An app that takes mechanisation to farmers

AK Surya Power Magic, a Coimbatore-based technology start-up that focuses on the farming sector, has launched “Gold Farm”, a mobile application that helps farmers get farming equipment on rental basis.

Karthic Ravindranath, director and co-founder of Gold Farm, and Abhilash Thirupathy, its director and co-founder, told The Hindu that the company had helped more than 500 farmers install solar powered pump sets for agriculture activities.

About a year ago, it launched a single platform that helps farmers connect with the equipment providers. It has worked with farmers in Karnataka and will focus on that area for the next six months. “Currently, we have 15 equipment providers. We will aggregate additional 65 tractors and 50 farm equipment,” said Mr. Ravindranath.

The machinery has been made available throughout the year at competitive prices. The company uses a fully-integrated Internet of Things (IOT) based technology to enable the hiring services. It helps the service providers as there is a demand for the equipment throughout the year. It benefits the farmers as it helps them mechanise farming activities at affordable prices and reduce wastage. This is available to all farmers, irrespective of the extent of area under farming, and they can use the application even without internet connectivity, said Mr. Thirupathy.

Farmers need to download the app, which is available in the local language of the State and book the tractor and implement on their own or call 78877 78877 or through facilities provided at a nearby post office. The company has tied up with the Postal Department for this purpose.

“So far, we have reached around 15,000 acres of tractor service across four States. In the next five years, we expect another five million farmers to be serviced,” said a press release from the company, which has so far received half a million dollars investment from Infuse Ventures.

Source: The Hindu