Singapore
April 24, 2017

(Second and third from left) Somang Yang, CropLife Asia, and Ricky Ho, Bayer CropScience, receiving the Asia Pacific Excellence award during the ceremony

CropLife Asia took home the Asia Pacific Excellence Award in the Non-Governmental Organizations & Associations category at a ceremony held on 19 April 2017 at the Harbour Grand Kowloon in Hong Kong.

Through the 'Madhu Sandesh' program, farmers in the state of Maharashtra, India are provided rental bee hives to ensure pollination of their crops. This not only results in improved yield and incomes for farmers but also instills a holistic understanding of the need to use crop protection products in a manner that protects the environment, ecosystems, and human health.

At the end of the first year, 90% of the 180 program participants reported better quality crops. Pomegranate farmers saw an average of 35% increase in their yields, corresponding to a 42% increase in income while the training they received helped reduce waste. Moreover, the farmers who benefitted from the program became greater advocates of promoting pollination, protecting the environment and using crop protection products responsibly. The programme continues to enroll more participants as it moves into its second year.

"We are extremely proud to receive this recognition, which was made possible thanks to the effort and excellent teamwork of our partners ICAR and KVK Baramati," said Dr Siang Hee Tan, Executive Director of CropLife Asia.

"The onus is on us to ensure farmers across the region are able to produce more food for a growing population with fewer resources as well as less impact on the environment - and realize the better quality of life that comes with higher yields. The 'Madhu Sandesh' project shows us an effective way to engage farmers with our core message on responsible use, and to ensure they spread this message in their communities."

The Asia Pacific Excellence Awards are organized by Communication Director, a global magazine for corporate communications and public relations, and celebrate the most outstanding achievements of professionals and organizations in the field.

To find out more about the 'Madhu Sandesh' project, please watch this video at the following domain:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QY1FOFqZo0

About CropLife Asia

CropLife Asia is a non-profit society and the regional organization of CropLife International, the voice of the global plant science industry. We advocate a safe, secure food supply, and our vision is food security enabled by innovative agriculture. CropLife Asia supports the work of 15 member associations across the continent and is led by eight member companies at the forefront of crop protection, seeds and/or biotechnology research and development. For more information, visit us atwww.croplifeasia.org.

Website: http://www.croplifeasia.org/

Published: April 24, 2017