Bayer CropScience and GIZ organise Apple Forum

Bayer CropScience, along with other stakeholders, is aiming to enhance productivity of apple and other crops in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir through sustainable farming methods. “We will, in the future, focus even more on addressing specific local requirements in apple and in other crops, in order to aggressively target growth opportunities in a sustainable manner,” said Joerg Rehbein, country head, Bayer CropScience, Indian Subcontinent, during a one day Apple Forum at Simla.
 
The forum - organised by the Bayer CropScience and GIZ (a German government owned not-for-profit enterprise supporting sustainable development) - saw participation from key stakeholders such as growers, international crop experts, representatives of the Solan University and private players. Discussions in the forum focused on new ways to foster the long-term growth of the apple industry in Himachal Pradesh and how to help growers in promoting sustainable farming.
 
The forum was organised under the umbrella of the ‘Bayer-GIZ Project Apple Value Chain Interventions for Development (AVID)’ that will focus on production and supply chain issues of apples in Himachal Pradesh (HP) and Jammu & Kashmir. The project aims to improve the income of growers in selected districts through better agronomic practices, value chain interventions and other innovations.
 
This AVID project has been established under the overall project 'Innovation Centres in Agricultural and Food Sector' under the 'One World No Hunger' initiative of BMZ, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. GIZ is the implementing partner while Bayer CropScience is the main private partner to the AVID project.
 
In Himachal Pradesh, the apple project will undertake multiple activities such as capacity building of farmer organizations and establishing of a model orchard. In Kashmir, the project will focus on fighting Apple Scab, a growing concern in the state. International experts will be engaged to bring in the best agricultural practices across the world to the apple orchards in these two states. The project duration is 2015-17. Close cooperation with the state universities and national institutes for project steering, supporting ongoing initiatives and reaching out to a wider grower community will be established.
 
Rehbein said, “At Bayer CropScience, we are constantly improving our product portfolio and approach to better understand and serve the farming community. Companies often need to establish broader partnerships to leverage each other’s strengths. We leverage our unique expertise through projects and partnerships such as this.”