OY in discussion with AGRIVI for precision agriculture deal
Organic Yemen (OY) has signed an agreement with Croatia-based AGRIVI to pilot the first Yemen precision agriculture (PA) project. AGRIVI is a leading European developer of a high quality PA software. It has a comprehensive suite of digital agriculture solutions for farms and other key stakeholders of the agri-food value chain.
How WILL this partnership benefit Yemeni farmers?
Considering the risks and opportunities of climate change in Yemen, OY will leverage the AGRIVI app to provide Yemen farmers with:
Warnings of severe weather and pest risks
Advice on crop health and increasing harvests
Guidance on irrigation, pesticide and fertilizer use optimization to save money
The pilot will last one year, beginning after Eid al-Adha in July 2022. Following a successful pilot, agriculture advisory services will be launched to monitor real-time crop progress and make recommendations for businesses and government clients. These data-driven recommendations will be based on Yemen weather data and on real-time insights per field. Throughout all this, the AGRIVI App will use agriculture data collected by OY via its own equipment and local partnerships.
What is precision agriculture?
Precision agriculture (PA) is a data-driven approach to farm management that can improve productivity and yields, thereby increasing the overall profitability of farming. It involves using weather data and satellite information to provide exact insights into agriculture.
For Yemen precision agriculture, OY will:
Use data from its country-wide network of agriculture sensors and partnerships with university and agriculture extension offices.
Give farmers tailored advice on their specific farm. This will be data-driven and based on real-time Yemen weather data, and on digital collaboration with farmers
How will Yemen benefit from precision agriculture?
Benefits of Yemen's precision agriculture are many, for farmers and all key stakeholders in the agri-food value chain. For example:
PA increases production and reduces costs by eliminating waste of water, pesticide and fertilizer. Its use of weather data improves agriculture investment outcomes.
Sometimes there can be differences between field and regional values or farm weather and that observed by satellite. In this case, Yemen precision agriculture will leverage data from its ground weather stations. These stations are usually more accurate, and cover longer time series, giving better analysis for planting, harvest, etc.
PA is also weather and yield predictive and therefore enables the farmer to avoid making costly farming mistakes. For example, general data might tell you to use pesticides, but then it rains, washing it all away and wasting money. PA avoids these problems.
PA is also good for environmental sustainability because it minimizes the use of pesticides and fertilizers and water. It uses site-specific knowledge to target rates of fertilizer, seed and chemicals for soil and other conditions. In addition to being better for the environment, this saves money by only applying treatments where they are really needed.
OY Bringing precision agriculture to Yemen
OY is in the final stages of planning a pilot with AGRIVI, which will launch after Ramadan. One focus will be on OY’s own farms of jojoba, moringa, rosehip and other crops. This will both diversify and maximize returns for OY farmers and investors, by ensuring the most productive and cost-efficient farm possible.
With a rapidly increasing demand for oilseeds crops, OY will sell these products to retail customers in global markets. This follows previous success in growing and exporting jojoba and moringa since July 2021.
Cosmetic oils by Yuri & Terra, Organic Yemen’s international trademark
In promoting Yemen's precision agriculture, OY will also partner with large farmers of strategic crops, such as wheat, potato, banana, mango, etc. This will ensure that the experience gained during the pilot can be leveraged to the greatest extent possible to address Yemen's food security and agriculture needs.
The focus will specifically be on two areas where OY has strong partnerships, namely Hudaydah and Say’un. These areas are among the most vital governorates in Yemen, in terms of agriculture and population density, including Sana’a, Ibb, Taiz, and Hodeidah. OY also partners with several research institutes and universities with whom it jointly develops new Yemeni export crops.
Local team leaders will monitor farms and provide advice using OY’s Yemen weather data and AGRIVI analysis. OY will work closely with Agrivi specialists to ensure that they gain as many and as accurate insights as possible from the powerful software.
Going forward, the value of the AGRIVI app will be continuously assessed to ensure it is profitable for Yemen's precision agriculture. The goal is to simultaneously maximize production for farmers and minimize costs for customers.
Organic Yemen: taking agriculture investment to the next level
OY is the first company to implement precision agriculture in Yemen. Following our tradition of responding to the needs of farmers and investors, OY believes in the value of agriculture data and its power to increase returns, improve lives and protect the environment.
We are therefore pleased to work with AGRIVI, the leading European developer of PA software, to bring benefits to Yemen. With this step, we join a group of leading companies in Europe and other leading economies that partner with AGRIVI.
Organic Yemen: bringing precision farming to Yemen (Image: munichre.com)
Overall, OY is uniquely placed to provide Yemen's precision agriculture services on account of many factors. For instance, OY:
OY has comprehensive and exclusive access to agriculture data in all areas of Yemen
OY has a wide network of partnerships with farmers, agriculture experts and government agencies.
It has long and tested expertise in using agriculture data to maximize investor returns.
OY’s agriculture investors will further benefit from their trust in OY by being ensured of the highest possible yield at the lowest cost.
OY is also looking forward to launching a new business line providing data-powered agriculture consulting services to businesses, international aid organizations and the government.