Maharashtra farmers to get support for resilient agriculture
The first phase of the programme supported more than 11,800 farmers associated with 11 farmer producer organisations (FPOs) across Solapur, Dharashiv and Jalna. The participating organisations recorded a combined business turnover of Rs 44.86 crore. The programme also established 12 groups pursuing Participatory Guarantee System certification to encourage safer, residue-free and sustainable farming practices. Over three years, participating farmers reported an increase in average net income from crop sales to Rs 2,37,184 from Rs 1,57,046. Among comparison households, the average rose to Rs 1,90,078 from Rs 1,37,392 over the same period.
Pune: Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR), with support from Walmart Foundation, has launched the second phase of its ProRISE programme to strengthen climate resilience, farm incomes and market access for smallholder farmers in drought-prone regions, including Solapur, Dharashiv and Jalna districts of Maharashtra .
Nishant Gupta, social and environmental impact adviser to Walmart.org, said the foundation’s support aimed to strengthen the systems that help farmers manage climate risks, improve natural resource management and build stronger farmer-owned enterprises. The ProRISE-II (Project on Resilient Farm Incomes for Smallholder Farmers through an Ecosystems Approach, Phase II) initiative will focus on climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable natural resource management, farmer-owned enterprises, improved market access and digital technologies.
Sandip Jadhav, director of WOTR, said strengthening farmers’ livelihoods also required greater participation by women in FPO leadership and decision-making. The programme will generate evidence on gender-responsive governance, agroecological practices and sustainable agribusiness models to inform policy discussions and help partner organisations replicate effective approaches. He added that Walmart Foundation’s support would help extend the initiative’s reach to farming communities across Maharashtra and Karnataka.