Job profile of a farmer

A Farmer is the CEO, COO, CFO, Sales manager, Investment manager of a propritary fariming firm. It will directly effect his income if he is not good in even one of the fields

Before the cropping season:

What to sow, when to sow, credit availability, plan for inputs, land preparation, soil nutrient status

  • Farmers has to have the access to the data that howmuch has it rained, moisture level in soil.
  • When to sow based on forcasting
  • Svaings, loans –> moneylenders
  • Seed varity and quality, selection from number of options, authenticity of seeds
  • Land preparation, machinery and labours, funds for that
  • Gap filling for requirements of soil for a crop, suppliments, fertilizers, NPK (should be made easy to understand)

During the cropping season:

  • choose appropriate agriculture technology
  • monitor the progress of crop
  • observe anomalies and take action, monitor weather
  • labour/machinery management for sowing and intercultural operations
  • water management
  • weed/pests/ wild animals management
  • respond to climate contingencies
  • in case of damege file claim for insurance

After the cropping season:

  • Harvesting based on weather conditions, checking if crop is actually ready
  • labour management
  • primary processing, storage
  • market assessment, where and when to sell
  • grading/sorting/packing/transportation
  • value addition, negotiation for better prices
  • realization of prices
  • repayments(loans, etc.)
  • surplus investment planning(future planning)

During the lean season:

Remaining 6 to 7 months: Migration, ancillary works, MGNAREGA Repeats it season after season and year after year

Skills required

  • Financial planning
  • Resource planning
  • Keep himself updated about relevant Information
  • Decide about technology to be adopted
  • Logistics and processing
  • Market survey, sales, negotiation
  • Manage risks

New developments and opportunities

  • Public investments on the farm: protected cultivation, micro-irrigation systems, diversification, high-value crops
  • Investments in creating water infrastructure
  • Storage and post-harvest facilities and access to technologies
  • Power of collectives: Farmer Producer Organizations, Women Self-Help Groups
  • Targeted subsidies: JAM, DBT
  • Risk cover (MSP, Crop insurance, accidental and medical insurance)
  • Services through platforms:
    • e-NAM, direct marketing
    • custom hiring centres
    • NBFCs
    • mobile apps
    • start-ups
    • availability of remorse sensing images
    • data marketplace

TODO

Go to KVK, ICAR

Think

Lets think of an ideal way first (Imagination) Think of the problems to impliment it in reality Try to solve this problem Test the solution Loop through

Solutions without problems

Vertical farming technology(Hydroponics, Aeroponics)

  • Popular in urban areas
  • Use artificial lights to replace sunlight
  • Around 70% less water

Farm mechanization and automation technologies

  • Use of Drones, Autonomous tractors, other bots
  • Use of various sensors
  • Automated seeding, weeding
  • Focuses on labour sortage and efficency problems

Lifestock farming technology

  • Monitor health and their activities
  • Wearable sensors

Greenhouse technology

Precision agriculture

  • Controls every variables like moisture, pest, stress, soil condition, micro climates
  • More accurate

Blockchain technology

AI

Drone as Bees

  • Pollinators
  • Crop harvesting, areal photography for data collection

Simple Products

  • Automated insects traps
  • Deselenization using solar for fresh water needs in hydroponics