🎄🌟 🎉 Wishing our readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with new possibilities! 🎄🌟 🎉
Connect with:
Monday / December 23. 2024

logo
mobile-logo
Home2020 (Page 69)
E-commerce, IT, R&D

‘Threat ID’ uses modelling technology that covers 30 crops, including corn, soybeans, wheat and sorghum 

Dupont Pioneer released a major update to its Pioneer Seeds App with a new tool: Threat ID. This technology delivers farmers access to cutting-edge pest, disease and deficiency identification technology for their crops in the palm of their hands.

Threat ID, powered by Plantix, allows farmers to detect issues impacting their fields by simply taking one crop photo. It then recognizes the specific patterns left behind by pests and provides an immediate identification of the most likely pest or disease threats and nutrient deficiencies. Threat ID boosts the efficiency of scouting and allows farmers to schedule follow-up consultations with their local Pioneer agronomist.

“Threat ID, as part of the Pioneer Seeds App, empowers growers to make more rapid and informed decisions regarding issues they see while walking their fields,” said Jeremy Groeteke, U.S. Pioneer Digital Ag Lead. “With the ability to effectively identify crop issues, growers can more easily leverage the Pioneer agronomy team to its full capacity to get treatment recommendations that help maximize seed investment and protect yield potential.”

Threat ID uses modelling technology that covers 30 crops, including corn, soybeans, wheat and sorghum. With an ever-growing catalog of 20 million photos spanning the entire life cycle of crops, Threat ID provides accurate results throughout the entire growing season. Farmers can get instant results by taking a photo using Threat ID while in the field or by uploading it later when an internet connection is available. With the threat identified, farmers can then access the extensive agronomic expertise of international crop scientists and local Pioneer agronomists for treatment recommendations.

“Adding Threat ID to the Pioneer Seeds App is a result of a strong collaboration between Corteva Agriscience and Plantix,” Groeteke said. “We’re excited to add this new tool to our already comprehensive package of digital solutions for farmers.”

 

Threat ID joins the Pioneer Seeds App suite of digital agronomy tools, includes:

– Yield Estimator to capture yield estimates using a smartphone or tablet camera

– Digital Tag to get detailed information about a seed bag’s batch

– Rate Estimator to determine optimum seeding rate for maximized performance

– Vegetation Index to check on relative health of fields

 

‘Threat ID’ uses modelling technology that covers

Agro Universities, Dairy

 Dr Singh was working as Director of Animal Husbandry Department, Punjab since November 2018. 

 

Punjab’s Director of Animal Husbandry Department, Dr Inderjeet Singh has recently joined as the Vice-Chancellor of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana replacing previous Vice-Chancellor Dr AS Nanda. 

As per reports, Dr Inderjeet Singh was working as Director of Animal Husbandry Department, Punjab since November 2018. He has been working in the field of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry Sector from last three decades. He holds a Bachelors and Master’s degree in Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry from Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, and did his PhD in Animal Reproduction from University of Liverpool, UK. He got many overseas professional recognitions and assignments. He is regularly involved in various Academic, Research, Policy assignments of different Animal Husbandry Institutes and organizations at state, national level and international level. 

Previously, Dr Singh served as the Director of Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar (Haryana), for nearly five years from 2013 till November 2018. Dr Singh popularly known as ’Murrah Man’ for his research and expertise over breeding and management of Murrah buffalo which is widely reared by farmers in Punjab and Haryana.

After joining GADVASU Dr. Singh addressed the officers of the university in a meeting. He acknowledged his predecessors Sh. D.S. Bains, Dr V.K. Taneja and Dr A.S Nanda for their contribution to uplift the university to such a stature. Further, he stressed upon the collaboration and cooperation with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), State Department of Animal Husbandry and other line departments with the University to work together for the development of livestock sector in general and farmers in particular. He further said that though his focus will remain on improving academic quality, good quality of research work as well as strengthening extension activity services for the end-users.    

 

He said that in his previous positions he always got full cooperation from Government, ICAR and Farmers. He informed that we will train especially the Veterinary & other degree students of our Institute as future entrepreneurs who are not tempted towards Government jobs rather job providers.

 

He expressed that he will support the faculty and employees of the university in all manners to explore their full potential. He also desired constructive and valuable cooperation from line departments. He also gave the emphasis of COVID pandemic and work together to fight this situation and help all the stakeholders involve in the value chain of livestock, poultry and fisheries sector by suggesting them appropriate advisory and services by various means of ICT tools.

 Dr Singh was working as Director of

E-commerce, Machinery – Post-harvesting

The new series is developed to meet the evolving demands of modern farmers 

 

Mahindra’s Farm Equipment Sector, a part of the USD 20.7 billion Mahindra Group, recently introduced its new Sarpanch Plus range of tractors in Maharashtra, with the launch of the 575 Sarapanch Plus, an upgrade of its popular 575 Sarpanch. The new series offers models spanning multiple HP-points in the 30 HP (22.37kW) to 50 HP (37.28kW) category.  

The all-new Sarpanch Plus offers 2HP (1.49kW) more power, higher max torque and back-up torque, to cover more land quickly. Mahindra’s new engine technology not only delivers higher power, but best-in-class fuel efficiency, to enhance the earning potential of farmers. The model’s new styling and ergonomic design ensure pride of ownership and operator comfort. The new Sarpanch Plus series will be manufactured at Mahindra’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities across India. 

 The new Sarpanch Plus series comes with Mahindra’s industry-first, 6-year warranty and can easily be booked online on M2ALL.com for an initial payment of Rs 5000* and is available with special finance and customer schemes.

Speaking on the launch of the new Sarpanch Plus series, Hemant Sikka – President, Farm Equipment Sector, M&M Ltd. said, “As leaders in the Indian tractor market, we at Mahindra have always been at the forefront of introducing the latest technologies and the new Sarpanch Plus series is a step in that direction. The new series is developed to meet the evolving demands of modern farmers by providing extra power, higher back-up torque, modern styling and best-in-class ergonomics. The latest ELS engine technology with higher power and fuel efficiency will enable farmers to improve their productivity and drive their earnings, thus enabling them to rise”.

 

 

The new series is developed to meet

E-commerce, Start ups, Supply Chain

Otipy claims to operate at 35% gross margin and empowering communities 

Gurugram-based agritech strt up, Crofarm, has entered business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) space after four years of operations. The farm to retail agritech startup, has launched – Otipy – a community-based platform to connect consumers, resellers and farmers for bringing fresh produce to doorstep at reasonable prices. 

The new product will work on a social commerce model, where the company will deliver the products to resellers, who will handle the last-mile delivery and can earn a healthy commission. 

Crofarm has been testing the social commerce model from the past couple of months and is already serving over 50,000 consumers through a network of more than 500 reseller partners. As compared to existing social selling models for grocery and fashion, Otipy claims to operate at 35% gross margin and empowering communities – women (demand side) who can make Rs 20,000-60,000 per month. It is currently operational in Delhi NCR. 

Varun Khurana co-founder and CEO of Crofarm said, “Crofarm is targeting the large market with a broken supply chain but a scalable demand led-model. Globally, Chinese e-commerce platform Xingsheng Youxuan has championed the model while the Chilibeli is mirroring the social commerce format with a decent scale.” 

The company claims to do something meaningful and bring a fundamental change in lives of the farmers and consumers at large. Basically, Crofarm supplies fruits and vegetables to over 5000 plus retailers, which is sourced from farmers across Haryana, UP, Delhi, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. 

Crofarm has also raised a $1 million fresh financing round led by Smile Group, said Khurana. According to regulatory filings, Crofarm has raised Rs 14.5 crore since its Rs 3.8 crore bridge round in early January. In a fresh tranche, the company has raised Rs 5 crore from Bytez Ventures, Manish Vij (via Smile Group) and Wong Kok Wai.

 At the beginning of this year, Crofarm had raked in $500K from a clutch of HNIs including Vinay Mittal, former Chief of Strategy at HT Media, Ramit Sethi from Strongbox Ventures and others.

 

 

 

 

Otipy claims to operate at 35% gross

E-commerce

The company expects an increase in exports of wheat and rise, apart from fresh fruits and vegetables  

 

 

Following the recently announced reforms in agriculture such as allowing contract farming and an expected change in global purchasing power, FMCG Giant intends to launch its own export – oriented fruit and vegetable clusters. 

Other reforms such as amendment to the Essential Commodities Act will do away with existing restrictions on stocking food produce. The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Ordinance 2020 allows farmers and traders to sell and purchase through competitive alternative trading channels.

 Various locations are being identified near the port areas to create logistic infrastructure and to facilitate easy export procedure to various countries. According to S Sivakumar, Group Head – ITC’s Agri-Business and Information Technology, there is expectedly a clear demand for processed and fresh fruits and vegetables from the Middle East. 

He added that due to increased consumer awareness and insurance on food safety and hygiene in the domestic market there is bound to be a corresponding increase in investment in farms, better supply chains and competitive prices for the farmers.

ITC expects an increase in the quantum of wheat and rice exports, not just in fresh fruits and vegetables alone. The company is planning to invest in horticultural  produce like onions, tomatoes and potatoes after the amendment to the Essential Commodity Act. It will also make use of contract farming and involve farmer producer organisations (FPOs), an initiative already promoted by the government.

 

The company expects an increase in exports

Animal Health, Goat farming, North America

Fecal egg count is key to tackling parasites, avers AgriLife Research 

The Texas sheep and goat industry is facing a serious problem as parasites are affecting the farmers’ livestock. To tackle the issue, Texas A&M AgriLife Research has opened a Fecal Egg Count, FEC Laboratory on June 15. The lab will help farmers rearing sheep and goat in crucial genetic selection decisions. 

Jake Thorne, AgriLife Research sheep and goat associate, San Angelo, said that the problem can be tackled by genetic selection and identifying animals that are more resistant to barber’s pole worm. Analysing the animals fecal egg counts can help producers make better breeding decisions and reduce anthelmintic use.

Farmers can drop off the fecal samples at the centre during regular business hours or via express mail or delivery service. The analysis will be done within seven days of receipt of the sample and will cost $5 per sample. 



Fecal egg count is key to tackling

Agro chems – Pesticides, E-commerce, Start ups

RNAi manufacturing technology complements RNAissance Ag’s developing portfolio of safe and effective bio pesticides. 

TechAccel LLC, the private technology and equity Development Company in agriculture and animal health, has recently announced its subsidiary RNAissance Ag LLC has completed an asset acquisition of RNAgri Inc., a Saint Louis-based ag biotech start-up. 

RNAgri has developed a platform for the cost-effective production of RNA for use in topical RNA-interference (RNAi) products, including bio pesticides. RNAi is a technology that regulates gene expression without genetic modification.Terms of the asset acquisition were not disclosed.

RNAgri, formerly doing business as APSE Inc., was founded in 2011 and was one of 33 startups to receive a $50,000 grant from the Missouri Technology Corporation’s Innovation, Development and Entrepreneurship Advantage (IDEA) program. The company was also supported by the St. Louis Biogenerator i6 Project, which was its first and largest investor. 

“This transaction marks a win for the growing biotechnology ecosystem in Missouri,” noted Michael Helmstetter, Ph.D., founder, president and CEO of TechAccel. “With these assets, TechAccel and RNAissance Ag will further accelerate the application of RNAi technology into crop and other biopesticide applications, in addition to targets in aquaculture and animal health.”

 Since 2017, TechAccel and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center have partnered to advance a novel and proprietary pesticidal RNAi technology with broad pesticidal application. In January 2019, TechAccel founded the biopesticide startup RNAissance Ag with exclusive worldwide license to the technology. 

The primary focus of RNAissance Ag is the development of sprayable RNA pesticides, including against pests such as the Diamondback Moth. No previous RNAi product has been effective against the Diamondback Moth, which is estimated to cause more than $4 billion in crop losses annually. The RNAgri platform will add manufacturing capacity to the pesticide design and development efforts. 

RNAissance Ag will conduct multiple field trials this summer and fall on the Diamondback Moth and Fall Armyworm. The company has an expanding development pipeline targeting additional pests, and its designs also have applications as pesticidal traits in crop seeds.

With the asset acquisition, two of RNAgri’s associates have joined the RNAissance Ag team effective immediately. Anil Kumar, Ph.D., is a molecular biologist with expertise in genetics and plant breeding. Bert Berla, Ph.D., is a biochemical engineer with expertise in microbial improvement. RNAissance Ag has also completed additional investments in the RNAgri technology production infrastructure, and plans to expand facilities and staffing of the operation in St. Louis as additional projects are added.

RNAi manufacturing technology complements RNAissance Ag’s developing

Agro chems – Fertilizers, E-commerce, Finance

Industrial chemical segment accounts for nearly 7% of the annual sales reported by the company in FY20. 

Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF) registered sales of Rs100cr for its industrial chemical segment during the first two months of FY21. Industrial chemical segment accounts for nearly 7% of the annual sales reported by the company in FY20. This is the lowest contribution from the segment, as compared to the previous three fiscal years. Hence, report of Rs100 sales within just two months can be considered as a strong value addition for the current financial year. 

As per a press release on Press Information Bureau (PIB) dated–June 6, 2020, major industrial chemicals included Ammonium Nitrate (used in coal mining), Ammonium Bi-Carbonate (used food and tanneries) and Methyl Amines (used by pesticides, dyestuff and pharma).

RCF is the third largest fertilizer firm in terms of market cap. Its major segment is urea-based fertilizer but at times when economy is going ahead with slow pace, good contribution from all the business segments would certainly boost confidence of the investors. The company along with its quarterly number results also mentioned that it sees good monsoon distribution which would come handy for its growth going ahead.

Industrial chemical segment accounts for nearly 7%

E-commerce

The report focuses on  the creation of an Agri council on lines of the GST council for coordination.

 

 

 

FICCI in collaboration with Grant Thornton released a report on ‘Decoding agriculture in India amid COVID-19 crisis ’. The report was released in the webinar ‘Positive Implications of Atmanirbhar Bharat Package on Agriculture Sector’ organised by FICCI.

Rahul Kapur, Partner, Grant Thornton India LLP,  said that the agriculture sector has again demonstrated its resilience during these trying times. The government has reconfirmed its commitment to the sector by giving it timely support. Going forward, agriculture will continue to support the economy and create jobs until the rest of the sectors stabilize.

 “Provision of financing facility of INR one lakh crore for building farm gate infrastructure should be pursued in PPP model so that maximum stakeholders can leverage the opportunity,” said Mr T R Kesavan, Chairman, FICCI National Agriculture Committee & Group President, TAFE Ltd. He stressed upon the need for creation of an Agri Council in line with the GST Council for an integrated approach between the Centre, state and all concerned ministries.

Dr Ajai Kumar, Head Government and Industry Affairs-South Asia, Corteva Agriscience said, “Atmanirbhar Bharat is a progressive concept where India not only becomes self-reliant but also plays an enhanced role in the global supply chain. He added that in these testing times when global supply chains have been disrupted and are shifting, India can play a meaningful role in supplying agri-inputs to the farmers across the globe.

 Amit Mundawala, Executive Director, StarAgri Warehousing and Collateral Management Ltd said, “Atmanirbhar Bharat package has given the required impetus to the agri sector which is going to lead the sector to the next growth phase.” He congratulated the government for the three landmark ordinances that are definitely going to change the face of the agri sector in India.

 

Key highlights of FICCI–Grant Thornton report on ‘Decoding agriculture in India amid COVID-19 crisis’.

  • Creation of an Agri council on lines of the GST council to enable coordination and enforcement between centre, state and other ministries.
  • The future Agri supply chains need to have integration of market intelligence with demand estimation. To achieve this, integrating Internet of Things (IoT), geospatial mapping and cloud computing must be explored.
  • Advance data analytics and network mapping to monitor produce flow and identify gaps is necessary for information on risks in supply chain. This will also be valuable while devising suitable strategies to curb postproduction losses.
  • Larger allocation should be made in technology, farm mechanization and research and development to ensure increased productivity and improved quality at global levels. 
  • To improve the efficiency for agri -input subsidies given by the government to the farmers, all the agri-input cost should be calculated based on one hectare and farmers should be given DBT as soon as the requirement arises.
  • Government needs to develop more custom hiring centres (CHCs) to enable small and marginal farmers adopt use of machinery in farming activities at reasonable prices.
  • India should prioritize the export of value added agrifood products. A step in this direction includes promoting India’s food processing industry globally. Further, a more accommodative export policy, specifically with the export of food grains would help India secure a leading position in the global food supply chain.
  • Incentivizing research and development in the sector and introducing a fast track regulatory regime would help attract greater investments in the sector. 

The report focuses on  the creation of

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agrotech

 Dr Kurt Bock succeeds Dr Jürgen Hambrecht 

 

 

 The Supervisory Board of BASF SE has selected Dr Kurt Bock as the New Chairman of the Supervisory Board of BASF SE.  Earlier, Mr Bock had been elected to the Supervisory Board of BASF SE by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting as a shareholder representative. The term runs until the end of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting in 2024. 

Bock succeeds Dr. Jürgen Hambrecht, who, as announced by him before his election to the Supervisory Board by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on 3rd May 2019 had resigned from the Supervisory Board at the end of the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting 2020 and therefore left the Supervisory Board. 

BASF has created chemistry for a sustainable future. The combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 117,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. 

BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2019. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S.

 

 Dr Kurt Bock succeeds Dr Jürgen Hambrecht      The

Agrotech, Supply Chain

Dr Dalwai was speaking at the FICCI webinar on ‘Positive Implications of Atmanirbhar Bharat Package on Agriculture Sector’ 

Dr Ashok Dalwai, CEO, NRRA, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt of India  said that we need to build up an institutional mechanism both at the Centre and State levels to utilize the corpus of funds allocated to the agriculture sector so that a robust and integrated Agri value chain management can be created.

Speaking at the FICCI webinar on ‘Positive Implications of Atmanirbhar Bharat Package on Agriculture Sector’,  Dr Dalwai said, “Atmanirbhar Bharat symbolizes a kaleidoscope of agriculture sector interventions, comprising policy liberalization and Agri-logistics upgrade.”

Dr Dalwai also added that  The two complement each other and are set to impart an accelerated pace to the growth of agriculture sector and overall economy of India.

 “Reforms announced under Atmanirbhar Bharat is just the beginning and not the end. It will unleash an income revolution for our farmers”, said Dr Dalwai while commenting on Atmanibhar Bharat.

 Dr Dalwai said that there is a change in thought process and now we look at agriculture as a business opportunity. He also mentioned that demand forecasting and digital farming will play a big role in the days to come. 

Dr Dalwai was speaking at the FICCI

E-commerce

New Group, headquartered in Switzerland, brings together Syngenta AG, ADAMA and agricultural activities of Sinochem

 

 

Syngenta Group Co. Ltd., announced on Thursday the official launch of Syngenta Group, a new global leader in agricultural science and innovation. Under a single entity, it unites the strengths of Syngenta AG, headquartered in Switzerland, ADAMA, based in Israel, and the agricultural businesses of Sinochem, based in China. The new entity, headquartered in Switzerland, has 48,000 employees in more than 100 countries, and had sales of US$23 billion in 2019.

From its inception, Syngenta Group is the global market leader in crop protection, the global number three in seeds, the market leader in fertilizer in China and, with its Modern Agriculture Platform (MAP) Farmer Solution Centres, the leading agriculture services provider in China. It offers comprehensive agronomic solutions and digital agricultural services. With 15 key production sites the Group has strong capacity to supply farmers with the solutions they need. The Group’s mission is to deploy scientific innovations, technologies, and services to help farmers sustainably provide the world with better food, feed, fiber and fuel, while conserving resources and protecting the environment.

The new Group places a high value on ethics and integrity, seeking to create value for all its stakeholders – farmers, employees, suppliers and society. “Our sustainability as an enterprise depends on the health of the soil and the environment as a whole,” said Fyrwald. “We measure our success not just by our business performance, but by the benefits we bring to farming and the environment.”

The people of Syngenta Group are sharply aware that today’s farmers face a wide range of challenges, including climate change, soil degradation, plant diseases and the urgency to achieve greater sustainability and biodiversity. The Group’s businesses offer the tools required to address these challenges – enabling them, despite weather extremes, to grow better crops reliably and economically and to feed the world safely, sustainably and with respect for the planet. 

The Group’s approach is embodied in its Good Growth Plan, in which its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations is firmly anchored. In late June 2020, Syngenta Group will announce its new Good Growth Plan. This will be the Group’s first major initiative after its launch and will address the shifting challenges faced by farmers around the world and society’s changing expectations of agricultural technology and sustainability.

 

 

 

New Group, headquartered in Switzerland, brings together

Australia, R&D

Company receives patent approval from Australia and notice of allowance from the U.S. 

Arcadia Biosciences, Inc.® (Nasdaq: RKDA), a leader in science-based approaches to enhancing the quality and nutritional value of crops and food ingredients, announced on Thursday the Australia Patent Office has granted the company a foundational patent covering herbicide tolerance in wheat. Patent Number 2016288257 grants intellectual property protection for mutations to the wheat genome to make it herbicide tolerant. The company also received a U.S. Notice of Allowance 15/740,876 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the same technology. Australia and the United States are the first major wheat-producing countries to approve the patents, with additional patents pending in other key wheat markets. 

“This technology will serve as the foundation for future innovation in herbicide tolerance in wheat,” said Randy Shultz, Ph.D., chief technology officer at Arcadia Biosciences. “With additional research, this technology could also open the door to development of a highly efficient hybrid wheat production system, which would transform the wheat industry.” 

Arcadia is currently soliciting potential licensing partners for its herbicide tolerant wheat technology. “This technology can be an important tool in the hybrid breeding toolkit for the right wheat innovator” added Sarah Reiter, chief commercial officer at Arcadia.

 

Company receives patent approval from Australia and

Foodgrains

Resultant surge in the cultivated land area resulted in an increased yield of around 120 million tonnes.

There is much to rejoice for the India paddy farmers as this year’s monsoon has been abundant and the government has increased the buy price of the new-season crop. Keeping in view the excellent rainfall and government’s hike in price for the crop, farmers have increased the acreage of paddy cultivation. 

B.V. Krishna Rao, President of India’s Rice Exporters Association is of the view that there will be a resultant surge in the cultivated land area and an increased yield of around 120 million tonnes. Domestic rice prices could dampen, while exports will become more competitive as Thailand and Vietnam were unable to meet the export demands due to a crunch in their supplies. 

Farmers are growing rice in more acreage thanks to abundant monsoon and government’s increased buy price for new-season crop. The revised increase in price for the new-season rice is an increase by 2.9 percent and will fetch farmers a handsome remuneration. India is the world’s largest rice producer and cultivated record high of 117.94 million tonnes of rice in 2019-20.  

With the monsoon already touching down in the country’s southern and eastern parts of the rice cultivating regions, farmers have commenced with the planting of the summer-sown crop. Farmers are planting more rice after receiving a much needed fillip by way of good rainfall and a marked increase in exports, according to Nitin Gupta, VP of Olam India’s rice business.

 

 

Resultant surge in the cultivated land area