The competition focused on developing an innovative AI solution that uses soil and satellite data to generate precise fertilization recommendations, increasing the profitability of agricultural production while reducing costs and environmental impact.
For FarmPortal users, this project confirms the direction in which precision agriculture and data-driven production management tools have been consistently developed for years and made accessible to farms of all sizes.
Grupo AN is one of the largest agri-food cooperatives in Spain, bringing together approximately 170 farms and operating across multiple segments of crop production and processing. The organisation plays a key role in connecting farmers to the market, optimising the supply chain, and implementing modern, sustainable technologies in agriculture.
What Was the AI Challenge and Why Does It Matter?
The AI Challenge was defined by Grupo AN and EIT Food as a response to one of the key challenges of modern agriculture:
how to fertilise precisely while reducing costs and environmental impact, and at the same time maintain high and stable production.
The challenge involved developing an AI solution that:
- analyses soil test data and satellite imagery,
- accounts for field variability and production conditions,
- generates precise, variable-rate fertilization recommendations,
- works in practice – at the level of individual farms and entire producer groups.
What Does This Mean from the Farmer’s Perspective?
FarmPortal supports farmers in moving from averaged decisions to precise management of every field by offering, among others:
- use of satellite imagery (NDVI, multispectral) to monitor crop condition,
- delineation of productivity zones within fields,
- variable-rate fertilization (VRA) with export of application maps to SHP and ISO-XML formats,
- integration with agricultural machinery and automatic guidance systems,
- planning and recording of agronomic operations.
Soil Testing and Fertilizer Calculations
FarmPortal includes built-in tools for:
- managing soil testing and archiving results,
- comparing soil fertility levels over time,
- fertilizer calculations based on soil test results and planned yield,
- adjusting fertilizer rates to the actual needs of crops.
As a result, farmers:
- reduce excessive fertilizer use,
- lower production costs,
- improve soil health and yield stability,
- operate in line with environmental requirements.
What Does This Mean from the Perspective of Processors and Producer Groups?
For processors and organisations such as Grupo AN, the AI Challenge has strategic significance. FarmPortal and FoodPass enable production management not only at the level of individual farms, but across the entire supplier network.
Better Control and Predictability of Production
Thanks to AI-based solutions:
- production can be monitored across multiple farms simultaneously,
- agronomic advisory can be delivered remotely and locally, based on data,
- processors gain better predictability of raw material quality and volume,
- contract planning and procurement become easier.
Cost Optimisation Across the Entire Supply Chain
Precision fertilization and standardisation of production practices:
- reduce the cost of fertilizers and inputs,
- enable joint purchasing and better price negotiations,
- increase production efficiency across the producer group,
- support regenerative agriculture and sustainable development goals.
FarmPortal as Part of the FarmCloud Ecosystem
FarmPortal is part of the FarmCloud platform, which connects farmers, advisors, and processors into a single multi-actor collaboration model (Multi Actor System).
Within this model:
- farmers use tools for precision production management,
- advisors work on shared data,
- processors gain transparency and control over the supply chain,
- artificial intelligence supports decision-making at every stage – from field to processing.
The AI Challenge as Confirmation of FarmPortal’s Development Direction
The AI Challenge organised by Grupo AN and EIT Food confirmed that the direction taken by FarmPortal – precision agriculture, satellite data, VRA, and machine integration – directly addresses real market needs.
For farmers, this means higher profitability and greater control over production.
For processors, it means more stable supplies, lower costs, and better planning.
This is how AI moves beyond a buzzword and becomes a practical tool for modern agriculture, especially as it is available free of charge for farms of any size.
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