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Agrotech, IT

10,626 entrepreneurial village-based advisors (VBAs) will be trained to reach three million farmers in Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Tanzania and Mozambique

 

AI-driven agri-tech firm CropIn has partnered with Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) to provide information and advisory services to African farmers through a digital platform to boost their productivity and income. CropIn and AGRA will select and train 10,626 entrepreneurial VBAs to reach three million farmers in Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Tanzania and Mozambique.

According to a statement issued by CropIn, AGRA works with the governments, private sector companies and other organisations to bring knowledge and extension services to farmers through the use of self-employed village-based advisors (VBAs).

The company has also announced a strategic partnership with the Nigerian-based IT solution provider, BETA Computers. BETA Computers serve a variety of clients, from small to medium-sized companies to major multinational firms and help them achieve long-term, sustainable success for varied sectors of businesses.

10,626 entrepreneurial village-based advisors (VBAs) will be

AgroPolicy, Organic, Packaging & Labelling, Trade, Transportation

The jackfruit has been processed in the APEDA assisted pack house owned by Phalada Agro Research Foundations (PARF), Bengaluru 

In a boost to exports of organic products, a consignment of 10.20 MT of value added products of organically certified gluten free jackfruit powder & retort packed jackfruit cubes were exported to Germany from Bengaluru today via sea route. The jackfruit has been processed in the APEDA assisted pack house owned by Phalada Agro Research Foundations (PARF), Bengaluru.

APEDA registered PARF represents a group of 1500 farmers with a wide coverage of around 12,000 acres farms. These farmers grow Medicinal and aromatic herbs, coconut, jackfruit, mango puree products, spices and Coffee.

PARF facilitates the certification process as per National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), European Union, National Organic Programme (the United States) standards to their small farmers groups. Processing unit of PARF has been certified by APEDA under its accredited Organic certification.

Under the NPOP, organic products are grown under a system of agriculture without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides with an environmentally and socially responsible approach. This method of farming works at grass root level preserving the reproductive and regenerative capacity of the soil, good plant nutrition, and sound soil management, produces nutritious food rich in vitality which has resistance to diseases. APEDA is currently implementing the NPOP, which involves the accreditation of certification bodies, standards for organic production, promotion of organic farming and marketing etc.

 

 

 

The jackfruit has been processed in the

Agro chems – Chemicals, Finance

Net income rose on a consolidated basis by 20.34 per cent to Rs 284.30 crore in the fourth quarter of 2020-21 fiscal from Rs 236.24 crore in the same quarter previous financial year

  Agrochemical Company Dhanuka Agritech has posted a growth of 24.71 per cent in its consolidated net profit at Rs 48.64 crore in the fourth quarter of 2020-21 fiscal on strong revenues.

Net profit stood at Rs 39 crore in the same quarter previous financial year, according to a regulatory filing. Net income rose on a consolidated basis by 20.34 per cent to Rs 284.30 crore in the fourth quarter of 2020-21 fiscal from Rs 236.24 crore in the same quarter previous financial year. Expenses remained higher at Rs 216.74 crore as against Rs 185.92 crore in the said period.

Revenue from operations increased 21 per cent to Rs 275.56 crore in Q4 FY21 over Q4 FY20. Profit before tax jumped 34.25 per cent to Rs 67.55 crore in Q4 FY21 compared with Rs 50.31 crore in Q4 FY20.

The agrochemical maker recorded a 49 per cent jump in net profit to Rs 210.56 crore for the year ended March 2021 (FY21) as against Rs 141.34 crore in the year ended March 2020 (FY20). Revenue from operations rose 23.8 per cent to Rs 1387.46 crore in FY21 over FY20.

 

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Net income rose on a consolidated basis

AgroPolicy, Dairy

The Delhi high court has urged the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to act on the plea 

 A petition filed by the National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI) says that there are many businesses who have been misbranding and mislabelling their plant-based food or beverages extracted from soya, almond, and oats etc., as milk and other dairy items such as curd, paneer, and yoghurt.

The Delhi high court has urged the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to act on a plea by the NCDFI, alleging misbranding and mislabelling of plant-based products as milk products.

Operating as the apex body of the cooperative dairy industry, NCDFI said that its members (about 17,216,000), are engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of milk and dairy products. They also include milk product giant Amul India.

The petition said as per the statutory scheme of the Food Safety Act, 2006, and its allied regulations, plant-based extracts/foods must not be classified as “milk” or any other dairy item as these do not qualify as milk, milk product or composite milk product.

A food is considered “misbranded” if it does not adhere to an expansive list of labeling requirements and norms which are focused on ensuring consumers are presented with clear and accurate product information.

Ashwin Bhadri, CEO of Equinox Labs, says, “Of course the plant-based products have their benefits but this is an issue of consumer health and protection, and product confusion has nutritional complications. Being the apex food regulatory body of India, we can rest assured that FSSAI will come up with the right measures to ensure consumer safety pertaining to these products.”

 

 

The Delhi high court has urged the

AgroPolicy, Trade, Transportation

This was the first APEDA assisted pack house for exports to European Union, which was approved in May 2021.

In a major step towards harnessing exports potential of agricultural and processed food products from north-eastern region, a shipment of 1.2 metric tonne (MT) of fresh jackfruit has been exported from Tripura to London.

Jackfruits were sourced from the Tripura based Krishi Sanyoga Agro Producer Company Ltd. The consignment was packed at the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) assisted pack-house facility of Salt Range Supply Chain Solution Ltd and exported by Kiega EXIM Pvt Ltd.

This was the first APEDA assisted pack house for exports to European Union, which was approved in May 2021. APEDA regularly carries out promotional activities to bring the North- Eastern states on the export map of India.

The virtual event to send the jackfruit shipment to London was attended by officials including Dr M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA and CK Jamatia, Secretary, Agriculture, Government of Tripura and other senior officials.

This was the first APEDA assisted pack

Agrotech, North America

The company hit a cumulative 1million acre milestone- which exceeds 100 per cent of its annual US corn supply.

The Coca-Cola Company has enrolled more than 1million acres of its US corn supply in Field to Market’s continuous improvement accelerator, supporting farmers through locally-led conservation projects across the company’s key sourcing regions. Coca-Cola’s projects in the Accelerator utilise Field to Market’s Fieldprint Platform, a pioneering sustainable agriculture platform that enables farmers and the value chain to measure the environmental impacts of commodity crop production and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

The company hit a cumulative 1million acre milestone—which exceeds 100 per cent of its annual US corn supply—at the end of 2020, with support from four primary suppliers: Tate & Lyle, Cargill, ADM, and Ingredion. Corn is used to produce high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), an ingredient in many beverages in The Coca-Cola Company’s portfolio.

Formerly known as Sustainable Agriculture Guiding Principles (SAGP), the PSA reflect the most recent science and external stakeholder perspectives and are based on environmental, social and economic criteria.

Coca-Cola is a founding member of Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, a multi-stakeholder collaborative of food and beverage companies, NGOs, commodity growers, agribusinesses and public sector partners committed to defining, measuring and advancing the sustainability of commodity crop production.

Ingredients used in the Coca-Cola Company’s beverages account for 20-25 per cent of its climate footprint (21 per cent in the US) and about 85 per cent of its water footprint. While agriculture is a source of greenhouse gas emissions, PSA-promoted practices are designed to reduce emissions and support healthy soils that ultimately will be capable of sequestering and storing carbon.

The company hit a cumulative 1million acre

Dairy, Interaction

The Krishi Vigyan Kendra organized a 5-day Virtual Training Programme on “Milk, Fruits and Vegetable Value-Addition Process” for the rural youths, farm women and FPO Members

The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Dhule, Maharashtra organised a 5-day Virtual Training Programme on “Milk, Fruits, and Vegetable Value-Addition Process” for the rural youths, farm women, and FPO Members from 19th to 23rd, May, 2021.

In his inaugural address, Dr PG Patil, Vice-Chancellor, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Maharashtra urged the trainees for focusing on value-addition in the rural areas for the upliftment of farmers and attracting the rural youths in crop husbandry and allied sectors. He stressed on adoption of diversified enterprises with proper planning and linking with market networks for achieving higher income.

Dr Lakhan Singh, Director, ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Pune, Maharashtra encouraged the participants for adopting the well-tested integrated farming system models, income-generating enterprises, organising themselves, and linking with markets to earn higher profits.

Dr Dinesh Nandre, Head, KVK, Dhule, Maharashtra outlined the scope and opportunities of processing and value-addition in the horticulture and dairy sector.

Dr Sharad Gadakh, Director of Extension Education, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Maharashtra highlighted the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dhule’s activities.

 

 

 

The Krishi Vigyan Kendra organized a 5-day

Agro Universities, Environment, Webinar

The increasing loss of biodiversity and needs of conservation through 3 A’s (Attitude, Action, and Awareness) were stressed in the webinar.

The ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Dehradun, Uttarakhand in association with the Central University of Odisha, Koraput, Odisha jointly organised a National Level Webinar on “Biodiversity and Conservation” on the occasion of the International Day for Biodiversity on May 22, 2021.

Dr M Madhu Director, ICAR-IISWC, Dehradun deliberated on the association of soil erosion, biodiversity status and soil resilience & conservation needs. The Director highlighted the Institute’s contributions towards biodiversity and resource conservation.

Prof SK Palita, Dean, School of Biodiversity & Conservation of Natural Resources, Central University of Odisha, Koraput, Odisha urged for categorical management of bio-resources in the interest of ecosystems and livelihoods of millions of people.

Dr Ashok Emani, Principal, ESG, National Investment and Infrastructure FUND (NIIF), New Delhi underlined the significance of the various ecosystems services of biodiversity that gives various goods and services like provisional (food, fibre, water), supporting (soil formation, nutrient/gas cycling), cultural (tourism, ethnic values) and regulating (climate, air quality).

The increasing loss of biodiversity and needs of conservation through 3 A’s (Attitude, Action, and Awareness) were stressed in the Webinar.

 

The increasing loss of biodiversity and needs

AgroPolicy, Transportation

Muzzafarpur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Champaran, Begusarai districts and adjoining areas of Bihar have a favourable climate for growing Shahi Litchi

Bihar’s Shahi Litchi was exported to the UK by the air route. The phytosanitary certification for exports of Shahi Litchi was issued from the newly established certification facility at Patna. The fruit is being exported by Cira Enterprises and sourced from farmers in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. The litchi is being imported by H&J Veg, London.

APEDA collaborated with the Department of Agriculture, Bihar along with other stakeholders such as farmers, exporters and importers for facilitating exports of Shahi Litchi. Senior officials including Dr M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA, N Saravana Kumar, Principal Secretary Agriculture, Bihar and others participated in the event for exports of Shai Litchi.

Because of the short shelf life of litchi, there is a need to explore exports opportunities for processed and value-added products.

Shahi Litchi was the fourth agricultural products to get GI certification from Bihar in 2018, afterJardalu mango, Katarni rice and Magahi paan. GI registration for Shahi Litchi is held with the Muzaffarpur-based Litchi Growers Association of Bihar.

Muzzafarpur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Champaran, Begusarai districts and adjoining areas of Bihar have a favourable climate for growing Shahi Litchi.

India is the second-largest producer of litchi (Litchi chin) in the world, after China. The translucent, flavoured aril or edible flesh of the litchi is popular as a table fruit in India, while in China and Japan it is preferred in dried or canned form. Bihar tops in terms of the production of litchi.

APEDA has been facilitating the Bihar government in formulating state agri-export plan which would provide a roadmap for boosting agricultural and processed food products exports from the state. After the finalisation of the state agri-export plan, the export potential of Makhana, mango, litchi and other fruits and vegetables can be harnessed.

Bihar government is making efforts in association with APEDA and other agencies for creating required infrastructures such as customs clearance facility, laboratory testing facility, pack-houses, pre-cooling facilities, which would harness and boost agricultural exports potential of the state.

Muzzafarpur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Champaran, Begusarai districts and

AgroPolicy, R&D

India and Israel are implementing the ’INDO-ISRAEL Agricultural Project Centers of Excellence’ and ’INDO-ISRAEL Villages of Excellence’.

Taking forward the ever-growing partnership in agriculture between Israel and India, the two governments have agreed to enhance their cooperation in agriculture and signed a three-year work program agreement for development in Agriculture cooperation, while affirming the ever-growing bilateral partnership and recognizing the centrality of agriculture and water sectors in the bilateral relationship.

India and Israel are implementing the ’INDO-ISRAEL Agricultural Project Centres of Excellence’ and ’INDO-ISRAEL Villages of Excellence’.

MIDH, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare, Government of India, and MASHAV – Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation – are leading Israel’s largest G2G cooperation, with 29 operational Centres of Excellence (COEs) across India in 12 States, implementing Advanced-Intensive agriculture farms with Israeli Agro-Technology tailored to local conditions.

The work program will aim to grow existing Centres of Excellence, establish new centers, increase CoE’s value chain, bring the Centres of Excellence into the self-sufficient mode, and encourage private sector companies and collaboration.

As for the ’INDO-ISRAEL Villages of Excellence’, this is a new concept aimed at creating a model ecosystem in agriculture across eight states, alongside 13 Centers of Excellence within 75 villages. The program will promote the increase of net income and better the livelihood of the individual farmer, transforming traditional farms into modern-intensive farms based on IIAP standards. A large-scale and complete value chain approach with economic sustainability, embedded with Israeli novel technologies and methodologies will be tailored to local conditions. The IIVOE program will focus on (1) Modern Agriculture infrastructure, (2) Capacity Building, (3) Market linkage.

India and Israel are implementing the ’INDO-ISRAEL

Environment, IT, Water

Dahua Technology is a world-leading video-centric smart IoT solution and service provider

 

 

To protect the environment of the Yangtze basin in China, the main part of the Yangtze River, as well as large-scale lakes and important tributaries, have just started this year a ten-year comprehensive ban on fishing, a project Dahua Technology is supporting with its digital intelligence systems.

Automatic supervision tools, like smart warnings of ship intrusion, greatly improve the efficiency of manual inspections and speed response to illegal activity in the basin. Dahua systems will monitor activity within banned areas, other fishing regions, dock landing points, and aquatic product wholesale markets. Combining this digital intelligence with enforcement on the ground allows for sufficient evidence and follow-up, as well as real-time responses which together contribute to more careful management of these critical bodies of water.

Dahua Technology uses a three-dimensional perception system of “air, land and water”, deploying AI image recognition systems to capture relevant events in real-time. This technology builds on years of Dahua experience running ecosystem protection systems along major rivers, using video IoT, artificial intelligence, and data fusion to support water area governance in irrigation systems around China that cover more than 10,000 kilometers.

Building Dahua’s Sustainability and Conservation Agenda

Dahua Technology is a world-leading video-centric smart IoT solution and service provider. An important part of their mission is to identify areas where the technology can make distinctive contributions to problem-solving in the interests of society. In the last few years, Dahua Technology has been developing and deploying systems that can advance sustainability goals,  participating in one of the most crucial human endeavors of our century.

Dahua Technology is a world-leading video-centric smart

China, Supply Chain

Farmmi plans to build on its core business of high-quality agricultural products to grow into a comprehensive service provider for the agricultural industry chain.

Farmmi, Inc., an agriculture products supplier in China, has announced the establishment of Zhejiang Farmmi Agricultural Supply Chain Co., Ltd. Leveraging more than two decades of experience in China’s agriculture industry, Farmmi plans to build on its core business of high-quality agricultural products to grow into a comprehensive service provider for the agricultural industry chain. 

The Company plans to invest in companies with storage facilities which could extend the Company’s logistics network. At present, the penetration rate of the digital economy in agriculture in China is estimated to be only 8 per cent, compared with 36 per cent for industries in China as a whole. The number of rural internet users exceeded 300 million, while the number of agricultural products sold via internet or supply chain is still small.

Agricultural products require an extensive supply chain, including storage and cold chain facilities, due to the freshness and quality control required, which presents both challenges and opportunities for the agricultural supply chain. On the other hand, recent years have witnessed the rapid expansion of agriculture e-commerce.

With the expansion of supermarkets, fresh stores, agriculture e-commerce and O2O (online to offline) platforms, the integration of online and offline retail channels presents an irreversible trend. Therefore, the Company plans to expand its presence in smaller local and larger regional storage facilities, as part of its strategy to become a comprehensive service provider for the agricultural supply chain.

 

Farmmi plans to build on its core

Environment, Nature, Organic

Innovations in plant science offer solutions that can help mitigate a number of these threats to biodiversity

In concert with the theme for this year’s International Day for Biological Development (or Biodiversity Day), We’re part of the solution, CropLife Asia and its members are commemorating the day by raising the necessity of a biologically diverse planet in ensuring our sustainable future and highlighting that plant science industry is increasing ’part of the solution’ in supporting biodiversity.

At present, climate change, deforestation and human activity pose the greatest threats to biodiversity. This is particularly concerning as richness in biodiversity is key in supporting agricultural systems and food production. Innovations in plant science offer solutions that can help mitigate a number of these threats to biodiversity.

“The goals of ensuring food security and strengthening biodiversity are not mutually exclusive, and we can’t afford to fail at either,” said Dr Siang Hee Tan, Executive Director, CropLife Asia. “With the population continuing to grow in the region and globally, food productivity in Asia has to keep up to ensure an abundant supply of safe and nutritious food. At the same time, the sustainability of our food production practices is critically important to drive biodiversity conservation and preservation. When used responsibly, plant science innovations such as biotech seeds and crop protection tools help our farmers feed the world while also supporting a healthy, biodiverse plant – but they’re only part of the larger solution needed. The plant science industry remains committed to working with all food value chain stakeholders towards protecting the rich biodiversity on which we all depend.”

The use of biotechnology and crop protection products help reduce the need to convert natural habitats into farmland. Between 1996-2018, productivity gained through biotechnology saved 231 million hectares of land from ploughing and cultivation. Forests and other natural habitats can also thrive when crop protection products such as pesticides are used to control invading plants or insects that threaten native species. Biotech crops paired with herbicides also enable conservation tillage where the soil is left undisturbed thus allowing the natural biodiversity in the soil to flourish. The combined biological activity of the billions of organisms in the soil is important to crop nutrition and soil health. The crop stubble left in the field from conservation tillage improves habitat and food sources for insects, birds, and other animals. Biotech crops also help plants use water more efficiently. In the US, genetically modified cotton has helped reduce water usage by 50 per cent over the last 20 years, leaving more water for nature.

Integrated Pest Management also known as IPM is a farming system of managing pests that are designed to be sustainable, protects biodiversity and also helps create wildlife habitats around farms.

By utilising both plant science innovations and IPM, farmers not only grow more on existing farmed land but also minimize the need to expand into more biodiverse areas, preserving these lands for the benefit of future generations.

Innovations in plant science offer solutions that

Dairy, Start ups

The young trio embarked on its entrepreneurial journey in 2019 with MoooFarm, an award-winning technology start-up for dairy farmers.

Gurugram based startup MoooFarm’s Co-founders Jitesh Arora, Abhijeet Mittal, and Aashna Singh have secured a place in the most esteemed, recently announced Forbes 30 under 30 Asia list. The young trio embarked on their entrepreneurial journey in 2019 with MoooFarm, an award-winning technology start-up for dairy farmers. MoooFarm also raised $600k USD from Dutch-based accelerator Rockstart and a Dutch-based Investment firm, Navus Ventures in 2020. 

The most used services of the app include E-dairy Mitra, MoooFarm Saba and the Cattle Trading platform. Through the E-dairy Mitra service, the farmers can connect with qualified expert veterinarians and get all their queries resolved at a minimal price. MoooFarm Saba is an online farmer community for dairy farmers where they can access knowledge content, peer support and receive tips from experts. The cattle trading platform allows farmers to sale/purchase cattle without any hassle. Farmers have access to databases of various breeds of Cows and Buffaloes and accordingly, take result-oriented decisions for increasing farm economics rather than depending on a limited area for buying or selling their cattle. 

“We had not anticipated the Forbes 30 under 30 Asia feature, it took all of us by surprise. However, more than us this is a win for our farmer partners who helped showed faith in our services and continued to avail them. Also, one of the most essential ingredient of our success is the hard-working MoooFarm team who work day in and day out to make farmers’ lives prosperous,” shares Abhijeet Mittal, Co-founder, MoooFarm.

MoooFarm’s brand values align with four Sustainable Development Goals: zero hunger, gender equality, responsible consumption, and production and climate action.

 

 

 

The young trio embarked on its entrepreneurial