CSR News: Syngenta reaches out to Yavatmal cotton farmers with assistance in COVID-19

Syngenta India as part of their commitment to creating awareness on safety and health of the farming community, organized a ‘Virtual Cotton Field Visit on Safe Use Initiatives & Cotton Crop Solutions’ for Yavatmal cotton farmers in Maharashtra. The CSR programme was organized in close collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Health, Zila Parishad and the Collector Office, Yavatmal.

Navanath Kolapkar, SADO, Yavatmal, in his address as the chief guest, lauded the efforts of Syngenta in creating awareness about the best agricultural practices and safe use of pesticides and other chemicals used in crop cultivation. “Syngenta, with the help of Gramin Samasya Mukti Trust (GSMT) is creating awareness amongst farmers through demonstrations, leaflets, awareness mobile vans, posters and by distributing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE),” said he.

“These village level meetings are proving to be a boon milestone in addressing farm-related issues at the grassroots level. Syngenta has been allocated with eight blocks, but I request to allocate and extend the programme to all 16 blocks of Yavatmal district. A separate record should be maintained about these programmes,” added Kolapkar.

Dr K C Ravi, Chief Sustainability Officer, India Limited, said: “We train farmers about health and safety with a focus on the application of pesticides on the right time, right dosage, and right method. Now we train farmers on the safe use of crop solutions under our flagship I-SAFE initiative. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been continuously handholding the farmers and keeping in mind the needs of the Yavatmal cotton farmers we have organized this virtual field day. He further said that he is happy to see the huge number of farmers attending the CSR programme.

Dr Ravi added, “In collaboration with the Wockhardt Hospital, we have been running mobile health vans for the last three years which has benefitted more than 50000 farmers so far. Under the Village Social Transformation Foundation, Syngenta India is supporting 15 villages in Buldana, Nasik, and Ahmednagar,”.

Rajendra Malvode, ADO, Yavatmal, said, “Yavatmal cotton farmers are going to have a hectic schedule for the next six months. It is worth appreciating that Syngenta is providing farmers with PPE kits and helping them stay safe while carrying out their farming activities. Last year about 300 farmers were exposed to pesticides, but this year it is only 60, thanks to Syngenta’s CSR initiative in the area.” He also requested the company to provide ventilators to the medical college in Yavatmal for emergency use of farmers.”

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