Bogor: Farmers often face difficulties in managing their businesses, from purchasing equipment to selling their agricultural products. Their business development has also been relatively slow due to various problems, including the difficulty of getting capital loans from the banks.
This condition is increasingly difficult in the fast-paced digitalization era, where many farmers are still unable to keep up.
Responding to this situation, agritech startup Terra Asri is trying to build an application (app) to empower farmers and stakeholders. The Terra Asri app provides easy access to markets and agricultural production facilities, information, and collaboration, as well as access to capital loans for growing purposes.
"The goal is to make farmers' businesses grow rapidly," said Terra Asri Founder and Chief Executive Officer Shivangi Agarwal in Bogor, West Java, Tuesday, January 31st, 2023.
He explained that the Terra Asri app is an online platform that connects farmers with stakeholders and also suppliers of agricultural production facilities.
"We have launched the application today. The launch coincided with a panel discussion on the theme of Digitizing Agriculture in Indonesia which we held in Bogor today," said Shivangi.
Speaking at the launch of the Terra Asri app, Institutional Coordinator and Agricultural Extension Personnel from the Ministry of Agriculture Joko Samiyono said that digitizing agriculture could increase added value.
However, this effort is not easy and needs to go through many processes, including grading and improving quality when working with buyers, as well as how extension agents can provide good agricultural tips to farmers.
"Hopefully, Terra Asri app can increase the capacity of farmers and extension workers, and also encourage collaboration with ministries, institutions, and the private sector," said Joko.
According to Shivangi, the agricultural industry is currently still fragmented from upstream to downstream. This fragmented industry makes it difficult for farmers to gain access to information, agricultural production facilities, markets, and access to capital loans.
"This is the basis for us to develop Terra Asri," said Shivangi.
Read more: Indonesia Invites Global Investors in Downstreaming Development: Minister
He said various useful features were present in the Terra Asri app, which included an integrated marketplace for agricultural production facilities, information technology, market access, and capital loans.
"All of this is to help farmers to increase their sustainable crop production," said Shivangi.
He explained that the Terra Asri app, which can be downloaded via the Google Play Store, provides access to information and development features in the agricultural industry.
In its early stages, the Terra Asri app focuses on the upstream agricultural industry, including a marketplace for farmers to shop for agricultural production equipment and information access features, as well as presenting various information related to developments in the agricultural industry.
"In the initial stage, Terra Asri app will be used by farmers in West Java. But in the future, this app can be used by farmers throughout Indonesia," said Shivangi.
Terra Asri Vice President Operations Indrawan Adi Sucipto said that going forward, Terra Asri will continue to develop the app, specifically related to solutions for the downstream industry. The goal is the same, to provide access to market and capital loans for farmers.
"We will continue to develop the Terra Asri app so that it can become a platform that can provide comprehensive solutions for the agricultural industry in Indonesia," said Fadli.
Samsul Widodo, Expert Staff for Inter-Institutional Relations, Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Villages and Transmigration, is hopeful that the Terra Asri app can be part of the solution to digitizing food.
This relates to the scope of food digitization, starting from production inputs, industrialization, technology, and financing to access to markets.
"Our ministry welcomes this app. We will help convey it to the Regional Governments and Farmer Groups so that they can be involved in the Terra Asri ecosystem," said Widodo.
Cek Berita dan Artikel yang lain di Google News
FOLLOW US
Ikuti media sosial medcom.id dan dapatkan berbagai keuntungan
