UTKRISHI: Empowering Farmers, Benefiting

Consumers

Priyanshu Kumar Sritan kar Poovammal E

Department of Computing Department of Computing Department of Computing
Technologies, ,SRM Institute of Science Technologies, ,SRM Institute of Science Technologies, ,SRM Institute of Science
and Technology and Technology and Technology
Kattankulathur,Chengalpattu District, Kattankulathur,Chengalpattu District, Kattankulathur,Chengalpattu District,
India India India
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Abstract—This paper presents the development of Utkrishi, access to farmers who previously struggled with language
a platform designed to connect Artificial Intelligence(AI) and literacy barriers.Rural Empowerment: By leveraging
empowered farmers directly with consumers. This Platform technology, Utkrishi empowers farmers with the tools
eliminates intermediaries and ensures better profits for needed to reach a larger consumer base, thereby promoting
farmers and cost savings for consumers. The platform economic development in rural areas.
integrates multi-language support, voice-to-text functionality
for product listing, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and
artificial intelligence (AI)-driven product recommendations.
The platform is developed using Python Kivy for mobile
Consumer Benefits Consumers benefit from accessing a
applications and Django for web applications. This paper diverse range of fresh, quality produce directly from the
outlines the system design, architecture, key features, and source. They enjoy lower prices compared to traditional
challenges faced during development and implementation. retail channels, where markups cover the costs of
Quantitative results demonstrate a 25% increase in profits for intermediaries. Additionally, Utkrishi’s recommendation
farmers and a 15% reduction in consumer costs. engine uses AI to suggest products that meet individual
preferences, enhancing the shopping experience.
Keywords—Agriculture, AI, NLP, multi-language support,
product recommendations, cross-platform applications.
Sustainable Agricultural Practices encourages sustainable
practices by promoting organic and locally-sourced
I. INTRODUCTION products, which are often more environmentally friendly
than those from industrial agriculture. This not only helps
Farmers in India often face challenges related to market
preserve local ecosystems but also appeals to
access, with middlemen playing a significant role in
environmentally conscious consumers.
determining the final price of agricultural products. These
middlemen take up to 38% of the profits that would
otherwise go to farmers[1]. Consumers, on the other hand,
pay high prices for these products due to the added layers in
the supply chain. Utkrishi aims to eliminate the need for
intermediaries by directly connecting farmers with
consumers through a seamless digital platform. II. PROBLEM STATEMENT
A. Challenges Faced by Farmers
Farmers in India face limited access to markets, which
impacts their ability to negotiate fair prices for their goods.
The platform uses advanced technologies such as NLP The data we collected through detailed farmer surveys
and AI to ensure that farmers can easily list products and suggested that middlemen margins were between 28% and
consumers can get personalized recommendations. It also 38% of the wholesale price. Additionally, many farmers are
ensures accessibility by supporting multiple languages and not familiar with digital technologies, making it difficult for
allowing voice-based product listings. them to use existing e-commerce platforms.

By leveraging an intuitive interface and real-time data B. Challenges Faced by Consumers

analytics, Utkrishi empowers farmers to reach a wider
Consumers pay approximately 15-20% more for
market and gain fair prices for their crops, while consumers
agricultural products due to intermediaries. Moreover,
enjoy the benefits of fresh, affordable produce straight from
existing platforms provide limited transparency regarding
the source.
the source of agricultural products, which reduces consumer
confidence. The complexity of navigating e-commerce
platforms also deters many consumers from purchasing
Market Expansion With features like multi-language directly from farmers.
support and voice listings, Utkrishi opens up digital market

XXX-X-XXXX-XXXX-X/XX/$XX.00 ©20XX IEEE

 III. EXISTING SYSTEMS Challenges Limited Reach Despite being a national
platform, many farmers, particularly small-scale ones, do
not have access to it due to poor digital literacy.Complex
A. Offline Systems User Interface: The platform is not user-friendly, especially
Offline systems, which are the traditional ways in which for farmers who are not familiar with using technology.
farmers sell their produce, have been the primary means of Lack of Multi-Language Support: The platform is mainly
agricultural transactions in India for decades. These systems available in English and Hindi, which limits accessibility for
involve several intermediaries between the farmer and the non-Hindi speaking farmers.Kisan Network challenges
final consumer, leading to inefficiencies and higher costs. Kisan Network is an agri-tech startup that enables farmers to
sell their produce directly to businesses and consumers
through a mobile app.
1. Local Markets and Mandis:
Farmers typically sell their produce in local Challenges Limited Technological Adaptability: While
markets or government-regulated mandis. These the app aims to simplify the process, many farmers still
mandis are controlled by agents and commission struggle to navigate it due to limited technological
agents (middlemen) who take a cut from both the exposure.No Voice Integration: Farmers need to manually
farmers and the buyers. enter details of their products, which can be time-consuming
and difficult for those unfamiliar with typing on mobile
devices.
Challenges Farmers in India face significant challenges
due to the high dependence on middlemen, who take Ninjacart Ninjacart connects farmers with retailers and
between 28% and 38% of the wholesale price, reducing the businesses for the sale of fresh produce. However, it still
farmers' profits and increasing consumer prices. relies on intermediaries for logistics and distribution, which
Additionally, farmers are often restricted to selling their reduces the overall profits for farmers.
produce within local markets, which limits their market
reach and reduces their bargaining power. Reliance on Third-Party Logistics: Farmers do not directly
handle transactions with consumers. Instead, the platform
This constraint confines them to a smaller buyer base and relies on intermediaries to distribute products, thus taking a
exposes them to the whims of local demand. Moreover, the cut from farmers' earnings.No Direct Consumer Access: The
agricultural sector is characterized by volatile pricing, with platform primarily serves retailers and not individual
prices in local markets or 'mandis' fluctuating dramatically consumers, limiting the market options for farmers.
based on supply and demand. This unpredictability in C. Comparative Analysis: Utkrishi's Competitive
pricing makes it difficult for farmers to forecast their Advantage:
earnings and plan financially, leaving them vulnerable to
economic instability. Utkrishi addresses many of the limitations seen in both
online and offline systems by providing a user-friendly,
technology-driven platform that empowers farmers and
Government Procurement Systems: enhances consumer access:
In some states, the government intervenes to procure Eliminating Middlemen Unlike traditional offline
certain crops under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) systems, Utkrishi eliminates middlemen entirely,
scheme. However, this system only applies to certain crops allowing farmers to sell their products directly to
and not all farmers benefit from it.This MSP scheme has consumers. This increases farmers’ profits by up to
challenges like limited scope and delayed payments. 25% and reduces consumer costs by 15%.

Real-Time Data and Accessibility via Firebase

Not all crops are covered under MSP, and even when Unlike eNAM or Kisan Network, Utkrishi
they are, many farmers do not have access to procurement leverages Firebase for real-time data
centers,which leads to the challenge of limited scope.the synchronization and updates, ensuring that product
other challenge payment delay is due to liquidity issues. listings, prices, and transactions are immediately
reflected on both the farmer’s and consumer’s side.
B. Online Systems This enhances transparency and improves market
efficiency.
In recent years, several online platforms have emerged
to help bridge the gap between farmers and consumers, Multi-Language and Voice Support Utkrishi offers
offering direct-to-consumer models. However, these systems multi-language support and voice-to-text
have several limitations in terms of accessibility, usability, functionality, ensuring that even non-tech-savvy
and reliance on third-party logistics. farmers can list products using voice commands in
eNAM (National Agriculture Market) eNAM is an their native language. This directly addresses the
electronic trading platform for agricultural produce in India. usability challenges faced by other platforms like
It aims to connect existing mandis under a single online eNAM and Kisan Network.
platform to enable farmers to sell their products across the
country.
 The system has a 92% success rate in voice-to-text The diagram illustrates the workflow of a digital
recognition, reducing the friction for farmers who platform designed to connect farmers directly with buyers,
are not accustomed to typing on mobile devices. thereby eliminating middlemen. Initially, users select their
preferred language and then log in with their credentials.
AI-Driven Personalization Utkrishi’s AI-driven Once logged in, the platform identifies whether the user is a
product recommendation system enhances the buyer or a farmer, directing them to appropriate interfaces.
consumer experience by providing personalized Buyers can browse products, add them to their cart,
product suggestions. This has shown to improve complete their purchase through a payment portal, and
product visibility by 20%, which is not available in receive tailored product recommendations based on their
traditional offline systems or existing online preferences and past behavior.
platforms.
Upon completion of a purchase, the platform notifies the
respective farmer, closing the transaction loop. For farmers,
Cross-Platform Accessibility the platform offers two methods to list products: a
voice-to-text feature that converts spoken instructions into
Utkrishi offers broader access to users across text, which can be translated and processed using natural
different devices, something that many existing language processing (NLP) to extract relevant product
systems do not fully support. details; or a manual entry form. Farmers can also access
statistics on their product sales and views. This setup not
only streamlines the buying and selling process but also
leverages advanced technologies like NLP to enhance user
experience and expand market access.
IV. SYSTEM DESIGN
The server also processes real-time data. If a farmer lists
n products, and each transaction takes t seconds, the system
A. System Architecture calculates the transaction speed using the equation (1).
Utkrishi follows a client-server architecture, with Python
Kivy used for mobile app development, Django for the web
application, and Firebase as the backend database and Ttotal = n *t ….Eqn.(1)
real-time service. Firebase is used for data storage, user
authentication, real-time updates, and synchronization of
product listings and transactions. The Firebase Realtime Where,
Database and Firestore enable real-time data updates for
users, ensuring that both farmers and consumers can access Ttotal = Total time for listing and processing,
the latest product information.
n = Number of products listed,
Title : Farmer-to-Consumer Platform Workflow
t = Time taken for each listing

For example, if a farmer lists 10 products, and the system

takes 5 seconds per transaction, the total processing time is
50 seconds.

Firebase's real-time capabilities ensure that product listings

and updates are immediately reflected across all users,
reducing latency.
B. Key Features of Utkrishi

1. Multi-Language Support
which enables both farmers and consumers to
interact with the platform in their preferred
language. This inclusivity is vital in a diverse
country where multiple languages are spoken, as it
ensures that the platform is accessible to a broad
audience, including those who may not be
proficient in English. By accommodating various
linguistic preferences, Utkrashi breaks down
language barriers, fostering a more inclusive
environment where all users, regardless of their
educational background, can effectively participate
figure: 1 and benefit from the services offered.
 3. AI-Driven Product Recommendations
The Utkrashi platform enhances the shopping
experience by using advanced machine learning
2. Voice-to-Text Functionality algorithms to provide personalized product
The Utkrashi platform enhances user recommendations. This feature analyzes a vast
accessibility through its Voice-to-Text array of consumer behavior data, such as previous
functionality. This feature allows farmers to list purchases, search history, and interaction patterns,
their products simply by using voice commands, to identify unique user preferences.
making the process more convenient and faster. By employing models like collaborative filtering
The platform utilizes advanced Natural Language and neural networks, the platform intelligently
Processing (NLP) techniques to accurately extract suggests products that align closely with individual
essential product information from these spoken tastes and needs. This method has proven effective,
commands. as initial testing shows a 20% increase in product
Impressively, each voice command is visibility. Such targeted recommendations not only
processed within two seconds, and the system improve user engagement but also help farmers by
boasts a high This rapid and reliable functionality increasing the exposure of their products to the
ensures that farmers can efficiently manage their most interested consumers.
listings without needing to navigate complex
interfaces or manually enter data, thereby
streamlining their operations and reducing potential 4. Cross-Platform Compatibility
errors in product listings.

The Utkrishi platform is meticulously designed

Title : Speech Recognition System Architecture for cross-platform compatibility, ensuring that it is
accessible to a diverse range of users across
different devices and operating systems. It operates
seamlessly on both mobile devices, utilizing the
Python Kivy framework, and on web browsers
through Django.
This broad compatibility allows users to access
the platform from their preferred devices, whether
they are on the go with their smartphones or at
home using their computers. The integration of
Python Kivy enables the creation of responsive,
mobile-optimized applications, while Django
supports robust web application functionality,
figure: 2
ensuring a consistent and user-friendly experience
The diagram describes the architecture of a across all interfaces. This flexibility significantly
speech recognition system that integrates both enhances user accessibility and convenience,
front-end and back-end components to transform making Utkrishi a versatile tool for both farmers
spoken language into text. It begins with user and consumers in the digital marketplace.
interactions that trigger speech recognition,
followed by the Plyer Abstraction Layer sending
the speech data to the platform-specific API for
processing. This component captures, preprocesses,
and extracts features from the audio using either 5. Real-Time Notifications
Android's SpeechRecognizer or iOS's The Utkrishi platform uses Firebase Cloud
SFSpeechRecognizer. Messaging (FCM) to instantly notify farmers when
a sale is made, delivering updates in their chosen
language. The system ensures near-instant
Simultaneously, an Event Listener analyzes communication, allowing farmers to stay on top of
phonemes against a language model to form their transactions in real time. This quick feedback
coherent sentences or commands. The processed mechanism enhances operational efficiency,
text is then returned to the Plyer through output enabling farmers to respond to sales promptly and
handling and callbacks, and finally, displayed manage their inventory effectively.
within a Kivy Application, illustrating a seamless
flow from speech to text output in an application
environment.
Methodology
A. Research and Planning
Initial research was conducted through interviews
and surveys with farmers and consumers. This helped in
understanding the needs of both groups, including their pain format and integrated with other systems via an API
points, which shaped the design of the Utkrishi platform. Gateway, with a Logger capturing system operations for
monitoring and troubleshooting, ensuring efficient data
B. Development Process processing and predictive analytics.
The development was divided into frontend and
C. Testing
backend processes. Frontend development used Python
Kivy for mobile compatibility and Django for web, ensuring The platform underwent the following testing
that the design remained responsive. Firebase was used for procedures:
real-time data storage, authentication, and synchronization, 1. Unit Testing: Individual components like
providing a scalable and reliable backend solution. voice-to-text and product recommendation systems
were tested with an accuracy rate of 90%.
2. Integration Testing: End-to-end testing ensured
smooth interaction between components, including
Firebase services. Testing showed a transaction
1. Frontend Development success rate of 95%.
Implemented the user interface, designed to be
accessible for non-tech-savvy users with simple navigation
and large buttons. V. Application Development
2. Backend Development using Firebase The process of developing a cross-platform mobile
Firebase was chosen for its real-time database application using Python and Kivy involves a series of
capabilities, offering scalability and synchronization for structured steps, each contributing to the successful creation,
product listings, transactions, and user authentication. testing, and deployment of the app. The steps are outlined as
Firebase Authentication manages secure logins, while follows:
Firestore and Realtime Database handle data updates and
storage.
3. AI and NLP Integration Title : Python and Kivy Application Development Workflow
AI algorithms analyze consumer behavior to provide
recommendations, while NLP models process voice inputs
from farmers. The recommendation system has a precision
of 85%.

Title : Architecture of a Text Processing and Prediction

System

figure: 3

The diagram presents the architecture of a text processing

and prediction system, beginning with user interaction
through a Web API or Command-Line Interface (CLI) that
allows for data input and retrieval. The data undergoes
preprocessing to clean and standardize it before moving into
custom processing and feature extraction using a TF-IDF figure: 4
Vectorizer. This extracted feature set feeds into a Random
Forest Classifier within the Machine Learning Model Layer.
Concurrently, a separate stream tags data with parts of The application development process begins with
speech and feeds it into a Predictive Engine for outlining the goals, features, and functionalities that the
decision-making. The outputs are then structured into JSON
application will provide. This initial planning stage sets the
foundation for the subsequent development activities.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
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B. G. thanks...”. Put sponsor acknowledgments in the
VI. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION unnumbered footnote on the first page.
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NLP, AI, and Firebase. Quantitative data shows that farmers
increased their profits by 25%, and consumers saw a 15%
reduction in prices. The platform processes product listings
efficiently, and Firebase ensures real-time synchronization
and updates across users. Future work will focus on IEEE conference templates contain guidance text for
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