To empower farmer communities and enhance farmer economic livelihood, Cargill has launched Digital Saathi -- a mobile-first, artificial-intelligence (AI)- based local online service platform.
Digital Saathi will provide digitally enabled agriculture advisory services and enhanced market access to smallholder farmers based in five districts of Karnataka including Davangere, Bellary, Haveri, Chitradurga and Shimoga.
Small and marginal farmers will gain easy access to multiple stakeholders such as peer farmers, farmer producing companies, agri-suppliers, buyers, traders and processors.
The farmer mobile app has already engaged with 6,000 registered small farmers and is projected to reach 30,000 farmers in Karnataka by May 2022.
Simon George, President of Cargill in India, said Digital Saathi has been conceptualised with Cargill's expertise to enhance economic livelihoods of smallholder farmers and engage with them in the modern era of digital economy.
"This is a step towards building a farmers' ecosystem, supporting them and increasing productivity and profitability. We continue to innovate for Indian and global consumers and enable Indian farmers to better align themselves with the market," he said in a statement.
Digital Saathi is available on a basic Android phone with information in Kannada -- which is comprehensible to farmers based in the districts of Karnataka that will enhance the decision-making process.
