Godrej Agrovet Limited (Godrej Agrovet), a leading agri-business company, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission (MSRLM-UMED), to empower rural farmers and promote sustainable agriculture. The collaboration aligns with the United Nations’ observance of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026) which spotlights critical role played by women in the agrifood systems and calls for actions to close gender gaps and strengthen livelihoods. This three-year partnership aims to mobilize Self- Help Groups (SHGs) and women farmers to adopt Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM), improving farm productivity and creating resilient livelihoods. In its first year, the program will focus on nine key cotton-growing districts; Nagpur, Amravati, Yavatmal, Washim, Parbhani, Jalgaon, Beed, Akola, and Nanded; covering over 5,000 women farmers and more than 50,000 acres of farmland while engaging 100 SHGs per district. The initiative will scale up to support over 5000 SHGs across Maharashtra over the three-years, with plan to expand beyond cotton to maize and other crops.Under the MoU, Godrej Agrovet will be working closely with MSRLM-UMED to conduct training workshops on GAP, IPM and safety practices; organize farmer field schools and demonstration plots; and distribute safety kits. MSRLM-UMED will facilitate mobilization and coordination through its SHG and Krishi Sakhi networks while Godrej Agrovet will fund and implement the program.