You’ve Heard of Cricket Cups but the Farmer Cup Might Change Maharashtra Forever

In a small village in Maharashtra, a dozen farmers huddle around a freshly dug patch of soil, debating moisture levels with the excitement of a cricket strategy meeting. Nearby, a women’s collective is busy planning a bulk seed purchase to cut costs for the season. 

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These scenes are playing out across 46 talukas, perhaps signs of a rural transformation powered by teamwork, training, and a sense of shared purpose.

Welcome to the Farmer Cup, an initiative that is turning agriculture into a collaborative sport — and farmers into changemakers

A grassroots model now set for statewide scale-up

In a major boost to this people-driven revolution, the Maharashtra Government has partnered with Paani Foundation to expand the ‘Satyamev Jayate Farmer Cup’ to every taluka and village in the state. 

The initiative will form 15,000 Farmer Producer Groups (FPGs) in 2026–27, ensuring that farmers not only grow more, but also earn more together.

Since its launch in 2021, the Farmer Cup has brought together more than 50,000 farmers, nearly half of them women, across 46 talukas. The model is simple yet transformative: farmers work in groups, adopt better techniques, track outcomes, and compete in friendly, knowledge-based challenges that reward collaboration.

The result? Lower costs, healthier soil, higher yields and stronger community bonds.

How will this work?

To ensure the initiative reaches every village, the state has established a high-level committee chaired by Vikas Chandra Rastogi, principal secretary, agriculture. 

It brings together leaders across government, civil society, research institutions, and the agro-industry, including Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao from Paani Foundation, Vilas Shinde (Sahyadri Farms), experts from UMED, and the Krishi Sanjeevani Project.

Their mandate includes:

• Creating a roadmap to take Farmer Cup statewide

• Encouraging collective farming and FPO participation

• Promoting climate-resilient, low-input agriculture

• Reducing chemical dependency and enabling natural farming

• Building rural training infrastructure

• Ensuring strong coordination between departments

• The committee will present the first action plan in three months.

Why farmers are excited

One of the biggest wins of the initiative has been collective farming, which helps farmers pool resources, buy inputs together, access new markets, and reduce risks. For many, it has also meant access to training, machinery, and scientific practices that were once out of reach.

But what keeps the energy alive on the ground is the spirit of competition — teams work together not just to improve farming outcomes, but also to win recognition and cash awards that support community farming goals.

These prizes have encouraged villages to experiment boldly, improve their practices, and reinvest winnings in tools, training, and shared infrastructure. For many farmers, especially women’s collectives, the prize money has been both a motivation and a crucial financial boost.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has called the Farmer Cup a crucial component of the state’s long-term development blueprint. With support from the government and participation from lakhs of farmers, the initiative has the potential to reshape rural Maharashtra — making it more resilient, prosperous, and future-ready.

Feature Image: Paani Foundation