An official launch ceremony was held in the town of Adoni, Andhra Pradesh, for a project that will reach up to 100,000 farm families in the surrounding region over the next four years. The project, which is supported by CropLife International, with the aid of CropLife Asia and CropLife India will train farmers in the safe handling and responsible use of crop protection products, including their secure storage.
The aim is to maximise benefits of using crop protection products, reduce their unnecessary use and mis-use, plus to minimise any risks from their use. The project will be implemented by local partners, which includes EFFORT, a local NGO with extensive experience in the region. The impact of the training will be closely monitored in order to determine what interventions are most effective and result in real behavioural change; this will help us to improve our training programmes and their impact, as well as inform other groups undertaking similar programmes across the world.
The launch was attended by local government officials, CropLife International, Asia and India representatives, along with 400 farmers from the region, all of which were enthusiastic to start the project and help the people of the region improve their livelihoods.