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Agrotech, Interaction

The Biopesticide Summit 2020 And AgroSpectrum as a Strategic Media Partner is delighted to announce the Global Biopesticide Awards 2020 will be presented as part of its gala dinner on 19th May. Over 300 industry colleagues and guests are expected to attend and celebrate achievements in the field of bioprotection.

After the success of the first Biopesticide Summit and Awards in July 2019, the executive and steering committee of the World BioProtection Form (WBF) is delighted to announced that the 2nd Biopesticide Summit & Awards will take place on 19-20 May 2020, at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham, United Kingdom. 

The Summit will connect industry and academia to create novel ideas and services, next generation formulations and delivery systems and provide support for accessing investments to commercialise novel products for horticulture, forestry and sport turf. The event brings together the international bioprotection community, including innovators, academics, commercial providers and end-users, to discuss and address the most pressing issues in crop protection and pest control. Testament to the quality of the programme, and the event’s unique approach to gathering all stakeholders across the entire biopesticides chain, the Summit is delighted this year to partner with leading media in the field, such as AgroPages, IHS Markit | Agrow, Agrospectrum and Planteria.

A key part of the two-day event is the Biopesticide Awards, which recognise and showcase the achievements of innovators working across the bioprotection industry. This year, eight awards will recognise outstanding achievements in the development of new bioprotection products (those launched within the past 2 years) and their impact in crop protection. 

Award categories are:


  • New Bioinsecticide Product
  • New Biofungicide Product
  • New Bionematicide Product
  • New Biochemical Product
  • Outstanding Achievement

    • Industry Collaboration
    • Innovative Research Project of The Year
  • BioTech Start-up Business of The Year

 

Last year’s winners included leaders in innovation such as AgBio Systems, Bionema and the University of Birmingham, Ecoflora Agro, Ecolibrium Biologicals, Ecop-FP, Ecospray, Maxtim and Russell IPM. 

Dr Minshad Ansari, Chairman of the Biopesticide Summit & Awards said: “The Awards and gala dinner offer a truly unique opportunity to recognise the achievements of the latest and most innovative new products on the market, the best research projects and the brightest start-ups that the global bioprotection industry has to offer.”

To enter the Global Biopesticide Awards 2020 or to discuss sponsorship of an award, please visit https://biopesticidesummit.com/awards-2019/awards-2020/ or email  events@biopesticidesummit.com for an application form. 

The deadline for nominations is 31st March 2020. 

 

The Biopesticide Summit 2020 And AgroSpectrum as

Environment, Nature, Sustainable Energy

Global warming is a challenge for mankind on earth. Sustainability discussions primarily focus on energy consumption of devices

International Freezer Challenge 2020: Optimizing your cold storage practices?

Even environmentally friendly and energy efficient ultra-low temperature freezers traditionally consume a large amount of energy as they maintain extremely low temperatures 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for years.

The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) and MyGreenLab have partnered again to reward the best concept to improve cold storage regarding sustainability: The Freezer Challenge 2020.

The users can earn points by taking actions from Good Management Practices, Temperature Tuning, and other areas, as well as for sharing information about best practices. Awards will be given to those who have done the most to save energy and improve their sample storage.

More information in the Freezer Challenge 2020 at https://www.freezerchallenge.org.

 

Based on our responsibility for the environment, Eppendorf is proudly sponsoring the 2020 International Freezer Challenge the third time after 2018 and 2019.






Global warming is a challenge for mankind

Agro Universities, R&D

The MoU aims to provide the opportunities for scientists and post graduate students of VNMKV, Parbhani to use of the state-of-the-art facilities for the research at ICAR-NIASM.

The ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Baramati, Pune has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth (VNMKV), Parbhani. 

Dr. Jagdish Rane, Director, ICAR-NIASM and Dr. D.P. Waskar, Director of Research, VNMKV, Parbhani signed the MoU on the behalf of their respective organizations. 

Dr. Waskar highlighted the opportunities for collaboration where experience and breeding material generated at VNMKV can be immensely useful in the complementary research efforts at ICAR-NIASM in the area of abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants. 

Dr. A.S. Dhawan, Vice-Chancellor, VNMKV, Parbhani, Maharashtra urged for the collaboration for enhancing the stability of crop productivity through tolerance to the abiotic stresses. 

The main objective of the MoU is to provide the opportunities for scientists and post graduate students of VNMKV, Parbhani for making the best use of the state-of-the-art facilities for the research at ICAR-NIASM by involving the different disciplines with an aim to make available the best combination of mitigation and adaptation options for areas prone to abiotic stresses.

 

As per the MoU, the scientists of the ICAR-NIASM will also participate in the academic activities intended to update the Post Graduate and PhD students with the advances in abiotic stress sciences.

The MoU aims to provide the opportunities

E-commerce, Trade

 This investment will enable the multinational to expand its prominence in global avocado supply. 

 Westfalia Fruit International has recently announced an investment by Boston-based Harvard Management Company (HMC), which enables the multinational to expand its prominence in global avocado supply. 

The acquisition by HMC of a minority stake in South Africa-headquartered Westfalia Fruit gives the fruit specialist capital for funding key initiatives while enabling collaboration with HMC’s accomplished team of natural resource investors.

 “Westfalia is a global leader in the avocado market with a commitment to environmentally sustainable management,” says Colin Butterfield, HMC’s managing director of natural resources. “It’s vertically integrated operations are uniquely positioned to benefit from the growth in global avocado consumption and make it a great fit for our portfolio. We are excited to have the opportunity to join them in this latest stage of their growth.”

 Westfalia Fruit’s future capital investments in global production and distribution are aimed at meeting the growing market demand for avocados and expanding the current availability of fruit.

 Alk Brand, the newly-appointed CEO of Westfalia Fruit, says: “The decision to partner with HMC was an easy one, given our similar values and commitment to sustainable business principles.” This transaction positions us well for pursuing strategic objectives within the global Group and significantly contributes towards our vision of being a leader in the global avocado industry.

 About Westfalia Fruit Group

 Established more than 70 years ago, the Westfalia Fruit Group supplies fresh produce and related value-added products to international markets. An integrated supply chain incorporating all activities ‘from pip to plate’ enables it to market quality fruit from across the globe throughout the year.

 This investment will enable the multinational to

E-commerce, Trade

 The combined Pinnacle and Simplot teams will operate as Simplot Grower Solutions.

The J.R. Simplot Company, a privately held food and agribusiness company headquartered in Boise, Idaho, announced it has finalized the acquisition of Pinnacle Agriculture. The acquisition, first announced in November, unites two market leaders in the distribution of agricultural crop inputs and related services. 

“Completing this acquisition represents a significant and important milestone for the J.R. Simplot Company, our employees, partners and customers,” said Garrett Lofto, Simplot President and CEO. “We look forward to shaping an exciting future with our new team members on board as we focus on delivering unique solutions to our customers. Strategically, this investment is another step that prepares us for a future where we can leverage our unique capabilities across the global food and global agricultural systems.” 

Simplot’s AgriBusiness Group now has more than 240 crop input locations throughout the U.S. and Canada with more than 4,400 employees and 500 crop advisors. In total, the Company now provides products and services to more than 40,000 North American farmers. 

“We’re thrilled to welcome Pinnacle employees, customers and partners and look forward to growing our knowledge with the addition of their insights and expertise,” said Doug Stone, President of Simplot’s AgriBusiness Group. “Our aim is to bring the best of both of these complementary businesses together to create even greater value for our customers.” 

The conclusion of the Pinnacle Agriculture acquisition represents a significant opportunity to bring the combined capabilities of Simplot and Pinnacle to growers, ensuring they receive the highest quality advice, products and services. The combined Pinnacle and Simplot teams will operate as Simplot Grower Solutions, led by Vice President & General Manager Troy Bolt.

 

“Our combined retail store footprint increases our ability to provide leading products, services and advice to our joint customers and farm communities throughout the U.S. and Canada,” Bolt said. “By expanding our services further into the Midwest and Southern regions of the U.S., we can serve more farmers in more areas who have the important job of growing food to feed the world.”

 About Simplot

The J.R. Simplot Company, a privately held agribusiness firm headquartered in Boise, Idaho, has an integrated portfolio that includes phosphate mining, fertilizer manufacturing, farming, ranching and cattle production, food processing, food brands, and other enterprises related to agriculture. Simplot’s major operations are located in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, South America and China, with products marketed in more than 60 countries worldwide. The company supports 4R Nutrient Stewardship – using the right source of fertilizer at the right rate at the right time and in the right place.

 The combined Pinnacle and Simplot teams will

E-commerce, Supply Chain, Trade

The pilot project with fresh food in Hyderabad aims to get a better understanding of customer behavior and the supply chain.

Walmart owned Bengaluru-based e-commerce Company, Flipkart has launched a pilot project in Hyderabad for delivery of fresh vegetables and fruits in partnership with vendors on its marketplace, according to ET Report.

Sources told that the company has applied for a food retail consent for its newly registered entity Flipkart FarmerMart. This will also help the Walmart-owned company’s food inventory in the country, as directed under the foreign direct investment (FDI) rules. 

In addition, Flipkart is planning to start 6 brick-and-mortar grocery stores after receiving the license, a procedure that could take 6 months, the report said. So far, Flipkart has partnered with Waycool Foods and Products & other sellers on the platform, the report mentioned.

 It added that Ninjacart that recently received a joint investment from Flipkart & Walmart, is likely to support a part of the supply in future.

The company also said that “Grocery is one of the key categories at Flipkart…the pilot project with fresh food in Hyderabad aims to get a better understanding of customer behavior and the supply chain that we are developing to address the demand for this category”.

 Flipkart FarmerMart at present has an authorized equity capital of Rs 1,845 crore. This new development comes in face of tough competition in the food & delivery segments in India.

 It is important to mention that the food retail license will be given by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade or DPIIT.

The pilot project with fresh food in

Poultry

Software solution helps manage the poultry production process in a dynamic and animal-centric way

Evonik will present Porphyrio®, the leading global software solution to improve and optimize poultry production, at IPPE in Atlanta on 28 – 30 January 2020.

Visitors to Hall A – Booth A1325 can take a closer look at Evonik’s Precision Livestock Farming approach, including Porphyrio®. This cloud-based software solution enables professional poultry producers worldwide – from breeders through to the processing plant – to enhance their production process by analyzing livestock data in poultry meat and egg production.

The Porphyrio® solution enables poultry producers to better manage, predict and optimize their operations with the help of instantaneous big data, biostatistics and self-learning algorithms. Its unique predictive optimized slaughter planning application addresses the daily challenges of the slaughter house.

Dr. Kristof Mertens, Managing Director at Evonik Porphyrio® said: “Our solution supports daily poultry production management and this from an animal centric approach – we put the animal central in the process. This includes flock and welfare management, predictions on performance, health management in terms of vaccinations and treatments, and feed stock management, which can all be approached more precisely. And we link the complete production chain from GPS till processing.”

“As such, our customers can take better strategic decisions based on short-term and long-term predictions of the production process. We believe the best way to improve your future production is to predict it with Porphyrio®.”

During the exhibition, Dr. Mertens will discuss the key factors for success in digital optimization of modern poultry production at the seminar, “Program Poultry Precision Farming” The seminar will be led by Fabian Brockötter, Chief Editor at Poultry World, with further contributions from David Speller, CEO of OPTIfarm, and Maarten De Gussem, DVM, Global Poultry Consultant Vetworks.


Evonik will also be showcasing its probiotics – the good bacteria in animal feed – including GutCare® and Ecobiol®, along with its analytical services such as AMINONIR®, which can be used to predict crude protein, dry matter, essential, and non-essential amino acids for all major feed ingredients.

Software solution helps manage the poultry production

Agro chems – Fertilizers, E-commerce, R&D, Trade

HURL is Joint Venture Company promoted by the three Maha Ratna Companies – Coal India Limited, NTPC Limited and Indian Oil Corporation Limited. 

 Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda has recently launched the APNA UREA – Sona Ugle brand of Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Limited (HURL) at a function in New Delhi.

  While talking about HURL, Gowda said, with the objective of making the country self-reliant in Urea, Prime Minister had directed for the revival of five major sick or shutdown fertilizer plants. 

He said, in 2016, Government had approved the revival of three sick Urea plants located at Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni, which have been undertaken by HURL. Gowda said the other two plants at Ramagundam and Talcher will also commence production soon. He said the country is importing 70 to 80 Lakh metric tonne of fertilizer every year. 

The Minister said, after the commissioning of these five units, the total production of Urea will increase by over 63 Lakh Metric tonnes per annum. He said the revival of five Urea plants will reduce dependence on imports.

HURL is a joint venture company promoted by the three Maharatna companies; Coal India (CIL), National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) as the lead promoters with Fertilizer Corporation of India (FCIL) and Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation (HFCL) as other two partners. 

With the objective of making the country self-reliant in urea, the Government had approved in 2016 the revival of three sick urea plants located at Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni. The task of the revival of these three units has been undertaken by HURL. “The Prime Minister has directed for the revival of five major sick fertilizer plants, three of which have been undertaken by HURL. The other two plants at Ramagundam and Talcher will also commence production soon,” said Gowda. “We are importing 70-80 LMT fertilizer every year. After the commissioning of these five units, the total production of urea will increase by 63.5 Lakh Metric Tonnes Per Annum (LMTPA),” he added. 

About HURL

The HURL is being looked as a major emerging player in urea market due to revival of the three closed units in 2021 having total installed production capacity of 38.1 LMT of neem coated urea per annum. The company will establish and operate state-of-the-art environment friendly and energy efficient natural gas based new fertilizer complexes with the annual installed capacity of 1.27 MMTPA urea at each of the three locations which are expected to be commissioned in February 2021 (Gorakhpur, UP) and May 2021 (Barauni and Sindri). The feedstock to the plants i.e. natural gas will be supplied by GAIL under the pooled price mechanism. 

The commissioning of the HURL’s three units in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand will open forward and backward linkages for business activity in the eastern part of India. It will be instrumental in opening new avenues for generation of income and employment in the eastern part of our country.

 

 

 

HURL is Joint Venture Company promoted by

E-commerce, Machinery - Pre-harvesting, R&D

 The aim of planting machine is to reduce the burden on farmers by reducing the need for manpower in the process of planting rice.

Kubota Corp. has recently announced that it will release a rice-planting machine with automated driving functions in October.

The purpose of the first such machine in the industry is to reduce the burden on farmers by reducing the need for manpower in the process of planting rice.

The rice planter first creates a map of the rice field using GPS while being driven by a human around the perimeter of the field. It will then calculate its rice-planting route based on the map and automatically plant rice seedlings, according to the major Japanese agricultural machinery-maker.

 A human driver is not necessary in the planting process, but the machine does need to be monitored by a person with a remote controller. Rice-planting is usually done by two people — one to drive a planting machine and an assistant to keep it filled with seedlings. The automated rice-planter reduces the number of people needed for the process to one as the person monitoring the machine can also refill it with seedlings. 

Demand for self-driving farming machinery is high because of manpower shortages and the aging of farmers. Kubota has already launched tractors and combine harvesters with self-driving functions.

Autonomous tractor

Kubota has recently unveiled a futuristic concept autonomous tractor called the X-tractor. The battery-powered, tracked machine was first shown at a new product exhibition in Kyoto City, Japan.

In a press release, Kubota claims the concept is a zero-emission vehicle, using a combination of lithium-ion and solar batteries. The company claims artificial intelligence allows for “stable autonomous driving, even on wet paddies and uneven terrains.”

The X-tractor can change height to either lower the center of gravity or raise the operating platform above crops.

The X-tractor unveiling comes 50 years after Kubota unveiled its first concept, the Dream Tractor exhibited at the Japan World Exposition in Osaka in 1970. According to the Kubota press release, the Dream Tractor boasted “superior functionality, great driver comfort and easier operability.”

 

 

 The aim of planting machine is to

E-commerce, R&D, Trade

Vahdam Teas is only Indian brand to be included in the list of ‘Oprah Winfrey’s Favourite Things’ for 2018 and 2019.

 

The four-year-old start-up, Vahdam Teas was announced the ‘winner of the Global SMB of the Year’ award at Amazon Sambhav Summit in New Delhi recently.

 “It was the proudest moment of my life, particularly because I’ve always been inspired by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and receiving the award from him still feels like a dream”, said Bala Sarda, founder and CEO of  Vahdam Teas. 

Vahdam Teas’ in-house blends have been winning international awards and acclaim. It was the only Indian brand to be included in the list of ‘Oprah Winfrey’s Favourite Things’ for 2018 and 2019.The start-up sources the teas directly from farmers, makes the blend (adds value) and sells it directly to end consumers.

 Bala also mentioned that, “The country, despite being the second largest tea producer in the world, has always depended on bulk exports for its sustainability. We changed this scenario in 2015 with the launch of Vahdam, leveraged technology and cut out all middlemen.” 

Bala also added that the company has always focused on markets abroad such as the US, Europe and South Asia for offloading its premium teas. “The market is huge and they understand the value of Indian Orthodox teas. We have till date shipped more than 100 million+ cups of tea to consumers across 93 countries”, he said.

Launching export of premium teas

Vahdam Teas and Super Foods, a home-grown tea brand focused on export of premium teas, is set to launch its products across India. The company did a soft launch in the country recently.

“The awareness level for premium single-estate blends is still low in India. We have just commenced the sale of our range of teas in the country. We will, by the end of the next quarter build an online presence across the top four metros. We are trying to build an omni channel to route our products,” Bala Sarda, founder and CEO, said.

While taking pride in Vahdam’s growth journey, Bala voiced concern over the state of affairs of the industry in India. “We have some of the finest teas in the world. Yet, we are not able to capitalize on our strength. Foreign brands shift from one sourcing region to another to compete on price points. Darjeeling teas, for instance, were quoting at least 35 per cent lower than the rates last year. This is sad considering that millions of farmers struggle to get the right price for the leaf and are facing an uncertain future.”

Vahdam Teas is only Indian brand to

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Trade

The event, hosted by the World BioProtection Forum, will address major global challenges in sustainable pest and disease management

After the success of first Biopesticide Summit & Awards, the executive and steering committee of the Biopesticide Summit is delighted to announced that the second Biopesticide Summit & Awards will take place on 19-20 May 2020, at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Biopesticides can no longer be viewed as a niche market or an ‘alternative’ to conventional pesticides. Rather, they are the part of a range of plant protection products – that include conventional pesticides – which need to be adopted by farming communities to maintain season long control of pests and diseases, integrate with biological pest control programmes and manage potential issues relating to crop residues.

The global biopesticide industry is projected to grow at more than 14% over the next five years[1], in response to a perfect storm of challenges facing growers, including the damaging side-effects of toxic chemicals, a growing resistance to chemical insecticides, regulatory removal of chemical products and increasing consumer demand for sustainable practices. The Summit agenda will seek to anticipate and address future requirements with more sustainable solutions.

The Summit aims to connect industry and academia to create novel ideas and services, next generation formulations and delivery systems and provide support for accessing investments to commercialise novel products.

The event brings together the international bioprotection community, including innovators, academics, commercial providers and end-users, to discuss and address the most pressing issues in crop protection and pest control.

The Summit is one of the largest events in the biopesticide industry outside of the US, by number of delegates. The NEC is Great Britain’s largest conference venue, and the ideal central location for national and international visitors to this second annual event.

Delegates will hear from world-leading scientists, researchers, key industry stakeholders, government organisations, investors, policymakers and integrated pest management practitioners.

The Biopesticide Summit & Awards 2020 will:

  • Bring together leading innovators and practitioners in biocontrol industry.
  • Assemble a large and high-quality community of academia, industry and investors to encourage collaboration.
  • Provide meaningful discussion on the challenges facing the industry between growers, customers and biocontrol professionals.
  • Provide pragmatic insight into commercialisation and investment fundraising for new biocontrol ideas.
  • Provide opportunity for 1-to-1 networking, exhibition, and speaker slots.
  • Celebrate the best and brightest new ideas at the Gala Dinner and Awards

Dr Minshad Ansari, Summit chairman and CEO of Bionema said: “By helping to bridge the gap between academia and industry on the one hand, and commercial providers, growers and buyers on the other, this Summit can address the issues that really matter for the biopesticide industry: namely, where is the next generation of commercially viable innovation coming from, and how will they be financed?”

He added, “The Awards and gala dinner offer a truly unique opportunity to recognise the achievements of the latest and most innovative new products on the market, the best research projects and the brightest start-ups that the global bioprotection industry has to offer.”

AgroSpectrum , Strategic Planning  Manager on this collaboration added  , ” The event also provides the opportunity for companies to exhibit and delegates to network with peers, innovators and investors ” .

 

 

The event, hosted by the World BioProtection

Poultry

Unique combination of phytogenics and probiotics helps manage enteric challenges

Kemin Industries, a global ingredient manufacturer that strives to sustainably transform the quality of life every day for 80 percent of the world with its products and services, has launched VANNIX™ C4, a novel phytogenic feed additive that joins the comprehensive lineup of poultry gut health solutions from Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health – North America. VANNIX C4 is a proprietary formulation of natural, gut-health-fortifying ingredients designed as a cost-effective solution for producers to minimize the impact of enteric challenges on poultry performance.

Over the last decade, changes in antibiotic usage have led to significant research and development of alternative products to manage enteric challenges, such as coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis, which were traditionally managed with antibiotics. Independently published research has shown that select phytogenic molecules can reduce the impact of enteritic pathogens – such as Eimeria and Clostridium perfringens – on poultry performance. Additionally, probiotics have been shown to promote a healthy intestinal microbial balance in poultry which may support the overall health and performance of the animal.

“With more than 50 percent of commercial poultry raised without antibiotics today, producers are challenged to manage flock health with fewer tools, avoid overuse of current solutions and maximize their long-term efficacy,” said Rachel Tonda, Associate Product Manager, Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health – North America. “As a novel phytogenic feed additive, VANNIX C4 offers producers a new tool to support and rotate into gut health management programs, helping to promote performance and preserve the efficacy of current products.”

VANNIX C4 differs from conventional phytogenic feed additives on the market today:

  • Unique formulation of tannins, phytogenic molecules, probiotics and beta-glucans
  • Standardized active ingredients to ensure consistent response
  • Tandem performance support in combination with coccidiosis vaccination

VANNIX C4 joins the existing line of “Knock Out” solutions in the Kemin Gut Health Triple Check: CLOSTAT®, CLOSTAT® WS and KEM SAN®. Knock Out solutions are designed to support intestinal balance by inhibiting or eliminating harmful pathogens for healthier and better-performing flocks.

Unique combination of phytogenics and probiotics helps

E-commerce, Finance, Start ups, Trade

Ninjacart will look to expand its customer base, expansion in new cities, and to enhance the efficiency of the local fresh produce ecosystem

 

Agritech Startup Ninjacart has secured Rs 71.83 crore ($10 million) in a Series C funding round led by Flipkart India and Singapore-based GEC3 along with participation from Minu Kataria.

 This capital is the first tranche of the $50 million investment committed by retail giant Walmart in August last year. This funding round was announced in last month, but the amount was not disclosed by the company. 

Post the deal, Ninjacart will look to expand its customer base, expansion in new cities, and to enhance the efficiency of the local fresh produce ecosystem. Prior to the latest investment round, the firm had secured $90 million from Tiger Global in April last year. 

Founded by Thirukumaran Nagarajan, Kartheeswaran K K, Ashutosh Vikram, Sharath Loganathan and Vasudevan Chinnathambi, Ninjacart enables retailers and restaurants to source fresh produce directly from the farmers at competitive prices and get it delivered at the doorstep. 

 Ninjakart which is  founded in 2016 claims that it has a network of more than 200 collection centers and 1,200 warehouses in India. It  also claims to move over 1,400 tons of fresh produce daily from more than 40,000 farmers and supplies to over 60,000 stores across seven cities – Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai and Pune. 

The Bengaluru-based company buys directly from the farmers and through its network of collection centers and distribution hubs, it supplies straight to the retailers. Accel Partners, Steadview Capital, Syngenta Ventures, Qualcomm ventures, and Nandan Nilekani are the other investors in Ninjacart.

Ninjacart will look to expand its customer

E-commerce, Finance, R&D, Seeds, Trade

The consortium, led by Corteva Agriscience and includes Bunge, a leading canola processor, and Botaneco, will invest $14.05 million, with a $13.6 million investment from Protein Industries Canada.

Protein Industries Canada, along with industry partners, announced an investment of more than $27 million into a canola breeding project focused on making canola hybrids that produce high protein meal for downstream use. Higher protein canola meal will result in new, diversified, higher value markets for canola meal creating economic benefits across the entire value-chain.

 “It is great to see the Protein Industries Supercluster build further momentum through new projects and even more investments. This project especially will help produce canola that commands premium value – both at home and in international markets. This will help growers become more profitable and create more jobs in the agri-food sector”, said Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. 

In this project, genetics from Corteva’s breeding programs and public sector sources, such as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, will identify genes that result in high protein and reduced fibre.  High protein products delivered from breeding will be scaled up to provide seeds for processing by Bunge and Botaneco to generate meal and high value canola protein products, that are more competitive with other plant-based protein sources for human and monogastric markets, including poultry and pork. 

“Canola is one of Canada’s most important crops, and this project will have significant impacts along the entire value chain,”said  Bill Greuel CEO of Protein Industries Canada . “By investing in breeding to improve protein and reduce fibre, we will increase the value of Canadian canola and open up new markets for food and feed applications, resulting in higher demand and prices for the meal.” 

“We’re pleased to announce our significant investment to revolutionize Canadian canola, which will open new, higher-value markets and create economic benefits across the entire canola value chain and agriculture industry,” President of Corteva Agriscience Canada Bryce Eger said. “In addition to our focus on important agronomic input traits for farmers, high protein seed genetics will transform Canadian canola to be both a high value oil and a high value meal crop.”

 

Bunge will process the high protein canola, resulting in high protein meal to be used in poultry and swine feeding studies to quantify animal performance.  New end-use markets will also be evaluated using the meal processed by Bunge.  In parallel, high protein canola will be used in Botaneco’s novel processing platforms to produce protein concentrates for use in aquaculture studies, and protein isolates for human food testing. 

“The industry will generate more value from high protein canola meal, ultimately, creating new opportunities for growers as the high protein/reduced fibre meal will allow us to sell into local feed markets where we currently struggle to compete,” North America Canola Commercial Manager at Bunge Ryan Law said. 

“Development of high protein canola hybrids will change the future of canola,” Chief Operating Officer for Botaneco David Dzisiak said. “This is an important project that will create new value for the Canadian canola industry across the value-chain and provide new companies like Botaneco the ability to better create novel downstream end-use products opening significant new markets.” 

“Continued innovation in Canadian canola by enhancing the protein in the seed will help us create more sustainable growth and opportunity for the canola value chain,” President of the Canola Council of Canada Jim Everson said. “The federal government’s support for research in plant proteins through Protein Industries Canada is very important for Canadian canola growers.”

 

Protein Industries Canada currently has 24 projects being evaluated for investment. The projects represent potential investment of more than $130 million and include projects from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.        

The consortium, led by Corteva Agriscience and