Syngenta reaches out to Yavatmal cotton farmers with assistance in Covid-19 time
Yavatmal, October 10, 2020: Syngenta India as part of their commitment to creating awareness on safety and health of farming community, organised an awareness program -“Virtual Cotton Field Visit on Safe Use Initiative's & Cotton Crop Solutions for farming community of Yavatmal, Maharashtra in close collaboration with Department of Agriculture, Health, Zila Parishad and collector office Govt of Maharashtra.
Navanath Kolapkar, SADO, Yavatmal, in his address as the chief guest, lauded the efforts of Syngenta in creating awareness about the best agri practices and safe use of pesticides and other chemicals used in crop cultivation. “With the help of Syngenta, Gramin Samasya Mukti Trust (GSMT) is creating awareness among farmers through demonstrations, leaflets, awareness mobile vans, posters and distributing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).
Speaking at the filed awareness day organised by Syngenta, Kolapkar added further, “The village meetings involving farmers, agriculture experts and offices from the District Agriculture Department are proving a 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 organised the field day in Yavatmal in the pandemic situation, which was attended by a huge number of farmers. We have a very close and long relationship with Yavatmal farmers.” Thanking Zila Parishad for extending continuous guidance and support, Dr Ravi added “Since 1927, Syngenta has been serving the farmers of India. As the training on safe use of crop solutions is concerned, Syngenta has taken this responsibility under the flagship I-SAFE initiative. We train farmers about their health and safety with a focus on application of pesticides on right time, right dosage, and right method. “Under I-SAFE program, we have already trained about 1,160 farmers. In collaboration with Wockhardt Hospital, we have been running mobile health vans for the last three years benefiting over 50000 farmers so far. 55,000 farmers have been trained for safe use practices, while 30,000 PPE distributed.
Along with Syngenta foundation 950 Spray men trained and 175 were given certificates. Under the Village Social Transformation Foundation, Syngenta India is supporting 15 villages in Buldana, Nasik, and Ahmednagar,” informed Dr Ravi.
Rajendra Malvode, ADO, Yavatmal, while extending his greetings to participants said, “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 and helping them stay safe while carrying out their farming activities. They have also been provided with spray pumps,” he said.
Lauding the efforts of Syngenta for carrying out an awareness campaign, Malvode said the real empowerment of farmers is taking place in Yavatmal. “Last year about 300 farmers were exposed to pesticides but this year only 60, thanks to Syngenta’s initiative in the area. I request Syngenta to provide ventilators to the medical college in Yavatmal for emergency use for farmers,” he added.
About Syngenta
Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world-class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more, visit us at www.syngenta.com, www.syngenta.co.in, Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Syngenta
Media Contact:
Javed Rahmatullah
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E-Mail: javed.rahmatullah@syngenta.com
