The population around the globe has seen rapid growth. As per UN Population Division, the world population will grow to 10.9 billion in 2100 from the current population of 7.9 billion (2021). Similarly, India’s population is predicted to be 1.52 billion by 2036 from the current population 1.36 billion in 2021. This growth will add to the burden on natural resources that are already under immense pressure.
Due to the constant growth, not only natural resources but the agriculture sector is also under immense pressure. There has been a rapid increase in the demand for agricultural produce. This has acted as a blessing in disguise for the agriculture sector as it has led to continuous improvement, so much so that the traditional approach in agriculture has undergone a fundamental transformation. From using livestock to steam power tractors to engine tractors and now, digital solutions, agriculture in India has seen many developments. The Indian agriculture sector has already witnessed agriculture 1.0 and 2.0. Currently, the sector is in agriculture 3.0. With the development and acceptance of agritech and other technological farming techniques, the sector will soon witness agriculture 4.0.
Although agriculture is one of the oldest sectors, it has embraced digital transformations so well that the sector has managed to meet the increased demands for agricultural produce. Let’s have a look at notable highlights of agricultural development:
Agriculture 1.0
This is the traditional way of agriculture practiced from ancient times till the 1930s. This included manual labour and was done on a small scale while adapting to environmental needs. Most traditional family farms were part of this tradition.
Agriculture 2.0
The timeline here is between 1930 to 2010. During this period, farming became easy and less risky because of the introduction of machines, fertilizers, and genetic alteration of seeds(GM technology). GM technology helped increase the nutritional value of the crops and made them disease and drought-resistant. In the 1950s, agronomic management practices (done to improve soil quality, enhance water usage and better crop management) and new tools like synthetic pesticides were introduced in India. It was during this time that India saw an agricultural revolution that created the concept of agribusiness or industrial agriculture. This revolution was initiated by former Indian Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Agriculture 3.0
This is the most recent phenomenon where the use of technology has brought positive change. The sector is witnessing the rise of agritech. The integration of digital sensors, cloud computing, specialized software, and the Internet of Things (IoT) into farming has helped farmers realize their potential and also helped with economic gains.
Agriculture 4.0
With the acceptance of digital technology and agritech, in coming years we can expect the next big step i.e. urban farming, genetic farming, hydroponics (growing plants in sand, gravel, or liquid, with added nutrients instead of using soil) and 3D printing (done to enhance production and marketing of the produce). We have already started hearing about these which means that we may witness Agriculture 4.0 soon.
One thing which we have observed with agriculture 3.0 is that data is crucial. Agritech startups can use data to create digital solutions that help farmers make more efficient use of their land, water, and fertilizers. Data collection not only benefits the farmers but also other stakeholders of agribusiness involved in the procurement, storage and transportation stages.
While every agritech startup is trying to understand and address the problems faced by farmers and other stakeholders, Bijak which is India’s Number 1 Agritrading platform acts as a meeting point for farmers, commission agents and suppliers to trade in 100+ commodities. It has now come up with an accounting solution called ChargeERP for commission agents. This helps them deal with challenges faced during mandi accounting, inventory management and payment tracking.
ChargeERP the solution
ChargeERP accounting software has been designed keeping in mind the daily interactions of commission agents in agricultural mandis. It is a cloud-based accounting software introduced with the core aim of reducing the agent’s workload. ChargeERP is the easiest, fastest and most secure mandi accounting software available in India. One of the many benefits of this platform is that it can be accessed from anywhere and from multiple devices. It provides data security with end-to-end encryption. Plus, it doesn’t require any kind of technical or accounting expertise.
If you are looking to explore more about this next-level accounting software, feel free to dial +91 9311341199 or visit www.chargeerp.com, and request your free demo today. We also suggest that you follow us on Facebook for regular updates. You can also view the latest instructional videos on the ChargeERP YouTube channel.