Kochi: As part of an effort to find solutions to daily challenges faced by the farming community in Kerala with the support of modern technology, the AgriNext Startup problem-solving workshop was held in Ernakulam on Monday.
The workshop was organized as part of the KERA project implemented by the agriculture department with the assistance of the World Bank. It became a platform where farmers, representatives of farmer producer companies, researchers, entrepreneurs, startup owners, and officials gathered to share ideas, bringing new hope to the agricultural sector.
The core aim of the workshop was to identify real problems faced by farmers, compile them into a unified digital database, and develop technical solutions with the help of available startups. This database will serve as an authoritative source of information in the future for entrepreneurs and researchers to design new products and technological systems. It is being set up under the Agri Tech Startup section of the KERA project.
Farmer representatives raised diverse issues, such as wildlife conflict, storage and marketing of agricultural products, processing and value addition of crops, challenges in pineapple, rubber, and nutmeg cultivation, labour shortage, impact of climate change, and pest diagnosis. Suitable innovative ideas to address these problems can be submitted by startups. The best ideas will be incorporated into the KERA project, ensuring funding through Kerala Startup Mission. This is the fifth workshop of its kind conducted in the state.
