Bayer partners with Superplum to build a Sustainable Crop Protection Model for digital supply chain Management in India

Bayer has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Superplum India, an agri tech startup working on building a digital traceable supply chain from farm to customer.

The partnership aims to implement sustainable crop protection models for fruit growers in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka and other regions on a seasonal basis. For more than three years, the program has benefited 15,000 smallholder farmers in India by delivering financial benefits to stakeholders.

As part of the partnership, Bayer will support domestic and export compliance in India and implement product programs to ensure improved product quality and crop productivity to help farmers achieve income growth. Bayer will also focus on developing a portfolio of crop protection products for fruit crops and training farmers to use them. To make it easier to track progress, farmers will be given passes to record ongoing crop management practices. Superplum provides complete traceability for consumers through scannable QR codes and integrates farmers' information into its own supply chain.

Commenting on the partnership, D. Narain, President of Bayer South Asia and head of Global Smallholder operations, said: "Nutrition security and food security are global priorities for a growing population. To this end, Bayer has launched the Global Nutrition Supplement Initiative, which aims to reach 50 million people with essential nutrition by 2030. To achieve this at scale, however, requires a collaborative ecosystem. To further advance this important agenda, we are partnering with Superplum to help farmers increase their incomes and deliver healthy products to the end consumer by sustainably connecting to the market.

Shobhit Gupta, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Superplum, said, "The focus of the partnership is to improve consumers' choice of fresh produce by providing fully traceable and MRL-tested alternatives. With a modern supply chain, we provide full traceability for consumers. With Superplum's joint efforts and technology priorities in this area, complete transparency is available to consumers and farmers. Improved post-harvest technologies and digitally managed supply chains will help reduce waste and increase farmers' incomes."

Superplum's partnership with Bayer CropScience will help guide farmers in improving fruit quality and advising them on how to improve crop yields, as well as ensuring the proper implementation of plant protection management practices established by Bayer. Superplum applies science and technology to extend the shelf life of fruits through a unique variety of methods. The crisper driven by the Internet of Things is a cold chain transportation system that can transport fruits under remote monitoring without expensive temperature control transportation, helping to reduce waste and extend the shelf life of agricultural products.