-Bayer and Superplum partner to enhance farmers yield through the right market linkage -The sustainable crop protection model will be implemented in UP, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka and further expanding pan-India from season to season -Bayer and Superplum aim to reach 15,000 farmers in 3 years through farmer engagement and training programs across 16 farmer clusters

Bayer, a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of agriculture and healthcare has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Superplum, an agri-tech start-up building a digitised farm-to-customer traceable supply chain. This collaboration aims to build and implement a sustainable crop protection model for fruit growers based in UP, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka and expand further to other states from season to season. Over three years, the program aims to benefit 15 thousand smallholder farmers in India by delivering definable economic benefits to all stakeholders.

As part of the collaboration, Bayer will provide support for domestic and export compliance, implementation of a product schedule to ensure improvement in quality and productivity of the produce, helping in achieving incremental growth in the farmer's income. Bayer will also focus on developing crop protection packages for fruit crops and training farmers in implementation of these practices. To make it easier to track the farmer's progress, they will be provided with a passport, to record the crop management practices being realized. Superplum provides consumers full traceability through its scannable QR code and will work on incorporating the information from farmers in its own supply chain.

Speaking on the partnership, D Narain, President, South Asia, and Global Head of Smallholder Farming for Bayer, said, "Nutritional security along with food security is a critical national and global imperative for the growing population. To this effect, Bayer has launched a global 'Nutrient Gap Initiative' that aims to expand access to essential nutrients to 50 million people in underserved communities by 2030. However, we do recognize that to achieve this at scale a collaborative ecosystem is required and to further this critical agenda we are happy to partner with Superplum to create a holistic ecosystem that will help improve fruit growers' incomes by sustainably enhancing market linkages and ensuring healthy produce for the end consumers."

During partnership event, Shobhit Gupta, Director and CEO, Superplum said, "Our focus has been on improving consumer choices for fresh produce by providing a fully traceable and MRL tested alternative. With our modern supply chain, we provide full traceability to consumers. With our joint efforts in the field and a technology first approach we will be able to provide full transparency to consumers as well as farmers. Improved practices of post-harvest technology and digital managed supply chain will help to reduce wastages and increase income to farmers."

Superplum's partnership with Bayer CropScience Limited will focus on guiding partner farmers toward better fruit quality and providing advisory to increase productivity of the produce. They will also ensure proper implementation of crop protection management practices as developed by Bayer. Superplum deploys science and technology to increase the shelf life of the range of fruits through a proprietary multi-faceted approach. Their unique IoT-driven Fresherator, a cold-chain transport system that carries fruit in an environment that can be remotely monitored and controlled, helps reduce wastage and increases the shelf life of the produce without the need for expensive temperature-controlled transport.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2022, the Group employed around 101,000 people and had sales of 50.7 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 6.2 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

About Superplum

Superplum, a start-up backed by some of Silicon Valley's most notable investors, has been addressing Indian agriculture's endemic issues since 2020 by building the country's most sophisticated supply chain for fresh produce. The company works with farmers in 21 states to provide consumers with a healthier eating alternative. Their fruits are delivered to over 500 stores in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru, including Spar, Lulu Hypermarket, and Star Bazaar. They are also available on Amazon Fresh and other online channels. With a fully digitized system, each product is fully traceable from the farm to the consumer via a QR code seamlessly integrated into their vibrant packaging. Website: www.superplum.com