For centuries, Sri Lanka has had a rich agricultural history. Dating back to the days of our kings, agriculture was considered the main economic activity and an integral part of the average Sri Lankan’s life. At present we see many of our traditions and customs are shaped around it. While there has been a drop in the agricultural contribution to the National Gross Domestic Product(GDP) over the past decades, it is still considered an important sector where over 25% of the Sri Lankan population are employed in.
According to the World Bank Group, agriculture can help reduce poverty, raise income and improve food security for 80% of the world’s poor. By improving productivity and maintaining stable prices, governments and private companies are enabling farmers alleviate poverty and feed the world’s poor; Croptronix is one such company.
Croptronix understood that the Sri Lankan agricultural market needed a solution where farmers nationwide could list their produce and maintain pricing stability on one platform. Collaborating with the FortunaCreatives team, Govipola.lk was born. Being the first of its kind, this web and mobile platform was exactly the solution Croptronix needed when they approached us with their problem. Govipola.lk would not only allow farmers in capturing potential customers’ eyes, but also help retailers buy fresh produce for reasonable prices. Better yet, to ensure price stabilization of the commodities, wholesale prices by the Statistics Department of Sri Lanka are uploaded and constantly updated.
Currently Govipola.lk services over 25,000 farmers and continues to see its reach grow as more farmers join the platform to list their produce. The mobile app has garnered more than 20,000 downloads since inception. As phase one of development is complete, the two teams are setting up the roadmap for phase two; the introduction of logistics systems and online payments through Govipola. With the platform at its finest, FortunaCreatives and Croptronix are ensuring the digitization of the agricultural industry and doing their part for the society and economy of Sri Lanka.
The European Union has already funded the crucial matching engine of the Govipola platform which enables the buyer and seller to be matched using AI and machine learning. Other investors and International bodies have expressed interest to fund this venture to enable it to disrupt the agriculture industry and also potentially reach other regional markets.
