Hub

About

HUB is a digital platform that collects, manages and shares data on smallholder farmers to expand their access to the agricultural value chain, by leveraging satellite data and AI. HUB’s software solutions are designed to be ‘plug and play’; they can be connected to customer’s management information systems through APIs (application program interface).  Once clients have the software, which includes mobile data collection, credit risk scoring and farmland monitoring, they can also access the remote sensing data which provides information on the crop activity of individual farms.

Capability and features

The HUB Digital Platform includes an Agri-Lending Suite which has a mobile data collection app, credit scoring system and farmland monitoring dashboard which all incorporate Harvesting’s remote sensing and AI technology to deliver actionable insight on smallholder farmers. By using the Agri-Lending Suite, lenders can expand their market to include borrowers without a credit history while improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of their lending operations.

Cooperatives and other aggregators of smallholder farmers can use different aspects of the HUB including farmland monitoring, credit assessment farmer management, training management, communication with farmers, and buyer and supplier management.

By digitizing and improving the data and farmer management capabilities of cooperatives, HUB can help cooperatives become more productive and efficient, helping to assure their sustainability as well as that of their members and other providers in the value chain.

Input manufacturers that provide credit to smallholder farmers can use HUB’s agri-lending suite, farmer management, and farmer communication features to better identify, assess and monitor customers purchasing inputs on credit. They can expand their market by cost-effectively identifying, assessing and monitoring potential customers who need financing to purchase supplies.

Progress to date

Harvesting and the HUB Digital Platform has empowered over 5,000 farmers, giving them actionable insight on crop activity and connecting them to other providers in the agriculture value chain.

Harvesting are working with CGAP (WorldBank) on a funded pilot project with Pride Uganda that resulted in the country’s first credit risk scoring system. FMO, the Dutch development bank, is helping to fund a pilot project with Maha MFI in Myanmar. ILO funded a pilot study in India. Mercy Corps Social Ventures recently became an investor to help the development and deployment of the HUB worldwide.