Five Important Benefits of Technology in the Agricultural Value Chain.

 

Technology is the employment of scientific knowledge for practical applications to achieve defined purposes in our everyday life. It can be said to be the force behind innovation in service delivery including automated voicemail service, ATM service, fax machines, and internet connectivity, weather forecasting, market research, and biosecurity control in crop and animal production.

intelligent drones spraying agrochemicals in a farm:
photo courtesy

 High efficiency- technology in the agricultural

delivery chain increases efficiency and effectiveness when performing tasks,

while at the same time eliminating errors. An example is the use of Mobile

phone Apps that can relay real-time weather forecast to farmers using Gps,

temperature sensors, and many others, thus arming them with intelligence on

crops to plant or biosecurity measures to undertake to control Pathological

challenges in the farming process.

Faster turnaround time- use of technology also eliminates

the delays associated with the old models or manual performance of tasks

including sorting, organization, and management, therefore, reducing the time

required to accomplish specific deliverables and targets. It makes it easier

and faster to deliver service to the given clients, working with specific

deadlines, and thus better management of time since it is the goal of every

organization to speed up workflow processes which provide customers with the most

an important resource, time.

Increased accessibility- with the automation of service

delivery, consumers can access extension service using smart devices as

intelligent drones for the delivery of agronomical solutions in real-time.

Inquiries are also processed faster and at a lower cost to both the

organization and the farmers even in far-flung areas that would be difficult to

access through conventional means.

Global access- with the development of the World Wide Web

technology, it is now possible to provide or access service across the globe in

real-time including financial transactions across continents carry out

comprehensive market research, and compare the various market trends in animal

and crop value chain, which could not be possible in the old models.

Provide an opportunity for Agro-companies to offer more

personalized service through the accumulation of customer data which can then

be analyzed to meet customer needs, thus increasing satisfaction and service

experience. We shall see this through customized ads in various online

platforms, new varieties of crops, or brands of agrochemicals recommended to

their consumers based on previous searches or behaviour patterns.

Creates long term business relationships that are based

on trust, honesty, through enhanced human contact, between the consumer and the

customer service agent. It is especially so when the technology is modified

to incorporate automation and social interactions examples use of real-time

phone calls instead of intelligent apps or pre-recorded voice-overs, which

create distant customers who have no human relationship with the organization.

For example, OSHO Chemicals an Agrochemical company using toll-free phone calls

to educate farmers on new solutions in control of diseases in crops in Kenya

instead of posting the information in mobile-based Apps or Pamphlets in Kenya.