Extension Activities

Rajshree Sugars was the pioneering company to establish two other distinct cane functions comprising of R&D and Extension wings to transfer technologies from “Lab to Land” and transform sugarcane agriculture as a sustainable live hood for farmers in the country. The three guiding objectives of extension function are enhancing productivity, reducing cost of cane cultivation and building lasting relationship with the majority stakeholders viz., the farmers.

• 350 different village centric service providers and entrepreneurs developed and serve as company ambassadors for effective large scale technology adoption through doorstep service.
• 28 new shadenet house entrepreneurs developed and 66 lakh direct transplantable sugarcane seedlings produced thereby ensuring good quality seed material supply to farmers through a clean nursery program in 1000 acres.
• 80% of nursery utilisation for planting which lead to maintenance of varietal purity and increase in sugar recovery.
• Major portion of ratoon crop area to the tune of 11000 acres covered with trash shredding & mulching by nurturing 36 trash shredder entrepreneurs thereby ensuring sustenance of ratoon crop yields and area through promotion of multi-ratoons by farmers.
• Extensive area of 17000 acres covered with bioproducts application which results in sustainable soil health improvement with cost savings on inorganic fertiliser consumption.
• Significant proportion of sugarcane area of 27000 acres covered with biocontrol agents to mitigate yield losses due to pest and drought.
• A novel concept of drip service providers introduced with 13 drip service providers in operation for effective drip technology service and maintenance leading to productivity improvement.
• 75 exclusive one day women farmers meetings conducted & 3000 women farmers trained for inclusive women empowerment in sugarcane farming.
• Highest number of 17000 farmers trained each year through farmer training modules on modern and sustainable sugarcane cultivation practices resulting in significant increase in adoption levels of technology with resultant yield improvement.
• A crop cultivation booklet and novel drip diaries have been developed and distributed to farmers with excellent reception among farmers and adoption, leading to effective technology adoption
• A first of a kind two story based video modules on sustainable sugarcane cultivation and drip irrigation developed which served as enthralling and easier technology dissemination tool catering to all farmer categories.
• A pioneering concept of mobile village theatres (MVT) has been developed which provides village level doorstep training in a comfortable ambience.
• The concept of “Technical and Transactional SMS” was introduced for the first time in a sugar industry in collaboration with IFFCO Kisan Sanchar limited and Airtel , wherein farmers receive periodic message updates on cane cultivation practices to be adopted.