No matter where in the world, farmers face diverse challenges. Only produce meeting customer demands with respect to quality and quantity assures stable incomes. And as elsewhere, income assures a farmer’s livelihood and allows investments into better machinery and innovative technology.
At Bayer, we are convinced that these challenges are best addressed in close cooperation with the farmers themselves. That is why we introduced a unique concept ‘Bayer Labhsutra’ to help farmers achieve better return on investment by adopting Bayer’s integrated solutions which include Bayer's ‘Seed to Harvest’ packages and Bayer's expert agronomic advise. In 2013, the Company conducted 3,469 field demonstrations for farmers in Bayer Labhsutra plots across India for 5 key crops (paddy, cotton, vegetables, pulses & fruits). These demonstrations resulted in a yield increase, which brought in 12 - 27% incremental profits compared to the usual farmer’s practice.
In the Labhsutra program, the participating farmer’s land is divided into two halves. Bayer’s Seed & Crop Protection products are used with Bayer experts' guidance on one half of the land, while on the other half; the farmer follows his own practice. On the harvest day, the output from the two halves is compared. Farmers have seen convincing results from Bayer Labhsutra, in the form of an increase in quantity and quality of food grain produce and increased farm profitability.
The Labhsutra initiative also educates farmers on tackling common pest and diseases that impact crop productivity. Further, Bayer provides farmers additional information and advisory on soil testing, seeds and weather forecasting.