RITAM POSLA Matija Žulj

Guest Matija ŽuljHosted by Lidija KiseljakMay 3, 2026

Matija Žulj

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

Matija Žulj, founder of Agrivi, is tackling a silent crisis: the drastic decline of farmers globally. Europe alone is projected to lose two-thirds of its producers by 2040, a trend Matija calls "a strong decline... which we are basically unaware of." His company offers digital tools that range from comprehensive farm management for global giants like Driscoll's and McCormick, to a new AI agronomic advisor delivered via WhatsApp for local farmers. This isn't just about technology; it's about making farming viable in an era of rapid change. Žulj’s approach recognizes that effective solutions must meet farmers where they are, whether that’s on a 10,000-hectare agave plantation in Mexico or a small family plot in Croatia. The conversation explores how Agrivi bridges the gap between sophisticated data analysis and the daily realities of agricultural production. You will walk away considering how deeply understanding your user's existing habits, even for something as basic as a messaging app, can be more impactful than building the most advanced new platform. You'll also see how localized challenges, like farmer cooperatives, can slow even proven solutions.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

Europe's farmer population declined from 16 million in 2003 to 9 million in 2020, with a projected further drop to 3.9 million by 2040. This sharp, often overlooked decline underscores the critical role local governments must play in actively fostering conditions for agricultural success, rather than leaving it solely to individual producers.

Agrivi’s new AI agronomic advisor for cities is delivered to farmers via WhatsApp and Viber. For small farmers, the biggest barrier to adopting new digital tools isn't the technology itself, but learning new interfaces. Meet them on platforms they already use, and the adoption barrier disappears, Matija notes: "no one has a problem with the habit of how to use it."

The AI advisor answers questions ranging from specific plant diseases ("I have mold on my apple, what should I do?") to administrative queries about city incentives for agriculture. A truly useful agricultural support tool provides comprehensive, easily accessible information across both agronomic specifics and administrative opportunities, not just isolated technical advice.

Agrivi's platform manages the operations of Driscoll's (the world's largest berry producer), McCormick (the largest spice producer, for their pepper plantations in Malaysia), and Sauza Tequila (10,000 hectares of agave in Mexico). Digital agriculture solutions are not merely tools for incremental improvement; they are the operational backbone for some of the world's largest food supply chains, demonstrating their foundational role in global food production.

A cooperative of over one thousand sugar cane farmers in Barbados, using Agrivi, increased their yields by 13% in the first year, effectively doubling their profit. Even modest yield increases, when applied collectively across many small producers within a cooperative, can translate into substantial, life-changing profit gains. Matija states this meant "more than double their profit... That's a very, very nice piece of information."

Agrivi's users report 20-30% savings on inputs like fertilizers and pesticides, alongside 10-20% increases in yields. The immediate, quantifiable impact of digital agricultural tools is not abstract; it's directly visible in reduced operational costs and increased output, delivering tangible financial returns that build trust and drive wider adoption.

Matija outlines the full cycle managed by Agrivi’s platform: from initial planting and financial planning to daily operations like monitoring satellite data, weather patterns, pest risks, and irrigation needs, through to harvest and per-kilogram cost analysis. Effective agricultural technology delivers value by providing a continuous, integrated feedback loop across the entire growing season, connecting strategic planning to daily execution and post-harvest analysis.

Matija notes that 90% of Agrivi's business is outside Croatia, attributing slower growth domestically to a predominance of small farmers and a reluctance to form cooperatives. While technology can deliver immense value, cultural and structural factors — like the willingness of producers to aggregate into cooperatives — can be the most significant bottlenecks to its adoption and full impact in local markets.

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