During August 7-10, 2026, a team from the Foundation for Agrarian Studies (FAS) and Monash University visited Ludhiana, Punjab, as part of the project titled “Dynamics of Agricultural Innovation in North India”, funded by CGIAR – Standing Panel on Impact Assessment (SPIA). The team comprised Dr. Gaurav Datt (Principal Investigator) and Dr. Jose María Martínez (Research Fellow) from Monash University, and Dr. Tapas S. Modak (Project Manager) and Kristy Saikia (Research Officer) from FAS.
The study’s primary objective is to comprehensively document CGIAR-related innovations in North India (Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha) since 2000 and examine the reach and adoption of a select few that have achieved scale. As part of designing the field research to be conducted in 2026 and 2027, the team visited Punjab to conduct semi-structured interviews with farmers, gain an understanding of the ongoing kharif season, and refine the survey instruments for the upcoming household data collection across the selected states, including Punjab. The team also met with input dealers and seed producers at the local level.
We are grateful to Dr. Virinder Singh Sohu (Principal Wheat Breeder), Dr. Achla Sharma (Principal Wheat Breeder), Arshvir Kaur (Researcher), and Shivani Upadhyay (PhD scholar) from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) for their support during the pilot visit.
The team conducted semi-structured interviews with three farmers and 2 focus group discussions (FGDs) with a diverse set of farmers. These interactions provided insight into the ongoing season and the key challenges farmers currently face, as well as the channels through which information diffuses at the ground level. Discussions with input dealers and seed producers further enriched the team’s understanding of the regional agricultural context and innovation ecosystem, specific to different kinds of inputs.
Here are a few glimpses from the visit…
