Insecticides (India) Ltd (IIL) has stationed over 600 crop experts across the country to assist farmers in selecting the appropriate crop protection products based on their needs.
As part of the Mega Extension Activities Program (MEAP), the experts will assist over 10 lakh farmers in understanding every aspect of crop protection, from seed treatment to pest, weed, and disease management, during the current fiscal year.
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This initiative follows closely on the heels of the integrated pest management (IPM) research project launched prior to the pandemic in parts of Uttar Pradesh by the IIL Foundation, the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) wing, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).
Statement of purpose – Mission
‘As part of our extension activities, IIL’s mission is to assist farmers in understanding the judicious use of agrochemicals, good farming practices to minimize input costs, maximize outputs profits with good productivity, and protect soil health. Our crop experts are doing exactly that, working in the field to provide suitable information for better agricultural practices through a variety of media such as farmer meetings, field demonstrations, and field days. We took it digitally during the pandemic lockdown period as well and assisted over seven lakh farmers last year,’ said Rajesh Aggarwal, Managing Director, Insecticides (India) Ltd, in a comment.
The company intends to reach out to over 25 lakh farmers throughout the country.
Financial success
On Thursday, IIL shares were trading in the green, marginally higher on the BSE at ₹762.55. The company reported a 44 percent increase in net profit for the June quarter this fiscal, at ₹34.71 crores, compared to ₹24.08 crores in the same period last year. Revenues for the June quarter increased by 14% to ₹468.26 crores, compared to ₹409.60 crore in the same period last year.
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‘Before the Covid-19 pandemic, experts could make the journey to farmers and provide them with advice as needed. However, with the pandemic compelling lockdowns, we devised the idea of crop advisors reaching out to farmers through physical and digital meetings, such as telecalling and WhatsApp, to prevent them from making mistakes that could be harmful to their and the crop’s health. Our crop advisors raised awareness and guided farmers to produce more with less waste. We are also getting a lot of positive feedback from the market,’ said Sanjay Singh, General Manager, Market Development, IIL.
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