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Home2021January (Page 6)
Agrotech, Finance, Start ups, Supply Chain

 Company aims to extend post-harvest support to small and marginal farmers on storage, credit and market linkages at farm-gate. 

 Agritech start-up Ergos announced that it has received Rs 22.5 crore (USD 3 million) from the UK’’s CDC Group as the closure to its Series-A round, which constituted Rs 81 crore (USD 11 million). Earlier in March, the Ergos Series-A round of funds included Rs 35 crore (USD 4.9 million) investment from Aavishkaar Capital and Rs 23.5 crore (USD 3.1 million) from Chiratae Ventures, the company said in a statement.

“We are building Ergos primarily to extend post-harvest support to small and marginal farmers on storage, credit and market linkages at farm-gate. We are leveraging technology to empower farmers and enable them to be key decision-makers with respect to their crop produce,” Company said.

Ergos founder and CEO Kishor Jha said, “We are excited to have CDC on-board and along with the continued support from Chiratae Ventures and Aavishkaar Capital. We intend to rapidly scale our geographic footprint and remain steadfast in our desire to cater to millions of farmers directly at farm-gate over the next few years.”

CDC Group Head (South Asia Private Equity Funds) Craig Gifford also said, “Investing to support small-holder farmers and improve their livelihoods is a strong demonstration of how we use our capital at CDC”.

 Company aims to extend post-harvest support to

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Webinar

There is a need to develop varieties of isabgol sustainable in adverse weather condition with high yield productivity so that industry can get more processed products. 

APEDA in association with South Asia Biotechnology Centre and DBT-SABC Biotech Kisan Hub, Department of Biotechnology, ICAR-DMAPR, Department of Agriculture and RSAMB, Government of Rajasthan organized a “Webinar on Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), Processing and Value Addition of Isabgol (Psyllium)” for strengthening the supply chain of exporters of Isabgol products from Rajasthan.

 Dr Angamuthu), Chairman, APEDA in his inaugural address stated that Isabgol(Psyllium) is a unique product having multiple health benefit. It is very much in demand in the developed countries like the USA, Europe, Australia and China. He emphasized on development of production and export of the Psyllium products.  Dr. Om Prakash, Commissioner of Agriculture and Horticulture, Govt of Rajasthan expressed that Isabgol is a sensitive crop and gets damaged in dew or rain during harvesting period. There is a need to develop varieties of Isabgol sustainable in adverse weather condition with high yield productivity so that Industry can get more processed products. 

The program was further addressed by Dr Satyajit Roy, Director, ICAR-Directorate of Medicinal Aromatic Plants Research (DMAPR), Anand, Gujarat, Dr CD Mayee, President South Asia Biotechnology Center and DBT-SABC Biotech Kisan Hub for Western Dry Region, Dr. R. Nagaraja Reddy, Scientist, ICAR-DMAPR, Bhagirath Choudhary, DBT-SABC Biotech Kisan Hub, South Asia Biotechnology Centre, Jodhpur & Board Member, APEDA,  Jaideep Srivastava, Chief General Manager, NABARD, Jaipur.

 

The major issues emerged during the Webinar are: 

  • Requirement of organizing capacity building programs for farmers and FPOs in Rajasthan for seed production and management of Isabgol, good agronomic practices to be followed by farmers.
  • Isabgol is a sensitive crop and gets damaged in dew or rain during harvesting period. There is a need to develop varieties of isabgol sustainable in adverse weather condition with high yield productivity so that Industry can get more processed products.
  • Quality seed production, variety development for better yield and technical knowhow for farmers for protection of crops from disease.
  • Need for variety development, seed treatment, and crop protection from weed, fungicide and pesticide through seed replacement.
  • Increasing production through intercropping, GAP requirement for judicial usage of pesticide to meet international standard.
  • Need for promotion of FPO based aggregation in line with target set by Govt. of India for setting up of 10,000 FPOs in India.
  • Need of FPOs in value addition of Isabgol, hand holding, connecting with market and technical collaboration.
  • Bringing youth in setting up of food processing units, organic production and export.
  • Strategy for increasing demand of Isabgol products and their value addition.

More than 70 participants from various Central / state govt departments, DBT-SABC, NABARD, SFAC, Isabgol processors association, industries and exporters took part in the webinar.

There is a need to develop varieties

Trade

The proposed bill will boost the illegal cigarette trade in India and will severely impact the demand for homegrown tobacco

Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA), a non-profit organization representing the cause of millions of farmers and farmworkers of commercial crops across the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, etc., has appealed to PM Narendra Modi to recall the COTPA Amendment Bill as it will be a death knell for Indian FCV tobacco farmers.

The proposed Amendment Bill, 2020 will provide huge boost to the ever-growing illicit cigarette business in India and will adversely impact the legal cigarette trade. As a result, there will be a drastic drop of demand for tobacco grown by Indian farmers and they will lose their only source of livelihood. FAIFA has submitted its appeal to various concerned Ministries such as the PMO, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of Labour etc.

In the last few years, the Government has imposed harsh tobacco regulations such as increasing the size of pictorial warnings, imposing punitive taxation on Cigarettes with the tax burden more than trebling since 2012- 13, and has even withdrawn export benefits. Presently, India has become the 4th largest and fastest-growing illicit cigarette market in the world with illicit cigarettes representing 1/4th of the cigarette market.

In the last one-and-a-half-decade illicit cigarette market in India has doubled from a level of 13.5 billion sticks in 2006 to 28 billion sticks in 2019. Illegal cigarettes do not use locally grown tobaccos and hence, an increase in illegal trade impacts the livelihood of tobacco farmers in the country as demand for domestic tobaccos reduces further.

 

 

The proposed bill will boost the illegal

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Pesticides, AgroPolicy

The GST reduction will help bring three-fourth of the total farmers in India 

The Pesticides Manufacturers and Formulators Association of India (PMFAI)  has demanded that the government in the forthcoming Budget should reduce GST to 5 per cent from the current 18 per cent on pesticides in line with other farm inputs like seeds and fertilisers.

That apart, the government should increase duty drawback (export benefits) of pesticides from the present 2 per cent to 13 per cent besides increasing import duty on technical and finished pesticides to 20-30 per cent to protect the domestic agro-chemicals industry, it said in a statement.

The PMFAI also urged the government to extend a financial support and other development assistance for developing technologies for intermediates and technical grade pesticides indigenously under ’Make in India’ programme.

These were four key demands the PMFAI — which represents over 200 small, medium, and large-scale Indian pesticide manufacturers, formulators, and traders — made in a representation submitted to the Fertiliser and Chemicals Ministry, it added.

’’The GST reduction will help bring three-fourth of the total farmers in India, who are outside the ambit now, protect their crops without causing any substantial loss to the central exchequer. This will help farmers harvest crops with minimal loss and secure better returns too,” PMFAI President Pradip Dave said.

Agriculture is the only sector which has shown resilience and grown 3.5-4 per cent in the last quarter. Considering the prevailing economic scenario, it calls for special focus and support for sustainable growth of Indian agriculture, he added.

 

 

The GST reduction will help bring three-fourth

Acquaculture, AgroPolicy

Sarangi briefed about the benefits of cage farming and other developmental schemes framed by the Government of India

Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India has launched a Project on “Cage Culture Demonstration of Indian Pompano (Trachinotus mookalee)” by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, Kerala at Bahabalpur, Odisha on Jan 10, 2021. The minister laid the Foundation Stone at Bahabalpur Fishing Harbour. The project was funded by the National Fisheries Development Board, Hyderabad.

Lauding the efforts of the ICAR-CMFRI for conceiving the project, he stated that the Marine Cage Farm developed at Chandipur-Bahabalpur would become a model demonstration farm and help the farmers understand the benefits of cage fish farming.

Sarangi briefed about the benefits of cage farming and other developmental schemes framed by the Government of India under the PMMSY. He also visited the exhibition stall set-up by the ICAR-CMFRI and appreciated the Institute’s efforts in revolutionizing the marine capture fisheries and mariculture of the country.

Dr J Balaji, Joint Secretary (Marine Fisheries), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India; Shri Sagar Mehra, Joint Secretary (Inland Fisheries), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India and Dr C Suvarna, Chief Executive, National Fisheries Development Board, Hyderabad along with the other senior officials of Government of India, Government of Odisha and ICAR Institutes also participated in the event.

 

Sarangi briefed about the benefits of cage

Agro Universities, R&D

This is the 5th rust resistance gene reported from India

In a recent study done by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (ICAR-IIWBR) , Regional Station, Flowerdale, Shimla, H.P, an interesting resistance pattern of leaf rust resistance was observed while studying a local wheat collection for rust resistance.

The bread wheat, landrace Hango-2, collected in 2006 from the Himalayan area of Hango, District Kinnaur, in Himachal Pradesh, exhibited a low infection type (IT;) at the seedling stage to all Indian P. triticina pathotypes, except the pathotype 5R9-7 which produced IT 3+. Pathotype 5R9-7(16-1) does not infect bread wheat cultivars, however, is virulent on tetraploid wheat Khapli.

Genetic analysis based on Agra Local/Hango-2-derived F3 families indicated monogenic control of leaf rust resistance, and the underlying locus was temporarily named LrH2. Bulked segregant analysis using 303 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers located LrH2 in the short arm of chromosome 2D.

An additional set of 10 chromosome 2DS-specific markers showed polymorphism between the parents and these were mapped on the entire Agra Local/Hango-2 F3 population. LrH2 was flanked by markers cau96 (distally) and barc124 (proximally). The 90 K Infinium SNP array was used to identify SNP markers linked with LrH2.

This is the 5th rust resistance gene reported from India (others being Lr10, Lr48, Lr49, Lr57, and Lr58). Lr80, is being used to develop rust-resistant genetic stocks and wheat varieties. It will help in creating diversity and management of leaf rust in India.

 

This is the 5th rust resistance gene

Agrotech, North America

The newly issued patents cover two of the Company’s new feminized seed hybrid hemp varieties developed under the Company’s breeding program 

 Charlotte’s Web Holdings, Inc, the market leader in hemp CBD wellness products, has announced that Charlotte’s Web, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary, has been granted US Utility Patents for its hemp genetics by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The newly issued patents cover two of the company’s new feminized seed hybrid hemp varieties developed under the company’s breeding program; ’Kirsche’ (US Patent No. 10,888,060) and ’Lindorea’ (US Patent No. 10,888,059).  ’Lindorea’ and ’Kirsche’ are the world’s first two allowed U.S. Utility Patents reading on feminized hybrid hemp plants.

 The company now has earned a total of five U.S. hemp variety patent grants: one Plant Patent and four Utility Patents as it advances the science of hemp horticulture.

“Achieving the first patented hemp hybrids demonstrates that it is possible to improve hemp through similar methods as other agronomic crops using natural breeding techniques.  We believe that ’Kirsche’ and ’Lindorea’ are some of the hardiest botanical hemp varietals under cultivation.” said Bear Reel, Charlotte’s Web vice president of cultivation and R&D and the developer of the new varietals.

’Kirsche,’ having a naturally rich phytochemical profile and good disease resistance, has an excellent plant structure and a flower-to-stem ratio that is compatible with mechanical harvesting innovations. ’Lindorea,’ developed for the Kentucky climate, exhibits broad resistance to fungal pathogens in the North and South Appalachian regions but also in the wetter autumn climate in Ore. while delivering record breaking yields.

 “The ’Kirsche’ and ’Lindorea’ U.S. patents represent more than four years of scientific research and trials, and some of the most cutting-edge work being conducted in genetics in the hemp CBD industry today,” said Deanie Elsner, Charlotte’s Web president and CEO.

The newly issued patents cover two of

Live Stock, R&D

The Ceres Tag platform uses the unique capabilities of Globalstar to produce a small and lightweight smart ear tag

Globalstar, Inc., a leading provider of customizable Satellite IoT Solutions for customers around the world based out in the US has recently announced that it has signed a commercial agreement with Ceres Tag, to supply satellite services to the livestock industry through the world’s first and only smart ear tag for traceability provenance, biosecurity, health, animal welfare, production improvement and theft reduction.

This agreement follows Ceres Tag’s recent success in winning the SVG Ventures THRIVE Challenge and their ear tag being named as the #1 Big Breakthrough Technology for Ag Change in the Next Decade by the AgJournal of Weekend Australian.

The Ceres Tag platform uses the unique capabilities of Globalstar to produce a small and lightweight (just over one ounce) smart ear tag that attaches to the animal and automatically sends the data to the cloud via the Globalstar Satellite Network.

The Ceres Tag requires no infrastructure, no maintenance and has a battery capable of lasting the lifetime of an animal making it the lowest cost, scalable, plug and play option for ranchers to produce better performing animals at a greater profit.

The unique relationship with Globalstar enables Ceres Tag to supply an automated daily recording of animals including world exclusive capabilities on pasture feed intake, which is primary to determining feed efficiency, genetic selection and managing of greenhouse gas. Traceability, biosecurity, performance, health and welfare have never been under more scrutiny than they are now.

 

The Ceres Tag platform uses the unique

E-commerce, R&D, Seeds

It provides a strong pest and disease package and wide adaptation across moisture zones.

 To help Pacific Northwest (PNW) wheat growers navigate tricky growing conditions in their highly diverse region, Syngenta is adding a new widely adapted soft white spring wheat variety to the company’s proven portfolio of AgriPro® brand wheat. AP Coachman is available to purchase as a certified seed for the 2021 spring wheat planting season.

Home to varied climates and diverse landscapes, the PNW features a mix of growing conditions and moisture zones. From planting to harvest, wheat producers must remain vigilant and monitor changes in weather and precipitation that could bring unwanted threats from pests and disease. AP Coachman offers the flexibility needed for PNW growers, offering a strong pest and disease package and wide adaptation across moisture zones.

Trial results show AP Coachman produces very good test weight, good straw strength, and good end-use quality. This medium height and late maturity variety is also resistant to Hessian fly and features good tolerance to stripe rust.

“Planting certified seed varieties like AP Coachman is a great way to start off the year strong and ensure high-quality performance all season,” said Riley Hille, AgriPro key account lead in the Western region. “AP Coachman has undergone rigorous testing—both in the lab and in the field—to ensure it meets the needs of PNW growers, and we’re eager to see how it benefits producers across the region.”

 

It provides a strong pest and disease

E-commerce, R&D, Seeds

All three new varieties provide three-gene lepidopteran resistance

BASF has announced the addition of three new cottonseed varieties to its robust cotton portfolio. Based on input from on-farm testing through BASF Agronomic Performance Trials (APT) and other company trials, BASF will launch one new FiberMax® cotton seed variety – FM 1730GLTP — and two new dicamba-tolerant Stoneville® cotton seed varieties – ST 5091B3XF and ST 4993B3XF — for the 2021 season. 

 “We tested across the Cotton Belt, all soil types, management types and growing conditions. Of our seven experimental candidates, three of our varieties were found to bring significant value to our growers”,said Malin Westfall, Head of U.S. Cotton Business at BASF. 

Both of the new Stoneville varieties are tolerant to Liberty® herbicide, Engenia® herbicide and glyphosate herbicides. All three new varieties provide three-gene lepidopteran resistance, helping growers manage yield-robbing worms. 

The new 2021 BASF cotton seed varieties include:

FiberMax Cotton Seed

“FM 1730GLTP is a new GlyTol®/Liberty Link®/Twinlink® Plus variety that possesses excellent fiber quality and tolerance to root knot nematodes, which will improve its fit across a number of acres in the Southern High Plains,” said Kenny Melton, PhD, Western Region Agronomic Manager for BASF. “This variety performed well across the entire Southwest, performing even better in the shorter growing seasons of the Texas Panhandle.” 

Stoneville Cotton Seed

 It’s a potential high-yielder, resistant to bacterial blight and offers good storm tolerance. ST 5091B3XF: A new potential high-yield variety for growers in the Eastern Cotton Belt, South and East Texas is ST 5091B3XF, which offers a strong fiber package and a good plant type for all soils. 

“ST 4993B3XF was a strong performer across the entire Belt, especially in West Texas,” said Melton. “The bacterial blight resistance will be a welcome addition to the Stoneville portfolio in areas where that disease has been an issue.”

This new variety delivers high-yield potential for cotton producers in the Eastern US, along with South and East Texas and provides growers another Stoneville variety option along with the proven performance of ST 4990B3XF.

 

 

All three new varieties provide three-gene lepidopteran

North America

The fiscal year 2021 project list includes 29 projects funded through the NCPN

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating more than $70 million to support 383 projects under the Plant Protection Act’s Section 7721 program to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, threat mitigation, to safeguard the nursery production system and to respond to plant pest emergencies.  Universities, states, federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, nonprofits, and Tribal organizations will carry out selected projects in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. 

The fiscal year 2021 project list includes 29 projects funded through the National Clean Plant Network (NCPN). The NCPN helps our country maintain the infrastructure necessary to ensure that pathogen-free, disease-free, and pest-free certified planting materials for fruit trees, grapes, berries, citrus, hops, sweet potatoes, and roses are available to US specialty crop producers. 

In FY 2021, funded projects include, among others: 

  • Asian giant hornet research and eradication efforts: $944,116 in Washington and other states;
  • Exotic fruit fly survey and detection: $5,575,000 in Florida and California;
  • Agriculture detector dog teams: $4,287,097 to programs in California, Florida, and nationally to support detector dog teams;
  • Honey bee and pollinator health: $1,337,819 to protect honey bees, bumblebees, and other important pollinators from harmful pests;
  • Stone fruit and orchard commodities: $1,158,000 to support pest detection surveys in 10 states including New York and Pennsylvania;
  • Forest pests: $876,485 for various detection tools, control methods development, or outreach to protect forests from harmful pests in 16 states, including Arkansas, Indiana, South Carolina, and New Hampshire;
  • Solanaceous plants (including the tomato commodity): $434,000 to support surveys in 13 states including Texas, Mississippi, and South Carolina. 

USDA will use $14 million to rapidly respond to invasive pest emergencies should a pest of high economic consequence be found in the United States.

The fiscal year 2021 project list includes

AgroPolicy, Poultry

Banning poultry products due to Bird flu infection fear would add to the negative impact on the poultry industry 

 Cases of Avian Influenza have been confirmed in 10 states, as on 13 January, 2021. Further, cases of unnatural mortality of birds have been reported in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir and 4 districts of Jharkhand.

On January 12, 2021, a VC was organised under the chairmanship of Secretary, Department of Animal husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) and was attended by representatives from 17 states. Through the meeting, states were advised to efficiently manage the spread of Avian Influenza in their respective states in accordance with the Action Plan 2021. To deal with the situation the states were asked to coordinate with the department of health and forest and sensitize them about the issue.

States were also asked to maintain sufficient supply of protective equipment and maintain bio-security measures in poultry farms. States were also directed to identify BSL-II labs at the state level for speeding up the identification of infection in the state and timely introduction of control mechanism. The states were also asked to ensure that the infection does not spread among poultry, as it would have a high economic cost for the poultry farmers. It was found that many states are banning supply of poultry and poultry products from other states. As this would add to the negative impact on the poultry industry, the states were requested to reconsider such decision.

Awareness generation activities through newspaper advertisements, seminar, etc. are being conducted by several states. The states were encouraged to continue such awareness generation activities with support from their state Directorate of Information and Public Relations and were assured about availability of funds for such activities. States should issue advisories on Dos and Don’ts regarding consumption of poultry and eggs, so as to avoid spreading of rumours/ misinformation thereby leading to economic loss for the poultry farmers.

 

Banning poultry products due to Bird flu

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, Trade

APEDA along with IIMR and stakeholders is planning five years for the promotion of Millets and Millet products

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), in association with Andhra Pradesh Drought Mitigation Project (APDMP), an externally aided project funded by IFAD, recently organized a Virtual Buyer Seller Meet with Millet Exporters and FPOs of Millet for establishing marketing linkages.

Considering the potential of increasing exports of Millets and Millet products and the focus given by Government for development of Millet sector of Nutri Cereals, APEDA is closely interacting with the Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR) and other stakeholders like National Institute Nutrition, CFTRI, and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) for perspective planning of five years for promotion of Millets and Millet products. This platform has provided an opportunity to the exporters and FPOs to interact with each other for the supply and sourcing of products.

APEDA is making efforts to prepare a perspective Action Plan for increasing export of Millet and Millet Products for a period five years i.e., 2021-2026 to enable all concerned stakeholders for taking necessary action in a time-bound manner for achieving the target.

Further, efforts would be made on the identification of Organic Millet clusters, registration of FPOs and exporters of Millets at Farmer Connect Portal developed by APEDA for further interaction for buy and sell activity, and identification of new Potential International Markets for promotion of Indian Millets. 

Dr M Angamuthu Chairman APEDA, H. Arun Kumar, Commissioner Agriculture, Government of Andhra Pradesh, G Vinaichand, COO, APDMP, Senior Officers of APEDA and APDMP, FPOs and exporters of  Millet participated in the program.

APEDA along with IIMR and stakeholders is

Finance, Start ups

FMO and Triodos IM have committed EUR 5 million each in debt to Samunnati Financial Intermediation & Services Pvt Ltd.

Agritech start up Samunnati has announced that it has raised EUR 10 million (around Rs 90 crore) in debt to provide loans to farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and SME agri businesses.

 Chennai-based Samunnati said in a statement it has raised EUR 10 million from FMO–Entrepreneurial Bank as well as Triodos Fair Share Fund and Triodos Micorfinance Funds, the two financial inclusion funds managed by Triodos Investment Management (Triodos IM).

“FMO and Triodos IM have committed EUR 5 million each in debt to Samunnati Financial Intermediation & Services Pvt Ltd, a non-banking financial company (NBFC) in India, to help the company expand financing and technical assistance to low-income farmers and enterprises throughout the agricultural value chain in India,” the stated the company.

“The company plans to use the funds to make loans to FPOs and SME agri businesses that are currently underserved by the formal financial system,” company said in statement.

Anilkumar SG, Founder and CEO, Samunnati said, “Samunnati is working with FPOs on the supply side and agri Enterprises on the demand side across 19 states in India. We are delighted to partner with FMO and Triodos Bank as this will help us further offer customized financial solutions, using social and trade capital, to FPOs and SMEs, enabling the agri value chain to operate at a higher equilibrium.”

FMO and Triodos IM have committed EUR