Abstract:
"The Sri Lankan paddy industry, which relies on over 1.8 million farmer households, has faced
considerable issues. The yearly reduction in paddy yields of 30% has resulted in a large increase in rice retail prices, affecting farmers' profitability even more. While the Sri Lankan government repealed the prohibition on chemical fertilizers in 2022, farmers continue to confront challenges as the cost of fuel, fertilizers, and other agricultural necessities rises. Farmers are losing money as a result, and their standard of living has declined, affecting the country's economy. To secure a sustainable income for farmers and their communities, it is critical to investigate alternate techniques to overcome these obstacles and promote agricultural growth.
The objective of the study is to help farmers market their products more effectively, boosting their profits. The technology will address inefficiencies in supply chain management, which lead to farmer losses and low crop prices. The project will create, test, and evaluate a prototype to help in the sale of rice and other agricultural products. Finally, the digital platform will improve Sri Lankan farmers' market access, lowering the impact of growing input prices on their profitability and raising their standard of life.
The proposed technology, Paddy Buddy, has the ability to minimize inefficiencies in the rice
sector. This is a farmer-friendly system that allows farmers to manage the progress of crops, communicate with specialists, connect directly with customers, bypassing intermediaries, and get more information for their farming operations."
