SatSure creates visualisation to reduce the risk of food shortages in the wake of COVID-19

The impacts of COVID-19 have been felt right across India’s agricultural sector, creating concerns about food shortages. According to SatSure—an expert in satellite remote sensing and big data analytics—one of the key issues has been disruption to normal supply chains. With local markets, transport companies, and warehouses shut down, farmers are forced to find alternative ways to get food to buyers.

SatSure has stepped up to help alongside three other companies: Numer8, KrishiHub, and ThinkAg. Together, they have created a non-commercial map which helps to connect different players in India’s agricultural supply chain. These include farmers and buyers as well as logistics, storage, and agri-machinery companies across the country.

Data for the map, referred to as the Essential Supplies Exchange is collected from public agencies and also crowd-sourced using a simple Google Form where people can register their supplies or services. The data is then plotted on the map and made searchable using Tableau.

Using this visualization allows farmers, traders, and consumers to easily find and connect with those who can transport, store, or help to process or sell their goods. A recent example of this was a tomato farmer who was able to find a driver to transport 50 tonnes of tomatoes to a buyer in a nearby city and a family in Vile Parle who were delivered fresh sea fish at midnight by connecting over the platform. Without the Essential Supplies Exchange, these food items might have otherwise gone to waste.

Sarvesh Kurane, AVP, Value Engineering from SatSure says that while the map is important in connecting the supply chain, it can also be useful in informing the government’s response to the crisis and the relief packages provided by banks. “The Essential Supplies Exchange is the only resource out there that provides all of this information in one place and it can be really valuable in ensuring that the sector is able to move goods to the right place. Once we start to overlay details like which crops will be harvested next, the map will also help with forward planning.”