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Agro chems – Fertilizers, E-commerce

Production work in Nangal, Bathinda, Panipat and two units of Vijaipur plants are going on in full swing during lock down 

NFL Maintaining optimum operations of these plants in difficult times is a big success story especially towards fulfilling the Government’s commitment to the farming community of the country.

 A leading Fertilizer company, National Fertilizers Ltd. under the department of fertilizers, Chemical and Fertilizers Ministry, Govt of India, is ensuring an adequate supply of fertilizers to farmer communities during the National level lockdown due to COVID-19 in the country.

 Manoj Mishra, Chairman & Managing Director, NFL has said that production work in Nangal, Bathinda, Panipat and two units of Vijaipur plants are going on in full swing. These five plants are producing more than 11 thousand MT of fertilizers on a daily basis and they are being regularly dispatched to the market.

 NFL Maintaining optimum operations of these plants in difficult times is a big success story especially towards fulfilling the Government’s commitment to the farming community of the country.

 Government of India, Under the Essential Commodities Act, has allowed the operation of Fertilizers plant in the country so that the agriculture sector may not feel the heat of lockdown and can get adequate fertilizers for the upcoming Kharif season.

 As loading and unloading, dispatch and distribution activities are in full swing in these plants no compromise is made with precautions to avoid COVID-2019. A Special Task Force has been constituted at all Units to ensure adequate preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19. Masks are provided to labourers and all other staff working on the premises of these plants. Frequent washing of hands is also ensured. 

NFL and its employees are also helping the Government in its effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus by taking an active part in distributing essential items like food and medicines to the needy people. They have also contributed their one month salary to PM CARES fund.

Production work in Nangal, Bathinda, Panipat and

Acts & Schemes – Centre

The centers have been located nearer to farms and farmlands across the state

 

 

As part Covid-19 relief measures, the Andhra Pradesh government has set up over 700 procurement centres for farmers. The centres have been located nearer to farms and farmlands across the State. Jowar, red gram, Bengal gram, maize and turmeric are procured through these centres. 

“This leaves minimal distances for farmers to travel, to sell their products. It also ensures that the crop is procured from farmers across the State and helps them save on transportation costs,” the government said in a release issued on Wednesday.

A data collecting system has been out in place. Every day, data of price fluctuations and recorded prices are obtained by the government from all the 11,000 villages in the State.

“This helps authorities identify those pockets in which crops are being sold below the Minimum Support Price,” the government said. A strict vigil on price fluctuations also helps nab violators.

 The implementation of all these factors together were strictly being monitored from the village level agriculture assistant to the hierarchy in the government. “The Chief Minister has made clear that no farmer in the State should face any issue at these tough times of pandemic Covid-19,” the release added.

The centers have been located nearer to

E-commerce, Trade

Revenues in the period 1 January – 31 March 2020, recorded a 25.6% increase as compared to the same period of 2019.

 SICIT Group announces that consolidated revenues in the period 1 January – 31 March 2020, recorded an overall increase of over € 4 million, which is a 25.6% increase in the revenue as compared to the same period of 2019. These results are concerned to all the main areas of business, like biostimulants for agriculture (recorded a 29.9% increase) to retardants for the plaster industry (recorded a 19.6% increase), and animal fat for the production of biofuels (recorded a 27.3% increase). 

Similarly, there has been massive growth among all geographical areas: from Europe (including Italy, there is a 25.1% increase, of which Italy’s contribution is 3.5% and other European countries have given 41%. The APAC (Asia-Pacific) region recorded a growth of 40.2% and in America, 13.9% has been recorded. The only area in countertrend is the Rest of the World (i.e., the Middle East and Africa, -8.1%).

 Alessandro Paterniani, Chief Commercial Officer of SICIT Group, commented, “We are very satisfied. Although part of the increase can be reasonably attributed to an advance on purchases to prevent a possible ‘shortage effect’ from COVID-19, we believe that the level of interest in our products is still in a substantially positive trend, especially concerning biostimulants. Despite the uncertainty of the economic environment, our client’s feedback comforts us on the possibility of achieving the economic and financial targets set for 2020.”

 SICIT was one of the first companies in the world to introduce protein hydrolysates of animal origin into the world market of biostimulants. The company, one of the pioneers of the circular economy, through a process of hydrolysis of residues from the tanning industry, produces a product with high added value for agriculture (biostimulants) and the plaster industry.

Revenues in the period 1 January -

Agrotech, E-commerce

Farmers can benefit by using digital tools to monitor their fields and stay connected with their staff 

BASF announced it will offer xarvio FIELD MANAGER free of charge to farmers in the U.S. and Canada for the 2020 season. xarvio FIELD MANAGER offers crop production solutions that allow farmers to monitor their fields through digital tools. As farmers across North America continue to provide the world with safe and nutritious food during this challenging time, this digital solution will help farmers maintain their operations with as little impact as possible.

 “Especially now, farmers can benefit greatly by using digital tools to monitor their fields and stay connected with their staff and agronomy advisors when in-person contact and travel are limited,” says Warren Bills, regional commercialization lead for BASF Digital Farming Solutions. “Farmers and advisors can gain greater efficiency when utilizing digital agronomy tools and recommendations to grow healthy crops, and we’re glad to offer our technology free of charge this growing season to farmers in North America.” 

xarvio FIELD MANAGER is a digital crop optimization platform and mobile app offering field and field-zone-specific real-time information and recommendations on how to produce crops most efficiently. This solution gives farmers further access to timing and variable rate map applications in various crops for weed, disease and better pest management. Especially valuable is the new data exchange and cross-farm dashboard feature, which allows farmers and advisors to better collaborate within xarvio FIELD MANAGER without the need for in-person meetings. These features are also available in the xarvio app for mobile devices.

Farmers can benefit by using digital tools

Acts & Schemes – Centre, Pulses

Nafed has so far dispatched 5,516 tonnes of pulses to 15 States.

State-run National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed), the nodal agency for supplying of 1 kg of pulses under PM Garib Kalyan Yojna, has commenced dispatching pulses to the States, a statement said. 

Among the States and Union Territories to which the shipments commenced include Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Delhi and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Nafed has so far dispatched 5,516 tonnes of pulses to these States. 

Under the scheme, Nafed is to supply 1, 95,510 tonnes of processed pulses to cover around 19.6 crore households in the 36 States and UTs. It is supplying arhar dal, masoor malka, chana dal, chana whole and urad dal to the beneficiaries.

Except chana whole, all the dals being supplied require processing. Nafed procures whole raw pulses from the farmers at minimum support price announced by the government. Therefore, the millers are being hired by the Federation through a transparent selection process to mill and deliver the processed pulses at different delivery centres confirming to FSSAI standards.

 Despite the lockdown, Nafed is hopeful of ensuring supplies for May and June on time.

Nafed has started procuring pulses and oilseeds at MSP from farmers in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh. It is likely to undertake procurement in Rajasthan, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh soon. According to the statement, Nafed will soon start purchasing vegetables and fruits from cooperatives and farmer producer organisations.

Nafed has so far dispatched 5,516 tonnes

Agrotech, IT

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the way a lot of businesses function. It has affected various sectors within the agricultural industry as well. Daily wage earners and labourers working in farms are essentially out of jobs and are migrating back to their hometowns.

The supply chain has been disturbed on a massive level and steps are being taken to appropriately rectify them. The prices of agricultural produce has dropped by 20% which is a major cause for concern. 

The AgTech industry has also been hit to an extent, due to less business coming in and declined demand for their services in the coming month. AgTech is a vast field and will be able to assist their clients and farmers as well in the approaching months to streamline processes and enable the smooth functioning of the agricultural supply chain. A few ways in which the AgTech industry can be a key player post-COVID-19 are listed below: 

  • Due to ‘work from home’ being an adaptable situation for companies in the AgTech sector, they will be able to assist their clients in keeping their systems working 24/7 and ensuring regular updates on all platforms. Using front running techniques like satellite imagery they will be able to assist individuals looking for specificities of crops, i.e, how much, where, conditions, etc. They may also use this technique to enable the tracking of transportation to ensure the people who require the products receive it. 
  • An online supply chain would be the most ideal platform to be established, which the AgTech sector is working towards at a fast pace. This would backtrack most of the losses faced by the agricultural industry due to the disruptions witnessed in the agricultural supply chain. This would include the supply of products through varied online portals, which would be a boon for individuals who require groceries delivered directly to their homes, without the need to venture outside. The reality of individuals not venturing outdoors will increase the demand for products being supplied via online portals. This can be observed through the growth of E-Commerce websites such as Big Basket and Grofers. Food delivery apps like Zomato and Dominos (in collaboration with ITC) have also set up ‘essential’ columns where essential and daily groceries can be delivered directly to consumers. 
  • In times of uncertainty, where individuals are extremely wary of the products which are entering their homes, technology establishes a sense of transparency due to traceable features. A software like FarmERP, a smart agriculture management ERP software platform, works towards establishing traceability and food safety among its various other goals. Similar organizations work tirelessly toward guiding their workflow in similar directions to ensure every entity comes out of COVID-19 with the minimal possible losses.

These are just a few ways in which the AgTech industry can help in certain scenarios related to the losses incurred due to this pandemic. Apart from these, in the broader picture, there can be many other ways in which they will be able to contribute effectively, including contribution to sustainability, food safety, traceability and climate resilience as well. These factors are still at large when it comes to the agricultural industry, not solely in India, but across the world. While counteracting the losses faced due to the COVID-19, AgTech companies such as FarmERP will also work toward curbing the issues in the agricultural industry related to the aforementioned factors.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the way

E-commerce, Environment, Finance, Packaging & Labelling

Sustainability efforts will help Syngenta meet its target to reduce the carbon intensity of its operations and supply chain by 50% by 2030.

To improve sustainability across its supply chain, Syngenta announced a $2 billion investment in sustainable agriculture. Part of this investment will go toward packaging innovations.

“Things like reducing the weight of plastic in containers, moving plastics and products in bulk and cutting the thickness of our label paper all contribute to making our operations more sustainable,” said Gabriel Oxby, Syngenta formulation and packaging group leader.

The company hopes these and other sustainability efforts will help Syngenta meet its target to reduce the carbon intensity of its operations and supply chain by 50% by 2030.

This commitment to sustainability is just one facet of a robust, customer-first strategy. Thanks to full approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the International Safe Transit Association, the Syngenta lab can self-certify packaging in accordance with United Nations standards.

As a result, the company can independently make continuous refinements and improvements, instead of waiting for an outside firm to complete a separate certification process.

Syngenta is also testing technologies like slow-motion cameras to enhance the analysis of test results. The lab’s cameras use a machine learning program, which improves their accuracy when checking package labels for errors.

“From lab to field, we help make sure our products arrive to our customers intact and on time, ready to go to work,” Oxby said.

 

                                                                                                                                         Source-Agrinews

Sustainability efforts will help Syngenta meet its

R&D

New varieties of wheat with better FHB resistance using Fhb7 are expected to be available in a few years

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their colleagues have discovered a gene that can be used to develop varieties of wheat that will be more resistant to Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), a disease that is a major threat both overseas and to the nation’s $10 billion annual wheat crop. 

A paper reporting the discovery and the cloning of the gene, known as Fhb7, was published last week in the journal Science. The study was led by scientists at the Shandong Agricultural University in Shandong, China and co-authors include ARS researchers Guihua Bai and Lanfei Zhao in Manhattan, Kansas, and Steven Xu in Fargo, North Dakota. 

The discovery is a major advance in addressing a significant threat to the world’s wheat supply. FHB, also known as “scab,” is caused by a fungal pathogen, Fusarium graminearum, and results in significant losses in the United States, China, Canada, Europe, and many other countries. It also attacks barley and oats. When the pathogen grows unchecked in infected grains, it releases mycotoxins that can induce vomiting in humans, as well as weight loss in livestock when they refuse to eat the grains. The prevalence and severity of FHB outbreaks also could potentially be exacerbated by climate change and varying weather conditions, and by an increasing trend toward more corn production and no-till farming, which both may be increasing the prevalence of the pathogen in fields. Growers often must use fungicides to reduce FHB damage.

The researchers found that the gene effectively reduces FHB by detoxifying the mycotoxins secreted by the pathogen. The gene also confers resistance to crown rot, a wheat disease caused by a related pathogen.

The researchers originally identified the gene in Thinopyrum wheatgrass, a wild relative of wheat that has been previously used to develop varieties of wheat with beneficial traits, such as rust resistance and drought tolerance. They cloned the gene and introduced it into seven wheat cultivars with different genetic profiles to study its effects on plants grown under field conditions. The results showed that the gene not only conferred resistance to scab in the new plants, but it also had no negative effects on yield or other significant traits. 

The study sheds new light on the molecular mechanisms that can make wheat, as well as barley and oats, resistant to the pathogen that causes FHB. New varieties of wheat with better FHB resistance using Fhb7 are expected to be available in a few years, the researchers say.

 

New varieties of wheat with better FHB

E-commerce, Seeds

Vanguard’s breeding, seed production, sales and marketing will be fully integrated under the Sakata brand.

Sakata Seed America has recently announced that the company has acquired Vanguard Seed, a lettuce seed company based in the Salinas Valley.

 

The purchase of Vanguard provides Sakata Seed America with all existing Vanguard lettuce genetics. Vanguard’s seed team, dedicated to bringing quality lettuce genetics to the market, will join Sakata Seed America and Vanguard’s breeding, seed production, sales and marketing will be fully integrated under the Sakata brand. 

“This is a mutually advantageous decision that allows us to bring quality lettuce varieties to the market,” states John Nelson, Vice President of Sakata Seed America. “Sakata is a market leader in multiple segments, including broccoli, and has an excellent reputation for quality, reliability and service in the Salinas Valley and beyond. We believe this opportunity will create great synergy for both the lettuce and broccoli markets.” 

Sakata Seed America will integrate the Vanguard team into daily operations and retain Vanguard’s Salinas’s warehouse and office location. “We are excited for this opportunity to expand our product line into the lettuce segment,” continues Nelson. “Lettuce is a widely consumed vegetable globally and this acquisition will enable Sakata to accelerate development of lettuce varieties for global markets and position our company as a major player in the lettuce market segment.” 

“The Vanguard team is excited to integrate operations with the Sakata team, and we look forward to continuing to develop the lettuce program backed by Sakata’s reputation for quality, reliability, and service. Sakata is a leader in the broccoli segment in the Salinas Valley and beyond; together we can create a similar success story for lettuce,” says Dave Henson, Co-owner of Vanguard Seed.

Vanguard’s breeding, seed production, sales and marketing

R&D, Seeds

It will accelerate breeding-relevant technology for improved rice varieties that offer higher yields

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and AgriPlex Genomics have entered a partnership to combine AgriPlex’s NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) genotyping technology with IRRI’s advanced breeding of rice and DNA marker development.

 

 

Over the past few years, the two organizations have successfully created a comprehensive SNP (single nucleotide polymorphisms) panel and a workflow for evaluating diverse Indica rice varieties. This collaboration combines IRRI’s expertise in developing high-quality markers for use in rice breeding and quality control with AgriPlex’s innovative PlexSeqTM NGS platform. PlexSeq offers high multiplexing and streamlined analysis. This combination of ultra-high throughput, scalability, and speed greatly reduces genotyping costs and simplifies rice genetic testing processes.  

Through this new partnership, IRRI will provide a non-exclusive license for IRRI-developed SNP panels and DNA markers to AgriPlex, who will market a series of rice genetic testing panels to public and private researchers and breeders all over the world. Through this new technology support, rice breeders will benefit from shortened breeding cycles and improved quality control.  

As part of the agreement, AgriPlex will become a member of the IRRI-led Hybrid Rice Development Consortium.

“We are excited to partner with IRRI to utilize our PlexSeq technology to facilitate rice breeding and to contribute to the evolution of a staple crop that affects the health and quality of life for many farmers and consumers all over the world,” said Scott Weigel, vice president of sales and marketing at AgriPlex Genomics.

“IRRI expects this agreement will accelerate breeding-relevant technology transfer to public and private rice breeding programs, and contribute to bringing to farmers improved rice varieties that offer higher yields, greater resilience, and better nutrition,” says Remy Bitoun, head of IRRI Tech Transfer.

It will accelerate breeding-relevant technology for improved

Acts & Schemes – Centre, Transportation

This would facilitate inter-state transportation of vegetables and fruits in a smooth way.

To provide some relief to the farm sector amid nationwide lockdown that has been further extended till 3rd May, the Agriculture Ministry has started an All India Agri Transport Call Centre that will look after coordination between the states for inter-state movement of perishables like fruits & vegetables, Agri Inputs such as seeds, pesticides and fertilizer etc.

 

 

The All India Agri Transport Call Centre can be accessible from the two numbers – 18001804200 & 14488. And these numbers can be called from any landline number or mobile phones, according to a statement released by Agriculture Ministry. 

This would facilitate inter-state transportation of vegetables and fruits in a smooth way. Truck drivers, transporters, traders, retailers, or any other stakeholders who are experiencing problems in inter-state movement of above commodities, can ask for help by calling at the Call Centre. 

A senior agriculture ministry official said, “Call Centre executive will forward the vehicle & consignment details along-with the help required, to state government officials for resolution of issues”. He told that the Centre is also ensuring supply of seeds to states under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM). And the subsidy pertaining to seeds under NFSM scheme will be for varieties less than ten years.

 

The official said, “It has also been decided to allow Truthful Label seeds for subsidy component for the North East, Hilly regions & the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir only, for all crops under NFSM”. The official said that about 4000 tonnes of pulses have been despatched to the states for free distribution under PM-GKY or Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana that entitles ration card holders 1 kg of pulse / month for three months.

 

He added that vegetables and fruits are being sold directly by growers after the centre sent advisories to the states for allowing direct marketing for cultivators. The official also told that “In Maharashtra, 21,11,171 quintals of vegetables and fruits have been sold by 27,797 farmer producer organizations in 34 districts by online or direct sale method”.

This would facilitate inter-state transportation of vegetables

Agro chems – Pesticides, E-commerce, R&D

Sonata, a new biological fungicide of natural origin based on Bacillus pumilis will work as sustainable defence.

Bayer presents Sonata, a new biological fungicide of natural origin based on Bacillus pumilis for wine and table grapes, also approved for use in organic farming.

Following the current situation with regard to the coronavirus outbreak and the consequent provisions of the authorities, Bayer cancelled the events on the national territory for the launch of new biological solutions. However, Bayer’s technicians keep in touch with farmers through the help of new communication technologies. 

The virtual presentation of Sonata, entrusted to Silvia Casalini, Bayer Marketing Manager for the products of the vine, is dedicated to winemakers who during this moment of difficulty continue to keep up the reputation of Italian wines and grapes.

The commitment required from the modern wine grower is not limited to obtaining a quality product. In fact, the request to adopt sustainable defence techniques that respect the environment and people is increasingly pressing. Pesticides of natural origin and the use of digital technologies are increasingly valuable tools in viticulture to produce in an innovative and sustainable way. 

On these issues, Bayer and experts in the wine world are coming together to update operators in the sector: from field tests and cellar tests to the testimonials of those who have used Sonata and the “Crop Talk” interviews with a focus on the biological solutions of Bayer.

Sonata, a new biological fungicide of natural

E-commerce, R&D

 BVT demonstrations will be useful for crops like tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries 

 

 Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. has recently announced that it will start conducting trials in Morocco, a significant market opportunity for its proprietary bee-delivered crop productivity system. The Company is also in discussions with well-established commercial partners in the region who have expressed interest in collaborating with BVT to bring the Company’s system to market for growers in Morocco. One potential partner that has been in the Moroccan market for decades will roll out a significant trial program covering four different crops, including strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and tomato crops.

 “Approximately 40% of Morocco’s workforce is employed in the agriculture industry, and it contributes around 16% of the national GDP,” said Ashish Malik, CEO of Bee Vectoring Technologies. “Morocco has 26,000 hectares of greenhouse production. Our early assessment has identified an estimated 3,000 ha of strawberries, 2,000 ha of raspberries, 2,000 ha of blueberries and 6,000 ha of tomatoes which are all great initial targets for us, but the overall opportunity is expected to be much greater. Substantial exports to the EU, the US east coast, Russia and Africa, make it a significant market with tremendous opportunity for BVT. Moroccan growers are well versed in the use of bumble bees in these crops, so this market is a perfect fit for us.”

 Morocco’s climate gives the country a distinct agricultural advantage of being able to grow berries 10 months of the year. Strawberries are currently the main berry crop, with tremendous growth in blueberry and raspberry production tripling over the past few years. BVT demonstrations will commence in the summer season and will occur as the blooming period for tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries occurs over the course of the calendar year.

 “These large-scale demonstrations are the first stage in BVT’s path to commercialization in Morocco, and are the basis for major adoption of new on-farm technology,” continued  Malik. “We chose Morocco to launch BVT’s efforts in Africa because the country is a large, progressive and growing exporter to the vast European marketplace.” 

The sustainable agriculture movement is gaining momentum worldwide, and sustainability is at the heart of BVT’s technology. The company’s natural precision agriculture system replaces chemical pesticides and wasteful spray applications by delivering biological pesticide alternatives directly to crops using commercially grown bees. 

“These demonstrations represent an opportunity for the Moroccan agricultural industry, and specifically growers, to see first-hand how well the BVT precision agriculture system works in controlling crop disease and improving yields in their local environment,” stated Malik. “They will help growers see how BVT’s unique natural precision agriculture system is able to make their operations more productive, profitable and sustainable.” 

For 20 years, Bee Vectoring Technology (BVT) has been committed to the protection and evolution of sustainable, natural commercial farming solutions. It is the emerging company behind a revolutionary patented bee vectoring technology that uses commercially-reared bees to deliver targeted crop controls through the natural process of pollination

 BVT demonstrations will be useful for crops

Acts & Schemes – Centre, E-commerce

With this addition, the total number of mandis on the e-NAM portal will reach the mark of 1000 mandis.

The Central Government has decided to connect 415 new mandis across the country with the electronic National Agricultural Market (e-NAM). With this addition, the total number of mandis on the e-NAM portal will reach the mark of 1000 mandis. There are around 2,700 mandis that sell agricultural produce and 4,000 sub-markets across the country. 

At present, 1.68 crore farmers, traders, and FPOs are registered in e-NAM and can sell their goods in 585 e-mandis sitting at home. With this digital move, farmers will be able to sell their produce even in the hour of crisis. 

How Does E-NAM Benefit Farmers

National Agriculture Market or e-NAM is an online platform for trading agricultural commodities across India. From facilitating a market for farmers, traders and buyers to giving farmers better prices and facilities for swift marketing of their produce, e-NAM lets every stakeholder trade in commodities online. The main objective is to provide a market at a national level for agricultural produces. As per statistics, about 22 crore farmers are associated with e-NAM and are getting help in selling their produce during the coronavirus lockdown. 

While the trade between farmers and end-consumers happens online, there is no harm to the interest of the local agricultural produce market as farmers do not have to depend on middlemen for trading. 

Currently, 1, 66,06,718 farmers, 942 FPOs, 70,910 commission agents and 1,28,015 traders from 18 states are associated with the online market. With the addition of these 415 mandis, the number will go higher. So, more and more farmers will be able to take the benefits of online trading.

 

With this addition, the total number of