In an exclusive interaction with Sakshi Post to mark World Pulses Day, Dr. Subrat Panda, CTO-AgNext Technologies, shares some insights with Reshmi AR.

Assuring the quality and safety of pulses is crucial, and it serves as a catalyst for improving Indian agricultural and food systems. Emerging data-driven technologies, such as machine learning and spectral sciences, are combined with artificial intelligence in this sector. During a discussion, Dr. Subrat Panda (CTO of AgNext Technologies) mentioned that the company has developed this solution at a time when testing products such as pulses and other commodities is essential.

-How Manual Testing is causing errors, insufficient access to high-quality pulses, and unfair trade practices?

Manual evaluation issues include assessment errors, a lack of access to high-quality pulses, and unfair trading practices. Lack of technologies for instant and accurate assessment of food impacts every stakeholder in the agriculture value chain. Often, the procurement stage in the food value chain is where the quality is compromised. Months of labor to cultivate a product by the farmer is subjectively judged at the farm gate manually, leading to unfair price implementations ranging from 20% to 30%. Deploying such technologies at every buyer-seller intersection helps to plug this gap and ensure quality-based trade.

-How Agnext is using AI-based tools for enabling traders and farmers to assess the quality of pulses?

AgNext's AI-driven platform Qualix enables agribusinesses to make rapid procurement judgments at any time and from any location. It's a portable system with scaling possibilities that can quickly deliver testing solutions. The process, which formerly took 3-4 days to complete, can now be conducted in 60 seconds.

AgNext is bringing pulses’ quality assessment solutions on ground for the benefit of both agribusinesses and farmers. Our solution has benefited over 4 lakh pulse farmers in 12 states throughout the country, including Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra.

-The significance of pulse quality assessment and why it is beneficial?

The quality assessment reduces subjective mistakes associated with manual evaluations, which vary from person to person. However, the technology stays stable, and the results are objective and unbiased. It helps both buyers and sellers to achieve fair price realizations.

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