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AgroPolicy, Organic

The fruit production can increase from 97.97 million tonnes to 99.07 million tonnes as per to the data released by agriculture department 

 The department of Agriculture, Cooperation, and Farmers Welfare released the second advance estimates of the areas of production of various horticulture crops for the year 2019-20. 

The data says that the total horticulture production in the country is expected to increase by 3.13% from 310.74 million tonnes in 2018-19 to 320.48 million tonnes this year. In the first advance estimate released in January, it was expected to grow to 313.35 million tonnes. The fruit production can increase from 97.97 million tonnes to 99.07 million tonnes according to the data with citrus fruits showing huge growth. The data offer a glimmer of hope to the agriculture sector as these farmers now hope ease in lockdown restrictions will help them in selling these products. 

With the Zaid season ongoing the vegetable production has also shown great results, with production expected to rise by almost 4.69% with onion’s rise expected to be around 17% and that of tomatoes to be around 8 %. 

While the Aromatics and Medicinal plant production are expected to increase from 2.91 million tonnes to 3.06 million tonnes an increase of 5 %, the plantation crop production may see a negative growth this year.

 The spices production is a mixed bag with coriander the big winner with an expected growth rate of 27 % while chilies, cumin, and turmeric are all expected to fall. 

The figures released on June 2 are positive but may be heavily affected by external factors this year as with the supply chain being almost shut due to lockdown the challenge is to make it smooth again so that the produce may reach the consumers. The lockdown saw huge losses for farmers as they had no means to take their crops to the market and sell and fruits and vegetables can rot quickly. The estimates look good on paper but whether it will bring joy to the farmers remains to be seen.

 

The fruit production can increase from 97.97

Animal Health, Malaysia, Thailand

HAMLET PROTEIN announced the renewal of its partnership with Jebsen & Jessen in Asia.

The agreement covers Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. Hamlet Protein aspires to further grow its presence in Asia, building on the local network and market knowledge of Jebsen & Jessen. 

Hamlet Protein continues to focus on bringing its solutions for young animal nutrition and health to Asian customers. With a mix of distribution relationship and local staff operating from China, Vietnam, Philippines and Thailand, support by global technical management, Hamlet Protein is able to understand local market dynamics and translate that into practical solutions for feed mills, premixers, integrators and farmers.

“Hamlet Protein has been investing in Asia in recent months. We have added local technical and commercial resources to be closer to our customers. We are also working in selected markets on introducing our concepts into the poultry segment, building on years of experience and research in piglet and calf nutrition and health,” commented Hamlet Protein CEO Erik Visser.

While Covid-19 is affecting the animal protein supply chain across the region, ASF continues to be the mayor reason for concern of hog producers that experience outbreaks in their commercial herds. Where large hog farming companies in China are cautiously restocking, in the Philippines ASF continues to spread within backyard farms on the islands of Luzon and Mindanao. In Vietnam 44 of 63 provinces declared themselves ASF free in Q1. 

“These are challenging times for our industry. However we have a long term commitment to producers in Asia and are investing today to strengthen relationships like our partnership with Jebsen & Jessen and build new ones with customers across the region,” commented Erik Visser.

“We are pleased to continue our successful partnership with Hamlet Protein and look to the future with confidence,” concluded Siew Tin Lim, COO at Jebsen & Jessen.

 

HAMLET PROTEIN announced the renewal of its

E-commerce, Start ups, Sustainable Energy

The acquisition will give ReNew Power access to energy management services. 

 

 

Clean energy firm ReNew Power on Thursday announced that it has inked a definitive agreement to acquire artificial intelligence and machine learning start up Climate Connect. The acquisition will give ReNew Power access to energy management services.

“ReNew Power has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Regent Climate Connect Knowledge Solutions Private Ltd (Climate Connect) ; a digital -analytics, software development, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning company, specialising in the power markets domain in India,” ReNew Power said in a statement. 

ReNew’s acquisition of Climate Connect is expected to not only add to its digital capabilities but also allow it to offer a suite of digital product offerings to customers across the energy value chain, it added.  

ReNew Power plans to operate Climate Connect as an independent subsidiary that continues to focus on building a global team, world class data integrity and software development processes, as well as business development activities, it said. 

“The first wave of growth in the renewable energy industry came through the addition of physical assets on the ground, the next wave will come through the development of digital products that help optimize power flow from generators to distribution companies to customers,” ReNew Power CMD Sumant Sinha said.

As distribution companies look to tighten operations, find efficiencies, and reduce AT&C losses, digitalization will play a key role and Climate Connect is well-positioned to service this important market, Sinha added. 

Climate Connect CEO and Co-founder Nitin Tanwar said, “We believe that the company’s acquisition by ReNew Power will help us create long-term value for our existing distribution utility and IPP customers and provide us the much-needed scale for the next leg of our journey”. 

The acquisition is expected to strengthen ReNew Power’s ongoing digital and analytics initiative which aims to leverage its data, to optimize decision making across business operations, the statement added.

The acquisition will give ReNew Power access

Animal Health, North America

Brand of Combination Parasiticides for Companion Animals
Further Solidifies Merck Animal Health’s Position in the U.S. Companion Animal Category with Comprehensive, Continuous Parasite Protection

Complements Merck Animal Health’s Broad Portfolio of Vaccines and Pharmaceuticals

Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (NYSE:MRK), and Virbac (NYSE Euronext:VIRP) today announced that the companies have signed a definitive agreement under which Merck Animal Health would acquire the U.S. rights to SENTINEL® FLAVOR TABS® and SENTINEL® SPECTRUM® Chews in the Companion Animal category. Merck Animal Health will make a cash payment of approximately $400 million to acquire the SENTINEL branded products in the United States at closing of the acquisition.

Comprehensive parasite protection is an essential part of canine overall health and well-being. The BRAVECTO® product line, which are our extended duration flea and tick protection products, and the SENTINEL branded products, which control all common intestinal parasites, provide an attractive opportunity for broad-spectrum, year-round comprehensive internal and external parasite protection for dogs. These complementary products will cover the seven common, harmful parasites that affect dogs inside and out by preventing ticks and multiple stages of the flea lifecycle, including eggs and adult fleas, as well as treating and controlling all common intestinal parasites, including roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms and preventing heartworm disease.

“Veterinary medicines, including parasiticides, and vaccines have transformed the health of animals over the past decade,” said Rick DeLuca, president, Merck Animal Health. “This product acquisition reinforces Merck Animal Health’s commitment to our customers and our position in the United States Companion Animal category. We plan to use the extensive breadth and depth of our product portfolio, which includes BRAVECTO, a range of Companion Animal vaccines and the Sure Petcare portfolio of digital products, along with the SENTINEL branded products, to enhance our offerings of comprehensive pet care solutions. These products will provide a full range of complementary solutions for our customers to improve the health and well-being of animals and the people who care for them.”

Scott Bormann, senior vice president, North America Commercial Operations, Merck Animal Health, said, “Our unconditional commitment to the veterinary community is steadfast as we offer a broad range of products and services to our customers. With this product acquisition, we expect to provide veterinarians with the most comprehensive and continuous parasite protection for dogs in easy to administer, palatable formulations. These products will target different parts of the flea lifecycle and will offer broad-spectrum, internal parasite protection in the SENTINEL brand and the extended duration flea and tick protection of BRAVECTO.”

François Fournier, president and chief executive officer, Virbac United States, said, “These brands are well-known and trusted parasiticide products that should continue to provide value to both veterinary clinics and pet owners in the United States for years to come. We believe that Merck Animal Health is the right company, ideally positioned to keep developing these products in a sustainable manner.”

The closing of the transaction is subject to antitrust clearance and other customary closing conditions and is expected to close by mid-year 2020.  

Brand of Combination Parasiticides for Companion Animals Further

Agro chems – Fertilizers, Agrotech

Prior to joining NFL, Datt was Executive Director in GAIL (India) Limited

 

 Virendra Nath Datt, Director (Marketing), National Fertilizers Limited -NFL has taken over the additional charge of Chairman & Managing Director of the Company today. Datt is associated with Company as Director (Marketing) since October 2018. 

Datt has a rich professional experience of over 35 years with premier Central Public Sector Enterprises -CPSEs such as GAIL and ONGC) besides the Fertilizer Industry.    

Prior to joining NFL, he was Executive Director in GAIL (India) Limited where he handled all India marketing operations of the company in addition to Corporate Strategy, Planning and Advocacy. He was also a Director on the Board of Mahanagar Gas Ltd., Mumbai. 

Datt also had a 10-year stint with ONGC before joining GAIL in 1995. As Director (Marketing), NFL, Sh Datt is credited with sustained growth in fertilizer sale of company from 43 Lakh MT in 2017-18 to 57 Lakh MT in 2019-20, an increase of 32% over previous two years. During this period, NFL established a PAN India footprint in the fertilizer industry.

Prior to joining NFL, Datt was Executive

Acts & Schemes – Centre

One India, one agriculture market’ is aimed at building a seamless national market for farmers to sell produce, protect them from price risks

 

 The Centre on June 3 presented a set of ordinances to push forward its ‘One India, one agriculture market’ project and allow farmers to trade freely. The move is aimed at building a seamless national market for farmers to sell produce, protect them from price risks, and improve their earnings and better agricultural investments. 

The Cabinet had earlier cleared the way by approving the Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Facilitation and Promotion) Ordinance, 2020 aimed at a barrier-free trade between states. It will allow farmers to sell across the country and utilise electronic platforms. 

Under this, farmers can sell produce outside Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) to any buyer directly. Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said such trade will not be taxed and buyers will also not require a license in lieu of PAN Card. He further stated that disputes if any must be addressed to the sub-divisional magistrates and district collectors within a span of two months. 

Farmer presently are forced to depend on state regulated Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) and face tight regulations and entry barriers, which could affect the fair price. State restrictions have also impeded movement of farm produce across the country, the statement said. 

Another ordinance passed is the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 which allows farmers to enter contract arrangements with retailers, exporters and processors. 

This is expected to push risk of fluctuating prices from farmers onto companies – who are better equipped to handle it. It will also provide farmers access to new technology, reduce their marketing cost and improve income, it noted. 

Tomar emphasised that farmers’ interest would be “protected in all circumstances” and the ordinance will ensure that farmers receive a share of the higher prices.

One India, one agriculture market’ is aimed

R&D

– By Evandro Gussi , President and CEO of UNICA 

During the 2018 World Economic Forum in Davos, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about his country’s ambitious goal of shifting to greener forms of energy as a response to the challenges posed by greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. India is currently the fourth largest emitter of carbon dioxide (after China, the US, and EU) in the world and has been struggling with poor air quality in its major cities.

 The findings of a recent report on air quality suggest that there has been a drop in pollution levels in the world’s major cities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The drop in pollution levels is largely due to low vehicular movement during the lockdown and is, therefore, only temporary. It is likely that pollution levels will rise rapidly once economies open and activities resume as before. The best way to maintain air quality is to use cleaner fuels. Ethanol, when blended in petrol, reduces CO2 emissions and restricts formation of particulate residues compared to pure petrol. We believe that the large-scale use of ethanol blended in petrol is one of the most viable long-term solutions to the problem of greenhouse emissions and air pollution. 

Thirty years ago, Brazil’s major large cities were dealing with air quality problems similar to what Indian cities are facing today. However, with the use of ethanol as vehicle fuel (E27 – 27 percent ethanol blend, and E100 – pure ethanol), the air quality showed exponential improvement. The use of ethanol has avoided more than 600 million tons of carbon dioxide emission since 2003 and has sharply reduced the level of air pollution in major Brazilian cities. In fact, while the car fleet in São Paulo has increased by more than 80 percent during this period, the level of particulate matters has reduced by half. 

Brazil has 45 years of experience in the large-scale use of ethanol, and is therefore well-placed to complement India’s efforts, backed by the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries during Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro´s recent visit to Delhi. Brazil’s ethanol program started in 1973 as a response to the oil shock and has resulted in an efficient and sustainable production system, distribution pattern, and consumer market. Currently, all the petrol in Brazil has 27 percent of ethanol blend, and this has yielded major environmental and economic benefits for the country. 

The Indian government has, meanwhile, established a target of 10 percent ethanol blend (E10) in petrol by the year 2022 from the current 5 percent blend (E5), and of 20 percent blend (E20) by the year 2030, which will allow for significant reduction in oil imports, carbon dioxide emissions, and air pollutants. India has a good cluster of companies to increase production of ethanol fuel and a solid automotive industry for consumption. It is one of the few countries that, with very little effort, has conditions to immediately adopt a higher ethanol blend. 

According to our study, if India implements E10 by 2022 as envisaged, the production of ethanol for blending will have to be increased from the current 2.4 billion liter to around 5 billion liter. The increase in production will substitute for around 10 billion barrels of petrol per year for India. This implies significant savings, considering that India needs to import oil to meet more than 80 percent of its current needs. Having a sound and clear policy regime in terms of pricing, procurement and blending will open doors for necessary investments in production and supply of ethanol. 

In Brazil, the use of ethanol has substituted for more than 100 billion litre of petrol consumption in the past 20 years, resulting in savings of around $50 billion. Moreover, ethanol has enabled product diversification for the sugarcane industry and cultivators, reduced the sugar market risks, and provided additional revenue and jobs in the field.

 India, like Brazil, is one of the largest sugarcane producers in the world and, therefore, has the potential to become one of the largest ethanol producers too. India’s sugarcane industry needs to divert its surplus crop to produce ethanol, making the prices of both sugar and ethanol competitive. The adoption of E10 in India will be important from the point of view of offering an alternative to nearly 50 million sugarcane producers in the country and reducing dependence on the government’s sugar subsidies. 

Ethanol is, in many ways, a low-hanging fruit. As India works towards a sustainable energy transition, substituting fossil for renewable sources, the Brazilian government and its private sector are willing to extend their support. If India gets its public policies right, it could well emerge as the Asian leader in creating a sustainable ethanol market.

- By Evandro Gussi , President and

E-commerce

The goals include improvements in soil health, on-farm productivity, climate action and water stewardship

 

Corteva Agriscience announced on Monday its 10-year commitments to advance sustainability throughout the global food system. The goals span a wide range of initiatives for farmers, the land, communities where employees and customers live and work, and in its own operations. Improvements in soil health, on-farm productivity, climate action, water stewardship, biodiversity, supply chain transparency and worker safety, among others, are included. 

“Our mission to lead the entire agriculture industry toward better, more sustainable outcomes across the world is more important now than ever,” said Corteva Agriscience Chief Executive Officer James C. Collins, Jr. “We believe there is no better time to commit to protecting and preserving the source of our food, and helping our communities thrive. We support those who provide for us all.”

 The goals reflect the company’s size and scope, total focus on agriculture, and deep relationships with farmers and collaborators across the ag value chain, said Anne Alonzo, Corteva Agriscience SVP External Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer. “Sustainability is nothing new to Corteva. Our announcement is simply our public commitment to 14 specific and measurable goals that will advance sustainability for farmers, protect our land and natural resources, improve our communities, and benefit our operations. 

Corteva’s 10-year commitments will provide tools and training to help increase yield stability, optimize inputs, and improve climate resilience. Commitments to soil health, water stewardship, and biodiversity are also included. Corteva’s goals will champion and protect employees and people throughout the food system and the broader agriculture community. Within their business operations, the company is pledging to innovate sustainably, establish a climate strategy, use sustainable packaging, and increase their work sites’ sustainability efforts. 

Corteva will report progress toward these goals through an annual sustainability report starting in 2021. 

The company’s 2030 sustainability goals include: 

Goals to benefit farmers: 

– Provide training for 25 million growers on soil health, nutrient and water stewardship, and productivity best practices.

– Help increase the productivity, incomes, and sustainable farming practices of 500 million smallholder farmers cumulatively through 2030.

– Design, validate and scale management systems that will enable farmers to sustainably increase crop yields by 20% compared to 2020 as a baseline, while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% within cropping systems compared to 2020. 

Goals to benefit the land:

 – Improve soil health on 30 million hectares of global agricultural land by 2030.

– Support water stewardship advances in global agricultural production by 2030: Help accelerate improvement in nitrogen use efficiency across global agricultural land by 2030; and reduce water consumption while helping to increasing yields on 2.5 million hectares of seed production and water stressed agricultural land by 2030 compared to 2020.

– Enhance biodiversity on more than 10 million hectares of grazing lands and natural ecosystems globally through sustainable management practices and habitat conservation by 2030. 

Goals to benefit communities: 

– Protect the safety of people at Corteva facilities and those working in agriculture.

– Empower women, enable youth, and engage communities around the globe where Corteva Agriscience employees and customers live and work, by 2030.

– Volunteer one million employee hours to support people and communities around the world by 2030.

– Increase supply chain transparency from farmers to consumers, by leveraging digital tools that enable farmers to create additional value through transparency in agriculture markets, food systems, and communities. 

Goals for the company’s operations: 

– Ensure every new product meets sustainability criteria by 2025.

– Establish a climate strategy for scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, including appropriate reduction targets by June 1, 2021.

– Only use recyclable or reusable packaging by 2030.

– Operate every site more sustainably through waste reduction, water conservation, and enhanced biodiversity.

The goals include improvements in soil health,

E-commerce, IT

It is designed to help start-ups build industry-specific solutions, scale and grow with access to deep technology 

 Microsoft has announced on Wednesday the launch of a programme for agritech start-ups in India that are committed to driving transformation in agriculture. 

It is designed to help start-ups build industry-specific solutions, scale and grow with access to deep technology, business and marketing resources, the company said in a statement.

Agritech start-ups in India are transforming agriculture by developing innovative digital solutions to maximise productivity, improve market linkages, increase supply chain efficiency and provide greater access to inputs for agri-businesses, according to the company. 

Start-ups can also get access to Azure FarmBeats, which can help them focus on core value-additions instead of the undifferentiated heavy lifting of data engineering, the statement said.

Available on the Azure Marketplace, Azure FarmBeats enables aggregation of agricultural datasets across providers and generation of actionable insights by building AI/ML models based on fused datasets, it said. 

Qualified Seed to Series C start-ups can boost their businesses with Azure benefits (including free credits), unlimited technical support and help with Azure Marketplace on boarding, the company said.

Startups with enterprise-ready solutions can scale quickly with joint go-to-market strategies, technical support and new sales opportunities with Microsofts partner ecosystem.

 

Startups that are looking to create digital agriculture solutions have the opportunity to co-build customised solutions with Azure FarmBeats without investing in deep data engineering resources, the statement added.

It is designed to help start-ups build

E-commerce

Sugar produced till May 31 is nearly 18 per cent lower than the production in the corresponding period in the previous sugar season. 

 

 

 Sugar mills across the country have produced 268.21 lakh tonnes (LT) of sugar till May 31, nearly 18 per cent lower than the production in the corresponding period in the previous sugar season, said Indian Sugar Mills’ Association (ISMA) on Tuesday.

 Sugar mills produced 327.53 lt of sugar during the previous sugar season. India’s sugar season runs from October to September.

Sugar production this year so far has been 3 lt more than the 265 lt projected by the sugar industry body earlier. This was because some quantity of sugarcane got diverted to the sugar mills as many jaggery and khandsari (unrefined sugar) manufacturers in Uttar Pradesh shut their operations due to the lockdown, ISMA said. It also expects an additional 6 lt of sugar production in the current season, as 18 sugar mills – mainly in UP — are still crushing sugarcane, besides having a special sugar season in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka later in the year. 

Sugar mills in UP have so far produced 125.46 lt of sugar, which is 7.65 lt more than the previous season’s 117.81 lt till May 31, whereas their counterparts in Maharashtra produced 60.98 lt of sugar, which is about 46.2 lt less than that in the previous season. As sugar mills in Karnataka are already closed for crushing operations, the quantum of sugar produced in the State remains at 33.82 lt.

 On the other hand, mills in Tamil Nadu have produced 5.78 lt of sugar so far, as against 7.22 lt in the same period last year. A special season has been announced in Tamil Nadu this year too. Last year, Tamil Nadu mills produced 2.13 lt during the special season.

 The other sugar-producing states, including Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab, together produced 42.17 lt of sugar till the end of May, according to ISMA. 

Meanwhile, the Oil Marketing Companies on Monday floated their third round of Expressions of Interest (EOI), inviting further bids from ethanol producers for another 99 crore litres of ethanol in the current year, for supplies from July 1 to November 30 this year.

Sugar produced till May 31 is nearly

E-commerce, Finance, Seeds

Its net sales for the year was Rs 882.25 crore, up 14.8 per cent from Rs 768.9 crore last year. 

 Kaveri Seeds Company Limited reported a 17 per cent increase in its profit after tax to Rs 251/26 crore for the 2019-20 from Rs 214.72 crore earned in the previous fiscal. Its net sales for the year was Rs 882.25 crore, up 14.8 per cent from Rs 768.9 crore last year. 

The company strengthened its focus on research and development by setting up an advanced biotechnology lab in Telangana, it said. It also set up a new warehouse for foundation seeds at Gowraram. The company also installed a magnetic separator for grading of cotton seeds to enhance the quality of seed. It completed a buyback of upto 28 lakh shares (face value Rs 2) at a price of Rs 700 each. 

It said it maintained a healthy outlook for growth in both cotton and non-cotton segments. The business was minimally impacted by the pandemic and its robust infrastructure facilitated continued production and testing following the government prescribed social distancing norms. 

Cotton volume increased by 17% in FY20 and contribution of new products went up from 14.8% to 23.1% of volume. Maize volume increased by 0.21% and increase in revenue by 10%. 

Makeup in revenue was due to product mix and price gain. For hybrid rice, the volume increased by 60% in FY20 and while the increase in revenue was 65.5 per cent. The contribution of new products went up from 26.4% to 50.8 of volume and new hybrid paddy KPH 468 helped translate to strong growth , the company said in a release.

 

Its net sales for the year was

E-commerce, Machinery - Pre-harvesting

With 2 percent growth, the company has sold 24,017 tractors in domestic markets in May 2020 

As a result of relaxation in COVID-19 lockdown along with good farmer sentiments, India’s largest tractor manufacturer, Mahindra & Mahindra’s Farm Equipment Sector’s (FES) tractor sales has witnessed a minor surge in the May 2020. With 2 percent growth, the company has sold 24,017 tractors in domestic markets in May 2020 as against 23,539 tractors sold in the same month in 2019. 

Mahindra & Mahindra’s Farm Equipment Sector (FES), Monday announced its tractor sales numbers for May 2020.However, exports did not see any positive sign in the month. Mahindra exported 324 tractors in May 2020 as against 1165 tractors exported in May 2019. 

Commenting on the performance, Hemant Sikka, President – Farm Equipment Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra said, “We have sold 24,017 tractors in the domestic market during May 2020, representing a growth of 2 percent over last year. The timely relaxation of the lockdown for the agricultural sector helped ensure the speedy recovery of tractor demand during May.”

 “In the near term, farmer sentiment is likely to remain positive due to several developments including robust Rabi crop production, higher procurement, good price realisations and the forecast of a normal monsoon that bodes well for a good Kharif crop. All these augur well for tractor demand going forward. In the exports market, we have sold 324 tractors”, Sikka added. 

In March 2020, the first month of lockdown, Mahindra’s domestic tractor sales had declined 27 percent while in April, the company had witnessed a sharp decline of 83 percent.

With 2 percent growth, the company has

Acquaculture, Agro Universities

 It aims to grow the delectable fish as an alternative species for shrimp aquaculture 

 

Setting a new standard, a demonstration farm of the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA), which works under the MPEDA, has produced 15 tonnes of seabass from just one hectare area. 

MPEDA officials said that the initiative would encourage the farming community to grow this delectable fish as an alternative species for shrimp aquaculture and earn lucrative prices from its huge demand in domestic and foreign markets.

The demonstration farm of MPEDA-RGCA, established at Karaikal in Pondicherry, had stocked seabass seeds (1.5 to 2.0 cm) produced from the hatchery in the said area. In a period of mere 10 months, 15 tonnes of fish having an average body weight of 1.2-1.5 kg were raised. 

The fish were fed with artificial floating pellet feeds and the food conversion ratio (FCR) was found to be extremely encouraging at 1:1.8. The production cost was ₹300 per kg and the fishs were sold at the farm gate for ₹420-450 per kg. A profit of ₹17 lakh was earned from the seabass fish produced from the demo farm area. 

 Diversified aquaculture

Enthused by the results of the demonstration farm, MPEDA Chairman KS Srinivas said: “Seabass is a boss of diversified aquaculture. It will induce aquaculture farmers to diversify their cultivation choices, especially as an alternative to shrimp farming.” 

Seabass (Lates calcarifer) is traditionally produced as plate fish for the restaurant trade, but it is now largely sold as fillets for direct sales to major supermarkets. It is an ideal fish for farming in freshwater, brackish water, and saline waters, and can be cultured in the open pond as well as in cages. It has white flaky flesh and milky flavour, highly preferred by consumers, and fetches around ₹400-500 in local markets. It has good demand and value in both the domestic and export markets. 

The RGCA operates a three-million fry/fingerlings capacity state-of-the art seabass hatchery at Thoduvai in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam district, the first of its kind in India. So far 18 million seeds have been produced and supplied to the farming community across the country as an alternative species for shrimp aquaculture.

 It aims to grow the delectable fish

Acts & Schemes – Centre, Dairy

1.5 Crore dairy farmers across the states belonging to Milk Unions and Milk producing Companies will be benefitted through KCC 

 

 

 

The Government will provide Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to 1.5 crore dairy farmers across the states belonging to Milk Unions and Milk producing Companies within the next two months (1st June-31st July 2020) under a special drive, says the press release of Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairying on Monday. 

As per reports, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying in association with Department of Financial Services has already circulated relevant circulars and KCC application format to all State Milk Federation and Milk Unions for implementing the same on a mission mode. 

Amid the 5.0 lockdown, the government has announced the scheme for all dairy farmers who were not able to avail the benefits of Kisan Credit Cards. 

 Approximately 1.7 crore farmers are associated with 230 Milk Unions in the country under the dairy cooperative movement.

As, dairy is among the fastest-growing sectors of the economy with a CAGR of above 6% in the last 5 years, providing short term credit to dairy farmers for meeting their requirements for working capital, marketing etc. will boost their productivity tremendously.

In the first phase of this campaign, the target is to cover all farmers who are members of dairy cooperative societies and associated with different Milk Unions and who do not have KCC. Farmers who already have KCC based on their land ownership can get their KCC credit limit enhanced, though interest subvention shall be available only to the extent of Rs 3 lakhs.

Although the general limit for KCC credit without collateral remains Rs. 1.6 lakh, but the case of farmers whose milk is directly procured by Milk Unions falls under tie-up arrangements between the producers and processing units without any intermediaries, and hence the credit limits without Collateral can be up to Rs.3 lakh. Moreover, this will ensure more credit availability for dairy farmers associated with Milk Unions as well as assuring repayment of loans to banks. 

The special drive to provide KCC to 1.5 crore dairy farmers is part of the Prime Minister’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat package for Farmers. Finance Minister on 15 May 2020 has announced to cover 2.5 crore, new farmers, under the KCC scheme. This will provide additional liquidity of Rs.5 lakh crore in the hands of farmers, who are suffering from the recent downturn of the economy.

1.5 Crore dairy farmers across the states