USA – Grain logistics firm, Indigo Agriculture has launched a new digital platform to enhance efficient logistical and transportation services in the agricultural supply chain.
Called Indigo Transport, the venture will work to harness technology to improve availability and reliability in the agricultural sector, right from farming to processing.
It offers a digital marketplace for connecting growers, grain elevators, food processors with a primary goal of boosting transparency and profitability in the food supply chain.
According to Indigo, sellers of various commodities will have access to a range of buyers on the Marketplace with an option to select the best bid for their transportation needs from among a network of independent carriers vetted for quality and reliability of service and equipment.
The company has approved more than 3,000 trucks for transportation in line with safety on the road, insurance coverage and adherence to food safety transportation policies.
Transactions conducted outside the platform may use transport from the platform to move grain.
“The platform manages all aspects of on-farm pick-up, transportation and delivery.
Buyers and sellers can see detailed progress during shipping on the Transport smartphone app.
Delivery issues managed by Indigo include replacement equipment and substitute drivers in the event of carrier cancellations.
The company, an insured, bonded and licensed grain trader in the states in which it operates, pays growers directly upon grain delivery and is registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation,” said Indigo.
Carriers will enter into exclusive contracts with Indigo Marketplace sellers and will find loads by phone or using a smartphone app.
Indigo then handles payments when grain is delivered.
The company said the platform encompasses thousands of sellers, representing US$10 billion worth of grain inventory.
Indigo has called on growers who are commercially licensed and own their own transportation equipment to enrol as carriers.
Last September, Buhler launched digital service for food, feed drying called MoisturePro to improve yields and reduce energy costs in the food and feed industry.
