Shivender holds over a decade of experience in business strategies & supply chain management.

In India, the trend of urban modern tech farming is growing at an extremely high rate. Hard hit by the coronavirus-led- lockdown, the farming community has severely been impacted. The restrictions on transport and logistics,supply chain, and shutting down of local vegetable mandis obstructed the overall supply of the produce. This led to the vulnerability of our food sources. Additionally, food production, transport, processing, and waste are alreadyplacing enormous pressure on environmental resources.

According to the estimates of World Economic Forum, the global population is expected to reach nearly 10 billion which will lead to the food requirement of 60 Percent higher than it is today. However, at the current rate of ecological degradation, there simply won’t be enough arable land left to meet this demand. This has resulted in the need of utilising and growing the food sustainably. Consequently, with the adoption of the right technology,farmers can optimise their crop planning to utilize minimum resources and get the maximum benefit out of it.

Understanding the Market Overview
With remarkable results, agriculture technology has witnessed a huge growth in investment and is still projected to grow at a GAGR of 18 percent from 2019 to 2015. As per the report of India Agritech Investment Trends, the sector has attracted an investment of about $245 million in 2019. According to Maple Capital Advisors, it is expected to exceed $500 million in the next two years.

Additionally, to promote the agritech ecosystem, the Indian government recently announced to fund 112 start-ups with a sum of Rs.11.85 crore in the current FY.

Innovation in Agriculture
Advancement of technology in agriculture is offering precise solutions for sustainable farming that includes indoor vertical farming, hydroponic farming and modern greenhouse practices. These practices are set to redesign thefarming experiences with a myriad of benefits. They produce healthier, fresh, and more nutritious food that has a longer shelf life. These practices also help in saving valuable water, land, and labour resources. Also, the controlledgrowing system enables to produce food free from harmful chemicals and residue.

Complements Consumer Preferences
The consumption pattern is changing drastically. People are becoming more aware of eating healthy and fresh. Additionally, the pandemic has also encouraged consumers to change their dietary habits and consume food that helps prevent infections and build strong immunity against infections.

The techniques of ultra-modern tech farming optimise crop production and quality and offer food safety all year round. They are grown in nutrient-rich water without pesticides, harvested a few hours before it reaches the consumers’ plate. This has strengthened the power of making good choices and brought an individual behavioural change in creating a healthier food system.

Use of Technology
The growth in the adoption of advanced technology solutions in agriculture is revolutionising the sector. It is still at the stage of emergence. However, by using the smart farming model, traditional farming is gradually transitioningto urban modern tech farming. It allows producing differently using new techniques that increase food production and efficiencies in the food chain. By incorporating automated technologies and processes, it becomes easier to
meet the burgeoning demand of the population.

Looking at the changing scenario of traditional farming and advancement in technology, farmers have started adopting indoor vertical and hydroponic farming techniques. They are highly data-driven that combine agriculturewith science and grow safe and healthy food in much lesser time. They also enable the farmers to manage growth factors and optimise their field for better produce.

By using the smart farming model, traditional farming is gradually transitioning to urban modern tech farming

After discovering the effectiveness of such farming techniques, the government is also supporting the agri-tech sector to transform the traditional farming community. The trend of urban modern tech farming is going to boom in the country with millennials being curious about producing fresh inside their houses. They want leafy greens freshly harvested from their farm before putting on the table. In the coming times, the consumers are going to become more serious about the benefits of consuming home-grown veggies and organic food culture. Moreover, people will be fonder of growing vegetables at home for the safety, health, and hygiene benefits post the pandemic.