Objectives of the service
SmartCane service supports both growers and millers, as well as large growers and smallholder farmers in improving yields against constant OPEX. Farmers often struggle to increase productivity and income, with sugarcane yields typically at only 40% of their potential. Timing of activities, and prioritization are essential to better manage all fields and allocate limited resources effectively.
SmartCane provide relevant and timely information, allowing farmers and estates to make informed decisions. Using remote sensing and machine learning, we send farmers SMS/WhatsApp messages with multi-purpose advice on crop management to boost productivity and yields. Growers managing farms of about 15ha receive weekly updates showing growth and heterogeneity to help monitor and predict growth and prioritise actions for different field areas and get push messages if urgent action is needed;. 200ha+ Estates, are offered weekly overview reports in phone-friendly PDF formats, and personalised consultancy calls, in order to optimise the use of the reports.
The solution stands out by delivering complex information in a straightforward manner, promoting sustainable agriculture. SmartCane supports clients prioritise actions and give everyone in the field access to up-to-date status information. The service includes push messages and email reports, using satellite and ground-truthing, eliminating the need for manual data entry.
SmartCane has already proven successful in a pilot project in Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique, where near real-time advice led to earlier weeding, more targeted monitoring, and better sprinkler placement.
Users and their needs
SmartCane focus on two customer groups within the sugarcane industry: growers and millers.
Growers, engaging in either small scale or large scale commercial farming activities, often lack access to agronomic knowledge and support, hampering their ability to increase production and improve livelihoods. SmartCane addresses this by providing digital extension services and remote sensing data in a clear and accessible format.
Millers on estates, on the other hand, oversee large-scale sugarcane They typically manage cane mills and productive land while also sourcing cane from other growers. The service to millers supports the sourcing of external cane, whilst the service to growers focusses on the on-improving the field operations.
Additionally, SmartCane prioritise gender responsiveness, acknowledging the significant role of women in agriculture. The products and services have been designed to reduce barriers and ensure equitable access to resources for all genders. We have our gender lenses on, when we engage wit hour clients in this male dominant industry.
Service/ system concept
SmartCane is an innovative solution that blends advanced remote sensing technology with hybrid digital-personalised extension services to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and commercial sugarcane producers. Developed by Resilience BV and first piloted with a hybrid mill-outgrower system in Mozambique, our service is designed to be accessible and easy to use.
With SmartCane, growers receive up-to-date agricultural practices and crop stress identification via SMS or Whatsapp directly to mobile phones. This real-time information helps growers to make informed decisions and improve their crop yield. For commercial sugarcane organisations, automated remote sensing reports delivered via email provide estate-wide crop stress identification and growth monitoring. These reports enable organisations to manage their fields effectively and forecast yields to maintain production efficiency.
Space Added Value
SmartCane is a remote sensing and G.I.S. based agriculture management tool that uses space assets to provide valuable information to farmers and commercial sugarcane producing organizations. The system uses satellite data from Planet, which offers higher resolution (3- and 5-meter resolution) compared to other platforms like Sentinel 1 and Sentinel 2 (10- and 20-meter resolution) to monitor crop stress, weeding, drought, and growth of sugarcane. The use of Landsat, MODIS and ERA5 (for weather data) are also being tested. In addition, it uses G.P.S. on mobile devices to delineate fields, collect reference data, and train machine learning models. The analysed data is translated into a heterogeneity index, cane growth monitoring, weeding index, yield prediction, and field anomaly classification. The system provides farmers with relevant agricultural practices and alerts via direct messaging, and commercial sugarcane companies with estate-wide crop stress identification, weeding alerts, irrigation support, and growth monitoring, allowing them to monitor and manage their fields more effectively. The combination of high-resolution data and G.I.S. provides a precise and efficient solution compared to current methods.
Current Status
SmartCane has successfully completed its kick-start phase and progressed through the demonstration phase. The outcome of the kick-start was a working prototype that has already attracted commercial interest, including estates and cooperative of growers.
SmartCane has now completed a two-year demonstration project with ESA. With a working prototype we soon found a paying customers in Mozambique. The first half of the project was used to further develop the product (improving service delivery and information feedback loops) and look for market validation in Mozambique. In the second half we expanded to Uganda, Kenya and to Tanzania, where we have completed multiple trials successfully. Kenya and Tanzania each have their own dynamics that required adjustments in service delivery; e.g. for the Kenyan market ERP functionality and tasking was added. In the meantime, we continue exploring different markets, demonstrations have been shared with farmers from Thailand, Uganda and Mexico.
Prime Contractor(s)
