Smarter Farming for a Sustainable Future
Jordanian entrepreneur, Saqer Maryha, developed an electronic device to help solve the problem that plagued the agricultural sector in his country. His startup, PhytoBase, designed a compact computer that measures vital factors in farming, allowing farmers to recognise and respond accordingly. Saqer plans on expanding his business to produce larger quantities at a better price and help more farmers.
Saqer Maryha was born and raised in Jordan, a country facing a severe water scarcity problem. Having been raised in Jordan Valley, a region mostly known for agriculture. Saqer was directly affected by this. Indeed, from boyhood to adulthood, Saqer’s work on farms made him intimately acquainted with the problems that plague the agricultural sector.
With that experience in mind, Saqer was almost hesitant to continue working in the field that he grew up in. As fate had it, however, Saqer ended up graduating with an agricultural engineering degree. This was a turning point for him, as he learned to love what he previously struggled with. As he describes it,
“I was suddenly both a farmer and engineer. This meant that I was simultaneously the problem’s owner and the solution’s owner. This changed my perspective on agriculture and made me return to it with renewed passion.”
The King of Jordan visits Jordan Valley
As this change in perspective was happening, King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein visited the Jordan Valley and described the need for technology to be utilised in the agricultural sector. From this visit, Saqer’s business idea was born: using technology to help solve some of the problems that farmers face such as water scarcity, the random irrigation of farms and the overuse of large quantities of fertiliser. Saqer realised that there was a need for an electronic device that could organise irrigation and fertilisation in farms and gardens, and measure vital factors like salts, acidity, and water level rise in hydroponic agriculture.
PhytoBase becoming a reality
With this idea in mind, Saqer founded PhytoBase, a startup that would develop and market this electronic device. Saqer assembled a team of four experts in marketing, software engineering, electronic parts assembly, and agricultural engineering, and they got to work on developing the device.
Like many innovative entrepreneurs before him, this journey was one that was filled with obstacles, the biggest of which was the lack of funding and resources in the early stages of the project. Saqer reached out to potential investors and applied for various grants and loans to secure funding for his project. His efforts were met with many rejections before his brilliant idea secured enough funding to develop the device.
“Without the challenges, I would not be where I am today.” – Saqer Maryha
Now, the device is fully operational. It is a compact computer compiled of several sensors that measures several vital factors around the plant, including the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere, the temperature and moisture of the soil, the intensity of the light, and the degree of salinity. This device sends these readings via WiFi to the smart app on the phone, which allows farmers to recognise a shortage or increase in these elements and respond accordingly.
“Without the challenges, I would not be where I am today.” – Saqer Maryha
Now, the device is fully operational. It is a compact computer compiled of several sensors that measured several vital factors around the plant, including the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere, the temperature and moisture of the soil, the intensity of the light, and the degree of salinity. This device sends these readings via WiFi to the smart app on the phone, which allows farmers to recognise a shortage or increase in these elements and respond accordingly.
Looking towards the future
Now, Saqer works continuously to improve his device. He heard about the ‘You-Innovate’ incubation programme with TTi in collaboration with SPARK, as part of the ‘From Innovation to Creation’ project funded by the European Union. He decided to join the pitching events and was selected for the further steps of the incubation programme alongside other 11 innovative and green startups. He believes that SPARK and TTi have been a great help to him in this area by providing him with constructive feedback that can take his device to the next level. He now plans on expanding his business and opening a production line for his electronic device. He believes that having his own production line will allow him to produce larger quantities at a better price and to make offers that help more farmers. In his words, “the ultimate goal is to sell large quantities at an excellent price that can eventually help the regular farmer.”