Suparatana Bencharongkul is the daughter of Boonchai Bencharongkul, the Thai telecom billionaire who is the Founder and Chairman of the mobile phone service provider, DTAC. Famously known by her Instagram name “Nina,” she is the main force behind the revolutionary advancements in the way agricultural activity will be carried out in Thailand in the near future. This will bring to use the most advanced technologies throughout the agricultural value chain allowing farmers and other stakeholders to improve food production.
The Impending Revolution in Agriculture
In the near future, smart farming techniques will replace traditional farming. This is expected to cause a seismic change across the agricultural landscape by bridging the gap between large and small scale producers. The revolution of the agricultural landscape is not only limited to the modern economies but developing economies are also catching up fast as they stand to gain substantially being heavily dependent on agriculture.
Technologies such as smartphones have penetrated the developing countries and are part of almost all aspects of the local lives today. In the last decade, Thailand’s economy has seen technology incorporation across most sectors. Modern tools such as smartphones, the internet of things (IoT), and artificial intelligence have made way into the agricultural landscape and led to the adoption of precise agriculture solutions. Bencharongkul is actively working to bring about an agri-tech revolution in Thailand. She has always been a staunch believer in technology and was quick to realize its useful applications in the agricultural sector. She seeks to introduce and promote precision farming techniques to boost the industry.
A Few Challenges
However, there might be a few hurdles along the way. The farming techniques currently in practice in developing countries have existed for a long time, and new ones will have to be vociferously promoted. Furthermore, farmers will need to be trained and educated in new ways to benefit from it to the full extent.
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Suparatana Bencharongkul, the chief operating officer of Rakbankerd, is surely not one to be deterred by challenges. She is clear that the incorporation of the latest technology in agriculture will reap tremendous benefits. Her company Rakbankerd is working on coming up with technology solutions to make that possible. It will lead to higher yields per acre, and substantial increases in productivity by:
- Making the use of resources such as chemicals, water, fertilizers, and fuel more efficient
- Enhancing the quality and quantity of produce
- Bringing about a reduction in the environmental footprint
- Mitigating risks to the crop
Bencharongkul is more than just a social media influencer and the child of a billionaire. She is on her way to bringing about an agricultural revolution in Thailand.
