In a memo, the head of the Digital Economy Development Commission has explained the reasons for the migration of startups in the field of smart agriculture and the reasons for the failure of these companies in Iran
According to the IDEA, public relations report of the computer trade union organization of Tehran province reported that Hamid Behnegar, the head of the Digital Economy Development Commission, has written in a note, referring to the great crisis in Iran’s agriculture: “Food security is one of the most important concerns of the people and rulers in Iran and all countries of the world.”
Food security is so important for some countries that they consider it synonymous with national security and consider threats against it as threats against their national security.
This degree of importance of the issue along with climate change, the effects of embargo on agricultural technologies and machinery, the increase in population and the reduction of the area under cultivation and the big water problem, has caused technological and creative companies to discover business opportunities and to this Step into the blue ocean.
Production of various software and hardware systems in different fields, greenhouse, poultry, livestock, bee, farm, garden, distribution and value chain, recycling, etc., using emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, Internet of Things, Working and flying robots and very attractive and practical application machines have been developed in Iranian startups.
But soon the created opportunity turned into a threat and the high wave of migration of these companies rose to the sky. On the one hand, these companies cannot achieve the desired success inside the country, and on the other hand, other countries accept them with open arms and very quickly.
But what is the most important factor of lack of success in Iran for companies and startups in the field of agriculture? Many of the smart agriculture experts and entrepreneurs consulted for this note consider the following factors to be the main causes of corporate failure and rapid migration, in order of importance:
The impossibility of easy expansion: In the definition of a startup, the condition of scalability (Scaleup) is one of the basic principles, and the condition for the success of a startup is its rapid and universal development. A possibility that is either greatly weakened in Iran or its hope has been completely lost. Internet restrictions and lack of connection to social and networking platforms, sanctions, lack of a national road map and the like have made global scalability impossible or very unattainable.
Team: The driving engine of companies and the main capital of startups are their experts and managers. With multiple and damaging migrations, startups lose key people quickly, and because they are small or nascent, it becomes difficult or impossible for them to recover.
Agricultural Jahad: As the custodian of agriculture and defender of food security in the country, it does not fulfill its role properly and in the best and most optimistic state, it has a slow, non-targeted and traditional performance.
Presidential Scientific Vice-President: In practice, this vice-president should create facilities for smart and start-up companies as a support umbrella, facilities that these companies do not have access to for various reasons, but in practice it is not able to facilitate this.
The scientific assistant must be a responsible and compassionate catalyst to increase the share of knowledge from production in the country. But this deputy has actually served big companies and their inefficient policies, which are an obstacle to the development of smart agricultural companies.
To the extent that, in addition to the many problems of the market, production, and human resources, etc., a rich and big competitor called the Scientific Vice-Chancellor is also expanding in the field of intelligent agricultural knowledge-based companies.
Difficult and cumbersome internal laws and regulations of governments: to all the mentioned cases, common problems of knowledge-based companies and startups can be added. Among the inherent problems of business in Iran, such as laws that are not compatible with the current conditions, insurance, taxes, decisions of the people of the day, the lack of a big road map and mid-term and long-term plans, etc.
Maybe there is an unwritten custom in the country that startup companies are not able to solve big problems and big companies are the motivation for it! It is easier to trust large and sometimes government-affiliated companies, and as a result, decision-makers prefer conservatism.
Easy and fast hunting of smart agriculture by regional and extra-regional competitors: talent scouts and technology investors in the world know very well that when a company or startup is active in the field of smart agriculture, due to its multifaceted nature, such as working with living organisms, working in Different climates, production of products in unusual environments (too cold, too hot, too fast decision-making, etc.) can provide food security for his country.
At the same time, they will raise the price of food and variety and gain an attractive competitive factor in today’s multi-layered and complex economy. On the other hand, these companies or startups can easily and quickly reproduce the knowledge produced or gathered in this industry in other industries, and at the same time, it becomes very easy for them to access competitive business opportunities in mining, industry, transportation and health.
Therefore, by attracting a knowledge-based agricultural intelligence company, they have acquired several capabilities together, and this hunt will be attractive and extremely economical.
There is no short-term and immediate solution to solve the mentioned problems. But today, decision-makers can create a turning point in the migration process of smart agriculture companies; At first, slow it down and then reverse migration. In this context, it will be necessary to pay attention to the following issues:
Paying attention to Iran’s ecological conditions as an opportunity: the existence of a high diversity of livestock species and different climates makes the initial phase of knowledge-based product production easy for smart agricultural companies. At different times of snowfall and temperatures above 50 degrees, both the desert and the coastal and humid areas, it is a unique opportunity for smart agriculture to be able to make the duration of its pilot period short and cheap.
The form of Iran’s economy: Agriculture is the country’s foundation. The number of farmers or related industries in the country is large and diverse, and this will be a unique opportunity for the creativity of technologists to grow.
Young and well-minded society: talented, motivated and capable human resources who are still willing to stay in the country and fight for solutions despite all the problems.
Water crisis and climate: The water crisis in our country is serious and has worried farmers and food producers. This mostly traditional group was less willing to invest with water for the development of technology, but in the current situation, they have fully understood the crisis and are ready to participate and invest and enter emerging fields. For technologists, this is an exceptional opportunity.
Leaving the private sector to the private sector: Governments have shown over the years that they are not good executors. It has also made their multi-layered and large structures inefficient and non-operational. Here, the dynamic and beneficial private sector, whose life and interests are in the development of the market in a healthy, transparent and certified manner, can be the driving engine and driver of the smart agricultural economy.
The leading private sector not only knows its problems and can act to solve them in constructive interaction with the government, but it can also be a factor to create new ways to earn foreign currency for the country by exporting smart agricultural products.
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