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Home2020July (Page 3)
Agrotech, Machinery – Post-harvesting

The award indicated CNH Industrial commitment towards manufacturing and its achievements in the field of Total Quality. 

 

 

 The New Holland Agriculture plan in Greater Noida that comes under the CNH Industrial has been declared the winner of the ‘Golden Peacock National Quality Award for 2020. The jury of the award headed by Justice M. N. Venkatachaliah, former Chief Justice of India, Chairman, National Human Rights Commission of India, and National Commission for Constitution of India Reforms. 

The selection was based on stringent three-tier evaluation process by the grand jury. The award indicated CNH Industrial commitment towards manufacturing and its achievements in the field of total quality.

 In 1991, the Institute of Directors (IOD) established the Golden Peacock Awards, the award is regarded as a benchmark of Corporate Excellence in India. The award is seen as a challenge among competitors to raise their performance stands and distinguish the achievements of best organizations. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was helped virtually on July 15 during which the awards were announced. 

“I extend my gratitude to the jury for bestowing us with this prestigious award. This is indeed a testimony to the overall performance, dedication, and hard work put in by each and every employee of CNH Industrial India,” said Narinder Mittal, Executive Director at the New Holland facility in Greater Noida.

 “Our brand equity and worldwide recognition have been on a steady rise not only in terms of increasing our customer base but also in being recognized for our work by reputed industry bodies and associations. This adds to our motivation as we continue to scale to greater heights,” he added. 

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, CNH Industrial has continued to support its global dealer network and to maintain aftermarket services. Today, the majority of CNH Industrial’s 67 global plants have reopened. 

The award indicated CNH Industrial commitment towards

Agro chems – Pesticides, E-commerce, Finance, Seeds

Sales of $7.1 billion were 5 percent above 2019, 10 percent higher at constant exchange rates driven by increased volumes. 

Syngeanta AG has recently announced thehalf year financial reports 2020.Sales of $7.1 billion were 5 percent above 2019, 10 percent higher at constant exchange rates driven by increased volumes. Crop Protection sales of $5.5 billion were 6 percent higher, 12 percent at constant exchange rates, with a strong performance across all markets and segments, particularly in Brazil. Seeds sales of $1.6 billion were 2 percent up on 2019, 4 percent at constant exchange rates, and 9 percent higher at constant exchange rates adjusted for change of control royalties.

Net income $855 million

Net income of $855 million (2019: $798 million) included $145 million related to the capitalized development costs. Excluding this, net income was 11 percent lower than 2019, which included a one-off deferred tax revaluation gain from Swiss tax reform of $195 million; adjusted for this one-off tax, net income was 18 percent higher than 2019. 

Crop Protection regional sales performance

Sales in Europe, Africa and the Middle East were 5 percent higher at constant exchange rates compared with 2019. Performance was solid, particularly in South Europe, despite COVID19 and dry weather in North-West Europe. Reported sales also reflected significant unfavourable foreign exchange impacts. 

In North America, sales for the half year were up 4 percent at constant exchange rates. However, sales were impacted by cold weather and excessive rain in Q2.

In Latin America, positive momentum from 2019 continued in the first half of 2020, with strong pest pressure in Brazil and higher volumes in Argentina despite difficult economic conditions. Growth was partially offset by the impact of volatile foreign exchange rates, particularly the Brazilian real. 

Asia Pacific

In Asia Pacific, sales were up by 12 percent (CER), with strong growth in Australia due to improved weather conditions, and continued momentum from 2019 in India. Significant foreign exchange movements reduced reported sales.

China showed continued positive momentum, with Crop Protection sales increasing by 18 percent (CER).

Seeds regional sales performance

Seeds sales in Europe, Africa and the Middle East were 2 percent higher at constant exchange rates (CER) against 2019. Reported sales reflect weaker exchange rates relative to the US dollar.

In North America seeds sales were 12 percent higher with corn and soybean recovering from 2019 flooding.

In Latin America, sales rose by 25 percent (CER) with volume gains, and sunflower area recovery. A weaker Brazilian real reduced reported sales.

Sales in Asia Pacific, including China increased by 22 percent (CER) compared to 2019, driven by continued strong momentum in Indonesia and other key markets. Reported sales were impacted by adverse currency movements.

Sales of $7.1 billion were 5 percent

Finance, North America

Funding to help revitalize Paraguay’s agricultural sector affected due to Covid-19

The director of the Sarabia Group, Antonio Ivar Sarabia has announced that Agrofértil, a business unit of the group has signed financing agreements with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group and the Netherlands Development Bank (FMO) to strengthen the mission of re-promoting the agricultural sector and the growth strategy during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The business unit will receive funding of US $ 28 million, of which US $ 10 million will be from the IFC and US $ 18 million from the FMO. The funding will be used to to finance inputs to farmers so that they can develop crops and receive technical assistance throughout the production process and to strengthen the value chain.

Paulo Sergio Sarabia , director of Agrofértil said that the funding will help Agrofértil to maintain its levels of financing and attention to rural producers for the next harvest, even in the difficult times the world economy is going through.

IFC has stated that the loan will inject liquidity into the Paraguayan market to meet the capital needs of thousands of small agricultural producers which will help to ensure the continuity of operations in the agro-industrial sector.

Funding to help revitalize Paraguay’s agricultural sector

Acts & Schemes – Centre, Agro chems – Fertilizers

Union Minister updated status of FCIL units’ revival and FACT modernization

Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Sadananda Gowda detailed the various initiatives undertaken by the government to boost the fertilizer sector to meet fertilizer requirements of farmers during the sowing season.

The minister said that Chambal Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited, CFCL has set up a Brownfield project at Gadepan, Rajasthan with a production capacity of 12.7 LMT of urea per annum which has helped in the production of 244.55 LMT of urea in the country during 2019-20.

He spoke about the government’s initiative of reviving the closed fertilizer units of FCIL at Ramagundam, Talcher, Gorakhpur and Sindri and the HFCL unit at Barauni which is a Joint Venture of nominated PSUs to set up gas based fertilizer plants each of 1.27 MMTPA capacity. The Ramagundam project is 99.58 percent complete and is in pre-commissioning / commissioning stage.

The Talcher project will be commissioned by 2023 and the Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni projects by 2021. He further stated that as per the Modified New Pricing Scheme (NPS-III), all units which are using naphtha as feedstock are to be converted to natural gas. He also said that Rs.900 crore will be invested in Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT) for its modernization.

Union Minister updated status of FCIL

Agro chems – Fertilizers, AgroPolicy

Minister exhorts FPCs to switch to agricultural waste  

Addressing a webinar on ‘Cluster Development in the Agricultural MSME sector’, Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Nitin Gadkari laid emphasis on increasing production along with reducing the cost of production and transportation and labour costs.

He told the representatives of Farmer Producer Company (FPC) who attended the webinar that products should be made available in the domestic market without compromising on their quality and the surplus produce can be exported outside the country.

He also appealed to the farmers to reduce the cost of production by using organic fertilizers from agricultural waste instead of using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. He spoke about the availability of natural resources in each district of Vidarbha which can be utilized by Khadi and Village Industries (KVIC) Department.

He suggested that the FPCs can manufacture products from honey and silk available in Chandrapur and cluster for agarbatti can be established in bamboo cultivation belts of Chandrapur and Gadchiroli district. He also spoke about the ‘Equipment Bank’ scheme of Agricultural Department under which FPCs can rent equipment. More than 20,000 farmers are connected with 55 FPCs and agreements have been made with companies like Tata International and Walmart for marketing their produce.

Minister exhorts FPCs to switch to agricultural

Environment, Europe

As further step into the green future, My Green Lab, a global non-profit organization promoting sustainability in the Life Science Industry through Green Lab Certification and validation of sustainable and energy efficient equipment has certified several Eppendorf ULT freezers (-80°C) to ACT, the Environmental Impact Factor label.

The Eppendorf ULT freezers are the first freezers worldwide being validated by My Green Lab: 

The CryoCube® F570h, CryoCube FC660h, CryoCube F740hi, and CryoCube F740hiw are now validated and certified based on the ACT label in the US, UK and EU market. The holistic scoring evaluates a number of environmental factors across the lifecycle of an instrument. Power consumption is based on external testing at ENERGY STAR® with US-voltages. These ULT freezers are also certified by the ENERGY STAR regarding their sustainability footprint.

As further step into the green future,

Acquaculture

By Debabrata Satpathy, Snowman Logistics, Regional Business Manager, East 

 

 

 The nationwide lockdown to counter the deadly contagion of Coronavirus demanded closure of offices with no or fewer people working. As such, the repercussions of the lockdown were felt by the aquaculture sector as well. According to a report from the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, the sector has been incurring a daily loss of Rs 224 crore. With a coastline of 8118 km spanning over nine states and four union territories, India’s aquaculture sector contributes to 5.3 per cent of the agricultural GDP. Here are some facts which talk about the impact of lockdown on the aquaculture sector.

Shortage of manpower

Around 90 per cent of the shrimp produced in India is exported and is the single most exported product in the aquaculture business, with its major markets being the US, China, and the European Union. The lockdown had started mid-March, which is a conducive period for shrimps harvesting. The aquaculture farming is a labour-intensive farm practice and since more than 50 per cent of the marine farmers are migrants, the nationwide closure caused them to move to their respective hometowns hence giving a massive shortage of labour.

 A slump in exports

The rapid coronavirus deaths in all the major markets have stalled the exports of fisheries in India. Plus, the reduced spending of countries on imports has put a pause on the exports. Before the lockdown, the containers had already set sail with shrimp in early March but now they are stranded either at sea or at the port of arrival.  

Lack of Meat cold chain storage

Since the demands are low, there will be an accumulation of seafood inventory. India lacks EIA approved meat and fisheries cold storages, hence leaving the exporters with limited options of storage. To prevent the wastage of seafood produce, the exporters are forced to sell it at 10% less than the original price. The current number of cold storages in India is 7640 with a capacity of 34.9 million tonnes, out of which 68 percent of the cold storages can store only potatoes and the rest 30 percent is for multi-product storage, out of which only 1% is reserved for meat, dairy, and seafood storage. 

Scarcity of fish food

West Bengal is the largest fish seed supplier in the country. . Fish seed supply is under stress due to irregularities in transportation. This is eventually causing a spike in the prices of seafood. Fish seed food like corn, soya, de-oiled rice bran, and mustard cake is not available in the market easily due to closures of mandis. Farmers may have stocked only 10% to 15% of fish seeds before lockdown. With less fish seeds in stock the current year will see a drop in fish production resulting in a   wide gap in demand and supply. 

Damage due to Cyclone Amphan

West Bengal is one of the largest producers of shrimp in the country. According to MPEDA (Marine Products Export Development Authority) in 2017-18, the state had produced 76,534 tonnes of shrimp with 55,211 hectares of land. The fierce winds of Cyclone Amphan destroyed the embankments of the freshwater ponds causing the extreme saline water of Sunderban Mangroves to move in. The ideal amount of salinity required in shrimp cultivation is 12-20 ppm, but the salinity has risen to 35-40 ppm after the cyclone, causing the death of many shrimp larvae.

The government should give aquaculture the same benefits and incentives it gives to crop farming. This would further strengthen the   shrimp production and encourage investment in creating our breeding facilities. In turn, it would also reduce our dependence on imports for the primary input.

Going forward it is necessary  to stabilize the current conditions especially availability of cold storage combined with logistics support, which remains a key challenge in the perishables sector. Government has to come forward and support the farming community in terms of finance and security. In regards to the market, increasing awareness of shrimp farming in the domestic side will aid the industry with strong demands. This will insulate the industry in dealing with the potential risks and fluctuations of the international market in near future.

By Debabrata Satpathy, Snowman Logistics, Regional Business

Dairy

A FICCI paper on ‘Development of Dairy Sector in India’ was released during the webinar. 

 

 

 Atul Chaturvedi, Secretary, Dept. of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Govt of India today said that India’s dairy industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world and has set the goal to double its processing capacity from 53.5 MMT to 108 MMT by 2025. The government in its roadmap for 2025 for the dairy sector also aims to increase value added products from 23 per cent to 40 per cent and India’s exports share in the world from 0.36 per cent to 10 per cent, he added.

Addressing a FICCI webinar on ‘Development of Indian Dairy Sector’, Chaturvedi said that the dairy sector was facing a crisis before the onset of the pandemic. However, the industry was able to turn the COVID crisis into an opportunity. There was an improvement in supply of milk substantially by cooperatives and the average liquid milk consumption by cooperatives was higher during the period. He added that average procurement price of milk also increased, which helped 1.7 crore farmers.   

 Chaturvedi said that the Indian dairy is Rs 10 lakh crore industry with significant growth potential and highlighted the five key investment opportunities for the private sector. It included production and supply of affordable compound cattle feed; enhancing chilling infrastructure by setting up new BMCs; setting up processing infrastructure; enhancing processed milk distribution capacity; and enhancement of D2C milk supply across top consumption hubs.  

 Siraj Hussain, Former Secretary, MOFPI & Ministry of Agriculture, Govt of India said that the share of eastern India in milk processing is very less and urged the government to look at ways to correct this situation. He added that FSSAI should engage the private sector to compile data as there is no information available on milk processing capacity of the dairy sector. 

 Hussain pointed out the urgent need to spread awareness about the use of processed milk. Owing to several myths related to the use of processed milk, there is no demand for it in certain parts of the country leading to closure of private diaries. He added that augmenting domestic demand for processed milk by organizing campaigns is crucial. 

In his presentation on Indian dairy sector, Mohit Bhasin, Partner, KPMG India said that despite being the largest producer, India lags behind in per capita consumption of milk, share of processed milk products and yield per animal. However, the dairy sector is all set to move to next level in processed food segment driven by quality and product innovation. He added that processed milk, value added milk products both traditional and non-traditional and healthy beverages can become the growth segments. 

 Dr R S Sodhi, Managing Director, GCMMF (AMUL) said that dairy sector provides not only nutrition but also sustainable source of livelihood to 70 million plus farmers involved directly in dairying.  Dairy sector is all set to move to the next level by improvement in productivity, building brand India in milk segment, product innovation and increasing penetration of organized segment. He added that efforts should be made so that dairy can become an attractive profession for future generations. 

Dr Prashant Shinde, Commercial Director-Dairy Feed Business, Cargill India said that for future growth of the milk output, it is important to ensure availability of feed and fodder, expand creation of silage preparation, promote use of compound cattle feed and educate farmers on good dairy farming practices. He added that use of compound feed can not only increase milk yield but also enhance net profitability of dairy farmers.

 Ranjith Mukundan, CEO & Co-Founder, Stellapps Technologies said that the dairy sector holds immense potential to bring the rural economy back on track. High-end technologies can transform the dairy value chain by unlocking access to relevant insights, products and services at the right time to small holder farmers. He added that quality and traceability solutions can make India an export hub in dairy and data driven decisions in dairy farming can lead to building smart dairy value chain.

 Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI said that the objective of the session was to develop the roadmap for transforming the initiatives into well directed efforts for development of Indian dairy sector to enhance milk production for doubling farmers’ income, promoting entrepreneurship and value creation along with dairy value chain to mitigate effects of COVID on dairy sector while establishing national milk brands globally.

 

 

 

A FICCI paper on ‘Development of Dairy

E-commerce, Packaging & Labelling, Supply Chain

The AvoLast program uses a quarter-sized biodegradable and food-safe Hazel® packaging insert that extends Avocado shelf Life 

Mission Produce Inc., the world’s most advanced avocado network, in partnership with Hazel Technologies Inc., announced the launch of AvoLast by Hazel®, a ground-breaking shelf-life extension program that keeps avocados at an optimal level of ripeness for three extra days on average. Integrating Hazel® technology across Mission’s global supply chain, AvoLast makes it easier than ever for consumers to shop for and enjoy the perfect avocado. 

The AvoLast program uses a quarter-sized biodegradable and food-safe Hazel® packaging insert that temporarily blocks an avocado’s ethylene receptors and slows the ripening process. With more shelf-life, the consumer reaps the benefits of a longer timeframe to enjoy an avocado with ideal freshness, quality and taste. What’s more, by increasing the shelf-life of both hard and ripe Hass avocados, retailers can reduce throwaways, in turn increasing profit while creating more positive consumer experiences that drive category growth. 

AvoLast is being introduced at an especially critical time for consumers: in today’s environment of social distancing, food insecurities are heightened and many shoppers are making fewer visits to the grocery store, so the ability to purchase ripe avocados with confidence that they will last longer is significant. 

“As consumer trips to the grocery store decrease, AvoLast is the perfect solution to support avocados on the shelf. With AvoLast, retailers can continue or enhance their avocado ripening programs without compromising customer experience due to overripe fruit,” said Mission Produce’s Sr. Director of Business Development Patrick Cortes. “After testing the solution in various environments throughout our supply chain, the AvoLast program extended the shelf-life of ripe fruit by an average of three days. Partnering with Hazel Technologies on this application demonstrates one of many ways Mission continues to invest in innovation and provide value to our customers.” 

AvoLast uses technology exclusively developed by Hazel Technologies, Inc., a USDA-funded agricultural technology company aimed at reducing food waste and increasing the efficiency of produce supply chains. The two companies first announced a partnership in 2019 after a successful pilot phase. Expanding that partnership across Mission’s global supply chain was made easy due to Hazel’s drop-in solution which minimizes any operational impact.

 

The AvoLast program uses a quarter-sized biodegradable

Agro chems – Chemicals, E-commerce, Finance

The net profit in Q1FY21 came in at Rs 51.79cr that increased by 252.89 per cent, as compared to Q1FY20, when it reported Rs14.67cr 

 

 

Dhanuka Agritech announced that its consolidated net sales in Q1FY21 stood at Rs373.85cr, which is increased by 70.72 per cent yoy from Rs218.98cr in Q1FY20.

The net profit in Q1FY21 came in at Rs 51.79cr that increased by 252.89 per cent, as compared to Q1FY20, when it reported Rs14.67cr. The net profit margin in Q1FY21 came in at 13.85 per cent growth of 7.15 per cent yoy. The net profit margin for Q1FY20 was at 6.7 per cent.

Dhanuka Agritech said the group resumed operations in a phased manner from the beginning of April as per government directives on COVID-19 pandemic. However, subsidiary firm Dhanuka Agri-Solutions has not yet started operations.

With a view to ensure minimal disruption with respect to operations including production and distribution activities, the Group has taken several business continuity measures, including working from home, providing laptops or desktops, following social distancing norms and sanitization of office/work places, it said.

“While the group has not experienced any significant difficulties with respect to market demand, liquidity, collections so far, the management believes that being into an essential commodity there is no significant impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the current and future business operations, no impact on financial statements liquidity position and cash flows,” it said.

The company said it continues to closely monitor the rapidly changing situation. Dhanuka Agritech manufactures insecticides, pesticides and other chemicals. The company has technical tie-ups with 4 American and 6 Japanese companies.

The net profit in Q1FY21 came in

Agro chems – Fertilizers, E-commerce, Finance

Company has registered a 13.5 per cent revenue growth during Q1 for domestic crop care business on account of robust demand 

Rallis India Ltd., a subsidiary of Tata Chemicals announced its quarterly results. The company posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 91.87 crore for Q1FY21, which increased by 52.58 per cent, as compared to Q1FY20 when it reported Rs 60.21 crore.

The consolidated net sales reported in Q1FY21 came in at Rs 662.7 crore, which increased by 6.33 per cent YoY from Rs 623.24 crore in Q1FY20.            

 With timely arrival of the monsoons and positive farmer sentiment, agricultural activity has picked up well. With the ongoing pandemic situation, we are taking all the safety measures at the organisation level as per the government guidelines.

“We have registered a 13.5 per cent revenue growth during Q1 for domestic crop care business on account of robust demand and a 3 per cent revenue growth in seeds sales over the previous year despite the challenges faced,” Rallis India Managing Director and CEO Sanjiv Lal said.

Going forward, the company expects domestic demand to remain buoyant for crop care products, and exports to gradually pick up as well, he added.

 

 

Company has registered a 13.5 per cent

Middle East countries, Trade

Gilan province accounts for major bulk of exports

 Export of agricultural products increased by 30 percent in the first 4 months of the current Iranian year (March 20, 2020-July 20, 2020) compared to last year’s corresponding period, according to Mehrdad Jamal Arvanghi, deputy head of Iran’s customs office.

He said 2.706 million tons of goods worth $1.69 billion were exported this year, showing a marked increase from the 2.074 million tons of goods worth $1.58 billion exported in the same period last year. Exports have been primarily to Iraq, China, Afghanistan, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. According to Abolqassem Yousefinejad, the supervisor of Gilan Customs Administration Office, more than 296,000 tons of products worth $162 million were exported from Gilan province during the first four months of the current Iranian year.

Vegetables and fruits from the province were exported to Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Afghanistan and Iraq, according to Yousefinejad. Mineral products, glass, food staff, textile and plastics were the other commodities exported from the province. He added that exports to Russia amounted to $367 million during the four-month period while Kyrgyzstan was the next top trade partner with $338 million followed by Armenia with $164 million, Kazakhstan with $105 million, and Belarus with $10 million.

 

Gilan province accounts for major bulk of

Dairy, India, North America

Initial focus on a preferential trade pact with 50 to 100 products and services

After 2 years of negotiations, India and the United States are close to inking a trade deal, according to reports from Reuters.

Both sides are looking for reduced tariffs on farm goods in order to close the deal. India is also hoping to secure concessions for generic pharmaceutical exports to the US and increased access to American dairy markets.

Both countries have been negotiating to draw up a limited trade pact aimed at restoring zero tariffs on a range of Indian exports to the United States under its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).

Speaking at the US-India Business Council’s India Ideas Summit, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said a quick trade deal to get pending matters from the last couple of years out of the way is being readied.

He further added that New Delhi and Washington should look at a preferential trade pact with 50 to 100 products and services before moving to a free trade pact which can take several years to conclude.

Initial focus on a preferential trade pact

China, Live Stock, Start ups

Digital solutions to pig farming is a key area of focus in China

 BASF Venture Capital has announced that along with specialty chemicals producer Evonik and China’s Shenzhen Sinoagri E-Commerce it will be investing in SmartAHC, a leading supplier of digitalization solutions for pig farming focused on the Chinese market. 

SmartAHC uses sensors, camera systems and artificial intelligence to collect and analyze various data such as count of pigs to predict emerging issues at any point in time during their rearing and fattening process. This helps to optimize labor productivity in the production process and increase efficiency throughout the pork value chain. 

Pig farmers can therefore continuously monitor the condition of their animals and take prompt action in case of any issues. Lan Song, SmartAHC’s CEO said that their artificial intelligence uses the data collected in the pigsty to optimize processes, from breeding to finishing and slaughtering. He said with this investment, they will increase their R&D capabilities and expand their market presence even further. 

Markus Solibieda, Managing Director of BASF Venture Capital said SmartAHC has a keen understanding of the Chinese market and their technology can contribute substantially to animal health as well as to economic optimization along the pork value chain.

Digital solutions to pig farming is a