The life of a farmer in Pakistan is one of dedication and hard work. Every day, they rise with the sun to tend to their crops, pouring their heart and soul into the land. They labor tirelessly, planting, irrigating, and harvesting, their livelihoods dependent on the whims of nature. But despite their best efforts, climate change is slowly eroding their livelihoods. Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and devastating floods are all taking a toll on crops, leaving farmers with dwindling yields and a dwindling income.
Pakistan's agricultural sector is facing an unprecedented crisis. With the global population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, the need to produce more food is urgent. However, Pakistan's yield gap – the difference between actual and potential yields – is staggering. Despite being a top producer of staple crops, Pakistan's per-acre yields are among the lowest in the world. This translates to reduced incomes for farmers, food insecurity for communities, and a significant blow to the national economy.
Climate change is exacerbating this problem, with agriculture bearing the brunt of the impact. Rising temperatures and changing weather patterns are decimating crops, leaving farmers with little to no recourse. The consequences are far-reaching – food shortages, increased poverty, and migration from rural areas.
But in the digital age, there is hope. Technology, driven by artificial intelligence, can provide the solution the farming community needs. Enter Farmdar, a revolutionary startup using AI and satellite technology to empower farmers to adapt to climate change and increase agricultural productivity. By providing critical insights and data-driven advice, Farmdar is helping farmers to not only survive but thrive in the face of climate change. With Farmdar, farmers can finally have the tools they need to overcome the challenges of climate change and build a more secure future for themselves and their communities.
Agricultural anxiety
Imagine walking through a lush green farm, surrounded by rows of crops swaying gently in the breeze. But beneath the surface, a crisis is brewing. Climate change is ravaging agricultural lands, causing crops to wither and die. Farmers are struggling to keep up with the changing weather patterns, and their livelihoods are at risk.
This is the reality facing farmers in Pakistan and around the world. But amidst the chaos, a solution is emerging. Farmdar, a revolutionary agri-tech startup, is using AI, satellite data, and remote sensing to help farmers adapt to climate change and boost agricultural productivity.
“As farmers ourselves, we knew firsthand the challenges of agricultural productivity and the devastating impact of climate change,” says Muhammed Bukhari, one if the three co-founder of Farmdar who belong to a family with a background of farming. “We were struggling to keep our own farm afloat, and we knew we weren't alone. That's when we decided to take matters into our own hands and find a solution.”
Muhammed, along with his brother and childhood friend Ibrahim and Muzaffar respectively, founded Farmdar in autumn 2021. They started by creating a crop monitoring MVP for their own farm, using a DJI Drone, multispectral sensor, and the expertise of Namra Mahad, a Masters student at the Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad. The results were impressive, and soon they were approached by Gourmet Foods, one of Pakistan's largest retail food chains, to test their product on a larger scale.
But as they scaled up, they faced a new challenge. “Drones simply couldn't cover the area of interest,” Muhammed recalls. “That's when we turned to satellite imagery, and CropScan, our hero product, was conceived.” With CropScan, Farmdar was able to cover 60k acres in the first season, followed by 10.4m acres in 2022 and over 200m acres in 2023.
The journey wasn't easy, but the founders' background in farming and their experience in finance, strategy, and marketing gave them a unique edge. “We understood the pain points of farmers and agribusinesses, and we knew how to build a solution that would work,” says Bukhari. Today, Farmdar is a leading agri-tech company in Pakistan, with a presence in Brazil and APAC, and a client list that includes Gourmet Foods and other major players in the industry.
The journey wasn't easy, but the founders' background in farming and their experience in finance, strategy, and marketing gave them a unique edge. “We understood the pain points of farmers and agribusinesses, and we knew how to build a solution that would work,” shares Bukhari.
Ibrahim, a fourth generation farmer, brought his expertise in managing his family farm of 600 acres, while Muzaffar's experience in advertising and marketing helped shape the company's strategy. Bukhari's 20-year career in finance and strategy, including stints at McKinsey and British Telecom, helped guide the company's growth.
Today, Farmdar is a leading agri-tech company in Pakistan, with a presence in Brazil and APAC, and a client list that includes Gourmet Foods and other major players in the industry. The company's satellite-based crop monitoring system, CropScan, has become a game-changer for farmers and agribusinesses, providing critical insights and data-driven advice to improve agricultural productivity and adapt to climate change.
The problem of agricultural productivity and climate change is far from solved, but with Farmdar, Bukhari and his team are making a difference, one acre at a time. “We're proud of what we've achieved so far, but we know there's still much work to be done,” says Bukhari. “We're committed to continuing to innovate and expand our services, to help farmers and agribusinesses thrive in the face of climate change.
AI agriculture revolution
While the farmers are struggling to keep up with the changing weather patterns, and their livelihoods are at risk, Farmdar has a solution. With Farmdar's solution, farmers can access critical insights on crop health, productivity, and risk, enabling them to make data-driven decisions about crop management, yield optimization, and resource allocation.
Farmdar's innovative solution is revolutionizing the agricultural industry. By harnessing the power of AI, satellite data, and remote sensing, Farmdar is providing farmers and agribusinesses with the tools they need to adapt to climate change and boost productivity.
At the heart of Farmdar's platform are three products: CropScan, AgriChain, and AgromAI. CropScan uses AI and space technologies to provide large-scale business intelligence, covering over 350m acres across multiple countries. With CropScan, farmers and agribusinesses can access critical insights on crop classification, variety classification, sowing time identification, and harvest monitoring. This information is invaluable in helping them make data-driven decisions about crop management, yield optimization, and resource allocation.
AgriChain, a SaaS platform, digitizes all aspects of agriculture, increasing farm and team productivity, optimizing yield, and improving water and input use efficiency. To date, AgriChain has acquired data for 69k farmers, providing valuable insights and tools for agribusinesses and farmers alike. With AgriChain, farmers can access features like eSurvey, DeveloPro, and TeamTrak, which enable them to digitize their fields, capture data, and track their teams in real-time.
YieldPro, a satellite-based crop monitoring app, allows farmers and agribusinesses to become more sustainable by increasing yields and improving water and input use efficiency. With features like Plant Health, Plant Stress, Nitrogen Levels, Soil Organic Matter, Productivity Zones, Biomass, Evapotranspiration, Topsoil Moisture, and Root Zone Moisture, YieldPro provides a comprehensive view of crop health and productivity. Additionally, YieldPro's AI-powered early warning system alerts farmers to potential pests and diseases, enabling them to take proactive measures to protect their crops.
AgromAI, an AI and space technologies-based platform, provides banks and insurance companies with risk scores for farms and weekly monitoring of contracted farms. With an accuracy rate of 90% on 10 years of data from the Brazilian Rural Insurance Premium Subsidy Program (PSR), AgromAI is a trusted tool for the financial industry. By providing risk scores and weekly monitoring, AgromAI helps banks and insurance companies make informed decisions about lending and insurance, while also enabling farmers to access critical financial services.
Aura Risk Score, a score for farms based on satellite data, climate data and AI. Back tested with 90% accuracy on 10 years of data from the Brazilian Rural Insurance Premium Subsidy Program (PSR).
Yield Prediction, an AI and satellite data-based estimation of biomass and yield in bags per hectare, to help banks and insurers size their contracts correctly. The model achieves over 90% accuracy on soybean in Brazil and Maize in Pakistan. Farmdar is working towards expanding this to all major crops in Pakistan.
“We're proud of what we've achieved so far,” says Bukhari. “Our platform is designed to provide farmers and agribusinesses with the insights they need to succeed in a rapidly changing climate. By harnessing the power of AI and satellite data, we're helping to increase agricultural productivity, improve sustainability, and reduce risk for farmers, agribusinesses, and financial institutions alike.”
He also adds about the Farmdar's satellite-based credit model which is a trained AI that uses historical and predicted climate data, soil data and satellite data, and predict the productivity and risk of a farmer's parcel of land. “This model also takes into account historical factors such as climate anomalies and events. Using this score, banks are able to analyze a farmers credit profile, mitigate their risk and enable more and better lending to farmers. Farmdar’s risk score is being used by three banks in Brazil and farmdar has partnered with Bank Alfalah in Pakistan to use digital and AI based technologies to enable more agri lending,” said Bukhari.
With Farmdar's solution, farmers and agribusinesses can finally access the data and insights they need to thrive in the face of climate change. By providing critical insights and data-driven advice, Farmdar is revolutionizing the agricultural industry and ensuring a more sustainable future for generations to come.
Fruitful impact
Farmdar's innovative platform has already made a significant impact on the lives of farmers in Pakistan. Two success stories stand out in particular: those of Ali Hassan Bodla and Umair Usman.
Bodla, a farmer who supplies potatoes to a leading FMCG company and exports crops to the UAE, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia, has seen a significant improvement in his farm's yield and produce quality since using Farmdar's platform. He credits the detailed reports he receives, which rely on remote sensing and satellite imagery, for enabling him to make informed decisions about farming practices. With this technology, he has gained a deeper understanding of his land, including its soil composition, elevation, and weather patterns, leading to improved crop yields, reduced water usage, and more efficient use of resources.
Bodla praises Farmdar's platform, saying, “This I believe is a huge step for farmers of Pakistan as we long awaited a service like this. I thank the Farmdar team for their efforts, timely reports, and professionalism. In short, they have made my job much easier.”
Usman, another farmer who has benefited from Farmdar's platform, has seen a significant increase in his farm's profitability. He credits Farmdar's weekly crop health reports, which provide real-time alerts and expert insights, for enabling him to monitor his crops remotely and make informed decisions. He notes that the platform has saved him time, headaches, and has made his farm profitable.
Usman shares his experience with Farmdar's platform, saying, “Farmdar's weekly crop health reports have been a game-changer for my farm… I highly recommend Farmdar to any farmer looking to streamline operations, maximize profits, and ensure workers follow their assigned tasks. I am no longer fooled by my workers' lies, that's what gives me more happiness.”
These success stories demonstrate the impact that Farmdar's platform can have on farmers' lives, enabling them to make informed decisions, improve crop yields, and increase profitability. By providing critical insights and data-driven advice, Farmdar is revolutionizing the agricultural industry in Pakistan, one farm at a time.
Gates meets Farmdar
The work that Farmdar is doing is not going unrecognized. Recently, they had the honor of meeting with Bill Gates and the Prime Minister of Pakistan, a testament to their innovative approach and impactful solutions.
“It was a moment of great pride and honor for Farmdar to be represented in a meeting with Bill Gates and the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The encounter left an indelible mark, with valuable insights and a renewed sense of purpose,” expressed Bukhari.
The meeting highlighted Bill Gates' dedication to addressing the critical intersection of agriculture and climate adaptation. His passion for innovation and technology in tackling climate change was palpable, and he emphasized the vital role of advancements like seeds, AI, and digital technologies in this endeavor.
Bukhari shared that the discussion also underscored the urgent need for Pakistan to build capabilities to adapt to climate change, particularly in the agricultural sector. “Bill Gates' commitment to this cause was inspiring, and his willingness to support innovative solutions was a testament to his dedication to making a positive impact,” said Bukhari.
The meeting also presented an opportunity to showcase Pakistan's potential and contributions to the world. The country's efforts to eradicate polio, its thriving startup ecosystem, and innovations like Farmdar that are making a global impact, all form part of a narrative that deserves to be shared with the world.
“It was an incredible honor to represent Farmdar in this meeting. Bill Gates' pledge to addressing climate change and his belief in innovation and technology as a solution, was truly inspiring. We are proud to be part of this narrative and look forward to continuing to make a positive impact in Pakistan and beyond,” shared Bukhari.
Farmdar's global harvest
Farmdar, which is already making a significant impact in Pakistan, is aiming for a bigger picture in today's challenging agricultural landscape. As climate change continues to pose a major threat to crop yields and farm productivity, Farmdar's platform is providing a vital solution for farmers and agribusinesses.
“We're not just talking about incremental changes, we're talking about fundamental shifts in how farmers operate,” says Bukhari. “Our platform provides AI, satellite technology, and remote sensing-based analytics, predictions, and advice to help farmers improve yields, improve water use and input use efficiency, and proactively address pests and diseases.”
With a reach of 120k farmers in Pakistan already, Farmdar is targeting 250k farmers by December 2024. But the company's ambition doesn't stop there. Through its B2B2C model, partnering with global organizations like Bayer Crop Sciences, Farmdar is scaling up its impact beyond Pakistan.
“We combine the depth of experience and knowledge of a large and global organization like Bayer with the agility and technological innovation of a start-up like Farmdar to benefit farmers in Pakistan,” says Bukhari.
But Farmdar's vision goes beyond Pakistan's borders. With the launch of AgromAI in Brazil in Autumn 2023 and expansion into ASEAN countries, Farmdar is poised to make a global impact. “We're not just solving a local problem, we're solving a global problem,” says Bukhari. “We're helping farmers adapt to climate change, and that's a challenge that requires a global response.”
As temperatures continue to rise and climate-related catastrophes become more frequent, Farmdar's platform is providing a beacon of hope for farmers and agribusinesses. By harnessing the power of AI, satellite technology, and remote sensing, Farmdar is helping farmers thrive in the face of climate change. The future of agriculture looks bright, and Farmdar is leading the way.
Harvesting a brighter future
Farmdar's journey is evidence to the power of innovation and technology in transforming industries and lives. Despite Pakistan being a third-world country, the availability of power, internet, technology, and education has enabled great minds to harness the potential of AI and match global standards. Farmdar showcases the resilience and determination of Pakistani entrepreneurs, who are leveraging technology to overcome challenges and create a better future.
In this era, technology and AI have democratized access to innovation, enabling any country to prosper and be at the forefront of progress. Farmdar's success demonstrates that with the right mindset and resources, even the most complex challenges can be addressed. As the world continues to evolve, it is imperative to recognize the potential of emerging markets like Pakistan, where talent and innovation are abundant. By embracing technology and AI, we can create a more equitable and sustainable future for all.
Read the full story at the express tribune website.
