Agriculture in India is livelihood for a majority of the population and can never be

underestimated.

Although its contribution in the gross domestic product (GDP) has reduced to less than 20
per cent and contribution of other sectors increased at a faster rate, agricultural production
has grown. This has made us self-sufficient and taken us from being a begging bowl for food
after independence to a net exporter of agriculture and allied products.
Agriculture is an important sector of Indian economy as it contributes about 17% to the
total GDP and provides employment to over 60% of the population. Indian agriculture has
registered impressive growth over last few decades. The rapid growth has helped Indian
agriculture mark its presence at global level. India stands among top three in terms of
production of various agricultural commodities like paddy, wheat, pulses, groundnut,
rapeseeds, fruits, vegetables, sugarcane, tea, jute, cotton, tobacco leaves, etc.
Indian agriculture is characterized by agro-ecological diversities in soil, rainfall, temperature,
and cropping system. Besides favourable solar energy, the country receives about 3 trillion
m3 of rainwater, 14 major, 44 medium and 55 minor rivers share about 83 per cent of the
drainage basin. About 210 billion m3 water is estimated to be available as ground water.
Irrigation water is becoming a scarce commodity. Thus, proper harvesting and efficient
utilization of water is of great importance.
The agriculture industry in India reached a value of INR 63,506 billion in 2020. The
agriculture industry represents an important component of the Indian economy both in
terms of its contribution to the GDP as well as a source of employment to the majority of
the country’s population. This sector is currently showing immense opportunities, with India
presently being one of the world’s largest agricultural producers by value. A number of
transformations have taken place in this sector over the past few decades. These include -
rising penetration of the organized sector, growth in contract farming, agriculture becoming
more mechanized, easy loan facilities, rise of exports, use of agrochemicals and high yielding
seeds, and an increasing role of the private sector in processing, branding and marketing,
etc.
The Indian Agriculture Industry is at the verge of a revolution that will modernize the entire
food chain in India and as the total food production in India is likely to double in the next ten
years. Today there are excellent export prospects, competitive pricing of agricultural
product standards that are compared internationally which has created trade opportunities
in the agro industry. This has enabled Indian Agriculture Industry Portal to serve as a main
means by which every exporter and importer of India and abroad, could fulfil their
requirements and avail the benefits of agro related buy-sell trade leads and other business
opportunities.
This Indian Agricultural Industry revolution brings along with it the opportunities of
profitable investment. The Indian government initiative has taken up to improve the
Agricultural Standards by formulating the policies like EXIM policy, price policy, seed policy
and this has paved the way for the profits to the Agricultural Industry in India. The statistics
convey that the Indian Agricultural Industry today is the world's second largest producer of
food. From canned, dairy, processed, frozen food to fisheries, meat, poultry, food grains,
alcoholic beverages & soft drinks, the Indian agro industry has dainty areas to choose for
business.

However, on marketing front, Indian agriculture is still facing the problems such as low degree of
market integration and connectivity, accessibility of reliable and timely information required by
farmers on various issues in agriculture. Also, the agricultural marketing sector is characterized by
fragmented supply chain. Huge postharvest losses, multiple market intermediaries; higher
transaction cost, lack of awareness and several other socio-economic factors are some of the acute
problems being faced by the Indian agriculture.
BUSINESS ANALYTICS IN AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY

Data volumes in the agriculture industry are growing exponentially. IoT devices that collect
data from connected farm equipment smart tractors, drones, etc. are becoming more
common. Growers and agribusiness leaders are recognizing the potential for uncovering
breakthroughs on soil health, plant genomics, livestock management and faster
development of new technologies hidden in big data.
There are significant opportunities for the application of business intelligence in the field of
agriculture, as well as in any other area where there is a need to analyse large amounts of
data make business decisions based on that data. Business intelligence can contribute to
increase the production potential and technical efficiency of agricultural enterprises and
farms due to the effective support of management, analytical and planning activities
Business intelligence and decision support systems in agriculture are used in various
segments such as analysis and forecasting of prices of agricultural products on the market,
determining the required level of moisture in the soil for certain crops and locations based
on data on land, crops and meteorological conditions analysis of data on customers and
competitors, analysis of meteorological and climate conditions combined with local data on
farms
TECHNOLOGIES FOR PRECISION FARMING:

In order to collect and utilize information effectively, it is important for anyone considering
precision farming to be familiar with the modern technological tools available. The vast
array of tools includes hardware, software and the best management practices. These are
described briefly in the following paragraphs.

Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers:

Global Positioning System satellites broadcast signals that allow GPS receivers to compute
their location. This information is provided in real time, meaning that continuous position
information is provided while in motion. Having precise location information at any time
allows soil and crop measurements to be mapped. GPS receivers, either carried to the field
or mounted on implements allow users to return to specific locations to sample or treat
those areas. Uncorrected GPS signals have an accuracy of about 300 feet. To be useful in
agriculture, the uncorrected GPS signals must be compared to a land-based or satellite-
based signal that provides a position correction called a differential correction. The
corrected position accuracy is typically 63-10 feet. When purchasing a GPS receiver, the type
of differential correction and area coverage should be considered.

Yield monitoring and mapping:

In highly mechanized systems, grain yield monitors continuously measure and record the
flow of grain in the clean-grain elevator of a combine. When linked with a GPS receiver,
yield monitors can provide data necessary for yield maps. Yield measurements are essential
for making sound management decisions. However, soil, landscape and other
environmental factors should also be weighed when interpreting a yield map. Used
properly, yield information provides important feedback in determining the effects of
managed inputs such as fertilizer amendments, seed, pesticides and cultural practices
including tillage and irrigation. Since yield measurements from a single year may be heavily
influenced by weather, it is always advisable to examine yield data of several years including
data from extreme weather years that helps in pinpointing whether the observed yields are
due to management or climate induced.

Variable-rate Technology (VRT):

Variable rate technology refers to a technology that enables the variable rate application of
materials in precision agriculture. Variable rate fertilizer application allows crop producers
to apply different rates of fertilizer at each location across fields. The technology needed to
accomplish variable rate fertilization includes an in-cab computer and software with a field
zone application map, fertilizer equipment capable of changing rates during operation and
the Global Positioning System (GPS). VRT describes any technology that enables the variable
application of inputs. Therefore, VRT mounted on equipment permits input application rates
to be varied across fields in an attempt to site-specifically manage field variability. This type
of strategy can reduce input usage and environmental impacts along with increasing
efficiency and providing economic benefits

Crop scouting:

In-season observations of crop conditions may include: Weed patches (weed type and
intensity); Insect or fungal infestation (species and intensity); Crop tissue nutrient status;
Flooded and eroded areas using a GPS receiver on an all-terrain vehicle or in a backpack, a
location can be associated with observations, making it easier to return to the same location
for treatment. These observations also can be helpful later when explaining variations in
yield maps.

Geographic information systems (GIS):

Geographic information systems (GIS) are computer hardware and software that use feature
attributes and location data to produce maps. An important function of an agricultural GIS is
to store layers of information, such as yields, soil survey maps, remotely sensed data, crop
scouting reports and soil nutrient levels. Geographically referenced data can be displayed in
the GIS, adding a visual perspective for interpretation. In addition to data storage and
display, the GIS can be used to evaluate present and alternative management by combining
and manipulating data layers to produce an analysis of management scenarios.

Use cases for BI in agriculture

The agriculture industry as a whole demonstrates the need to apply business intelligence to
a variety of use cases. In doing so, farming operations are in a better position to achieve the
above benefits. Some of these use cases include:

Production planning
There are many moving parts to planning a crop: availability and preparation of the land,
planting, irrigation, harvesting, and shipping, to name a few. BI can rely on data from
previous years to improve your planning and allow you to avoid reinventing the wheel with
each new production cycle.

Sales goals
As your farming expenses change, so may your sales goals in order to maintain profitability.
BI systems can monitor the financial end of your operations and help you improve your
production to ensure you’re hitting the right objectives.

Managing recalls
No farm wants to find itself at the centre of a recall. For starters, recalls can be extremely
expensive in terms of lost revenue and damaged vendor and supplier trust. Plus, it’s not
always easy to trace recalled items through the supply chain.

BI helps to simplify this process by keeping up with batch numbers, harvest dates, storage
conditions, sell dates, and other important data that can help you mitigate the impact of a
recall.

Waste reduction
One of every farm’s primary goal is to reduce waste at every link in its operations chain.
Spoilage means goods are no longer viable to sell, which can eat into profits. Other types of
waste, including damage to equipment, unnecessary irrigation, or other activities that don’t
add value can also impact a farm’s profit.

BI systems are comprehensive in nature and serve to help farms identify areas of waste
across your operations. This allows you to plug money leaks before they wreak havoc on
your finances.

What are the benefits of business intelligence?

Business intelligence creates smarter farms.
Proper analysis of the amount of data that can be collected by farming organizations is
virtually impossible using conventional methods. Adopting BI systems allows farms to make
better use of their data and take advantage of its intended benefits, including:

Making data-driven decisions

First and foremost, business intelligence drives smarter decisions. Farming’s purpose of
providing a service essential to life leaves little room for error, and farms need data they can
trust. BI systems provide real-time data across the entire business operation so that farmers
can better understand the impact of their decisions on specific areas and the organization as
a whole.

Increasing competitive advantages

Farming businesses are no strangers to competing for sales of the same product, particularly
as many regions or areas grow similar crops simply because of natural conditions. With
greater intelligence and better decisions come opportunities to improve, which could help
you gain an advantage over competing farms.

Improving forecasting
Forecasting is an essential part of running a successful agribusiness. All of your production
must be planned in advance, which means you must take into account your anticipated
market demand, weather conditions, labor availability, and potential obstacles that could
impact your goals. BI can help you with forecasting because it collects data over time and
can detect trends and anomalies based on large sets of your own data.

Integrating a network of agri-tech

Smart tech in agriculture is growing, and BI serves as an anchor point to unite multiple
technologies. BI connects various points of data with each other to develop deeper insights
into your farming operations.