Use of AI to increase farmers yield

PROBLEMS:

• Farmers unable to detect crop pest infestations and crop diseases on time.
• Post-harvest losses and wastage of farm produce.
• Low farm yields.

SOLUTION

• We developed a mobile-connected device and a mobile application that leverages on Artificial Intelligence, data analytics and machine learning to help farmers detect crop diseases at the onset and pest infestations. We have increased the farmers yield by over 56% for the over 14,000 farmers that we work with. Globally, we can increase farm yield by over 30%.
• We also set-up a 20-tonne capacity factory where we buy the farmer’s produce and process it for sale. This cushions the farmers from selling the produce to middlemen who buy their produce at punitive low prices.
• We also supply hybrid seeds on debt analyzing their credibility and their credit score through blockchain technology and their mobile data.
• Data Analytics – The 2GHz data generated per-hour can be commercialized.

• Over 60% of farmers globally are unable to detect crop pest infestations on time.
• Farmers unable to detect or predict crop diseases on time and therefore seek the relevant solution on time.
• Farm produce from farmers in the rural areas been bought by middlemen at very low prices for sale in towns at the expense of the farmers. The problem with the agricultural value chain is that the market is disorganized. brokers are the largest beneficiaries and not the farmers. There lacks a proper market infrastructure to support the 25 million farmers in rural areas. As a result, produce goes bad and there are massive delays at the markets.
• Farm harvest going bad often and massive delays at the markets.
• Post-harvest losses and wastage of farm produce for farmers.
• Low farm yields.

• We developed a mobile-connected electronic device and a mobile application that leverages on Artificial Intelligence, data analytics and machine learning to help farmers detect crop diseases at the onset and pest infestations. The device sends an SMS alert to the farmers’ phone anytime there is a pest infection or a crop disease. This way, we have increased the farmers yield by over 56% for the over 14,000 farmers that we work with.
• We also set up a 20-tonne capacity factory where we buy the farmer’s produce and process it for sale. This cushions the farmers from selling the produce to middlemen who take advantage of the farmers by buying their produce at punitive low prices.
• We also supply hybrid seeds on debt analyzing their credibility and their credit score through blockchain technology, machine learning and their mobile data. 

By been able to detect crop diseases and pest infestations on time and in an easy way, we have increased farmers’ yield by over 40% for the over 14,000 farmers we work with in the rural areas in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

• We bought a maize factory in Kenya, where every month we are able to buy over 1,082,800 kilograms of farm produce from the farmers for processing at our manufacturing farm. This cushions the farmers from selling to middlemen. This way, we have increased the farmers’ income by over 56% per every harvesting season. This has also reduced post-harvest losses and wastage of farmers’ produce by over 34% per harvesting season.
• Through a partnership with Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), we supply very good hybrid seeds to over 7,800 farmers on credit during planting season. We leverage on blockchain technology, Machine Learning and their mobile data to determine the farmers’ credit score thus the amount of seeds to give the farmers and increased farm yield by 43% for the 7,800 farmers who currently access this service.

• We support small-scale producers to access inputs by providing them hybrid seeds to plant in their farms through a partnership with Kenya Agricultural Research Institute.
• To access capital, we provide them hybrid seeds to them on credit through credit score developed through blockchain technology and mobile data.
• To increase their knowledge to improve yields we train them on use of our technology, while the system sends enough information through their phones on SMS and through the App.
• We also help improve supply chain practices to reduce food loss by buying their farm harvest to manufacture at our factory.

• Ease of use of the App – A farmer download the app on their phones and registers easily.
• Ease of installation of the electronic device in the farm – The device only requires to be charged for an hour then taken to the farm. Once in the farm, the device has a sharp end on one side which the farmer uses to push one side of the device into the soil.
• The high level of analysis done by the technology – The technology uses Artificial intelligence, machine learning and Data Analytics to do the farm analysis in a very effective way.
• The ease of communication of the device to the farmer’s phone. A GSM module is attached to the system for communicating to the farmer through an SMS when an anomaly is detected in the farm.
• The “future-contract price” we sign/agree with the farmers where we agree with the farmers the price at which we will buy their produce once it is ready to avoid the farmers selling their produce during harvest to middlemen.
• We also supply hybrid seeds on debt analyzing their credibility and their credit score through blockchain technology and their mobile data.
  
• Data Analytics – The 2GHz data generated per hour can be commercialized.

We have built an end-to-end farmer support technology system by:

• We developed a mobile-connected electronic device and a mobile application that leverages on Artificial Intelligence, data analytics and machine learning to help farmers detect crop diseases at the onset and pest infestations. The device sends an SMS alert to the farmers’ phone anytime there is a pest infection or a crop disease. This way, we have increased the farmers yield by over 56% for the over 14,000 farmers that we work with.
• We also set up a 20-tonne capacity factory where we buy the farmer’s produce and process it for sale. This cushions the farmers from selling the produce to middlemen who take advantage of the farmers by buying their produce at punitive low prices.
• We also supply hybrid seeds on debt analyzing their credibility and their credit score through blockchain technology, machine learning and their mobile data. The blockchain technology uses machine learning techniques to curate credit scores for applicants prior to distribution of hybrid seeds to the targeted farmers. 
• Data Analytics – The 2GHz data generated per hour can be commercialized.

We have started the process of patenting at The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization thus not allowed to publish online until the patent is out. 

• By been able to detect crop diseases and pest infestations on time and in an easy way, we have increased farmers’ yield by over 40% for the over 14,000 farmers we work with in the rural areas in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. 
• We bought a maize factory in Kenya, where every month we are able to buy over 1,082,800 kilograms of farm produce from the farmers for processing at our manufacturing farm. This cushions the farmers from selling to middlemen. This way, we have increased the farmers’ income by over 56% per every harvesting season. This has also reduced post-harvest losses and wastage of farmers’ produce by over 34% per harvesting season. Initially, we only supported the farmers detect crop diseases and pests infestations thus increase their yield, but we needed to provide support post-harvest. That is what advised us to purchase the current maize factory which is able to process and package over 24,000 maize flour packets PER DAY and thus totally eliminated leakages, wastage and middlemen for the 14,000 farmers we work with while optimizing their value chain process.
• We realized that as much as we support farmers during the growth stage of the plants and after harvest, there is still a big factor that determines the success of their farming; which is TYPE OF SEEDS they plant. Through a partnership with Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), we supply very good hybrid seeds to over 7,800 farmers on credit during planting season. The challenge we encountered was then how to determine their credibility and credit score. We leverage on blockchain technology, Machine Learning and their mobile data to determine the farmers’ credit score thus the amount of seeds to give the farmers. This use of blockchain technology to give micro loans as hybrid seeds to small scale farmers has illustrated its potential in eliminating poverty and increased farm yield by 43% for the 7,800 farmers who currently access this service.

• By been able to detect crop diseases and pest infestations on time and in an easy way, we have increased farmers’ yield by over 40% for the over 14,000 farmers we work with in the rural areas in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. This is mainly contributed by the ease of use of our technology since it is has a GSM aspect where it sends an SMS to the farmer incase of pest infestation, or use the app to scan the plants leaves to detect crop disease.
• We bought a maize factory in Juja town Kenya, where every month we are able to buy over 1,082,800 kilograms of farm produce from the farmers for processing at our factory. This cushions farmers from selling to middlemen. This way, we have increased the farmers’ income by over 56% per every harvesting season and reduced post-harvest losses of farmers’ produce by 34% per harvesting season. We are able to process 24,000 maize flour packets PER DAY and thus totally eliminated leakages, wastage and middlemen.
• We supply very good hybrid seeds to over 7,800 farmers on credit during planting season. The challenge we encountered was then how to determine their credibility and credit score. We leverage on blockchain technology, Machine Learning and their mobile data to determine the farmers’ credit score thus the amount of seeds to give the farmers. This has illustrated its potential in eliminating poverty and increased farm yield by 43% for the 7,800 farmers who currently access this service.

• With more funding, we intend to expand our impact to 223,000 farmers from the current 40,000 farmers. This will help us buy 5,140,000 kilograms from the farmers thus increasing our capacity input.
• We intend to expand our production capacity to 390,000 packets per day and supply to the urban market. 

• Technology been copied by bigger competitors.    
• Grade of farm produce we get from farmers.
• Price at which we access raw materials for manufacturing.
• Lack of enough supply of maize.
• Lack of Goodwill of farmers
• Inability to access remote areas.

• We have acquired patents for our farm technology devices and mobile app    
• We produce very high-quality maize flour since we initially supply hybrid seeds to the farmers thus the harvested maize is high grade unlike our competitors
• Low cost and price - We are able to access maize at very low cost through the future-contract-price agreements we sign with farmers during farming. We are thus able to supply to the market at lower prices
• Constant supply – We are always having supply of maize from the farms due to the high number of farmers we collaborate with. Our competitors in many occasions run out of stock supply.
• Goodwill of farmers – Due to the impact we have had on farmers, we have a lot of goodwill and support from farmers in the rural areas
• Transport system – We have invested heavily in the transport system to access remote areas.

• Jacob Maina, Founder, Kenya.

Masters in Social Entrepreneurship, Catholic university of Rome, Italy.

Degree: Project Planning and Management, Moi University, Kenya.

• Douglas Mwangi, Director Farm production, Kenya

Degree: Agricultural Technology and Biotechnology, Jomo Kenyatta University, Kenya.

First degree: Procurement and Purchasing Supplies, Jomo Kenyatta University, Kenya.

• Kevin Kamara, Factory manager, Kenya

Degree: BSc. Agribusiness Economics and Food Industry Management.

Masters: Currently undertaking masters in Agricultural Economics and Rural Development

• Mauhe Thakah, IT officer, London.

Degree: Royal Agricultural University, London

Agribusiness Management and Enterprise Development

• 14 packaging personnel contracted.
• 2 drivers
• 2 assistants.

Jacob Maina, Founder, Kenya.

Masters in Social Entrepreneurship, Catholic university of Rome, Italy.

Degree: Project Planning and Management, Moi University, Kenya.

• Douglas Mwangi, Director Farm production, Kenya

Degree: Agricultural Technology and Biotechnology, Jomo Kenyatta University, Kenya.

First degree: Procurement and Purchasing Supplies, Jomo Kenyatta University, Kenya.

• Kevin Kamara, Factory manager, Kenya

Degree: BSc. Agribusiness Economics and Food Industry Management.

Masters: Currently undertaking masters in Agricultural Economics and Rural Development

• Mauhe Thakah, IT officer, London.

Degree: Royal Agricultural University, London

Agribusiness Management and Enterprise Development

• 14 packaging personnel contracted.
• 2 drivers
• 2 assistants.

Through a partnership with Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), we supply very good hybrid seeds to over 7,800 farmers on credit during planting season. The challenge we encountered was then how to determine their credibility and credit score. We leverage on blockchain technology, Machine Learning and their mobile data to determine the farmers’ credit score thus the amount of seeds to give the farmers. This use of blockchain technology to give micro loans as hybrid seeds to small scale farmers has illustrated its potential in eliminating 

WE GENERATE REVENUE BY:

• Selling the maize flour to the market thus generating profits per packet sold; normally 27%. Per day, currently we are able to mill and sell 24000 packets per day.
• Our by-products after milling are feeds for animals which we sell to the urban market at 60% profit margin.
• We have started commercializing the data generated by the devices in the farm to the government and non-governmental organizations.

Scaling across countries

Scaling a proprietary technology.