000 registered smallholder farmers and is expected to expand its reach to three million farmers in eight states, including Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh by 2027. In line with Cargill’s global goal of providing training in sustainable farming practices and improving Market access for 10 million farmers by 2030, the introduction of Digital Saathi is a huge step towards achieving this goal.
Take advantage of digital tools
Simon-Thorsten Wiebusch, Country Head, Crop Science Division at Bayer for India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, said, “Access to advice, quality inputs, credit, technologies or markets is one of the biggest enablers of unlocking smallholder value, and it lies at the heart of what This partnership is what this partnership is all about. We also believe that digitization is key to this exercise. Therefore, we are looking forward to leveraging all relevant digital tools to deliver greater value to smallholder farmers and create a level playing field of opportunity.”
Simon George, President, Cargill IndiaHe said, “As Cargill, we are committed to creating innovative digital solutions, and we are delighted to collaborate with Bayer to foster a productive and profitable ecosystem for farmers across India. This partnership marks a significant milestone in our journey towards sustainable and prosperous agriculture by leveraging our strengths, expertise and global networks We remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting farmers around the world and cultivating a resilient, inclusive food system.”
Raman Saxena, founder of Digital Saathi, said, “We started offering subscription services in agricultural advisory and farm management (soil testing) services on our platform earlier this year, providing farmers with a one-stop solution for their agricultural requirements. Through this partnership, we aim to provide Access to a wide range of quality inputs and tools for farmers via the Agri Input Market Place that will improve their yields while at the same time providing a one-stop solution to maximize farmer income.”