Chandigarh: Crystal Phosphates limited, part of Rs 525-crore Crystal group and one of the country’s top five agrochemical companies is all set to adopt around 200 fields in Punjab agriculture belt to open educational centres for farmers.

Chairman of Crystal Group, NK Aggarwal told FE that main objective to start new centres in Punjab is to help farmers in maximising the production without losing the fertility of soil. “Crystal and farmers work on one common mission together to increase the productivity. The endeavours will further motivate them to sustain their main occupation agriculture” Crystal will spend about Rs 1.5 crore and has deputed a team of around 89 technicians and specialists on the project. A farmer can fetch an additional 10% yield, added Aggarwal. In addition to this, Crystal has initiated special training programme-Kissan Sikhlayi Kendra. This will extend to 500 farmers meeting in Punjab, in which the farmers will be updated with upcoming new molecules, diseases and deficiencies in crops, different pests and their control, new spraying equipments and their technology.

About the core business of Crystal, Aggarwal informed that the company manufactures vast range of agrochemicals & pesticides including fungicides,herbicides, insecticides, seed treatment, plant growth regulators and plant micronutrient formulation at its state-of the-art manufacturing facilities in Jammu and Haryana.

Highlighting the importance of Punjab market, Aggarwal said during 2008-09, the company sold pesticides worth more than Rs 50 crore in Punjab alone and has set a target of Rs 75 crore this year. The company is targeting a turnover of Rs 650 crore in 2009-10 up from about Rs 500 crore this year.

He claimed that the company was all set to achieve a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore in the next 5 years. To achieve this 200% growth, Crystal has identified new fields of expansion, in addition to growing its core business of pesticide and agrochemical segment.

Disclosing the expansion plans of Crystal Phosphates limited, Agarwal said, “Agri Equipments is a very big opportunity in the time to come and Crystal has geared up to introduce latest technology products to the farmers soon.