Walmart has teamed up with Agritask, an Israeli company specializing in crop supply intelligence, for a pilot program to help predict produce supply threats.

The initiative – in collaboration with Walmart Global Tech’s Sparkubate program – will use Agritask’s remote sensing and data analytics tools in various regions in US and Mexico to provide real-time, hyperlocal insights on seasonal blackberry and cherry crops from select Walmart suppliers.

According to Walmart, these crops were selected due to their high sensitivity to temperature and moisture changes, which affect their growth, quality, transport, and shelf life.

Kyle Carlyle, VP for sourcing innovation and surety of supply at Walmart, highlighted the challenges of purchasing and planning accuracy in agriculture. 

“Data discrepancies and environmental uncertainties can be tough,” Carlyle continued. 

“Agritask’s technology has the potential to provide vital information that sourcing managers often lack when predicting yield.”

Some examples of insights from Agritask’s analytics include:

• Immediate alerts on emerging or potential risks and their impact on target crops, such as an unexpected frost harming a cherry harvest.
• Real-time assessment of timing, delays, or advances in the expected harvest.
• Updated indications on meeting yield targets throughout the growing season.

“Walmart’s global scale and commitment to strengthening sustainable supply chains make them the ideal partner for Agritask’s tech solutions,” said Ofir Ardon, CEO of Agritask.

“Together, we are uniquely positioned to implement scalable, climate-smart, and risk-ready solutions that optimise sourcing from the ground up.”

Depending on the pilot results, Walmart said it may consider implementing Agritask solutions and insights at scale for a second season.