We are seeing farmers across the world tap into data to access customized, actionable information in real time. Farmers are also using drones to farm more effectively, by reaching crops with less physical labor. For example, sugarcane farmers in Thailand that we are working with, are seeing better yields and quality crops from their use of drones, resulting in improved profits.

The rapid growth of smartphone penetration across Asia allows us to put the power of digital into the hands of every smallholder farmer, especially those in rural areas. We are seizing this opportunity with the development and launch of our latest Cropwise Grower app, which is tailored to fit the needs of Asia’s smallholder farmers. More than a mobile app, it will serve as a digitally-enabled system to provide farmers with all the resources they need to succeed.

Based on Syngenta’s globally successful digital product, Cropwise, Cropwise Grower is a new digital super app, built for farmers in Asia Pacific. The integrated platform will enable Syngenta’s Centrigo Ecosystem, to scale digitally and meet the end-to-end needs of farmers, from planting preparation to selling their crops. By offering real-time, data-driven information and resources, Cropwise Grower will enable transparency and connectivity for farmers across Asia Pacific, helping them make informed decisions that improve their yields and profits. Farmers will also be able to connect directly with Syngenta’s partners, allowing them to find solutions to all their pain points. The app leverages technology from image recognition specialist Plantix to diagnose crop diseases in three seconds and provide farmers with agronomic advice on the most appropriate type of seed or crop protection that they can apply.

• Crop stage wise agronomic advice

• Local weather forecast

• Historic weather trends

• Safe usage of products

• Connect with the nearest Retailer/Franchise

• Realtime pest and disease identification

How Cropwise Grower App is using A.I. enabled farming feature- to reach 500,000 smallholder farmers in Asia

New partnership between Syngenta Asia Pacific and Plantix will provide farmers across Asia with access to artificial intelligence-enabled farming

Syngenta and image recognition specialist, Plantix, have launched a partnership that is set to provide at least half a million smallholder farmers across Asia Pacific with access to artificial intelligence (A.I.)-enabled digital farming tools. With a rollout covering five countries and 750,000 hectares of farmland, the farming app will widen access to smart farming features for half a million farmers producing staple cash crops such as cotton, rice, corn, wheat and more.

The partnership gives Asia’s smallholder farmers access to a global database of over 50 crops and 500 diseases, which will be available through Syngenta’s Cropwise Grower app for farmers. The app uses the power of data to protect crop yields with on-demand advice on agricultural best-practices and crop protection solutions. Using A.I., Cropwise Grower will allow farmers to take a photo of their crop problem, and in real-time, diagnose crop pests and diseases with 93% accuracy. The image is analyzed by the Plantix algorithms to identify the issue and provide a recommendation. The uploaded images are also geotagged so that the app is able to alert farmers with early warnings when pest and disease pressures are identified in their surrounding area.

Says Alexander Berkovskiy, APAC Regional Director at Syngenta, “The emergence of challenges, such as new pests and diseases with climate change, coupled with extreme weather events, have made farming incrementally challenging. By bringing smart solutions closer to farmers, A.I. and data can help them overcome traditional constraints and information gaps. Our aim is to make digital tools as commonly used by smallholder farmers as the traditional rake here in Asia Pacific. This partnership taps into our extensive regional networks to make this technology accessible at a large scale.”

“As part of our commitment to the communities in which we operate, we are investing heavily in digital and believe that it has the power to help farmers make better decisions, reduce crop losses and increase yields,” says Chris Chen, APAC Head of Digital Transformation at Syngenta. “Cropwise Grower is the vehicle that allows us a direct connection, at scale, with millions of growers across Asia Pacific. By ensuring the end-to-end user flow is 100% automated, the partnership with Plantix allows an accurate diagnosis and recommendation to be provided in less than 3 seconds. This real time feedback will be critical in driving behavioral change for our smallholder farmers across the region,” he adds.

Targeting farmers in Asia’s top agriculture economies, the Cropwise Grower app is now available in India in eight languages and will be progressively rolled out in Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Bangladesh.