Corteva Agriscience, a global agricultural company, announced on Thursday that it has inked a three-year project with the World Bank Group's 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG) to promote sustainable rice farming on 40,000 acres in Uttar Pradesh.
According to a statement, the initiative provides a framework for Corteva, 2030 WRG, and a task force of numerous partners to work toward converting 40,000 acres of land from traditional rice transplantation methods to the Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) approach.
As DSR's technology and expertise partner, Corteva will co-lead the project.
The three-year project, as per Corteva Agriscience, will encourage sustainable livelihood in agriculture and develop farmers' capabilities on the DSR rice cultivation technique via various training programs, field demonstration workshops, market linkages, market-based sustainability financing, and agronomy aid, resulting in their socio-economic empowerment.
Corteva will also provide farmers with hybrid seeds and mechanised sowing solutions, as well as help them in soil testing along with weed and pest management on their farms, as part of this project.
According to the report, implementing these techniques can result in a 35 to 37% reduction in water use in rice cultivation, improved soil health, and lower greenhouse gas emissions by 20 to 30%, all of which support climate resilient precision agro-forestry in the state.
"We are thrilled to cooperate with WRG to help improve the capacity of Farmer Producer Organizations to operate as sustainable and market-oriented agri-enterprises," Corteva Agriscience Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Tim Glenn said of the new project.
Farmers will have access to integrated solutions that generate transformational value chains as a result of the project. It will also help the state government improve rice production sustainability, according to Karin Krchnak, the 2030 WRG's Program Manager.
According to the corporation, the initiative will help market-driven value chain strategies by connecting market off-takers with suppliers and producers through innovative Drip-to-Market-Agro-Corridors (DMACs) and Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs).
