Agrochem major UPL is eyeing a five-fold expansion for its ProNutiva programme in groundnut, that seeks to enhance the yields through a defined set of practices, to over 10 lakh acres in Gujarat in forthcoming kharif season.
Gujarat is the largest producer of the groundnut in the country and the ProNutiva programme was implemented in about two lakh acres in the State during 2021-22 season. The programme had resulted in an increase in groundnut yields of around 35-40 per cent and production of fodder by a similar margin and an increase in oil content, said Ashish Dobhal, Regional Director for India at UPL.
UPL has been piloting the ProNutiva programme in key groundnut growing areas such as Junagadh, Jamnagar, Amreli, Surendranagar for the past few years. The ProNutiva package of practices consists of seed treatment, use of bio-solutions, water conservation product – Zeba, mechanised spraying and harvesting and crop advisory against pests and diseases among others. The cost of ProNutiva package ranges between ₹3,500-4,000 per acre.
Zeba
As parts of Gujarat witnessed drought conditions, the effect of Zeba was better last year, Dhobal said. Zeba is a starch-based biodegradable product that helps conserve water and is a key part of ProNutiva programme. It helps retain moisture as the granule hold water 400 times its size and prevents leaching of fertilisers, Dobhal said.
UPL had commissioned Grant Thornton to audit the program, Dobhal said. Farms that were under the programme saw an increased yield of 1,056 kg per acre as compared to 800 kg per acre. Also the yield of dry fodder from these farm increased to 3,500 kg per acre as compared to 2,500 kg per acre, leading to an overall increase in income of ₹20,136 per acre. Besides, leading to an increase in net income of farmers by an average of 36 per cent, the programme also generated employment among the youth in the areas, who were trained and skilled in sustainable agriculture practices. This year, the company is planning to engage more youth as it plans to expand the area, he said.
UPL is also leveraging its digital arm, nurture.farm in rolling out the ProNutiva programme, Dobhal said. Farmers can enrol into the program using the nurture.farm app, scan the products and avail the package of practices and crop advisory among others.