Big Data Analytics is transforming the agriculture at an unprecedented rate. Agriculture as a sector is vast and complex and requires great deal of planning and decision making at each step. While farming practices have witnessed some level of technological advancements to transition from low efficiency, traditional methods, the decision making process is still aloof of the digital revolution. Agriculturists, Agribusinesses, institutions and researchers have realised the need of a data driven decision making process giving traction to the big data analytics in agriculture.
The big data practice involves capturing relevant data from different sources, collecting it today and translating it into actionable information to improve agricultural processes and solve problems at scale and speed. The results obtained from this analysis can help in areas like crop forecasting, precision farming, smart agriculture, achieving high quality seeds, climate predictions and much more.
Big data analytics can play a significant role in maximising the farm output at lower cost of inputs. The key resources like seed, fertiliser, and pesticides etc. can be used optimally as guided by the analysis results. The data collected from soil sensors, GPS equipped tractors, weather stations and other sources are used for the analysis which suggests the right amount of input that is required. This process is the key to precision farming, a process where measured amounts of inputs like fertilisers, seeds, pesticides and water are supplied to the field resulting in the highest efficiency.
A huge amount of harvest loss in countries like India can be attributed to adverse weather conditions. Big data analytics can also play a pivotal role in developing early warning systems against such weather conditions. Platforms powered by big data are capable of reflecting changes in weather conditions in real time. This can help farmers to respond promptly and save losses through preparedness measures.
Big data analytics is the foundation of smart farming which emphasizes the use of information and communication technology in the cyber-physical farm management cycle. It provides predictive insights to future outcomes of farming (predictive yield model, predictive feed intake model, etc.), drive real-time operational decisions, and reinvent business processes for faster, innovative action and game-changing agri-business models.
FocusAgritech’s Outlook towards Big Data Analytics:
The rate of adoption of data science services and big data analytics in agriculture is consistently increasing in developed economies. The AgriTech analytics market is expected to grow from $585 million in 2018 to $1,236 million by 2023. Big Data analytics is the right place to invest in current times when the world is transitioning to smart farming techniques.
Companies to watch: AgroCares technology, Smart Farming India, Mothive, CropX, Arable, Flurosat
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