Tamil Nadu Agri Hackathon 2022
Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission (StartupTN) functioning under the MSME Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, is organising ‘Tamil Nadu Agri Hackathon 2022’. “The Hackathon is the quest for creative solutions to the pressing challenges faced by farmers and other stakeholders in the Agriculture and Food sectors for decades,” Mr. Sivarajah Ramanathan, Mission Director and Chief Executive Officer of StartupTN, said. The Hackathon launched on November 10 is in line with the announcement in the Agriculture Budget for 2022-23.
The Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Tamil Nadu, Thiru M.R.K. Panneerselvam, in the Agri Budget 2022-23 announced that, “Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission (StartupTN), in partnership with the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, will organise a special hackathon for agriculture-related technical problems to identify Startups who can solve their problems. Such agritech Startups with commercially viable ideas will be funded with a grant of up to Rs. 10 Lakh.”
The Hackathon is aimed at coming out with innovative and scalable solutions with focus on the four key areas of concern highlighted below to benefit farmers and other stakeholders in the agriculture industry.
Mechanical palmyra tree climbing device.
Integrated or standalone Tapioca harvester and cleaner.
Efficient point of transaction testing for agricultural commodities.
Innovative solutions to extend the shelf life of food and other agri products.
The ‘Tamil Nadu Agri Hackathon 2022’ challenges innovators from all over the State from diverse domains to build solutions that can address these pressing issues of concern in contemporary agriculture. A Startup or an aspiring team (students / mainstream) with an idea, proof of concept or traction can participate in the Hackathon. For detailed problem statements and to submit your innovative products and solutions, visit www.startuptn.in. Applications should be submitted before 5 PM on November 25, 2022.
The applications will be scrutinised by a panel of experts based on the merits of the innovation in terms of desirability, feasibility, and viability. Shortlisted Startups will participate in a boot camp before presenting the best innovative products and solutions on stage in the last week of January 2023. The winning solutions will receive the funding, support, mentorship and facilities required from StartupTN, Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and other Government agencies concerned to implement and scale.
Problem statement
Mechanical Palmyra Tree Climbing Device
Palmyra, Tamil Nadu’s State tree, has a lot to offer from its root to shoot throughout its lifecycle. Realising the importance of the tree, the Government is taking measures to save the tree and helping farmers realise the importance of this no-cost-for-maintenance tree and reap its benefits by directly selling the produce and through value addition. Palmyra climbers rely on locally developed tools and techniques to ascend trees. They have opted for alternative jobs for this tiring and dangerous task. StartupTN is looking for mechanical Palmyra tree climbers which can solve the problem for local conditions.
Integrated or Standalone Tapioca Harvester and Cleaner
Sago, produced from Tapioca, is a staple food in many States in India. Tamil Nadu is a major producer of Tapioca and Sago. Manual harvesting, cleaning and peeling of Tapioca are tedious, labour intensive, resource – consuming and expensive. Soil characteristics, bond with the tubers, nature and size of tubers, depth and width of the cluster were constraints that affected earlier attempts at mechanisation. Drop in labour availability is adding to the woes of this industry. StartupTN is looking for cost effective methods or solutions for Tapioca farmers and sago producers.
Efficient Point of Transaction Testing for Agricultural Commodities
Assessing the quality of farm produce the old fashioned way and using ad-hoc methods are time consuming and highly subjective. Almost all the difficulties associated with buying and selling agricultural products can be traced back to lack of trust between the parties involved over the quality of the products. StartupTN is looking for cutting edge point of transaction scientific testing methods and solutions for agriculture and food commodities.
Innovative Solutions to Extend the Shelf Life of Food and Agri Products
It is crucial to extend the storage life of agricultural products as they continue to emit stored oxygen and energy even long after harvest. StartupTN is looking for technologies that can extend the shelf life of a wide range of perishable foods and cut down on waste.
Timeline
Hackathon Launch: 10th November 2022
Extended Last Date to Submit Applications: 1st December 2022
Boot Camp: First Week of December 2022
Showcasing Best Solutions: Second week of December 2022