Iscon Balaji Foods holds exhaustive Iscon Balaji Gyan Yatra for farmers

In a first of its kind initiative by any food processor in the Indian subcontinent, the biggest potato processor from the country, Iscon Balaji Foods, has organised a month-long exhaustive farmers’ training programme to share the best agricultural practices for sustainability in the value chain.

Iscon Balaji Gyan Yatra, or Iscon Balaji Knowledge Sharing Drive, has been empowering farmers, vendors and sub-vendors associated with the company with insights from farms to factories to make the potato value-chain sustainable.

IBF works with over 8,000 farmers cultivating potato variants across 25,000 acres in seven Indian states. Processing half a million tonnes of potatoes every season, IBF is the biggest French Fries processor and exporter from the country.

IBF agronomists share insights on precision farming techniques during the Iscon Balaji Gyan Yatra, promoting sustainability and profitability among farmers

With overwhelming demand of potato specialties across geographies, the company is ensuring that its supply chain is infallible and production losses at the farm levels are minimal.

“Each potato matters,” has been the motto of IBF as it has been steadily increasing its market share in dehydrated potatoes and frozen potato specialities, and hence, the sourcing. Minimising losses at farm level will ensure minimising losses at the factories, and more profitability for stakeholders.

The month-long exhaustive event at the company’s Himmatnagar plant --- India’s biggest French Fries processing plant – is being attended by thousands of stakeholders who contribute towards Make In India products.

During the sessions, IBF agronomists have been empowering farmers with insights from farms to make farming sustainable. Agri scientists are handholding stakeholders with tips on handling and treatment of potato seeds, soil preparation, regenerative agriculture, green manuring, crop rotation, drip/sprinkler irrigation, green chemicals, farm biodiversity, and improving standards of grading at farm level. IBF is emphasising on precision farming that will yield marketable potatoes.

Farmers attentively participate in the Iscon Balaji Gyan Yatra, gaining valuable knowledge on sustainable farming practices to enhance the potato value chain

IBF is driving home the point that every step of production is important to ensure zero wastage at the farm level. IBF has been felicitating potato farmers who have achieved high-yields, and those who are progressive and have comprehended and have adopted sustainability in production.

Presented with an opportunity to view production of French Fries, and specialities products at IBF’s Himmatnagar factory that is the India’s biggest French Fries processing unit, farmers are getting an overview of the scale of production and essence of responsible farming. Promoting sustainability in the value-chain, IBF’s goal is to deliver Bite-Size Happiness with its potato range that comes from responsible farms.