Godrej Agrovet signs pact with Maha SRLM to support 5,000 women farmers

Godrej Agrovet on Tuesday said it has signed an initial agreement with the Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission to empower over 5,000 women farmers and promote sustainable agriculture in nine key cotton-growing districts in Maharashtra.

"Through this partnership, we aim to equip women farmers with practical high-impact agronomy so they can achieve better yields and uplift their families. We are committed to building models that scale responsibly," Godrej Agrovet CEO and Managing Director Sunil Kataria said.

The three-year partnership aims to mobilize Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and women farmers to adopt Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM), improving farm productivity and creating resilient livelihoods.

In its first year, the program will focus on nine key cotton-growing districts: Nagpur, Amravati, Yavatmal, Washim, Parbhani, Jalgaon, Beed, Akola, and Nanded, covering over 5,000 women farmers and more than 50,000 acres of farmland while engaging 100 SHGs per district, the company said in a statement.

The initiative will scale up to support over 5000 SHGs across Maharashtra over the three-years, with a plan to expand beyond cotton to maize and other crops.

Under the MoU, Godrej Agrovet will be working closely with Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission to conduct training workshops on GAP, IPM and safety practices; organize farmer field schools and demonstration plots; and distribute safety kits.

Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission will facilitate mobilization and coordination through its SHG and Krishi Sakhi networks, while Godrej Agrovet will fund and implement the program.