Pathway Technologies and Services, founded in 2011, specialises in software development, outsourcing, and ICT consultancy. It works with clients like B&B Hospitals and 1ropani.com and recently partnered with the Salyan District local government to create an agriculture information centre. In 2017, Pathway launched GeoKrishi, a mobile and web app that won USAID’s Feed the Future Global Data-Driven Farming Prize. GeoKrishi provides farmers with crop suitability evaluations, farming advice, and location-specific details using satellite data, government information, and crowd-sourced data. It also offers tools like weather forecasts and NPK calculators.

For non-smartphone users, GeoKrishi provides SMS and call services, with call centres offering farm-level support. The web version supports agro-enterprises and cooperatives with farm evaluations, advisory services, and marketing. GeoKrishi aims to create virtual marketplaces for cooperatives and traders while establishing advisory centres in Nepal’s agricultural hubs.

Promoting Technology-based BDS to Make Farmer Organisations Investment Ready

CASA collaborated with Pathway Technologies to test its agriculture technology, GeoKrishi, by partnering with five mid-sized vegetable farmer organizations (FOs). The goal was to help these FOs increase profits, improve service delivery, and secure financing from BFIs. CASA supported the adoption of GeoKrishi by developing partner selection criteria and working with IIED to identify potential FOs. The technology provided a centralised platform for FOs to maintain digital databases of member farmers, including land and crop profiles, accounts, yield projections, and market linkages.

As part of the project, CASA tested GeoKrishi with five cooperatives, gathered customer feedback, and fine-tuned the technology. This process helped assess the technology’s effectiveness and prepared Pathway for scaling. After the pilot, CASA evaluated GeoKrishi’s commercial viability, developed a business case, and assisted Pathway in securing additional investment. CASA’s partnership led to the addition of a livestock section to the app and onboarded over 30 digital champions to train farmers. Downloads of GeoKrishi surged to over 100,000, and an internal user assessment showed 69% user satisfaction, with a 4-star rating on the Google Play Store.

The project lasted 15 months, with a total cost of £59,289, funded through a combination of technical assistance and grants provided by CASA. The initiative successfully reached over 100,000 farmers through GeoKrishi app downloads.

Updated: March 2025