ITC Climate Smart Agriculture Programme Delivers 23% Higher Farmer Income and 20% Lower Production Costs
01 July 2026, New Delhi: ITC’s Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) programme has demonstrated significant improvements in farm profitability and resilience, with independent studies showing a 23% increase in net farmer income, more than 20% reduction in cultivation costs, and around 10% higher crop yields compared to conventional farming practices.
According to the company’s Annual Report 2025–26, the programme now spans 3.193 million acres (31.93 lakh acres)across 113 districts in 17 Indian states, benefiting 1.209 million farmers, including 227,000 women farmers. The initiative is aligned with the Government of India’s climate-resilient agriculture agenda, including the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) programme and other farmer welfare schemes.
The performance gains have been validated through studies conducted by the ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI), Kanpur, which evaluated ITC-promoted climate-smart practices in rice through Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) and in wheat through Zero Tillage. The studies found that these interventions reduced production costs by over 20%, increased crop yields by approximately 10%, and improved farmers’ net returns by more than 23% compared to traditional cultivation methods.
Building Climate Resilience at Scale
The CSA programme combines climate-resilient agronomic practices, appropriate farm mechanisation, and institutional support to help farmers mitigate the impacts of erratic weather while improving productivity and profitability.
As part of its soil health strategy, ITC constructed 5,210 new compost units during FY2025–26, taking the cumulative total to 72,510 units to enhance Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) and improve long-term soil fertility.
Knowledge transfer remained a key pillar of the programme, with over 13,500 Farmer Field Schools and 13,300 Choupal Pradarshan Khets (demonstration farms) established during the year. These platforms enabled farmers to adopt improved agronomic practices and climate-smart technologies.
Strengthening Rural Service Networks
ITC further expanded its rural service ecosystem through 2,150 Agri Business Centres (ABCs), including 468 women-led centres. These centres provided agricultural advisory services, facilitated access to institutional credit, organised collective procurement of farm inputs, and offered farm machinery on a rental basis, helping smallholders access modern technologies without significant capital investment.
Complementing the CSA initiative, ITC’s Climate Smart Village (CSV) programme now covers 7,055 villages, promoting community-wide climate adaptation through natural resource management, knowledge dissemination, diversified livelihoods, and stronger local institutions.
During the reporting year, the company facilitated 2.831 million linkages under six major government welfare schemes, taking the cumulative number of farmer linkages to over 7 million.
Supporting High-Value Crop Diversification
ITC also expanded its Makhana Development Programme in Bihar, which now operates across 214 villages in six districts, benefiting 7,100 farmers over 23,150 acres.
The initiative promotes improved makhana varieties such as Sabour Makhana-1 and Swarna Vaidehi, alongside Integrated Plant Nutrient Management (IPNM) practices. During the year, 1,700 farmers were connected with government support programmes, including the Makhana Vikas Yojana and PM-KISAN.
Partnerships Expand Climate-Smart Agriculture
The company continued its collaboration with the Rajiv Gandhi Mission for Watershed Management in 35 districts of Madhya Pradesh and with the state’s Farmer Welfare and Agriculture Development Department across six districts.
Training and field-level support during the year strengthened implementation of Climate Smart Village interventions across 8,200 villages, focusing on sustainable resource management and climate adaptation.
FPOs and Sustainable Village Development
Leveraging its agri-extension network and the ITCMAARS digital agriculture platform, ITC supported the formation of new Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) while strengthening existing institutions. The company engaged with 2,184 FPOs, including 31 women-exclusive FPOs, aimed at improving market access, aggregation, and farmer incomes.
ITC’s Adarsh Gram Programme now covers 513 villages across Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, promoting economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable rural development. The initiative also focuses on farm safety and human rights by creating awareness among farmers and agricultural workers, distributing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, and encouraging the use of technologies such as drones for safer agrochemical application.
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