Digitalization has affected all business areas in Russia and become an inevitable and compulsory process to keep up with the world. At the same time, Russian agricultural sector remains among most conservative ones to innovations and requires an additional impulse to launch digitalization process in the field. Less than 10% of agricultural enterprises are using digital technologies at present and the vast majority of them are large players. The farmers are left overboard. However, the potential of development is huge.

Two main limitations revealed:

1. Absence of legislation regarding agritourism in Russia despite the fact it is to be considered as a key driver for agriculture;

2. New system of state document verification for farming supply chains that has decreased document fabrication but drastically complicated supply procedure and terms.

The budget for ecosystem creation (financial services, analytics and customization excluded) was about USD 10, 5 million.

Preliminary studies:

- research of over 90 focus groups with Russian farmers;

- study of more than 100 agricultural service solutions worldwide;

- analysis of 6 business models of world leading marketplaces;

- interviewing of 120 agricultural companies

Insights: the farmers are open to digitalization, but they need for support and consulting, crave a one-stop channel for all the corresponding services to run business.

Purposes:

- create a free digital ecosystem with Farming-as-a-Service functionality;

- provide farmers with proper expertise, tools and services with one-stop availability;

- expand a role of agriculture-focused governmental bank by increasing sales of banking products, create new ones for agricultural SMEs;

- connect farmers with service providers within a single commercial space;

- support a national strategy of agriculture development.

The product has been developed and adapted jointly with farmer focus groups (feedback and insights since prototyping till now). Regular updates will be carried on.

Outcomes as of March 2021:

- 100 000 unique users since product launch;

- 400 000 products and goods at the marketplace;

- 10 000 job positions in agriculture;

- 5 000 ecosystem partners and service providers;

- 1000 daily unique users;

- 50 research universities as advisors

- 30 services (including 7 unique ones) available.

Expectations till the end of 2021:

- 250 000 unique users in total;

- 1 000 000 products and goods at the marketplace;

- 10 000 partners and service providers within the ecosystem;

- 5 000 daily unique users;

- 35 services available

Expectations till the end of 2023:

- 580 000 unique users;

- 20 000 daily active users;

- 50+ services available

- 5 used services per client in average;

- Leading digital platform for agricultural business in Russia

“My Farming” provides rapid and easy access for farmers to products, services and business solutions available at the single digital platform on one-stop basis. The farmer creates an account at the platform (both desktop and mobile version is available), bears an identification process and after successful approval can use a full scope of ecosystem opportunities free of charge, that Include but are not limited to:

1. Marketplace for agricultural products and services: connects quality buyers with credible suppliers in agricultural sector.

2. Agrarian services: help farmers to manage farmers’ business digitally.

• Remote veterinary services

• Organic product certification service

• Selection of seed

• Smart farming and others

3. Business support services:

• Recruitment

• Bookkeeping

• Legal support services

• Navigator in agricultural state aid programs and others

4. Access to personalized financial services provided by the Bank: credits, leasing, bank accounts, etc.

5. Advisory services provided by research agricultural institutes;

6. Farm product marketing App – an additional sales channel;

The project had three main stages of development before achieving on-the-run update exploitation:

1. Pilot version for testing and trial;

2. First release with primary services and marketplace available;

3. Second release fully equipped with secondary services