Regular Update
ATM News Network: ITC, a leading Indian conglomerate, has launched ITCMAARS (Metamarket for Advanced Agriculture and Rural Services), a comprehensive AgriTech platform aimed at empowering farmers and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) across India. The platform, supported by advanced digital technologies, aims to deliver personalised and hyperlocal solutions to the farming community while integrating NextGen agricultural technologies.
Since its launch, ITCMAARS has successfully onboarded over 1,150 FPOs, encompassing more than 500,000 farmers, in nine states. The platform offers various services, including an e-marketplace for agricultural inputs and outputs, advisory services covering agronomy, weather forecasts, best practices for improved productivity, and quality assurance. With plans to scale up rapidly, ITC aims to create a unique platform that provides a competitive advantage to its Agri Business while generating new revenue streams.
In addition to ITCMAARS, ITC is committed to developing climate-smart agriculture systems that address the environmental and social impacts of climate change, enhance agri-value chain resilience, and boost farmer incomes. Through its Climate Smart Agriculture program, ITC promotes the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices, appropriate mechanization, and institutional services to mitigate risks associated with erratic weather events.
The program has expanded its coverage to 23.4 lakh acres and over 7.4 lakh farmers, representing a significant increase compared to the previous year. To further support farmers in dealing with climate risks, ITC facilitated 9.5 lakh linkages with six major government schemes. ITC's collaboration with CGIAR's 'Climate Change and Food Security Programme' resulted in the expansion of climate-smart villages to over 4,800 villages across 11 states, covering 10 lakh acres. These interventions have demonstrated substantial yield increases and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
ITC's Agri Business has experienced significant growth, with operations spanning 22 states and over 20 agri-value chains, totaling more than 4.5 million tonnes of annual volume throughput. The business focuses on accelerating growth through the development and scaling up of Value-Added Agri Products (VAAP) in multiple value chains, including spices, coffee, frozen marine products, and processed fruits. ITC's deep rural linkages and extensive sourcing expertise enable traceable and identity-preserved sourcing of agri-commodities, fostering value addition through processing.
Notably, ITC has expanded its presence in 'food safe' markets such as the US, EU, and Japan, leveraging its sourcing expertise and customer-centric strategies. The company has commissioned a state-of-the-art spices processing facility in Andhra Pradesh, compliant with global food safety standards. This facility will facilitate ITC's expansion into food safe export markets while benefiting Indian farmers through inclusive spices value chains.
Furthermore, ITC is scaling up its customised crop development program in Madhya Pradesh, focusing on Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Extracts (MAPE). Collaborations with farmers are underway, with ITC providing necessary inputs, advisory services, and on-field support. The business is also leveraging the research platforms of ITC's Life Sciences and Technology Centre to develop unique value-added products.
Overall, ITC's initiatives in the agriculture sector, including the ITCMAARS platform and climate-smart agriculture programs, demonstrate its commitment to harnessing technology, empowering farmers, and promoting sustainable practices while driving growth and value creation in the agri-value chains.
