A new partnership between Syngenta Asia Pacific and Plantix will provide farmers across Asia with access to artificial intelligence-enabled farming 

Singapore, November 24, 2022 – Syngenta and image recognition specialist, Plantix, have launched a partnership to provide at least half a million smallholder farmers across the Asia Pacific with access to artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled digital farming tools. With a rollout covering five countries and 750,000 hectares of farmland, the farming app will widen access to smart farming features for half a million farmers producing staple cash crops such as cotton, rice, corn, wheat, and more.

The partnership gives Asia’s smallholder farmers access to a global database of over 50 crops and 500 diseases, which will be available through Syngenta’s Cropwise Grower app for farmers. The app uses the power of data to protect crop yields with on-demand advice on agricultural best practices and crop protection solutions. Using AI, Cropwise Grower will allow farmers to take a photo of their crop problem and, in real time, diagnose crop pests and diseases with 93 percent accuracy. The Plantix algorithms analyze the image to identify the issue and provide a recommendation. The uploaded photos are also geotagged so that the app can alert farmers with early warnings when pest and disease pressures are identified in their surrounding area.

Says Alexander Berkovskiy, APAC Regional Director at Syngenta, “The emergence of challenges, such as new pests and diseases with climate change, coupled with extreme weather events, have made farming incrementally challenging. By bringing smart solutions closer to farmers, A.I. and data can help them overcome traditional constraints and information gaps. Our aim is to make digital tools as commonly used by smallholder farmers as the traditional rake here in the Asia Pacific. This partnership taps into our extensive regional networks to make this technology accessible at a large scale.”

Features of the Cropwise Grower app have been designed and tested with rural farmers in mind. They include critical features which are available offline for users in areas with intermittent internet connection. It is tailored to regional crops and diseases and will be available in local languages, including nine local languages across India. Historical diagnoses and recommended solutions can be stored for on-demand offline access by farmers.

“As part of our commitment to the communities in which we operate, we are investing heavily in digital and believe that it has the power to help farmers make better decisions, reduce crop losses and increase yields,” says Chris Chen, APAC Head of Digital Transformation at Syngenta. “Cropwise Grower is the vehicle that allows us a direct connection, at scale, with millions of growers across the Asia Pacific. By ensuring the end-to-end user flow is 100 percent automated, the partnership with Plantix allows an accurate diagnosis and recommendation to be provided in less than five seconds. This real-time feedback will be critical in driving behavioral change for our smallholder farmers across the region,” he adds.

Targeting farmers in Asia’s top agriculture economies, the Cropwise Grower app is now available in India in nine languages. It will be progressively rolled out in Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Bangladesh.

Syngenta’s Cropwise Grower app will be available for download on Android and iOS.

About Cropwise Grower

Based on Syngenta’s globally successful digital product, Cropwise, Cropwise Grower is a new digital super app built for farmers in the Asia Pacific. The integrated platform will enable Syngenta’s Centrigo Ecosystem to scale digitally and meet the end-to-end needs of farmers, from planting preparation to selling their crops. By offering real-time, data-driven information and resources, Cropwise Grower will enable transparency and connectivity for farmers across the Asia Pacific, helping them make informed decisions that improve their yields and profits. Farmers will also be able to connect directly with Syngenta’s partners, allowing them to find solutions to all their pain points. The app leverages technology from image recognition specialist Plantix to diagnose crop diseases in five seconds and provide farmers with agronomic advice on the most appropriate type of seed or crop protection that they can apply.

About Syngenta

Syngenta is one of the world’s leading agriculture companies, comprised of Syngenta Crop Protection and Syngenta Seeds. Our ambition is to help safely feed the world while taking care of the planet.  We aim to improve the sustainability, quality, and safety of agriculture with world-class science and innovative crop solutions. Our technologies enable millions of farmers around the world to make better use of limited agricultural resources. Syngenta Crop Protection and Syngenta Seeds are part of Syngenta Group. In more than 100 countries, we are working to transform how crops are grown. Through partnerships, collaboration, and The Good Growth Plan, we are committed to accelerating innovation for farmers and nature, striving for regenerative agriculture, helping people stay safe and healthy, and partnering for impact. To learn more, visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com.

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