Dimitra Scorecard – There are over 600 million smallholder farmers across the globe. For them, the ability to source reliable investments is a matter of survival. Unfortunately, presenting a transparent picture of the value they create with their land and crops is easier said than done.

Promises and word of mouth rarely satisfy the due diligence demands of financial institutions. They want data — a scarce resource for farmers who work with limited access to technology and on smaller plots of land.

If they can source funding, they’re then presented with the challenge of knowing where that money is best spent.

Dimitra Incorporated, a global ag tech and blockchain company transforming the landscape of modern farming, is on a mission to solve these problems. With the Dimitra Scorecard, farmers can present a clear and honest representation of their farm to lenders and bankers.

Let’s explore this new product from the Dimitra team. We’ll learn why it will play a critical role in how farmers, lenders, and even governments work together, as well as uncover how the Scorecard plays into Dimitra’s NFT platform.

Understanding the Dimitra Scorecard

So, what is the Dimitra Scorecard?

The Dimitra Scorecard stands as a pioneering tool in the agricultural landscape. It offers farmers a comprehensive evaluation report of their land. In essence, it’s like a report card for farmers. It presents a comprehensive and data-driven snapshot of their farm and land to lenders.

Think of it as a health check-up but for the land.

At the onset, Dimitra will evaluate the farm to form a baseline score. This initial score won’t include any necessary land improvements. Instead, it will cover a wide range of data points:

• Soil pH
• Soil texture
• Soil organic carbon
• Soil coarse fragments
• Slope
• Temperature ranges
• Precipitation
• Salinity
• And others…

These data points will help the Dimitra team calculate what impact these variables have on crop potential. The Scorecard also includes an assessment of the farmer’s ability to cultivate specific crops. Part of this assessment is determined by the farmer answering a survey designed by Dimitra to ensure the best strategy. It’s not just about stating what the land is like now but also projecting what it could be.

Why It’s Important

With all these data points in tow, the initial baseline Scorecard will indicate what challenges a farm may have with irrigation and soil conditions, acting as a tool that encapsulates the health and potential of a farm.

These will inform the recommendations made to both the farmer and the lender.

For farmers, the Scorecard becomes a map that points out the rough and smooth terrain of their farming journey. It’s not just about spotlighting challenges; it’s about charting a practical course of action.

With a clear understanding of their farm’s current state, farmers can take strategic steps toward improvement.

The Scorecard offers lenders and investors a clear picture of a farm’s true potential. It shows not only the land’s current state but what it could achieve with the right financial support and improvement.

Dimitra hopes the Scorecard becomes an essential part of the financial decision-making process. It should help both farmers and lenders accurately assess the viability and profitability of a given farm.

Operational Mechanisms

This all sounds good on paper, but farms are living, breathing, dynamic ventures. As such, the Scorecard isn’t a static tool. Instead, it’s as dynamic and adaptable as the land it covers.

Initially set up in Kenya, the Scorecard’s success will pave the way for expansion into other countries like Brazil and Honduras. But this global journey is much more than a simple geographical expansion. As Dimitra refines the tool and sees experimentation in the field, it can cater to different crops and varying farm conditions.

Each crop and region has unique characteristics. Dimitra will meet farmers where they’re at by providing specially designed Scorecards for each different crop and region. One-size-fits-all is rarely the case, which is why each Scorecard is crafted to meet geographical and agronomic needs.

In Brazil, for example, we will have Scorecards specialized in different crops, including soybeans and coffee. Meanwhile, in Honduras, we will have Scorecards specialized in banana and cocoa plantations. This versatility makes the Scorecard a universally relevant tool, capable of assessing a wide variety of farming scenarios across the globe.

Target Audience – Dimitra Scorecard

We’ve already touched on who the Scorecard is for, but let’s break it down even further:

• Farmers: They’re at the center of the Scorecard program. The Scorecard acts as a mirror, reflecting the true potential of their land, therefore helping them understand what crops will thrive and the health of their land while enhancing their chances of securing necessary funds or support.
• Lenders: For financial institutions and private lenders, the Scorecard is a compass that points toward a more informed lending decision. The scorecard speeds up the loan process by providing a clearer picture of what the investment entails and the likelihood of a successful yield. This makes lending less risky and streamlines the process.
• Government Agencies: For government entities involved in agricultural planning and support, the Scorecard will certainly become a strategic tool. It enables these agencies to assess the agricultural potential of different regions, helping craft national production plans and policies.

Putting It into Practice

A Kenyan farmer, unsure of the best crop for their land, turns to the Dimitra Scorecard for guidance.

The Scorecard, alongside the Connected Farmer platform, offers them a transparent analysis of their land. It reveals its suitability for avocados, a crop the farmer hadn’t considered before. This revelation allows for not only precise crop planning but also optimal space utilization.

But that’s not all the Scorecard offers. It also suggests that parts of the farm could support cashew nuts — offering a profitable crop diversification strategy.

This not only boosts potential income but also enhances the land’s sustainability.

Presenting this Scorecard to a lender expedites the loan process, providing the bank with confidence in the projected yields and the investment’s viability. On a larger scale, government agencies use such data for regional agricultural planning. This streamlines support and development efforts.

Integration with the Dimitra NFT Platform

The Scorecard provides a detailed picture of a farm’s potential, which directly impacts Dimitra’s utility NFT platform. This integration allows for a nuanced assessment of each agricultural asset, be it a plot of land or an individual tree.

Let’s take avocado trees as an example, which the Dimitra NFT platform currently includes with Dimitra’s partnership with the One Million Avocados project in Kenya. Scoring here will leverage a variety of factors:

• Location of the tree
• Photographs
• Soil assays at the tree
• Connected Farmer inputs
• Experience level and diligence of the farmer
• Farmer Know Your Customer (KYC)

The scoring system will also include external data sources related to the tree’s location, such as weather, disease, and pest reports.

Dimitra’s utility NFTs are pioneering innovative solutions in the agricultural sector. These NFTs go beyond digital representation. They enable farmers to secure crucial financing, connect directly with consumers, and monetize valuable agrarian data.

In addition, they offer new avenues for farmers to access funding, cutting through traditional financial barriers.

​​Empowering Futures: The Dimitra Scorecard’s Transformative Impact

Dimitra’s Scorecard, alongside the NFT platform, is a significant leap in agricultural innovation.

The Scorecard offers lenders and farmers a clearer picture of the true potential farms and crops offer. It’s a catalyst that not only streamlines the loan process for lenders but also empowers governments to make informed decisions on agricultural projects.

Dimitra is not just offering a new tool but a comprehensive solution.

This transformative approach is setting new standards in the agricultural sector, promising a more informed, efficient, and prosperous future for farmers worldwide. – Dimitra Scorecard

TORTOLA, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS — Dimitra Incorporated, a leading blockchain-based enterprise system for AgTech driving productive, intelligent, and inclusive farming, is working with Helvetas and Open Food Chain on a project called MiCacao. The project aims to implement a digital traceability solution in the cocoa supply chain in Latin America. – Dimitra Cocoa Production

Positively impacting disadvantaged farmers

Dimitra is working with Helvetas and Open Food Chain to increase transparency in cocoa production, ensuring the origin of deforestation-free products. Moreover, this effort aligns with European regulations prohibiting the importation of products associated with deforestation, including cocoa.

Helvetas is an independent Swiss development organization. They focus on impacting over three million disadvantaged individuals annually. They do this through water, food, climate, education, employment, governance, gender, and social equity.

Conversely, The Open Food Chain is a public infrastructure in the industry that plays a crucial role in this collaboration. They are making the compliance process more efficient. This enables each participant to immediately and automatically publish statements related to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria for batches. This eliminates the need for time-consuming communications, such as emails and phone calls, in getting certificates.

The MiCacao Project is running from December 2022 to April 2025. It is being executed by Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation and Federación Nacional de Cacaoteros Colombia. The Promotion of Innovation in Agriculture fund also supports the project. They have been commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

This collaboration signifies these organizations’ devotedness toward their future environmental and social sustainability.

Sustainable Cocoa Production

The central challenge is establishing sustainable cocoa production advantages in Colombia and Peru, where small-scale farmers account for about 90% of global production. Without appropriate agricultural practices, cocoa cultivation can indirectly contribute to deforestation and climate change.

Although there is a growing global demand for sustainably produced deforestation-free cocoa, many farmers need more access to information on adapting their products to this market. This information gap is particularly challenging for female cocoa producers with less access to digital tools.

Connected Cacao Platform – Dimitra Cocoa Production

The project’s main objective is to validate a traceability tool that strengthens the market position of farmers adopting climate-friendly and deforestation-free practices. Additionally, through traceability and deforestation-free ownership information, the project aims to increase the price paid to the producer by at least 10%.

Cocoa producers are already utilizing Dimitra’s Connected Cacao Platform. They are receiving detailed registration of information regarding the origin and attributes of the product. In short, this promotes transparency throughout the value chain. Moreover, access to this technology holds significant potential to transform cocoa production in Latin America. This technology offers economic, social, and ecological benefits.

Integrating digital technologies into agricultural production aims for a more sustainable and equitable future for all involved in the cocoa industry.

Pioneering transparency and compliance with the EUDR

Starting with 2000 farmers and 4000 deforestation reports in 2024, the project’s key innovation is implementing a digital, interoperable, and freely accessible traceability system for the cocoa chain. With the recent EU regulation, companies must trace product origins to ensure no deforestation.

Producers’ use of digital tools allows data collection to be synchronized when connectivity is available, even without an internet connection. This data includes production characteristics, voluntary certifications, and other specific product attributes contributing to cocoa traceability.

We are determined to lead the fight against deforestation and support sustainable agricultural practices throughout Latin America. Through the MiCacao Project, we are paving the way for a greener and more equitable future,” says Diego Costa, Latin America Director at Dimitra.

Dimitra Roraima – Dimitra Incorporated, a leading blockchain-based enterprise system for AgTech driving productive, intelligent, and inclusive farming, is collaborating with ABRAFRUTAS and CERES. Together, they will develop a project with the State Government of Roraima, the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (SEBRAE/RR), and the Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of Roraima (FAERR).

These organizations aim to implement sustainable technologies in fruit production within Roraima. Moreover, a focus will be placed on disseminating technological solutions that promote digital transformation in agriculture, boosting rural financing and enhancing the sector’s social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

Committing to a Digital Transformation

Located in the Amazon region, Roraima is the State with the highest rate of agricultural growth. It represents the new agricultural frontier of Brazilian agribusiness. Roraima possesses ideal characteristics and potential for a sustainable development model. This model is based on small farmers, family and indigenous agriculture, agribusiness, commerce, services, and tourism.

During EXPOFERR 2023, the involved parties forged an agreement to promote digital transformation and rural financing for fruit producers in the state. This agreement represents a commitment to technological development and sustainable economic growth in the region.

Diego Costa, Dimitra’s Director for Latin America, underscores the significance of collaborating with such important partners: “It is an honor for us to work with highly respected institutions throughout Brazil, such as the FAERR/SENAR System, SEBRAE, and ABRAFRUTAS, and to collaborate with a government that demonstrates technological maturity and a remarkable inclination toward innovation.”

The Importance of Cooperation – Dimitra Roraima

Multiple organizations are working together to impact the agriculture sector positively. So, let’s explore them.

Firstly, we have FAERR, representing the rural producers of Roraima. They focus on providing strategic guidance, rights advocacy, and agricultural development opportunities. They work in partnership with CNA and SENAR (National Rural Learning Service), both state Agricultural Federations that aim to strengthen the rural sector and empower producers.

Another organization working to bring change is SEBRAE. This organization drives micro and small businesses, stimulating competitiveness and sustainable growth. What’s more, with training programs, access to credit, and promotion of entrepreneurial education from an early age, it works in financial partnership to develop skills.

Last but certainly not least, we have Abrafrutas. Abrafrutas consists of approximately 80 associated fruit-exporting producers. In fact, these producers represent roughly 80% of the total volume of fresh fruits exported by Brazil. Focused on uniting producers and processors of fresh and processed fruits, this organization continuously seeks to enhance commercialization and carry out promotional campaigns through its associated companies.

SEBRAE’s Superintendent, Emerson Baú, highlights the importance of cooperation by saying, “Bringing the federations to this space to assist the entire production chain and show people visiting the joint strength of the institutions. The idea is that from now on, we will further strengthen our joint actions, with each institution contributing its strengths. That is our goal, to bind them together.”

An Agenda to Support Cocoa Farmers – Dimitra Roraima

The collaborative project aims to provide technology and technical assistance to farmers. Farmers are being introduced to innovative methods to finance new areas, rehabilitate degraded areas, and implement more productive varieties. While the cocoa sector is initially the main focus, there are plans to expand to other crops.

Here’s a look at how it will work. Through satellite imagery and remote sensing, the first project phase will analyze the suitability of Roraima’s regions for cocoa production, identifying areas most conducive to production.

Next, a business plan will be developed. It will identify all necessary costs for cocoa planting and maintenance. This includes technology, sensors, seedlings, fertilizers, and technical assistance. With this in mind, all technological aspects will be provided by Dimitra, making the Connected Cacao Platform available to farmers.

Tokenization in the cocoa sector

After identifying production costs and mapping producers who will implement new cocoa areas, various crowdfunding projects will be structured. Each investment unit, representing a defined area, will be mapped and transformed into a digital asset (NFT), allowing producers to raise necessary resources from investors brought in by institutions and crypto investors worldwide.

In this scenario, the DMTR token will play a crucial role in facilitating this financing, allowing investors to become partners of Brazilian rural producers using DMTRs, receiving a portion of the profits while helping preserve the biodiversity-rich nature of the region.

Additionally, the parties will seek to establish partnerships with a vast network of stores and suppliers of inputs and equipment. Producers can purchase points (DMTRs) to access discounts when buying necessary products for their farm operations.

The overall objective

“It is through technology that we are increasing productivity in the lands of the state of Roraima. Innovation and research are essential to improve our results, always focusing on environmental preservation and increasing productivity on our lands. This is Roraima’s objective,” highlights Roraima Governor, Antônio Denarium. Dimitra Roraima

FAERR President Silvio de Carvalho mentioned during the signing ceremony, “We are in a moment of state growth, and these partnerships allow us to show Brazil and the world what our farmers are doing. We are seeking to offer opportunities for producers to produce more and with better quality.”

At Dimitra, we find ourselves in the middle of a technological intersection.

On one side, we have blockchain technology. On the other, agricultural technology. At this crossroads, we’re forging ahead not just as a tech disruptor but as a narrative maker of hope and change.

Our mission is to rewrite the story of smallholder farmers across the globe.

We’re not only obsessed with technology for technology’s sake but rather focused on using emerging technologies like blockchain, AI, ML, and satellite imagery to change how the over 600 million smallholder farmers make their living, build their communities, and develop sustainable practices that steward the environment.

Since we last updated you on our mission and growth, a lot has changed.

But, while the world’s been enamored with fleeting tech trends and transient crypto bubbles, we’ve been weaving a story that matters — one of tangible growth, palpable impact, and real-world change.

Join us as we unfold the chapters of the past year.

Through a medley of groundbreaking innovations and meaningful partnerships, we’ve taken deliberate strides, every step echoing our commitment to an inclusive, sustainable future.

Note: This article is an update to our “Empowering Global Growth with Dimitra” piece published last year. Be sure to review that piece to learn more.

Dimitra’s Vision

In the patchwork of fields that span the globe, there’s a silent rhythm, a dance of soil and seed, of rain and root.

Each farmer, whether they work small orchards of avocado trees or expansive coffee plantations, seeks a simple assurance: that their labor of love will bear fruit. Historically, these smallholder farmers have lacked access to modern agricultural tooling and technology.

Our mission is to empower these farmers to improve farming practices and processes through real-time insights powered by a unique and comprehensive tech stack.

From blockchain and AI to drones and advanced genomics, we’re removing the data silos and driving innovation globally.

It’s not just farmers who reap these benefits; it’s also the communities and governmental agencies they operate alongside. Dimitra has a global solution for supply-chain records to ensure regulatory compliance and traceability records, regardless of international frameworks and borders.

Our team comes equipped with more than technology, though.

We also offer communities across the world unparalleled access to experts in the field, providing a wealth of experience and knowledge right where it needs to go: to the local level.

The Dimitra team has worked with agricultural agencies in Brazil, India, Kenya, and Nepal.

Of course, it’s not all about the tech. Creating sustainable agricultural systems also means addressing a lack of robust economic access. On this front, Dimitra uses an innovative approach powered by cryptocurrency.

Through our unique blockchain technology, we’re democratizing finance.

For those marginalized by traditional financial systems, this kind of access isn’t a luxury but a means of sustainable growth. Underpinning Dimitra’s approach is an optimized blockchain architecture that powers a global marketplace, financial services, and distributed analytics.

A Dive into Dimitra’s Expanding Tech Offerings

Navigating the expansive avenues of farming, one can quickly grasp that it’s not a monolithic entity.

Each crop, each animal, every tract of land tells a different story. Here at Dimitra, we recognize this diversity and have built several platforms to cater to the varying needs of farmers.

Let’s explore some of the offerings together:

Connected Farmer

The Connected Farmer platform is our flagship offering and an embodiment of empowerment.

This all-encompassing app for farmers leverages Dimitra’s advanced tech stack to radically improve farming. From soil assessment to nutrient management, Connected Farmer delivers actionable data insights that refine and streamline the complexities of agriculture.

Connected Coffee

Specifically designed for coffee growers, this platform focuses on boosting both yield quality and quantity. It emphasizes transparency, allowing for real-time tracking from farm to cup. This ensures that customers know the journey of their daily brew.

Deforestation Compliance

In a world increasingly concerned with deforestation and forest conservation, this platform certifies farmers’ adherence to global deforestation standards all along the supply chain.

Through a blend of AI, ML, blockchain, mobile tech, and satellite analysis, international regulatory requirements are completely automated for farmers. This is particularly important given new standards and regulatory frameworks, like the EU’s regulation around deforestation-free products.

Livestock Guru

Livestock Guru harnesses the power of AI to monitor and analyze an animal’s lifecycle, providing crucial insights from genetics to health patterns.

By comparing data from genetically similar animals, we’re not only enhancing productivity and disease prevention but also guiding farmers on breeding strategies to bolster their livestock’s health and profitability. In the world of farming, it’s a game changer, turning tradition into tech-savvy precision.

Connected Cacao

The Connected Cacao platform represents a revolution for farmers, offering benefits that will transform the industry. One of the main advantages is the significant improvement in the efficiency of agricultural operations.

The application allows farmers to optimize each stage of the process, from cultivation, harvesting, fermentation, drying, storage, and marketing, reducing resource waste and increasing productivity.

The Utility of $DMTR in the Growing Dimitra Ecosystem

Cryptocurrency is not some passing digital trend. As of 2023, there are an estimated 420 million crypto users worldwide.

This isn’t some quirky monetary alternative; we’re actively redefining global trade.

Among these, $DMTR, Dimitra’s token, stands as a testament to our vision of streamlining agriculture through technology. $DMTR ensures a baseline currency that anybody can use globally, minimizing transaction fees for farmers.

But it’s not just about a digital coin.

To help you better understand the value and utility of $DMTR, let’s explore how the token democratizes the agricultural process.

Purchasing Advanced Reports with $DMTR

Think of $DMTR as a key to unlock a treasure trove of data.

Everyone from farmers, cooperatives, governments, etc., can access this data. While our base platform offers five satellite reports, $DMTR holders have the advantage of accessing over 15 specialized reports, providing insights that could redefine farming processes.

Licensing Through $DMTR

It’s not all about reports. $DMTR also plays a role in licensing.

The crop performance feature of the Connected Farmer platform offers licensing opportunities with payments in $DMTR. The platform will lock farmer rewards from licensing and use for a fixed period of time prior to releasing back to the cooperative.

For example, the Solok Radjo Cooperative, which focuses on coffee farming, recently paid its licensing fees for the Connected Coffee platform in $DMTR.

Tech Purchases Through $DMTR

Imagine a contract with a thousand users. Each user has ten cows.

Each of these cows needs a sensor, and $DMTR facilitates this process. Whether it’s onboarding existing sensors or procuring new ones from Dimitra, $DMTR is the go-to currency. Additionally, the margins from these purchases, paid in the token, further solidify the value of $DMTR and its importance in the ecosystem.

Deforestation Compliance Module

With the rising concerns around global deforestation, our Deforestation Compliance Module is more relevant than ever.

When we receive a deforestation certification request from a customer, we collect payment and subsequently pay the necessary government filing fees and expenses. $DMTR is then used to generate the certificate. More than that, though, $DMTR is not just a mode of payment; it’s a stamp of credibility. Once used, these tokens are burned, ensuring transparency and traceability with every transaction.

A Rewarding Experience for Farmers

When farmers interact with the Connected Farmer Platform and perform certain actions, they receive Dimitra Points in return. One recent example of how the program is expanding is in our collaboration with the One Million Avocado (OMA) initiative.

One significant aspect stood out during this collaboration: OMA’s choice to transact using $DMTR.

This not only solidifies $DMTR’s position in transactions but also magnifies Dimitra’s visibility amongst OMA’s farmers.

NFTs — Agriculture’s Next Frontier

One innovative approach to agricultural innovation is through the Dimitra NFT program. Here, we offer a platform to lending and investment companies to digitize farming assets and manage shared ownership for various farming projects globally. Initially we will be deploying an investment program in Brazil with AbraFrutas to provide services to cacao growers in Roraima state.

Shared ownership is a concept we’re excited about. In collaboration with OMA, we’re venturing into an untapped domain — merging NFTs with agriculture. The pilot? A series of Avocado Tree NFTs to be seeded across Kenyan farms, all tied to $DMTR for purchase and associated transactional expenses.

Partnerships and Collaborations Bolstering Dimitra’s Mission

The heart of our mission is much more than about technology; it’s about collaboration.

Each project we launch brings the opportunity to integrate with banks, insurance companies, service providers, input sellers and many other potential partners, who utilize DMTR to offer these services to our farmers. We ensure that with each project launched, it will contribute to the growth of our community and utility of the token.

Our partnerships have become an integral part of our progress. Our partners help us amplify our vision, extend our reach, and refine our solutions.

Ocean Protocol: Harnessing Data’s True Potential

Dimitra and Ocean Protocol share a vision to unlock the true potential of agricultural data.

But we’re not just collecting data. We incentivize farmers to become proactive data producers. Through the partnership with Ocean Protocol, we offer this data to clients with secure delivery through the Ocean data marketplace — and it’s not a detached entity.

Their marketplace seamlessly integrates into Dimitra’s platforms. The cherry on top? Our farmer community benefits by receiving a portion of revenue from data sales. This rewards them for their contribution and encourages further data collection.

Morpheus Network: Streamlining the Supply Chain

Agriculture doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s part of an intricate supply chain.

This is where the Morpheus Network steps in. From handling exports, ensuring documentation is in order, to simplifying the shipping process, their role is critical. Farmers across the supply chain need access to real-time insights, analytics, and information, and mobile technology is the solution.

This enables real-time decision-making. Whether they’re in the middle of their field or at a local market, our mobile tech ensures they’re always a tap away from insights, analytics, and crucial data. When they input data, there’s no lag.

Reflecting on the Past and Embracing the Future

Just a year ago, when we published our initial article about $DMTR, we positioned Dimitra as a beacon of hope for global farming. Today, that beacon shines brighter than ever.

From the conception of the $DMTR token to the visions surrounding the Connected Farmer app, we haven’t just chased our aspirations; we’ve lived them, evolving and refining with every step.

Our journey has been nothing short of transformative.

We’ve expanded our agricultural technology offerings, cemented meaningful partnerships, and, most importantly, listened to and acted upon the feedback from our core — the global farming community.

But we’re not one to rest on our laurels.

Looking ahead, we plan on driving deeper innovation and further strengthening our commitment to enhancing the synergy between agriculture and technology.

Our story continues, and we invite you to shape its next chapters with us.

Dimitra Incorporated’s involvement in the Honduran market, particularly in the coffee sector, has significantly impacted production, quality, and sustainability. Dimitra has successfully implemented its Connected Coffee Platform in Honduras by focusing on producer training. The platform provides innovative tools to optimize efficiency and increase yields in plantations.

Following suit, pioneering cooperatives are actively implementing the training provided by Dimitra. By adopting this technology, the companies highlight their crucial role in driving sustainability, quality, and efficiency in Honduras’ coffee industry.

Empowering communities with tech tools

As the Honduran coffee market is the fifth-largest global producer. And a leader in Central America, coffee traceability is crucial for Honduran organizations.

Dimitra significantly contributes to the region’s economic development by empowering cooperatives and farmers with the necessary tools. This aligns with global demands for more responsible and sustainable agricultural practices. The collective effort represents a crucial step in the positive transformation of the Honduran coffee sector.

In January 2023, Dimitra and AHPROCAFE announced their initial partnership. Together, their goal was to provide traceability for the coffee grown in Honduras. Moreover, they planned on implementing Dimitra’s Connected Coffee Platform in as many cooperatives as possible.

Pedro Mendoza, president of AHPROCAFE, highlights, “Dimitra plays a crucial role as a strategic partner in the journey towards global digitization, driving technological transformation, and enhancing the productive, agro-industrial, and commercial competitiveness of coffee cooperatives worldwide.”

Growing transparency in a growing industry

Since Dimitra’s first partnership in Honduras, they have collaborated to understand the needs of Honduran coffee growers. Dimitra has strengthened its mutual commitment through strategic meetings, collaborative events, and essential visits.

Today, Dimitra is working with two additional Honduran coffee cooperatives.

Cooperatives like COMISUYL, formed by small producers from Subirana, Yoro, in Honduras, aim to expand their exports to various countries. They can do this while maintaining their organic and Fair Trade coffee certifications. Because the Connected Coffee Platform has been introduced.

Similarly, UNIOCASMO, a second-level organization whose 346 members represent the union of 17 Coffee Producer Associations, is implementing the platform. They aim to strengthen coffee production and marketing in the San Marcos region, Ocotepeque, in western Honduras. In fact, producers testify to the significant impact the project will have on their lives.

What’s more, the UNIOCASMO members recall that the platform will improve Honduran coffee traceability and quality and ensure compliance with the European Union regulations related to deforestation in imported products.

“The collaboration between Dimitra and cooperatives is seen as a fundamental step to ensure that Honduran products meet the requirements of sustainable production and continue to be marketed in the European Union,” comments Calvin Funez, Dimitra’s partner in Honduras.

Ensuring sustainable production with the EUDR

The technology that Dimitra provides farmers couldn’t have come at a better time.

It enhances coffee traceability and value and helps cooperatives and associations tackle the challenges posed by the new European Union regulation (EUDR).

Farmers worldwide are adjusting their farming practices to adhere to these new changes. Not to mention, farmers have to substantiate their farming practices to allow for produce export. If they don’t, the importer will face fines of up to four percent of their annual EU turnover.

As a result, this regulation demands that local companies ensure sustainable production of their products, combating deforestation related to soy, timber, coffee, cocoa, palm oil, beef, and rubber.

Dimitra’s Deforestation Compliance Module

Evidently, Dimitra is offering the Honduran coffee cooperatives that they are working with the Deforestation Certification Module as an upgrade to its Connected Farmer platform. This makes the deforestation evaluation accessible to combat the climate crisis. The deforestation module allows producers and traders to prove their goods are unrelated to deforestation and helps regulatory authorities confirm compliance.

Mauro Rodríguez, President of the Board of Directors of COMISUYL, states, “AHPROCAFE, in collaboration with Dimitra, aims to comply with forest preservation legislation, initially focusing on georeferencing to ensure that coffee comes from non-deforested areas. The collaboration intends to expand to manage traceability and inventories, replacing paper records with a digital approach. The Dimitra application is seen as a tool to meet the requirements of the new legislation, offering visibility, compliance reports, and facilitating agile and effective decision-making on production and agricultural issues.”

Promoting traceability, sustainability, and quality

In collaboration with cooperatives and associations like COMISUYL and UNIOCASMO, Dimitra is training producers to trace every bean, elevating the quality of Honduran coffee in the global market. Furthermore, using Dimitra’s platform, coffee growers have visibility, compliance reports, and accurate information about the origin of their coffee.

Dimitra is helping cooperatives adapt to these new regulations, using its platform to provide visibility, compliance reports, and accurate information about the product’s origin. Nonetheless, this partnership aims to elevate the Honduran coffee industry to a new level, promoting traceability, sustainability, and quality internationally.

Using Dimitra’s platform, coffee growers have visibility, compliance reports, and accurate information about the coffee’s origin.

Gerson Solorzano, UNIOCASMO Certification Technician, says, “UNIOCASMO, despite being a new enterprise, faces the challenge of complying with the new European Union legislation. To achieve this, it seeks to use a reliable tool like Dimitra to provide accurate information, meet information requirements and risk assessments, and carry out due diligence. In recent years, we have collaborated with municipal authorities and producers to improve the biodiversity of coffee plantations by incorporating timber trees and implementing reforestation projects in various communities.”

Dimitra SUT – Dimitra Incorporated, a leading blockchain-based enterprise systems for AgTech driving productive, intelligent, and inclusive farming, is working with The Saudi Sustainable Union Trading Company (SUT). SUT is an organization that provides innovative solutions to help develop agricultural businesses. Together, they are establishing a development program for Jazan Coffee producers.

Dimitra and SUT aim to promote the coffee industry within the country. By assisting in developing coffee farms in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia, these farmers can further capitalize on their unique coffee heritage in Saudi Arabia.

Traditional Farming Methods

The tradition of cultivating coffee in the Jazan region has been passed down from generation to generation. Primarily, this has been achieved through non-formal educational methods such as practical training and observation. This type of knowledge transfer is common in agricultural practices. Skills and techniques are learned through hands-on experience and shared within communities. In Jazan, there are approximately 700 coffee farms. However, with dramatically altered natural cycles and weather patterns resulting from the growing climate crisis, farmers face many new problems regarding water and working resources.

Dimitra’s Connected Coffee Platform

The Jazan Coffee Cooperative (CCJ), a leading agricultural development institution and national expertise house in the agriculture sector, is using Dimitra’s Connected Coffee platform. The tailored platform provides straightforward, actionable insights to increase the quality and quantity of coffee yields, all sustainably and with longevity in mind. The platform also offers real-time track and trace capability throughout all levels of the supply chain, ensuring farmers’ produce is transparent and credible.

In addition to the advanced technology, the local SUT Agronomy team will provide support and training to the local farmers and workers in coffee cultivation. For example, the farmers will be receiving assistance on their techniques for planting, pruning, harvesting, and post-harvest processing. This ensures the production of premium-quality coffee beans. To summarize, Dimitra and SUT will help the farmers increase their yield and improve the overall quality of the coffee cherries.

Assisting 700 coffee farms

The project’s initial phase starts with 200 farms in 2023 and will reach 350 by the end of 2024. The project’s full scope is to implement the Dimitra Connected Coffee platform for 700 farms in 6 coffee provinces in the Jazan region that cultivate Arabica and Khawlani coffee beans.

Specifically, Dimitra’s Connected Coffee platform will help the farmers establish quality control measures. It will also assist with monitoring and maintaining the quality of coffee produced. Moreover, it will also encourage farmers to adhere to international quality standards. The app will also motivate farmers to consider obtaining certifications such as organic to enhance marketability.

Mr. Gibran Farhan Al-Maliki, pictured above, is one of the leading coffee growers in Jazan and a professional coffee agronomist. Mr. Gibran will join Dimitra with his son Ahmed Gibran Farhan Al-Maliki at the initial training phase. As many people call him, Uncle Gibran is one of the first in Jazan’s Al Dayer area to turn his love of coffee into a local business. Upon retiring from teaching in his remote mountaintop village of Al Qateel in 2007, he looked to revive his family’s farms at 1,500 meters (about 4,900 feet) above sea level.

Revolutionizing the coffee industry

Maged Elmontaser, Dimitra’s MENA regional Director, says, “The Jazan province is packed full of advantages. The six mountainous governorates have many investment opportunities, especially in agriculture and heritage sites. Exploring opportunities to integrate coffee farms into the Dimitra Connected Coffee platform will transform the coffee industry. In addition, it will revolutionize the history, cultivation, and brewing of Saudi Arabian coffee. They are leveraging knowledge exchange, access to markets, and improving the overall competitiveness of Saudi Arabian coffee”.

Today, Saudi Arabia continues to produce coffee and has been promoting its unique coffee culture and heritage. The country has been investing in modernizing its coffee industry, improving quality, and promoting its coffee brands to the international market. The initiative the region is showing to help its coffee farmers led to Dimitra and SUT working together.

Dimitra Incorporated, a leading blockchain-based enterprise system for AgTech driving productive, intelligent, and inclusive farming, announces the launch of the Connected Cacao App. The application improves agricultural efficiency, ensures transparency in the supply chain, and helps strengthen cacao cooperatives.

A revolution for cacao farmers

The Connected Cacao platform represents a revolution in cacao farming. It offers a significant increase in efficiency for agriculture operations. The application allows farmers to optimize each stage of the process, from cultivation, harvesting, fermentation, drying, storage, and marketing, reducing resource waste and increasing productivity.

Furthermore, the application offers complete transparency across the entire supply chain. Farmers can generate a traceable label through the application, allowing cooperatives and producers to tell the whole story behind cacao. This is important as today, more than ever, buyers want transparency with the products they are purchasing.

Also, as far as the farmer is concerned, prices constantly fluctuate. This has a significant impact on them as they can’t store the cacao for long periods and often need to sell it right away and cheaper than they expected to.

Traceability and digitizing information

By using the Connected Cacao platform, farmers can make sure they have more produce, higher quality, and more market access. In summary, offering traceability is helping the product enter the most demanding markets while adding value to the product.

With digitized information, cooperatives have an accurate view of the entire process. This allows a more precise diagnosis of the situation for each region and producer, helping the overall decision-making process.

One of the most notable effects of this technology is the reduction of disparities in profitability between producers. Connected Cacao aims to create a more equitable environment where all farmers have the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their size or starting resources.

Cacao compliance with deforestation laws

Another challenge farmers face that the application considers is compliance with the new European standards regarding zero deforestation. In 2022, 141 countries signed a pact to eradicate deforestation by 2030. As one of the first to take serious action, the EU is implementing a law that effectively bans products originating from major crops linked to deforestation. Cocoa, which is the processed version of cacao, is one of the seven core commodities that must guarantee origin on a property that has not been deforested since December 2020.

What does this look like for farmers? Well, they must practice farming in more environmentally responsible ways. There’s no longer room for farms of any size to continue deforestation if they want to remain legally operational.

In addition to the functionalities the Connected Cacao application offers farmers, they will also have access to Dimitra’s Deforestation Compliance Module. When farmers sell their products to agriculture companies, they can use Dimitra’s platform to mark the geo-location of the origin farm at the time of harvest. This action will automatically produce a deforestation map to certify there is no deforestation before the shipments are prepared.

Tackling industry challenges with technology

Several organizations are already in the training phase and utilizing the Connected Cacao application as a tool. One of those organizations is REDMUCH, an organization in Honduras that, when translated to English, means “Network of Cocoa Woman Farmer and Chocolatiers of Honduras.” The organization currently consists of around 350 farmers, with the majority of them being female. As a whole, they work together to empower and support women in the agriculture industry.

The challenges the REDMUCH farmers face in the cocoa sector currently surround increasing productivity and international sales. An additional challenge includes the certification of organic and fair trade.

Dimitra is working with them to tackle these industry challenges with the help of its Connected Cacao platform.

The Connected Cacao app offers a more efficient, transparent, and sustainable approach to the cacao industry. This app is essential to a fairer and more environmentally conscious industry by optimizing farming operations, promoting cooperation, and empowering producers.

Dimitra Letter to the Community – Hi everyone, Jon here, CEO of Dimitra.

I am reaching out to you, our community members, to provide an update on some of our current activities. And to thank you for your loyalty and support since our launch on September 22, 2021, on Kucoin.

Over the past two years, the Dimitra team has been building an extensive digital toolset that allows us to evaluate. And rate farm performance, crop management practices, and the potential of the land that the farmer is working on. Beyond analysis, we provide track and trace and regulatory compliance tools to the extended agriculture and food supply chains. This toolset combines artificial intelligence, machine learning, satellite and drone analytics, and IoT devices with critical data stored on the blockchain and captured via an Android mobile interface. All of this data is then analyzed, automatically through our revolutionary technologies, to provide farmers with simple, actionable insights to improve their processes.

This toolset was designed with various stakeholders in the extended ag/food value chain in mind, such as farmers, traders, food processing companies, investment companies, and lenders.

The first — and arguably the most — important component to a farmer is an evaluation of the farmland and its compatibility with growing specific crops successfully. To help the farmer with this we have created the Dimitra Scorecard. We are also now making this web3 scoring system available to banks, lenders. And investment companies to aid them in evaluating their farming investment opportunities.

Dimitra Scorecard

Dimitra Scorecard, provides a primary scorecard to farmers and agricultural financial companies. Allowing all stakeholders to understand both the potential and the risks associated with the land. For example, a farm that does not receive sufficient rainfall must invest in irrigation to supplement water in the dry months.

In addition, the scorecard allows stakeholders to evaluate the level of investment needed to successfully grow their crop, while simultaneously collecting fundamental information to provide data-driven recommendations to farmers, helping them improve their farming operations throughout the year.

Land Suitability Scorecard

Our initial evaluation of each farm formulates a baseline score (excluding any improvements necessary to improve the land). This is done by analyzing details of the soil including pH, texture, organic carbon, and coarse fragments, in addition to slope, temperature ranges (min, average, max), precipitation, and artificial surface. We then calculate the impact of those variables on crop potential.

Farmer knowledge and potential

To ascertain education and experience levels, farmers complete comprehensive surveys. We also evaluate their previous loan performance.

Through our Dimitra Academy we produce educational materials to keep farmers abreast of the latest strategies to successfully grow, manage, and sell their crops. We have tests established to evaluate a farmer’s knowledge delivered in the crop specific materials.

Farming and land performance

Using our Connected Farmer application, we evaluate a farmer’s soil preparation, planting, soil management, irrigation, cropping, harvest, pest management, disease management, storage, and documentation practices to ensure that farms are set up and ready for the best possible success. Where possible, we provide recommendations for farmers to better improve these processes to ensure farmers have the best start possible.

We use IoT sensors such as moisture and nutrient sensors, product quality meters, and drones to assess overall quality on a farm.

Farmers also have access to our crop marketplace to enhance their opportunity to obtain the best possible prices for their produce.

Risk factors

We evaluate environmental trends, weather patterns, market conditions and more to make ongoing recommendations to mitigate risk. A farm’s ability to manage these risk factors can reduce losses and improve quality, essentially for a thriving business.

Financial Industry

The financial sector struggles to evaluate risks at a farm level and bases much of its loan decisions on previous financial success versus the potential of a farm to be successful. Often loans fail because a bank cannot access a strong agronomic analysis to support their decisions, or a farmer does not have sufficient data to make necessary decisions to manage risk.

The Farm Scorecard provides a valuable evaluation tool for financial institutions that are financing or investing in farming or agriculture.

Combining the Dimitra Farm Scorecard, Dimitra Connected Farmer, and Dimitra Marketplace with our export certification, deforestation certification, and carbon credit applications allows lenders to make better decisions when evaluating a farmer for a loan and maximizing the success of their lending portfolio. These tools also can be provided to the farmers taking out loans to maximize the success of the farmer.

Now that we have tested the Dimitra Scorecard, we are selling this toolkit to investors, lenders, and fintechs globally. We have recently signed up our first bank to use our tools with their lending customers. Preferred licensing agreements are provided to institutions paying fees in DMTR.

Application of Scorecards

Farmers in developing nations face many challenges in business, and many struggle to access capital for their farms. Financing the growth of their farm is a critical challenge.

Shifting part of their farm to fruit-bearing trees (where possible) and other high-margin crops is a game changer from a financial perspective, creating generational wealth as trees produce for decades.

Establishing perennial crops and trees can take multiple years, and managing soil nutrients, pests, and diseases can be resource-intensive and costly. Avocado trees, for example, take 3–5 years before they start producing and 8–10 years before they hit peak productivity.

As a result, farmers need to access financing to carry the cost of the initial seedling, fertilizer, planting costs, and annual maintenance. In East Africa that financing is not readily available to small farmers. Dimitra is working towards enabling farmers’ income potential, prospectively leading to improved living standards for them and their families.

Connected Finance

Dimitra is piloting the digitization of farming assets with NFTs. Our trial, which we have been running in Kenya, uniquely tracks each tree within the My Finance module in our Dimitra Connected Farmer App. Farmers enter data about soil and tree health and add photos to show progress. We supplement this data with drone and satellite data feeds to provide recommendations to farmers to maximize potential.

The digitization of these trees allows us to develop connected financing options for small farms.

We are now launching tools to finance trees, provide for maintenance costs, sensors, and the Dimitra Connected Farmer App to farming organizations globally. We will offer three NFT programs:

1. Dimitra NFT Program (November 2023)
2. Dimitra Crop Certificate Loan Program (to be discussed in a future letter)
3. Dimitra Investment Fund Program (to be discussed in a future letter)

Dimitra NFT Program

Our first release in this series of programs, the Dimitra NFT program, will go live on November 15th, 2023.

Digitizing trees, farms, livestock, and other farming assets allows us to support philanthropic opportunities with digital monitoring that will allow us to measure the success of the initiative. Philanthropic organizations globally invest billions in programs to support agriculture and food generation and are seeking options to help measure success and sustainability.

Dimitra is launching a web3 platform that allows organizations to develop a farming project, collect funds from donors, and access the Dimitra Connected Farmer Application and Dimitra Marketplace for their recipients. Donors will receive automated annual reports regarding the program’s successes. Sponsorship is accessible to all, and an individual can sponsor one tree or many. Transaction fees are to be paid in $DMTR with fiat onramps so donors can provide support with a credit card.

In collaboration with one of our latest ecosystem partners in Kenya, One Million Avocados (OMA), we are currently planting 10,000 avocado trees across 100 initial farms. We have also purchased soil sensors for OMA to provide additional data to the Connected Farmer Platform, enhancing this evaluation. The first 1,000 trees will be our pilot to test digitization. And sponsorship interest preceding the development and testing of our fintech tools for digitization of loans and investments. We are working with several projects which are corporately or government sponsored to enable their selling of loan programs. For these initial projects we are working as a consortium with in-country financial institutions, government and regulatory agencies. .

The ultimate goal with One Million Avocados is to plant 1 million trees across East Africa.

We are initially offering the Dimitra NFT Program through the Dimitra portal.

We are selling Series One of the Dimitra NFTs in the following multiples:

NFTs will be released in tranches of 1,000 and 100% of the proceeds of this investment will be provided to the farmer in the following goods and services:

1. Quality seedlings and the required fertilizer to plant them on their farm.
2. Labor to assist the farmer with tree planting.
3. Windbreak trees.
4. Agronomic support from OMA to maximize the chance of success.
5. Dimitra Connected Farmer application to track the tree lifecycle and provide reporting to their supporting NFT holders.
6. Access to the Dimitra Marketplace and additional Sales and Marketing support to secure top rates for the future avocados produced.
7. Track and Trace support to meet regulatory requirements for export, allowing farmers to export their avocados, presenting improved revenue.
8. Annual IoT soil testing and analysis with tree care recommendations.
9. IoT avocado quality testing to demonstrate product quality to buyers.
10. Assistance with applying for carbon credits based on the storage of carbon by the avocado trees and cover crops.
11. Annual education regarding agricultural best practices and automated recommendations from the Connected Farmer Platform.

The extended platform will be developed as a fully automated Web3 platform that provides many digital financial instruments supported by DMTR, enabled digitally by Dimitra’s platforms, and delivered by Ecosystem partners like OMA.

Farmers Provide:

1. Land for the planting of the seedlings.
2. Ongoing care for the tree throughout its life, including ongoing fertilizer, pest and disease management based on recommendations from the Dimitra platform.
3. Quarterly photos of the tree into the Dimitra platform for image analytics and transfer to the sponsor’s portal.
4. Access to the tree so that OMA can monitor its progress and provide recommendations via the notification tool in the Dimitra system.
5. Listing the crop availability on Dimitra Marketplace to enable Dimitra and OMA sales teams to achieve the top possible revenue for avocados.
6. Logging traceability requirements in the Dimitra platform to qualify for export regulations.

Donor Risks:

1. A percentage of trees die before they are productive.
2. Many factors, such as climate, weather, pests, disease, accidental causes, lack of nutrients, lack of water, and other risks, may prevent a tree from producing or achieving its potential revenue.
3. Donors will be able to monitor their tree(s) through the Dimitra portal, seeing the farm and photos of the trees.

Opportunity:

Mature and productive trees produce up to 400 kgs of avocados annually. The global avocado market size was valued at USD 14.85 billion in 2022. And is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3% from 2023 to 2030. Increasing focus on a healthy lifestyle and a growing number of buyers for healthy food products are impelling market growth. Moreover, increasing awareness about nutritional values, and rising import demand is expected to boost industry growth.

Conclusion

Dimitra believes this program contributes significantly to supporting many SDG goals. Changing the lives of farmers with limited access to capital and technology to plant high-yield, high-ROI trees, which they may not typically invest in due to the time and revenue.

The Dimitra NFT Program opens the door for people across the world to help support marginalized farmers through crypto. Many farmers may lack the basic finances to buy inputs to bring seedlings to maturity. This model removes the burdensome interest rates of traditional markets that put farmers in precarious financial positions. The Dimitra NFT program provides a more sustainable way for farmers to finance their operations and reach their seasonal goals.

Disclaimer

*THIS IS NOT AN OFFER TO BUY OR SELL ANY SECURITY. ALL INVESTMENTS INVOLVE RISK AND MAY RESULT IN PARTIAL OR TOTAL LOSS. PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS. ANY HISTORICAL RETURNS, EXPECTED RETURNS, OR PROBABILITY PROJECTIONS MAY NOT REFLECT ACTUAL FUTURE PERFORMANCE. PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER THEIR INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, RISKS, CHARGES, AND EXPENSES AND SHOULD CONSULT WITH A TAX, LEGAL, AND/OR FINANCIAL ADVISER BEFORE MAKING ANY INVESTMENT DECISION.

Dimitra UNJA – Dimitra Incorporated, a global Agtech company on a mission to make its technology available to farmers globally, is collaborating with the University of JAMBI (UNJA). UNJA is a public university located in Jambi City, Jambi, Indonesia. Together with the district government, they have built a traceability-based beef cattle development initiative with the community of oil palm farmers by utilizing blockchain.

Building resilience by diversifying farms – Dimitra UNJA

Consequently, the rejuvenation of palm oil plantations forces farmers to wait up to 2–3 years for their plantations to become productive again. For smallholder farmers, this means no income during the waiting time. Whereas farmers who own an average of 2 hectares of oil palm plantations can usually earn as little as 3 million rupiah (US$200) per week.

Dimitra’s Indonesia Sales Partner, Ricky Tanudibrata, recalls, “Jayus and Trimanto, two village heads in the oil palm plantation area, have encouraged their villagers to diversify their livelihoods by raising cattle. It becomes an additional source of income apart from the oil palm sector. To maximize their hopes as a beef cattle-producing village, the oil palm growers are fully aware that they need training to build capacity and skills in raising cattle. Jayus and Trimanto understand that raising cattle traditionally will not make much difference.”

Dimitra and UNJA combine their wealth of knowledge and expertise in community cattle farming. Together they are conducting an intensive training program to help farmers increase yield, reduce expenses, and mitigate risk. The program will be curated specifically for cattle farms that are integrated with oil palm plantations. Firstly, Dimitra will be supplying the technology. Secondly, UNJA will be conducting the local operation and research. They will work with two villages in Tanjung Jabung Barat regency, namely Purwodadi and Sungai Muluk villages.

The role of utilizing blockchain-based traceability technology

Equally important, by using blockchain traceability technology. Every stage in the beef cattle supply chain can be recorded accurately and transparently. The data generated through this platform can provide the following detailed information:

• The origin of the cow
• Health Condition
• Nutritional Information
• Breeding Practices
• Rearing Practices

Futhermore, with this information at hand, consumers have greater visibility about the products they are buying, including:

• The environmental sustainability
• Animal welfare
• Social responsibility of the farm

In addition, blockchain traceability technology also allows for faster and more efficient tracking of problems or unexpected events. Events such as disease outbreaks or food safety cases. What’s more, data recorded in real-time through this platform allows a fast and precise response. This minimizes the negative impacts that may occur in the beef cattle supply chain. Not only will working towards sustainable data-based cattle farming improve the welfare of oil palm smallholders, but it is also positive for the environment.

The role of utilizing blockchain-based traceability technology will be focused on the following:

1. Identification (Location mapping, Soil health, Animals, Plants, Owners)
2. Governance (Land, Animals, Cages, Health) and
3. Marketing (Distribution, Price/Time/Location, etc)

Beef production in Indonesia – Dimitra UNJA

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Indonesia’s need for beef in 2022 is 736,000 tons (estimated to be more). Domestic beef production in 2022 is 450,000 tonnes. This means that domestic beef production can only meet around 60% of the total beef demand in Indonesia.

It is estimated that by 2050 in order to feed the world, raising food production by 70% will be the only way to keep up. In addition, Indonesia still imports 40% of its meat (beef and buffalo). Repairing and increasing the people’s cattle supply is something that needs to be done. For the time being, the collaboration between Dimitra and the University of JAMBI is focused on just that, enhancing the cattle industry in Indonesia and supporting diversified farming.

The University of JAMBI’s Deputy Rector and Professor, Rayandra Arsyad, says, “Through the collaboration between the Jambi University and Dimitra Inc, I hope that we can realize the integration of cattle farming with oil palm plantations based on information technology. The opportunity is real. We must be able to materialize it in an effort to improve the quality of life and welfare of smallholder cattle breeders in Jambi province.”

Dimitra PNG – Rumion Limited is a pig farming, feed crops and cattle grazing enterprise located in Papua New Guinea (PNG) with around 3,000 total acres of property and 500 acres of maize. Much like other farms in the area, Rumion Limited faces problems from pests.

The Fall Armyworm (FAW), in particular, presents unique challenges for maize farmers in the area. While they tend to be a manageable pest during the early growth stages, the larvae burrow into the whorl, a tightly wrapped and twisted group of corn leaves, as they mature — creating significant issues for pesticide distribution and effectiveness.

Rumion Limited understands the risks of FAW infestation all too well. Just a few years prior, these dangerous pests destroyed over 50% of their maize harvest.

Dimitra Incorporated is a global Agtech company focused on helping smallholder farmers, much like Rumion Limited, with technology-based solutions that leverage the latest advancements in mobile tech, machine learning, satellite and drone imagery, genomics and advanced farming research.

Alongside local and other technology partners, we worked closely with Rumion Limited to develop next-generation solutions to the FAW problem and methods that are easily adaptable for other farms.

Rumion Limited’s FAW Problem

The FAW is a moth pest noted for its taste for maize and its reputation for crop destruction. The term armyworm actually describes the large-scale infestation of crops, and for farmers across PNG, the FAW is a real nuisance — leading to reduced yields and other potential issues.

The FAW problem is not unique to PNG as it is causing damages in many regions around the world. For example, studies from Eastern Zimbabwe estimate the impact of FAW damage on maize yields at around 11.57%. Across PNG, the FAW finds the suitable tropical environment and fields of maize the perfect place to feast and grow.

Research shows that there is a limited window for effective FAW management.

Controlling FAWs at the sapling stage (10 to 15 days after seeding) is easy. But, after 35 days after seeding (DAS), the larvae enter the whorl of the crop, making it difficult to control as the larvae may not come in contact with the pesticide solution.

This presents a unique challenge for farmers. If FAW is not controlled at an early stage, they often lose the chance to manage the problem effectively.

Understanding Pesticide Use – Dimitra PNG

Understanding when the right time to spray, and the right pesticides to use, means on-the-ground analysis of crops — a task often unavailable for either practical or financial restrictions.

Other issues arise from the practice of manual spraying. Not only does manual spraying pose significant poisoning risks for operators, but spraying tall corn stalks is fairly ineffective as it fails to meet the demands for quick control over the FAW.

In order to cover the large surface area of the plant, farmers need to spray multiple times. This can lead to a few problems:

• Chemical overdose
• Damage to beneficial insects
• Water waste
• Pesticides may not even reach the insect

The challenges presented by the FAW are not unique to PNG but rather a problem wherever the pest calls home. Finding effective solutions that reduce resource use and promote sustainable practices is essential not only for managing FAW infestations but also for supporting Dimitra’s mission of empowering smallholder farmers in the area and globally.

Dimitra’s Solution

The economic threshold level (ETL) is the pest density at which farmers should consider management actions to prevent the population from reaching the economic injury level (EIL), the lowest population that will cause economic damage.

Unfortunately, not every farmer has access to the necessary tools to determine these essential levels of pest infestation — let alone the tools needed to control an infestation.

Dimitra, alongside tech partners like Mast Electrical and Telecommunication, UnCrewed Solutions and local partners Theodist, developed a FAW management system that leverages the power of drone and satellite imagery as well as comprehensive pest control software component that helps Rumion Limited better control and understand FAW infestations on their maize crops.

The innovative system works by pairing data coming from satellite imagery with local drone imagery to discover insights about infestation levels on crops. The imagery drones, in particular, easily assess FAW damage based on stages of symptoms:

• First Stage: small FAW caterpillar sightings. This includes seeing clear or window-like patches on leaves.
• Second Stage: larger FAW caterpillar sightings that usually result in irregular elongated holes. Once they enter the third instar, feeding causes ragged-edged holes.
• Third Stage: extensive leaf damage at this stage, with whorl feeding symptoms and fecal matter presence.
• Fourth Stage: larvae cause damage to the tassel and ear of the corn. Chemical control measures are not advisable at the later stages of corn growth when larvae are hiding inside the ear.

By gathering this data from the drone pilot and the farm, Rumion Limited can discover key insights into the health of crops on the ground and inform pest control practices.

Key Benefits of Drones

The drones themselves provide a few key benefits during the spraying process as well. For one, they can operate at night, when the FAW caterpillars tend to reveal themselves. They also atomize pesticides into micron-level droplets, allowing for even distribution and adhesion of chemicals to the surface of the plants at a higher coverage rate.

Additionally, the strong downdraft from the drone’s propellers assists in reducing liquid drift while increasing pesticide deposition — which is when both sides of the leaves and the central part of crops can be more precisely targeted.

This can increase the FAW’s exposure to chemicals and reduce the amount of pesticides needed, better conserving beneficial insects.

Drone operators work with strict rules. This includes avoiding spray drift to flowering crops, not spraying in the morning or the hottest part of the day and watching the weather to find the right and most effective time to spray.

Of course, drones are only part of the equation. Alongside drones are satellite imagery.

Using Satellite Data – Dimitra PNG

Dimitra uses five types of satellite indices during various stages of the crop season:

• Land surface water index (LSWI) monitors moisture levels.
• Real-edge chlorophyll vegetation index (RECI) monitors nutrient levels.
• Modified soil-adjusted vegetation Index (MSAVI) monitors crop health.
• Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is used during the starting and harvesting months and is most suitable in mid-season months.
• Normalized real edge vegetation index (NDRE) measures crop greenness, detecting the yellowing of leaves during the mid and late-stage of the crop.

With satellite data, we look at the images and can determine what exactly is happening. It’s not that easy to paint the full picture of what’s going wrong with this data alone, though. You need an agronomist on the team and on the ground to get more information. This will allow farmers to understand the problem more holistically and find the right solution faster.

These tech-driven efforts, combined with advanced machine learning and data science methods, gives Rumion Limited the tools and insights they need to better understand their FAW problems in real time and discover effective solutions for control and management.

Data-Driven Results in Precision Agriculture

With these tech-based solutions in hand, Rumion Limited is better able to identify FAW threats early and accurately. Advanced satellite and drone imagery, combined with insights from the ground, paint a comprehensive picture of crop health across the property.

With the software arm of the Dimitra solution, the Connected Farmer App, Rumion Limited can take all this information and plug it into a detailed pesticide module. The application will help farmers on the ground assess the damage based on the symptom stages listed above to determine the correct method of spraying and identify which chemicals are appropriate for that particular stage of FAW infestation and maize growth.

This helps these farmers be more judicial with how they apply pesticides. Instead of continuously pumping pesticides hoping for results, which often presents a significant financial challenge, Rumion Limited can know exactly what and where to spray.

All this allows for better real-time decision-making to take place on the ground, leading to better yields, stronger crops and a healthier environment.

“Partnering with Dimitra will enable the first use of agricultural-specific drones in fighting the FAW infestation in PNG, with the aim to reduce human exposure to chemicals and increase application efficiency.” — David Duran, General Manager, Rumion Limited

Beyond PNG: The Dimitra Mission

Rumion Limited’s FAW problems required a comprehensive approach to tech integration that addressed the unique issues of their farm. While Dimitra’s solution encompasses a use-case-driven approach to this issue, the methods and practices can apply to virtually any agricultural problem.

Part of the issue with understanding the problems on the ground is that what causes damaged crops can vary. From heat damage to nutrient issues, Dimitra’s system can help farmers across the globe better understand the health of their crops and make better management decisions.

Moreover, the data science and machine learning arm of the Rumion Limited project can extend to other farms for other purposes.

While the models trained on maize crops are great at identifying FAW issues, other models can accomplish different goals. For example, drone and satellite imagery of a fruit farm alongside custom ML models can quickly identify the age of plants as well as the number of plants in a given area.

But it’s not just crops; it’s cattle too. These systems can easily do things like determine the weight and traits of cattle through imagery alone.

What Dimitra is developing in PNG for Rumion Limited is a single use-case but proof of concept that this type of Agtech-based system is broadly applicable to all kinds of unique agricultural issues.

To learn more about Dimitra, our mission and our suite of next-generation Agtech tools, like the Connected Farmer, Livestock Guru, Connected Coffee and Deforestation applications, be sure to connect with the team today.