Allcargo Group, through its CSR arm Avashya Foundation, is expanding its Project Maitree initiative in FY 2026–27, with a target to plant 3 lakh saplings across 81 villages in Maharashtra. The programme aims to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for around 5,000 farmers and their families, while improving green cover and supporting rural communities.
The initiative focuses on combining environmental conservation with livelihood development, particularly for rural and tribal communities. The programme is being implemented across Palghar, Raigad, Nashik and Amravati districts.
As part of the current phase, around 2.2 lakh plants have been distributed in Palghar and Nashik, benefiting nearly 4,400 farmers. Another 30,000 plants have been distributed in Raigad and Karjat, supporting about 600 farmers. In Amravati, 50,000 plants have been planted through a community-based model designed to encourage wider participation in plantation and conservation activities.
The project includes fruit-bearing, timber and multipurpose species such as mango, cashew, teak, lemon, guava, custard apple, jackrabbit and bamboo. These trees are intended to become long-term productive assets for farmers, providing potential additional income as the plantations mature.
Dr. Nilratan Shende, Head – CSR, Allcargo Group, said, “Project Maitree is built on the belief that environmental conservation and livelihood creation can reinforce each other. By enabling farmers to develop productive plantation assets alongside their existing agricultural activities, we aim to create opportunities for additional income while strengthening the ecological resilience of rural communities.”
A key objective of the programme is to create livelihood opportunities closer to villages and potentially reduce dependence on seasonal migration. Farmers are supported through community mobilisation, plantation planning, sapling distribution, training and field-level monitoring.
The FY27 programme is being implemented with support from Digant Swaraj Foundation, Light of Life Trust and Khoj Foundation. Allcargo said Project Maitree has already facilitated the plantation of more than 1.6 million trees across Maharashtra, with the latest phase adding another 3 lakh plantations.
Comments are closed