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

ProJini Agchem Ltd., a new company focused on developing a platform technology to develop novel pesticides with new modes of action. 

 

 The Bayer Trendlines Ag Innovation Fund (“the Fund”), set up by Bayer CropScience LP (“Bayer”) and The Trendlines Group Ltd. (“Trendlines”) (SGX: 42T) (OTCQX: TRNLY), announced the establishment of ProJini Agchem Ltd. (“ProJini Agchem”), a new company focused on developing a platform technology to develop novel pesticides with new modes of action. 

Pesticides are the main tools the farmer uses to control pests. Pests (insects, diseases and weeds) cause up to 40% yield loss in agriculture, according to FAO estimations [1]. The pesticide market in 2018 reached an estimated US$55B in annual sales [2].

 Current solutions are insufficient, due to increased resistance, as well as regulatory pressure. Additionally, despite the investment of billions in R&D per year by agchem companies, innovative solutions based on novel modes of action is limited. 

ProJini Agchem is developing a solution focused on new type of molecular targets: protein-protein interactions. While such interactions are at the core of any organism, it is very challenging to develop inhibitors for such systems via conventional approaches due to their spatial and chemical characteristics.  The platform, developed by scientists Maayan Gal, PhD and Itay Bloch at the Migal Galilee Research Institute Ltd., leverages a combination of computational-biophysical methods to tackle this significant challenge. ProJini Agchem received an exclusive license to use this platform to develop novel pesticides with new modes of action. 

“Discovering new active ingredients and modes of action remains a top objective for agriculture in the future” said Axel Trautwein, Head of Small Molecules, Crop Science division of Bayer. “Establishing ProJini Agchem with Trendlines is a prime example of how our ’open innovation’ model works in Crop Science R&D, with the aim of supporting farmers to always achieve better standards in protecting their harvests”,  said Allen Christian, Head of Open Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, Crop Science division of Bayer.

 “The need to develop new crop protection technologies to enhance food security is of high importance. Not only are known pesticides ineffective due to resistance, they are also of environmental concern. ProJini Agchem has risen to the challenge of developing new modes of intervention to provide the market with novel, more effective crop protection methods,” says Steve Rhodes, Chairman and CEO of Trendlines. Because protein-protein interactions are species specific, we expect the company to discover targeted pesticides that will be less harmful to the environment.  ProJini Agchem is the third company established by the Fund and boosts Trendlines’ growing ag-bio sector of portfolio companies.”

The Bayer Trendlines Ag Innovation Fund 

The Bayer Trendlines Ag Innovation Fund was established in April 2016 as a collaborative partnership between The Trendlines Group and Bayer to invest in agricultural technologies. The partnership agreement includes a US$10 million investment from Bayer. Bayer’s decades of experience in agricultural science, innovation and regulatory affairs, alongside Trendlines’ specialization in investing in innovative, early-stage medical and agricultural technologies, form the base of this strong alliance. 

About The Trendlines Group

Trendlines is an innovation commercialization company that invents, discovers, invests in, and incubates innovation-based medical and agricultural technologies to fulfill its mission to improve the human condition. As intensely hands-on investors, Trendlines is involved in all aspects of its portfolio companies from technology development to business building. Trendlines’ shares are traded on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX: 42T) and in the United States as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR) on the OTCQX (OTCQX: TRNLY).

 

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2018, the Group employed around 117,000 people and had sales of 39.6 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.6 billion euros, R&D expenses to 5.2 billion euros.

ProJini Agchem Ltd., a new company focused

Acts & Schemes – Centre, AgroPolicy, Agrotech

The participant farmers were assessed and certified as Group Farming Practitioners under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, under the Skill India Mission.

 

Agriculture Skill Council of India (ASCI) has been recently felicitated by the World Record Union as one of the top 20 record holder achievers for the year 2020 for the incredible record on the theme of “Maximum Number of Farmers assessed on a single day”. Editors of seven countries Record Books have participated – India, Indonesia, Nepal, Vietnam, USA, and UK & Bangladesh. The Record was also selected to be placed in the Indonesian Record Museum (Largest record museum in world) as a part of World Record Holders’ meet which recently held at New Delhi.

 

This record was created on World Skill Day – 15th July 2019 wherein Agriculture Skill Council of India (ASCI) undertook to create an Asia and National Record under India & Asia Book of Records simultaneously.  There is no previous record in any of the national record books where “Maximum Number of Farmers assessed on a single day”.

 

The record was created when in a single day in 4 districts at 19 locations in Maharashtra, 3000 Farmers from 33 villages from 11 Blocks were assessed which included men, women and youth from various social categories. Majority of the candidates participated in the event were women who were assessed, post-training, thus empowering women and providing them an opportunity to become decision makers.

 

 

The feat was an attempted to mark the fourth year of the National Skill Development Mission which was launched on the 15th of July 2015 by the Government of India (GoI). The participant farmers were assessed and certified as Group Farming Practitioners under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, a flagship program of the Government of India under the Skill India Mission.

 

Agriculture Skill Council of India has embarked on several other initiatives with state governments Pan India, to improve the livelihoods of farmers, farm and wage workers, self-employed and extension workers engaged in various agriculture segments.

The participant farmers were assessed and certified

Agrotech

The pain points are many from outdated farming practices, to lack of scientific innovation and poor policymaking

For decades, agriculture has been a cornerstone of the Indian economy. Once an agrarian economy Indian markets driven mostly by massive urbanization and buttressed by a growing middle class have now matured beyond agriculture. However approximately 70 per cent of India’s rural households still depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihood. Furthermore, India’s agricultural exports account for about 12-13 per cent of India’s exports.

While the agricultural revolution of the 60’s addressed India’s food security, modern demands from this sector far exceed simple self-sufficiency. And herein lies the problem. India’s farm productivity has largely stagnated. Agriculture’s contribution to India’s GDP has reduced over the years, from 50 per cent in 1950 to 17.3 per cent in 2016. From being the largest contributor to the country’s GDP, agriculture is now in real danger of becoming an also-ran or worse still an Achilles heel in a growing economy.

The pain points are many from outdated farming practices, to lack of scientific innovation and poor policymaking. As policy-makers and funding agencies wake up to this challenge, the need of the hour is to increase agricultural productivity through focused research and need-driven innovation.

For instance, Bengaluru based Sea6energy Pvt Ltd, a young bio-energy company, is working on developing an end-to-end solution to replace fossil fuels and fossil fuel derivatives in our daily lives including in agriculture. Sea6 Energy is guiding its efforts towards low-cost, large scale cultivation of red seaweed on the ocean and developing salt water based biotechnological processes to produce a plethora of 100 per cent natural and organic value-added products from red seaweed. For example, an agricultural biostimulant, a plant immunity booster, animal and human food additives, bioplastic and other such applications of the seaweed isolate phycocolloids. They have commercialized two products as of now and both have shown tremendous capabilities in increasing farm productivity and improving disease resistance.

Another startup FIB-SOL Life Technologies, based out of IIT-Madras, has developed low-weight biodegradable and low-cost biofertiliser technology. The product is a water soluble, nano-fibre based mesh which can be embedded with beneficial microbes that boost soil quality parameters. The technology can be easily diversified to support fertilisers, pesticides and biostimulants. The simplicity and affordability of the solution means immense potential for integration and impact.

Indian farmers usually do not wear any protective gear while spraying chemical-based pesticides in fields. This exposes them to harmful toxins, especially neurotoxins, causing severe health impacts and even death in extreme cases. Bengaluru based Sepio Health Pvt Ltd has developed a protective gel that when applied on skin can can neutralize toxins in pesticides, insecticides and fungicides. Once deactivated the chemicals do not cause harm to internal organs like brain and lungs even if absorbed topically. The group has also developed an active mask to deactivate pesticides.  

All three of these exciting startups are from C-CAMP which is home to over 150 startups in life sciences including agriculture. However, despite these success stories, we are yet to see a boom in the agriculture innovation sector. This could be because, agri-related problems are not clearly articulated or discussed in socio-scientific circles to attract innovator or even market attention. Even the technology advances that have happened have not been properly integrated on the ground. This situation thus poses a tremendous scope for science-driven innovations in agriculture and actual implementation of these solutions.

In August 2018, Department of Information Technology & Biotechnology, and Department of Agriculture, Govt. of Karnataka launched a Centre of Excellence for Agri-Innovation, in collaboration with C-CAMP. The CoE is a concerted effort to galvanize the agriculture innovation arena in India in the same vein as the healthcare domain and bring about transformational changes in the agro-economy of the country. The Centre’s activities have kicked off with a six-month Agri-immersion scheme to identify critical gaps in agriculture spanning the whole agri value chain. The program will identify key sectors/pain points in agriculture by bringing innovators on the same table as farmers and other stakeholders in Agriculture.

 

Dr Neelanjana Janardan, Senior Program Manager, Center for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), Bengaluru

The pain points are many from outdated

Machinery - Pre-harvesting, Machinery – Post-harvesting

With more than thirty years of specialization in the designing and marketing of coffee processing machines and plants,

STA Impianti also boasts a long experience in upholding sustainability standards. The Bologna based company has always been focused on energy savings and now it has reinvented itself with a portfolio of better performing, technologically advanced and energy-efficient roasting machines.

When less is best

STA Impianti has always been manufacturing machines with combustion chambers
completely made of heat resistant steel. After the latest technology upgrade, the
company has completely removed the ceramic fiber, which was used for the
combustion chamber’s thermal insulation and to protect workers in accordance with
safety regulations. STA decided to implement this new technology after years of
research, as it guarantees excellent results and a never before seen flexibility in the
roasting process. Such an innovative choice allows the company to uphold high
operational security standards and sets the company apart from every competitor that
still uses insulating materials such as cement, firebricks, ceramic fiber or other similar
products which can leave harmful residues. The path STA has chosen allows the
customers to improve the quality of their coffee both from an organoleptic and security perspective.

Certified savings for customers and the environment

Many clients are already employing the new STA solutions, thanks to which they have
considerably improved roasting uniformity and yield, while dramatically lowering the
preheating and roasting times, all of which translates in significant gains in term of
energy, gas and labor needed for the process. Using the latest roasting machines,
clients can achieve global energy savings of between 20% and 25% over the most
common devices on the market. Such data can be constantly verified from electricity,
gas and time meters installed on our roasting machines; this data is then recorded in
the work sheet of the product. Thanks to this technological evolution. the client is able
to obtain a higher quality product, uncontaminated by polluting material residues, as
well as emissions from combustion recirculation, being also capable of tracking useful
metrics in real time in order to calculate processing costs.
Not just hardware


The company’s mechanical innovations are complemented by software innovations,
which allow the full control of all roasting machine’s parameters through
comprehensive customization and the deployment of specific interfaces for plant
management. The software was developed by STA and, together with next-generation
electronic components, allows for the automatic tracking and creation of production
batches, thanks to the machines’ ability to communicate with the business database.

STA Impianti s.r.l.

VAT Number 00662411206 – Codice fiscale 3793920376 – R.E.A. N. 316403 – Iscrizione Tribunale BO R.I.N. 49752
management of the plant and, ultimately, better production efficiencies and a higher
quality product.

STA Impianti – Facts and Figures
Established in 1988, STA IMPIANTI S.R.L. is specialized in the manufacturing

With more than thirty years of specialization

Packaging & Labelling, R&D, Supply Chain

These solutions are designed to inhibit postharvest microbial decay and extend the shelf life of extracted pomegranate arils for up to 17 days,

  StePac L.A., Ltd., who have been pioneering advances in pomegranate packaging since 2003, introduces its latest range of sustainable packaging solutions, perfect for preserving the freshness and extending the shelf life of pomegranates and their extracted arils. 

StePac has expanded its range to include new recyclable solutions, as well as packaging formats tailored to automation of both bulk and retail packing. These will be showcased at the upcoming Fruit Logistica in Berlin, February 5-7, hall 26, booth #D10. 

In spite of their tough exterior, whole fresh pomegranates host a range of challenges that arise with prolonged storage. In the absence of proper protection, the fruit can suffer significant dehydration and weight loss, causing it to shrivel. This may be accompanied by the development of skin blemishes and crown decay that eventually leaches into the fruit and impairs the quality and taste of the arils. 

From orchard to table

StePac’s pomegranate packaging portfolio incorporates long storage packaging formats to meet the requirements of growers seeking glut management solutions for post-harvest bulk storage.

Pomegranate growers and packers are now able to load fresh-picked pomegranates directly at the orchard and store up to 400kg of the fruit in each specialized StePac Xtend® bin liner for periods of three months or longer, with no negative effect on the fruit. 

This is in addition to storage liners for weight of 10-80kg that are already widely used in many countries. The Xtend line also includes unique carton liners that offer the ideal solution for maintaining fruit quality during the lengthy shipments to distant locations.

 Leaner flow pack packaging for whole fruits

StePac developed film structures containing a unique sealing layer that facilitates leaner packaging and induces savings of up to 40% in material use as well as reduced labor costs, by enabling pomegranates to be flow-packed in both bulk and retail formats.

100% recyclable retail packaging for arils

The company recently finalized development of fully recyclable Xgo™ lidding films and standing pouches to add to this category of retail-packaging products.These solutions are designed to inhibit postharvest microbial decay and extend the shelf life of extracted pomegranate arils for up to 17 days, preserving the fruit’s organoleptic properties. 

The lidding films are available in lean easy peel and resealable formats. The company’s comprehensive range of lean and sustainable packaging solutions is designed to maintain pomegranate freshness throughout all stages of the supply chain. 

The technology is based on a unique modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) system that reduces respiration rates and ethylene production for a combined effect of slowing down ageing and ripening. It also inhibits the proliferation of pathogens.

 Water vapor transmission technology enhances performance

StePac has developed a comprehensive repertoire of films with built-in abilities to regulate water-vapor transmission rates as well as provide optimal modified atmosphere conditions. The films incorporate distinct properties to cater to a range of pomegranate packaging applications. 

“During prolonged storage of this fruit, it is paramount to strike the perfect balance between eliminating excess free moisture to mitigate the risk of microbial decay and to concurrently avoid excessive product dehydration,” explains Gary Ward, Ph.D., Business Development Manager for StePac.

 Ward also added that such balance depends on multiple synergistic factors, including surface area to volume ratio, produce weight, supply chain length, and shipping and storage conditions.

“Pomegranates are in demand in every continent. The global reach of our technology is instrumental in addressing the challenges facing the pomegranate industry and for ensuring that both the whole fruit and the extracted arils reach the consumers— wherever they might be — in prime condition, while keeping waste to a minimum”, said Gary Ward.

“Our holistic vision and pragmatic approach are embedded in a range of complex structures and packaging formats that deliver the extended shelf life and sustainability principles our customers seek.” 

“This approach evolved from our deep-rooted understanding and 25-year history of researching fresh produce pathology and physiology and its interaction with packaging design.” 

About StePac

StePac specializes in functional packaging for fresh produce. Its globally recognized brands include Xtend®, Xgo™, Xflow™ and Xbloom™ modified-atmosphere/modified-humidity packaging solutions.

 These solutions reduce weight loss, slow respiration and aging, and inhibit microbial decay, while prolonging storability and shelf life. They are supported by a wealth of post-harvest expertise for enhanced performance and sustainability. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson Matthey, plc, UK.

 

These solutions are designed to inhibit postharvest

Acquaculture, Live Stock

 Marine Biological Association of India, Kochi will host the third international symposium on marine ecosystems – challenges and opportunities (MECOS-3) in Kochi from January 7 to 10. 

 

Eminent marine scientists, oceanographers, fisheries researchers and marine biotechnologists from across the globe are expected to participate in the third international symposium on marine ecosystems.

  MECOS-3  which is organised by the Marine Biological Association of India,will serve as a platform for discussions on a range of topics, including the impact of the climate crisis on marine ecosystems and an unusual warming of the Arabian Sea.

 Petri Suuronen, Programme Director, Blue Bioeconomy Natural Resources Institute, Finland, will open the symposium on Tuesday.  A renowned researcher in marine fisheries, Suuronen’s recent research paper on how to modify trawling without harming the ocean ecosystem, has received global attention.

 The four-day meet ,that  will be held at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, holds significance in the backdrop of the recent spate of cyclonic storms and other climatic phenomena in the Arabian Sea.

 The meet will also focus on the UN’s sustainable development goal-14 (life under water), development of small-scale fisheries, recent developments in aquaculture, eco-labelling and green fishing technologies.

 “The aim of the symposium  will be reviewing the concerns involved in marine ecosystem and formulating strategies for the better and sustainable utilisation of marine wealth by enhancing livelihood options”, said Sunil Mohamed, Principal Scientist of CMFRI and Convenor of MECOS-3. 

He also added that ,healthy oceans, coasts and related ecosystems are crucial for economic growth and food production. Billions of people worldwide, especially the world’s poorest, rely on healthy oceans to provide jobs and food, underscoring the urgent need to sustainably use and protect this natural resource. 

 The symposium would come up with a roadmap to deal with the issues such as  depletion of resources, marine pollution, extreme weather conditions and rising sea surface temperature, among others, pose a threat to the sustainable utilisation of marine resources,he said.

 Marine Biological Association of India, Kochi will

Agrotech

AgriTalk Integrates Biotechnology, Iot, Big Data Analysis, and Ai to to solve the current agricultural problems

AgriTalk Tech Inc. was founded by Dr. Wen-Liang Chen, an associate professor at NCTU College of Biological Science and Technology. It integrates biotechnology, IoT, big data analysis, and artificial intelligence to develop a non-toxic agricultural disease and fertilizer regulation system called the “AgriTalk Management Platform.” AgriTalk’s “AgriTalk Management Platform” is capable of regulating factors like diseases, pests, soil fertility, moisture/humidity, temperature, and light exposure.

AgriTalk’s mission is to use technology to solve the current agricultural problems in Taiwan. This mission resonates especially well with Dr. Chen, who comes from a family of farmers in Yunlin. When he was a child, he witnessed the horrifying scene where his father almost died from poisoning while spraying pesticide. This is why non-toxic agriculture became his life’s pursuit.

Another common problem on farms is soil acidification caused by long-term pesticide and fertilizer abuse, which can cause soil fertility and crop yields to decline. Dr. Chen said that long before the establishment of AgriTalk Tech, his R&D team had already separated and developed biological pest inhibitors from 5,000 spider neurotoxins to deal with the soil acidification issue. They can kill specific pests but are harmless to humans and bees.

According to Dr. Chen, the most direct result of farm population migration and aging is labor shortage. Dr. Chen believes that encouraging young people to return home is the solution to this predicament. Taking Nanzhuang as an example, he mentioned the township mayor has been eagerly inviting AgriTalk to set up a local demo site. Since young people understand and identify with technology, it will naturally spark their interest in coming home.

AgriTalk’s automated, non-toxic, and precise fertilization system can reduce labor demand, maintain soil nutrients, and prevent loss of land productivity, which solves the soil acidification problem step by step. Dr. Chen mentioned that the most important thing is to attract investment from businesses and agricultural marketing channels. This is to build a more secure contractual business model for farmers, thereby opening an avenue that is connected to the upper, mid, and downstream, and provides long-term profit for the entire village and even the agriculture industry in Taiwan. This will encourage more young people to come home, and solve the issues of labor shortages and long-term care.

According to Dr. Chen, AgriTalk is actively seeking strategic partnerships to achieve mighty goals and hopes to link all the companies, resources, products, technology, and solutions into a value chain.

AgriTalk Integrates Biotechnology, Iot, Big Data Analysis,

Agro Universities, Agrotech

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

 By Our Correspondent

Bengaluru, Jan 6:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prof Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, secretary of DARE

Agro chems – Pesticides, R&D

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Company  claims that the insecticide trait

Agro chems – Pesticides, E-commerce, Trade

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

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

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

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

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

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

The reorganization includes Syngenta, the Swiss

Acts & Schemes – Centre, E-commerce, Trade

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Farmer Connect Portal

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

The action plan includes production

E-commerce, Poultry, R&D

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

 

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

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

 

How BovSmart works

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

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

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

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

 Cost of Belt

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

On experiment basis, the belt has been

Finance, Start ups, Trade

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Agri-tech funding update

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

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

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

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

The company will use the funding

Acts & Schemes – Centre, R&D

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

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

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

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

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

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

Testing kits and devices will be provided