The company says the new version was designed to make precision agriculture more accessible, affordable, and practical for the farmers who produce a significant share of the world’s food.
“Smallholders produce about one-third of the world’s food, and in some regions more than 70%. They represent a huge market, but they’re hard to reach and even harder to support consistently. Their needs are very clear: increase yields, improve profitability, and cope with climate variability,” said Gal Yarden, senior vice president, head of the APAC division at Netafim.
He added that smallholders needed solutions that are affordable, easy to use and accessible, and increasingly expect AI-driven tools and crop models that support better decisions and higher yields.
“Today, thanks to better connectivity and lower hardware costs, we can offer these technologies at a price and format smallholders can work with. For us, this is a real business opportunity. It allows us to enter a segment we less reach today, while at the same time meet our purpose: advance life around the world by helping growers grow more with less,” said Yarden.
Yarden stresses that proximity to farmers is crucial to its product development.
“To support them properly, we need to stay connected and understand how they actually work with the system — what’s easy, what’s difficult, and what needs to be improved. This real-world feedback helps us refine our crop models, adjust recommendations to local varieties, climate, and soil conditions, and make the system more accurate and useful.
“Staying close to farmers means we keep learning from them, improving our tools, and making sure technology truly fits their daily reality. Their success is directly tied to ours. We grow with them.”
Asia as a priority market
With most of the world’s smallholders based in Asia, the region is a key target for the upcoming system.
“If we want to be a meaningful player and create real impact in this region, we must be able to address the needs of small farmers and stay closely connected to them. The demand is clear,” said Yarden.
He added that younger farmers will expect modern, simple tools if they are to remain in agriculture. This is creating further demand for digital solutions.
“It is important to add that the younger generation if they choose to stay in agriculture will expect technology on the farm. They want simple, modern tools that make farming easier and more profitable. If we can provide that, we not only support today’s growers but also help keep the next generation engaged in farming.”
The company is working with its long-standing distribution partners and is also seeking collaborators who specialise in smallholder engagement, including NGOs, off-takers and government programmes.
These partners already invest in training and technology adoption and can help accelerate deployment.
Purpose-built for smallholders
GrowSphere is a digital farming platform by Netafim designed to streamline precision irrigation and fertigation.
It integrates over 50 years of agronomic expertise with IoT technologies, cloud computing and data analytics, combining hydraulic, operational and agronomic management into a single platform.
Yarden said this system “closes the loop”, allowing farmers to plan, execute, monitor, review and receive tailored recommendations.
“Farmers using GrowSphere can be more profitable. It ensures consistent, quality yields, better productivity. It also prevents crop damage from under- or over-irrigation or fertigation, and use less resources such as water and fertilisers.”
The new system was purpose-built for smallholders, offering only the components they typically need.
The unit uses fewer valves and sensors, has no built-in screen to keep costs down, and is operated entirely via a phone or tablet using low-cost connectivity.
It is designed for quick installation with minimal technical knowledge and features a simple, intuitive interface for daily use.
The system can be fully translated into local languages and supported by Netafim’s dealer network.
The system also connects easily to crop models, allowing farmers to understand and act on recommendations without expert support and benefit from continuous model improvements.
“In short: it delivers the essential capabilities smallholders need, without the features that make high-end systems expensive,” said Yarden.