With responsible design, development, and implementation, drones are invaluable AgTech tools, especially for smallholder farmers who feel losses and gains acutely. That’s why Dimitra is partnering with DroneX and other drone manufacturers to implement drone-based solutions. Keep reading to learn how we’re using drones to help farmers increase yield, mitigate risk and develop more sustainable practices.

Dimitra’s Connected Farmer platform will harness multiple technologies, including drones, to make precision agriculture a reality. Smart drones, sensors, satellites, machine learning, and numerous supporting modules will allow smallholder farmers to receive unprecedented insights at every stage of crop production.

Smart drones, also called aerial robots, do more than provide an additional vantage point (although that alone is helpful to farmers). They can also accomplish a variety of critical tasks, including the following:

Create 3D models of properties

Seed crops or pasture

Spray crops or pastures for weeds or with liquid fertilizer

Photograph plants for pathogenic infections

Survey farms for pest infestations

Conduct detailed, on-the-fly analysis of water points, infrastructure or environmental damage after weather events

Autonomously undertake repetitive tasks

As drone technology improves, there’s no limit to agricultural applications. With the adoption of AgTech solutions like smart drones, farmers can improve their yields, their lives, and their land.

Drones are expensive and not viable in most cases for small holder farmers to purchase. This is why Dimitra is working with hardware and software vendors to create service models.

Smallholder Farm Applications

In addition to seeding and spraying, smart drones can help small holder farmers scout and map areas, pollinate, monitor livestock, and more. Despite their transformative potential, the reality is that drones are too expensive for smallholders to purchase alone. However, drones can be hired to do small jobs for the farmer at an affordable cost per acre with a community-based approach to ownership. Additionally, community members can learn how to operate drones, opening up a new alternative income stream.

Where Do Drones Fit into Dimitra’s Ecosystem?

Dimitra’s mission is to equip under served farmers with AgTech to improve their quality of life and their environment. Accomplishing this requires a unique company structure. As a result, the Dimitra Ecosystem is divided into four equally important parts:

Labs Dimitra Labs, develops and delivers software solutions

Dimitra Ecosystem Partner, includes service and tech startups that help deliver Dimitra services to farmers

Incorporated Dimitra Incorporated, which encompasses the DMTR token, as well as serves as the International HQ

Dimitra Investments, which facilitates innovation contests, AgTech business funds, startup funds, camps, and more

As a Dimitra Ecosystem Partner, DroneX and other drone manufacturers help develop. And deliver smart drone technologies to the farmers who need them most.

How is $DMTR a Key in our Ecosystem?
When farmers utilize the Dimitra Connected Farmer Platform while using a drone on their farm, they acquire Dimitra points as an incentive to record their farming information. Once farmers have accumulated enough points, they can transfer them into Dimitra token ($DMTR) to purchase ecosystem services such as a drone specialist that will help improve their farm conditions. Alternately, farmers have the opportunity to transfer their DMTR into another cryptocurrency and off ramp into their local currency. Farmers’ trust in the Dimitra system grows as yields increase, creating a service and token demand cycle. The utility of the DMTR token drives the Dimitra ecosystem, but more specifically, it drives Dimitra’s drone ecosystem.

Dimitra Open Hardware Ecosystem

The Dimitra Open Hardware Ecosystem (DOHE) encourages third party hardware developers to create and deploy complementary devices in the Dimitra ecosystem. As such, the potential for partnerships is unlimited. In addition to drones, technologies could include animal GPS and soil sensors, edge computing devices, WiFi gateways and routers, robots, motion detectors, intrusion detectors, livestock wearables, and more.

Drone as a Service (DaaS) Model

In the software as a service (SaaS) model, a cloud provider hosts applications accessed by end users through the internet. This allows for a more equitable distribution of essential AgTech.

By using the drone as a service (DaaS) model. Dimitra will help agricultural communities fund drones, train pilots, and create drone related businesses that serve community needs.

The Dimitra / DroneX Partnership

Dimitra could not be more excited to welcome DroneX to the Dimitra Ecosystem! As a cutting edge development and manufacturing startup, DroneX focuses on creating designed for purpose drones. The company was developed from the ground up and doesn’t rely on third party controllers or cloud systems to manage drones or data.

DroneX is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, but has deep connections to Vietnam. With valuable insights into the distinct struggles of rural farmers in Southeast Asia, DroneX is an ideal partner with which to begin this journey. Together, Dimitra and DroneX will create bundled hardware software solutions, starting with offering spray drones and management platforms to farmers in Southeast Asia.

Agtech Solutions for Smallholder Farmers

To end the climate spiral, we must encourage the adoption of AgTech on rural farms throughout the world. Doing so will preserve resources, reduce land degradation, and help stabilize the most threatened areas by climate driven crises. Smart drones are one of the many technologies that will help us achieve this.

You don’t have to develop software or own a startup to support Dimitra’s mission. You can join the effort through Dimitra’s DMTR token, which is listed on Kucoin, Uniswap, Gate.io, and Bitmart. The fight against world hunger and climate change won’t be won by companies alone; it can only happen with support from readers like you.

Dimitra Incorporated ($DMTR) is entering the agricultural lending market, making micro loans available to 570 million farmers globally through Dimitra’s proprietary agricultural management platform. The platform will provide loans in three areas, crop inputs, live stock, and trade finance. Dimitra is banking the unbanked by providing access to capital to those that don’t have access to capital. CeDeFi Breakdown

The loans that Dimitra is offering provide small holder farmers the opportunity to collateralize their crops by securing a loan with crop certificates (a promissory note related to harvest). For example, these loans can be for inputs (seed, fertilizer, and chemicals) which are then repaid upon harvest and when the crops are sold to market. Keep reading for a step by step guide on how these microloans work.

Loans Program Basics: CeDeFi Breakdown

1. Dimitra signs agreements with cooperatives, farmers’ unions, and farming associations. Every farmer in these cooperatives is given access to Dimitra’s basic application. The cooperative or lending institutions will maintain default insurance for their members.
2. Farmers begin to register their livestock or crops in the Connected Farmer App. The data collected through the app helps determine loan approvals. The app allows farmers to join Dimitra’s Farmers Points Program and help with tracking and tracing their live stock and products.
3. Farmer members of partner cooperatives apply for loans in the Dimitra Connected Farmer App. As the app meets KYC requirements for loan provision. The loan approval is automated.
4. The farmer receives USDT in a personal wallet. A QR code is generated to allow local institutions to help farmers convert USDT to local currency.
5. The farmer buys seed, fertilizer, chemicals, other farming needs, etc.
6. The farmer uses the Dimitra Connected Farmer application to help maximize yield, reduce cost, and mitigate risk.
7. The farmer harvests and sells their crops.
8. The farmer pays back the loan with interest.

The following scenario is directly applicable to trade finance deals. Consider what happens if a farmer can produce the crops needed throughout the season. But is waiting on export or an external vendor for payment?

Trade Finance: CeDeFi Breakdown

1. The farmer harvests and applies for a trade finance loan and waits for payment to arrive from the export customer.
2. The export customer agrees to pay Dimitra upon receipt, and the farmer receives 80% of the invoice for their crops.
3. The export customer receives the shipment and then pays Dimitra through the smart contract.
4. Dimitra and the farmer reconcile fees and interest, and the farmer receives the balance of the proceeds.

The trade finance method benefits both the farmer exporting their goods and the customer importing them by introducing Dimitra as a third party to mitigate their payment and supply risks. Dimitra provides the farmers with accelerated receivables and the customer with extended credit. Combining the financial and agriculture industries while integrating more parts in the supply chain gives farmers and exporters customers more opportunities to conduct business.

Each lending partner will receive access to a portal or application integration to help manage members and track each step from the loan approval to shipping, and lastly, payment. In addition, Dimitra will introduce more parties into the system by integrating trade finance, creating full transparency for each party involved.

The Problem

Smallholder farmers face a crisis of scarcity, their resources are ever-diminishing and their needs are ever-growing. Small, multi-generational farms are responsible for feeding local communities around the globe. As the climate crisis escalates this situation, an existing environment of tension reaches a new level of severity. Impoverished farmers are faced with impossible circumstances and have no recourse or funds to dig themselves out. This is a problem that demands a solution.

Agricultural development is one of the most powerful mechanisms to ending extreme poverty. Compared to other sectors, it is two to four times more effective in raising the incomes and the living standards amongst the poor. Small holder farmers that have access to better financial support have opportunities. To increase their profits and increase overall productivity on their farms. Dimitra can help provide this support.

Second Subheading

As an example, let’s take Joshua Reyes, a smallholder farmer in the Philippines. Joshua and his family will plant, tend to, and harvest a full crop load of rice. From their two hectares of land every viable season. Unfortunately, the effects of the latest typhoon Rai caused Joshua’s family farm to be impacted by severe flooding. And they lost all their crops and the few livestock they had. 

The country’s agriculture ministry estimates farming and fishing took a $230 million hit, severely impacting the communities affected. This is not an uncommon situation. As climate disasters become increasingly common, more farmers are at risk of being affected in the coming decades. In many cases, humanitarian aid is available to cover the immediate survival needs of the community, but it is not always sustainable for long-term recovery. Dimitra’s CeDeFi agricultural loan system can provide Joshua and farmers like him with more opportunities. And allow him to have a second chance to feed his family this coming season.

Walking through the Loan Process

So what happens now? Farmers like Joshua that have access to Dimitra’s Connected Farmer Platform will have the ability to submit an online application for a loan to help get their farm back on track through the finance module. All farmers who apply for the loan must be members of a cooperative, government, or a non-government organization in a country that Dimitra currently operates in. Once the loan is approved, funds will be automatically transferred to Joshua as USDT or another stable coin. By partnering with local banks, lending institutions, and in-country partners, set up jointly by Dimitra. And the cooperatives, farmers will have increased access to cash to make their businesses prosper.

Joshua will have the chance to use the loan to assist in buying crops, seeds, fertilizers, services, chemicals, or general tools to help with his farming needs next season. For the loan approval and monitoring, farmers will have to use the app and enter specific data about their farm location, soil preparation, planting, and plant care throughout the season. With the farm location, Dimitra can monitor crop performance via satellite imagery and look at the past 15 years of crop performance on the same land. Dimitra’s teams will analyze the data submitted to help Joshua get the most out of his crop yields, mitigate potential risks, and regularly provide him with actionable insights.

The Lasting Global Impact

The Dimitra CeDefi loan program is underpinned by the Dimitra Token ($DMTR), which drives the ecosystem within the Dimitra platform. DMTR token is like the “gas” within the engine of the Dimitra ecosystem, and Dimitra token investors act as the “gas” providers, helping to make a difference in the Dimitra ecosystem and in the lives of many. $DMTR token staking is also another way to provide financial yield opportunities to participants in the rapidly growing world of decentralized public crypto-economics.

The Dimitra CeDefi loan program is an example of multiple technologies being used to open new doors. For smallholder farmers in ways that were not possible before. The CeDefi program helps leverage banking and integrates sectors that previously had no connection. Farmers may not have the means to transfer crypto to money. Still, the Dimitra application and its partnerships with lenders and banks will allow for this opportunity of integrating agriculture and cryptocurrency.

Making a lasting impact on the lives of farmers and creating a more sustainable future for farmers like Joshua Reyes is Dimitra’s goal. Dimitra aims to reach 100 million smallholder farmers with the Connected Farmer application in 4 years. The Dimitra Platform enables farmers to use advanced technology and provide real actionable data. It also helps break the cycle of poverty, enrich farmers’ lives, and increase crop yields and healthier livestock.

Dimitra Incorporated, a global Agtech company whose mission is to make its block chain based Dimitra platform available to small holder farmers, today announced that it has joined the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA). A member led industry organization dedicated to driving the use of Enterprise Ethereum and Mainnet Ethereum block chain technology. As an open standard to empower all enterprises.

As a member of the EEA, Dimitra will collaborate with industry leaders. In pursuit of Ethereum-based, technology best practices, open standards, and open source reference architectures. Dimitra is excited to be part of the EEA. And will bring the Dimitra platform to the EEA membership with the intention of growing the Ethereum eco system.

“We’re excited to join the EEA which will offer us the opportunity to leverage the EEA’s expertise in enterprise grade block chain and software development and to collaborate with their community and explore best practices learned through years of block chain integration,” said Jon Trask, CEO, Dimitra Incorporated.

The EEA’s membership base represents companies from every region of the world. The EEA’s Interest Groups, Working Groups and events bring together the top Ethereum and global business leaders, technologists, and industry experts to learn about the latest business reference implementations, real world use cases, and technical innovations. The EEA Community Projects, the governing body of critical Ethereum projects like the Baseline Protocol Initiative, is the hub for open source standards development in the Ethereum industry. Alongside EEA’s member driven initiatives, the EEA Community Projects extends the pool of partners, talented developers and engineers dedicated to solving similar problems. And helping the Ethereum community innovate even faster around initiatives.

About the EEA

The Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA) enables organizations to adopt and use Ethereum technology in their daily business operations. The EEA empowers the Ethereum ecosystem to develop new business opportunities, drive industry adoption, and learn and collaborate. The EEA Community Projects will help businesses innovate even faster around standards. And project initiatives that benefit Ethereum as a whole. To learn more about joining the EEA, reach out to membership@entethalliance.org or visit https://entethalliance.org/become-a-member/.

About Dimitra Incorporated

Dimitra is a global Agtech company with a mission to help small holder farmers across the world. Dimitra works with governments, government agencies, NGOs, and for-profit organizations. The Dimitra platform is built on block chain technology and incorporates mobile technology, machine learning, IoT devices, satellite and drone imagery, genomics, and advanced farming research. Through our data driven approach, Dimitra helps farmers increase yields, reduces expenses, and mitigates risk. Dimitra believes that every small holder farmer, regardless of economic standing, should benefit from simple, beautiful, and useful technology.

Belize City, Belize — Decentralized finance (DeFi) has upended traditional finance models across all industries. Dimitra, a leader in agritech and blockchain, has developed a novel and new approach to lending for farmers across the globe. With this new initiative, Dimitra’s token holders also stand to benefit from increased utilization of the Dimitra $DMTR token across the Dimitra ecosystem and Dimitra token holders will also directly participate in making a difference to the farmers who need it most. Dimitra token holders stand to benefit from a strengthened agro value chain as the company launches its CeDeFi lending product.

Built on Global Lending Partnerships

Dimitra is a purpose-driven company with a unique mission of providing its agrotechnology platform to smallholder farmers globally. This mission is by the $DMTR token. Which cryptocurrency investors can find on Kucoin, Gate, Bitmart and Uniswap.

Dimitra’s next step is CeDeFi lending, and Dimitra has partnered with countries across Asia, Africa and South America. Dimitra has established a few critical lending pilots with key partners and offers “input” lending to farmers and this will get the much-needed funds directly into the hands of those who need it the most.

Agrifinance Loans for Agricultural Inputs and Trade Finance

Dimitra agrifinance loans will initially be for agricultural “inputs” — including seed, chemicals, fertilizer, and trade finance. Combining this with the Dimitra Connected Farmer application will enable these agricultural cooperatives partners and farmers within these organizations to improve their production and better manage a complex value chain by helping with tracking and tracing of their products and livestock to international export markets while also having the positive effect of commanding better prices for their goods.

Loan Delivery – Dimitra $DMTR

Dimitra agrifinance loans will be delivered through farming cooperatives, associations, and unions. They will go directly to farmers and include insurance that helps farmers mitigate the risk of default, climate change and natural disasters.

Dimitra Founder and CEO, Jon Trask, a subject matter expert in enterprise blockchain and emerging technology explains, “Smallholder farmers face a crisis of scarcity: their resources are ever-diminishing and their needs are ever-growing. Small, multi-generational farms are responsible for feeding local communities around the globe. As the climate crisis escalates, an existing environment of tension has reached a new level of severity. Impoverished farmers are now faced with impossible circumstances and have no recourse or funds to dig themselves out. This is a problem that demands a solution.”

Trask understands that agricultural development is one of the most powerful mechanisms to ending extreme poverty. Compared to other sectors, agriculture is two to four times more effective in raising the incomes. And living standards of the poorest people in the world.

Smallholder farmers with better access to financial support will have greater possibilities and opportunities to increase their profit and overall productivity on their farms.

Loan Goals = 50 Million Farmers

Dimitra has agreements in place with lending institutions to provide loans through farming cooperatives with over 50 million farmers. They are piloting these loans while testing related smart contracts in early 2022. And will begin scaling lending operations in the coming months. Dimitra has an immediate requirement to provide for 50,000 individual farm loans across a small group of farmers unions.

What to Expect – Dimitra $DMTR

Dimitra $DMTR Token holders and members of the crypto investment community are watching this rollout closely. The company has confirmed that 100% of the income from loans will be traded through the $DMTR/USDT pair. And remain within the Dimitra value chain. This is to include loan premiums and profits.

Ocean Protocol, the decentralized data exchange protocol to unlock data for AI and business innovation, has entered into a partner ship with Dimitra, a technology company guided by the mission to deliver technology to help farmers around the globe improve operations and deliver higher yields.

Dimitra’s software plat form leverages advanced technology to provide farmers with data and its current adoption is targeted at 100 million small holder farmers by the end of 2025. Addressing the crucial need for insightful data to further the growth of the agricultural eco system, the aim of this partner ship is to mitigate operational and financial problems and deliver relevant, valuable data driven information to farmers globally.

As part of the collaboration. Ocean’s Web3 capabilities will be employed to enable data sharing and monetization for small farmers around the world. The organizations will work to achieve this by introducing Ocean Market to Dimitra eco system members and on boarding them. Ocean Market is an out of the box, privacy preserving, intuitive data marketplace for the secure sharing and monetization of data. By publishing, and selling their data in the Ocean Market. Small farmers can add an extra layer of revenue to their operations. And the global agricultural eco system will benefit from the exchange of vital datasets.

Subheading – Dimitra Ocean Protocol

To enable greater food security globally and productivity. Dimitra’s goal is to place technology in the hands of millions of small farmers around the world. With the help of Dimitra’s soft ware platform. Allowing them to make informed decisions to increase yield, reduce cost and mitigate risk. As of 2021, Dimitra’s additional objectives include advancing AgTech innovation and securing operational grants. For developing countries around the world to enable participation in the Dimitra Ecosystem.

Bruce Pon, Ocean Protocol Co-Founder, shares his thoughts on the collaboration:

“Actionable data will be a game changer for current farming methods. Ocean Protocol is joining forces with Dimitra to scale up Ocean Market adoption. And help towards growing the global economy and ensure food security.”

Jon Trask, Dimitra CEO adds:

“Farmers and cooperatives in the Dimitra eco system produce a great deal of valuable data regarding soil conditions, crop conditions, animal health, seed performance and the extended food chain. This partner ship provides Dimitra eco system farmers with a second source of revenue through the monetization of their data, and reinforces the value of agricultural digitization to increase crop yields, reduce costs and mitigate risks to their farms.”

About Ocean Protocol

Ocean Protocol is a data exchange platform spear heading the movement to unlock a new Data Economy, break down data silos, and open access to quality data. Ocean’s marketplace technology allows data to be published, discovered. And consumed in a secure, privacy manner By giving power back to data owners. Ocean resolves the trade off between using private data and its public exposure.

About Dimitra

Dimitra’s mission is to place technology in the hands of millions of small farmers around the world. By doing so, Dimitra aims to enhance and therefore the lives of farmers, improve food safety, and enable greater food security around the world.

The evolution of dirt on modern farming has come a long way, from a farmer using a horse to pull a plow through their fields to artificial intelligence-powered machines doing that same task today. Agricultural development is one of the most powerful mechanisms to end extreme poverty, boost shared prosperity, and feed 10 billion people by 2050. To maintain and provide for our growing populations, we must modernize, optimize, and streamline our current agricultural practices. Many factors have led to technology changing the face of farming. Still, the modernization of farming is an inevitable future to tackle the ever-changing challenges faced within the industry.

The Problem – Dirt on Modern Farming

In less than 30 years, the world population is expected to grow by 2 billion, which means converting to sustainable food production is essential for our future. Currently, our global food production system is unsustainable and will not accommodate the expected growth of our global population. Smallholder farmers are often overlooked as a solution to increase food production globally significantly, yet, if given the correct tools, they may be the key we need to succeed.

Typically, smallholder farmers use 80 percent of their yield to feed their families and are left with 20 percent to sell and make a profit. If these farmers have ways to increase their yields and sell more than just 20 percent, it would benefit their families and significantly impact the global food supply. Some technologies can drive the necessary change in agriculture, from IoT sensors and satellites to drones, and Blockchain. However, these technologies are often expensive and complicated to use, which deters smallholder farmers from using them. Therefore, there is a need to make these innovative technologies accessible to farmers to increase their yields and transform their farming practices.

How does technology optimize modern farming?

Despite how far our farming methods have come, currently, we are struggling to keep up with our global needs. Today, Blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), satellite data, remote sensing, mobile access, drones, and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, are all becoming more and more common in everyday farming. This technology helps farmers reach our global needs in more efficient ways through improving yields, reducing overall cost, and mitigating potential risks.

Blockchain technology is an immutable record or transaction that can optimize and track assets. For example, Blockchain in agriculture can collect seed quality information, monitor crop growth, track and store vet records, or track yields from farm to store. It also streamlines financial and insurance-based needs. In addition, track and trace is used for document flow, making it easier to export to international markets and seeing where bottlenecks are in their supply chain process, and making decisions in real-time with real-time reporting.

Dirt on Modern Farming

Satellite data is a highly cost-effective tool in agriculture. It surveys and assesses agricultural land and provides invaluable insights for farmers and even governments. For example, satellite data can measure; how fertile a farmer’s soil is, predict weather patterns, monitor livestock rotation, and geofencing. Furthermore, satellite data is coupled with other relevant data to achieve more accurate and diverse information that farmers can use to understand their land better and improve farm management practices. Remote sensing analyzes satellite data and data from other sources like soil sample analysis, IoT sensors, drones, weather stations. And farmer surveys to estimate conditions like soil fertility and predict weather patterns.

Mobile technology in agriculture is an excellent tool because it is an efficient and cost-effective way to share. And exchange valuable data and knowledge widely and increase communication for farmers. Some shareable examples of information are market prices, reports on best management practices for pests, or forecasted weather conditions.

Drones and IoT sensors survey and analyze the soil in the field, and generate real-time data. Which helps farmers improve their soil and crop management while simultaneously increasing their yields. Drones can significantly reduce labor costs because they can accurately assess and transmit anything impacting farm productivity. Additionally, IoT sensors can mount onto drones for additional agriculture monitoring.

Artificial intelligence (AI) performs predictive analytics and allows farmers to collect and process more data. For example, AI can improve the accuracy of planting, harvesting dates, recognizing diseases, pests, or poor nutrients in crops, detecting any weeds growing in fields, and which herbicide to apply.

Adapting to climate threats

Climate change has a significant impact on the livelihood of smallholder farmers. And is one of the leading causes why these farmers need AgTech solutions. For example, farmers constantly adapt to temperature and weather changes that no longer support their crops. Technology can mitigate those risks by predicting weather patterns. And providing farmers with actionable data to make smarter and more sustainable decisions.

How is farming being modernized?

Technology is being adopted by more and more people every day. And the more farmers gain access to technology, the faster we are moving to modernized and sustainable farming practices. Dimitra aims to deliver agriculture technology to 100 million farmers worldwide over the next five years. And make a concrete and tangible difference in the global food supply chain. The Dimitra platform provides advanced technologies to farmers. And these technologies provide actionable recommendations which can positively impact the outputs on their farms.

Dimitra is a solution that may help break the cycles of poverty and food insecurity and enrich farmers’ local economies. Through these increases in their crop yields if applied across villages, communities, and regions. Dimitra is conscious of the uncertain future we face. We’re committed to meeting these challenges head-on with a mission to make a difference. By increasing farming productivity, implementing more sustainable farming practices, and improving soil quality globally.

Nepal relies heavily on subsistence farming techniques and more than 60% of its population is engaged in farming related activities. Food insecurity continues to be a major issue for Nepalese communities and food imports into Nepal have increased six-fold over the last decade. Nepalese smallholder farmers, like many other nations. Are also struggling to navigate increasingly erratic rainfall patterns, climatic change and other barriers to achieving year-round crop success. All of these things combined have greatly impacted Nepalese farmers profitability and their bottom line on agricultural exports.

Dimitra Incorporated has partnered with three leading Nepalese agricultural organizations; Nepal Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd. (NMC), Jeevan Bikas Samaj (JBS) and Nepal Krishi Care Pvt Ltd. Dimitra is providing advanced agricultural technology solutions and will introduce regenerative crop and livestock methods to Nepalese smallholder farms. Dimitra’s goal is to enhance Nepalese farmers’ productivity, increase Nepalese farmers household incomes, and introduce sustainable farming methods.

Jeevan Bikas Samaj (JBS) is a national-level NGO in Nepal established to improve marginalized people’s socio-economic and cultural circumstances.

Nepal Krishi Care Pvt Ltd (NKC) provides solutions for the value supply chain problem in the cereal sectors of agriculture within Nepal.

The Nepal Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd. (NMC) aims to raise members’ economic and living standards through access to agricultural technology to foster self-reliance and mutual support.

Sustainable Agriculture in the Digital Age

By providing ongoing training and technology coupled with cutting-edge applications, Dimitra aims to help local farmers create a more effective seed to sale process in agricultural areas of cereals, vegetables and seed production, as well as streamlining processes in livestock and fishing sectors. The following Dimitra modules will be used in Nepal; My Farm, My Crop and My Livestock. In conjunction with sensor management, as well as satellite and weather modules.

Fair and equal access to Agtech solutions will help local farmers monitor fields, improve soil conditions, increase water outputs, reduce disease. And has the potential to help Nepalese farmers respond quickly to environmental threats and provide effective solutions. Dimitra anticipates that by using machine learning data combined with algorithms. It will help Nepalese smallholder farmers increase output yields each and every year. Working in collaboration with NMC, JBS and NKC. Dimitra will provide a holistic implementation plan and will monitor the ongoing progress.

Here’s what Dimitra CEO and founder, Jon Trask, had to say about this exciting new partnership:

“I anticipate a long and fruitful partnership with the JBS, NKC, and NMC in Nepal and look forward to working with all the Nepalese farmers. We expect we will learn a lot from each other along the way in this exciting new journey. And my sincere hope is that we can bring new agricultural concepts and solutions to Nepal. And that we can also bring our knowledge from other countries we are working with to Nepal and this will help Nepalese farmers. I am also excited to learn more about Nepalese Tea and Cardamom and other crops in Nepal, and about Nepal’s unique agricultural methods and markets.”

Export Challenges for Smallholders in Nepal

High-value crops with profitable export potential in Nepal include large cardamom and orthodox tea. However, Smallholder farmers in Nepal work in difficult mountainous terrains, including areas where access to irrigation and unpredictable climate can lead to low yields. And technologies to track the progress from seed to sale. And this has had the effect of lower output yields and operational waste.

Tea production is not only integral to Nepalese culture, it’s a valuable crop that contributes greatly to the local and national economy. Typically grown in the foothills of Nepal, tea production involves meticulous farming methods dating back hundreds of years. More than 80% of orthodox tea produced in Nepal is exported to Europe and North America, but local farmers lack direct access to international markets. As a result, they are forced to rely on middlemen who move stock through India which drastically reduces profitability and Nepalese smallholder farmers remain vulnerable to external power dynamics.

Large cardamom, makes up roughly 5% of current exports from Nepal, and this is also mainly sent through India for export. As with orthodox tea, export potential is marred by Nepal’s landlocked geography, limited access to India’s transport infrastructure, strict food safety regulations, and complex customs clearing procedures. A smallholder farmer who is producing large cardamom in a remote location in Nepal may overcome all growth and harvesting obstacles, only to face setbacks when the time comes to sell their product. Coupled with poor market facilities, a lack of auction platforms and inadequate warehouse storage facilities. Means that one of Nepal’s most valuable exports rarely makes it directly to world markets. And the end result is that Nepalese farmers suffer.

Streamlining Exports With Blockchain Technology

Streamlining export processes with blockchain technology can assist farmers in many ways. For example, blockchain technology can be used to digitize and automate shipping processes and compliance documentation. “Track and Trace” solutions provide real-time data, creating digital footprints for Nepalese farmers, international consumers, and also helps governments keep track of yields from seed to sale. Traceability also fosters trust, communication, and transparency between players. Which also greatly reduces expenses and ensures accountability and minimizes potential pain points along the value supply chain.

Another example of where blockchain technology can help would be securing and navigating funding. This process is often complicated by long commutes to facilities like banks in metropolitan city centres from remote locations. Blockchain lending solutions facilitate direct access to funding, education, and trade right to farmers’ doorsteps. Built-in scalability in digital formats creates long-term sustainable solutions for real-world problems smallholder farmers face every day.

Dimitra aims to provide smallholder farmers in Nepal easy access to blockchain technology, IoT sensors and actionable insights. Based on machine learning that will create a highly effective and sustainable supply chain management platform from start to finish. By incorporating digital technologies with agricultural practices, this has the potential to transform Nepalese Tea and Cardamom outputs. By automating sales and marketing processes with these new digital technologies. It will help connect Nepalese farmers directly to otherwise unreachable markets.

Paving the Way Forward With Digital Farming Solutions

Dimitra’s partnership with NMC, JBS and NKC will help smallholder farmers in Nepal secure a more productive and sustainable future. Nepal’s farming communities can also be a transformative force within Nepal. This has the potential to increase Nepal’s GDP while also helping feed vulnerable populations in the face of climate change.

Agricultural CeDeFi: Dimitra Incorporated ($DMTR) is entering the agricultural lending and insurance market. Making micro loans available to 570 million small holder farmers around the world through Dimitra’s proprietary agricultural management platform.

According to the World Bank. The food industry is the largest sector of the global economy, comprising 10% of the world’s economic output. To date, only a few Crypto and DeFi applications provide services into the agricultural lending, insurance, and management space. Dimitra is driving change in this space, first with its Dimitra Connected Farmer app, second with its Livestock and Genetics Management, and now with Dimitra’s newly released SaaS model.

Jon Trask, CEO of Dimitra

comments, “utilizing a CeDeFi strategy to provide capital and insurance to operations in the agricultural industry provides farmers access to new avenues of funding. And also enables Ag-based centralized financial institutions to make an entry into the crypto market and share the risk and rewards by combining exciting new crypto concepts and solutions that accelerate the world’s largest economic sector and also provide new opportunities globally. We are very excited to partner with leading DeFi lending and insurance companies and provide these solutions to the people who need them most.”

Dimitra currently has teams on the ground in 68 countries and can provide these CeDeFi lending and insurance solutions to hundreds of millions of farms. The Dimitra Platform offers innovative risk management capabilities through satellite, drone, IoT sensor, farmer observation (photographs and measurements), and analysis. Dimitra also monitors farm performance and provides real time data driven recommendations to farmers. With the goal of increasing yields, reducing costs, and mitigating risks. Satellite analysis of previous years’ crop performance is available going back 20 years which can aid in assessing loan risks.

Dimitra’s SaaS platform has been created and developed through an discovery process with governments and NGOs across the world. This collaborative approach coupled with testing has led Dimitra to secure contracts with farm associations globally.

By using Dimitra CeDeFi mechanisms, farms and lending companys will explore innovative and modern financial lending and borrowing solutions while meeting regulatory, compliant, and conventional financial standards.

Dimitra, with its partners, will provide Agricultural CeDeFi loans in three key areas:

Farming (i.e., Crop and Livestock)

Supply Chain Management, and

Trade Finance

These types of loans will allow small holder farmers to collateralize their crops by securing a loan with crop certificates.

These loans will be under pinned by the Dimitra Token ($DMTR). Also, $DMTR token staking provides financial yield opportunities to participants in the rapidly growing world of decentralized public crypto economics.

Dimitra’s My Finance module, which is part of the Connected Farmer Platform. Automates the loan management process and speeds up the process for farmers to get loans who need them the most. In early 2022, Dimitra will announce partnerships with several crypto companies that will supplement these financing processes. Conceptually, farms will secure micro loans with crop certificates or purchase CeDeFi funded insurance policies to offset risk.

https://dimitratech.medium.com/agricultural-cedefi-dimitra-lending-and-insurance-platform-32e1ee0b8435

https://dimitra.io

Dimitra Incorporated is honored to sign agreements to deliver Agricultural Technology, Digital Technology & Regenerative Farming Methods in Crop and Livestock with three distinguished organizations within Nepalese agriculture: The NMC (Nepal Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd.), the JBS (Jiwan Bikash Samaj), and Nepal Krishi Care (NKC) Pvt Ltd. These Nepalese organizations consist of hundreds of thousands of households to whom Dimitra will provide new and innovative technology solutions for Nepal’s agriculture sectors. The goal is to ensure effective delivery to market and improve profitability for the following Nepalese crops; dairy, cereals, fish, fruits, vegetables, seed production; from farmers to end consumers with a framework of sustainable livelihood development in Nepal.

The Nepal Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd. 

aims to serve its members and continuously improve member health, member education, and improving environmental footprint. The NMC plans to raise members’ economic and living standards by giving members more agricultural knowledge via technology. To help with self-reliance, mutual support, a sense of frugality, and encourage the good habit of saving.

“We are trying our best to figure out how to do better for smallholder farmers. I am happy with this participant program, I don’t know how we can improve, and I think I can learn from you all on where we can improve knowingly, thank you.” — Mr. Ram Chandra Uprety, Chairman, Nepal Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd., Mechinagar Municipality, Jhapa, Nepal.

Jeevan Bikas Samaj (JBS) 

is a national-level NGO in Nepal established to improve marginalized people’s socio-economic and cultural circumstances. The JBS mission is to enhance the quality of life of poor people by increasing their access to resources. The JBS provides solutions for Nepal’s supply chain and the Nepalese agricultural sectors.

“ I think this is a big opportunity for us. This is the first step and I hope all these things give us a lot of knowledge and information and technologies I think especially in MIS systems and software systems. I think we can increase our bigger benefit to the local community, especially farmers. Thank you.”- Mr. Yogendra Mandal, Executive Director, Jiwan Bikash Samaj, Morang, Nepal.

Nepal Krishi Care (NKC) Pvt Ltd 

provides solutions for the value supply chain problem in the cereal sectors of agriculture. The NKC is a social enterprise that supports technologies and practices, including the internet of things (IoT). The NKC provides consulting services in different stages of the agricultural value chain.

“We feel privileged to be associated with this kind of function and having this agreement with the world-renowned Dimitra, thank you to the Dimitra team. We are really hopeful that we can use the long experience and wide experience of Dimitra in the agriculture sector in Nepal in general, and for Nepal Krishi Care in specific.”-Dr. Ramchandra Khanal, Director, Nepal Krishi Care, Belbari, Nepal.

Dimitra Incorporated is a global technology company that provides an ecosystem of agricultural technology products to advance smallholder farming performance. Through mobile technology, IoT sensors, artificial intelligence, blockchain, satellite imagery, and drones.

“I think with NMC, NKC, and JBS we will have long and fruitful partnerships and we’ll learn a lot from each other, we can bring some of our technology, we can bring all our knowledge from other countries, I am sure we will learn a lot about Nepal markets, about Nepal methods and all of the successes of Nepal Agriculture. Each country we go to, we learn a lot about that country and we learn more about ourselves.” — Jon Trask, CEO & Founder, Dimitra Incorporated

Dimitra is committing to these leading Nepalese organizations and will help enhance productivity and double Nepalese farmers’ income by adopting digital technologies and regenerative farming methods in crop and livestock management. And Dimitra will use a combination of Blockchain, IoT sensors, and more to provide a cutting-edge supply chain management platform that will also maximize and automate sales and marketing processes and digitize their supply chain. They will provide technology, training, applications, and share knowledge with farmers. Which will strengthen Nepalese institutions and enhance farmers’ productivity and profitability.

My farm, my crop, my livestock, sensor management, satellite and weather modules are creating awareness and lead to more sustainable farming practices in Nepal. Dimitra will work collaboratively with JBS, NKC, and NMC. And create an implementation plan and will monitor the results during the engagement with specific objectives that are of interest to all partners. Dimitra is looking forward to all the great opportunities that this agreement will bring.

“I am very glad to be a part of this agreement ceremony between these three organizations who are linking to 400,000 farmers of the province and Dimitra. It’s a great day actually. I would like to congratulate all of you and there is, I hope that one objective, doubling the income of farmers of that area will be definitely increased with the use of this technology and the government of Nepal will be always with you. Another thing that I would like to share with you is how this technology can be transferred to the other provinces and the demand for the technology should be created among the farmers of the other province. Now, we are in a digital world and we are linking with this program in the digital world and we always struggled with new technology. Clearly Province One is the first to accept the new technology and take leaps for using this one and with the small one. Now we have three organizations who are really working with the farmers for their wealth and everything. I hope that the objective of this agreement will be fulfilled and the government of Nepal will definitely like to join with Dimitra and in the future within our rules and regulations. This is really great and I hope that with our hard work, this will continue in the whole country and will definitely increase the numbers of farmers in Nepal and that Jon will always support Nepal by interlinking farmers with the digital world. Lastly, I would like to congratulate once again to all of you, thank you.” — Mrs. Niru Dahal Pandey, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Another List

One of Nepal’s primary export commodities actively contributing to the local and national economy is the Highland orthodox tea. Sought after in international markets because of its quality, aroma, taste, and aftertaste.

Nepalese tea farmers pick tea with their recipe and then roll the leaves by hand before oxidizing them. Consequently, the Nepalese tea farmers fail to receive higher international market prices. Which tempts them to increase their yields by using chemical fertilizers and pesticides to make up for lost profits.

Large cardamom is the number one commodity produced in Nepal, and its exports have doubled this year. The spice has a strong, camphor-like flavor, with a smoky character obtained from these drying methods.

When the pandemic arrived, so did an increase in demand for large cardamon. However, Nepali cash crop entrepreneurs have faced many challenges trying to keep up with the demand due to the high cost of production. Iinadequate storage facilities, tariff and transportation constraints, and the lack of knowledge from actual production to export markets.

The Highland orthodox tea and large cardamom are just two examples of how Dimitra, NMC, JBS, and NKC will work together to make a difference in Nepal using digital technology and regenerative farming practices in crops and livestock.