Doubling farmers' income: ITC shows the way in UP

It is a perfect mix of government plans and corporate execution, both teaming up to demonstrate how the vision of doubling farmer incomes by 2022 could become a reality.

India's FMCG major ITC's intervention in the farm value chain is intrinsically aligned to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to double farmers' income.

The next agricultural revolution may well come from here, ITC officials said in an interaction in Varanasi this week.

"ITC's pre-eminent position as one of India's leading corporates in the agricultural sector is based on strong and enduring farmer partnerships that have revolutionised and transformed the rural agricultural sector. A unique rural digital infrastructure network, christened 'e--choupal', coupled with the flagship agri-extension programme, deep understanding of agricultural practices and collaborations with India's premier research institutes, has built a competitive and efficient body that creates and delivers immense value across the agriculture chain," said S Sivakumar, Group Head – Agri and IT Businesses ITC.

Over the years, ITC has undertaken 83,338 Choupal Pradharshan Khets (CPK), covering about 5,000 villages and benefitting more than 10 lakh farmers, he said.

Of the 10 lakh beneficiaries, the net income of more than 30,000 farmers has doubled (107 per cent growth) by adopting all the practices and recommended inputs.

ITC's approach to increasing farmer income is based on addressing the four elements of the farmer profitability equation. These include improved farm productivity, improved product quality and integrity, reduction in the cost of cultivation and risk mitigation, Sivakumar said.

One of the most ambitious plans of the company is its intervention in Uttar Pradesh, an agriculture-based state where 65 per cent of the population is dependent on it.

ITC Limited-Agri Business Division has analysed various aspects of existing crop production in Eastern UP and launched the Wheat Development Programme in three districts, Varanasi, Chandauli and Ghazipur.

"The objective is to sustainably improve productivity and profitability on one hand and meet the dynamic needs of its customers in terms of quality and product integrity on the other," points out Nazeeb Arif, Executive Vice-President and head of Corporate Communications, ITC.

According to Rajnikant Rai, Chief Executive ITC Limited, Agri Business Division, an integrated farming system approach was adopted wherein interventions in kharif paddy were designed to enable early paddy harvest and advanced wheat sowing in Rabi followed by summer moong for additional income and soil health improvement.

The methodology followed for the study was 'one-to-one interaction' and 'focused group discussion'.

According to Rai, the company, in collaboration with the Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture is promoting high-density guava plantation and scientific cultivation of jamun in marginal lands in UP's Hathras district. Till date, around 157 acres was covered under high-density guava plantation with a potential of providing Rs 1.3 lakh per acre.