Stakeholders launch regenerative mustard farming initiative in Rajasthan

Stakeholders launch regenerative mustard farming initiative in Rajasthan

The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA), AWL Agri Business Ltd, Solidaridad Network Asia Ltd and Bharatkhand Foundation have joined hands to launch “Sarson Sankalp”, a five-year farmer-focused programme aimed at advancing regenerative mustard farming across Bundi, Tonk and Jhalawar districts of Rajasthan.

The programme will commence with an indicative target of 15,000 active farmers during the financial year 2026-27 and progressively expand its outreach to 40,000 farmers by 2030-31, with a total programme budget of ₹16 crore.

‘Sarson Sankalp’ is designed as an integrated farmer-support programme combining training, demonstration, model farms, soil and crop advisory, field-level extension, farmer records, monitoring and measurement of performance indicators.

The programme will establish model and demonstration farms as local learning hubs, enabling farmers to see regenerative practices in action, compare results and learn from field-based evidence.

Key areas of intervention will include improving soil health and crop nutrition; promoting the efficient use of water and agricultural inputs; strengthening climate resilience of mustard-based farming systems; encouraging practices that support biodiversity and sustainable agriculture; providing locally relevant soil and crop advisory services; building stronger farmer knowledge and field-level extension systems; and monitoring and measuring farm-level outcomes to support evidence-based scaling.

CSR projectSupported through AWL’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, ‘Sarson Sankalp’ will promote practical approaches to improve soil health, climate resilience, water and input efficiency, biodiversity and farm-level outcomes. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed recently during the annual general meeting of SEA.

Under the partnership, AWL Agri Business Ltd will provide CSR support, while SEA will facilitate programme coordination and qualitative monitoring. Solidaridad will contribute its expertise in regenerative agriculture, programme guidance, quality assurance, knowledge and learning support. Bharatkhand Foundation will serve as the principal field implementation partner.

Quoting Angshu Mallick, Executive Deputy Chairman of AWL Agri Business Ltd, a media statement said: “Through ‘Sarson Sankalp’, AWL’s CSR programme is investing in farmers, healthier soils and resilient agricultural communities. The partnership provides a long-term platform to demonstrate practical regenerative solutions and measure how they improve farm-level outcomes.”

Sanjeev Asthana, former President of SEA, said ‘Sarson Sankalp’ demonstrates how the edible oil industry can support farming communities through a structured CSR programme with scale, accountability and measurable field outcomes. SEA is pleased to bring partners together around a model that can strengthen farmers and contribute to India’s oilseed self-reliance, he said.

BV Mehta, Executive Director of SEA, said the programme brings farmer outreach, model farms, regenerative practices, field advisory and performance measurement into one implementation architecture. Its real strength will be the quality of field execution and the evidence generated for wider adoption across the mustard sector.

Shatadru Chattopadhayay, Managing Director of Solidaridad Network Asia Ltd, said: “Regenerative agriculture creates lasting value when farmers receive practical support, locally relevant knowledge and consistent follow-up. This partnership is designed to translate improved practices into measurable results for soil health, resource efficiency, resilience and farmer wellbeing at scale.”

Suresh Motwani, General Manager of Solidaridad and Coordinator of SEA-Solidaridad Sustainable Oilseed Mission, said: “Our priority is to make regenerative mustard meaningful at farm level --improving soil health, resilience, productivity, resource efficiency and farmers’ capacity to manage future climate and production risks.”

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