PepsiCo Launches Crop Intelligence Model for India in Collaboration with Cropin
~User-friendly mobile apps to provide farmers with insights on their crop health including a disease early warning system~
- Implemented as a pilot project in demo farms at Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh
- The initiative is a part of PepsiCo’s Precision Agriculture model in India
New Delhi, March 30, 2023: PepsiCo India, through its brand “Lay’s”, announced a crop & plot-level predictive intelligence model to help farmers maximize potato yields coupled with quality via functional dashboards
on user-friendly mobile apps. Launched in collaboration with Cropin, a leading global agri-tech company known for creating the first industry cloud for agriculture, this initiative is a part of PepsiCo’s ‘Precision
Agriculture’ model for India and is being implemented as a pilot project in demo farms at Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
Most farmers in India own less than one hectare of farmland and face constant challenges due to lack of means to evaluate the optimum consumption of agri-inputs like water, fertilizers, and pesticides as well as actionable weather data. For example, potato
yield losses caused through the blight crop disease can go up to 80% if not forecasted early. Significant yield loss caused due to ground frost is another serious issue for potato farmers especially in the northern parts of the country.
The new initiative under the PepsiCo-owned brand “Lay’s” has the potential to address these challenges by using satellite imagery correlated with remote sensing data to provide insights. The system can generate a forecast up to 10 days
in advance which can assist farmers in identifying different crop stages, and close monitoring of crop health, including a disease warning system that relies on weather forecasts and historical data.
In India, PepsiCo works directly and indirectly with over 27,000 farmers across 14 states and 100% of the potatoes for its “Lay’s” brand are sourced from farmers within the country. In its pilot stage, the necessary training and handholding
to the farmers is being provided through field agronomists who are helping them understand the dashboard and leverage the insights. Currently, the model covers 62 farms as a trial: 51 in Gujarat and 11 in Madhya Pradesh.
Elaborating on the benefits of the model, Anukool Joshi, Director - Agro at PepsiCo India, said, “Being an Agri company at heart, we aim to bring in sustainable, resilient, and inclusive solutions that would address the diverse issues of farmers and help them improve their livelihoods. Through our partnership with Cropin on this new initiative, our goal is to eventually roll-out this solution to PepsiCo farmers across India and empower them with real-time tracking of crop health to maximize yield and quality.”
Commenting on the partnership, Krishna Kumar, Co-Founder & CEO, Cropin, said, "PepsiCo through its brand Lay’s has been leading the way to enable agriculture modernization and its impact at the grassroots level. While their focus on digital transformation directly aids business growth, it also accelerates small-holder farmer empowerment, drives sustainability, and sets new standards in global farming. Using Cropin's proven plot-level predictive intelligence solution, PepsiCo is mitigating business risks and forecast crop yield and health, water stress, pest and disease early warning signals for efficient business management."
The dashboards and related information would be accessed by the farmers through easy-to-use smartphone-based apps, namely “Cropin Grow” for farm data management and “Plot Risk” for crop intelligence. The apps can support multiple
languages, and PepsiCo plans to offer the solutions in 14 regional languages in alignment with its commitment towards inclusivity in the supply chain. Built using the world's largest crop knowledge graph, Cropin's predictive and plot intelligence
models are fine-tuned for specific crop varieties, conditions, and locations.
PepsiCo in India started exploring agricultural technology in 2018 with the Digitalization of agricultural operations, which were moved to SAP systems under the Smart Agro Program. The program's main goal was to add value by increasing
productivity and water safety through affordable technology. The Crop Intelligence Model is yet another digital innovation with the potential of being implemented at a fractional cost per acre compared to other solutions, making it affordable and
scalable even for small-scale farmers.
For Press Inquiries:
India: Amit.Nanchahal@pepsico.com
About PepsiCo:
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $86 billion in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient
foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more
than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create
value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter,
Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.
About PepsiCo India:
PepsiCo entered India in 1989 and has grown to become one of the largest food and beverage businesses in India. PepsiCo India’s diverse portfolio includes iconic brands like Pepsi, Lay’s, Kurkure, Tropicana 100%, Gatorade and Quaker. Guiding
PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Pep+ “Winning with Pep+” reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of the business. We
believe that continuously improving the products we sell, operating responsibly to protect our planet and empowering people around the world is what enables PepsiCo to run a successful global company that creates long-term value for society and our
shareholders. In 2009, PepsiCo India achieved a significant milestone, by becoming the first business to achieve ‘Positive Water Balance’ in the beverage world, a fact verified by Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu India Pvt. Ltd. The company
has been Water Positive since then. For more information, please visit www.pepsicoindia.co.in