Maharashtra, Oct 21: Amazon and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics marked Farmers’ Day on October 9, 2026, at Abitgarh village in Palghar district, recognising the contributions of local tribal farmers to an ongoing project focused on water and soil conservation and improving farming practices. The event brought together farming families, field teams and partners, highlighting the ongoing work between Amazon and ICRISAT to support sustainable farming practices and rural livelihoods.
The celebration was graced by Hon’ble Shri Daulat Bhika Daroda, Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Shahapur constituency. They were joined by Dr. Amol V. Dahiphale, Head of the Agricultural Research Station, Palghar, and Dr. S. S. Sayyeed, Junior Agronomist at the Agricultural Research Station, Palghar, along with ICRISAT scientists and field teams, Amazon officials, and members of the farming community that delivered the initiative.
The event marked the first-year milestones of “Regenerative Landscape for Transforming Smallholder Agri-Food Systems,” an Amazon–ICRISAT initiative spanning 1,500 hectares in Palghar district. The programme addresses land degradation, water scarcity and smallholder vulnerability through decentralised, community-led natural resource management. To date, the initiative has established 97 water-management physical structures, including water surplus structures, farm ponds, masonry tanks and stream deepening, creating an estimated 328,900 cubic metres of water-harvesting capacity. This secures protective irrigation and enables dry-season cropping, while improved plant health, soil-nutrient demonstrations and agroforestry interventions have directly benefited about 700 tribal farming families. These families are also expected to see increased farm output during the Rabi season and a correlated boost in household incomes of about 80 percent.
“Amazon has achieved water positivity in India, and we continue to invest in water projects that support local communities and bolster water resources. The Vaitarna river basin supplies more than 30% of Mumbai’s drinking water, making it important for our ongoing water stewardship efforts. Through this project, we aim to help local farmers improve crop yields and potentially grow an additional crop each year, while replenishing an estimated 1300 million litres of water annually into the Vaitarna river system, equivalent to the annual water needs of approximately 6,000 households,” said Anurag Khilnani, Director – Data Centre Delivery, APAC, Amazon Web Services.
“This collaboration with Amazon and local farming communities has already started showing results on both water and food security fronts. Our field data show that Kharif crop yields in the project area went up by over 20% against pre-intervention baselines. What stands out is that farmers now have enough water to plan Rabi season crops. Rainwater harvesting structures and related measures are estimated to have contributed to 328 million litres of groundwater recharge this season. Once fully implemented in 2027, the project is expected to replenish approximately 1300 million litres of water annually. Over time, this recharge could help sustain base flows in the Vaitarna river system, an important source of Mumbai’s drinking water,” stated Dr Venkataradha Akuraju, Senior Scientist – Vadoze Zone Hydrology, ICRISAT.
The initiative reinforces Amazon’s continued efforts to support communities, while contributing to ICRISAT’s mission of advancing science-backed, climate-resilient agriculture for smallholder farmers.