Fertilizer maker Yara International and IBM are planning to offer digital farming services to assist in boosting crop yields, setting a target of 100 million hectares, or almost 7 percent of arable land worldwide.
According to a report by prnewswire.com, Yara and IBM will join forces to build the world’s leading digital farming platform to provide holistic digital services and real-time agronomic advice.
Yara is one of the world’s largest fertilizer makers with last year’s revenues amounting to $12.9 billion from its operations in more than 60 countries.
Meanwhile, IBM provides digital platforms, services and expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics.
The joint platform seeks to unlock new insights for farmers through applying artificial intelligence, machine learning and in-field data.
Terje Knutsen, EVP Sales and Marketing in Yara said: “Our collaboration centers around a common goal to make a real difference in agriculture. To be able to responsibly feed a growing population, it is critical that farmers increase food production on existing farmland to avoid deforestation. Yara and IBM will develop digital solutions that empower professional and smallholder farmers to optimize farming practices to increase yields, crop quality and incomes in a sustainable way.”
“As demand for food rises along with the world’s population, the digital farming platform will play a key role in increasing global farming yields in a sustainable way. The collaboration is a perfect symbiosis of IBM’s capabilities in AI, big data management and blockchain technology and Yara’s agronomic knowledge, farmer-centric digital innovation, and proven track record in improving farming across the globe,” said Luq Niazi, IBM Global Managing Director Consumer Industries.
The companies will then seek to integrate the joint platform into IBM Food Trust, a blockchain-enabled network of food chain players which will allow for greater traceability and supply chain efficiency, and ways to tackle food fraud, food waste and sustainability.
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