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Agro Universities, Agrotech, Institutions

The MoU aims to promote the sustainable agriculture and climate resilient farming systems.

Government’s agriculture research body, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) recently signed a deal with the National Board of Agriculture & Rural Development or NABARD for taking up site-specific transfer of farm technologies in India. 

According to a statement, the aim is to facilitate research & scale up different technologies as well as innovative farmer models developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) and Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, Chairman, NABARD signed the MoU on the behalf of their respective organizations. 

Dr. Mohapatra emphasized on providing the financial support to the young agri-entrepreneurs with the help of NABARD. He also accentuated on the capacity building of the farmers of the country. Bhanwala stressed on the need of technological empowerment of women farmers. 

As per the MoU, both the organizations will work on the common interest in the specific area to promote the sustainable agriculture and climate resilient farming systems. 

Both the organizations will facilitate the action research (the research carried out with the active participation of farmers to provide solutions for the challenges being faced by them) and up-scaling of the various technologies and innovative farmer models developed by the ICAR that includes the successful ICAR signs MoU with NABARD to promote sustainable agriculturemodels and integrated and hi-tech farming practices in a participatory model through adoptive research on watershed platform. 

The initiative will strengthen the competence of channel partners under the promotional and developmental programmes of NABARD technology transfer under the climate resilient agriculture, contingency and adaptation planning. 

The ICAR will also help in the impact evaluation of the NABARD assisted projects, DPR preparation for the climate change projects, farm mechanization, Agri-Incubation Centres / FPOs and resource conservation, etc. 

The MoU is for taking up site-specific transfer of technologies under sustainable agriculture, integrated farming system, crop intensification, agro-forestry, plantation and horticulture, animal sciences, agro-engineering, etc., including post-harvest technologies. Further, the ICAR through its large network will support the training and capacity building of channel partners and NABARD Officers. 

 Sushil Kumar, Additional Secretary (DARE) & Secretary (ICAR) also spoke on the occasion. The senior officials of both the organizations were present during the occasion.

The MoU aims to promote the

Agrotech

ENGIE and Senvion announce the commissioning of their first onshore wind project in India ENGIE India’s first wind project was successfully commissioned in the State of Gujarat, in Western India. This 30 MW project was awarded to ENGIE on a Build Own Operate (BOO) model in December 2017.

It was issued by Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL), the State’s distribution company, under a 25-year PPA at a tariff of INR 2.44/KWhr through completive bidding and e-reverse auction. The project, located near Tithwa and Pachdwarka villages in Gujarat’s Morbi district, combines 13 wind turbines of 2.3 MW that have been supplied, erected and commissioned by Senvion India.

It was achieved adhering to the highest standards of Health, Safety & Environment, resulting in 280,000 safe man-hours without Lost Time Incident. Senvion has also been entrusted with the comprehensive operations and maintenance (O&M) contract for ten years. With a CO2 emission reduction of 109,000 tons annually, this wind farm will contribute to India’s ambitions to develop renewable energy and lower its carbon footprint. “ENGIE is committed to supporting India’s energy transition and we are delighted by the commissioning of this wind project.

We look forward to continuing to support India’s low-carbon generation investments and in the wider Middle East region whilst continuing to operate to the highest possible health and safety standards.”, Sébastien Arbola, Chief Executive Officer, ENGIE Middle East, South & Central Asia and Turkey. Amit Kansal, CEO and Managing Director of Senvion India, said: “We are extremely proud to reach this key milestone in India. Senvion remains fully committed to the Indian market with its Make-in-India supply chain strategy and R&D capabilities in India.

The significant growth potential within the Indian market ensures we can maximize our localize presence and ensure the highest levels of local engineering support and customer service for our customers.” Today, ENGIE has a total capacity of around 1.5 GW renewable power in operation and under construction, with wind projects in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, and solar projects in Punjab, Rajastan, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.

ENGIE has been present and active in India for over 40 years and employs around 1,000 people in clean power generation (centralized and decentralized), engineering, and energy services Senvion turbines are 80% localized in India. Senvion India employs a direct workforce of 325 people in India and creates further employment within the country through local sourcing.

ENGIE and Senvion announce the commissioning of

Agro chems – Pesticides, E-commerce

Through this agreement, UPL will have the exclusive right to distribute the product in 18   European countries. 

 

The European Division of UPL and Biopreparáty, spol. s r. o., a Czech company specializing in biological plant protection products, announced that they entered into a distribution agreement for Polyversum® WP, a biological fungicide manufactured by Biopreparáty, spol. s r. o.

Under terms of the agreement, UPL will have the exclusive right to distribute the product in 18   European countries. 3.”Polyversum WP represents a differentiated, innovative and effective approach towards environmentally friendly disease control in arable and specialty crops,” said Paula Pinto, Global Head, Strategic Alliances & B2B of UPL.

“This agreement complements UPL’s growing portfolio of biocontrol products, giving growers in Europe another sustainable solution to manage their crops. Disease resistance management is a major challenge in Europe and Polyversum will bring a useful alternative mode of action. The agreement is an excellent example of how UPL’s OpenAg purpose can benefit European growers and contribute to agricultural sustainability.”

“We are pleased to cooperate with UPL to bring this proprietary biocontrol product to the European market,” said Martin Suchánek, Biopreparáty’s CEO and Managing Director. “As the fifth largest global player in crop protection, UPL is very well-positioned to market Polyversum WP. We at Biopreparáty, are very pleased to have joined forces with the company that shares our enthusiasm and vision for potential and development of this progressive agricultural bio solutions segment. Our common target will be to expand Polyversum WP potential in Europe into new crops and countries and work together with UPL on new Biopreparaty´s technologies.”

Polyversum WP is based on the active ingredient Pythium oligandrum M1, which naturally suppresses phytopathogenic fungi w while inducing the production of growth-stimulating substances in a plant.

“The key advantages of Polyversum WP are its high effectiveness and safety of use,” said Paula. “It’s truly an elegant and environmentally friendly solution authorized for both organic as well as conventional farming and targeting key diseases as Botrytis in fruits and vegetables as well as and Fusarium in row crops. We are confident that Europe’s agriculture community will welcome the availability of Polyversum WP, as it has UPL’s other bio solutions products.”

 About UPL

UPL is a leader in global food systems and with the acquisition of Arysta LifeScience, is now one of the top five agricultural solutions companies worldwide. With revenue of US$5 billion, new UPL has presence in 130 countries. With market access to 90 percent of world’s food basket and focused on high-growth regions, new UPL represents a compelling value proposition for growers, distributors, suppliers and innovation partners in a consolidating market. New UPL offers an integrated portfolio of both patented and post-patent agricultural   solutions for various arable and specialty crops, including biological, crop protection, seed treatment and post-harvest solutions covering the entire crop value chain.

About Biopreparáty

Biopreparáty spol. s r.o. is a Czech privately-held company founded in 1997. It is R&D-based Company fully committed to development and introduction of original and innovative biological products in agriculture and amenity markets. Biopreparáty are the first and are still the only company that has successfully commercialized biological fungicides based on the hyperparasitic fungus Pythium oligandrum. Biopreparáty are a reliable producer of high-quality formulations of biological products supported by strong registration packages and patents in the EU, USA, China and other territories.

 

Through this agreement, UPL will have the

Acquaculture, Agro Universities

The programme aims to conserve and maintain the sustainable shrimp stock in the wild and help the fishermen of the region to improve their livelihoods

 

In continuation of the regular sea ranching programme, the Mandapam Regional Centre of ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) released 1.2 million shrimp seeds of Green Tiger shrimp at Thonithurai, near Mandapam  in recent. 

The ICAR-CMFRI has been regularly carrying out sea ranching of hatchery produced Green Tiger shrimp seeds in Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay to replenish the natural stock and to enhance the shrimp productivity. The programme also aims to conserve and maintain sustainable shrimp stock in the wild and to help the fishermen of this region to improve their livelihood. The initiative assumes great significance in the wake of drastic depletion of shrimp resources in the Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar regions.

During 2017-19, a total of 7.025 million shrimp seeds were released in this region by the Institute. During the current financial year 2019-20, a total of about 2.025 million shrimp seeds were sea ranched so far.

 Dr. A. Gopalakrishnan, Director of ICAR-CMFRI was the chief guest on the occasion. Shri. K. Muraleedharan, Dr. K. A. Saira Banu, Dr P Muralidharan, Shri K Raghunadhan, Dr R Jayakumar, Smt V Prabhavathi and Shri J L Ajith Stalin, among others, were present.

 The sea ranching programme was coordinated by Shri. M. Sankar, and Dr. B. Johnson.The senior officers of the Institute were present during the occasion.

 

 

 

 

The programme aims to conserve

Cold Storage, Finance, Start ups, Trade

The funds will also be used to scale up Eco-Connect exponentially in the coming year.

 Agritech start up Ecozen on Thursday announced that the company has completed its $6 million Series A fund raise, from Sathguru Catalyser’s Innovation in Food & Agriculture Fund (IFA Fund).

According to Devendra Gupta, Co-Founder &CEO of Ecozen, “The funding raised will enable us to expand our product range, production capacity, and enter new geographies. The funds will also be used to scale up Eco-Connect exponentially in the coming year. Currently, the platform has 200 buyers and 75 active sellers.”

 

Pune-based Ecozen was founded by three IIT Kharagpur alumni, Devendra Gupta, Prateek Singhal and Vivek Pandey, with a vision to disrupt the way perishables are handled across the value chain, with clean and innovative technology. The company claims that about 25,000 farmers in India use Ecozen products. Through its innovative “Lease-a-Cold-Room” model.  Ecozen is also looking at providing cold chain access to farmers across India growing perishable commodities.

 Ecozen has three core products that leverage cutting edge technology to empower the agricultural community. These include Ecofrost, a solar powered, portable cold room based on thermal energy storage that enables on-farm cooling and storage of perishable produce, Ecotron a smart controller for irrigation pumps and Eco-Connect, a tech-based platform that connects farmers growing perishables with organized buyers.

 The company is also on track to double its Ecotron business that uses IoT and efficient motor technology to provide an efficient irrigation solution for farmers along with remote monitoring, diagnostics, and predictive analytics.

 Commenting on their investment, Vijayaraghavan Kannan, Senior Partner at IFA Fund said: “Ecozen has focused on using technology as a differentiator and has pioneered innovative products addressing market imperfections and catering to underserved segments of agriculture and food value chain. Businesses with positive environmental externalities and livelihood impacts fit well with IFA’s investment philosophy.”

 India currently hosts more than 450 start-ups in the Agritech sector, according to a National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) report. As of June 2019, the sector has received more than $248 million funding, a rise of 300% as compared to the previous year.

 

The funds will also be used to

AgroPolicy

Punjab and Haryana alone produce 35 million tons of paddy straw per year

Indian Institute of Technology Madras is taking up Academia-Industry collaboration for technology development in thermal power generation using paddy straw as fuel. This will be a major boost to tackle ‘stubble burning,’ which causes soil erosion, kills beneficial soil organisms and emits harmful gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and methane along with particulate matter.

Punjab and Haryana alone produce 35 million tons of paddy straw per year, which is not fit for cattle feed, and are being burnt in the fields. But the same straw has the useful heating value of around 3200 to 3500 K Cal/kg, which is closer to the coal used for power generation in thermal power plants.

SAEL (Sukhbir Agro Energy Ltd), which is operating two biomass-based power plants, one in the state of Uttar Pradesh and another one in Punjab, has gained sufficient experience in collection, transportation and storage of paddy straw.

SAEL is in the process of commissioning two 100 per cent paddy straw-based power plants in Punjab, besides implementing two more power plants based on the same fuel in the state of Haryana. These plants are based on the technology provided by Danish companies to the Indian OEMs. Taking this as a threshold, the technology needs to be indigenously adapted to the Indian conditions, which also requires further improvements to achieve better efficiency and reliability.

With this aim, SAEL approached the NCCRD (National Center for Combustion Research and Development) at IIT Madras, Chennai, to enter into collaboration for conducting Research and Developmental activities. This would require certain facilities to be constructed at IIT Madras to closely look into the combustion of paddy straw, with funding from SAEL. The results would be put to test for further development in a boiler environment with a facility created, as suggested by IITM, at a center at one of the power plants of SAEL. The faculties of IIT Madras and NCCRD, as part of this consortium, will provide the expertise to create the facility and carry out the core research.

With the above background NCCRD at IIT Madras has entered into a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with SAEL with the following objectives: 

Ø  Proposing solution to the fouling problem faced in the operating plant,

Ø  Detailed research on establishing optimal operation of the power plant with 100% paddy straw through systematic analysis,

Ø  Exploring possibilities of using paddy straw to produce useful fuels and/or chemicals, and

Ø  Exploring possibilities of mixing/co-firing the paddy straw with other biomass fuels and / or municipal solid waste.

Speaking about the targeted outcomes of this collaboration, Prof. Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy, Professor In-charge, NCCRD, said, “These objectives will be achieved by conducting trials in a laboratory scale combustor to be constructed at IIT Madras and a prototype boiler constructed at the Technology Development Centre in Punjab. While IIT Madras will meet the technical requirements such as design of prototype boiler, conducting trials and providing solution to the existing boilers and providing criteria for the design of new power plant boilers, the whole project will be funded by SAEL. Further SAEL’s technical team will provide technical data from the operating boilers, conduct trials on the prototype boiler as directed by IITM to achieve the objectives”.

Highlighting the benefits of this initiative, Jasbir Singh Awla, Managing Director, Sukhbir Agro Energy Ltd (SAEL), said, “This collaboration is poised to indigenize the paddy straw firing technology and avoid imports, thus contributing to the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ campaign. Further around 4000 MW is possible with the straw available in each year in Punjab and Haryana. This 4000 MW can be generated without greenhouse gases besides saving the land from stubble burning. The Technology Development Centre in addition to the above R&D activities will also serve as a skill development centre by conducting training programs and courses on power plant operation with provision of direct exposure to the operation and maintenance of the power plant.”

Highlighting the technical contributions being planned under this JDA, Prof. V. Raghavan of Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, said, “Starting from systematic fuel characterization, mathematical models to simulate and understand the salient aspects of paddy straw combustion will be developed, and the operating parameters of the boilers will be optimized. This will enable emission reduction and long-running of boilers fuelled by paddy straw”.

Speaking about this collaboration, Dr. R. Vinu, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, said, “Apart from the development and optimization of combustion technology for the power plant, the JDA has got the objectives of directly extracting valuable chemicals and fuels like bio-char and bio-crude from the paddy straw via pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction techniques”, said Owing to its seasonal availability, power generation using paddy straw (one of the biomass fuels) is not popular in India, even though this fuel is available in abundance in Punjab and Haryana. This is due to two reasons. Firstly, the straw required for the entire year will be available in a span of two weeks, and within this time the straw need to be procured, transported and stored even with its voluminous nature. Secondly, due to the presence of some inorganic chemicals in the paddy straw ash, the ash fouls the heat transfer surfaces while firing in the thermal power plant boiler. Sukhbir Agro Energy Ltd (SAEL) that is owning, operating and adding power plants in north India based on this fuel, has successfully developed the supply chain for procurement of straw from various farmers and storing to cater to the power plant operation over the entire year.”

However, challenges in combustion still persist and the operating plant of SAEL needs to be stopped almost once a fortnight to remove the fouling, which reduces the PLF (Plant Load Factor) drastically. This is expected to be resolved by the R&D efforts under this consortium.

Punjab and Haryana alone produce 35 million

Acts & Schemes – Centre, Machinery - Pre-harvesting, Seeds

Changes includes more scientific definition of transgenic variety, enhanced more farmer rights on seeds and enlisting the services of private firms for evaluating new varieties before seed registration.

The National Seed Association of India (NSAI) has suggested some changes in the proposed Seed Bill 2019  which  includes  more scientific definition of transgenic variety, enhanced more farmer rights on seeds and enlisting the services of private firms for evaluating new varieties before seed registration. 

While writing a letter to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Director General (ICAR) Trilochan Mahapatra and others, NSAI said there is a serious gap in the definition of transgenic variety, which is ambiguous and also unscientific. This needs to be corrected, mentioned the organization in a statement.

 “This is a very critical bill, which affects all Indians. No decision should be made in hurry, and hence we have sent additional comments for the government,” NSAI president Prabhakar Rao said.

 According to NSAI, the Seed Act 1966, which was passed Indian government immediately after the advent of the Green Revolution, was inspired by the US system where the variety registration was left to the discretion of the developer. The new bill, on the contrary, is similar to what is followed in Europe where there are defined parameters and procedures for the release of new varieties. 

Lacuna in legislation

Among those salient features that resemble the EU legislation is compulsory registration of seed varieties based on VCU (value for cultivation and use), evaluation and licensing of seed producers and processors. There are also provisions for price control in the event of an emergency, monopolization or profiteering, NSAI said. 

Considering more than 100 crops, five geographical regions and hundreds of seed companies with R&D, the workload for nationwide evaluation is going to be 30 to 40 times greater than the existing workload. It is, therefore, essential to enlist the facilities available with seed companies for ensuring fast-track registration. 

Changes includes more

Nature, Water

In addition to detailing the 2025 goals, the sustainability report highlights key advancements the company made in 2018

Waters Corporation has announced its 2025 sustainability goals and simultaneously announced a commitment to report its sustainability progress annually. These goals were developed following a comprehensive materiality assessment and are published in Waters’ latest sustainability report, which covers activities and progress from 2018 and key highlights from 2019.

“Our focus on sustainability is stronger than ever, and we’re building on that momentum to establish our first-ever set of five-year sustainability goals. Our 2025 goals underscore our commitment to Deliver Benefit to all stakeholders, including our customers, employees, shareholders and society,” commented Chris O’Connell, Chairman and CEO of Waters Corporation. “We have reduced our greenhouse gas footprint by nearly 10%, increased the percentage of women in leadership positions and on our Board of Directors, and developed efforts to address global food and water safety. Through these actions and our new goals, we expect greater value creation for all of our stakeholders.”

A comprehensive stakeholder materiality assessment performed in 2018 identified and prioritized the company’s five 2025 sustainability goals:

  • Advance Our Innovation Ecosystem: We will systematically implement measurable, sustainable practices in how we innovate, develop, and deliver our products.
  • Reduce Our Environmental Impact: We will improve our operational performance by decreasing environmental impact and increasing natural resource efficiency.
  • Enhance Our Sustainable Supply Chain: We will advance an end-to-end product and supply chain sustainability program that identifies opportunities in engineering, procurement and operations to reduce the environmental impact of our products and supply chain.
  • Lead by Example in Our Employee Development and Engagement: We continue to focus on the employees we have today – and the employees we will need tomorrow – through programs and initiatives that drive diversity, inclusion, and development.
  • Nurture Our Culture of Health, Safety and Well-being: We will foster an attitude of awareness, preparedness, and responsiveness across our workplace and throughout our supply chain.

In addition to detailing the 2025 goals, the sustainability report highlights key advancements the company made in 2018. These include:

  • Increased the representation of women on Waters’ Board of Directors to 30% and signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ pledge.
  • Achieved global renewable energy use of 9% and a greenhouse gas reduction of approximately 9% since 2016.
  • Developed a proprietary employee success model to articulate the behaviors and attributes that will strengthen the values and vision of the company.
  • Invested $215 million in a state-of-the-art precision chemistry manufacturing facility that will employ elements of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design™ (LEED®) building standards.
  • Established the International Food and Water Research Centre in Singapore to address the growing global challenges of food and water security and safety.

In addition to detailing the 2025 goals,

E-commerce, Finance, Supply Chain, Trade

Partnering with Ninjacart will help Walmart and Flipkart strengthen direct sourcing of fresh produce for Walmart India’s Best Price B2B cash-and-carry stores and Flipkart’s online grocery business Supermart.

Walmart and Flipkart recently announced a joint strategic investment in Ninjacart, a fresh produce supply chain start-up. The three partners aim to help ensure better access to high-quality fresh produce for more retailers and consumers across India while also creating economic opportunities for farmers, a joint statement said.

The investment will also support Ninjacart to expand its customer base, reach new cities and gain exposure to global best practice to enhance the efficiency of the local fresh produce ecosystem, Flipkart said in a statement.

Partnering with Ninjacart will help Walmart and Flipkart strengthen direct sourcing of fresh produce for Walmart India’s Best Price B2B cash-and-carry stores and Flipkart’s online grocery business Supermart, it said.

“The investment will also support Ninjacart to expand its customer base, reach new cities and gain exposure to global best practice to enhance the efficiency of the local fresh produce ecosystem”, the statement added.

“Developing Flipkart Supermart over the past year, we have focused on creating the right infrastructure, supporting local farmers, producers and food processors, and building sustainability into the ecosystem, all while creating thousands of new jobs and bringing quality, convenience and value to consumers. In Ninjacart, we see a company that shares our values, our pioneering mind set and our commitment to tech-driven innovation that improves life in India”, said  Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO, Flipkart Group.

Thirukumaran Nagarajan, CEO and co-founder of Ninjacart, said, “We are excited that Flipkart and Walmart are joining us to make this vision a reality and showing confidence in our technology and business model. With their support, we see new possibilities to improve the lives of our farmers, retailers and restaurant partners.”

“Ninjacart’s focus on direct-from-farm sourcing resonates well with Walmart’s commitment to supporting farmers in India. We are working towards our commitment of sourcing 25% of produce in our Best Price cash-and-carry stores directly from farmers by 2023. This would help accelerate market access for them and reduce transportation costs” said Krish Iyer, President and CEO, Walmart India.

The value of the transaction, which is expected to close by year-end 2019, has not yet been disclosed.

The statement mentioned that, “Founded in 2015, Ninjacart moves over 1,400 tons of fresh produce per day, having doubled its volumes in the last four months, it was stated. The paperless Ninjacart supply chain creates a seamless link between its more than 44,000 farmer suppliers and its customer base of 60,000 kirana stores and restaurants across seven cities.”

“Ninjacart provides 100 percent traceability along the supply chain and has slashed food wastage to less than one percent, compared to 35 percent in traditional supply chains”, it said.

About Ninjacart

Ninjacart, which raised $90 million in a financing round led by Tiger Global earlier this year, has held discussions with multiple large conglomerates for a potential investment, including Amazon India, as they look to get a piece of India’s largest business-to-business opportunity.

Ninjacart connects farmers directly with businesses, cutting out middlemen and helping them earn about 20% more for what they produce. The company provides a complete supply chain suite through its network of collection centres, fulfilment centres and distribution centres.

 

Partnering with Ninjacart will help Walmart and

Agro Universities, R&D

Under the MoU, the universities will facilitate exchange of scientists and technologists, exchange of research material, scientific literature, methodology and also exchange of scientific equipment. 

 Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with California State University, Fresno, US, to promote cooperation in crop improvement, biotechnology, natural resources, production and cultural practices, water and irrigation technology, and agricultural business.

Under the MoU, the universities will facilitate exchange of scientists and technologists, exchange of research material, exchange of scientific literature, information and methodology, exchange of scientific equipment, will develop and implement collaborative research projects. Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, and Dr Joseph I Castro, president, California State University, signed the agreement. 

A nine-member delegation from California State University, led by Saul Jimenez-Sandoval, visited PAU and interacted with senior officials and heads of various departments.

Navtej Singh Bains, director of research, while focusing on research programmes said: “California has 25.4 million acres of cropland and Punjab has 10.37 million acres. California exports almonds and walnuts to India while Punjab exports basmati rice to the US. The two universities can also work together for Kinnow mandarin, grapes, almonds and vegetable crops.” 

Dhillon said that Punjab Agricultural University is committed to forge ties with other universities and institutes involved in developing quality manpower & research collaborations, both in India and abroad. Underlining the contribution of agricultural stalwarts, Dhillon said that Dr G S Khush, internationally known rice breeder and Dr D S Athwal, father of wheat revolution in Punjab, have been instrumental in heralding Green Revolution.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Under the MoU, the universities will facilitate

Acts & Schemes – Centre, AgroPolicy, E-commerce

This new project aims to respond to these challenges by boosting the agribusiness sector and increasing the overall profitability of farming by integrating food production with selected agriculture value chains. 

 

 

 

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh have signed an agreement to launch a project to accelerate inclusive economic growth, sustainably reduce poverty and improve food and nutrition security for 445,000 rural families.

Rural Microenterprise Transformation Project

The financing agreement for the Rural Microenterprise Transformation Project was signed by IFAD President Gilbert F. Houngbo and Monowar Ahmed, Secretary, Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh.

The total cost of the project is US$200 million, of which IFAD is providing an $80 million loan and a $1 million grant. The remaining costs will be covered by the implementing agency Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation ($13 million), the beneficiaries themselves ($0.9 million) and collaborating entities in the private sector, partner organizations and non-bank financial institutions ($96.8 million). 

Poverty rates in Bangladesh have decreased from 49 per cent in 2000, to 24.3 per cent in 2016. In spite of this impressive progress, an estimated 40 million people still live below the poverty line. Rural poverty remains higher than urban poverty, and agriculture accounts for only 15.4 per cent of the GDP, but employs 41 per cent of the population.

 According to Omer Zafar, IFAD’s Country Director in Bangladesh, the key drivers constraining the agriculture sector are farmers’ limited access to what they need: updated technology, viable markets, and financial services.

“Millions of small farmers and micro entrepreneurs are unable to transition from semi-subsistence farming to commercial operations. A wide range of underlying causes hampers this transition process, among them low productivity, outdated technologies, lack of differentiated produce, poor quality of output, limited processing to add value, inadequate advisory services, insufficient access to financial services and the absence of structured markets,” said Zafar. 

“The project will create synergy between producers and agribusinesses, enabling sustained income growth and employment creation,” added Zafar.

 

Boosting agribusiness sector

This new project aims to respond to these challenges by boosting the agribusiness sector and increasing the overall profitability of farming by integrating food production with selected agriculture value chains. Focusing on the districts of Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi and Rangpur, the project will offer small-scale farmers and micro entrepreneurs’ access to improved production technologies, financial services and market linkages.

The project will also organize and train producers to have the necessary skills to meet food safety standards, enabling them to increase the quantity and improve the quality of their output. This will also ensure higher-quality produce is available for agribusinesses.

The project is in line with Bangladesh’s National Agriculture Policy which aims to accelerate the transformation from semi-subsistence to commercial agriculture through productivity gains diversification, value addition and agro processing.

 

Since 1978, IFAD has financed 34 rural development programmes and projects in Bangladesh, benefitting almost 12 million households, with a total cost $ 2.3 billion, of which IFAD has invested $913 million.

This new project aims to respond to

E-commerce, Nature, R&D, Water

SPOWDI smart farming and Jain Irrigation signed a MoU for an innovative & sustainable solution to save water. 

 Swedish Company, SPOWDI (Solar Powered Water distribution) and EMMVEE, a leading solar energy manufacturer inaugurated ‘SPOWDI Smart Farming’, a modern and sustainable solution to bring forth the futuristic & best in class smart farm, supporting small farmers’ community and preserving water. Rajendra Kumar Kataria, IAS, Secretary to Government, Agriculture, and Horticulture & Sericulture Department inaugurated the farm on 9 December 2019 in Bangalore.

During the event, SPOWDI smart farming and Jain Irrigation signed a Memorandum of Understanding for an innovative & sustainable solution to save water.  This is in line with the Make in India policy and move to strengthen relations between India and Sweden in the renewable energy sector.

“India is a growing nation and has a vast contribution to the renewable energy sector with as much as 107.22 billion units in 2019. This initiative has enabled us to set a benchmark for sustainable measures and contribute to a future-proofed green planet. As we ink this MoU, we want to encourage farmers to adopt this technique, especially in India where 500 million people rely on agriculture for their livelihood,” said Henrik Johansson, CEO of SPOWDI.

Adding to this, Sr. Vice-President, Jain irrigation Anil Kumar Kataria said, “We at Jain irrigation support SPOWDI Smart Farming since it is in line with our mission “To Leave the Planet better than we found it”. JISL also ensures ‘More Crop per Drop’ & creates shared values, nurtures the environment & contributes considerably to the water & food security of the World.” 

The SPOWDI smart farm was created in collaboration with SHL Medical, Jain Irrigation, Emmvee Solar systems, and Team Sweden to showcase how innovative and sustainable solutions can be beneficial for the small farmers’ community and to save water.

“More Crop per Drop’ and creates shared values, nurtures the environment and contributes significantly to the water and food security of the World.” ensured JISL. This is in line with India’s, Make in India policy and step up to strengthen the bond between Sweden and India in the renewable energy sector. 

SPOWDI Smart Farms is open to anyone who wants to see an example of how we can secure future food production in a sustainable way. They are located globally across Bangalore India, Uppsala Sweden, Malaga Spain and soon also in New York, California and Florida USA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPOWDI smart farming and Jain Irrigation signed

Agrotech, E-commerce, Supply Chain, Trade

Despite reduced supplies, exports are expected to rise to a record 205,000MT on strong demand from the European Union and Russia.

According to Indian Grape Forum, the Indian table grape industry could see record exports this season, despite expected lower production from recent weather challenges.The forecast follows a sharp rise in Indian grape exports over the last few years.

 The inaugural ceremony of Indian Grape Forum, took place recently in Nashik. The event, which brought together over 200 industry stakeholders, addressed topics including seasonal expectations, emerging trends, and India’s role in global markets.

During the discussions, speakers said India’s total grape production is estimated to come down by at least 100,000 metric tons (MT) as late rains delayed pruning. But despite reduced supplies, exports are expected to rise to a record 205,000MT on strong demand from the European Union and Russia. The forecast follows a sharp rise in Indian grape exports over the last few years.

 “Indian grapes are reaching more than sixty counties. Market demand and consumer preferences are deciding supply of particular grape types in the market,” said Jagannath Khapre, president of the All India Grape Exporters Association.

“So market intelligence has become a very important tool for sustaining grape supply in foreign markets.” Considering the recent weather conditions he said: “The export of grapes to Bangladesh and the Middle East, which begins in November, will be delayed by about a month. Exports to Europe may also remain lower than the previous year.”

The speakers also expected that exports would rise to Asian countries like Thailand and Singapore thanks to free trade agreements. 

New table grape varieties in India

Meanwhile during the event, Vilas Shinde, CEO of Sahyadri Farmers’ Producers Company, said that the organization had introduced ARRA-32 grape variety to farmers. Having conducted successful trials, the company plans to increase the area under cultivation by up to 3,000 hectares. “ARRA grapes in California are famous for surviving adverse weather conditions and have a sweet taste. Seedlings were brought by us. After the successful production of ARRA-15, ARRA-32 is next in line,” Shinde said.

“Grape growers in the State have been constantly exposed to natural disasters for the past several years. In this situation, the regional production of grapes is in danger”. India’s grape growing farmers are getting benefits from the ARRA varieties to further consolidate their position in the global market.” 

Considering the huge potential in India, Shukrut Borade, from Maharashtra Rajya Draksha Bagaitdar Sangh (MRDBS), elaborated on what the future holds for grapes in India, expansion plans into other regions and new varieties in the pipeline. 

“Taste is an important factor in the breeding program, but another key aspect is how grower-friendly the new varieties are,” he said. He asserted that growers need highly productive and grower-friendly cultivars to help them cut costs and remain profitable. Customers don’t talk about different varieties, but rather different grape colours and growers therefore need new and better varieties to replace old ones that are in declining popularity globally, he explained.

 

Grapes Export in 2018-19

India exported 2, 46,133 tons of fresh grapes worth Rs. 2,335.24 crore ($334.79 million) in 2018-19. This growth is synchronized by the efforts of grape grower organizations and FPOs working in different parts of India. It is also supported by state horticulture departments and nodal body APEDA under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry which are supporting Indian Grape production & export growth and facilitating the farmers for their sustainable development.

 

Grape growing states

More than 20 varieties are under cultivation, however, only a dozen are commercially grown. Major grape growing states are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and the North-West Region covering Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, besides Madhya Pradesh. Maharashtra ranks first in terms of production, value addition, innovative packaging and exports accounting for more than 81% of the total output. The productivity is also the highest in Maharashtra, but due to recent weather conditions, farmers are facing several challenges in maintaining the quality and its trade commitments in different overseas markets.

The ability to supply grape varieties year-round is also important to be sustainable, he added. India is one of the top producers of grapes and a leading exporter. Production covers an area of 23,000 hectares. India’s major grape export destinations are the Netherlands, Russia, the U.K., Germany, Bangladesh and the Middle-East.

 

 

 

Despite reduced supplies, exports are expected to

E-commerce, Organic, Trade

Increasing demand for organic food, rising awareness of natural, and new food safety standards for health are the key driving factors for the market growth. 

 According to the latest report by www.wiseguyreport.com, global organic farming is accounted for $53.16 million in 2017 and is expected to reach $129.97 million by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 10.4% during the forecast period. 

Driving key factors of organic market growth

 Increasing demand for organic food, rising awareness of natural, and new food safety standards for health and well-being coupled with consumers to pay for organic farm food are the key driving factors for the market growth. However, high production cost of organic farming is some of the factors hindering the market growth. 

What is Organic Farming?

Organic farming is a method that involves growing and nurturing crops with the use of biological materials preventing the use of synthetic based fertilizers and pesticides. Also, the use of genetically modified organisms is not permitted. Organic farming systems have a great potential to provide the world with healthy, high-quality food. 

Weed Management

Based on the method, Weed management has considerable demand during the forecast period. Organic weed management promotes weed suppression, rather than weed elimination, by enhancing crop competition and phytotoxic effects on weeds. Organic farmers integrate cultural, biological, mechanical, physical and chemical tactics to manage weeds without synthetic herbicides. By geography, Asia Pacific is expected to have a good demand during the forecast period, owing to increasing government initiative in promoting organic farming by providing subsidies on organic fertilizers. 

Major players in Organic Farming:

Some of the key players profiled in the organic farming include AkzoNobel N.V., Amalgamated Plantations Pvt Ltd, BASF SE, Bayer AG, Camson Biotechnology Limited, Dow Chemical Company, Indian Organic Farmers Producer Company (IOFPC), Nalco Holding Company, Organic Farmers Co, Picks Organic Farm, Solvay SA and ZUWA Organic Farms Pvt Ltd.

 Types Covered:

  • Pure Organic Farming
  • Integrated Organic Farming 

Methods Covered:

  • Composting
  • Crop Rotation
  • Cutting
  • Mulching
  • Polyculture
  • Soil Management
  • Weed Management

 

Increasing demand for organic food, rising awareness