Digitisation & Food Processing: Assessing the Direct Impact

Loyalty is the best adhesive for an organisation’s existence. It should be cherished and celebrated. Corroborating our belief, we launched?GrainBank Digital Loyalty Card’?for the farmers in Bihar (we plan to expand to more states soon). These Loyalty Cards can be used by farmers to accrue points by using Ergos GrainBank services which could be redeemed as cash incentives. It was a proud moment for us all. However, the empowerment would entail digitising each touch point of the agricultural value chain, including buyers and sellers. I am confident, we can turn that around at the earliest, benefitting small and marginal farmers across the country.?

Digitisation and Food Processing: Assessing the Direct Impact?

Both buyers and processors are imperative connecting links of the ecosystem, vulnerable to headwinds at the hint of slightest deviation in the weather, fluctuation in the market or the ordinary scheme of things. They are constantly struggling to source grains from the open market without guaranteed quality and quantity. Indicatively these small food processors buy worth US$100B food grain in off season for which they struggle.

With constant risks hovering around these stakeholders is likely to have a direct impact on the farmer too. The solution should thereby be multi-pronged and accessible to everyone in the ecosystem important to assess the risks. Digitisation is the key to pivot and ensure that the supply of grains is uninterrupted, with no compromise on the quality. GrainBank buyer’s mobile app by Ergos is trying to iron out this issue for the buyer and producers.?

The tech-enabled platform enables them to secure quality and required quantity of grains the moment buyers need it, including wee hours in the midnight or early morning. The process also ensures delivery within an hour, with quality and quantity intact. The platform enables them to procure their last mile shortage within an hour, which is common phenomena when their regular supplies are interrupted. Ergos GrainBank is the world's first marketplace that enables buyers and sellers to execute transactions in real time.

It is the magic of digitisation that allows instant access to grains for users across the value chain. This magic needs to be multiplied by a manifold. The use of digitised grains is gaining traction fast, not just among farmers but across multiple touch points including buyers. We are constantly working towards adding new members to our family and hope to succeed in our endeavour to add 10-12 million farmers to our family in the next 3-4 years. It is truly joyous to see this dream unfold. Three cheers to the spirit of our team. That’ll be all, until we meet next time.?

By- Kishor Jha (Founder, ERGOS- The Digital GrainBank)