At the Agricultural Market Committee (AMC) in Nizamabad, Telangana, Punjab-based AgNext Technologies, an agri-tech start-up, has built a novel quality assessment system called "Qualix," which will quickly evaluate the curcumin level in turmeric.
“Qualix will calculate the amount of curcumin in turmeric in 60 seconds, as compared to the 2-3 days it takes laboratories to do so.
As a result, our platform will be a part of a wider strategy to swiftly incentivize farmers for the quality of their produce,” stated Taranjeet Singh Bhamra, Founder and CEO of AgNext Technologies.
Farmers are eager to learn how much more money they may make, and even a 10%-20% increase in the prices they receive for their produce would have a significant impact. Farmers presently do not receive remuneration depending on the quality of the food they bring to market, according to Bhamra.
Platform Partners
The Spices Board and ITC Ltd, located in Kolkata, have paired up with AgNext Technologies to create the Qualix platform.
“Our method not only aids in determining the quality of turmeric, but it also saves time and resources, benefitting all stakeholders in the food value chain – growers, traders, and exporters, among others,” the AgNext founder stated.
The Spices Board, traders, and farmers received "rave reviews" the platform for its rapid turnaround time in testing. “Around 2,000 farmers and 250-270 traders have used it thus far. “They're all pleased with the results,” Bhamra stated.
Al, spectra tech
Artificial intelligence and digital technologies are at the basis of the Qualix platform. It uses spectra technology, using light reflections fast to determine the content of turmeric that is brought or offered for sale.
“Farmers are charged per test, and it costs them 142 per scan compared to 400-500 they had to spend previously for a test that took days,” the AgNext founder stated.
According to Bhamra, the Qualix platform did not emerge simply or quickly. “After testing our platform in numerous locations, we were only able to master it after 2.5 years. “To improve our product, we tested hundreds of samples,” he added.
The Qualix platform, which includes an MRI-like scanner, has a 98 percent accuracy rating, compared to 95 percent for labs. “It may benefit at least 3,000 farmers a month at Nizamabad AMC alone during peak season,” the AgNext founder claimed.
Increasing Reach
Because of its success in Nizamabad, the Punjab startup firm has decided to expand the platform to 15 other AMCs in the district.
“Turmeric growing centers like Nanded (Maharashtra), Nagaland, and Mizoram have expressed interest in deploying our solutions,” Bhamra added.
AgNext Technologies will then expand the platform to Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, two states where turmeric is cultivated extensively. AgNext will now develop similar solutions for chilli, pepper, coriander, and ginger by next year, given that the Spices Board has been convinced about Qualix.
Through its platform, AgNext Technologies, which has extensive experience in the milk and foodgrain sectors, may also assist in the preparation of a quality map for such produce. This would subsequently assist the trade and farmers understand the quality of the produce and the varied agricultural practises used in a region to achieve the quality.
