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AgroPolicy, Sustainable Energy

According to the report, larger shares of renewables can be better managed by shifting the time of use in agriculture

A report on Renewables Integration in India 2021 was jointly launched by Dr Rakesh Sarwal, Additional Secretary, NITI Aayog and Keisuke Sadamori, Director of Energy Markets and Security, IEA. The report is based on the outcome of three states workshops held with the Governments of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat to understand the specific energy transition challenges faced by these renewable-rich states. The report uses IEA modelling results to show the effects of different flexibility options on the power system.

 

The report highlights that India’s power system can efficiently integrate renewables (175 GW by 2022 and 450 GW by 2030), but it would require identification of resources and proper planning, regulatory, policy and institutional support, energy storage and advance technology initiatives.

 

Indian states need to employ a wide range of flexible options – such as demand response, more flexible operation of coal-based power plants, storage, and grid improvements – to transition to cleaner electricity systems. Larger shares of renewables can be better managed by shifting the time of use in agriculture. Time of Use (ToU) tariffs will be an effective tool to incentivise demand-side management and encourage flexible consumption. 

 

Sadamori indicated that the joint report underscores IEA’s commitment to providing support to India with its clean energy transition agenda.

 

Launching the report, Dr Sarwal said that the joint report provides useful suggestions for the states to consider to best manage their integration challenge.

 

Vivek Kumar Dewangan, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Power said that the report on renewables integration will serve as a repository of vast knowledge for stakeholders in India. He highlighted the government’s policies on thermal power plant flexibility and strengthening of transmission networks through green corridors and stressed the need for cost-effective solutions for storage technologies.

 

Dinesh Waghmare, Principal Secretary (Energy), Government of Maharashtra, stated that the Ministry of Power proposed Market Based Economic Dispatch (MBED) model for better optimisation of scheduling and economic dispatch of generation capacities purely on economic principles which will replace the current practice of Self Scheduling by Discom.

 

Dr N Manjula, MD, Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation emphasised that to absorb maximum RE power, the state has shifted 70 per cent to 80 per cent agriculture load to the daytime, providing incentives to industrial consumers for consuming more electricity and increasing state share in the Green Energy Trading (now, approx. 50 per cent). All these measures have helped to reduce the curtailments, which is almost zero now. The Government of Karnataka is in the process of bringing in a new RE policy. 

 

KVS Baba, CMD, POSOCO stated that RE integration can start with proper resources planning and better implementation of technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, base power system management and smart grid intervention.

 

 

According to the report, larger shares of

Agro chems – Fertilizers, Agrotech, IT

Samhitha leverages drones, soil telemetry, weather stations, etc., along with agriculture experts on the ground who communicate the insights to farmers

US-based data science firm Naviz Analytics has officially launched Samhitha Crop Care Clinics, a unique, precision farming advisory aimed at increasing the bottom line of Indian farmers. Samhitha leverages drones, soil telemetry, weather stations, etc., along with agriculture experts on the ground who communicate the insights to farmers.

 

More recently, at Samhitha’s launch event in Hyderabad, Energy Minister, G Jagdish Reddy, Telangana, urged farmers to switch over to new cultivation methods from traditional practices and use modern technologies to achieve higher crop yields.

 

Under its pilot run in Telangana region, Samhitha focussed exclusively on citrus growers who faced low crop yield and lifespan. According to reports, the average citrus crop yield in India is 5 tonnes against 15 tonnes per acre in the western nations, while lifespan averages about 12 years, against 45 years in the west.

 

Samhitha’s precision farming advisory enabled farmers to clock over 30 per cent higher yield year over year and identified over 52 on-field defects. And this happened after input cost reduction, driven by smart irrigation and continuous crop monitoring.

 

Dr G Syamasundar Reddy, CEO, Samhitha, an ex-professor, IIIT Hyderabad, and Senior Scientist at Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), stated, “In Andhra Pradesh, two citrus fruits – sweet orange and acid lime – are cultivated extensively, but growers face lower crop yield. They end up using fertilisers and herbicides which increases short-term yield, but significantly reduces the crop life.”

 

“With Samhitha, we have empowered citrus growers financially, while ensuring optimum crop yield, soil health, and minimum wastage of natural resources”, he added.

 

According to Kalyan Enjamoori, CTO, Samhitha, “Samhitha collects and analyses data for parameters like soil, rainfall, air, leaf wetness, irrigation water quality, etc., wherein drones monitor the crops continuously for any stress, and can detect it instantaneously with the help of customised AI and machine learning algorithms.”

Samhitha leverages drones, soil telemetry, weather stations,

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Start ups

The programme was formally launched by Dr Ashwathnarayan CN, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka

The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), India’s premier biosciences technology and innovation hub, has announced the first nationwide call for Agriculture Grand Challenges under its K-Tech Centre for Excellence for Agri Innovation. The programme which is supported by the Government of Karnataka was launched formally by Dr Ashwathnarayan CN, Deputy Chief Minister, Government of Karnataka at C-CAMP premises. 

 

The launch event also saw the formalising of Indo Israel Innovation Bridge, a C-CAMP collaboration with the Consulate General of Israel to South India to drive deep science-driven entrepreneurship in Indian and Israel ecosystems with a Karnataka focus, the unveiling of C-CAMP COVID-19 Innovations Compendium and the official hand-over of a C-CAMP supported indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine cold chain technology to the state government.

 

Welcoming these four crucial announcements and stressing upon the need for agri innovation, Dr Ashwathnarayan said, “I congratulate C-CCAMP on the occasion of the launch Agriculture Grand Challenge, Indo Israel Innovation Bridge, COVID vaccine carrier technology as well as the unveiling of the C-CAMP COVID-19 innovation compendium. We need to take Agri-tech more seriously. Even though we are recognised as an agrarian economy, progress has largely stalled for want of a new revolution. To see better living standards, a better economy and a better future for our country, we need to probe agriculture and biotechnology together. The C-CAMP Agriculture Grand Challenges is a road we must take for securing our future.”

 

He added, “Collaboration and integration is the way forward. From Karnataka, I promise to support and close collaboration from all departments such as education, health to see that technologies developed at C-CAMP are passed on to the people.”

 

Dr Taslimarif Saiyed, CEO and Director, C-CAMP said, “In agriculture, identifying gaps on ground, articulating and creating focussed problem statements are very crucial. The Centre of excellence in Agri-tech innovations supported by the IT-BT department in collaboration with the Agriculture Department in Govt of Karnataka has identified over 100 problems from which we are launching this Grand Challenge for the top three statements. The impact is not just for Karnataka but for entire India.”

 

Dr Jonathan Zadka, Consul General of Israel to South India, Bengaluru said, “We are proud in establishing cooperation by building an ’Innovation Bridge’ between Israel and India, bringing closer together the startups ecosystems in life sciences and agritech of both countries. The potential of this initiative is enormous, and it has already generated tangible cooperation between startups from Israel and India. By doing so we will be consolidating existing islands of excellence spread across the two nations to create a collaborative environment for cutting-edge R&D. We look forward to supporting the Government of Karnataka to build this bridge of innovation. This new initiative will further strengthen the links between Israel and India.” 

The programme was formally launched by Dr

Acts & Schemes – Centre, Seeds

The seed minikits of pulses are distributed to the farmers of major pulse growing states under NFSM

 

Union Agriculture Minister in a written reply in Lok Sabha mentioned that seed minikit of pulses have been distributed to the farmers of major pulse growing states under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM). The district-wise allocation and distribution of seed minikit are being managed by the respective state governments.

 

The Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) is implemented by the states under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM). The states transfer the benefit to the targeted beneficiaries through DBT by using the Aadhar-enabled system. Many states viz., Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra etc have reported Aadhaar enabled distribution of seed mini kits. The production and productivity of pulses under the seed minikit programme are primarily monitored by state government field functionaries and State Food Security Mission Executive Committee (SFSM-EC) headed by Chief Secretary/Agriculture Production Commissioner.

 

Besides, field visits of seed minikit fields are also undertaken by National Level Monitoring Teams (NALMOTS) constituted by The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. As a result of the various interventions under NFSM-Pulses programme, the production of pulses has increased from 16.32 million metric tonnes in 2015-16 to 25.56 million metric tonnes in 2020-21 (3rd Advance Estimates). The productivity of pulses has also increased from 655 kg/ha to 878 kg/ha during the same period.

The seed minikits of pulses are distributed

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Interaction, Pulses

ASSOCHAM recently hosted a Virtual Session on Millets 2021: Status & Way Forward to the status, challenges and way forward of the Millet Industry in India, in association with HarvestPlus and NuFFooDS Spectrum

Apex industry body ASSOCHAM hosted a Virtual Session on Millets 2021: Status & Way Forward to the status, challenges and way forward of the millet industry in India. The discussions invited views on policy interventions required to promote the production of millets crops in India and increasing its area under cultivation and also the role of all stakeholders associated with the industry in one way or the other.

 

Dr Suresh Kumar Malhotra, Agriculture Commissioner, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare the chief guest for the session shared his views and said, “Despite a decrease in the area for production, millets are gaining momentum and making their way into the consumers’ plates. These cereal grains have been recognised as ’Nutri –cereal’ as they can be medium to fight malnutrition in India due to their higher nutritional value and can be promoted to grow as they are a very climate-resilient crop.”

 

He mentioned the initiatives taken up by the GoI to enhance millets an alternative crop. The year 2023 will be observed as the International Year of Millets, following India’s proposal to the Food and Agriculture Organization, which was approved at the 160th session of the FAO Council in December 2018.

 

Vinita Sudhanshu, Deputy GM, APEDA shared her views on boosting the exports of millet and emphasised the major interventions required in the millet supply chain including a focus on high potential production districts including cultivation in rain-fed areas, fellow lands and wasteland leading to the establishment of millet clusters establishment of modern millets based processing units and modernisation of existing millet processing units, development of incubation centres, and increasing exporters base across India. She added that APEDA has awarded a study on Refinement of Export Strategy in the wake of International Year of Millets 2023 for strengthening of the supply chain of millets and value-added products of Millets. 

 

Vikas Jain, Joint MD, PMV Nutrients mentioned that despite the Green Revolution, which favoured rice and wheat, millets in India have survived, thanks to cultural traditions, but came to be known as “coarse grains.”.

 

Dr Vilas Tonapi, Director, The Indian Institute of Millets Research (ICAR-IIMR) presented the production status and challenges of the millets in India. “To increase the demand for millets they need to be incorporated in the PDS scheme, ICDS programme and other such initiatives of the government,” he said. 

 

Unupom Kausik, President, NCML, emphasised that the quality of the warehousing is something that needs to be worked upon. Mechanised silos, temperature-controlled storage, are all coming in but as sophistication is added the storage cost is bound to increase. 

 

Akhilesh Singh, Lead Breeder-Pearl Millet, Bayer BioScience, presented his views on seed production, quality control, distribution and exchange networks for millet and gave a brief overview of the hybrid seed production with details regarding, production technology, production efficiency and production quality. 

 

Pradnya Paithankar, SDG Manager, UN-WFP presented her views on the acceptability and adaptability of the millets in India. She gave a brief context regarding the millets in India and said that millets, which are often termed as ‘Nutri-cereals’ and already contribute substantially to food and nutrition security to the community, is posed as the ‘crops of the future and a ‘climate-smart crop’. She added that success lies in systematically strengthening the millets value chain- from seeds and cultivation to palatable nutritious recipes and products.

 

ASSOCHAM recently hosted a Virtual Session on

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Pesticides

Trifloxystrobin being a top molecule has enormous demand in the domestic and global markets of North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America Middle East, and Africa.

Best Crop Science (BCS), a manufacturer of agro-inputs, has announced that Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee has granted registration for indigenous manufacturing of Trifloxystrobin Technical u/s 9(3). With this new addition, BCS shall become the first agrochemical industry to manufacture and market Trifloxystrobin in India. Trifloxystrobin is India’s number one fungicide in demand.

Trifloxystrobin being a top molecule has enormous demand in the domestic and global markets of North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America Middle East, and Africa. The estimated Trifloxystrobin market size of India values closes to Rs 400 crores. An excellent compound for efficient integration into control programmes against fungal pathogens in cereals, paddy crops, fruits and vegetables like tomato, grapes, mango, chilly, and wheat.

Vimal Alawadhi, Managing Partner, BCS said, “We intend to play a vital role in the effective management of crop disease, improving the yield and profitability of farmers across the globe by making this product cost-effective.”

He added, “With a positive outlook, Trifloxystrobin as part of a new product portfolio will open a new window of opportunity to explore larger markets to Best Crop Science. As active contributors to the make in India campaign, we are driven by the mission of uplifting the lives and income of the farmers in India.”

Best Crop Science will be soon acquired by Best Agrolife – being among one of the top 15 agrochemicals in India and servicing the industry with its unique products that are well researched and developed and is having a focus on healthy living, sustainable growth and unique possibilities of agribusiness.
 

Trifloxystrobin being a top molecule has enormous

AgroPolicy, Seeds

The new building will provide ease to visiting farmers and consumers

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar laid the foundation stone of the Plant Authority building at Pusa, New Delhi. On this occasion, Tomar said that the rights of farmers are being protected through Plant Authority. With this, the farmers can get rights over their traditional varieties and the seeds of any other variety produced by them. It also ensures that the farmers are not exploited by infringement of intellectual property rights.

Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPVFRA) is affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. In this IPR, the certificate is awarded only after crops are grown and verification claim made by the farmer. Under the new IPR policy, the IPR authorities are being strengthened by the government by providing necessary manpower and infrastructure.

Tomar stated that one floor will be allocated for the establishment of the courts of the Authority and two floors will be allocated for registry work along with other support systems. He said that it will make it easier for the visiting farmers and consumers. It is expected that work on the new office building will start from next year.

Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Kailash Choudhary and Shobha Karandlaje, Secretary, Sanjay Agarwal, CEO, National Rainfed Area Authority Ashok Dalwai, Chairman of PPVFRA, Dr KV Prabhu, Joint Secretary (Seeds), Ashwini Kumar, ASRB Chairman, Dr AK Mishra were present. On this occasion, the guests also planted saplings at the construction site.

The new building will provide ease to

AgroPolicy, Agrotech

The committee will act as a project monitoring unit for the implementation of PM-Kisan Yojana, Kisan Maandhan Yojana, Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and other schemes

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the office of the National Farmers Welfare Program Implementation Committee. Speaking on the occasion. Tomar said that the National Farmers Welfare Program Implementation Committee would act as a project monitoring unit for the implementation of PM-Kisan Yojana, Kisan Maandhan Yojana, Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and other schemes of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

 

Tomar said that the Central Government has implemented the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme to make farmers self-reliant and to provide direct income support for agricultural expenditure. Under this scheme, an amount of Rs 1.37 lakh crore has been transferred to the accounts of more than 11 crore farmer families so far. 

 

The minister further said that the Central Government along with the experts, IT companies of the country is working with new technology to make the farmers self-reliant. Various technological solutions are being developed through Aadhar integration with UIDAI, the launch of mobile app and integration with CSCs, KCC, integration with land records database maintained by States/UTs. 

 

The Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Kailash Chaudhary and Shobha Karandlaje, Secretary Sanjay Agarwal, CEO, PM-Kisan Scheme Vivek Agarwal along with senior officers and representatives of various agencies were present on the occasion.

The committee will act as a project

AgroPolicy, Animal Health

Ideas were exchanged on collaborative synergistic efforts that can be appreciated to attain optimal health for people, domestic animals, wildlife, plants and the environment

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) recently organised a stakeholder engagement panel discussion on the topic ’One Health Concept to Practicality,’ that brought together some of the key stakeholders from the One Health ecosystem in the country. Stakeholders discussed challenges, opportunities, gaps, traditional inefficiencies, the next steps and the way forward towards the efficient and effective implementation of the One Health initiative in the country.

 

Atul Chaturvedi, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying delivered the opening remarks and said, “One Health is an approach that recognises that animal health, human health and the environment are inextricably connected. Thus, effective animal health management has played a critical role in preventing the disease spillover to humans, thereby saving a huge amount of money, which eventually would be utilised in containing and combating infections in humans.”

 

He added, “One Health concept on the ground is the need of the hour where collaborative synergistic efforts can be appreciated to attain optimal health for people, domestic animals, wildlife, plants and the environment. Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying’s initiative to implement an effective One Health framework by the establishment of One Health Support Unit (OHSU) will strengthen systemic capacity to better manage animal health and reduce disease incidence at a national level. Operationalising a One Health approach requires leveraging the cooperation and strengths of diverse sectors – both public and private – including livestock health, human health, wildlife health, environmental health, technology and finance to develop solutions to these local, national and global health challenges.”

 

Upamanyu Basu, Joint Secretary (Livestock Health) welcomed all and followed by Dr Bhupendra Nath Tripathi, Deputy Director General (Animal Science), ICAR who highlighted the importance of a One Health approach to fight viruses that are threatening human health. Moderated by Dr Praveen Malik, Animal Husbandry Commissioner, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying; the stakeholder engagement and panel discussion saw participation from more than 500 delegates. 

 

The panel had Dr Rita Traxler and Dr Grishma Kharod, Epidemiologists, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US; Dr RK Singh, Former Director/VC, ICAR-IVRI; Dr SK Singh, Director, NCDC; Dr PK Malik, Former Head, Wildlife Health Management, Wildlife Institute of India; Dr BR Shome, Director (Acting), ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (NIVEDI); Dr Subeer Majumdar, Former Director, NIAB; DBT-National Institute of Animal Biotechnology; Dr Ashok Kumar, ADG (AH), ICAR and Dr Sindura Ganapathi, Fellow, Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor from the field of veterinary and wildlife as well as from the backgrounds of education, research ecosystem, laboratory, epidemiology expressed their views in their respective domains and discussed investment opportunities around the same.

Ideas were exchanged on collaborative synergistic efforts

Agro chems – Chemicals, AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Transportation

APEDA will provide technical assistance

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in association with the Defence Institute of High-Altitude Research (DIHAR) are working out a comprehensive plan of actions to boost exports of agricultural produce from Ladakh.

Following a series of interactions held recently at Ladakh, identified areas of work include enhancement of production of fruits with medicinal values including sea buckthorn, apricot and organic produce and introduction of the traceability system, capacity-building of farmers and value addition of products.

APEDA will provide technical assistance for building the capacity of stakeholders including entrepreneurs, officials, farmers, branding and marketing of Ladakhi products and making Ladakh an ‘organic’ region. APEDA would provide special assistance for branding and promotion of Ladakhi products, especially sea buckthorn which is rich in Vitamin C, omega and other essential nutrients.

Emphasising the need for minimal or zero use of chemicals in farming, during the interactions with Ladakh officials, APEDA has urged non-use of chemicals and fertilisers at the earliest and introduction of traceability systems to help in branding Ladakhi products. The focus of these collaborations is to ensure that Ladakh achieves the goal of becoming an organic region by 2025.

Officials of Ladakh under the Mission Organic Development Initiative have formed an organic study group, drafting ‘organic’ certification documents and implementation of the certification process in phases. The technological interventions introduced by DIHAR to Ladakh administration is helping farmers grow leafy vegetables at -25 degrees.

APEDA would be continuously working with officials from agriculture and horticulture departments of Lek & Ladakh districts, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Jammu, DIHAR, and entrepreneurs for comprehensive development of agriculture in Ladakh.

APEDA will provide technical assistanceThe Agricultural and

Agrotech, Finance

The fund will make private equity investments in the agri food value chain and financial services in rural India

Incofin IM announced the successful first close of the India Progress Fund (IPF) at Rs 450 crores (Rs 4.5 billion). The fund will make private equity investments in the agri-food value chain and financial services in rural India. The committed capital comes from a diverse set of private and institutional investors including CDC, Proparco, Korys, BIO,and several Belgian family offices and foundations.

 

The India Progress Fund (IPF) will support promising entrepreneurs through patient capital, mentoring and access to a global network. IPF will focus on two sectors that make the deepest social impact: financial inclusion and the agri-food value chain. 

 

“The modernisation of the agri value chain and rural financial inclusion is an underinvested opportunity in India with significant potential for rural impact and for creating meaningful enterprises. We are grateful to our investors for enabling us to execute this investment strategy,” remarked Rahul Rai, Partner, Incofin IM on the successful first closing of IPF.

 

Through a sector-focussed approach and international experience in the sectors, IPF intends to bridge the gap and contribute to a vibrant private equity ecosystem. The fund shall focus on minority investments with an investment size of Rs 25-70 crores.

 

“Over the last 13 years of being present in India, Incofin has first-hand practical rural market experience. Success from microfinance shall be carried forward to the large unmet missing middle. IPF shall back entrepreneurs aiming to challenge the status quo, in the process to transform from informal to formal market setup,” opined Aditya Bhandari, Partner Incofin IM.

The fund will make private equity investments

Agrotech, R&D

The sustainable rice project is expected to benefit over 50,000 farmers in the state over the next three years. 

 Corteva Agriscience, the global agriculture company, and the 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG), hosted by the World Bank Group, signed a project to promote sustainable rice production in Uttar Pradesh. The project has been conceived to build the capacity of farmers on the Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) technique of rice cultivation thus enabling sustainable livelihoods for farmers. Corteva will co-lead the project as the technology and knowledge partner for DSR. 

This project called ‘Enhancing Landscape level Sustainability for Rice Production in Uttar Pradesh’ provides a framework for Corteva, 2030 WRG and a task force of multiple stakeholders who will work towards transforming 40,000 acres of land from traditional methods of transplanting rice to the DSR technique. This three-year project will promote sustainable livelihood in agriculture, build the capacity of farmers on the DSR technique of rice cultivation through various training programs, field demonstration sessions, market linkages, market-based sustainability financing and agronomy assistance leading to their socio-economic empowerment.

Through the project, Corteva will also assist farmers with hybrid seeds and mechanized sowing services as well as, help in soil testing and management of weeds and pests on the farms. Applying these practices can lead to 35-37 per cent  reduction in water usage in rice farming, better soil health and reduced greenhouse gas emissions (by 20-30 per cent), supporting climate resilient precision agro-forestry in the state.

 Tim Glenn, Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer of Corteva Agriscience said, “Corteva Agriscience works closely with farmers to provide tools and advice they need to achieve their goals while strengthening the resilience of their farming community.  This includes practical, on-farm agricultural practices like direct-seeded rice (DSR), that help farmers protect the environment while being economically viable. This project implements holistic agronomic interventions that encourage farmers to adopt DSR. We are pleased to collaborate with WRG to help build the capacity of Farmer Producers Organizations to operate as sustainable and market-oriented agri-enterprises.”   

“The project will ensure that the farmers get access to integrated solutions that deliver transformative value chains. It will also support the state government to strengthen sustainability outcomes in rice production, putting emissions reduction, private sector-driven market linkages, and agricultural water demand management at the core of sustainable agricultural growth and rural development in Uttar Pradesh,” said Karin Krchnak, Program Manager of 2030 WRG.

The project will also assist market-driven value chain strategies by linking market off-takers with suppliers and producers, through innovative Drip-to-Market-Agro-Corridors (DMACs) and Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs).               

The sustainable rice project is expected to

Agro Universities

According to experts, timely sowing and use of recommended cotton varieties/hybrids will yield good results

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) called upon the cotton growers to monitor their crop for the incidence of whitefly and pink bollworm. During the live programme, Dr Vijay Kumar, an entomology expert, said that as per the survey conducted by PAU, the whitefly population in cotton has not reached Economic Threshold Level (ETL).

 

“Therefore, farmers need not fear, but should continue to monitor their crop regularly,” he advised. Dr Kumar also urged the farmers to go for the surveillance of cotton crop for pink bollworm. “There is no need to panic as pink bollworm is easy to manage as compared to whitefly,” he added.

 

Timely sowing and use of recommended cotton varieties/hybrids yield good results, he said while disclosing that during 2016-20, record cotton yields were obtained in Punjab. He also advised the farmers to follow PAU package of practices for the management of these insect pests in cotton.

 

Dr Madhu Shailey, a PAU expert, explained the management of animals during the rainy season. With the changing weather, animals face a lot of heat stress for which farmers should consult veterinarians and give medicines to animals on time, she said. “Proper arrangement of green fodder should also be made for animals as it provides calcium and vitamin A,” she added. Dr Madhu stressed upon getting the animals vaccinated for curing Gal ghotu and Black quarter (Pat soja) diseases to avoid losses.

 

Ravinder Bhalooria apprised the farmers of farm practices to be followed for vegetables and advised them to enrol themselves as members of monthly magazines Changi Kheti (Punjabi) and Progressive Farming (English), published by PAU, for the latest updates on-farm operations. 

According to experts, timely sowing and use

Agrotech, Sustainable Energy

Moves toward zero-waste goal as repurposed pineapple leaves find a way to global lifestyle brands

The Dole Sunshine Company has partnered with Ananas Anam, the London-based company behind Piñatex. Piñatex is an innovative, vegan and natural alternative to leather, made from sustainably sourced pineapple leaf fibres.

 

Dole, which launched its six-prong Promise in June 2020, is committed to making an immediate and lasting impact when it comes to food waste, eliminating processed sugar and plastics, and improving nutrition access globally. In addition to its partnership with Ananas Anam, Dole is working towards a more circular economy and finding new packaging solutions for its products to reduce not only food waste but plastics overall.

 

“At Dole, we believe purpose – and therefore our Promise – must permeate everything we do to address these global challenges head-on. Addressing food waste is important to us, as it is connected to our business and our lives in so many ways,” said Pier-Luigi Sigismondi, Global President, Dole Sunshine Company. “I believe to create tangible solutions and real systemic change to address this issue, we need to converge our purpose with creativity, innovation, and technology. Our partnership with Ananas Anam coupled with global lifestyle brands’ use of this innovation truly bring this convergence to life in a new way.”

 

Through this partnership, Ananas Anam’s Piñatex is made of fibre extracted from Dole’s harvested pineapple plant leaves, which when dried and processed create a non-woven mesh to form the base of the sustainable material. The use of the pineapple leaf fibre also presents the opportunity to build a scalable commercial industry for developing farming communities and livelihood improvement for small scale cooperatives/growers.

 

“At Ananas Anam, we aim at meeting the challenges of our times by developing innovative products in which commercial success is integrated, and promotes social, ecological and cultural development. By connecting on a deep level with the people we work with, we build eco-systems that are bound together, symbiotically grow together to bring about positive changes into the world”, said Dr Carmen Hijosa, Founder and Chief Creative & Innovation Officer, Ananas Anam.

 

“Through our partnership with Dole, our entity in the Philippines will access a much larger volume of pineapple leaf fibres, to meet the ever-increasing demand for Piñatex not only in fashion but also in the upholstery and automotive sectors. Working closely with Dole’s teams on the ground will help us to create a wider positive social impact among farming communities and to continuously reduce our environmental footprint by valorising waste at scale”, said Melanie Broye-Engelkes, CEO, Ananas Anam.

 

Moves toward zero-waste goal as repurposed pineapple