Business Platform
Bayer Crop Science
Engage farmers across diverse regions with information to improve crop sustainability
Brand
WhatsApp Business Solution Provider
The Bayer Crop Science team in Mexico develops a chatbot in WhatsApp that enables farmers in remote areas to get crucial information to improve the health of their crops while boosting overall sustainability within their regions.
73K
farmers became active users of the chatbot in WhatsApp
41%
of all farmer inquiries are resolved through the automated solution
71%
net promoter score among users
*Results are self-reported and not identifiably repeatable. Generally expected individual results will differ.
Their Story
Planting seeds for sustainable futures
Bayer Crop Science has a mission to help solve some of the world’s greatest issues – including climate change, reduced natural resources, and feeding growing populations – by innovating in agriculture. The company empowers farmers to grow more resilient crops through its emphasis on science-based solutions and “digital farming,” which puts data science, innovation and technology in farmers’ hands. Through digital farming, farmers combine next-generation agricultural solutions with traditional values of caring for the land.
Their Goal
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Counseling farmers across the country
The Bayer Crop Science team in Mexico wanted to engage geographically dispersed farmers often working in remote areas that lacked internet access. To reach farmers with vital information such as rainfall or patterns in pests and disease in crops, the company needed a scalable and easy-to-use communications channel.
Their Solution
Cultibot offers farmers location-specific details on weather conditions, crop insights, and agrochemical information
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A trusted advisor over a familiar channel
After observing that WhatsApp is popular throughout Mexico, the Bayer Crop Science Mexico team partnered with Yalutec, a digital transformation company, to develop an automated chatbot in WhatsApp.
Using “CultiBot,” an agricultural advisory chat channel accessed in WhatsApp, farmers receive information that will help them better plan their planting and harvests.
They can pose individual questions such as identifying pests or ideal conditions for individual crops, before instantly getting answers through WhatsApp. The bot is powered by automation and customer analytics solutions from Yalutec, ensuring that farmers can quickly access the most relevant information.
“Through WhatsApp, we can provide a truly consultative experience for farmers across Mexico, giving them the guidance to successfully manage their own farms while contributing to the vitality of the surrounding ecosystems. CultiBot in WhatsApp reflects the next stage of growth in digital farming, letting farmers access the right information when they need it, over an already-familiar channel.”
Santiago Lara Maillard
Digital Farming Strategy Lead Small Holders & New Ventures, Bayer Crop Science NORLA
When farmers subscribe to messages over WhatsApp, they benefit from regular updates about everything from weather forecasts, pest migrations, and disease patterns – all tailored specifically to their region. Agriculture in Mexico is diverse, and the Bayer team relies on segmentation capabilities in WhatsApp to deliver information that is relevant to thousands of farmers at once, based on their locations.
As farmers engage with CultiBot, the Bayer team learns more about broader trends within regions, allowing them to better refine the information they can share with farmers over the chatbot.
The collaboration between Bayer and Yalutec has changed how farmers approach their agricultural practices while transforming the ways Bayer does business. As farmers rely on CultiBot for key information about chemical safety and changes in the weather, Bayer also gains a robust approach to data management that helps streamline internal operations.
Bayer offers Mexican farmers guidance to manage their farms sustainably while benefiting local ecosystems
Their Success
In only 24 months, farmers in Mexico showed great enthusiasm for CultiBot, driving high adoption rates even in areas with low internet connectivity. Thousands of farmers turned to WhatsApp to gain insights about producing healthier harvests.
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High adoption rates
- 73K farmers became active users of the chatbot in WhatsApp
- 41% of all farmer inquiries are resolved through the automated solution
- 71% net promoter score among users
*Results are self-reported and not identifiably repeatable. Generally expected individual results will differ.
“With CultiBot, Bayer has successfully combined artificial intelligence, deployed through a highly convenient communication channel in WhatsApp, with use cases that address farmers’ everyday needs. The joint effort of Yalutec and WhatsApp has created a solution that reflects Bayer’s goal to innovate farming practices in underserved areas.”
José Ramón Araguainamo
CCO & Co-Founder Yalutec
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