Wavar aims to cover 1 million acres with its IPM practices
Wavar, an agri community platform that focuses on integrated pest management (IPM) to boost farmer profitability and produce low residue commodities, is planning to cover over 1 million acres of agricultural land with the use of its products and services in the next 18 months.
Sanjay Shirodkar, Co-Founder of Wavar, said his company’s plan revolves around scaling its IPM products and services, which have helped reduce chemical exposure and improve yields. “By doing so, we will effectively remove billions of pests from these areas and reduce chemical use by 30-40 per cent,” he said.
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh will be the key focus States for expansion in the next 18 months. The company plans to expand into Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana after establishing a stronger presence in these States.
Significant results in yield
Wavar’s primary focus will remain on crops such as chilli, turmeric, cotton, tomato, onion, pomegranate, watermelon, mango, and banana for its 1 million acres expansion plan. “These crops are widely cultivated in our target regions, and IPM practices have shown significant results in terms of improving both yield and quality. By expanding our coverage of these crops, we aim to help more farmers achieve sustainable growth,” he said.
Established in 2019, Wavar has 300 dealers in 65 districts reaching 250,000 farmers, and implementing IPM practices on over 40,000 acres of agricultural land.
Asked how different Wavar’s IPM practices are when compared to others, he said in an e-interaction that it provides comprehensive IPM packages for more than 30 crops tailored to specific pest challenges. It controls the production of its IPM tools to provide quality results for farmers. The company’s Wavar app supports knowledge sharing, offering IPM guidance in multiple languages, helping farmers make informed decisions.
New platform launch
Wavar offers post-sale support, agronomy guidance, and on-ground services to ensure the successful implementation of IPM practices. Apart from this, it will soon launch “Wavar Mitra and Saheli” platforms, a digital platform to empower rural entrepreneurs through group deals and social commerce. This will create new income opportunities for communities, he said.
Giving details about the implementation of Wavar’s IPM practices on 40,000 acres of land, he said it covered crops such as chilli, tomato, pomegranate, cotton, guava, custard apple, soyabean, brinjal, garlic, watermelon, orange, cabbage, bottle gourd, groundnut, cucumber, papaya and bitter gourd in states such as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Telangana.
“On an average, we have seen an improvement of 30 per cent in yields and 50 per cent in the overall quality of the produce. Farmers have also reported lower input costs and better prices in the market due to the low-residue crops produced through IPM methods,” he said.
Wavar’s IPM service package includes a mechanical trapping system that naturally traps pests without direct chemical exposure to crops. He said this solution uses colour and pheromones to attract pests, disrupt their life cycle, and control populations by up to 60-70 per cent.