Page 24 - 10 Most Influencive Leaders of Agriculture 2019
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Cultivating the future
Balram Singh Yadav
Godrej Agrovet’s managing director Balram Singh Yadav’s job
satisfaction stems from watching Indian farmers grow, not just their
crops but their investments for the future.
“Coming from my at the growers’ end.
heart, the past 29
years in this job have Meanwhile, it’s
been enormously evident Balram is
satisfying. Seeing not just a leader in
the farmers working India’s agricultural
with us graduate sector, which employs
from a bicycle to a about 60% of the
motorcycle, learning country’s workforce
new things, growing – he understands the
and prospering with business and is clearly
us, sending their passionate about it.
kids to school. They Joining GAVL as a
generate enough trainee manager in
income and surpluses 1991, armed with an
to keep investing in their family’s Balram Singh Yadav agricultural science degree after
future as well as their businesses, graduating with honours, he was
that is what is most satisfying to Managing Director, Godrej Agrovet convinced the way forward to
me.”
regulators, organic manure, generic helping farmers reach a potential
“Coming from my heart, the past agrochemicals, insecticides, they probably never even knew
29 years in this job have been fungicides and specialised existed, was through innovation
enormously satisfying.” herbicides. and sustainability. Once again, his
deep sense of satisfaction shines
GAVL has been committed to GAVL is also one of the largest through.
improving the productivity of palm oil developers in India,
Indian farmers since it launched as encouraging growers to adhere to “For nearly 30 years I’ve worked
a subsidiary to the Godrej Group sustainable cultivation with zero in a sector catering to the under-
conglomerate in 1991, providing deforestation and no cultivation on served,” he says. “I’ve worked
products and services to enhance peat land. with farmers personally, or led
crop and livestock yields. meetings attended by hundreds, to
GAVL is committed to producing tell them about new products, new
The company is the largest seller 100% sustainable palm oil by 2025. technology or new management
of animal feed in India, boasting The company works directly with practices.”
what Balram describes as ‘sizable’ famers in government-approved
numbers, selling 1.3 million tonnes regions of the country with its “It is so heartening to see the
a year, which translates to about sustainable palm oil policy covering people at the bottom of the pyramid
US$450 million. 100% of the palm oil extracted, in our rural areas coming up
including crude palm oil, palm slowly, but surely, with the help of
Its crop protection business kernel oil, palm kernel cake, as our products. I have not seen any
caters to the complete crop well as the in-house processing farmers who are progressive and
lifecycle, including plant growth operations and cultivation processes share our vision fall off our growth
24 December 2019
