Digital agriculture in LMICs - 3 Apr #83
India's Digital Agriculture Mission thrives as AI Chatbot for farmers gains traction
29/03/25
Grow Indigo raises $10M to expand carbon farming in India
Indian agritech startup Grow Indigo has raised USD 10 million from British International Investments (BII), the UK's development finance institution, to scale its regenerative agriculture and carbon farming initiatives. The funding will help the agritech accelerate its carbon credit programme, which targets smallholders. Grow Indigo helps farmers adopt low-emission techniques that improve soil health and generate carbon credits. The agritech has a mobile and web-based platform for farmers to enrol in carbon farming programs. The platform also provides AI-driven agronomic advice on regenerative farming, tracks carbon credit generation and potential earnings, and offers access to sustainable agri inputs.
In addition, Grow Indigo has a B2B carbon credit digital marketplace for corporations to purchase verified carbon credits from farmers. The platform uses MRV technology (remote sensing, AI, and blockchain) to ensure transparency. Founded in 2018, Grow Indigo started as an agri e-commerce platform. It last raised USD 8 million in January 2024 from agri companies Indigo Ag and Mahyco. It currently has operations across 16 states, with a network of over 2,000 distribution partners and 600 agronomy experts.
02/04/25
India’s Digital Agriculture Mission onboards 48.5M farmers as AI chatbot expands
According to the latest data, as of March 2025 India’s 'Digital Agriculture Mission' (DAM) has generated over 48.5 million farmer IDs. The government aims to generate 110 million Farmer IDs by 2026-27 and to conduct digital crop surveys nationwide starting from Kharif (autumn season) this year.
Initially announced in 2021, DAM aims to establish a comprehensive Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for the agricultural sector, focusing on enhancing farmers' access to timely and reliable information and services. A key component of DAM is the AgriStack DPI, which is built on three foundational registries: geo-referenced village maps, crop sown registry and the farmers registry. Maintained by State Governments and Union Territories, these databases will enhance farmer identification and streamline agricultural planning. The government has destined a total of USD 338 million to the mission.
Photo credit: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, GOI.
In addition to developing digital infrastructure, India’s government is increasingly leveraging generative AI solution to directly support farmers. One initiative that is gaining attention is Kisan e-Mitra, an AI-powered, voice-based chatbot that helps farmers navigate government schemes like PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, a financial assistance programme for small and marginal farmers. Available in 11 regional languages, Kisan e-Mitra has been assisting more than 20,000 farmers daily. Initially focused on the PM-KISAN scheme, the chatbot is now being extended to other government programmes.
In other news:
20/03/25
EGF secures $1M from Proparco for climate smart agriculture in Kenya
Kenya-based Equity Group Foundation (EGF), the social arm of Equity Group Holdings, has received USD 1 million from development finance institution Proparco, which is partly owned by the French Development Agency (AFD). The investment will support the implementation of the Foundation’s impact project Climate Resilient Agri-Food Systems (CRAFS). The initiative aims to help smallholder farmers in Kenya adopt Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices, including the use of digital agriculture solutions. CSA practices are designed to increase farm productivity, reduce the impact of climate change, and lower harmful emissions through sustainable farming. The project targets 15,000 farmers each year, focusing on both crop and livestock value chains.
25/03/25
African Development Bank and Mastercard expand MADE initiative to Kenya
The African Development Bank (ADB) and Mastercard have announced the launch of the Kenya Country Chapter of the Mobilizing Access to the Digital Economy (MADE) Alliance: Africa. MADE’s main objective is to extend digital services to 100 million individuals and businesses in Africa over the next ten years. ADB has committed USD 300 million for developing the digital infrastructure and incentivising ecosystem actors to enhance digital access. The initiative aims to integrate three million farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria into the digital economy through Mastercard’s Community Pass platform.
First piloted in Kenya in 2015, Community Pass services, are app-based solutions that establish a digital identity for unbanked communities. Community Pass digitises payments and farmer financial histories, increasing market linkages and access to financial services. The platform connects farmers with buyers, input suppliers, and financial institutions. Several organisations have committed to support MADE including Equity Bank Group, Microsoft, Heifer International, Sustainable Agriculture Foundation, Unconnected.org, Yara, Kenya National Farmers’ Federation, Shell Foundation, and CRDB Bank.
29/03/25
TBT Agro launches agri e-commerce platform in Nigeria
Nigerian agribusiness TBT Agro, a company sourcing, trading, and supplying agro commodities both locally and internationally, has launched a digital market linkage platform, shifting to an agritech and agri-ecommerce play. The platform connects farmers with suppliers, buyers, and financial institutions. It also provides farmers with real-time access to market prices but also weather forecasts and best farming practices, with a view to enhance productivity. Established in 2017, TBT Agro specialises in connecting smallholder farmers with agribusinesses and financial institutions, aiming to enhance their income and knowledge in agribusiness. Since the pilot started, TBT Agro has onboarded over 1,000 farmers to its digital platform, and aims to expand its reach to over 20,000 farmers within the next 18 months.