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Agro chems – Fertilizers, AgroPolicy

The Government has already asked all the fertilizer companies to sell their old stocks of DAP etc. at the old prices only.  

 

 

 

Government of India is making available fertilizers, namely Urea and 22 grades of Phosphatic & Potassic (P&K) fertilizers including Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP), Muriate of Potash (MOP)& Single Superphosphate (SSP) to farmers at subsidized prices through fertilizer manufacturers/ importers. The subsidy on P&K fertilizers is being governed by NBS Scheme w.e.f 01.04.2010.

In accordance to its farmer friendly approach, the Government is committed to ensure the availability of P&K fertilizers to the farmers at affordable prices. The subsidy is released to fertilizer companies as per Nutrient based subsidy rates so that they can make available fertilizers to farmers at affordable price.

In last few months, the international prices of raw materials of DAP and other P&K fertilizers have increased sharply. Prices of finished DAP etc. in international market have also increased proportionately. Despite this sharp increase, DAP prices in India were not increased by the companies till last month. However, some companies have now increased DAP price.

Government of India is fully aware of the situation and it is being closely monitored at very high level in the Government. Government is fully sensitive to the concerns of farmers also and is already taking steps to tackle the situation so that farming community can be saved from the effects of this price rise of P&K fertilizers (including DAP).

As a first step, Government has already directed all the fertilizers companies to ensure the sufficient availability of these fertilizers in the market for farmers. Availability of fertilizers in the country is being daily monitored by the Government.

On the pricing front of DAP, the Government has already asked all the fertilizer companies to sell their old stocks of DAP etc. at the old prices only. Additionally, Government of India is also considering the subsidy rates to offset the rise in international prices of raw materials of P&K Fertilizers and DAP in order to support the farmers cause and lessen the financial burden on them. In this extraordinary crisis time of the COVID pandemic, the Government is taking all necessary steps to safeguard the interests of farmers.

The Government has already asked all the

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains

A quantity of over 353.99 LMT of Wheat has been procured in 2021-22 against the last year corresponding purchase of 268.91 LMT. 

Procurement of Wheat in ongoing RMS 2021-22 is continuing smoothly in the procuring States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir and Bihar at MSP, as was done in previous seasons, and till now (upto12.05.2021) a quantity of over 353.99 LMT of Wheat has been procured against the last year corresponding purchase of 268.91 LMT. About36.19 Lakh farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing RMS procurement operations with MSP value of Rs. 69,912.61 Crore.

On the request of Govt. of Punjab, it has been decided by the Government of India to reschedule the Wheat procurement period in Punjab from 10th April 2021 to 13th May, 2021 in place of 10th April to 31st May 2021 during RMS 2021-22, considering the fact that arrival in mandis has considerably reduced during last few days and almost all the marketable surplus has already arrived in mandis and also bearing in mind the unprecedented surge of Covid cases in Punjab in second wave. It is pertinent to mention that Punjab has surpassed last year wheat procurement of 127.14 LMT and also the current target/estimate of 130 LMT. Up to 12.3.2021, all-time record quantity of 131.14 LMT Wheat has been procured in Punjab in Central Pool.

A quantity of over 353.99 LMT of

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agrotech

Latest circumstances have left it difficult for Syngenta and Valagro to develop a reasonable path forward for a transaction.

Syngenta Crop Protection AG and Valagro have decided not to pursue their interest for SICIT Group S.p.A. (“SICIT Group”) and to abandon the intention to launch a voluntary tender offer over SICIT Group’s shares pursuant to articles 102 and 106, fourth paragraph, of the Italian Financial Act.

Syngenta and Valagro appreciate the availability of SICIT Group to consider our interest and the access to confirmatory due diligence information. Syngenta and Valagro continue to be impressed with the SICIT Group team, business and products.

Nonetheless, the latest circumstances have left it difficult for Syngenta and Valagro to develop a reasonable path forward for a transaction and, as a result, Syngenta and Valagro will not be proceeding with the proposed transaction. We, of course, continue to wish the best success for SICIT Group and all associated with SICIT Group.

Latest circumstances have left it difficult for

Agrotech

The total cotton supply for the months of October 2020 to April 2021 is estimated by the CAI at 469.37 lakh bales, which consists of the arrivals of 336.37 lakh bales, imports of 8 lakh bales 

 

 

 

 For the current marketing season 2020-21 that began on October 1, the Cotton Association of India (CAI) has estimated cotton crop at 360 lakh bales of 170 kg each (i.e. 382.50 lakh running bales of 160 kg each). CAI’s April estimate is at the same level as the previous estimate. The CAI estimated total cotton supply for the season at 496 lakh bales.

The total cotton supply for the months of October 2020 to April 2021 is estimated by the CAI at 469.37 lakh bales, which consists of the arrivals of 336.37 lakh bales, imports of 8 lakh bales, and the opening stock estimated by the CAI at 125 lakh bales at the beginning of the season.

Further, the CAI has estimated cotton consumption for the months of October 2020 to April 2021 at 190 lakh bales, while the export shipments upto April 30, 2021 are estimated at 50 lakh bales. Stock at the end of April 2021 is estimated at 229.37 lakh bales, including 95.00 lakh bales with textile mills and the remaining 134.37 lakh bales with the CCI, Maharashtra Federation and others (MNCs, traders, ginners, MCX, etc including the cotton sold but not delivered).

The CAI Crop Committee has estimated the total cotton supply till end of the cotton season 2020-21 at the same level i.e. at 496.00 lakh bales upto September 30, 2021. The total cotton supply consists of the opening stock of 125 lakh bales at the beginning of the cotton season on October 1, 2020, crop for the season estimated at 360 lakh bales and the imports estimated by the CAI at 11 lakh bales. The imports estimate for the previous cotton season 2019-20 was 15.50 lakh bales.

The domestic consumption estimated by the CAI has been reduced by 15 lakh bales to 315 lakh bales from its previous estimate of 330 lakh bales. The exports for the season have been estimated by CAI at 65 lakh bales, which are higher by 5 lakh bales than 60 lakh bales estimated previously. 

The exports estimate for the previous cotton season 2019-20 was of 50 lakh bales. The carry-over stock at the end of the cotton season 2020-21 on September 30, 2021, is estimated by the CAI at 116 lakh bales as against 107.50 lakh bales estimated for the previous cotton season 2019-20.

The total cotton supply for the months

AgroPolicy, Schemes - Govt

This will enable the transfer of more than Rs. 19,000 crores to more than 9.5 crores beneficiary farmer families. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 8th instalment of financial benefit under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme on 14th May at 11 AM via video conferencing. This will enable the transfer of more than Rs. 19,000 crores to more than 9.5 crores beneficiary farmer families. Prime Minister will also interact with farmer beneficiaries during the event. Union Agriculture Minister will also be present on the occasion.

Under the PM-KISAN scheme, a financial benefit of Rs 6000/- per year is provided to the eligible beneficiary farmer families, payable in three equal 4-monthly instalments of Rs 2000/- each. The fund is transferred directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. In this scheme, Samman Rashi of over Rs. 1.15 lakh crores has been transferred to farmer families so far.

 

 

This will enable the transfer of more

Agro chems – Fertilizers, E-commerce, Environment, Nature

Agoro Carbon will support farmers with the agronomical expertise and practical support to successfully sequester carbon in the soil and reduce emissions from the field.

 

Yara, a leading crop nutrition solutions provider, has announced the commercial launch of Agoro Carbon Alliance, a global business created for farmers to earn additional revenue from positive climate action. By adopting climate-positive practices farmers can produce Farm Carbon Credits or climate-smart certified crops and help to decarbonize food supply chains. Agoro Carbon puts farmers at the center of the solution by incentivising and enabling them to change practices and connecting them to the growing number of businesses looking for ways to achieve their climate pledges.

Agoro Carbon will support farmers with the agronomical expertise and practical support to successfully sequester carbon in the soil and reduce emissions from the field. This will in turn generate high-quality, third-party certified carbon credits and increase farmers’ income. Farmers who join Agoro Carbon can therefore generate an additional sustainability income from carbon cropping while maintaining or even increasing crop yields. Farmers can make the transition to the climate-positive practices that best fit their operation and can choose the amount of acreage to enroll in the program.

This new business integrates Yara’s global reach, local farmer relationships and nearly 115 years of proven agricultural innovation, in line with Yara’s intention to build a more sustainable and profitable food future. This will be achieved by decarbonizing the food value chain in collaboration with farmers and partners across the globe. Agoro Carbon Alliance, a new Yara business, today launches commercial operations with a 30-person strong team and multiple partnerships across four continents (Europe, Brazil, India and the USA).

Yara will host a virtual introduction event on June 8 to formally unveil details of Agoro Carbon, with additional information on how to get involved.

 

Agoro Carbon will support farmers with the

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Pesticides, Finance, Seeds

Bayer lifted sales in its agricultural business (Crop Science) by 6.4 per cent to 6.646 billion euros, with particularly strong growth in the Latin America and Asia/Pacific regions. 

 The Bayer Group had a successful start to 2021. “We’re seeing a good operational performance overall, but we were impacted by negative currency effects as expected,” said CEO Werner Baumann when the quarterly statement for the first quarter of 2021 was published. “Our Crop Science Division achieved encouraging sales growth in an improved market environment.”

Bayer lifted sales in its agricultural business (Crop Science) by 6.4 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.) to 6.646 billion euros, with particularly strong growth in the Latin America and Asia/Pacific regions. Sales at Herbicides advanced by a significant 13.3 percent – mainly as a result of volume gains in all regions and higher prices, especially for Roundup™. Business also improved substantially at Fungicides (plus 22.0 percent) and Vegetable Seeds (plus 13.9 percent). The Fungicides business benefited from volume and price increases in the Latin America region, particularly for the product Fox Xpro™. This business also expanded in Asia/Pacific as the market situation normalized following the previous year’s restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sales at Vegetable Seeds rose in all regions. The 3.4 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.) increase in sales at Soybean Seed & Traits was driven by volume gains in North America. Sales at Corn Seed & Traits remained at the level of the prior-year quarter (Fx & portfolio adj. minus 0.4 percent). This business developed positively in the Europe/Middle East/Africa region and in Latin America, partly as a result of higher prices, whereas it shrank in North America, in part due to a license expiration.

EBITDA before special items at Crop Science decreased by 6.2 percent to 2.448 billion euros, giving a margin of 36.8 percent. Positive effects from price and volume increases and the contributions from the ongoing efficiency programs did not fully offset the negative currency effects of 252 million euros.

Bayer lifted sales in its agricultural business

Agro chems – Chemicals, Finance

Company’s full year profit jumps 62% to Rs 2,872 cr.

  UPL Ltd., global provider of sustainable agriculture products and solutions, reported robust financial results for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2021 and for the full financial year 2020-21. Q4 Revenue from operations increased 15%, to Rs. 12,797 cr.  Strong margins and cost synergies has augured well for a strong EBITDA margins at 22%.

Commenting on the results, Jai Shroff, CEO – UPL Ltd., said “2020 was certainly a challenging year for each one of us, and the world as a whole. Despite being an incredibly tough year, UPL delivered growth through continuously innovating and transforming, and adapting to the constantly changing situation as best it can. Our financial performance in FY2021 has demonstrated the resilience of our model in COVID times. Despite the situation, we have delivered on our stated commitments of Revenue and EBITDA”

 Shroff further added, “UPL is focused on driving sustainable agriculture and achieving transformational growth through innovative technology, as we tap new growth markets and opportunities. We aim to lead the agri- solutions space through differentiated products, bio-solutions, digitization and collaborations across the food value chain.

During the year, the company continued to deliver on its commitment to deleverage the company’s balance sheet and reduced the Gross Debt by 5,039 cr. and Net Debt by Rs 3,140 cr. The Gross Debt and Net Debt as at 31st March 2021 was Rs 23,774 cr. and Rs 18,922 cr., respectively. We are committed to maintaining an investment grade credit rating.

Regional performance highlights for FY2021:

➢ Strong volume growth in Latin America was helped by the catch-up of a delayed season in Brazil. However, the depreciation in the Brazilian Real more than off-set the volume and price increases.

➢ North America was impacted by supply constraints

➢ Europe and India continued to maintain strong volume growth

➢ In Rest of the World, Asia had a strong growth while the AMEANZ region was flat over last year

➢ Accelerated growth of Sustainable solutions across all regions

Company’s full year profit jumps 62% to

Dairy, Finance, Live Stock

 Company also considering setting up its own feed manufacturing facilities to meet the rising demand. 

 

 

 

Fertiliser major IFFCO’’s arm IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Ltd announced that it has sold one lakh tonnes of cattle feed worth Rs 160 crore in financial year 2020-21 and is considering setting up its own plant to meet the rising demand.

IFFCO Kisan Sanchar had entered the compound cattle feed business on a pilot basis during 2019-20 financial year. It has currently partnered with third-party manufacturers. The FY21 was its first full year of operation for the cattle feed business.

IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Ltd said in a statement that it sold 1 lakh tonnes of cattle feed valued at Rs 160 crore during fiscal 2020-21.The cattle feed business now contributes about 30 per cent of its total business, the company added. IFFCO Kisan is now looking at widening its tie-up with third-party manufacturers and is also considering setting up its own feed manufacturing facilities.

IFFCO Kisan Sanchar National Sales Head Ganesh Dash said, “We already have tie-ups with seven cattle feed manufacturers. As the customers have put in lots of faith in our products, we are now looking to tie up with five more manufacturers.”

“Company is also contemplating setting up its own manufacturing plant or take plants on lease for meeting the rising demand for cattle feed. Our cattle feed is manufactured from the best of the raw materials using the highest standards of manufacturing and as per the guidelines given by the Bureau of Indian Standards,” Dash added.

The raw material is sourced directly from the farms. IFFCO Kisan said its cattle feed is prepared according to the National Dairy Development Board’’s guidelines.

“Our cattle feed maintains the right amount of urea composition. As per the standards, the urea composition in cattle feed should not be more than 1 per cent,” Dash said.

 

 

 Company also considering setting up its own

Agro chems – Fertilizers, R&D

Rising demand for sulfur fertilizer in various applications such as cereals & grains, fruits & vegetables, and advancements in the agriculture industry is fuelling the sales.

A recent report by Fact.MR suggests that global sulfur fertilizer projects a steady growth over the forecast period of 2021 and 2031. Rising demand for sulfur fertilizer in various applications such as cereals and grains, fruits and vegetables, and advancements in agriculture industry is fuelling the sales. Due to the growing need of sulfur fertilizer in agriculture industry, government funding and investment has increased over the past years. Increasing investment in research & development (R&D) activities by key players will also aid the industry growth.

With the manufacturing sector developing constantly and incorporation of advanced technology in the agriculture industry, key players are expected to gain higher profit margins over the forecast period. Increasing application of sulfur fertilizer for soil fertilization of various fruits, crops & vegetables in agriculture sector will provide growth opportunities for the leading industry players. Also, few disadvantages such as high laboratory set-up cost, and environmental side-effects due to the excess of sulfur may hamper the demand. However, growing R&D activities by manufacturers will overcome the hurdles over the coming years.

Competitive Landscape

The market is fragmented and key players in order to maintain their position a focusing on new product launches.

For instance, in July 2020, Nutrien Ltd. announced the launch of Smart Nutrition MAP+MST fertilizer that combines micronized sulfur with phosphate to give crops consistent nutrition all season long.

In March 2021, Mosaic Company announced the labeling of its two-fertilizer product, MicroEssentials and Sus-Terra fertilizer, as Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers (EEF) by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials.

 

Rising demand for sulfur fertilizer in various

AgroPolicy

During the last one year, the subsidy has been released to 357 beneficiaries while 921 new projects have been approved.

National Horticulture Board (NHB), an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has cleared a record 1278 subsidy applications for integrated development of hi-tech commercial horticulture in the country including promotion of post-harvest and cold chain infrastructure during the last year which were pending since long.

Under the leadership of Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and President of the Board Narendra Singh Tomar, the team NHB has worked in a campaign mode to complete this commendable task. Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the chairman of the Managing Committee Shri Sanjay Agarwal kept a regular watch on the progress and continuously guided the officials of NHB. Under the direct supervision of the Ministry, the NHB has also taken a lot of steps for ease of doing business by simplification of scheme guidelines, documentation and processing process of new applications. During the last one year, the subsidy has been released to 357 beneficiaries while 921 new projects have been approved.

NHB has also facilitated the convergence of its back-ended capital investment subsidy schemes with the Agri Infrastructure Fund Scheme of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to encourage farmers and entrepreneurs to take advantage of subvention of 3 per cent interest on the loan with credit guarantee coverage for a loan up to Rs 2.00 crores for setting up post-harvest and cold chain infrastructure in the horticulture sector.

With the financial support of NHB, an additional area of 2210 acres under hi-tech commercial horticulture, both in open and protected cultivation has been brought under horticulture. Also, an additional cold storage capacity of 1.15 lakh MT has been created under the Cold Storage Scheme of NHB.

 

 

During the last one year, the subsidy

Agrotech, China, Seeds

One herbicide resistant (Gt) variety has completed its final trial and is pending final approval

 Origin Agritech Ltd., an agriculture technology company, has recently announced progresses in official government trial of GMO corn hybrid varieties.

One herbicide resistant (Gt) variety has completed its final trial and is pending final approval.  Under the agricultural regulations in China, both the GMO traits and the hybrid corn varieties require government approval before the seed can be sold commercially. In general, the government hybrid variety trials take two years to completion.

In addition, five of Origin’s insect resistant and herbicide resistant (Bt/Gt) double stack GMO corn hybrid varieties have advanced to the second-year variety trials. Three more new elite Bt/Gt corn hybrids will join the first-year government variety trials next year. In total, 27 elite commercial hybrids have been converted to GMO corn hybrids in different stages of evaluation trials. Furthermore, thirteen GMO Phytase have completed the trials and are pending final approval.

Dr Gengchen Han, Origin’s Chairman, said, “We are very excited by the progresses we are making in the approval process of our hybrid corn varieties. This further shows the importance of our corn seed germplasms in bringing GMO corn to the commercial markets, which will give us production ready product lines once our GMO technology receives regulatory approval.”

 

One herbicide resistant (Gt) variety has completed

Agrotech, Finance, R&D

Mark Kahn, Managing Partner, Omnivore

Omnivore is an impact venture capital firm, based in India, which funds entrepreneurs building the future of agriculture and food systems. Omnivore pioneered agritech investing in India, backing over 30 startups since 2011, and currently manages Rs 9.35 billion (approximately $132 million) across two funds. Omnivore defines itself as a ‘financial first’ impact investor, seeking to deliver market-rate venture capital returns while impacting the lives of Indian smallholder farmers and rural communities. Every day, Omnivore portfolio companies drive agricultural prosperity and transform food systems across India, making farming more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. Recently Omnivore has invested in hyperspectral imaging startup Pixxel and has high hopes for its hyperspectral technology, which should have transformative use cases across the entire agri-value chain. Mark Kahn, Managing Partner, Omnivore shared his views with AgroSpectrum on the role of space tech startups in agriculture. Edited excerpts- 

What is the status of agritech in India? What more are we looking for in agritech by 2030?

In 2020, the pandemic forced Indian agriculture to go digital. This shift from informal and analogue systems to formal and digital ones will accelerate even further in 2021. However, with rising awareness of the risks created by climate change, we expect to see more climate-centric and sustainability-focused startups, including in the field of space tech.

Why do we need more space tech startups like Pixxel to solve issues in India’s agricultural scenario?

Technology-led interventions are necessary to enhance agricultural productivity and improve farmer incomes without further degrading the environment. Satellite imagery and remote sensing data are invaluable tools for forecasting agricultural output, regulating crop inputs, and even calculating how much carbon farmers are sequestering. Multispectral, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and hyperspectral satellites can create rich datasets, yielding deep insights to make farming more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. 

Will the use of space tech have far-reaching implications on crop yields, optimal use of scarce resources, financial inclusion, food security, and crisis management?

Insights created by space tech will help ensure that we improve the productivity and profitability of Indian agriculture. Likewise, space tech will play a critical role in timely prediction of natural calamities, droughts, and monitoring adverse environmental processes such as deforestation and desertification.  

What does the investment trajectory look like for space tech in India?

India ranks fifth on the global Climate Vulnerability Index. We are already dealing with the adverse effects of climate change in the form of rising temperatures, frequent extreme weather events, and fluctuating precipitation. Current farming practices in India are exacerbating the situation by consuming 85 per cent of our freshwater resources while accounting for 20 per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions. To combat such challenges swiftly and efficiently, agritech interventions are crucial. Space tech startups like Pixxel can identify key interventions to transform Indian agriculture while also monitoring potential risks for farmers. The coming years will definitely see more investments in this versatile technology.  

With rapid advancement of this technology what could be the potential business models that will benefit Indian farmers, majority of whom are smallholders?

While most farmers, except the very largest, will not be direct users of the space tech services, nodal institutions such as FPO’s, cooperative societies, farmer platforms, agribusinesses, and government organizations will play an important role in information dissemination. They can purchase imagery and data, sharing the same with their farmer customers.  

                                                                                                               Dipti Barve

                                                                                                         dipti.barve@mmactiv.com

 

Mark Kahn, Managing Partner, OmnivoreOmnivore is

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agrotech

Mehta is designated as Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Company, for a further period of five years with effect from 9th May, 2021.

 

The Board of Directors of Deepak Nitrite Ltd at their meeting held on 5th May, 2021, subject to the approval of the members of the Company, have approved the re-appointment of Maulik D. Mehta as a whole Time Director, designated as Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Company, for a further period of five (5) years with effect from 9th May, 2021.

 Maulik D. Mehta is a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Liverpool, UK. He holds a Masters in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, USA. Further, he is part of Harvard Business School’s prestigious Owner & President Management Program. Shri Maulik Mehta has held important positions in the Company and has been on the Board as Whole-time Director of the Company since 9th May, 2016. He has around 13 years of experience in the areas of Business Development and has been responsible for the day-to-day business of all the verticals of the Company along with Group Strategy.

Mehta is designated as Executive Director &