D. Integrated Agriculture Development

The programme promotes a combination of solutions for optimising water management and enhancing farm productivity. Farmers are motivated to form agri-business centres, enabling them to pool knowledge and resources, have access to quality inputs on time and improve productivity and quality.

Agriculture extension services were initiated to enhance land productivity through composting, higher yields per acre through varietal demonstrations and efficient management of water through group wells and sprinkler systems. A total of 20 Agri Business Centres in Guntur district (Andhra Pradesh) provided timely agri-inputs to its 1077 members.

To help farmers capture additional value from their holdings, ITC promoted crop diversification with good market linkages. Organic spices (chilli, cumin, mustard, turmeric and coriander) were promoted on 113 hectares during the year. Medicinal and aromatic plants (rosemary and mentha) were also promoted during the year, covering 46 hectares.