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Agro Universities, R&D

The symposium was aimed at advanced biotechnological applications, including CRISPR/Cas based Genome Editing Technology for developing agricultural and horticultural crops  

 The ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi, Jharkhand in association with the prestigious Plant Tissue Culture Association (India) virtually organised an International Symposium on ’Advances in Plant Biotechnology and Genome Editing (APBGE – 2021)’ from April 8 to 10, 2021.

The Symposium was aimed at advanced biotechnological applications, including CRISPR/Cas based Genome Editing Technology for developing agricultural and horticultural crops with improved abiotic and biotic stress tolerance and higher yield and quality.

In his address, the Chief Guest, Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) encouraged the researchers for understanding the limiting processes of plant sciences using a system biology approach. Accentuating on the importance of hardy plant species, the DG urged to utilize them for identifying the novel genes for various traits. Dr Mohapatra stressed on continuing the support to Centres of Excellence and capacity building in traditional and advanced Biotechnological approaches.

The Guest of Honour, Padma Shri, Prof. Sudhir K. Sopory, Former Vice-Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi urged for harnessing the biotechnological advances to provide unorthodox solutions to the lingering agricultural problems.

In his Inaugural Plenary Lecture, Dr. Tilak Raj Sharma, Deputy Director General (Crop Science), ICAR outlined the importance of various biotechnological approaches in ensuring food and nutritional security of India.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Dr. Arunava Pattanayak, Director & Chair APBGE – 2021 opined that mobilization of ready biotechnological tools for improved agriculture and strategic use of new advances such as genome editing are the open challenges to the researchers and policy planners alike for achieving the ambitious target of doubling the farmers’ income.

Padma Shri, Prof. Pramod Tandon, Secretary PTCA (I) also marked his presence during the Symposium. The three-day Symposium registered participation by more than 450 Delegates from 11 countries.

The symposium was aimed at advanced biotechnological

Agrotech, Machinery - Pre-harvesting

New Holland wins silver medal for NutriSense, the in-harvest nutrient analysis system and bronze medal for the cleaning system pressure sensors.

 

 New Holland Agriculture’s innovation in combine harvesting has been rewarded with two medals at the SIMA 2021 Innovation Awards by the international jury panel of industry specialists assisted by a network of technical experts. The awards, which recognises the most innovative equipment, products, technologies and services, were announced in a virtual ceremony broadcast on 22 April.

New Holland won silver medal in the “From Harvest to Storage” category for NutriSenseTM, the in-harvest nutrient analysis system. This enables farmers to get the most from the sale of their crops, as the price is linked to the harvest quality (according to parameters such as protein or fat content). They can also enhance the nutritional value of varieties for animal feed, and mix different grain grades to achieve a certain quality and target industry standards.

Company also won bronze medal in the “Parts, Services and Onboard Electronics” category for the cleaning system pressure sensors. The exclusive patented cleaning shoe pressure analysis system enables a faster harvesting speed while pursuing maximum quality.

Carlo Lambro, New Holland Brand President, stated, “Farmers today are expected to reduce the environmental impact of their operations. However, they must be able to do it without losing their profitability. As equipment manufacturers, it is our role to leverage technology to support them.

“The two innovations awarded today address two important issues they face with the harvest, helping them to make informed decisions – one with agronomic data they can use to market their crops most profitably, the other enables them to take proactive actions to reduce grain losses as they are harvesting. As always, New Holland’s innovations bring tangible benefits to their efficiency and profitability, as they operate sustainably.”

 

New Holland wins silver medal for NutriSense,

R&D

Nature Fresh Farms continues to focus on research and development, discovering new products

Nature Fresh Farms is moving forward in expanding its commodities into the Berry category with more acreage dedicated to a strawberry program. With help from their longstanding growing partner Cielo Vista, the greenhouse grower will be expanding their strawberry farm from one to sixteen acres, planned to be completed this fall.

Nature Fresh Farms has partnered with Cielo Vista to gain expertise in growing Berries to further their program while innovating the Canadian greenhouse sector and assisting in driving fresh consumption of Ontario-grown Strawberries. Although there are some seasonal challenges with field supply, Nature Fresh Farms was amazed at the interest and demand they had once presenting greenhouse-grown samples to their partners.

With Strawberries being one of the top fruit imports in Canada, the expansion would help reduce food miles through increased local production, shortening transportation routes, and offering a superior quality product.

Nature Fresh Farms team continues to focus on research and development, discovering new products and opportunities that support their commitment to sustainability while delivering quality produce to customers throughout the year.

Nature Fresh Farms continues to focus on

AgroPolicy, Organic

The 5th Session of CCSCH began on April 20, 2021, with a series of virtual sessions running till April 29

Underlining the importance of safe and quality food amidst the pandemic situation, Rita Teaotia, Chairperson, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently said that the regulatory bodies need to be more vigilant to ensure food safety and quality.  

Inaugurating the fifth session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) established under Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), Rita Teaotia described the risk of unscrupulous and intentional adulteration of spices through substitution due to their high economic value.

The 5th Session of CCSCH began on April 20, 2021, with a series of virtual sessions running till April 29, 2021, with nearly 300 experts from 50 countries taking part in the deliberations. 

At the present session, the committee will be considering the quality Standards for dried or dehydrated forms of Ginger, Cloves, Saffron and two culinary herbs, Oregano & Basil at step seven, besides Nutmeg and Chilli peppers & Paprika at step four in the Codex procedure of elaboration of food standards. There are also three proposals for new work, viz. cardamom, turmeric, and prioritized group standard for spices in the form of dried fruits and berries.

The 5th Session of CCSCH began on

Agro chems – Fertilizers, Organic

Johnny Appleseed Organic’s new ClimateGard fertiliser helps fight climate change

After a successful pre-launch through the crowdfunding site, Indiegogo, Johnny Appleseed Organic has officially launched their newest product, ClimateGard, the first no-kill, premium, all-purpose, organic fertiliser with sustainable packaging, on their website direct to consumers just in time for Earth Day on April 22, 2021. The website will remain a leading resource for home gardeners and small farms interested in learning more about climate farming. 

ClimateGard starts at $39.95 per bag with free shipping. ClimateGard was designed for climate conscious gardeners, small farmers and home gardeners who care about the earth, where their food comes from, and want to aid in climate change reversal. ClimateGard’s no kill formula sources essential micronutrients, humic acid, silica, living bacteria and fungi from the most ethical, sustainable sources available. ClimateGard’s blend of solar processed poultry manure, fossilised seabird guano, bat guano and sunflower hull ash provides essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium in their most bioavailable forms. 

ClimateGard also offers sustainable packing and is delivered in an organic cotton bag with a compostable inner liner. By relying on reusable pallets made of recycled plastics, Johnny Appleseed Organic is doing their part to cut down any contribution to the waste stream. ClimateGard is the first and only organic fertilizer scientifically designed to supercharge the soil-building effects of climate farming.

 

Johnny Appleseed Organic’s new ClimateGard fertiliser helps

Agrotech

The partnership aims to deliver a seedling nursery that can grow up to 1M high-yielding cocoa seedlings each year

Mondelez has recently announced a new collaboration with Olam Food Ingredients (OFI), a leading supplier of cocoa beans and cocoa ingredients, to create the world’s single largest sustainable commercial cocoa farm in Indonesia. The model builds on the companies experience with its signature sustainable sourcing program, Cocoa Life, and OFI’s ambition for sustainable cocoa, cocoa compass, to test a scalable approach for the future of commercial cocoa farming.

From sensors in fields to irrigation systems, the project will use advanced climate-smart and plant science technology – rarely used to grow cocoa at this scale – as innovations included in this 2,000-hectare cocoa farm on Seram, the largest island in Maluku province in Indonesia. The model tests a modernized and professional blueprint for best practice cocoa farming, optimal land usage and farming community planning which will be explored as a potential model for replication across the region.

The partnership aims to deliver:

  • 2,000 hectares of previously deforested brownfield land, which will be planted with cocoa, shade trees, forest and fruit trees to promote biodiversity and carbon capture.
  • An area of 47 hectares has been identified as a High Conservation Value forest and is being fully protected as a vital habitat for flora and fauna.
  • A seedling nursery that can grow up to one million high-yielding cocoa seedlings each year.

The partnership aims to deliver a seedling

Finance, Foodgrains, IT

This funding accelerates deployment of new offerings and embedded capabilities throughout the food and ag value chain

Bushel, an independently owned software company and leading provider of software technology solutions for growers, grain buyers, ag retailers, protein producers and food companies, has announced the closings on its $47 million Series C investment round. The oversubscribed round was led by Lewis & Clark AgriFood, a St. Louis-based food and agriculture focused investment firm, and Continental Grain Company, a global holding company focused on agriculture, food and protein production. Participation from new and existing investors include Cargill, Scoular, Germin8 Ventures and others. In addition, Consolidated Grain and Barge Co. is expected to close their investment in the round in the coming weeks.

“We are excited to invest further into Bushel alongside some of our high-value partners like Cargill and Scoular,” said Chris Abbott, Co-Head of Continental Grain Ventures. “Bushel is one of the leading independent software companies in agriculture, and serves as the critical link connecting growers to grain buyers, processors, brands and consumers. This funding accelerates deployment of new offerings and embedded capabilities throughout the food and ag value chain. We believe it results in better outcomes for growers and the supply chain.”

Bushel’s platform now reaches 40% of grain origination in the United States, resulting in inarguably the largest technology network effect among growers and grain buyers in the U.S. today. $22 billion of grain is contracted annually within Bushel’s ecosystem. Bushel’s collaborative ethos will continue to accelerate adding new participants throughout the value chain, particularly CPGs and consumer brands that will benefit from upstream and midstream data insights and help deliver on sustainability promises.

Jake Joraanstad, CEO and Co-founder of Bushel said, “We are here to build on the agriculture industry’s century of infrastructure investment. We’re here not to disrupt but instead, to collaborate and help lead the industry into the digital age with strategies that make sense and provide value for all stakeholders in the ag and food value chain. We serve as the independent integration hub that saves businesses significant manual effort, time and expense, while also strengthening the relationships between growers and agribusinesses through secure, proven and easy to use software products and services.”

 Larry Page, Managing Director of Lewis & Clark Agrifood said, “Digital innovation has landed on the farm, but few companies are focused on the digital side of agriculture (or lack thereof) from the farm gate and beyond. We hear so much noise in the space with very little real traction. As Bushel has consistently gained market share, it has become clear that the ability to connect data with physical grain has significant value for many stakeholders in our food system.”

 

 

 

This funding accelerates deployment of new offerings

Agrotech

Kebotix combines data, AI and robotics to accelerate the synthesis of new molecules within Bayer’s R&D program

Arming farmers with innovative crop protection tools powered by a faster data-driven system is the focus of a new collaboration between technology platform company Kebotix and Bayer.

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Kebotix uses artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and robotics to accelerate the discovery of new chemicals. Those discoveries can then be used by researchers within Bayer’s Crop Science R&D program to advance new crop protection solutions.

Bayer scientists consistently challenge themselves to discover new generations of crop protection substances that meet the expectations of farmers and society. The accelerated synthesis, through work with Kebotix, will allow them to gain speed and precision via Kebotix’s innovative technology and harness the immense potential of AI.

Kebotix scientists will join other industry leaders to discuss Bayer’s open innovation strategy and the importance of recent collaborations with innovative startups at AgConnect-April 21–AI Meets Agricultural Research. The free virtual discussion will focus on how AI is working to bring affordable, high-quality, and safe innovative products faster to the farm for the benefit of growers everywhere.

 

Kebotix combines data, AI and robotics to

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, Trade

India is capturing new markets namely, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Chile, and Puerto Rico for export of rice. 

 India has witnessed significant growth of 132 per cent in export of (Non-Basmati) Rice. Export of Non-Basmati Rice has gone up from Rs 13,030 crores in 2019-20 to Rs 30,277 crores in 2020-21.This increase in exports is on account of multiple factors, mainly being India capturing new markets namely, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Chile, and Puerto Rico. Exports were also made to Togo, Senegal, Malaysia, Madagascar, Iraq, Bangladesh, Mozambique, Vietnam, Tanzania Rep and Madagascar.

India also enhanced export of Soya meals by 132 per cent. Soya meal has gone up from Rs 3087 crores in 2019-20 to Rs 7224 crores in 2020-21. Other commodities of Agri& Allied basket witnessing significant increase in export during April, 2020 to February, 2021 as compared to corresponding period during 2019-20, have been Spices (Rs 26257 crore vs Rs 23562 crore; growth 11.44 per cent), Sugar(Rs 17072 crore vs Rs 12226 crore; growth 39.64 per cent), Raw Cotton(Rs 11373 crore vsRs 6771 crore; growth 67.96 per cent ), Fresh Vegetable (Rs4780 crore vs Rs 4067 crore; growth 17.54 per cent) and Processed Vegetables (Rs 2846 crore vs Rs 1994 crore; growth 42.69 per cent)etc.

The imports of Agri and allied commodities during April, 2020 – Feb, 2021 were Rs. 141034.25 Crore as compared to Rs. 137014.39 Crore in the same period last year witnessing a slight increase of 2.93 per cent.

Despite COVID-19, balance of trade in agriculture has favourably increased during April, 2020 – Feb, 2021 to Rs. 132,579.69 Crore as against Rs. 93,907.76 Crore during the same period in 2019-20.

India is capturing new markets namely, Timor-Leste,

Sustainable Energy

KitKat will help farmers plant five million shade trees where it sources its cocoa by 2025

KitKat, one of the world’s most popular chocolate brands, has recently pledged to become carbon neutral by 2025. KitKat aims to reduce the emissions generated through the sourcing of its ingredients, the manufacturing of the product, and its distribution by more than 50 per cent as part of the plan.

Most emissions occur when producing KitKat’s ingredients like cocoa and milk. The brand will reduce these emissions as much as possible through initiatives like restoring forests and supporting a transition to regenerative agriculture.

For any emissions that cannot be eliminated, the brand will invest in high quality offsetting based on natural climate solutions.

KitKat is working with The Carbon Trust, a global climate change and sustainability consultancy, to measure the brand’s current carbon footprint and will complete this process later in 2021.

Expanding regenerative agriculture
KitKat will expand its work with cocoa, palm oil, cereals, sugar and dairy farmers to implement regenerative practices. Farming methods such as reducing synthetic inputs, better management of soils and tree planting can help draw down carbon from the atmosphere, enhance biodiversity and boost on-farm productivity. To support this, KitKat will help farmers plant five million shade trees where it sources its cocoa by 2025.

Accelerating the transition to renewable electricity
KitKat is working to improve the environmental footprint of its factories. It has already reduced the energy required to produce KitKat by more than 40 per cent per ton of product since 2000.

Nestlé is already using some renewable electricity at KitKat manufacturing sites, such as power drawn from solar plants in the Middle East and Brazil.

 

KitKat will help farmers plant five million

Seeds

Afumati seed production facility is one of the most modern Corteva seed production facilities in the world

Corteva Agriscience has announced the investment of almost €13 million to expand its production facility at Afumati, Romania, and to accelerate the growth of its sunflower seed business in Europe.

The construction of a modernised facility is already underway and is set to become operational at the beginning of August, in time for the sunflower harvesting season. It will host cleaning, treatment, and packaging activities for the sunflower seeds.

The capital investment project comprising a new bulk storage and conditioning facility will enable Corteva Agriscience to shorten the supply chain, improve reliability and agility, and increase its European processing capacity to support growth in Europe.

Afumati seed production facility is one of the most modern Corteva seed production facilities in the world and delivers products with the latest plant genetics advancements to customers all over Europe.

The facility produces corn, sunflower and spring canola hybrids serving the needs of customers in EU countries, as well as Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Belorussia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey.

Afumati has been operating since 2006, employs almost 160 people and 250 seasonal workers during harvesting time. The facility’s expansion will allow Corteva Agriscience to create almost 20 new contractor positions. The total investment of the facility, including the modernisation investment, is more than €73 million.

Afumati seed production facility is one of

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, Trade

 Exports of commodities such as wheat, other Cereals, Rice (other than Basmati), Soya meal, Spices, Sugar, Raw Cotton, Fresh Vegetable, Processed Vegetables recorded significant growth 

India has consistently maintained trade surplus in the agricultural products over the years. India’s agricultural and allied exports during 2019-20 were Rs. 2.52 lakh Crores and imports were Rs. 1.47 lakh Crores. Even, during the difficult time of Pandemic, India took care not to disturb the world food supply chain and continued to export. The export of Agri and allied commodities during Apr, 2020 – Feb, 2021 were Rs. 2.74 lakh Crore as compared to Rs. 2.31 Crore in the same period last year indicating an increase of 18.49 per cent.

The commodities which posted significant positive growth in exports were wheat, other Cereals, Rice (other than Basmati), Soya meal, Spices, Sugar, Raw Cotton, Fresh Vegetable, Processed Vegetables, and Alcoholic Beverages etc.

Wheat and other cereals posted huge growth over last year, i.e., increasing from Rs. 425 Crore to Rs. 3283 Crore and Rs. 1318 Crore to Rs. 4542 Crore, respectively. On specific demand from countries, NAFED has exported 50,000 MT wheat to Afghanistan and 40,000 MT wheat to Lebanon under G2G arrangement. India has witnessed tremendous growth of 727 per cent for Wheat export.

 Exports of commodities such as wheat, other

Agro chems – Chemicals

This collaboration represents another step forward for Corteva’s expanding global Biologicals portfolio

Corteva Agriscience and Symborg, an expert in microbiological technologies, recently announced a multi-year agreement around a microbe-based nitrogen fixation product in the United States, Canada, Brazil and Argentina.

Through the agreement, Symborg is providing an exclusive distribution license to Corteva for the endophytic bacterium Methylobacterium symbioticum, which works with the plant to secure needed nitrogen from the atmosphere. Corteva is leveraging its wide distribution network, market reach and extensive research and development capabilities.

The Corteva product, to be branded as Utrisha N nutrient efficiency optimizer, works in natural field conditions, adapting to the plants’ growth needs and helping to sustainably maximize crop yield potential. It will be available for a broad range of crops, including field and row crops, sugar cane, and turf and ornamental, as well as range and pasture. The agreement also enables Corteva and Symborg to co-distribute the product in specialties crops on an exclusive basis.

This collaboration represents another step forward for Corteva’s expanding global Biologicals portfolio, which is dedicated to developing biostimulants, biocontrol and pheromone products with proven, predictable performance. Utrisha N, a BlueN technology powered by Symborg, will provide value through integrated nutrition management efficiency and enhancing yield potential and sustainability, in line with the Corteva Agriscience 2030 Sustainability Goals.

 

This collaboration represents another step forward for

World

FAO views biodiversity as the basis of food security

The Global Symposium on Soil Biodiversity hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) kicked off on April 19, 2021, with a call to preserve this vast community of living soil organisms and the vital ecosystem services they provide.

Soils host more than 25 percent of the world’s supply of this valued resource from where 95 percent of the food we eat is produced.

The FAO Director-General QU Dongyu pointed out to almost 5000 participants at the opening session that to reverse this trend, all efforts to manage, conserve and protect global biodiversity must also include this invisible array of microorganisms beneath the Earth’s surface.

To this end, he noted that sustainably managing soil biodiversity and preventing its loss needed to be integrated into global environmental frameworks, including the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, to be adopted at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) and the UN Food Systems Summit.

Minister for Agriculture and Livestock of Costa Rica Luis Renato Alvarado Rivera said that agriculture would continue feeding humanity, underlining the importance of keeping soils healthy, while stressing the need to develop innovative technologies to promote soil conservation.

FAO views biodiversity as the basis of food security and promotes its sustainable use for food security and nutrition, human and environmental well-being and development worldwide.

 

FAO views biodiversity as the basis of