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The proposed combination envisages acquisition of Zuarinagar, Goa plant of Zuari Agro Chemicals Limited (ZACL) by Paradeep Phosphates Limited (PPL) 

 The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves acquisition of the Zuarinagar plant of Zuari Agro Chemicals Limited by Paradeep Phosphates Limited.

The proposed combination envisages acquisition of Zuarinagar, Goa plant of Zuari Agro Chemicals Limited (ZACL) by Paradeep Phosphates Limited (PPL). As a result of the acquisition, PPL shall acquire business of developing and manufacturing urea and non-urea fertiliser products presently being carried out by ZACL at the Zuarinagar, Goa Plant.

PPL, part of the Adventz Group, is engaged mainly in the manufacture and sale of non-Urea fertilizers, namely, di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and NPK fertilizers. It also imports and sells Muriate of Potash (MoP).

ZACL, a public listed company, is also a part of the Adventz Group. It is primarily engaged in the development and manufacturing of fertilizers in India. It has manufacturing facilities at Zuarinagar, Goa where it produces Urea and non-Urea fertilizers.

The proposed combination envisages acquisition of Zuarinagar,

Phytosanitary certificate is not required for consignments of onion bulbs for consumption, pomegranate fruits and pomegranate’s arils, however, required for potatoes

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has recently issued an advisory regarding the permission of market access for the export of potato, onion, pomegranates, fruits and pomegranate arils from India to Serbia. The advisory mentions that a phytosanitary certificate is not required to accompany the consignment of onion bulbs for consumption, pomegranate fruits and pomegranate’s arils originating in India.

For the import of ware potato, the Phytosanitary Certificate is required. There are also specific phytosanitary requirements for potato consignments that must be met and should be mentioned on the Phytosanitary Certificate as Additional Declaration (Under process).

Phytosanitary certificate is not required for consignments

The business unit will house UPL’s comprehensive portfolio of natural and biologically derived agricultural inputs and technologies

UPL, a leader in sustainable agriculture products and solutions, has launched ‘NPP’ – Natural Plant Protection – a new global business unit housing UPL’s comprehensive portfolio of natural and biologically derived agricultural inputs and technologies.

NPP will act as a stand-alone brand, consolidating UPL’s existing bio solutions portfolio, network of R&D laboratories and facilities worldwide, which currently accounts for 7 per cent of UPL’s total revenues.

NPP’s global offering will continue to benefit from UPL’s extensive global distribution footprint, drawing on innovation, research and development capabilities, and will be supported by UPL’s unique, proven ability to rapidly bring products to market on a global scale.

NPP’s portfolio will play a vital role in addressing farmers’ pain points – including abiotic stress, soil health, residues, and resistance management – in developed and developing agricultural markets alike. One of NPP’s greatest strengths will be the company’s ability to cross-pollinate innovation across regions, understanding and learning from the needs of one market to increase the speed and depth of penetration into another market. NPP will be agile in adding products and platforms to its portfolio, creating global partnerships and training programmes, contributing to environmental sustainability, farmer resilience, and improving food value chains worldwide.

 

The business unit will house UPL’s comprehensive

Discussions were held on the balanced use of fertilisers for sustainable soil health management

The ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Dehradun, Uttarakhand and the Department of Agriculture, Uttarakhand jointly organised a virtual programme Virtual Kisan Goshthi on ’Balanced Use of Fertilizers for Sustainable Soil Health Management’ on June 18, 2021.

Around 225 farmers from Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh along with the senior officials of ICAR Institutes and State Agricultural Department, Uttarakhand virtually participated in the programme.

The Chief Guest, Subodh Uniyal, Minister of Agriculture, Government of Uttarakhand urged the farmers to the diversification of agriculture and adopting allied sectors for doubling their income.

Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) and Dr Suresh Kumar Chaudhari, Deputy Director General (Natural Resource Management), ICAR highlighted the importance of balanced Use of fertilisers for sustainable soil health management.

Dr M Madhu, Director, ICAR outlined the arising soil and water degradation problems in the country due to imbalanced fertilisation. He urged the farmers to adopt the integrated nutrient management approach where soil test-based fertilisers are judiciously used in combination with the available organic manures, bio-fertilizers and other sources of nutrients.


Discussions were held on the balanced use

The goals of developed and developing nations to increase food production by 70 per cent by 2050 can drive the market demand significantly

According to a comprehensive research report by Market Research Future (MRFR), ’Agriculture Equipment Market Research Report, Type, Service, Technology End User and Region – Forecast till 2027,’ the global market is expected to reach around $172 Billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.2 per cent over the assessment period.

 

The goals of developed and developing nations to increase food production by 70 per cent by 2050 can drive the market demand significantly. The introduction of subsidies to farmers and loan schemes for adapting modern methods can bode well for the market. Farm mechanisation refers to the use of modern vehicles for irrigation and harvesting crops that can favour the market. This can increase the output while keeping labour costs low. Government efforts to bring in farmers to the industrial fold by assuring timely assistance with fertilizers, crop seeds, and the right prices for their crops can influence farmers greatly. This is exemplified by the release of funds to states byequipment the central government of India through its Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation scheme for the establishment of farm machinery banks, distribution centres for machines, and custom hiring centres.

 

The prominent players of the global agriculture equipment market profiled are- Escorts, CLAAS, Daedong Industrial, Kubota Corporation, Mahindra & Mahindra, Iseki & Co, CNH Industrial NV, JC Bamford Excavators, Deere & Company and AGCO Corp.

 

New product launches and initiatives are taken by equipment manufacturers to create public awareness and sell their products are prime strategies of market players. Partnerships and collaborations to improve existing technologies can also be witnessed during the forecast period.

 

The COVID-19 outbreak has affected the supply chain of agriculture equipment which has in some extent foiled the plans of procurement of additional arable land for cultivation. The focus of companies for producing crops locally and sell to farm outlets is expected to drive the market demand significantly. New farm laws enabling companies to tie up with large farmers to gain stocks of viable crops in respect to customer demand may be suitable to the market. This is evident by the establishment of centres housing fresh farm produce.

 

The introduction of smart equipment capable of providing accurate metrics on soil quality and other parameters vital for a good harvest can disrupt the agriculture equipment market. This is exemplified by Caterpillar launching skid-steer loaders with room for attachment for other equipment for multi-tasking purposes. The tools in the machine can recognize new equipment and assign controls accordingly.

 

Farm monitoring platforms have gained prominence with the evolution of the Internet of things and the use of data for improving farming practices. Recently, FarmMicro has launched a farm control monitoring system, SmartFarm, for allowing farmers overall control of their equipment. Examples of applications are livestock monitoring and control of irrigation gates, rain gauges, and farm gates. The company has even partnered with John Deere to provide real-time data for proving insights into operations.

 

By product type, tractors are expected to capture a large demand share of the agriculture equipment market due to demand for self-driving tractors and low-weight tractors. Huge demand for cash crops and an increasing rate of mechanization in farm practices can drive the segment demand over the forecast period. On the other hand, harvesters can attain a huge market share owing to efforts by farmers to limit their dependency on labour and increase profits.

 

By function, the ploughing and cultivation segment is bound to maintain its dominance owing to the need for maintaining high productivity and improvement in soil fertility levels.

 

By sales channel, the aftermarket channel can record a strong growth rate owing to the establishment of various centres and stores dedicated to the repair of agriculture equipment. The large dependence on agriculture by a sizeable populace in countries of Argentina, Brazil, China, and India can augur favourably for the segment in the forthcoming years.

 

APAC is touted to lead the global market owing to increased demand for food by the large population residing in China and India coupled with the need for sustainable practices. Government support for enabling modern equipment for resident farmers and rising export of cereals from the region can bolster market demand. Indonesia has also vouched for local production of farm equipment with the government setting aside a fund for increasing yields and investing in rice science. Huge demand for tractors and investments to reduce harvest losses can drive the market.

North America has assumed the second position in the agriculture equipment market owing to the huge demand for tractors. Used farm equipment is another niche segment sprouting in the region owing to assurance on these products given by certified preowned programs. In addition, leasing of equipment to farmers in Canada and the U.S. may also bolster market revenues.

 

Western Equipment Dealers Association (WEDA) has selected Cambridge Global Payments as its main provider of currency transactions and foreign currency exchange in North America. This can benefit its clients and lead to savings on common transactions.

 

The global agriculture equipment market is bound to witness skyrocketing sales owing to a shift to modern equipment and sustainable farming practices. The huge industry for cash crops and loans offered to farmers for the purchase of equipment can boost market growth. Investments in yield productivity and prevention of harvest losses can influence market sales. The procurement of farm equipment integrated with the latest technologies can be witnessed in the coming years.

The goals of developed and developing nations

The fabricated device could light up eleven LEDs by gentle hand tapping and could be a potential candidate for use in optoelectronics

Dr Shankar Rao and his team from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Bengaluru, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, have designed a transparent triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG), using thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) either in the form of electrospun nanofibers or as a flat film using the simpler Doctor’s blade technique, along with Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as tribo layers.

Scientists have fabricated a simple, cost-effective, bio-compatible, transparent nanogenerator that can generate electricity from vibrations all around for use in optoelectronics, self-powered devices, and other biomedical applications.

The TENG make use of mechanical energy in the form of vibrations present everywhere in different forms to generate electricity. The energy harvesting TENG works on the principle of creation of electrostatic charges via instantaneous physical contact of two dissimilar materials followed by generation of potential difference when a mismatch is introduced between the two contacted surfaces through a mechanical force. This mechanism drives the electrons to move back and forth between the conducting films coated on the back of the tribo layers. The method employed till date to design TENG use expensive fabrication methods like photolithography or reactive ion etching, and additional process like electrode preparation and so on.

TPU nanofibers are obtained from the electrospinning (ES) technique. The Doctor’s blade technique, a routine procedure adapted in a variety of situations, squeezes the material through a blade and the substrate yielding a uniform thin layer. The easy availability of the active material and the simplicity of the fabrication process make it cost-effective over currently available fabrication techniques. The resulting device is also highly efficient, robust, and gives reproducible output over long hours of operation. The results were published in Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

Searching for renewable energy resources with reduced carbon emissions is one of the most urgent challenges due to the increasing threat of global warming and the energy crisis. Some of the unconventional methods to generate electricity include piezoelectric, thermoelectric, and electrostatic techniques used in devices like touch screens, electronic displays, and so forth.

The fabricated device could light up eleven LEDs by gentle hand tapping and could be a potential candidate for use in optoelectronics, self-powered devices, and other biomedical applications.

The fabricated device could light up eleven

The network aims to provide access to financial solutions, market linkages, and value added services to the FPOS 

Chennai-headquartered NBFC Samunnati has launched FPONEXT – an exclusive network of entities that are working with the FPO eco-system via an affiliation programme. The network aims to provide access to financial solutions, market linkages, value added services, technology interventions and other on-tap services to the FPOS at any stage of their formation, mentioned the release by Samunnati. 

Anil Kumar SG, Founder and CEO, Samunnati said, “With the launch of FPONEXT, we seek to deliver a bouquet of products to FPOs in a more structured manner, aligning to the goals and mission of growth of the agricultural ecosystem.”

 Pravesh Sharma, director, Samunnati Agro Solutions said “As India ushers in Agri 4.0, it has become imperative for the industry to create mechanisms which can solve the challenges of FPOS and smallholder farmers across the value chain.” 

“FPOS will receive benefits such as pre-sanctioned loans, complementary assessment and feedback from Samunnati through their grading and engagement tool, as well as access to crop, daily weather alerts, market prices and a dedicated call centre. There will also be a focused effort to bring in customized insurance products to the members of FPONEXT,” said Sharma.

 Samunnati also plans to on board Resource Institutions, Producer Organization Promoting Institutions (POPIS), Training and Capacity Building Institutions and other ecosystem players who are committed to FPOS and smallholder farmers. There are entry level benefits which each joining FPO can avail. Members can move from entry level to other levels based on thresholds such as number of transactions through the network-similar to any other affiliation programmes. 

“Samunnati shall also provide the member FPOS access to technical knowledge through its partner network (KVKs, Agri universities etc.), commodity research reports, applicable Government schemes and subsidies to help FPOS and member farmers take informed decisions in their crop management. Samunnati shall organize capacity building training and workshops to CEO and BODs on Governance, compliance, management, and business planning,” said Sharma.

 

The network aims to provide access to

The consignment of dragon fruit for exports was sourced from the farmers of Tadasar village, Sangli district, Maharashtra and it was processed and packed at APEDA recognised exporter – Kay Bee

A consignment of fibre and mineral-rich ‘Dragon Fruit’, also referred to as Kamalam, has been exported to Dubai. A consignment of dragon fruit for exports was sourced from the farmers of Tadasar village, Sangli district, Maharashtra and it was processed and packed at APEDA recognised exporter – Kay Bee. Scientifically referred to as Hylocereusundatus, the dragon fruit is grown in countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, the US and Vietnam.

At present, dragon fruit is grown mostly in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The cultivation requires less water and can be grown in various kinds of soils. There are three main varieties of dragon fruit: white flesh with pink skin, red flesh with pink skin, and white flesh with yellow skin.

Since the fruit has spikes and petals resembling a lotus, it is also referred to as ‘Kamalam’.

The consignment of dragon fruit for exports

The new plant will have 16 lakh seed generation and 24 lakh seed processing capacity

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh dedicated to the public a mega quintal capacity seed processing plant with 16 lakh seed generation and 24 lakh seed processing capacity, the first-of-its-kind, to have come up in this entire region. The new seed processing plant will be catering not only to district Kathua but also to the entire Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and the two adjacent states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. 

 

Among those, who addressed the function were DDC Chairman Colonel (Retd) Mahan Singh, DDC Vice-Chairman Raghunandan Singh and CMD Seed Corporation of India Vinod Kumar Rathore.

The new plant will have 16 lakh

The various crops are suitable for timely sown rainfed conditions in low and mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh

Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh (CSK HP) Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, which developed thirteen crop varieties for cultivation in Himachal Pradesh, has been released for cultivation. This information was disclosed by HK Chaudhary, Vice-Chancellor, CSK HP Krishi Vishvavidyalaya.

The newly developed and released wheat variety HPW 373 (Him Palam Gehun 3) has been recommended for late sown rainfed conditions in the low and mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh. It has good chapatti-making quality parameters coupled with a high degree of resistance against yellow rust and leaf rust coupled with a high yield potential of 28.0 – 32.0 quintal per hectare.  

Barley variety HBL 804(Him Palam Jau 2) is a dual-purpose, six rowed, hulled barley variety, suitable for timely sown rainfed conditions in low and mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh. It has a high degree of resistance to stripe and brown rusts and has an average green fodder yield of 25-30 q/ha and grain yield of 20-25 q/ha. The variety matures in about 170-185 days. The soybean variety Him Palam Hara Soya-1 (Himso-1685) has been recommended for rainfed conditions in the mid-hill zone of H.P. It has an average seed yield of 20-22q/ha; average oil content of 20.10 per cent; average protein content of 30.6 per cent and is highly resistant against frog eye leaf spot, pod blight, bacterial pustule, and brown spot diseases.
Mustard variety Trombay Him Palam Mustard-1 has been recommended for timely sown, irrigated conditions in low and mid-hill areas of Himachal Pradesh. It has an average seed yield of 11.2q/ha; average oil content of 39.9 per cent and is a moderately susceptible reaction against Alternaria blight at the leaf stage.

Other than these cereal and oilseed varieties, nine vegetable crop varieties have also been released. These include two varieties of garden pea Him Palam Matar-1 and Him Palam Matar-2, one variety of edible pod pea Him Palam Meethi Phali-2, two varieties of Chilli Him Palam Mirch-1 and Him Palam Mirch-2, Parthenocarpic cucumber Him Palam Kheera-1, cherry tomato variety Him Palam Cherry yellow, onion variety Him Palam Shweta and radish variety Him Palam Mooli-1.

The various crops are suitable for timely

The partnership will assist in modern sequencing and genotyping technologies to aquaculture species

NEOGEN Corporation has partnered with the Center for Aquaculture Technologies (CAT) to deliver high-quality genotyping services customised to the unique needs of aquaculture producers. The complementary expertise of NEOGEN and CAT will apply modern sequencing and genotyping technologies to aquaculture species. 

 

The partnership will enable organisations of any size to realise the benefits of increased accuracy of selection and gains in performance by incorporating genetic markers into their selective breeding programmes.

 

“We are pleased to strengthen our partnership with the Center for Aquaculture Technologies and continue providing innovative genomic solutions that strengthen our global food chain,” says John Adent, President and CEO, NEOGEN.

 

NEOGEN and CAT have previously partnered to develop cost-effective genomic solutions for the aquaculture sector, including the GeneSeek Genomic Profiler (GGP) 50K genotyping array for North American Atlantic salmon and white leg shrimp, which are now commercially available through CAT, as part of their AQUAarray line.

 

The partnership will assist in modern sequencing

The company has created an environment that promotes camaraderie and fairness, and delivers a great workplace experience for all employees

Automotive company Mahindra & Mahindra has been ranked No.2 in India’s Best Companies To Work For 2021 by the Great Place to Work Institute.

According to the GPTW Institute Certificate citation, Mahindra and Mahindra auto and farm equipment sector is inspiring trust among the employees, instilling pride in them, creating an environment that promotes camaraderie and fairness, and delivering a great workplace experience for all the employees.

Rajesh Jejurikar – Executive Director, Auto and Farm Sectors, M&M said, “Mahindra is honoured to be consistently ranked as one of ‘India’s Best Companies to Work for’ for over a decade now. In difficult challenging times that the pandemic has posed, being ranked at a number two position is a monumental achievement. It is possible because of our associates who give their best every day. It is also a strong testament of our ‘People First’ philosophy, a key driver for our signature ‘Mahindra experience’ that makes us a high-performance and high culture organisation.”

The company has created an environment

Key stakeholders in agricultural value chains from both countries participated in the meet

In a bid to boost agricultural and processed food products exports, APEDA in collaboration with the Indian embassy has organised a virtual buyer-seller meet (VBSM) with Algeria where key stakeholders in the agricultural value chains from both countries participated.

More than 100 participants including exporters, processors and traders of agricultural commodities from India and Algeria participated in the VBSM titled ‘Opportunities in Agri-sector between India and Algeria’.

In the VBSM held with trade and government officials from Algeria, the scope of increasing exports of India’s Geographical Indications (GI) certified agricultural products were discussed. Export potential of products including cereals, animal product, non-basmati and basmati rice etc to Algeria were discussed during VBSM.

Along with APEDA and Indian embassy officials, trade representatives including officials from All India Rice Exporters Association, The Rice Exporters Association, All India Food Processors Association, importers from Algeria including Sarl Agro Plast Company, Haddadi Med Business Export and others participated in the VBSM.

Key stakeholders in agricultural value chains from

VegEase will shortly introduce exotic as well as organic produce in the region

VegEase, the cart-at-home e-grocery startup, is launching its services in UP and Haryana including Manesar, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Noida. Buoyed by growing consumer demand in the NCR region, VegEase is evaluating neighbourhood cart placement locations in these cities in UP and Haryana to offer the cart-at-home service. VegEase has already begun delivery of fruits and vegetables in this region, and will shortly introduce exotic as well as organic produce. The cart-at-home model has seen tremendous success in NCR as VegEase, with customer base doubling in just one month, in April 2021, and is growing at the rate of 100 per cent every month. 

 

VegEase is committed to giving back the power of choice to the consumer in the e-commerce of fruits and vegetables. With the cart-at-home model, consumers can order online and then choose the fresh produce from the cart at their preferred time. This increases the complexity of logistics of fruits and vegetable delivery, and VegEase is ramping up warehousing and will soon be opening more dark stores to reduce the TAT of delivery and other aspects of supply chain management to facilitate this.

 

Mayank Chaurasia, Founder, VegEase sums up the brand’s expansion plans, “Our expansion plans are spurred by the market response to VegEase. Our guarantee of timely delivery and self-pick options for increased transparency reassures customers of our commitment to them and drives high-performance benchmarks. Our success metric on returns is industry’s lowest at 0.25%, as against industry average of 2-3 per cent”.

 

 

VegEase will shortly introduce exotic as well