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Community


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Digital technology making farming more efficient and profitable
MandyP
Community Coordinator

The digitisation of agriculture is transforming one of the oldest sectors in the world. These solutions are fast becoming integral in farming practices and will change the industry for the better.  

 

As agritech solutions become more available the affordability and accessibility opens up for smaller scale farmers. These solutions don’t require expensive equipment and can be applied in areas such as yield estimation, growth monitoring, soil fertility, crop stress, disease detection and weather forecasting.

 

Technological systems such as remote sensing have made significant impact in this regard. With these types of applications, farmers can gather data that enables them to monitor crops and identify problems ahead of time.

 

Further to that, the data can be recorded and arranged into a system so that farmers are able to make informed decisions around crops and future strategies for growing. This kind of information can also be used to justify support from financial institutions as it provides an independent view of the business that lenders and insurers can reference when considering financing solutions for the farmer.

 

As the uptake of agritech solutions continues to increase, Standard Bank Group has committed to preparing its farming clients for a digital future. The bank is investing in innovative solutions that will deliver enhanced data through remote sensing and digital agronomy. This will allow farmers and their agronomists, whose role is to increase soil and crop productivity, to make better decisions in everyday farming life.

 

Standard Bank’s satellite-based remote sensing innovation is delivered in partnership with UK-based RHIZA and backed by Origin Enterprises Plc and the European Space Agency. The bank joined forces with RHIZA to take advantage of the extensive research and development that the farming solutions company has conducted over the years. RHIZA provides agricultural satellite imaging and analysis, among other solutions, and offers the highest-resolution image frequency available.

 

Also available on mobile and desktop, Contour is a digital platform with precision farming tools that assist farmers to better understand the health of their crops. This remote sensing information platform is equipped with a complete suite of field monitoring tools that help to mitigate risks and improve yield through optimising operations.  

 

Furthermore Standard Bank also offers GRID, which can monitor crop performance on an aggregated basis across regions. This makes it possible to track a portfolio in terms of total hectares and total tonnes expected – information that is useful for the likes of buyer groups.

 

For more information on Standard Bank’s digital offerings for farmers, speak to your Standard Bank relationship manager who will put you in touch with the relevant individuals or visit https://rhizaafrica.com/sign-up.