ITC helping farmers to improve farm income

Kolkata: ITC Paperboards and Speciality Papers Division (PSPD), India's largest and the greenest paperboards and paper company, is now working towards the goal of doubling farmers' income in the coming years. The company is reaching out to farmers, identifying 'progressive farmers' in terms of volume of yields, recognizing and rewarding them and also making them learn best management practices. As starter, the company has recognized and rewarded a group of 'progressive farmers', who achieved high Eucalyptus wood yield in Bhadradri — Kothagudem district during 2018-19, top company officials said.

"The enhanced yields achieved by the farmers was enabled by the growing and effective use of site specific, high yielding, disease resistance clones developed by ITC. ITC PSPD Plantations team is continuously working and engaging with farmers to help them adopt best management practices in order to enhance wood yield and improve farm income," said the official spokesperson.

Interestingly, one of the farmers, N Malikarjuna Rao of Bandragonda recorded the highest wood yield of 84.6 MT per acre harvested at about 4.5 years age of plantation, which is more than the average yield of Brazil (72 MT/A/acre). Besides, 9 more farmers — P Venkat Rao from Ulavanuru, Y Ramakrishna from Bangurajala, Venkataramana from Yetapaka, Bh. Subharajufrom Venkatapu-ram, K. Nageswara Rao from Ramachandrapuram, P. Rajendra Babu from Yerragunta, T. Venu from Nagaram, N. Ramufrom Kudunuru and B Ravi from Kothuru — who were recognised by ITC also recorded excellent wood yield in the range of 50 MT per acre to 60 MTper acre in around 4 years.

"Such high yields have enabled farmers increase their farm income substantially. The senior leadership team of PSPD requested the pulpwood farming community to adopt best management practices using site specific quality clones developed by ITC, which would go a long way in achieving the objective of doubling farmers' income in the coming years," the spokesperson said.

Significantly, the large-scale renewable plantations that support ITC's Paperboards business contribute to the carbon sequestration and soil conservation objectives of the country.