Input side digital platforms to serve farmers

Farmer in Sri Lankan farmland

By Indika Sriyan on Unsplash

Input side digital platforms to serve farmers
SectorMost major industry classification systems use sources of revenue as their basis for classifying companies into specific sectors, subsectors and industries. In order to group like companies based on their sustainability-related risks and opportunities, SASB created the Sustainable Industry Classification System® (SICS®) and the classification of sectors, subsectors and industries in the SDG Investor Platform is based on SICS.
Food and Beverage
Food and Agriculture
Business Model Description

Invest in or provide project financing towards farm digitization and mechanization related to supporting supply chain activities from the farm level to the market. Examples of companies active in this IOA space:

Agrithmics (Private) Limited: Established in 2015, this company is Cloud based end-to-end process Automation and Fintech solution company. It streamlines the supply chain ecosystem that caters to unique requirements of suppliers, workforces and communities in the scalability and profitable operational environment (13)

Dialog Axiata PLC: Govi Mithuru - A mobile agriculture service launched in 2015, this company provides customized and timely advice to farmers regarding land preparation, cultivation, crop protection, harvest and improved family nutrition. This service is designed to help farmers by sending the right Information at the right time, correctly tailored for their crop, location and stage of cultivation (14)

Hayleys PLC is a leading conglomerate with several plantation companies in the group. They developed a precision agriculture solution in 2019 for real-time monitoring of the weighing system at tea plantations. The integration of key data, allows the firm to make informed decisions based on accurate information and enhance yields while ensuring that each production process is monitored (15).

Expected Impact

Support farmers by providing digitization and mechanization based solutions to improve productivity and induce climate resilient farming practices.

Indicative ReturnDescribes the rate of growth an investment is expected to generate within the IOA. The indicative return is identified for the IOA by establishing its Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Return of Investment (ROI) or Gross Profit Margin (GPM).
5% - 10% (in IRR)
Investment TimeframeDescribes the time period in which the IOA will pay-back the invested resources. The estimate is based on asset expected lifetime as the IOA will start generating accumulated positive cash-flows.
Medium Term (5–10 years)
Market SizeDescribes the value of potential addressable market of the IOA. The market size is identified for the IOA by establishing the value in USD, identifying the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) or providing a numeric unit critical to the IOA.
USD 100 million - USD 1 billion
Average Ticket Size (USD)Describes the USD amount for a typical investment required in the IOA.
USD 500,000 - USD 1 million
Direct ImpactDescribes the primary SDG(s) the IOA addresses.
Zero Hunger (SDG 2) Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12)
Indirect ImpactDescribes the secondary SDG(s) the IOA addresses.
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9) Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10)
Sector Sources
  • 1) Department of Census and Statistics (2022). National Account 2015 Base. http://www.statistics.gov.lk/NationalAccounts/StaticalInformation/2015/Reports/Annual_A49/GDP_co_2010-2021 2) Central Bank of Sri Lanka (2021). Annual Report: https://www.cbsl.gov.lk/sites/default/files/cbslweb_documents/publications/annual_report/2021/en/9_Chapter_05.pdf 3) Department of Census and Statistics (2022). Quarterly Report of the Sri Lanka Labor Force Survey - Second Quarter 2021. http://www.statistics.gov.lk/LabourForce/StaticalInformation/QuarterlyReports/2ndQuarter2021 4) United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHAO and The UN Resident Coordinator's Office (RCO) (2022) Sri Lanka Food Security Crisis - Humanitarian Needs and Priorities: June – Sept 2022 https://srilanka.un.org/en/185471-sri-lanka-humanitarian-needs-and-priorities-plan 5) National Nutrition Policy of Sri Lanka(2010):https://extranet.who.int/nutrition/gina/sites/default/filesstore/LKA%202010%20Sri%20Lanka%20National%20Nutrition%20Policy-English_0.pdf 6) The Public Investment Programme (2021-2024):https://www.npd.gov.lk/images/publications/PIP_2021_2024.pdf 7) The National Agriculture Policy (2021): https://www.agrimin.gov.lk/web/images/pdf/Policy/2021.03.27%20-%20NAP/NAP%20Web%20Version%20-%2026%20March%202021.pdf 8) Department of Census and Statistics, Annual Labour Force Survey (2020): http://www.statistics.gov.lk/LabourForce/StaticalInformation/AnnualReports/2020 9) Central Bank of Sri Lanka (2020). Annual Report: https://www.cbsl.gov.lk/sites/default/files/cbslweb_documents/publications/annual_report/2020/en/6_Chapter_02.pdf 10) SRI LANKA: More than two third of Families struggle to feed themselves as Economic Crisis Wipes out Incomes Save the Children, (2022):https://www.savethechildren.net/news/sri-lanka-more-two-thirds-families-struggling-feed-themselves-economic-crisis-wipes-out-incomes 11) Sri Lanka’s Food Security in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemi, CBSL (2020):https://www.cbsl.gov.lk/sites/default/files/cbslweb_documents/publications/annual_report/2020/en/13_Box_01.pdf 12) Department of Agriculture, Sri Lanka E-agriculture Strategy (2016): https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC169703/#:~:text=The%20Sri%20Lanka%20E%2Dagriculture,agricultural%20vision%20and%20development%20objectives.
IOA Sources
  • 13) Agrithmics (Private) Limited: https://agrithmics.lk/#sec2 14) Dialog Govi Mithuru: https://www.dialog.lk/govi-mithuru/ 15) Hayleys Plantations: https://www.hayleys.com/plantations/ 16) Sustainable Development Council Website for SDG indicators: https://data.sdg.lk/access/2 17) Project appraisal document of Agriculture Sector Modernization Project (2016): https://www.agrimin.gov.lk/web/images/Project_Appraisal_Document.pdf 18) Inland Revenue Department: Income Tax rate (2022): http://www.ird.gov.lk/en/publications/SitePages/Tax_Chart_2021.aspx?menuid=1404 19) 2021 Investment Climate Statements: Sri Lanka, US Department of State: https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-investment-climate-statements/sri-lanka/