CARD | Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development

Project Facilitation

The Indian agricultural sector is characterized by low technology adoption, inefficient resource management and low yields. The production system lacks knowledge management, market linkages and value chain development. CARD realized these gaps in the production system and worked towards addressing the challenge of efficient use of farm resources and yield high returns from the farms through technology-led, market-oriented and diversified farming. CARD started executing agricultural projects on the ground, funded by corporates, institutions, and various State Governments.

Contract Farming Services

CARD is engaged in Contract farming which is defined as a system for the production and supply of agriculture/horticulture produce under forward contract between producers/suppliers and farmers. CARD facilitates the commitment of the producer/seller to provide an agricultural commodity of a certain type at a time and in the quantity required by a known and committed buyer. Farmers are required to plant the contractors crop on his land and to harvest and deliver to the contractor a quantum of produce based upon anticipated yield and contracted acreage. This could be pre-agreed.

Organic Farming

Organic Farming is a unique production management system which promotes a healthy agro-ecosystem, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity, and this is accomplished by using on-farm agronomic, biological and mechanical methods, excluding all synthetic off-farm inputs. CARD organizes, empowers and educates the rural communities in terms of self-reliance, poverty reduction and economic growth. We promote farmer groups, associations and farmer owned producer companies for quality organic production, value addition, storage and marketing thereon. CARD also plays an important role in advising, training, and offering consultancy on organic farming to both intending organic farmers as well as existing organic farms. We provide our advisory services to a wide range of clients including corporate farms, individual farmers, farmer groups, cooperatives and NGOs.

Precision Agriculture

High Technology Farming is a broad concept which refers to a wide range of new tools (Robotics, ICT, Big Data, GEO, Earth Observation, etc.). The synergic use of these technologies allows the shift to the new paradigm of Sustainable Precision Agriculture. CARD intends to set up 1 acre model precision agriculture farm with the help of GEO-ICT solution providers which shall serve as centre for excellence for entire farming community in the country. CARD has joined hands with various ICT companies in country for latest technology dissemination in rural areas. Also CARD has developed partnership with GODAN (Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition) to capitalize partnership in seeking International mileage in ICT for Agriculture domain. A dedicated partnership on High Tech Farming has been promoted by CARD to facilitate inter-regional and cross-border cooperation and projects, thus accelerating the uptake of SPF in Indian agricultural systems.

Farmer Advisory for Hi-tech Agriculture

CARD intends to establish a Farmer Advisory for Hi-Tech Agriculture as a virtual platform in the form of mobile application, which will facilitate all the Hi-Tech farmers in the country to interact with the experts and scientists. This application will provide an opportunity for the farmers engaged in Hi-Tech farming/controlled cultivation or Precision Agriculture to interact with the scientists and seek expert advice instantly. This platform will provide various stakeholders to a platform to share their knowledge and seek expert guidance on Hi-tech farming. The registered farmers and entrepreneurs can post their questions through the application and seek immediate expert advice. The primary objective of this project is to conceptualize a virtual knowledge sharing platform for all farmers and entrepreneurs who are engaged in hi-tech farming or Poly house cultivation or precision farming, and the scientists.

Climate Smart Agriculture

Climate-smart agriculture is a way to achieve short-and-long-term agricultural development objectives in the face of climate change and serves as a bridge to other developmental goals. CARD, under its Climate-smart agriculture project, creates readiness to deal with extreme weather conditions and uncertainties.

Management of water resources cannot be left up to the governments. Every citizen and every farmer has a responsibility. Every climate-smart farmer would incorporate practices like farm ponds, trenching, mulching and other so on, for conservation of soil moisture, and use appropriate seeds and on-farm inputs to have better access and control over required water resources. CARD seeks to support the country in securing the necessary policies, technical and financial conditions in order to:

Sustainably increase agricultural productivity and incomes to meet national food security and developmental goals.
Build resilience and the capacity of agricultural and food systems to adapt to climate change.
Seek opportunities to mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases and increase carbon sequestration.

Global GAP Program

CARD has successfully executed projects on Good Agricultural Practices in collaboration with various corporates and State Governments in U.P., Rajasthan, MH, HR and NER, in which small farmers are grouped into Farmer Interest Groups (FIG). Each FIG member is given training on agronomical practices, nutrient management, disease & pest management, and institutional development, provided with quality inputs and linked to the market.