Syngenta India builds Rs 3.3 crore rural wayside market in Telangana

NEW DELHI: Agri-input firm Syngenta India has built a modern rural wayside market in Wanaparthy district, Telangana at a cost of Rs 3.3 crore for the benefits of farmers.

This market will cater to over 20,000 farmers by providing them safe place to do their business and consumers of over 30 villages and urban areas around this district headquarter, Syngenta said in a statement.

Syngenta is one of the world's leading agriculture companies, comprising Syngenta Crop Protection and Syngenta Seeds.

"Spread over 51,020 square feet, this state-of-art market is built at a cost of Rs 3.3 crore in Wanaparthy and will be handed over to the Agriculture Marketing Board for operation and maintenance," it added.

Syngenta's Global CEO J Erik Fyrwald, who is on a three-day visit to India, termed India's rapid march on the path of progress as inspirational and transformational and said that this has strengthened Syngenta's resolve to continue to invest itself in the future of the country's agriculture.

He was speaking after dedicating the market in Wanaparthy district built under Syngenta's flagship CSR I-CLEAN (Inculcating Cleanliness, Learning, Education, Awareness and New Habits) programme.

"Present in the country for 94 years now, India has always been at the core of our focus for its sheer size, diversity and potential -- 40 per cent of workforce in the country is employed in agriculture," Fyrwald said.

Syngenta, he said, has consistently worked on addressing challenges facing Indian agriculture.

"Accordingly, our R&D has been geared to providing technology to the farming community for enhancing productivity and also reducing input costs for better returns on investment. We invest and innovate to transform the way crops are grown and protected to bring about positive, lasting change in agriculture," Fyrwald said.

The company's ambition is to provide leading seeds and crop protection innovations and digital solutions to enhance the prosperity of farmers.

The marketplace in Telangana provides exclusive facilities for women farmers including a day care facility with baby feeding room.

Susheel Kumar, MD & Country Head, Syngenta India, said, "We are glad to be able to contribute to the rural prosperity of Telangana, which has one of the highest rates of agriculture growth at 7.8 per cent."

K C Ravi, Chief Sustainability Officer, Syngenta India, said, "This state-of-art wayside market is equipped with modern amenities including approach roads from the highway, 78 raised platforms, sheds, lights, parking facility, safe drinking water, toilet blocks for men and women, water harvesting, lush green frontage, waste disposal, and children playing area."

"Market stalls, sheds canteen, baby feeding room and a crèche facility make this project unique and will be a safe place specially for women farmers. The facility is expected to impact around 20 per cent women farmers in the area," he added.

Apart from Telangana, 24 such I-CLEAN projects are running in Bihar (18), Uttar Pradesh (02), Karnataka (04) catering to the needs of rural farmers.