Agriculture
DISQovery’24- Innovate for Agriculture
Digital Impact Square’s ‘DISQovery 2024’ initiative in partnership with Startup India is a joint initiative, supported by Sahyadri Farms and Enable India to scout for
DISQcovery 2024 - Innovate for Agriculture
Digital Impact Square and Sahyadri Farms are launching a joint call ‘DISQovery 2024’ looking for young innovators and entrepreneurs with transformative and innovative ideas who want to turn an idea or a concept into a successful social enterprise and are willing to commit for the next 12-18 months to further their cause in Agriculture Sector.
CALLING FOR INNOVATIONS
Innovative solutions, ideas with a strong focus on affordability, accessibility, efficiency, and user experience across the agriculture value chain. We invite innovators and entrepreneurs that are focused on working on any of the following challenges faced by the agriculture sector.
The agriculture sector in India gives livelihood opportunities to more than 50% of the country’s workforce, but accounts for an average 18% of the Gross Domestic Product in the last 20 years. More than 86+% of the Indian farmers own less than two hectares of land and are categorized as ‘Small and marginal Farmers’. ‘Small and marginal Farmers’ are under immense financial stress despite increasing farmers’ income as the key priority of the Government as a part of the agricultural development strategy’. Low income of farmers, magnifying the need for impactful development interventions in the agriculture sector.
Digital Impact Square is looking for innovators and entrepreneurs with transformative and innovative ideas, technologies that address a set of challenges faced by the small and marginal farmers, farmer producer companies and farmer collectives In India. Selected Innovators and entrepreneurs will be part of DISQ JAN 2024 Cohort for their journey for creating sustainable and scalable social enterprises in Agri-Tech.
‘DISQovery Jan 2024 Cohort- Agriculture’, is a joint call for applications by DISQ & Sahyadri farms in partnership with CinI.
• Sahyadri Farms (One of the most successful farmer producer company in India)
• Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CInI, A Tata Trusts initiative)
Our aim is to create an enabling Agri ecosystem for innovators and entrepreneurs developing solutions for small and marginal farmers, farmer producer companies and farmer collectives in order to help them become more productive, profitable and empowered in the following area but not restricted to –
1
Crop Value Chain
Track 1 - Enhance crop processes for higher farmer income, focusing on high-value horticulture and cotton.
Track 2 - Address challenges in adopting new crop varieties to meet global standards.
Track 3 - Promote transformative solutions for sustainable, profitable agriculture value chains.
Track 4 - Upgrade grading and sorting for better quality in horticulture and cotton value chains.
Track 2 - Address challenges in adopting new crop varieties to meet global standards.
Track 3 - Promote transformative solutions for sustainable, profitable agriculture value chains.
Track 4 - Upgrade grading and sorting for better quality in horticulture and cotton value chains.
2
Agriculture Allied Activities
Track 1 -Enabling Innovations in Agri allied interventions, such as Poultry, dairy, aquaculture, sericulture to boost income for farmers.
Track 2 - Explore potential Agri allied interventions in Agri-tourism
Track 3 - Encourage innovative solutions that enhance income from agriculture-related industries, such as processing and export.
Track 4 - Explore initiatives that enhance rural livelihoods
Track 2 - Explore potential Agri allied interventions in Agri-tourism
Track 3 - Encourage innovative solutions that enhance income from agriculture-related industries, such as processing and export.
Track 4 - Explore initiatives that enhance rural livelihoods
3
Transforming Waste-to-Wealth
Promote innovative solutions for converting agricultural waste into valuable resources, thereby creating additional income streams for farmers.
4
Harnessing Agriculture as an Energy Source
Investigate ways to harness agricultural resources for energy production, offering both income and sustainability benefits to farmers.
5
Empowering Producers
Track 1 - Develop tools and platforms that empower farmers to have more control over the production and marketing of their products, increasing their income.
Track 2 - Explore solutions to improve the yield of cotton in drought prone regions to enhance farmers' income.
Track 2 - Explore solutions to improve the yield of cotton in drought prone regions to enhance farmers' income.
6
Empowering Farmer Collectives
Enhance the capabilities of farmer collectives, farmer producer companies, and organizations to maximize benefits for farmers.
7
Financial Access and Credit Availability
Improve financial access and credit availability for farmers, farmer producer organizations, and the agriculture value chain.
8
Post-Harvest Loss Management and Value Addition
Track 1 - Enable farmers with user-friendly value-added and processing technologies, both digital and non-digital.
Track 2 - Reduce post-harvest losses within the agriculture value chain..
Track 2 - Reduce post-harvest losses within the agriculture value chain..
9
Farm-Level Productivity and Profitability
Track 1 - Implement smart farming techniques and practices to improve crop quality, yield, and profitability in horticulture crops and cotton.
Track 2 - Explore farm mechanization solutions for more efficient farming practices.
Track 2 - Explore farm mechanization solutions for more efficient farming practices.
10
Circular Economy and Reverse Logistics
Track 1 - Facilitate sustainable waste management through reuse and value adding, creating a circular and sustainable economy in agriculture.
Track 2 - Efficiently collect, aggregate, and transport waste, discarded, or end-of-life produce in an optimized manner.
Track 2 - Efficiently collect, aggregate, and transport waste, discarded, or end-of-life produce in an optimized manner.
11
Climate-Resilient Agriculture
Track 1 - Focus on introducing new crop varieties and practices to mitigate the impact of adverse weather events in agriculture.
Track 2 - Develop tools and practices to help farmers adapt to climate variability through improved land, water, crop, and livestock management.
Track 2 - Develop tools and practices to help farmers adapt to climate variability through improved land, water, crop, and livestock management.
12
Market Access and demand Predictions
Track 1 - Enabling initiatives that facilitate better market access for farmers and agricultural businesses.
Track 2 - Promoting better value addition, processing, and export opportunities.
Track 3 - Promote solutions that predict market demand and trends with greater precision.
Track 4 - Empower farmers and stakeholders with easy-to-use tools for informed decision-making regarding crop production and marketing.
Track 2 - Promoting better value addition, processing, and export opportunities.
Track 3 - Promote solutions that predict market demand and trends with greater precision.
Track 4 - Empower farmers and stakeholders with easy-to-use tools for informed decision-making regarding crop production and marketing.
13
Value added products
Track 1 - Develop value added products from Agri allied activities like dairy poultry sericulture etc
Track 2 - Promote innovative solutions for creating value added products from Horticulture crops and cotton
Track 3 - Encourage the creation of value added products that cater to diverse consumer demand while boosting income for farmers
Track 4 - Enable sustainable and eco-friendly practices in development of value added products focusing on quality and market.
Track 2 - Promote innovative solutions for creating value added products from Horticulture crops and cotton
Track 3 - Encourage the creation of value added products that cater to diverse consumer demand while boosting income for farmers
Track 4 - Enable sustainable and eco-friendly practices in development of value added products focusing on quality and market.
14
Enhanced Crop Estimation
Track 1 - Encourage innovations that help farmers and stakeholders estimate crop yields more accurately.
Track 2 - Prioritize user-friendly methods that can be adopted widely, regardless of technological access.
Track 2 - Prioritize user-friendly methods that can be adopted widely, regardless of technological access.
Open Challenges