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Europe, R&D

After having recently been awarded a patent, the researchers are now looking for partners to further develop feasible applications of the molecular heaters. 

  Researchers at the University of Amsterdam have developed a novel class of molecules capable of raising the temperature of plants. Application of such “molecular heaters” allows crops to grow at lower environmental temperatures. This can extend the growth season, increase the availability of arable land, and facilitate speed breeding programs for new crop varieties.

 

The molecular heaters were developed by Wybren Jan Buma of Molecular Photonics (Van ‘t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences) and Teun Munnik of Plant Cell Biology (Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences) in a cooperation with researchers from the universities of Warwick and Bristol.

 

In experiments in the laboratory and greenhouses, the team has demonstrated that the molecular heating effect can indeed be used to warm plants and increase the temperature of leaves by more than one degree Celsius. Furthermore, it was established that application of these molecular heaters can lead to increased amounts of biomass. Currently, the molecular heaters are subject of further study in the European “Boostcrop” project, funded with nearly 5 million euros from the EU’s “Future and Emerging Technologies” program. This research includes small field tests and assessment of safety issues.

When applied at large scale, molecular heaters could contribute to boosting crop yields worldwide. Allowing crops to grow at lower environmental temperatures can extend their cultivation at higher altitudes or latitudes than what is normally possible. Application of the molecular heaters can also prolong the growth season (to earlier and later time periods) and lead to faster development of plants.

 

Patent Awarded

After having recently been awarded a patent, the researchers are now looking for partners to further develop feasible applications of the molecular heaters. Preliminary contacts with key players have already shown a high level of interest in the field of crop protection and development. The researchers envision large-scale application of the molecular heaters in mixtures with surfactants and wetting agents or combinations thereof. This would optimize their application on plants, for instance through spraying techniques. Another line of development they pursue is to chemically adjust the molecular heaters to make them stick better to the surface of plants. 

Sunscreen-like Molecules

The way molecular heaters work is comparable to molecules used in sunscreen lotions. They absorb UV photons and transform this energy into molecular vibrations. This effectively converts harmful light into harmless heat, albeit on such a small scale that this escapes the sunbather’s notion. Having developed advanced laser spectroscopic techniques for elucidating the photodynamics of these sunscreen molecules, Wybren Jan Buma set out to broaden the scope of his research. He teamed up with plant biologist Teun Munnik to explore the idea of using the molecular heating phenomenon for heating plants. When it turned out this notion had not been reported in literature before, they knew they were on to something.

 

 

After having recently been awarded a patent,

North America, Packaging & Labelling

The company has recently gained the expertise to pack mixed lettuce varieties in various ways

JASA a world-class company, based out in the Netherlands and the USA, has been in the automatic packaging market for sliced vegetables for 35 years. The company has recently gained all the knowledge and expertise to pack mixed lettuce varieties in various ways.

  • Bags filled with leafy greens on a vertical packaging machine
  • Packed in trays with a lid or top seal
  • Salad bowls with various extra components such as proteins and dressings

As a packager of leafy greens, JASA can put together a complete packaging solution to pack mixed lettuce at high speed. And as a system integrator, the company takes full accountability of the weighing and packaging process.

The company uses highly accurate weighers, ideal for leafy greens. With distribution rights for weighers from various brands, JASA develops and produces multiple machines, such as vertical packaging machines, under its own brand and management. In addition, the complete packaging lines are both maintenance and user friendly. The production lines have a hygienic design and are made from stainless steel, ensuring they meet the highest hygienic and quality standards.

The company has recently gained the expertise

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains

MSP value of Rs. 10,643 crore at MSP of Rs 1868 per quintal has been procured from 390 farmers 

 

 

 The arrival of Kharif Marketing Season 2020-21 has just begun and the Government continues to procure Kharif 2020-21 crops at MSP from farmers as per its existing MSP Schemes as done in previous seasons.

The procurement of Paddy during Kharif Marketing Season 2020-21 has just started from 26th September, 2020 and upto 27.09.2020, 5637 MT having MSP value of Rs. 10,643 crore at MSP of Rs 1868 per quintal has been procured from 390 farmers of Haryana and Punjab. The procurement of paddy for the remaining States will commence from 28.09.2020. 

Based on the proposal from the States, approval has been accorded for procurement of 13.77 LMT of Pulse and oilseeds for KMS 2020-21for the States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana and Haryana. For the other States/UT, approval will also be accorded on receipt of proposal for Kharif Pulses and oilseeds and procurement will be made as per Price Support Scheme (PSS), if the market rates goes below its MSP. 

Upto 24.09.2020, the Government through its Nodal Agencies has procured 34.20 MT of Moong having MSP value of Rs.25 lakhs benefitting 40 farmers in Tamil Nadu. Similarly, 5089 MT of copra(the perennial crop) having MSP value of Rs. 52.40 crore has been procured benefitting 3961 farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu against the sanctioned quantity of 95.75 LMT for the Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

 

MSP value of Rs. 10,643 crore at

Agro chems – Fertilizers, E-commerce

Company aims to reduce cost of agri inputs in line with Atma Nirbhar Bharat 

 

 

 

Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has reiterated that it has no plan to increase the Maximum Retail Price of DAP and NPK fertilizers. IFFCO Managing director U.S Awasthi has said in a tweet that though there is a huge spike in the cost of raw materials like phos acid and others in the international market, still we are not going to increase the price of fertilizers.

 

He said that there is no plan to increase the   MRP of DAP and NPK fertilizers during rabi season as “Our aim is to serve the farmer Community by reducing input agri cost for them which is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarion call of Atma Nirbhar Bharat. It also aims to double the farmers’ income by 2022″.

 

IFFCO is a leading cooperative society engaged in the business of manufacturing and marketing of fertilizers. It has 5 manufacturing plants in India. 

 

 

Company aims to reduce cost of agri

Schemes - Govt, Trade, Transportation

Maldives-India Cargo ferry service would strengthen the friendship between the two countries

In a recent tweet replying to Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, PM Modi has said that the Maldives-India cargo ferry service will promote bilateral trade and boost the economies of both countries

PM Modi said that the Maldives-India Cargo ferry service would boost the economies and strengthen the friendship between the two countries.

In reply to PM Modi, Mohamed Solih tweeted, “Our thanks to Prime Minister @narendramodi and Government of India as the Maldives-India Cargo Ferry Service goes on its maiden voyage today between Kulhudhuffushi, Male and South India. The ferry would further strengthen Maldives-India friendship and bring greater prosperity to our communities.”

Modi replied to the tweet, “It is indeed a happy day, President @ibusolih (Ibrahim Mohamed Solih)! Our dream of a direct ferry service between India and Maldives is now a reality.”

Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid said that the ferry service would bring “Monumental benefits to the people of the Maldives, especially the Northern islands” adding that it was “A new road for age-old friends.”

The cargo vessel MCP Linz operated by the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) reached the anchorage at the northern Maldivian town of Kulhudhufushi recently.

Maldives-India Cargo ferry service would strengthen the

Schemes - Banks

Axis Bank would offer a wide range of end-to-end financial solutions & services like affordably priced loans, deposits, withdrawals and payments 

Axis Bank, India’s third largest private sector bank has partnered with Bayer’s Better Life Farming initiative in India to provide improved and holistic financial solutions to smallholder farmers as well as rural farming communities. Through this partnership, Axis Bank would offer a wide range of end-to-end financial solutions & services such as affordably priced loans, deposits, withdrawals, and payments etc. Digital financial solutions and doorstep delivery of these services would be a vital part of the Bank’s offering to guarantee convenient & hassle-free transactions. These solutions will be provided through Bayer’s Better Life Farming centres that are owned and run either by a Farmer Producer Organization, Federation, agriculture graduate or a local farmer or entrepreneur.

It is important to mention that Better Life Farming (BLF) is a global, multi-stakeholder alliance that works with partners across the agri-value chain to support farmers in developing economies to improve crop yields & farm incomes. Launched in April 2018, Better Life Farming has global partners that include – Bayer with its expertise in seeds, crop protection and agronomy; IFC, the development finance institution for impact assessment; and Netafim for drip irrigation technologies.

BLF has set up small centres across villages to provide farm advisories to the communities. Each BLF centre consists of a group of 500 farmers from 5-6 nearby villages where an agri-entrepreneur gives smallholder farmers with access to agri-inputs, crop advisory, irrigation best practices and new technologies. The centres also support aggregation as well as sale of farm produce and operate model farms to share good agricultural practices around crop nutrition, micro-irrigation technologies, mulching etc. & demonstrate safe handling of seed and crop protection products. Moreover, BLF has also helped create local employment opportunities, supported doubling of farmers’ incomes & empowered rural youth to be a part of the agriculture value chain.

D Narain, MD and CEO of Bayer CropScience Limited & Global Lead for Bayer’s Smallholder Farming initiatives said, “Since the launch of Better Life Farming in 2018, we have continuously identified various need-gaps faced by smallholder farmers & roped in partners who can strengthen our offerings to them. Affordable farm credit, farmer financing & digital banking solutions rank as high priorities for rural farming communities. Bayer’s partnership with Axis Bank would help deliver last mile connectivity & create a more inclusive agri eco-system where all smallholder farming needs ranging from agri-inputs, agri-advisory, knowledge and capacity building, market linkages & financial solutions are taken care of under one roof”.

Amitabh Chaudhry, MD and CEO of Axis Bank said, “Axis Bank has made important investments and commitments to empower rural communities & smallholder farmers. To strengthen these objectives further, the Bank has partnered with Bayer to combine forces and work together in addressing the diverse challenges faced by these communities. We have invested in providing end-to-end financial solutions for the agrarian and rural population, which have been built on the backbone of sound digital and technology capabilities to deliver secure financial products and seamless services. This partnership achieves multiple goals including promoting rural entrepreneurship and delivering holistic financial solutions under one roof, at the doorstep of the rural community.’’

 

 

 

 

 

 

At present, more than 150 BLF centers are operational in the country in the states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand with plans to expand to West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. By 2025, the BLF initiative aims to empower 2.5 million smallholder farmers in India by offering them access to modern agri-inputs and improving their standard of living.

Axis Bank would offer a wide range

E-commerce, Machinery - Pre-harvesting

A step towards the agricultural growth story of India

Kubota Corporation, a tractor and heavy equipment manufacturer based in Osaka, Japan has recently announced the manufacturing of MU4501 (45 HP tractor), the most popular tractor in India. The tractor with a 4-cylinder, 2434 cc engine, is extremely powerful, with outstanding performance, and is by far the most loved tractor by the Indian farmer.

The production of the MU4501 in India is the first step towards making Kubota, self-reliant in India and a step towards the “Make in India” campaign. The MU4501 tractor will be “Made in India” with the same quality and safety parameters that Kubota is known for across the world. The 1st lot of the MU4501 will be rolled out on 25th Sept. 2020.

It is said, the 1st step is always the hardest but it’s absolutely worth it, especially when you are committed to your purpose. Kubota is committed to providing technologically advanced products that can enhance farm productivity and thereby increase the Indian farmer’s income.

The local manufacturing of MU4501 surely opens the gateway to facilitate Made in India, while other Kubota tractors, agricultural machinery and engines are imported currently.

Kubota has contributed towards the growth of the Indian farmer and the Agriculture Industry and has been continuously recognized for its core values which are quality, great products and service. With the introduction of the MU4501 to be Made in India, Kubota is deepening its footsteps in the Indian Agriculture Industry and it’s a reaffirmation for the Indian farmers to have a reliable partner who they can trust for their livelihood.

 

A step towards the agricultural growth story

Pulses

 Over 900 participants from across 30 countries participated in the webinar. 

India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), the nodal body for India’s pulses trade and industry, hosted THE IPGA KNOWLEDGE SERIES WEBINAR ON KHARIF CROP OUTLOOK .The webinar had a focused discussion on key aspects like sowing, weather impact, impact of monsoon this season, expected production, demand & supply as well as price outlook for Kharif pulses viz., Urad, Moong and Tur.

The panellists includes  Dr S. K. Malhotra, Agriculture Commissioner, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India; Dr Makarand Kulkarni Chief Product Planning and Quality, Skymet Weather Services Pvt. Ltd.;  Nirav Desai, Managing Partner, GGN Research; B Krishnamurthy, Managing Director, Four-P International Pvt. Ltd., Chennai; Anish Goyal, Di-rector, AgroPure Capital Foods and Mr. Nitin Kalantri, CEO, Kalantry Food Products. The webinar was moderated by commodities expert Manisha Gupta, Editor – Commodities & Currencies, CNBC TV 18.

 

Bimal Kothari, Vice Chairman, IPGA said, “Our esteemed panelists, domain experts in their respective fields, presented an in-depth analysis on Kharif Pulses including sowing, production, supply & demand and expected price outlook.”

Dr S K Malhotra, Agriculture Commissioner, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India speaking about the Kharif crop for 2020-21 said, “Pulses sowing for the 2020-12 Kharif pulses has reached 138.62 Lakh Ha, an increase of 6.20 Lakh Ha over last year. As per our 1st Advance Estimates the Kharif Pulses production for 2020-21 should reach 9.20 million tons vis-à-vis 7.72 million tons.

Dr Makarand Kulkarni, Chief – Product Planning & Quality at Skymet Weather Services speaking about the expected pulses production said, “Despite crop damage witnessed in major producing states, higher acreage will help Moong production reach about 1.50 million tons. Similarly, excessive rains have damages Urad crops as well but higher sowing is expected to result in around 2.09 million tons.

Nirav Desai, Managing Partner, GGN Research speaking about the weather conditions and their effect said, we had 18% surplus and timely rainfall in June and a 9.9% deficit in July, due to which we started facing some moisture stress, but then with 26.6% surplus, rains improved in early August, benefitting the crops initially. But excessive rains in August and early September led to flooding in a lot of areas thereby damaging damaged pulses crops.”

 

 Nitin Kalantri, Chief Executive Officer of Kalantry Food Products, speaking about Tur prospects said, “The new Tur crop is expected to arrive in the markets around 15 November and with an expected production of around 4 million tons plus the carryover stocks and the stocks held by NAFED, we are in a comfortable position to meet the domestic demand at stable prices.”

 B Krishnamurthy, Managing Director of Four-P International speaking about the situation of Urad said, “Despite a 40,000 Ha increase in sowing, but the excessive rains in August have damaged standing urad crops across many states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka leading to flooding and crop infestations which will pull down the yield of Urad.”

 Anish Goyal, Director at AgroPure Capital Foods speaking about the situation for Moong said, “The sowing of Kharif has increased by a 5 Lakh Ha vis-à-vis last year which was due to a variety of reasons including increased MSP, excellent monsoon, good prices in the market, etc. However, due to excessive rains in late-August and early September, there have been disease infestations in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka and this could impact the final yield of Moong.

 Over 900 participants from across 30 countries

Agro chems – Pesticides, North America

The insecticide details now up for public review

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its draft risk assessments for chlorpyrifos for public review. These draft risk assessments are the next stage in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) registration review process.

The draft risk assessments come from an exhaustive evaluation of available data on chlorpyrifos’s health and environmental impacts. Full details about the potential risks and EPA’s methods for estimating them can be found within the revised human health and draft ecological risk assessments located on the Agency’s website.

EPA will take public comment on the draft risk assessments (DRAs) when it issues its Proposed Interim Decision (PID) in October 2020. The PID, which is the next step in the FIFRA process, will outline potential risk management options for the insecticide to address any potential risks or concerns identified in the DRAs. EPA will review and respond to comments for both documents prior to issuing an Interim Decision.

The insecticide details now up for public

AgroPolicy, Trade

Experts claim the move will most likely benefit China and Pakistan in the international market.

Just after the onion export ban was announced, truckloads of onions have been stranded at several places like Nashik, Pune, Nagar and Solapur. Now, Maharashtra farmers are likely to suffer huge losses of over Rs 50 billion owing to a government decision to ban the export of onions. Experts claim the move will most likely benefit China and Pakistan in the international market.

At the end of the summer harvest season, growers in Maharashtra had stored up around 2.7 mln tons of onions, of which 60 per cent stock remains.

According to the experts, the ban has come at a time just when the onion prices had started rising after staying low for several months. The average trade rate, which was Rs 20 per kg in July, in the country’s biggest onion market at Lasalgaon had now touched Rs 35 per kg and was expected to go up further. Maharashtra is the largest onion producing state in the country.

Recently, the central government’s department of commerce decided to ban the export of onions. This came as a surprise to the country as the government usually takes the step when prices shoot up and supply remains weaker. But this year, the country has seen a bumper onion crop.

Experts claim the move will most likely

North America, Organic

The company has become the largest vertical farming company in the US

New York-based Bowery Farming, the Modern Farming Company, has announced that its fresh, traceable Protected Produce is now available in more than 650 US stores, marking a rapid increase from 100 stores in January. With this expansion, Bowery becomes the largest vertical farming company in the US as consumers are hungry for flavorful, local, and sustainable food.

The company’s expansion has catalyzed more than 600% in-store sales growth since the beginning of this year and it has more than doubled sales with e-commerce partners.

The BoweryOS determines the ideal recipe for each crop and makes automatic adjustments to conditions, such as temperature, humidity, airflow, light intensity, and nutrients to optimize crop quality, health, yield, and flavor, giving the plants exactly what they need when they need it. Every farm benefits from the collective knowledge of the BoweryOS, making the entire network stronger with each new farm built.

Bowery’s greens and herbs (such as Arugula, Crispy Leaf, Basil and Butterhead) grow in completely controlled environments year-round, at least two times quicker than in a field, completely independent of weather and seasonality. Bowery produce is harvested at the peak of quality and taste and is available on shelf within just a few days.

As the company continues to grow, it welcomes its first-ever Chief Supply Chain Officer, Colin Nelson, who will oversee Bowery’s end-to-end operations, from seed to store. A mechanical engineer by training, Nelson has spent the past 30 years of his career in supply chain management and operations at major multinationals, including Unilever and GlaxoSmithKline.

The company has become the largest vertical

E-commerce, Packaging & Labelling, R&D

 DECCO expands postharvest business footprint into new crop markets

 

 DECCO Post-Harvest (a UPL company) is excited to announce the acquisition of IngeAgro, SA (Chile) and it’s FullCover Ultra-Low Volume Electrostatic Application Technology. FullCover electrostatic technology is already widely used throughout Latin America in blueberry, table grape and avocado packinghouses where it allows for “dry application” of fruit protection products for high value crops that cannot receive water-based postharvest treatment.

Tomas Yakasovic, who founded IngeAgro in 2013, will continue as the general manager directing further innovation of FullCover and other leading-edge application technologies.  In addition to FullCover, Yakasovic developed YT Wine, a precision SO2 dosing system for grapes and wine that is also part of the IngeAgro portfolio.

 

Augusto Mengelle, general manager of Latin America at DECCO noted “the acquisition of IngeAgro will enable us to bring FullCover ’dry application’ technology plus our full product line to many other high value markets which cannot receive any aqueous postharvest treatments. In addition, FullCover technology has already been adopted for use as a backpack electrostatic application of sanitization products in cold storage rooms and for field sprays.”

 

DECCO and IngeAgro are already developing the next generation of electrostatic application technology for use on traditional packing lines for citrus, apples, pears, stone fruit, pineapples, bananas, melons and many others. The acquisition of IngeAgro is a great opportunity for DECCO’s parent company, UPL to expand its postharvest footprint and further develop the OpenAg concept of border-free innovation.

 

 DECCO expands postharvest business footprint into new

E-commerce, Machinery - Pre-harvesting, Machinery – Post-harvesting

It is an affordable solution to small and marginal farmers across the country.

 

VST Tillers Tractors Limited, pioneers in manufacturing of tillers and compact tractors  has launched “VST KISAN”, 12 HP Power tiller.  This is complete indigenous product made by VST is 100% Make in India.

 

The product is manufactured in Malur near Bangalore with a production capacity of 70,000 units per annum in two shifts, which is one of the largest manufacturing facilities for power tiller manufacturing in the Nation. 

VST has taken the step to launch a subsidy neutral product which is affordable for Small and marginal farmers. Power tiller ‘VST Kisan’  is ideally suited for small farmers with usages of wet puddling, dry cultivation etc. The affordability, low operating costs and high productivity which cater to the small and marginal farmers.

Vice President, Bheem Reddy said that in the first phase the product will be launched in Tamilnadu, AP, KN and the second phase of the launch will be expanded to other markets of India and this machine will ensure every farmer Atmanirbhar Kisan and support Government initiative of Self Reliant India.

 

It is an affordable solution to small

Finance, North America, Supply Chain

Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz, other investors included investors Initialized Capital and Haystack Ventures.  

 Cloud-based supply chain streaming platform Silo has raised a $9 million Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz. Other investors in the round include investors Initialized Capital and Haystack Ventures. This brings its total funding to $12 million since launching in 2018.

 

San Francisco-based Silo is hoping to help streamline the food supply chain to mitigate food waste. Although loss happens throughout the supply chain from the farm gate to consumers’ kitchens, Silo finds the production and distribution segment particularly wasteful.

 

“The market potential for an innovator like Silo to reduce waste and improve margins is enormous and we’re excited to support its efforts as the system of record for food distribution in the United States,” said Anish Acharya, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, in a statement announcing the funding. “Silo is well-positioned to scale beyond the west coast to help more customers modernize and transition their operations from pen and paper to software.”

 

The round came together organically at the end of last year, according to co-founder and CEO Ashton Braun. And while there are a plethora of food waste start-ups in the market, Braun believes that investors understand the enormity of the problem and are not bored of it.

Its goal is to replace traditional systems with advanced technology to mitigate the loss of products and product rejections.

“We have built a lot of software to help a lot of folks. It digitizes workflows to make sure that all the internal systems and processes that they’re trying to run are connecting and communicating,” Braun told AFN. “From there, we were able to allow them to use data to make better decisions and have more time to manage operations more efficiently.”

 

Silo’s cloud-based online platform is accessible anywhere for growers, distributors, and suppliers in the perishable food system. Using machine learning-powered tools, it can automate operations and manage relationships between buyers and sellers. This includes retailers, wholesalers, distributors, food service companies, packers, processors, and freight providers. It also helps users discover new partners throughout the supply chain in real-time.

 

Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz, other