Bayer partners with WayCool to deliver optimal solutions to smallholder farmers

MUMBAI, 27 February 2023: Bayer, a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of agriculture and healthcare, has entered a Memorandum of Understanding with WayCool, one of India's largest Food and Agritech companies, as a strategic partner to deliver end-to-end holistic solutions to smallholder farmers in India.

The strategic collaboration aims to provide Indian farmers with access to premium products and solutions via a unified platform and personalized advice, with the goal of establishing and implementing a sustainable crop production model. Through Bayer's Better Life Farming Centers and Farmer Producer Organisations, smallholder farmers will be able to access timely crop advisory, transfer of good agricultural practices and WayCool's full stack services.

Bayer and WayCool have identified three key focus areas to support the farming community in India through their strategic collaboration.

The first is a phydigital platform that offers one-stop solutions, the second is the economic benefits derived from the Food Value Chain partnership, and the third is the use of Bayer's Better Life Farming Centers and Farmer Producer Organisations.

WayCool's farmer engagement business arm, "Outgrow," will leverage a digital application to provide farmers with solutions and services, while the on-ground network will be mobilized through WayCool's Outgrow Network Partners across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, as well as Bayer's Better Life Farming Centers across the country. Further, WayCool will provide market linkages to help smallholder farmers get better prices for their produce.

Speaking on the partnership, Simon-Thorsten Wiebusch, Country Divisional Head - Crop Science Division of Bayer for India, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka, said, “Digitization of the complete value chain is a key enabler of advancing agriculture in India and a primary goal of the Crop Science Division at Bayer. To be able to offer these services to an expanded smallholder farmer base across the country and delivering greater value to them through a capable partner like WayCool will only bring us a step closer to this critical objective.”

Commenting on the MoU, Sanjay Dasari, Co-founder, WayCool, said, "As India progresses towards climate-smart agriculture, and achieving food security, the problem of rising temperatures and pest infestation is a significant challenge for farmers today in crop cultivation. This often leads to a loss in yield and productivity. Recognizing this pain point, we are extremely happy to partner with Bayer and aid the Indian farming community in this fight. Together we hope to support the creation of efficient and climate resistant food ecosystems, in line with our vision to transform the food-supply chain from farm to fork."