Farmers Training Program on Ashwagandha Cultivation, Value Addition & Market Linkage

The VIT School of Agricultural Innovations and Advanced Learning successfully organized a one-day Farmers Training Program on Ashwagandha Cultivation, Value Addition, and Market Linkage on 26.09.2025 at the VIT-Agri Clinic, Vellore.

👨‍🏫 The program was presided over by Dr. R. Rajendran, Dean, who emphasized the immense potential of Ashwagandha as a high-value medicinal crop and its role in enhancing rural livelihoods.

🌱 A keynote session was delivered by Dr. P. Manivel, Principal Scientist and Head, ICAR–National Institute for Research on Commercial Agriculture, Vedasanthur. He shared expert insights on:

• Scientific cultivation practices
• Post-harvest processing techniques
• Market linkage strategies for value-added products

🤝 The training witnessed enthusiastic participation from farmers, who engaged actively in discussions and appreciated the practical knowledge shared.

💡 The event highlighted the importance of empowering farmers through value addition and direct market access, paving the way for sustainable income generation.

👏 The program was thoughtfully coordinated by Dr. J. Paul Mansingh, Dr. K. Mohanraj, and Dr. Merlin Mathew, whose efforts ensured its success.

Dr. Paul Mansingh J 

Professor & Head, Department of Agricultural
Extension & Economics, VIT School of Agricultural
Innovations and Advanced Learning (VAIAL),
Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014

From Tradition to Transformation: Agri-Tech Startups Empowering Sustainable Farming

Agriculture has always been the backbone of human civilization, but today it’s standing at a crossroads. Farmers are being asked to feed a rapidly growing population, withstand the shocks of climate change, and do so in a way that protects the environment for future generations. It sounds like an impossible balancing act, but a new wave of Agri-tech startups is stepping up to make it happen.

The Breaking Point: Agriculture Under Pressure from Rising Demands

In 2024, nearly 673 million people worldwide faced hunger, and the global population is set to reach 9.8 billion by 2050. This population surge will amplify food demand by more than 40% between now and 2040. To keep pace, agriculture must ramp up production by at least 14% in the coming decade, with long-term growth needs estimated at 35–56% by 2050. Yet, climate change, resource depletion, and environmental degradation threaten current farming models. Traditional practices may lead to a potential 30% decline in global yields by 2050 if farmers cannot adapt. Soil quality in some areas has dropped tenfold. India alone faces soil erosion on over 11% of its land, indicating how urgent the sustainability challenge has become.

 

Economic and Environmental Pressures

Fluctuations in food and input prices have far-reaching effects. A mere 1% rise in global food prices could push 10 million more people into extreme poverty. Meanwhile, a 1°C rise in temperature threatens a 5-10% drop in crop yields globally. Energy prices are in flux, yet fertilizer costs are rising, adding further strain to farmers, especially smallholders and those in vulnerable regions.

Agri-Tech Startups: Turning Crisis into Opportunity

Agri-tech startups are one of the fastest-growing innovation sectors leveraging disruptive technology to solve agricultural challenges from production to distribution. Since 2015, these startups have attracted over $40 billion in investment globally, with the sector now valued at $24.4 billion and projected to surpass $49 billion by 2030.  From AI-powered crop monitoring to digital marketplaces, startups are rewriting the rules of farming. The core innovation areas such as:

Precision Crop Management: Using IoT, AI, and drone-based tools for targeted irrigation and input delivery, reducing water use by 20–40% and cutting fertilizer and pesticide costs by 20–30%.

Digital Marketplaces and Supply Chains: Blockchain traceability and farm-to-fork platforms like Ninjacart improve farmer incomes and reduce food waste by up to 25%.

Biotechnology and Bio-inputs: Climate-resilient seeds and bio-fortified crops foster higher yields, with some solutions delivering up to 20% more reliable output.

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA): Vertical-farming startups (e.g., Infarm, Bowery Farming) deliver 100× yield per square meter compared to open fields, using closed‐loop hydroponic systems and LED lighting to conserve water by 90% and eliminate pesticide use.

Fintech and Insurance Solutions: Digital advisories and weather-based insurance significantly boost resilience, reducing crop loss risk by up to 15% and empowering smallholders through financial inclusion.

 

Beyond Tradition: Real Farmers, Real Impact with Agri-Tech Innovation

 · Satellite and advisory services helped farmer Lokeswara Reddy raise net profit on corn from ₹5,000–10,000 to about ₹20,000 per acre, a real-world example of data-driven gains reported in coverage of CropIn’s farmer projects.

· According to its 2023 Impact Report, Ninjacart found ~75% of farmers said selling through the platform became more convenient and many reported higher earnings evidence that digital market linkages can quickly improve farmer livelihoods.

· Precision irrigation and pest alerts from startups such as Fasal are documented in multiple farmer testimonials and case studies (grapes, chilli, tomatoes), showing decreased water use and improved crop health.

· DeHaat’s hybrid model of digital services plus trained micro-entrepreneurs is widely documented as helping thousands of smallholders access inputs, advice and markets.

Roadblocks to Scalability

Despite the promise, several barriers hinder widespread tech adoption:

• Fragmented landholdings make scaling innovation costly.
• High upfront investment limits smallholders.
• Weak rural infrastructure (unreliable electricity, internet) curbs digital deployment.
• A lack of digital literacy among farmers slows progress.
• Early-stage startups face funding gaps, attracting less than a fifth of Agri-tech VC investment.

Looking Ahead: A Smarter, Greener Future

Future prospects are shaped by rapid integration of AI, robotics, and big data, paving the way for autonomous and precision-driven agriculture. Innovations in carbon farming and regenerative practices will help sequester soil carbon, promote biodiversity, and directly align with UN SDGs covering food security and climate action. Advances in genetic and microbiome sciences are set to usher in drought-resilient, low-input crops. Digital finance solutions will broaden access to credit, insurance, and markets, levelling the playing field for smaller producers.

Agri-tech startups are reshaping agriculture into a more sustainable and resilient system

Through precision farming, biotech, digital platforms, and agri-fintech, they boost efficiency and reduce waste. These innovations help tackle climate change, food insecurity, and resource depletion. However, challenges like high costs, digital illiteracy, and weak infrastructure still slow adoption. Bridging funding gaps and building farmer capacity remain critical. The future lies in AI, robotics, regenerative practices, and UN SDG alignment. Together, these efforts can spark a new green revolution driven by technology and sustainability. 

*Paul Mansingh, J & Mokesh S

*Professor & Head, Department of Agricultural
Extension & Economics, VIT School of Agricultural
Innovations and Advanced Learning (VAIAL),
Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014
Teaching Research Assistant Cum, Department
of Agricultural Extension & Economics,
VIT School of Agricultural Innovations and Advanced
Learning (VAIAL), Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014

Vulnerability to Vitality: Scaling Climate-Smart Agriculture to Empower Smallholders

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is not a collection of sustainable solutions but a paradigm shift that brings a smallholder farmer to its centre when it comes to climate resilience. Although the technical innovations of CSA have a crucial role to play, whether the institution truly succeeds is based on its ability to meet the social and financial challenges of the individuals who are farming the most delicate soils in the world. 

The Social Dimensions of CSA

The smallholder farmers who mostly operate in marginal farms with little access to finance, markets, and extension services are faced with a complicated web of problems. To bring CSA to such communities, the process of its importation does not only involve the implementation of new technologies but also the profound knowledge of the local settings, incentives, and demands. To make CSA an inclusive and effective intervention, the interventions should be locally-based, culturally-competent, and be farmer-driven. The process of empowerment can start with the farmers not being mere subjects of the innovation, but rather co-creators of change.

Challenges on the Ground

Although CSA has a bright future, there are still several challenges faced by the smallholder farmers that prevent its popularization:

• Resource Constraints

·       Smallholders do not have the funds to invest in a water harvesting system, better storage or more climate resilient infrastructure.

• Knowledge Gaps

·       Limited exposure to extension services and digital tools restricts their ability to adapt to changing conditions.

·       Many are unaware of government schemes or sustainable techniques that could improve yields and resilience.

• Market Access

·       Even with the farmers practicing sustainable practices, they are usually not able to fetch good prices on their produce as a result of inadequate infrastructure and market uncertainties.

• Policy disconnects

National climate policies often fail to recognize the realities of small-scale agriculture, to which farmers are deprived of the support of the institution that they badly require.

Pathways to Progress

To overcome these challenges, a multi-stakeholder approach that cuts across policy, innovation, and grassroots action is necessary:

Government Leadership By making CSA a part and parcel of agricultural policy, governments will be able to provide subsidies on sustainable inputs, invest in rural infrastructure, and harness climate resiliency as a national priority.

NGO and Research collaborations, Farmers can create civil society, and academic institutions can contribute to farmer-led innovation by promoting participatory trials to ensure the solutions are based on the knowledge and experience of the area.

Digital Agriculture Revolution: Mobile applications and remote sensing technologies are changing information accessibility. Farmers can now make more accurate and confident climate-smart decisions due to the real-time weather alerts, pest warnings, and advisory services.

A Vision for the Future

The future of CSA is to co-create a   model in which the farmers do not merely enjoy the fruits of the tree but also contribute to the transformation. Our agricultural systems can be designed with innovative systems that can feed the people and the planet through inclusive value chains, good farmer cooperatives, and peer-to-peer learning. Climate Smart agriculture is not only an assortment of methods, it’s a course toward equality, sustainability, and hope. Smallholder farmers, with their great ecological knowledge and their spirit of adaptation, are not only a part of the solution, but the solution.

*Paul Mansingh, J & Divyasri.  R

*Professor & Head, Department of Agricultural Extension & Economics,
VIT School of Agricultural Innovations and Advanced Learning (VAIAL), 
Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014
Teaching Research Assistant Cum, Department of Agricultural Extension & Economics, 
VIT School of Agricultural Innovations and Advanced Learning (VAIAL), 
Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014

Reimagining the 21st Century Smallholder Farmer

Paul Mansingh, J, Professor & Head, 
Department of Agricultural Extension & Economics, 
VIT School of Agricultural Innovations and Advanced Learning (VAIAL), 
Vellore Institute of Technology, 

Vellore 632014
Atsu Frank Yayra Ihou, Teaching Cum Research Assistant, 
Department of Agricultural Extension & Economics,
 VIT School of Agricultural Innovations and Advanced Learning (VAIAL), 
Vellore Institute of Technology,  

Vellore 632014  

Clothed in Struggles: A Resource-Poor Farmer’s Reality

Smallholder farmers remain pillars of food security across rural communities. They cultivate less than two hectares yet generate around a third of the world’s food, handling up to 80 percent of the supply in parts of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Their daily reality includes limited access to finance, insufficient infrastructure, and unpredictable climate shifts that erode resilience. These challenges often translate into fragile livelihoods and unsteady incomes. 

They adapt with remarkable ingenuity, navigating small land parcels, weaving together traditional knowledge and minimal inputs, and persisting across seasons even when harsh conditions threaten output. Their resource-poor status does not reflect a lack of effort; rather, it highlights structural constraints that policymakers and development partners must acknowledge when designing meaningful interventions.

Transforming the Image of the Resource-Poor Farmer

In this century, a smallholder should emerge as a pragmatic innovator, transforming limitations into entrepreneurial opportunities. Farmers should harness a mindset marked by autonomy, proactiveness, risk-orientation, and economic drive traits shown as key to entrepreneurial intention in value-added farming activities. Farmers should treat every drop of knowledge and every rupee of reinvestment with strategic purpose, pushing beyond subsistence into smart agripreneurship. Smallholder farmers should transform scarce land into high-value ventures, such as rice milling, oil extraction, or digital aggregation, and seize opportunities that reduce post-harvest loss and tap new markets. Moreover, innovation need not require high-tech tools; it may rest on using mobile platforms, clustering into cooperatives, or building small irrigation systems that ripple across the community. Such agripreneurs scale resilience and income with creativity, collaboration, and calculated focus.

Government as a Growth Engine for Resource-Poor Farmers

Government can create fertile ground for farmer-turn-agripreneurs through sustained, future-oriented support. They should channel funding into inclusive value-chain programs, smallholder clustering, and aggregation mechanisms that foster scale and negotiating power. They should also expand technical training programs. According to FAO  (2022), the Smallholder Support Programme stands as a model, boosting business-oriented agriculture skills among youth and women. Their policies should link smallholders with knowledge, inputs, finance, and markets in a coordinated way that builds over the years, not just seasons. The government should invest in maintaining an entrepreneurial mindset among farmers, that spark of autonomy, proactiveness, and risk-taking highlighted in recent research. Public investment subsidies and generate future successes: entrepreneurs will recognize opportunities, secure microloans or subsidies, and create value-added businesses. Over time, such efforts will multiply income, strengthen climate resilience, and inspire the next generation to farm smart.