It’s often said that farmers are the backbone of every country. But in many parts of the world agriculture is slow to embrace new technology often because of economic circumstance or limited opportunity.

Employing 38% of the national workforce but accounting for under 10% of the country’s GDP, the agricultural sector is a vital part of Thailand’s economy. But the majority of Thailand’s farmers continue to use traditional practices, creating a significant opportunity for modernization and digitization.

Enter AGrowth. Thailand’s first global AgTech Accelerator. The AGrowth program, by the National Innovation Agency, in partnership with the Research & Innovation for Sustainability Center, SIAM KUBOTA Corporation, and powered by Nest, supports startup businesses and entrepreneurs from around the globe, in delivering breakthrough technologies.

The Agrowth programme began with 240 entrepreneurs who were invited to present their ideas for empowering the agriculture industry. From here, 10 projects were selected. 12 weeks later, the 10 selected startup companies from Australia, Hong Kong, Nigeria, India, Malaysia, the USA, and Thailand were back together to show proof of concept to a room full of mentors and investors.

The pioneering deployment-ready innovation included…..
New crop management systems, drone aerial crop predictions and urban farming solutions.
Agrisource Data from the USA is using its own unique software to analyze crops in a way that’s truly off this planet.

The team at GetzTrac from Thailand is helping farmers to make better use of their machinery. A key area is tech focused on sustainable agriculture that helps address the concerns of today’s hungry world.

No doubt some of the ideas planted and grown from these initiatives will yield great results in the future of agriculture in Thailand and beyond.

#farming #thailand #thaifarming