Established in 1975, Balrampur Chini Mills Ltd (BCML) is a renowned name in the sugar manufacturing sector. With a strong commitment to business excellence and social responsibility, BCML has not only achieved leadership within its core industry but has also emerged as a catalyst for positive change within the communities it serves. While primarily operating in Uttar Pradesh, BCML's impact extends well beyond its factory walls. The sugar major prioritizes equitable, sustainable development, notably for underprivileged communities, with initiatives spanning livelihoods, education, healthcare, and sanitation.
At the forefront of initiatives that uplift and empower rural communities, BCML has consistently spearheaded efforts that directly impact and elevate the lives of farmers. In an enlightening interview with TheCSRUniverse, Ms. Avantika Saraogi, Promoter & Business Lead: New Initiatives, BCML, shares valuable insights that offer a learning experience for other social sector stakeholders working to provide better growth opportunities for farmers. She also shares heartwarming anecdotes of the joyful farmers whose lives have been beautifully woven with success through the company's transformative initiatives.
The interview highlights the significance of adopting a holistic approach that transcends mere financial transactions, the effectiveness of implementing sustainable practices to enhance farmers' income, the transformative power of technology in connecting and empowering farming communities, and the importance of collaborative efforts with diverse stakeholders to drive lasting change. BCML's comprehensive model, encompassing farmer engagement, technical expertise, and community welfare, serves as an effective blueprint for creating meaningful impact in the lives of farmers.
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Q. Could you please provide insights into the company's initiatives and their impact on enhancing the livelihoods of farmers in Uttar Pradesh?
A. Balrampur Chini Mills Ltd (BCML) works with more than 5.5 lakh farmers across Eastern & Central Uttar Pradesh. Through our various initiatives, we have been constantly trying to create an all-round impact on the livelihoods of the farmers and the communities around. From developing a mobile application to connecting the entire community virtually to providing farming equipment at subsidized rates, to ensuring quality yield, we have been rendering undivided efforts towards enhancing the lives of the farmers.
While we have always been very punctual with respect to releasing of payments to our farmers, we are now releasing payments even before the stipulated timeframe. Through our sustainable livelihoods initiatives, we have distributed more than 6500+ modern agricultural equipment at a subsidized rate which helped them to increase their overall income by 52.5%.
Q. Sugarcane is a crucial crop for Balrampur Chini Mills Limited. Could you share insights into the company's approach towards sustainable sugarcane farming practices and how it benefits both the farmers and the environment?
A. Our mission is to create more from less and we firmly stand by the same and our product basket further firms our efforts.
The Agri-Inputs segment in our offerings was solely created to utilize pollutants and waste products and turn it into a bio agricultural product. We installed granulation plants as one of the firsts in the industry to pioneer a technology to utilize the Potash rich ash from boilers and turn it into granular Potash-fertilizer, called Bhoomi. We infuse the usage of natural components to enhance the quality of produce, thereby resist any sort of unmindful chemical usage.
We encourage farmers to use bio fungicides and spread awareness on the benefits of using nonchemical products. For instance, we have developed a bio-fungicide Jaiv Shakti, which helps control fungal diseases for sugarcane and other crops. The use of organic Jaiv Shakti also helps control the infamous red rot disease of sugarcane. Amongst other sustainable farming activities, we advise farmers on how crops can be switched therefore graduate farmers from mono cropping to multi cropping which help them to move from a singular cane focus to diverse crop varieties which in turn helps in preserving soil nutrient quality.
Most importantly, we also conduct soil testing for the farmers free of cost at the state of the art, soil testing labs installed at our units. The test results give valuable information to the farmers about the nutrient level of the soil of his land and helps prevent them from over utilizing fertilisers and thereby resulting in the nutrient balance of the soil to be maintained.
Q. The company focuses on benefiting the lives and livelihoods of about 6 lakhs farmers. Can you share with us the holistic approach BCML adopts to achieve this, and how it engages with the farmers to understand their needs and concerns?
A. Over the years, we have faithfully connected with farmers to understand the challenges faced by them and guided them to sail through, without impacting the productivity of their yield. We have also provided technical know-how, which has helped them reduce dependence on external factors/labours. In addition to the farming requisites, we completely understand the importance of the well-being of our growers’ communities and their families. Every time, fields visits are made to the communities, we gather feedback on the issues faced by them within and beyond the farming periphery. These observations help us understand the gaps and plan our initiatives accordingly.
Our cane officers visit farms on regular intervals to understand the soil conditions or if the farmers need any kind of guidance and advise them accordingly. The support rendered by our cane development team ranges from providing agri-equipments at subsidized rates, to convey technical know-how to provide awareness on advanced cane varieties and many more.
In terms of CSR, our aim is to improve the livelihoods of the rural population through tools, technology, services, and awareness. From education to healthcare to sanitation, we have spearheaded various projects and have successfully implemented them, which later contributed in enhancing the standard of living of the rural populace.
Q. Can you highlight the most impactful features of BCML’s Balram App and how it benefits the farming community?
A. The Balram app is designed to create a close-knit community of sugarcane growing farmers of BCML, in Uttar Pradesh. The application launched and then upgraded by BCML is, yet another significant step undertaken by the company towards digitalization in agriculture.
- The app offers critical information to farmers, enhancing awareness of sectorial and corporate ground realities.
- Provides information to farmers related to the expiry of cane supply tickets in real time. Farmers can see their entire supply of cane alongside their respective time periods and also helps in re issue of missed cane ticket.
- Provides farmers with SMS alerts on important notifications related to payment.
- Creates awareness about soil fertility via the fertilizer calculator which allows farmersto understand exactly what quantity of fertilizer is required to be applied, shares information on crop diseases & prevention.
- Farmers can ask questions to the company’s cane development team through the request redressal system.
Technically also the app has been built in such a way that farmers find it easy to use. It’s light weight, so can be installed in any basic smart phone.
Q. BCML's distribution of 6500+ farm equipment is commendable. Can you share specific examples of how these tools have enhanced agricultural practices for the farmers?
A. BCML’s agriculture development initiative aims to promote sustainable farming practices, enhance agricultural productivity and support the socio-economic development of farming communities. BCML has supported farmers by providing access to farm machinery and equipment such as tractors, power tillers, harvesters and irrigation systems, which help them overcome the challenges of manual labour and enhance their efficiency and productivity.
For instance, the power tiller is a handheld machine which does not need to be mounted on a tractor. It reduces the manual labour cost for the farmer, hereby increasing efficiency and productivity. It is used to control uncultivated plants thereby pulverising the soil required for farming of all crops and not just sugarcane.
Another example is the sub-soiler, which helpsin deep tillage, loosening and in breaking-up the soil at deeper levels. It saves time and also enhances the quality of growth especially in areas which suffer from hard pan helps in water percolation and in the long run contributes in restoring the ground water level.
The best part is these machines are further rented out to other farmers after getting it at subsidized cost from us. So this also acts as a source of additional income for the farmer.
Q. Achieving a remarkable 52.5% increase in farmers' income is impressive. Could you share insights on how BCML accomplished this, and how the progress is being sustained?
A. A substantial 52.5% increase in farmers’ income could be made possible through sustainable practices which we have consistently maintained for years. Over the years we have bought farming equipment and gave it to the farmers at a subsidized rate. These equipments were again rented out by the farmer who bought the machinery to other farmers which became a viable source of additional income.
Q. Could you share inspiring stories that showcase BCML's positive impact on farmers and their families?
A. Positive and happy stories of our growers and their families, keep us going. During my regular visits to the units, I personally meet the farmers and their families. During my recent visit to Mankapur, one of our growers told me how our officials’ guidance has enabled him to increase his produce by 25%, which in return has helped him to renovate his thatched hut into a furnished house. As mentioned earlier, we are very punctual when it comes to timely release of payment, and this has enabled growers to plan their expenses better and in-advance.
One of our growers from Balrampur, mentioned, how he was able to afford his son’s educational expenses owing to the timely release of payment. His son’s tenure at the engineering college passed smoothly and he’s currently a qualified engineer.
Steadily we have been able to help our growers’ community to sustain themselves better and enhance their standard of living. While the medium of income still remained the same, we restored stability and profitability in it. The overarching idea stemming from the fact that only when the fundamental needs of a farmer is met, he can then focus on enhancing his life further. Once the kutcha thatched roof of his house is made pukka and stronger, then only he can think of sending his children for higher education and so on so forth.
Q. How does BCML collaborate with social sector stakeholders to drive positive change and lasting benefits for the communities it serves?
A. We collaborate with the government, district authorities, village panchayats, NGOs and other stakeholders to widen our reach and help leverage the collective expertise and experience that these partnerships bring to the CSR activities.
The bulk of CSR activities actioned in Uttar Pradesh is conducted through Balrampur Foundation. The body is completely dedicated to undertake CSR initiatives and fulfil the Company’s aspirations to make the lives of the rural populace productive.
BCML through Balrampur Foundation partnered with Usha International Limited to develop women entrepreneurs by providing them 7 day or 2 months training in operating a sewing machine, stitching, and running a sewing school. We assisted certified women in securing employment and starting their own Usha Silai School. In the area of education, we partnered with Agastya Foundation, aiming to bring science education and practical learning to remote rural areas where access to quality education and resources is limited. These mobile labs are equipped with various scientific instruments, experimentation models, and educational materials to engage students in interactive sessions. In FY’23, we have benefitted around 47,600 students , 792 mobile science lab visits, children received exposure to around 400 teachers.
Q. Based on the ground realities that you experience during the implementation of your initiatives, could you shed light on the challenges and areas of concern within the agriculture industry? Additionally, what policy recommendations do you suggest that could bring positive changes for the farmers?
A. Due to lack of awareness on the benefits of evolving technologies, most of the times they are unaware of its boons, consequently their fears arise from the sense of not knowing about any digital medium or advantages of mechanization in agriculture. Spreading awareness, educating them about the usages and benefits of using machines in agriculture, new technology and tools collecting feedback from them and working on them consistently helped us overcome the challenges faced. The policies are great, forward looking and directed in the right direction.
Q. Can you outline the future roadmap, goal, and mission of Balrampur Chini Mills Limited concerning its initiatives to further impact and improve the livelihoods of farmers? Are there any plans for expansion or new endeavours in this regard?
A. At BCML, our objective is to engage closely, examine the potential delta and plug it. We believe that a timely payment for cane is now a given; one needs to work beyond it and educate farmers on not just the incentive in growing cane but also in superior farm practices (which keep evolving). Our objective is to get farmers up to real-time in mindsets, priorities and practices and align them with the new principles and policies.
We have an unwavering commitment towards bringing rural prosperity and we are steadily moving forward towards that. We want the basic needs of the farmers to be fulfilled first, and through our well-rounded multi-directional efforts, we aim to bring in positive impact in the lives of everyone, including the remote sections of rural India and not just the sugarcane farmers.
