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R&D

The use of weed killers can increase the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in soil.

A new study by the University of York has shown that the use of weed killers can increase the prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in soil. 

Scientists from China and the UK studied the effect of three widely used herbicides called glyphosate, glufosinate and dicamba on soil bacterial communities.

Using soil microcosms, researchers discovered that herbicides increased the relative abundance of bacterial species that carried antibiotic resistance genes. This was because mutations that improved growth in the presence of herbicides also increased bacterial tolerance to antibiotics. Herbicide exposure also led to more frequent movement of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria.

Similar patterns were found in agricultural fields across 11 Chinese provinces where herbicide application history, and the levels of herbicide residues in soils, were linked to increased levels of antibiotic resistance genes.

Dr Ville Friman from the Department of Biology said: “Our results suggest that the use of herbicides could indirectly drive antibiotic resistance evolution in agricultural soil microbiomes, which are repeatedly exposed to herbicides during weed control.”

The study concluded that the effects of these herbicide concentrations on microbial communities should be re-evaluated to fully understand the associated risks for the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes.

The use of weed killers can increase

Agrotech, Finance, Start ups

The card will enable farmers to access a larger market to obtain their farm inputs.

 Unnati, a tech-driven agri input and agri produce selling start-up, has launched a first-of-its-kind digitally integrated card linked to its platform and includes the purchase of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. Co-branded with Paytm Bank, the card will also enable farmers to access a larger market to obtain their farm inputs.

The newly launched card will help farmers boost their net income through both reductions of seed fertilizer cost and enabling them to get better rates for the sale of farm output produced. Apart from this, the card will also allow farmers to get real-time updates in every aspect including the pay-outs to avail better credit rates flexibly and seamlessly.

Priced at Rs 250 that farmers need to pay as an upfront, one-time charge as mandated by the RBI, the card will enable farmers to utilize the other services free of cost. Farmers will also be able to recoup this within the first 2 months of issuing the card in terms of the benefits they receive. The card will drive a saving behaviour amongst farmers, help them make informed decisions for enhanced farming methods, and yield outputs that are better in quality and quantity. This will prevent farmers from falling into debt traps and facilitate better agriculture in the country.

 Ashok Prasad, Co-founder of Unnati said, “ We are proud to announce that Unnati is the first agri-tech startup to launch this kind of product as no other brand has launched anything that is so tightly integrated into a digital platform that also enables transactions yet. Our newly launched cards are aimed at enabling farmers to avail top-quality products, improve their marketplace access, and boost their overall income. We will be introducing more such products soon.”

Currently present in 4 states, the up-and-coming agri-tech platform plans to scale its operations to all major states across the country and reach 1 million farmers through its services by the end of this year.

The card will enable farmers to access

Agrotech, Seeds

In total, five genebanks sent almost 6 500 accessions for the February deposit at Svalbard Global Seed Vault 

 FAO’s International Year of Fruits and Vegetables is being recognized all around the globe—including at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. As NordGen staff went to the Seed Vault for the first time this year, seeds from watermelon, strawberry and pumpkin were safeguarded for the future. NordGen also carried in seeds from several other species from gene banks in Africa, Europe and South Asia.

Strawberries and watermelons may not come to mind when picturing the frozen, barren landscape surrounding the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, but this week, seeds from both those fruits were deposited in the Seed Vault for long-term safekeeping.

 As the first seed chamber is full, NordGen is now carrying seeds into the second chamber of the Seed Vault.In total, five genebanks sent almost 6 500 accessions for the February deposit at Svalbard Global Seed Vault; Africa Rice in Côte d’Ivoire, ICRISAT in India, Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) in Germany, SADC Plant Genetic Resources Centre in Zambia and the national gene bank in Mali. The Seed Vault safeguards over one million seed samples in total, deposited by almost 90 genebanks over the past 13 years.a

“We want to use a range of methods to ensure we properly conserve the genes of these valuable fruits.The institute completed its second deposit in the Seed Vault this week, safeguarding seeds of wild strawberry.Step by step, we will add to our genebank’s collection in the Seed Vault. So far, we have only a few samples stored there, whereas other genebanks store thousands”, said Monika Höfer, the manager of the JKI’s Institute for Breeding Research on Fruit Crops.

 This deposit also marked a notable first: NordGen Seed Vault Coordinator Åsmund Asdal will put JKI’s seeds into the same box as last year’s deposit to save space for future shipments. This is now possible thanks to an update to the Seed Portal, the database system managed by NordGen which is containing information about the seeds in the Seed Vault and at which shelf they’re stored.

 

In total, five genebanks sent almost 6

AgroPolicy

About 93.93 Lac farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing KMS procurement Operations

With the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21, Government continues to procure Kharif 2020-21 crops at MSP from farmers as per existing MSP Schemes, as was done in previous seasons.

About 93.93 Lac farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing KMS procurement Operations with MSP value of Rs 1,22,922.58 Crore. Further, based on the proposal from the States, approval was accorded for procurement of 51.92 LMT of Pulse and Oilseeds of Kharif Marketing Season 2020 for the States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh under Price Support Scheme (PSS).

The sanction for procurement of 1.23 LMT of Copra (the perennial crop) for the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala was also given. Further, based on the concerned State Govt. proposals, the sanction for procurement of 26.69 LMT of Pulse and Oilseeds of Rabi Marketing Season 2020-2021 for the States of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, was also given.

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 upto 19.02.2021. At present, in respect of Copra and Urad, rates are ruling above MSP in most of the major producing States. The respective State/UTs Governments are making necessary arrangements for the commencement of procurement from the date as decided by the respective States based on the arrivals of Pulses and Oilseeds.

About 93.93 Lac farmers have already been

Agrotech, E-commerce, North America, Organic

30,000 sq. ft. cultivation facility expected to supply over 150 locations across Washington State 

 Agrify Corporation a developer of highly advanced and proprietary precision hardware and software grow solutions for the indoor agriculture marketplace, has announced it has entered into a binding letter of intent, which sets forth the principal terms of a contract currently being negotiated with Hannah Industries, a leading Tier 2 producer and distributor of cannabis in Washington State, for the design and build-out of an approximately 30,000 square foot facility. The contract will include facility build-out services in total of $3 million and annual SaaS revenue of approximately $285,000. Such payments will be financed by Agrify, are to be made monthly over a two-year period commencing upon the first successful harvest, and will reflect an APR of 25%. The agreement for this design and build-out will be in addition to the previously purchased 179 Vertical Farming Units (“VFUs”) and is part of Agrify’s turnkey solution to its customers. The work is expected to be completed by early Q4 2021, subject to entry into a definitive agreement. 

“We are especially proud to be selected by Hannah Industries, a leading producer and distributor in the State of Washington. Their decision to upgrade from the traditional grow methodology to Agrify’s integrated vertical farming solution is the strongest testimony of our joint belief that Agrify’s solution will help Hannah Industries to produce the highest quality cannabis flowers consistently. We’re thrilled to have been chosen again by Hannah for the facility design, construction, and installation of our proprietary and advanced grow solutions,” said Raymond Chang, Chief Executive Officer of Agrify.

 Jason Whitney, Chief Executive Officer of Hannah said, “The Agrify grow system and software allow us to have an extremely high level of control over the growth, helping us meet our customers’ needs. In addition, the information Agrify Insights software provides will allow our team to make real-time decisions on supply chain management based on feedback from our customers.”

30,000 sq. ft. cultivation facility expected to

AgroPolicy, R&D

The permission allows drone deployment for remote sensing data collection in agricultural areas of 100 districts of the country under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). 

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted conditional exemption for Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) usage to the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoAFW), Government of India. The permission allows drone deployment by the MoAFW for remote sensing data collection in agricultural areas of 100 districts of the country, for Gram Panchayat level yield estimation, under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

The exemption shall be valid from the one year from the date of issue of the permission letter or until the operationalisation of the Digital Sky Platform, whichever is earlier. However, this exemption shall be valid only if all conditions and limitations are strictly adhered to. In case of violation of any condition, this exemption shall become null & void and action may be initiated as per Para 18 of the above mentioned CAR.

The conditional exemption will be valid for one year from the date of issue of the permission letter or until the operationalisation of the Digital Sky Platform, whichever is earlier, the statement by the civil aviation ministry said.

This exemption shall be valid only if all conditions and limitations are strictly adhered to, it said.

While conditional exemption has been given to MoAFW, it still needs to obtain necessary clearances from the local administration, the defence ministry, home ministry, Indian Air Force and Airports Authority of India, the statement added.

 

 

 

 

The permission allows drone deployment for remote

AgroPolicy

Production of both wheat and paddy is higher than the annual requirement of foodgrains of Gujarat State under NFSA

Secretary (Food), Department of Food & Public Distribution, Government of India Sudhanshu Pandey, reviewed the NFSA implementation and other allied matters with State Government of Gujarat at Gandhinagar.

He expressed that there is the possibility of including more beneficiaries under coverage of NFSA to which State Govt informed that 30 lakh beneficiaries have been added in recent past and they are in process of identifying more beneficiaries through convergence with other central programs like National Social Assistance program, etc.

Production of both wheat and paddy is higher than annual requirement of foodgrains of Gujarat State under NFSA.  It was emphasized that State Government should target procuring to the extent of annual requirement which would not only benefit local farmers but also save the transportation cost which is incurred in bringing food grains from other States.

Secretary (Food) informed that Automatic Grain dispensing machines being tested in 5 cities on pilot basis that enable beneficiaries to obtain subsidized food grains without having to visit FPS to provide freedom to the beneficiaries. State Govt of Gujarat also expressed its willingness to install such machine in Ahmedabad city on trial basis.

Plan of Government of India to modernize storage capacity was also discussed. It was informed that Steel Silos of 100 LMT would be created for storage of wheat. As availability of land for creation of silo is major challenge, it was stressed that State Governments should explore the possibility of providing spare land for creation of storage infrastructure.

 

Production of both wheat and paddy is

IT, Warehousing

Currently, SLCM is conducting trials for wheat and Chana. It intends to cover rice, guar, moong, tur and other pulses.

 Sohan Lal Commodity Management Pvt Ltd (SLCM), a post-harvest crop management solutions provider in India has developed an AI-based mobile app to provide a quality assessment of a crop within a minute with up to 90 per cent accuracy. 

The app aims at improving the fidelity of commodity quality checks and bringing transparency by reducing turnaround time for quality check. The app will be based on Machine Learning with Python. Once the image of the crop is uploaded on the app, the system will read the image and create a database based on the physical parameters such as height, length, grid, colour, specific pattern.

While explaining the use of the AI-based app, Sandeep Sabharwal, CEO, SLCM Group said, “In the AI-based mobile app, the trader or farmer would just need to scan the seeds through SLCM mobile app. It can check multiple quality parameters for a variety of agri produces within a minute with 85-90 per cent accuracy as compared with lab test. It compares with pre-fed data in our back-end system, which also keeps updating itself with machine learning. This is the on-ground utilisation of the technology for agri trade.” 

Sabharwal also added that with the recent advancement in AI and Machine learning technologies, SLCM does foresee business cases to reduce TAT (Turnaround Time) in doing quality checks – then and there at “Mandis” or warehouse using our AI-enabled mobile app instead of sampling and sending it to distant labs. On predefined quality parameters we want to achieve the same level of accuracy as in our current lab-based reports. Such type of accuracy will nudge further business decisions almost in run time.  Accuracy is going to be a feature that keeps on going better as the machine learning model of the app keeps maturing with the training dataset. Improve the fidelity of commodity quality checks – transparency will be enforced by linking the quality check process with our AI-enabled mobile app.”

 

 

 

 

Currently, SLCM is conducting trials for wheat

Agro chems – Chemicals, Organic, Supply Chain

The main aim of the company is to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in our farming system

Planet Organic India, an organic food brand has announced the launch of their e-commerce portal ’planetorganic.org.in’ . The main aim of the company is to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in our farming system. Planet Organic India promotes a healthy lifestyle with the introduction of organic food at economical rates for the customers. 

Planet Organic India provides a wide range of FSSAI and ECOCERT certified Organic kitchen essentials such as organic rice, flours, edible oils, spices, dry fruits, pulses, etc. The most unique feature of theirs is the Organic Kitchen which comes in 3 different forms: Organic Kitchen Basic, Organic Kitchen Premium, and Organic Kitchen Premium+. Their service facilitates you with a list of monthly kitchen essentials- spices, edible oils, pulses, rice, flour etc to support you with your daily needs with the guarantee of chemical-free organic products.

Planet Organic Kitchen is a subscription-based service that can be customized according to your monthly needs. The company has a free home delivery service keeping the best interest of its customers in mind. 

The company aims to provide the people of Delhi-NCR a nutritious life by doorstep delivery of 100% Organic certified products. In addition, the company is committed to improving the farmer’s income by providing them deserving rates to their organic produce.

 

The main aim of the company is

World

CARE and Cargill have been working together in Ghana since 2008

CARE and Cargill have recently released a report titled “A Decade of Impact in Cocoa Communities: More than Ten Years of the CARE-Cargill Partnership”. The report details the CARE-Cargill partnership successes and learnings in supporting cocoa sustainability and building better lives for cocoa farmers and their families in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.

CARE and Cargill have been working together in Ghana since 2008 and in Côte d’Ivoire since 2010 to combat the many challenges facing the cocoa sector. Through this partnership, CARE and Cargill have made a tangible positive difference for Ivorian and Ghanaian cocoa communities in a number of critical areas:

Well-governed communities: CARE and Cargill help communities develop action plans to mobilize funds and address pressing needs. To date, CARE and Cargill have supported the establishment of 275 community action plans.

Child labor prevention: CARE and Cargill have focused on preventive measures such as improved access to education for children.

Building production capacity and diversifying income: Through the Cargill Cocoa Promise, Cargill is working with 132,000 smallholder cocoa farmers to support their business development in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.

Women’s empowerment: In Ghana, CARE and Cargill’s support has created profound change for women.

Improving access to finance: Access to savings, loans, and other sources of credit is a core component to fostering prosperous and resilient communities.

Ensuring food security and nutrition for families: Over the last decade, CARE and Cargill worked with communities to promote healthy nutrition practices through training and demonstration, while ensuring food security through strengthening farmer livelihoods.

CARE and Cargill have been working together

Agrotech

It will also help address pressing global challenges, like climate change, land degradation & environmental threats

EOS Data Analytics (EOSDA), a satellite imagery analytics provider, recently announced plans to launch seven optical EOS SAT satellites into an LEO (Low Earth orbit) by the year 2024. By launching its own satellite imaging constellation, the company aims to establish a full satellite data production vertical – from direct imagery collection to processing, analysis and delivery.

One of the key objectives of the new satellite constellation will be monitoring farmlands, making this project the first of its kind oriented towards agriculture. With these new satellites, EOS Data Analytics will increase the accessibility and accuracy of its satellite monitoring features. It will also help address pressing global challenges, such as climate change, land degradation, environmental threats, and more.

The EOS SAT satellites will feature 1.4 m panchromatic and 2.8 m multispectral Ground Sample Distance (resolution), 11 band channels, and a swath width of up to 40 km. The unique set of band channels utilized will precisely reflect agricultural needs. The constellation will also allow for a 3-day revisit time all around the globe. Each satellite is designed for a five-year work span.

The EOSDA farming platform includes features such as crop health monitoring, crop classification, growth comparison, soil moisture estimation and weather prediction. It also offers:

  • Near-real-time data with five to seven more frequent satellite fly-over times per week;
  • Image resolutions two to eight times higher than commonly used for agri monitoring satellites;
  • Proprietary data for in-house agriculture models to increase processing speed;
  • Exclusive image rights for specific areas.

It will also help address pressing global

Foodgrains, Middle East countries

The FarmLink rice team will also display its manufacturing capability in the heart of India’s famed basmati region of Haryana and Punjab. 

FarmLink Basmati, the flagship basmati rice brand of Desai AgriFoods, an India-based food producer and exporter, will showcase its finest quality aromatic basmati rice, along with other rice products at Gulfood 2021, the world’s largest annual food & beverage trade show organized in Dubai, UAE.

The five-day event will be held from February 21 – 25, 2021 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The event draws thousands of visitors annually, including entrepreneurs, traders, exporters, and business-owners from major emerging economies across Middle East, Asia, Europe and Africa.

The FarmLink rice team will also display its manufacturing capability in the heart of India’s famed basmati region of Haryana and Punjab. The company has recently started operating its rice mill in the region, with integrated value chain from paddy procurement and processing at its 24-acre, state-of-the-art, 100 per cent automated milling facility with a 10 TPH Buhler mill.

Visitors to the booth will be able to feel the grains and experience the branding and packaging quality first-hand, with rice packaged across several different weight categories being displayed. The FarmLink team also expects excitement from visitors about the brand’s foray into the eastern European market, having recently launched a fully integrated basmati value chain in Iran and Turkey.

Another key attraction at the booth will be the interactive session held by FarmLink representatives, where key stakeholders will be taken through the three-layered quality testing journey made by every rice grain in the integrated supply chain.

 Marco Klinge, CEO of Desai AgriFoods, the company behind the FarmLink rice brand said, “Indian basmati rice is one of the most preferred rice variants globally. Our strong footprint in India and other growing rice hubs, with robust supply chain and complete traceability of our products to farm level, give us an edge over the competition when it comes to consistent, reliable supply of high-quality rice. With ever-increasing demand for premium quality rice in Asia, Middle East and Europe, we are sure Gulfood 2021 is the best platform for us to reach out to our target customer base and help us extend our product offerings to new territories.”

 

The FarmLink rice team will also display

Foodgrains

The Healthcare group has already procured 4000 kgs of millets and will procure another 1000 kgs every month to support women farmers of Sangareddy District in Telangana. 

As a pioneer in sustainability and preventive healthcare, the Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, initiated the use of millets in collaboration with over 5000 women farmers working with Deccan Development Society. The Healthcare group has already procured 4000 kgs of millets and will procure another 1000 kgs every month to support women farmers of Sangareddy District in Telangana.

The usage of millets will become an eminent feature in the Apollo Hospitals Hyderabad’s dining areas and menus. As Doctors begin to enjoy the health benefits of millets, food habits can slowly create a shift towards healthier eating patterns for society as a whole.

Vice Chairman CSR for Apollo Hospitals Group, Upasana Konidela states that, “Our aim is to enrich the lifestyle of the women farmers with good health, wealth & strength through education and skills training. It’s time for us to care for our water table, eat & procure local to live a healthier life.”

Rice and wheat have been holding a major place in our households and economy. While they are satiating, a significant percentage of people continue to face and increase in lifestyle diseases with their over consumption.

 

The Healthcare group has already procured 4000

Dairy

2500th HAP daily outlet opened in Sattenapalle, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh

India’s leading private sector dairy company, Hatsun Agro Product Ltd. (HAP) has become India’s largest retail network with 3600 outlets present across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry, Kerala, Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Orissa.

HAP inaugurated its 2500th HAP Daily outlet for milk and curd distribution in Sattenapalle Town, Guntur District, AP and 151st Ibaco outlet in Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh. This together with 949 outlets of HAP Daily (Icecream retail and distribution) and Oyalo makes Hatsun Agro Product the owner of the largest retail brand network in India with more than 3600 franchisee-run outlets.

HAP’s strongly believes in customer experience and lays great emphasis in achieving them through their retail stores. HAP’s leading retail brands include HAP Daily, Ibaco and Oyalo. Ibaco is a premium chain of icecream outlet that enables customers create their own ice cream sundaes whereas HAP Daily is the retail concept of Hatsun Agro Product Ltd that offers milk, milk products, and icecreams at the convenience of the customers. HAP Daily is known for their range of high-quality milk products trusted by millions.

HAP dairy products are seeing good demand and growth with the consumer’s trust in the quality of our product portfolio. HAP’s retail strategy is in line with Hatsun Agro Product Ltd’s growth strategy and its vision of taking high-quality dairy products closer to the masses.

 

 

2500th HAP daily outlet opened in Sattenapalle,