Syngenta is all geared up to celebrate India’s march to Amrit Kaal and its emergence as the world’s 5th largest economy. India’s rapid march on the path of progress is inspirational and transformational which has strengthened Syngenta’s resolve to continue to invest itself in the future of the country’s agriculture, J Erik Fyrwald, Global CEO, Syngenta said on Thursday during his 3-day visit to India. Fyrwald was speaking after dedicating the rural Syngenta I-CLEAN market in Wanaparthy district, Telangana, built under Syngenta’s CSR I-CLEAN (Inculcating Cleanliness, Learning, Education, Awareness and New Habits) programme.
Spread over 51020 sq feet, this state-of-art market is built at a cost of Rs 3.3 crores in Wanaparthy and will be handed over to the Agriculture Marketing Board for operation and maintenance. This market will cater to over 20,000 farmers by providing them a safe place to do their business and consumers of over 30 villages and urban areas around this district headquarter.
One of the unique features of this marketplace is that it provides exclusive facilities for women farmers including a daycare facility with a baby feeding room. This will ensure that women farmers can focus on their business without being concerned about leaving their children at home.
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“Present in the country for 94 years now, India has always been at the core of our focus for its sheer size, diversity and potential – 40 per cent of the workforce in the country is employed in agriculture. We have consistently worked on addressing challenges facing Indian agriculture. Accordingly, our R&D has been geared to providing technology to the farming community for enhancing productivity and also reducing input costs for better returns on investment. We invest and innovate to transform the way crops are grown and protected to bring about positive, lasting change in agriculture. Our ambition is to be the most collaborative and trusted team in agriculture, providing leading seeds and crop protection innovations and digital solutions to enhance the prosperity of farmers, wherever they are,” Fyrwald added.
Susheel Kumar, MD & Country Head, Syngenta India said, “The I-CLEAN project has been a remarkable success. We are glad to be able to contribute to the rural prosperity of Telangana, which has one of the highest rates of agricultural growth at 7.8 per cent. With a slew of impressive programmes including Rythu Bandhu Scheme, Mission Bhagiratha and Drone Certification, the state has made rapid strides and it gives us the joy to become partners in this journey.”
According to a socio-economic impact assessment, the income of farmers who sell their produce at I-CLEAN markets has gone up by 49 per cent as they are able to spend more time in the markets; the improved infrastructure sees increased daily footfall. The facilities like safe drinking water, solar lights and toilets have improved the livelihood opportunities of local farming communities by about 40 per cent.
Lauding Syngenta India’s dedication to help and empower farmers, Singhireddy Niranjan Reddy, Minister for Agriculture, Government of Telangana said, “This ultra-modern rural market will give a big boost to farmers’ incomes and their ease of life. I thank Syngenta India for building its biggest rural market for the farmers of Wanaparthy.”
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Highlighting the Syngenta I-CLEAN market, Dr KC Ravi, Chief Sustainability Officer, Syngenta India, said, “This state-of-art wayside market is equipped with modern amenities including approach roads from the highway, 78 raised platforms, sheds, lights, parking facility, safe drinking water, toilet blocks for men and women, water harvesting, lush green frontage, waste disposal, and children playing area. Market stalls, sheds canteen, a baby feeding room and a crèche facility make this project unique and will be a safe place, especially for women farmers. The facility is expected to impact around 20 per cent of women farmers in the area.”
“We play a vital role in the food chain to safely feed the world and take care of our planet. We help farmers manage a complex set of challenges from nature and society. Our approach is to ensure that everybody wins: that farmers are prosperous, agriculture becomes more sustainable, and consumers have safe, healthy and nutritious food. The wayside market is a step in that direction, and I am glad that with this we hit a quarter century – this being the 25th Syngenta I-CLEAN market,” Fyrwald added.
Syngenta also ensures that farmers are trained in the best crop protection practices, and health and hygiene practices. “The marketplace has multiple awareness messages highlighting the importance of proper crop protection practices, and tips for health and hygiene. As an agri input company, we take stewardship very seriously and educate our farmers on various aspects of safety on a continuous basis,” Dr Ravi added.
Apart from Telangana, 24 such I-CLEAN projects are running in Bihar (18), Uttar Pradesh (02), and Karnataka (04) catering to the needs of rural farmers.
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