Farmology is an app-based platform which assists farmers by providing integrated crop advisory in real time. They manufacture agri inputs and also partner with other agri input companies to provide farmers with access to seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides — all of which is available on the Farmology app.
Farmology was started in 2018 by Anup Ganguly and Akash Chandrakar. Anup holds a B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering as well as a MBA in Marketing and International Business. As for Akash, he is a B.Tech in IT and a technopreneur. Their vision is to create farmers of the future through technology. Farmology currently operates in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
We engaged in a conversation with Anup and Akash to find out more about their efforts to improve the lives of farmers in India through their technology-based intervention, understand their vision, and hear some interesting stories. Read more of our conversation with them below!
Q. What motivated you to start this business?
Anup: I actually come from a farming background. My father is a first-generation entrepreneur in agribusiness but I worked in corporate for four years before I realized that I wanted to do more for our 30-year old family business.
Even my father wanted to keep the business going and continue innovating, especially after he noticed that the farmers sometimes do not benefit from the existing policies in place for them because of lack of awareness or poor implementation of these schemes.
After exploring the market and identifying the problems that farmers face, I saw an opportunity to create a purpose-driven startup that could make a difference. I believe that true success comes not just from making money or advancing in your career, but from creating something that could make a real impact.
Akash: When I visited my hometown a few years ago, I witnessed the struggles of the local farmers there and it deeply affected me. Despite our government’s efforts on digitizing India, our farmers—who we call annadata, meaning food providers—lack reliable guidance on new agricultural methods and solutions to increase their yield and income. While the government has launched over 50 schemes for the farmers, these are not being effectively communicated to them on ground.
As an entrepreneur, I had been looking for ways to make a positive impact for years so when I saw this gap, I decided to join the agritech sector and support the farming community.
Q. What progress has Farmology made so far?
Anup: In terms of impact, we have successfully transformed the overall income of around 20,000 farmers who have followed our advice and used the products we have developed. However, we are in touch with a total of 35,000 farmers who have at least used our products once. We are actively working with them on advisory and other services to bring them on board completely.
While this number seems significant, it is just a drop in the ocean when you consider that there are 1.5 crore farmers in West Bengal alone. Sometimes, we find it challenging to even promote our services to such a vast number of farmers. Hence, we rely heavily on marketing campaigns and social media platforms for promotions. We know that, in order to make a real impact, we still need more funding and more support for our operations.
Q. Could you share some examples of the impact you’ve had on the farmers you work closely with?
Anup: We have some amazing stories to share about the impact of our products on farmers in West Bengal. One such story is of a paan (betel leaves) farmer who used to sell his small paan set for INR 35,000 and big paan set for INR 80,000. After using our products and listening to our advisory, he was able to sell them for INR 55,000 and INR 1,20,000 respectively and even increase his production and sales.
Another example is of a vegetable farmer whose personal income increment was about 30% after our interventions. When we visited him, he was so happy that he gave us all the vegetables he was growing.
Similarly, we have success stories about paddy, tea, and even potato farmers who have seen significant improvement in their yields and profits after using our products and advisory. These success stories not only establish a complete value chain ecosystem but also create a lot of trust and goodwill for us amongst farmers.
Q. What is your vision for Farmology?
Akash: From the beginning, our goal with Farmology has been clear—to create farmers of the future. In ten years, we hope to see all farmers earning enough to be independent without even subsidized government loans. The vision is to empower them enough that they no longer need such assistance.
Anup: Our vision from the very beginning has been to empower and enable farmers in India. Unfortunately, farmers are often ignored and overlooked by society, including the government. It is important to educate and empower farmers by providing them with information and resources to improve their livelihoods. This is where technology can play a critical role in democratizing information and removing control from middlemen who set the prices for inputs and outputs in the agricultural industry.
Our goal is to provide farmers with access to information and support so that they can make informed decisions about their crops and their business. We believe that this approach is not just impactful, but also good for our business.
Q. What is that one thing that keeps you up at night?
Anup: My mind is constantly buzzing with new ideas, but the real challenge lies in executing them. We aim to expand our revenue and reach 55,000 farmers this year. But to achieve this, we need a strong team! Finding the right team to achieve our mission is what keeps me up at night.
Akash: My focus is to ensure maximum benefit for maximum farmers, which requires continuous strategizing and fine-tuning. As a strategy-oriented person, I am always looking for ways to connect with farmers and improve our approach. This creates restlessness and is currently keeping me up at night.
Q. How do you tackle obstacles and overcome them?
Anup: As a team, we believe in seeking guidance and advice from experts and industry leaders. We have already established connections with some notable individuals in the agricultural sector. Whenever we face a difficult situation, we don't hesitate to seek their guidance.
Akash: Also we don't let our ego get in our way. We don’t claim to know everything. We understand that nobody is perfect, and we acknowledge it. Personally, when I face a roadblock, I take a step back for a few minutes or wait it out. If I'm not getting any solution at the moment, I don't dwell on it and shift my focus to something else. Taking a break from work and engaging in other activities often leads to unexpected solutions. I prefer this approach because stressing over a problem only clouds your mind and makes the situation worse.
Q. What is a piece of advice you’d like to give to other aspiring entrepreneurs?
Anup: To stay motivated, pursue something that aligns with your purpose and passion, and witness the impact you are making. Believe in yourself, even during tough times. Remind yourself of the progress you have made and the validation you have received, and use it as fuel to keep going.
Akash: Never underestimate oneself and work with a purpose. Following someone else's perception without understanding the cause can lead to failure. Running with a cause helps identify gaps, and fixing them is a challenge to overcome. Aspiring to be a leader requires taking the drive and not hesitating to take action.
Q. What has been your biggest takeaway from the program?
Anup: As an individual and startup, we acknowledge that there is always room for improvement. The accelerator sessions on marketing, TOC, and finances highlighted the gaps in our understanding and helped us fine-tune our strategies and approach. It also helped us connect with our team and fellow farmers for brainstorming. Upaya's leadership in the sustainable and impact space was a significant factor in our decision to join. Overall, the impact of these sessions was substantial, and we are on the right track.
Upaya’s Dignified Jobs Accelerator, in partnership with Yunus Social Business, focuses on building investment-readiness capacity for early-stage social businesses that create livelihood opportunities in an inclusive and equitable manner for those in extreme poverty. You can learn more about the accelerator here!
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