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HomePosts Tagged "Bayer South Asia"
Agribusiness, Company News, Sustainability

Spread over 18 hectares, the Bayer ForwardFarm in India is unique as it introduces a convergence of innovative technologies and sustainable interventions specifically designed for smallholder farmers.

Bayer has launched its global initiative, ‘Bayer ForwardFarming’, in India. This is the newest of 29 ForwardFarms worldwide. Each ForwardFarm serves as a beacon of sustainable agricultural practices, providing a platform for farmers, researchers, and stakeholders to collaborate and share knowledge. The Bayer ForwardFarm in India will demonstrate innovative farming techniques tailored to the needs of 150 million smallholder farmers in the country, with a particular focus on sustainable rice cultivation, thus promoting the transition towards regenerative agriculture.

Natasha Santos, Head of Sustainability & Strategic Engagements at Bayer, stated, “Creating value for farmers is at the heart of what we do. We are excited to bring Bayer ForwardFarming to India, a country that is pivotal to global food security. By supporting and empowering local farmers, we aim to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability, increasing food security for all.”

Tailored Solutions for Indian Agriculture

Ved Prakash Saini, the first Bayer ForwardFarm partner in India, expressed his optimism about the partnership: “I am hopeful that the regenerative agricultural practices introduced through Bayer ForwardFarming will lead to significant improvements in my yield and livelihood while making farming more sustainable. Techniques like Direct Seeded Rice and advanced technologies have the potential to enhance crop health, reduce water usage, and increase efficiency. I look forward to witnessing these benefits firsthand as we work together to build a resilient and prosperous future for farming.”

Spread over 18 hectares, the Bayer ForwardFarm in India is unique as it introduces a convergence of innovative technologies and sustainable interventions specifically designed for smallholder farmers. The farm integrates the following practices:

Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) Cropping System: A sustainable alternative to traditional rice cultivation that minimizes soil disturbance, reduces water consumption, and enhances soil health.

Innovative Weed Management: Advanced weed control strategies that reduce reliance on chemical herbicides while maintaining crop health.

Customized Agronomy Systems: Tailored solutions for diverse climatic conditions and soil types, enhancing crop yields and soil health.

Carbon Farming: Practices aimed at capturing and storing carbon in the soil, contributing to climate change mitigation and soil fertility improvement.

Nutrition and Water Management: Advanced techniques to optimize nutrient use and water efficiency, boosting farm productivity while reducing environmental impact.

Vermicompost and IoT: Use of vermicompost to enhance soil health, coupled with IoT technologies for precise monitoring and management of agricultural processes.

Irrigation and Drone Technology: Innovative irrigation techniques and drone technology for optimized water use and precise crop management.

Simon Wiebusch, President, Bayer South Asia mentioned, “At Bayer, we envision a regenerative farming future that restores and enhances the environment. The launch of Bayer ForwardFarming in India is a part of it. By providing farmers with tailored solutions, modern tools and practices, proactive stewardship measures, and strategic partnerships, we aim to boost productivity, improve quality and yields, all while preserving the environment. We are dedicated to empowering farmers to adopt sustainable practices that build a resilient and thriving agricultural sector in India.”

Spread over 18 hectares, the Bayer ForwardFarm

Agrotech, Collaborations, Company News, Digital Technologies, India, Inputs, Supply Chain

The partnership will support farmers in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the first phase of execution.

 Bayer, a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of healthcare and agriculture, announced its partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)’s Common Service Center (CSC-SPV), a strategic cornerstone of the National e-governance plan which aims to usher rural India into a digitally empowered era and foster a knowledge-based economy. The strategic collaboration aims to provide Indian farmers with access to quality agri-inputs through digital capability building and strengthen rural livelihoods and farm incomes. The partnership will support farmers in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the first phase of execution. Besides access to the entire range of Bayer’s agri-solutions from seed to harvest, farmers can also avail of crop-specific agronomic advisory through CSC’s online platform.

As part of the MoU, Smallholder farmers will be able to access timely crop advisory, transfer of good agricultural practices and access to premium Bayer products through CSC’s online portal. Gram Unnati will facilitate farmer mobilization and ensure market linkages. Together, Bayer and CSC-SPV aim to empower over 500,000 (0.5 million) smallholder farmers over the next two years. To facilitate easy access to quality inputs, agronomic support, and encourage agri-technology knowledge transfer based on the latest practices, Bayer will also nurture agri-entrepreneurs by leveraging village-level entrepreneurs of CSCs from within the local communities. The newly announced partnership follows an ongoing pilot engagement project running between Better Life Farming centres and CSC in Jharkhand’s Lohardega district since late 2020.

Simon-Thorsten Wiebusch, President, Bayer South Asia said, “Smallholder farmers are vital in ensuring food and nutritional security in the country and Bayer is dedicated to empowering them through the expansion of access to essential agricultural inputs and expert agronomic guidance, driven by digital innovation and collectivization. Our association with the Government of India’s Common Service Center and Gram Unnati will help bring us closer to our shared goal of empowering farmers as we bridge the gap to remote farming communities, promote financial literacy and foster an entrepreneurial spirit leading to optimized resource utilization, and maximizing farm potential to enhance their livelihoods sustainably.”

Sanjay Rakesh, MD & CEO, CSC-SPV said, “We are excited to collaborate with Bayer and strengthen our e-commerce platform to scale support to smallholder farmers through our technology-powered ecosystem. By leveraging our synergies with Bayer Crop Science Limited, we envision sustained enhancements in rural agriculture within the identified centres. This partnership will enable last mile access to tailored solutions, to better support the rural community and agri-entrepreneurs.”

Aneesh Jain, Founder & CEO, Gram Unnati said: “We are extremely delighted to work with Bayer CropScience and CSC e-Governance to play the role of a key facilitator in this ground-breaking association. We are already developing a system with CSC e-Governance to enable farmers to sell their end produce through the VLE network. This collaboration will enable farmers to get timely access to high quality agri inputs, thus further improving their crop quality and yields too.”

The CSC scheme, a collaborative e-governance platform, is part of the Digital India programme. The Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) aims to facilitate the delivery of government, private and social sector services to Indian citizens through the CSC network. It supports linkages, connecting villages in India through high-speed internet and scaling the delivery of products & services to reach the last mile.

The partnership will support farmers in Telangana,

Agro Universities, Company News, India

‘Better School Program’ aims to promote STEM learning and innovation in rural schools.

Bayer, a global life sciences company with core strengths in agriculture and healthcare, announced its collaboration with BharatCares, a social impact organization, to launch the ‘Better School Program’ at Adpodra Group Government Primary School in Himatnagar, Gujarat. Aimed at enhancing educational facilities and enabling experiential learning opportunities for the students in Himatnagar, the ‘Better School Program’ focuses on providing a foundational leap to economically challenged students and will benefit more than 850 students from grades 1st to 8th, across four schools.

Through this initiative, Bayer and BharatCares will provide a STEM Lab, Smart Classroom, indoor play kits, computer labs, better sports facilities as well as equip the schools with solar panels for better power supply. The program will empower students with modern teaching methodologies and resources to foster innovative learning and skills. The Better School Program was launched in the presence of government officials, Simon Britsch, Chief Financial Officer, Bayer South Asia and Bhomik Shah, Founder and CEO, BharatCares.

Commenting on the launch, Simon Britsch, Chief Financial Officer, Bayer South Asia, said “Children are the future of the world, and it is our collective responsibility to equip them with the right resources to seek knowledge, thrive and innovate. Through the ‘Better School Program’ we are supporting students in government run schools to explore the field of LifeSciences, through well-equipped STEM labs, modern teaching methods and improved infrastructure. At Bayer, we remain committed to supporting education, research, and innovation, and providing inclusive opportunities for all sections of society.”

The program is also being implemented at the Mankadi Colony Primary School, Sardarpura Primary School and Vantada Primary School. With an aim to standardize education and STEM facilities at these schools, the collaborative project will also establish modular libraries which will boast a diverse collection of grade-appropriate books and learning aids to implore hands-on training and exploration. Interactive digital learning tools, through Smart classes will also be provided.

Bhomik Shah, Founder and CEO, BharatCares, said “The Better School initiative in collaboration with Bayer, breathes new life into primary government schools. By providing essential facilities, we are not just enhancing infrastructure but nurturing the potential of students to make them future-ready. As we move forward, BharatCares is excited to partner with Bayer, ensuring that together, we continue to uplift the educational landscape, one school at a time.”

The Better School Program is also aligned with Bayer’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, with the installation of solar panels to enable the schools to adopt clean and renewable energy sources.

‘Better School Program’ aims to promote STEM

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Fertilizers, Agro chems – Pesticides, Company News, India, People

D Narain (D), the current President of Bayer South Asia; Vice Chairman, Managing Director & CEO of Bayer CropScience Limited (BCSL) and the Global Head of Smallholder Farming for Bayer, will retire by end of November 2023.

Bayer today announced, that after more than 25 years of service, D Narain (D), the current President of Bayer South Asia; Vice Chairman, Managing Director & CEO of Bayer CropScience Limited (BCSL) and the Global Head of Smallholder Farming for Bayer, will retire by end of November 2023. Simon-Thorsten Wiebusch (Simon) will take over as President, Bayer South Asia and as Vice Chairman, Managing Director & CEO of Bayer CropScience Ltd (BCSL) on November 1st, 2023. Simon will take on these new responsibilities, in addition to his current role as Country Division Head (CDH) of India, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka (IBSL) cluster in Crop Science.

Simon moved to India in December 2018 as Chief Operating Officer of IBSL cluster and in partnership with D established the cluster as a strong growth engine for smallholders before being appointed the Country Division Head (CDH) at the beginning of 2022. Simon started his career with Bayer in 1998 from the company’s headquarters in Germany. He built his professional experience by working in multiple divisions of the company across various geographies like Germany, Eastern Europe, and Asia. Before taking over his current role in India, he was the Chief Executive Officer for Bayer’s Crop Science Division in South-East Asia. Simon holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Applied Sciences in Essen, Germany, and an MBA from the University of Bradford. He has more than two decades of experience in the agriculture industry. He currently lives in Mumbai with his wife Tanja and their children and will continue to operate out of Bayer’s office in Thane, Maharashtra.

D Narain (D), with a career spanning nearly three and half decades in global agriculture, has passionately strived to bring innovative solutions for the upliftment of smallholder farmers globally and with the efforts over the last 5 years, has established the global smallholder business as integral to the long-term growth of the company with a commitment of delivering outcomes of improving smallholder incomes and livelihoods. Over his entire global career, D has also played a pioneering role in bringing financing and risk management models to farmers across the world. In his most recent role, D led the successful integration of Monsanto and has positioned Bayer South Asia as one of the fastest growing regions for the company, a major global talent hub, and expanded ‘Centres of Excellence’ to support multiple global teams. D also with his outstanding ability to lead external engagement and thought leadership to shape the industry, leaves behind a strong network of external relationships and partners for Bayer globally.

Over the coming months, D Narain will work with his successors in India and Germany to facilitate a seamless transition before he retires from Bayer. Even after retirement, D will continue to collaborate with Bayer to expand its partnerships and thought leadership engagements with stakeholders, aimed at improving smallholder incomes and sustainability.

D Narain (D), the current President of