RADER and FARMONAUT Forge Exclusive Partnership for Africa Green Impact (AGI) Program in Central Africa & Nigeria

FARMONAUT and RADER's strategic collaboration advances tech-enabled agriculture in Central Africa and Nigeria. By leveraging innovative solutions, they pave the way for sustainable practices, driving a greener future for the region. #AgroInnovation. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) September 01, 2023 - FARMONAUT, a pioneering agri-tech company, is revolutionizing agriculture through cutting-edge technology and data-driven solutions. With a diverse range of offerings, including satellite-based crop health monitoring, precision farming techniques, blockchain traceability, and more, FARMONAUT empowers farmers across 11 countries with crucial insights into crops, soil health, and farm conditions. Through seamless access to its innovative tools via iOS, Android, and web applications, farmers can make informed decisions, optimize resources, and boost productivity while promoting sustainable practices. The impact of FARMONAUT’s solutions is far-reaching, benefiting over 160,000 farmers and successfully monitoring more than 10 million hectares of farmland. Collaborations with renowned agribusinesses like Godrej Agrovet, Coromandel International Limited, and governmental organizations such as the Government of Egypt showcase FARMONAUT's expertise in shaping the future of agriculture.

RADER, is a Cameroonian company and a Supplier of Sustainable Development Solutions in Africa and promoter of the Africa Green Impact (AGI) Program.

This partnership proposes business solutions that aim at promoting a regenerative, data-driven, and Climate-smart agropastoral production, Crop Type Mapping, Carbon Sequestration, Food Security, Carbon Sink Management, and Capacity Building in Central Africa and Nigeria.

1) FARMONAUT TECHNOLOGY OFFERINGS:

• Crop Health Monitoring System: Farmonaut's Android, iOS, and web platforms provide comprehensive crop health monitoring, covering vegetation stress, irrigation stress, soil organic carbon, elevation issues, and more. This real-time data empowers farmers to take proactive measures, ensuring crop health and maximizing yields.
• Crop Area and Yield Estimation: Farmonaut's advanced technology accurately estimates crop area and yield, aiding farmers in planning and optimizing resources effectively. This data-driven approach enhances precision farming practices. For these analyses, the system uses multi-spectrum data and extracts useful insights from different wavelengths of infrared and RGB.
• Plantation Management System: Farmonaut's plantation management solutions enable tree age estimation, tree counting, and uprooting analysis. This data-driven approach optimizes plantation management, ensuring sustainable and efficient operations.
• Carbon Footprint Estimation: Farmonaut assists in estimating carbon sequestration and generating carbon credits. By providing data on carbon footprint, farmers can actively contribute to climate change mitigation. Carbon tracking using remote sensing data provided by Farmonaut is having a minimum accuracy level of 92% or higher.

FARMONAUT's remarkable track record and successful collaborations with leading agribusinesses like RADER and governmental organizations underscore its expertise in transforming agriculture through technology and data-driven solutions. By empowering RADER affiliated farmers with crucial insights, enhancing productivity, and promoting sustainable practices, FARMONAUT plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of agriculture on a global scale. As a strategic partner for RADER AFOLU and RADER FOOD business solutions, FARMONAUT stands poised to drive agricultural innovation and pave the way for a more sustainable and prosperous future for farmers and the agricultural sector as a whole in Central Africa and Nigeria.

The agricultural and forestry sectors hold immense importance in Cameroon and Central Africa, and obtaining precise information about their distribution is essential for efficient planning and resource allocation. This proposal outlines a methodical strategy to gather on-field data, coordinate secondary data collection, provide training and capacity building, and acquire high-resolution satellite imagery. These efforts will aid in tasks such as crop-type mapping, carbon sequestration, food security management, and the development of carbon sink restoration. Additionally, the proposal emphasizes team building to enhance capacity in Central Africa. It's worth noting that Central Africa is fortunate to have access to the planet's second-largest oxygen reserve.

As for Nigeria, it represents a very important opportunity for agro-pastoral production in Central Africa, but it is necessary to organize interactions and traceability in order to reduce the risks of food insecurity and ecosystems in Central Africa.

1) GOALS
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1. Improve productivity and traceability in the agro-pastoral value chains of rural producers through technology integration.
2. Contribute to carbon sequestration and the fight against climate change by supporting sustainable practices in agriculture, forestry, and cattle breeding.
3. Enhance food security in Central Africa and Nigeria by promoting climate-smart and regenerative agro-pastoral production.
4. Facilitate the digitization of activities in the AGI program through the REMUDEV support program.
5. Strengthen the position of the Congo Basin as a vital carbon sink on our planet.

2) MILESTONES
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a. Phase 1 (Initial 6 months)

● Selection and training of RADER & GLOBTOURNET franchisees
● Mapping of farmers using the geo-tagging application of Farmonaut or by using shape/kml files or Cadestral data for farmer onboarding
● Coordinate secondary data collection and analysis.
● Conduct the first capacity-building training for on-ground staff
● Helping farmers with ground-level activities with suggested norms to make the project eligible for carbon credits and to maintain soil fertility.
● Tracking of agro-forestry and any abnormality like deforestation or animal attacks, etc.,
● Traceability solution implementation for animal pasturing for grading, eligibility, funds requirements, usage of disbursed funds, etc.
● Interlinking of data sets
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b. Phase 2 (After 6 months since the inception of the project)

● Complete the remaining ground data collection.
● Organize additional capacity-building training and workshops.
● Acquire high-resolution satellite imagery.
● Involve carbon sequestration agencies in the validation
● Carbon tracking and practices followed with documentation and ground verification reports
● Submission of reports with government agencies for final validation and carbon credit issuance
● Linking of farmers with various agencies for micro-insurance, subsidies, loan settlements, agreements, eligibility verification, etc. before the new cropping cycle.

4) INITIAL GEO-TAGGING PROCESS ON PILOT LOCATIONS, UTILIZING FARMONAUT’S APPLICATIONS
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An initial compilation of data for two months, starting on September 1, 2023 will cover 20 crops for monitoring.
Each crop will span an area of 1 hectare, encompassing 50 farms per crop for 20 crops. A total area of 1000 hectares will be monitored.
The list of the selected crops for this pilot phase is as follows : Rice, Corn, Millet, Sorghum, cassava, Irish Potato, Sweet potatoes, Cocoa, Coffee, Cotton, Plantain, Banana, yam, Oil palm, peanut, Avocado, Tomato, Brachiaria, Stylosanthes, pennicetum.

It is important to mention that RADER has signed a MoU with J.B. Boda Insurance & Reinsurance Brokers Pvt. Ltd which has partnered with FARMONAUT in other projects in India and around the World, in view of Weather Index Insurance for crops and Cattle Insurance Products.
This Weather Index Insurance will protect farmers and cattle breeders from the consequences of Drought, Excessive rainfall, cattle diseases and death as well as other climate change effects.

By guaranteeing to farmers and cattle breeders the payment of damages that could threaten their production and income, RADER improves the access of its affiliated producers to financing, facilitating the purchase of Impact products offered under the AGI program.

In addition, the transparency of migration operations towards regenerative and climate-smart agro-pastoral production will reassure climate funds, carbon credit buyers, Cameroonian banks and microfinance institutions who has expresses their interest to participate in the co-financing plan of the AGI and REMUDEV programs, resulting in more credits to actors in the agro-sylvo-pastoral value chains.

A document presenting the business solutions of our partnership has been signed and will be distributed to RADER's strategic partners.

To equip RADER's team and franchisees with a comprehensive understanding of the technology, application usage for farmer onboarding, and data interpretation, FARMONAUT will organize a technical training session.

The data collected will be shared with RADER’s international Insurance and financial partners, Cameroon Government ministries support the implementation of the AGI program, RADER’s partner banks, microfinance institutions and Insurance companies and selected farmers’ organizations.

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