Amazon tries to crack India’s produce market by wooing farmers

A farmer harvests maize in a field on the outskirts of Bangalore. Amazon is the latest corporate giant hoping to tap the world’s largest annual harvest of fruit and vegetables after China’s. — AFP

Amazon.com Inc is taking the first steps toward cracking India’s outmoded agricultural sector, hoping to secure the farm produce that yields two-thirds of the country’s US$1 trillion (RM4.15 trillion) in annual retail spending.

The Seattle-headquartered giant has begun offering real-time advice and information through a dedicated mobile app to help farmers make decisions on crops and even deploy machine learning technology. The programme – which Amazon dubs Reactive and Proactive Crop plans – promises to provide growers with cutting-edge technology and insights.