Bayer expands ForwardFarming initiative in China with Shanghai cooperative
Bayer announced that Shanghai’s Guaguajiao agriculture products cooperative (上海呱呱叫农产品专业合作社) will be joining the firm’s forward farming network.
Through ForwardFarming, Bayer works with farmers to improve productivity, reduce agriculture-related greenhouse gas emissions, decrease the environmental impact of crop protection, promote biodiversity, and conserve natural resources.
With 26 ForwardFarms in 13 countries, the system introduced in year 2015 cultivates over 28 types of fruits, vegetables, and grains.
The pilot program between Bayer and the Shanghai cooperative would focus on water-saving, improving crop soil, and reducing waste.
It would deploy technologies such as Bayer’s Phytobac system, which enables contaminants originating from the filling, cleaning, and washing of spray equipment, to be retained and degraded by microbial means.
It will also involve the cultivation of flowering plants and insect hotels for protecting biodiversity.
Bayer, the cooperative, the agriculture and village committee from Pudong new area, Shanghai, and industry experts attended the launch of the partnership in September.
“We hope to introduce a series of cutting-edge agricultural development operating models through the pilot trial at Guaguajiao farms, and that it could become a showcase and training ground for the development of sustainable agriculture practice in Pudong.
“We also hope to work with more global and excellent farming enterprises in developing deeper cooperation and promote sustainable agriculture globally,” said Li Yonghang, deputy director who is part of the agriculture and village committee.
Earlier, Bayer also introduced its ForwardFarming system to Beijing-based Yinhuang Green Agricultural Ecological Park located in Changping district.
During the first round of partnership between 2021 and this year, the system has helped raise farmers annual income by 10 per cent, save costs by 20 per cent, manage about 4,000 litres of waste liquid containing pesticides.
The park has since expressed its willingness to continue partnering Bayer.
Last June, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs published two documents aimed at reducing carbon footprint in the agricultural sector.
Expansion into SEA
Earlier in September, Bayer also announced the launch of its first ForwardFarm in South East Asia located in Can Tho, Vietnam.
The farm was opened in collaboration with the National Agricultural Extension Center and will focus on improving rice cultivation to help Vietnam ramp up its rice exports.
