Gram Unnati, an agricultural value chain services company, has recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bayer to promote the cultivation of spring maize in six districts of western Uttar Pradesh. The districts covered by the agreement include Amroha, Bareilly, Bulandshahr, Moradabad, Rampur, and Sambhal. Over 100,000 farmers in these districts will benefit from the collaboration between Gram Unnati and Bayer CropScience.
Under the MoU, Indian farmers will have access to timely crop advisory services, good agricultural practises, and premium agricultural products provided by Bayer. Additionally, they will receive support to establish model farms. Gram Unnati will play a crucial role in farmer mobilization and ensuring market linkages. The objective of the MoU is to replicate the successful promotion of spring maize production achieved by Gram Unnati and Bayer in the Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand. This project resulted in significant income improvements for farmers and the conservation of water resources.
Aneesh Jain, Founder, and CEO of Gram Unnati, expressed his belief that the partnership would empower smallholder farmers by providing them with advisory services, quality inputs, credit facilities, advanced technologies, and market connections. He highlighted Gram Unnati’s existing collaborations with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Uttar Pradesh government to convert 20,000 acres from summer paddy to spring maize. This new partnership with Bayer enables Gram Unnati to mobilize a larger number of farmers and provide them with the necessary technical and product guidance from Bayer CropScience.
Ajeet Chahal, Head of Commercial Key Accounts and Alternate Business Models at Bayer emphasized the company’s commitment to improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in India. He highlighted the importance of adopting timely advisory services and good agricultural practices to help farmers achieve better prices for their produce. Chahal also noted that addressing the challenges of accessing solutions requires building a larger ecosystem and meaningful collaborations along the agricultural value chain. With Gram Unnati, Bayer aims to expand its reach to smallholder farmers and offer personalized solutions that enable them to achieve better and more sustainable harvests.