Home2020January (Page 6)

Prof Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, secretary of DARE & Director General of ICAR was speaking at inauguration of Farmers’ Science Congress in Bengluru.

 By Our Correspondent

Bengaluru, Jan 6:

The 107th Indian Science Congress (ISC) being held at Bengaluru is unique in a sense that 106 years since its inception for the first time Farmers’ Science Congress (FSC) has been organized as its part.

 “It is a good move and if continues to the part of ISC from next year, it will be a big encouragement for farming community,” said Prof  Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, secretary, Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE) and Director General, Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) in an inaugural function the FSC. Later he interacted with media also.

 “As farmer innovators, scientists and policy makers are coming together at the FSC it will provide opportunity to innovators from different areas to learn from each other. Scientists’ innovators interaction will provide opportunity for scaling up the innovations. Government taking note of the problems in innovations at the FSC will help in finding ways and means to solve these problems”, Prof Dr T. Mohapatra said while talking to media.

 Earlier, speaking to AgroSpecrum, Prof Dr T. Mohapatra said that DARE is setting up innovation center in Delhi where farmers would work on their innovative ideas. It would also validate farmers’ innovations, scale them up, encourage, promote and propagate. This would start functioning in a year’s time. Along with that Farmers’ Innovation Fund was also being set up to help innovative farmers if they fall short of some resources somewhere.  Besides this, several farm innovations have already been validated and documented. 

He also elaborated on ‘Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture’ (ARYA) scheme. Rural bio economy is a major strength. There are already 104 successful agri startups and 215 agro processing center. This would attract youths to agriculture, he said. Farmers need not think about agriculture only from the food angle, they could bring out many value added products. 

Prof Dr Trilochan  Mohaparta also elaborated on Integrative Farming System (IFS) models. Over 50 such models were validated and working on ground. They are operating in different agro climatic zones, different agro economic areas. They have been developed as per local requirements and situations. Three basic aims were improving farmers’ income livelihood security and sustainability. These models were of horticulture, fisheries, cut flowers, mushrooms, animal husbandry, intercropping and many more things. 

He stressed the importance of science in agriculture and said agriculture is not an art as many people feel like but it is science and economics which are the underlining factors.

 General President of ISC Prof Rangappa said ISC was giving importance to multi-disciplinary research. He assured that as suggested by Prof Mahapatra he will do efforts to include even social science to make a part of ISC from the next year.

Prof Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, secretary of DARE

The Company  claims that the insecticide trait is the first of its kind in the cotton industry. 

 

 Bayer is set to launch a new cotton trait, called ThryvOn technology, in the early 2020s. It specifically targets thrips species and tarnished plant bugs, which could help reduce the need for a foliar insecticide application. 

“We believe that once available, this technology system will provide immense value to cotton growers by promoting plant health and helping protect yield potential against pests that, until now, were not able to be managed through a biotech trait,” said Jon Riley, Bayer North America cotton launch lead, in a recent press release.

 Pending regulatory approvals, ThryvOn technology will be stacked with Bollgard 3 XtendFlex technologies, providing both insect and weed control. Bayer says the new trait stack will provide the following benefits:

  • Season-long protection against feeding damage from thrips and tarnished plant bugs, including Lygus hesperus and Lygus lineolaris species, from built-in traits
  • Reduced foliar insecticide applications
  • Weed control options with XtendFlex

 “We’re excited to move one step closer to commercialization by announcing the name of ThryvOn technology,” said Travis Coffman, cotton trait marketing manager at Bayer, “a name that conveys our desire to help cotton growers thrive everywhere in the face of challenges from tarnished plant bugs and thrips species.”

 The company says it will, pending various regulatory approvals and other factors, provide farmers with educational opportunities. This includes academic test plots in the 2020 growing season. Bayer says the insecticide trait is the first of its kind in the cotton industry.

The Company  claims that the insecticide trait

The reorganization includes Syngenta, the Swiss pesticide producer that ChemChina agreed in 2016 to buy for $43 billion.

ChemChina and Sinochem (600500.SS) are consolidating their agricultural assets into a new holding company to be called Syngenta Group, ChemChina unit Syngenta said on Sunday. 

Chen Lichtenstein, current president and CEO of Shenzhen-listed crop protection company ADAMA (000553.SZ), which will also be incorporated into the new group, will be nominated CFO of the newly formed Syngenta Group.

He will be based in Basel, Switzerland, the Swiss group said in a statement. Reuters reported last month that China National Chemical Corp, or ChemChina, had approached Chinese state-backed investors for up to $10 billion in funding as part of a reorganisation of its agrichemicals business ahead of a public float.

 The reorganization includes Syngenta, the Swiss pesticide producer that ChemChina agreed in 2016 to buy for $43 billion.

The fundraising efforts and eventual stock market listing are designed to cut ChemChina’s debt ahead of a long-awaited mega-merger with state-owned peer Sinochem. Frank Ning, the chairman of both companies, has encouraged individual business units to tap capital markets ahead of any tie-up, which has been in the works since 2016.

The reorganization includes Syngenta, the Swiss

The action plan includes production clusters, capacity building, infrastructure and logistics and research & development

The government has recently stated that eight states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Karnataka, have finalized action plan for agriculture export policy which aims to double such exports.

 “The Agri Export Policy was announced last year with an objective of doubling the export and ensuring doubling of farmers’ income. Many states have nominated nodal agency and nodal officer. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Punjab and Karnataka have finalized the State Action Plan and other states are at different stages of finalization of the action plan,” the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement.

 The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has been adopting a focused approach for ensuring greater involvement of the state governments for effective implementation of Agri Export Policy (AEP).

 Throughout the year APEDA held a series of meetings with state government officials and other stakeholders for preparation of state action plan which included all essential components like production clusters, capacity building, infrastructure and logistics and research and development and budget requirements for the implementation of AEP, it said.

 Several rounds of discussions were held with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Food Processing Industries and other agencies for seeking inputs for formulating a strategy to increase exports and address the existing bottlenecks in the trade. 

State level monitoring committees have been formed in many of the states. Cluster visits have been made by APEDA nodal officers to the product clusters, it added. The roadmap for cluster development in the clusters notified under AEP was prepared to address the identified interventions during the cluster visits. 

“As a result of cluster visits by APEDA, the cluster level committee has been constituted in the states viz. potato in Punjab, Isabgol in Rajasthan, pomegranate, orange and grapes in Maharashtra and banana in Tamil Nadu”, said the Ministry Commerce and Industry. APEDA organized a number of seminars and meetings for the implementation of AEP throughout the year.

Farmer Connect Portal

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the National Cooperative Development Corporation to include co-operatives for active role in AEP. A Farmer Connect Portal has also been set up by APEDA on its website for providing a platform for Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Farmer Producer Companies to interact with exporters, it said. Over 800 FPOs have been registered on the portal.

The action plan includes production

On experiment basis, the belt has been tested on 500 animals. The company aims at covering around 10,000 animals in the next one year.

 

Dairy technology solutions provider, Prompt Equipments has joined hands with the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, to manufacture indigenous smart wearable devices for the cattle to assist the cattle-rearing community to identify important intervals during cow breeding.

 The Ahmedabad-based firm has introduced a wearable belt ’BovSmart’ with the use Internet of Things (IoT) & Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies for timely detection of the beginning of the cow’s heat cycle. It must be noted that breeding cows that are not in heat or not at the peak of heat cycle leads to low fertility & financial and economic loss of the owner.

 

How BovSmart works

 This device will potentially save this loss as it sends the signals of cow’s heat cycle to the receiver that further alerts the system & the company, then, sends these alerts to farmers though SMS on their mobile app.

Following this warning, the cattle owner can immediately take a decision to artificially inseminate his animal. This helps in reducing the calving intervals as well as the expenses on the entire process.

 Regarding the partnership, Shridhar Mehta, Director of Prompt said, “We have collaborated with IIT-Mumbai and IIT-Kanpur for developing more innovative products & solutions that ensure improved productivity. BovSmart has been made with a specialized algorithm & is designed to give actionable alerts that ensure timely breeding with a high success rate. The software leads to better animal health, as well as improved productivity”. 

Mehta said that many more products, which are aimed at improving bovine & farm yields, are in the pipeline. On experiment basis, the belt has been tested on 500 animals. The company aims at covering around 10,000 animals in the next one year.

 Cost of Belt

The belt will cost Rs. 4,500 while the receiver would cost Rs. 70,000. The receiver gathers real-time data and works as an activity monitor of the animal.  Most importantly the company has a presence & network in over 50,000 villages spread across 22 States with an annual turnover of Rs. 150 crore.

On experiment basis, the belt has been

The company will use the funding to combine the FarmERP platform with Climate Resilient Intelligence

Singapore-based strategic investor Technogen has invested in FarmERP, which is building AI-based Climate Resilience Intelligence, to help its users mitigate climate risks in agriculture and achieve sustainability.

Shivrai Technologies Pvt. Ltd, which operates agriculture enterprise resource planning platform FarmERP, has raised Series A funding from software company TechnoGen IT Services India Pvt. Ltd.

 Santosh Shinde, co-founder and chief operating officer at FarmERP, said in official statement, that the Company will use the funds to enter new markets to solve the problems agriculture faces. Currently, the company has a presence in about 25 countries, including in Europe, North America and Africa.

 Pune-headquartered FarmERP will also use the money to build solutions that can help users limit risks that the agriculture sector faces due to climate change. The company didn’t disclose the amount it raised from TechnoGen, which has offices in Mumbai and Singapore.

 FarmERP was founded as Farm Management Software by Shinde and Sanjay Borkar in 2001, and renamed itself in 2007. It services sub-industries in the agriculture sector such as plantation farming, contract farming, bio-technology companies, research and development organisations, and government institutions. The company aims to help stakeholders in the agriculture industry to improve yields, efficiency and profitability.

TechnoGen is an integrated portfolio of end-to-end creation of technology and services, simultaneously upholding quality and integrity and reducing customer cost. 

Agri-tech funding update

The agriculture-technology segment has seen growing interest from strategic players and investors, especially social-impact investors. Players in the segment seek to address gaps in India’s existing agricultural processes and provide fair economic incentives to farmers and other members of the ecosystem.

Last month, Sathguru Catalyser Advisors, the asset management company of Innovation in Food and Agriculture Fund, said it would invest up to $6 million (around Rs 43 crore) in Nu Genes Pvt. Ltd, a seed company focused on nutrition crops.

Similarly, the US retail giant Walmart Inc. and its Indian e-commerce arm Flipkart jointly invested in Ninjacart, a business-to-business (B2B) marketplace for agricultural produce.

In November, logistics and supply-chain-focused Kamatan raised Rs 30 crore (around $4.18 million) in funding from Chennai-based Samunnati Agro Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of non-banking financial company Samunnati Financial Intermediation & Services Pvt. Ltd.

The company will use the funding

Testing kits and devices will be provided to field officers through the State governments. 

FSSAI ( Food Safety & Standards Authority of India)  will invest over Rs 20 crore to get rapid food testing kits or devices for state-level field officers across the country. So far, FSSAI has approved thirty rapid food testing kits as well as devices under the recently finalized regulations for sanction of these items & methods that intend to strengthen the food testing ecosystem in India.

 But interestingly, only 2 out of 30 rapid kits & devices are indigenously manufactured while the rest are imported, despite several research and scientific institutions in India are engaged in development of such kits & devices.

 CEO of FSSAI, Pawan Agarwal said, “Food Safety & Standards Authority of India has initiated steps so that indigenously developed devices & kits are validated & approved under its regulations on a fast track basis. We would spend over Rs. 20 crore & procure rapid food testing kits and devices”.

 He said, “There is a market potential of Rs. 1000 crore for such devices and kits in India alone. Once, such kits & devices are extensively used for regulatory purposes; food industry will also start using them for internal quality assurance & quality control purposes”. 

The apex food regulator further said that the kits and devices will be given to field officers through the State governments. Different States will also buy such kits & devices from Government e marketplace or (GeM) website to make them widely available with enforcement officials.

Testing kits and devices will be provided

PM Narendra Modi was speaking after inaugurating the 107th Indian Science Congress at University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore in Karnataka

 Bangalore, January 3, 2020: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said “We must try and change all forms of waste into wealth as soon as possible. We’re trying to ensure that by 2022, we reduce the import of crude oil by 10%. There are immense opportunities for start-ups that want to work in bio-fuel and ethanol production.” 

Speaking after inaugurating the 107th Indian Science Congress at University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore in Karnataka Prime Minister said “India must also develop a long-term roadmap to sustainable and environment-friendly transportation and energy-storage options. The latter has become increasingly significant for grid-management as we expand our energy-management supply.” 

In his address the Prime Minister noted that Technology is the strength of the Jal Jeevan Mission. “It is your responsibility to develop cheap and effective technology for the recycling of water. Water governance is a new frontier for all of you,” he said. 

He further observed that digital technology, e-commerce, internet banking & mobile banking services are assisting rural population significantly. Today, farmers are getting the required information about weather and forecast at their fingertips through many e-governance facilities. 

“We’re continuing our efforts to ensure the ease of doing science and effectively using information technology to reduce red tape. Today, farmers are able to sell their products directly to the market, without being at the mercy of the middleman,” he added.

Stressing on a need for revolution in technologies assisting agricultural practices The Prime Minister called upon the scientists to address issues like “Can we find farmer-centric solutions to the problem of stalk burning for instance? Can we also redesign our brick kilns for reduced emissions and greater energy efficiency? We need to find better and faster solutions to the problem of clean drinking water supplies around the country. How do we prevent effluents and discharge from industries from ruining our soil and our groundwater tables for years to come?”

The Theme of the India Science Congress (ISC) this year is “Science and Technology: Rural Development”. More than 15,000 participants, including Nobel Laureates, Scientists, intellectuals, academicians, police makers, researchers, students and delegates from different institutions are expected to participate in the event.  

The Chief Minister of Karnataka B. S. Yediyurappa and other dignitaries including Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan were present on the occasion.

 

PM Narendra Modi was speaking after inaugurating

“Higher Society” includes craft cannabis concentrates, extracts, tinctures, oils, flower, topical, edibles, rosin, vape pens and accessories.

 

  Agritek Holdings, Inc. (www.AgritekHoldings.com), a fully integrated, active real estate investor for the cannabis sector and consultant for multiple cannabis brands, recently  announced the acquisition and launch of the premium cannabis lifestyle brand “Higher Society” which includes craft cannabis concentrates, extracts, tinctures, oils, flower, topical, edibles, rasin, vape pens and accessories through the newly announced Apex Extractions Distribution division.

 Recently, Agritek Holdings   has announced board approval for the acquisition of certain assets, distribution and brands of the award winning California based cannabis manufacturing Company Apex Extractions (www.Apexextractions.com). 

The new Agritek Holdings and acquisition of the Apex distribution licensed division will allow the Company to join forces to launch the “Higher Society” premium cannabis brand initially in California in order to drive revenue for both companies. 

The company will focus on building a multi-state consumer-focused cannabis flower and concentrate brand portfolio focusing on the premium and luxury segments. The “Higher Society” lifestyle cannabis brand will be the cornerstone brand of the new Agritek/Apex through the completed acquisition of Apex’s Distribution division. The Company will aggressively expand the Higher Society brand throughout the west coast of the United States through its strategy to be the leader of the highest-value segments of the California cannabis market. The Higher Society Cannabis brand will be produced and distributed through Apex Extractions exclusively, and will be offered throughout 200 dispensaries initially in California already selling Apex products. 

Additionally, the Company plans to apply for a regulated cannabis delivery license within northern California near the Apex manufacturing facility in Oakland. Once approved, this will further provide customers a dynamic opportunity to purchase and have premium cannabis products delivered to their door.

 “We have developed expertise in the creation, branding and distribution of a highly regulated product which we will now incorporate into the launch of our unique lifestyle brand ‘Higher Society’. Our strategy is to offer ‘cannabis 2.0’ and next gen products to licensed dispensaries and consumers demanding premium quality through our new delivery subscription services,” stated Scott Benson, CEO of Agritek Holdings Inc.  “We look forward to embracing our common goal of creating a leading lifestyle cannabis brand consisting of unique cannabis products and accessories to apparel while driving sales into the adult-use marketplace,” further stated Benson.

 

“As the company enters its next chapter of growth and scale, we’re very pleased to have Scott Benson continue as CEO and lead our team into the company’s future growth moving into 2020,” stated Michael Friedman, founder of Agritek Holdings Inc. “His deep experience with building premium award winning brands such as Apex, Pinnacle and now Higher Society will help us scale effectively to meet new market demands. With further consolidation in the sector, the new AGTK will remain dead-set focused as a consumer packaged goods Company with leading brands distributed nationally, as old models of cultivation and manufacturing alone continue to suffer within the sector,” added Friedman.

 New cannabis consumers have become accustomed to premium quality, and have communicated an immediate need for cannabis 2.0 products of the future tailored with a desired lifestyle. The “Higher Society” brand will essentially seek to provide a unique lifestyle brand delivered directly to the consumer, essentially similar to an “Amazon” box and delivery model within multiple legal jurisdictions starting in California, the largest legal state for recreational use cannabis. 

About Agritek Holdings, Inc.

 Agritek Holdings, Inc. (www.AgritekHoldings.com), is a fully integrated, active real estate investor and advisor in the legal cannabis sector. Specifically, Agritek Holdings provides strategic capital and functional expertise to accelerate the commercialization of its diversified portfolio of cannabis related holdings. Currently, the Company is focused on three high-value segments of the cannabis market, including real estate investment, intellectual property/brands, and infrastructure, with operations in three U.S. States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Agritek Holdings, Inc. presently owns or manages cannabis properties in Colorado, Puerto Rico and Canada and has licenses with permitted facilities in California approved for cultivation as well as manufacturing capabilities. The company owns several Hemp and cannabis brands for distribution including “Hemp Pops”, Hemp oil wellness products and “California Premiums”. Agritek Holdings Inc. does not directly grow, harvest, or distribute or sell cannabis or any substances that violate or contravene United States law or the Controlled Substances Act. 

About Apex Extractions

Founded in February 2017, Apex Solutions was one of the first licensed, recreational cannabis manufacturers established when legalization occurred in the state of California. So far in 2019, Apex Extractions’ concentrates and pens have already won 10 High Times Cannabis Cup awards and last month the company introduced the Apex Solutions Fresh Club subscription delivery service.  Apex additionally provides bulk concentrates to some of the largest brands in California.

“Higher Society” includes craft cannabis concentrates,

Mordor Intelligence has provided exclusive report on Vertical Farming Market which empowers enterprises to shape their strategic decisions

The global vertical farming market was valued at USD 1922.1 million in 2018 and is projected to register a CAGR of 8.4% during the forecast period (2019-2024). North America is projected to be the fastest growing market, registering a CAGR of 10.3%. The region is also the largest market with revenue of USD 959.1 million. North America and Europe together hold more than 60% share in the market. Investors in the Asia-Pacific and in South America are still exploring the possibilities of investments in vertical farming systems and the increasing knowledge of vertical farming methods and their advantages in these areas, along with increasing worries about food safety owing to the increasing population in the region, are expected to increase the popularity of vertical farming systems in these regions over the forecast period. 

Vertical farming is the practice of growing produce in vertically stacked layers. The practice can use soil, hydroponic or aeroponic growing methods. Vertical farms attempt to produce food in challenging environments, like where arable land is rare or unavailable. The method helps mountainside towns, deserts and cities grow different types of fruits and vegetables by using skyscraper-like designs. Vertical farming typically uses a mix of natural light and artificial light. As vertical farming uses little space, it is a popular and preferred method for roof-top and other urban forms of agriculture. This report analyzes the vertical farming market from the perspective of revenues earned by companies engaged in vertical farming systems.

Highlights of the Market: Rapid Pace of Development of Precision Farming Technologies

  • The introduction of harvesting robots, automatic seed planters, and greenhouse roof washers have been instrumental in reducing operating costs and increasing revenues, in the vertical farming market.
  • The automating movement of the plants is gaining popularity. It includes unit tasks of transplanting, seeding, packaging, harvesting, and cleaning, which, in turn, boosts the vertical farming market.
  • The use of hydroponics allows the long-term cultivation of a wide range of crops, grown in vertical farming. Recent developments in the field of hydroponics, to cater to casual indoor growers, simplifying technology, and economics are increasing this segment’s growth in the global vertical farming market.

 

North America – Largest Market for Vertical Farming

  • The North American vertical farming market was valued at USD 959.1 million in 2018. North America dominated the global vertical farming market, accounting for around 50% of the share in the global market. Furthermore, the US market dominated the North American region, accounting for 65.4% of North America’s share in 2018.
  • Growing concerns toward food security and nutrition are expected to open a number of novel opportunities for the industry to prosper. The United States is anticipated to invest a significant share in facilitating the ecosystem for future foods. As more of the consumer insights develop toward “fresh-from-farm-to-table”, the availability of freshly harvested vegetables across retail outlets is expected to increase in the country (which is also the pioneer in adopting this concept).
  • The onset of urban population dwelling across cities, such as New York, Chicago, and Milwaukee, has propelled the environment for vertical farming with activities, such as revamping derailed vacant warehouses, derelict buildings, and high rises, which has, in turn, led to an increase in the production of fresh grown foods altogether.

 

Mordor Intelligence has segmented Vertical Farming Market on the basis of Growth Mechanism, Structure, Components, and Geography:

  • Growth Mechanism
    • Aeroponics
    • Hydroponics
    • Aquaponics
  • Structure
    • Building Based Vertical Farms
    • Shipping Container Based Vertical Farms
  • Components
    • Lighting
    • Climate Control
    • Sensors
    • Other Hydroponic Components
  • Geography
    • North America
      • United States
      • Canada
      • Mexico
      • Rest of North America
    • Europe
      • United Kingdom
      • France
      • Sweden
      • Rest of Europe
    • Asia-Pacific
      • Singapore
      • China
      • Japan
      • Taiwan
      • Rest of Asia Pacific
    • South America
      • Brazil
      • Rest of South America
    • Rest of the World 

Competitive Landscape

  • The market is highly fragmented, with the top six companies holding just 2% of the market share, while the rest of the market is shared among numerous players.
  • Many commercial growers are adopting technologies which involve high capital expenditure, such as advanced hydroponic systems and electronic traceability systems. Additionally, growers are heavily investing in LEDs and other innovative lighting products, in order to reduce their exposure to associated risks by carefully monitoring and investing in new technologies.
  • The development of customized lighting systems for research testing, comprising top-lighting, inter-lighting, and tissue culture, is accelerating the growth of the global market segment of the lighting devices. Partnerships and collaborations will enable growers to provide year-round supplies, thereby strengthening their position in the market.
  • The new players that are entering the indoor vertical farming market can fetch profits by choosing the most profitable crops and by using the correct facility systems.

Mordor Intelligence has provided exclusive report on

The scheme would create 25,000 direct employment opportunities 

 

 

Chhattisgarh-based poultry firm IB Group has recently announced that it has set aside a capital fund of ₹200-crore for equity investments in agriculture and poultry-based start-ups in the country.

 According to company statement, “It will provide 25 per cent loan-free investment for a period of three years and also will give free farm management training to investors who would like to take benefit of the investment scheme, Parivartan Gen Nxt. Besides, the company has promised return on investments to its investors in four years.”

 

The scheme would create 25,000 direct employment opportunities, beside indirect jobs, the statement added

“Through our investment scheme, younger generations will get an exciting entrepreneurship path, which they were earlier exploring in various employment opportunities. We will create an entrepreneurial environment for Indian agriprenuers by providing them modern technology used in the US and Europe in India itself,” said Bahadur Ali, Managing Director, IB Group.

 

The firm said Indian poultry industry is one of the fastest-growing segments of the agriculture sector in the country. While the production of agriculture crops has been rising at a rate of 1.5 to 2 per cent, the production of eggs and broilers has been rising at 8 to 10 per cent per annum, making India the world’s fifth-largest egg producer.

The scheme would create 25,000 direct employment

The project aims to benefit 13.000 ha of farm area in India in the next two years

Professor Kenton Morgan joined hands with Aquaconnect, IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative and for a project to predict shrimp diseases by using machine learning.

The project aims to benefit 13.000 ha of farm area in India in the next two years.

Shrimp diseases cause significant economic losses. The Asian shrimp industry alone reported to have lost at least 20 billion US Dollars in a decade. Diseases in the State of Andhra Pradesh that constitutes of nearly 70% of Indian shrimp production are expected to cut down production by 40% this year. Diseases have economic, social and environmental consequences as natural resources such as shrimp feed etc are wasted.

Aquaconnect helps Indian shrimp farmers to manage their farm operations efficiently and improving productivity by using artificial intelligence.

Aquaconnect’s FarmMOJO mobile app uses machine learning technology to analyse feed and growth patterns in relation to animal health. The app provides insights to the farmers and suggests appropriate advice for better disease management. 

Rajamanohar, CEO – Aquaconnect said “The Government of India is ramping up support for the aquaculture sector, launching the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) to catalyse Blue Revolution 2.0. We are excited to partner with IDH and Prof. Kenton Morgan on pioneering the machine learning efforts in shrimp epidemiology studies to help the Indian farmers to mitigate the risks due to diseases and support long term sustainability of this Industry.”

Flavio Corsin, Program Director – Aquaculture at IDH, Sustainable Trade Initiative and a trained aquatic epidemiologist said, “Shrimp farming practices and environment change continuously, and these changes can affect disease occurrence in complex and unpredictable ways. Integrating epidemiological tools into Aquaconnect’s farm management app will allow farmers to benefit from Artificial Intelligence in their efforts to understand, predict and prevent diseases’.”

Aquaconnect aims to enhance FarmMOJO’s disease prediction model by using Aquatic Epidemiology, provided by Prof. Kenton Morgan. Professor Kenton Morgan, University of Liverpool has over 40 years of experience in epidemiology. The IDH Aquaculture Program aims to link aquatic epidemiology to the sector. IDH supports and pilots the linkage in several geographies as to tackle feed and disease issues.

 

The project aims to benefit 13.000 ha