BASF & its Partners Releases Results of 'Pragati' Programme

The founding members of the ‘Pragati Project’ for sustainable castor crop- Arkema, BASF SE, Jayant Agro-Organics, and implementation partner Solidaridad - have finalized and published the final audited and certified results of their program's fifth year.

Impacts of Sustainable Castor Bean Programme:

In December 2021, the members updated the impacts of the program so far:

• Over 5,800 farmers have been trained, audited, and certified in total, a 27 percent increase over the previous year in programme year 5.

• 36,000 tonnes of certified castor seed have been grown, representing a 50% increase over the previous year in programme year 5.

• Yield has increased by more than 35% compared to comparable yield published by local governments in the region for 2020-2021.

• More than 13,300 hectares of land are now farmed in accordance with the ‘SuCCESS’ sustainable castor code.

• Approximately 6,300 free safety kits and crop protection product boxes have been distributed.

• Water consumption has been reduced by approximately 35% in demo plots with accurate measurement and control.

• Farmers from over 69 villages in North Gujarat are now enrolled in the programme.

'Through our collaborative efforts in this programme, we support the sustainable production of castor beans in order to establish sustainable supply chains that, among other things, increase the yields and income of farmers,' said Karin Wagner, BASF's procurement manager for castor oil and derivatives.

BASF provides the farmer safety kits. They include disposable respirators, safety glasses, and gloves, as well as simple, picture-based instructions showing where, when, and how to use each personal protection item, as well as information on how to handle chemicals safely.

About Pragati Project:

The Pragati project was launched in May 2016 as a result of a baseline survey of over 1,000 castor farmers in Gujarat, India, which produces the majority of the world's castor supply. The project's goal is to enable sustainable castor crop production by:

• Good agricultural practices are used to increase yield and farmer income.

• Using water resources wisely and maintaining soil fertility

• Promoting the use of good waste management practices

• Better health and safety practices, as well as respect for human rights