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Agro Universities, Start ups

Activities of a-IDEA in promoting the start-ups in the rural sector were underlined

The a-IDEA, TBI of ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad recently organised the Demo Day under Agri Udaan 4.0.

Dr Ch Srinivasa Rao, Director, ICAR-NAARM, Hyderabad applauded the activities of the a-IDEA and highlighted the different policy papers published by the Academy for the benefits of FPOs, Entrepreneurs, etc.

Dr G Venkateshwarlu, Joint Director, ICAR-NAARM, Hyderabad underlined the activities of a-IDEA in promoting the start-ups in the rural sector and enhancing the competency of start-ups through effective technical & business mentoring.

S Somasundaram, DGM, NABARD, Mumbai, Maharashtra apprised about the support provided by the NABARD to a-IDEA in strengthening the start-ups through the accelerator programme and seed fund support.
A total of 10 start-ups and 25 investors from the different parts of the country participated in the programme.

Activities of a-IDEA in promoting the start-ups

Agro Universities, R&D

The partnership will facilitate a close cooperation between both the organisations and would be a milestone in producing disease-free quality planting material of citrus in the country

The ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute, Nagpur, Maharashtra signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jai Hind Nursery, Bhiwadi, Alwar District, Rajasthan for containerised nursery propagation technique to produce the disease-free citrus planting material.

Dr Dilip Ghosh, Director, ICAR-CCRI, Nagpur and Anil Kumar, Managing Director, Jai Hind Nursery signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations.

Dr Ghosh stated that the partnership is aimed at facilitating a close cooperation between both the organisations and would be a milestone in the area of production of the disease-free quality planting material of citrus in the country.

The institute has standardised the protocol for the containerised nursery production system for citrus. Considering the demand of about 20 million plants of the various commercial citrus cultivars in the country for new plantation and replanting of gaps within an existing orchard, the institute is promoting the nursery production through the PPP mode.

The partnership will facilitate a close cooperation

AgroPolicy, Sugar industry, Supply Chain, Trade

Govt will allow sugar exports upto 100 LMT

The government has decided to allow export of sugar upto 100 LMT with a view to maintain the domestic availability and price stability during the sugar season 2021-22 (October-September). As per the order issued by DGFT, with effect from June 1, 2022 till October 31, 2022, or till further order, whichever is earlier, the export of the sugar will be allowed with specific permission of the Directorate of Sugar, Department of Food & Public Distribution. 

The decision came in the light of record exports of the sugar. In sugar seasons 2017-18, 2018-19 & 2019-20, only about 6.2 LMT, 38 LMT & 59.60 LMT of sugar was exported. In sugar season 2020-21 against target of 60 LMT about 70 LMT have been exported. In the current sugar season 2021-22, contracts for export of about 90 LMT have been signed, about 82 LMT sugar has been dispatched from sugar mills for export and approx. 78 LMT have been exported. Export of sugar in current sugar season 2021-22 is the historically highest. 

The decision will ensure that the closing stock of sugar at the end of sugar season (September 30, 2022) remains 60-65 LMT which is two to three months stocks (monthly requirement is around 24 LMT in those months) required for domestic use. Crushing in new season starts in last week of October in Karnataka and in last week of October to November in Maharashtra and in November in Uttar Pradesh. So generally, up to Nov, supply of sugar takes place from previous year stock.

Govt will allow sugar exports upto 100

AgroPolicy, Seeds, Sustainability

Discussions were held on the need for cooperation of the state governments and the Centre so that awareness is raised among farmers across the country

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar presided over a national webinar on ‘Seed Chain Development.’ Tomar said the state governments, in consultation with the Central Government, should prepare a roadmap for 10-15 years for the benefit of farmers. He said it should be ensured that the farmers get timely supply of good quality seeds. State governments should strictly curb black marketing and those selling fake seeds.

Tomar said, “Availability of good seeds for farming increases production and productivity, resulting in higher income for farmers and raising the share of agriculture in GDP besides benefitting our agriculture and the nation’s economy. Planning should be done for adequate supply of seeds of crops like pulses-oilseeds, cotton etc.”

Tomar said that the cooperation of the state governments is also necessary for seed traceability, so that awareness is raised among farmers across the country and they can take rightful decision regarding the seeds for their plantation as per the requirement.

Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shobha Karandlaje said it should be ensured that the varieties of seeds developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research reach the farmers at the grassroots level. Along with this, the states should work in a planned manner at the district level on all aspects related to the agriculture sector, so that the farmers do not face any problem.

Addressing the webinar, the Union Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja said that arrangements should be made to provide quality seeds to the farmers right down to the Panchayat level, while awareness should be raised among the farmers about testing of seed quality. 

Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Abhilaksh Likhi and other senior officers were present in the programme. Senior officials of the Agriculture Department of the states and the representatives of the seed corporations of the centre and the states joined the webinar virtually. The webinar was conducted by Ashwini Kumar, Joint Secretary (Seeds). He informed that the government is working for setting up seed testing laboratories at the panchayat level.

Discussions were held on the need for

Agrotech, Machinery - Pre-harvesting, Machinery – Post-harvesting, World

STEYR won in the Product Design category for its new Terrus CVT tractor, produced at the brand’s St Valentin manufacturing facility

STEYR, a regional agricultural tractor brand of CNH Industrial, won the iF DESIGN AWARD for its Terrus CVT Tractor, the latest in a series of accolades for this machine. 

Founded in 1953, iF Design has become a global symbol of excellence in design and its annual awards are highly esteemed. The iF seal is granted to products that blend innovative style and aesthetics with enhanced functionality to benefit customers while raising the profile of the design community. 

STEYR won in the Product Design category for its new Terrus CVT tractor, produced at the brand’s St Valentin manufacturing facility. It is a perfect combination of function and form, blending a bold and rugged exterior design with a premium interior focused on operator comfort and ergonomics. The cab has been restructured to create a better working environment and now serves as a ‘command centre’ in which style has a purpose. The design of the controls makes tractor operation more intuitive, efficient, and productive. 

The iF DESIGN AWARD is further recognition of the outstanding work carried out by the CNH Industrial Design team in creating machines that blend customer- focussed style with product quality, capability, efficiency, and sustainability. 

STEYR won in the Product Design category

Company News

ZOATIN is the first product launched as part of UPL’s partnership with global bioscience company Chr Hansen to develop microbial biosolutions that will help growers around the world fight pests and diseases

UPL, a global provider of sustainable agriculture solutions, has announced the launch of ZOATIN, a new biosolution that effectively facilitates plant uptake and utilisation of phosphorus to improve crop health and yield. ZOATIN is the first product launched as part of UPL’s partnership with global bioscience company Chr Hansen to develop microbial biosolutions that will help growers around the world fight pests and diseases, and sustainably improve crop quality and yields.

ZOATIN is a bacterial-based technology that works by solubilising otherwise unavailable forms of phosphorous in the soil to improve the ability of crops to take up and utilise the nutrient for maximum yield and improved crop health. Extensive trials have shown that the application of ZOATIN directly contributes to optimal root development and improved crop resilience against biotic and abiotic stresses such as drought, while also increasing water use efficiency.

ZOATIN is part of the comprehensive portfolio of biosolutions housed by UPL’s Natural Plant Protection (NPP). It can be applied to a range of crops including maize, rice, potatoes, pulses and a variety of vegetables using in-furrow, seedling drench or drip irrigation application at the time of seeding.

Mike Frank, President and COO, UPL, said, “ZOATIN has proven to effectively grow healthier crops, it also provides environmental benefits by ensuring phosphate fertilisers are used more efficiently by crops, thus reducing nutrient waste. This can help to reduce the adverse impacts that phosphate fertilisers can have on water sources.”

The collaboration between UPL and Chr Hansen was first announced in October 2021. Through the partnership, UPL is using its global presence to undertake research and identify opportunities and product concepts to address farmers’ needs.

ZOATIN is the first product launched as

Agrotech, China, Company News

Yunnan will purchase 20,000 metric tonnes of Origin’s nutritionally enhanced corn

Beijing-headquartered Origin Agritech, an agriculture technology company, announced recently that the company and Yunnan Feeding Company have entered into a supply agreement, under which Yunnan will purchase 20,000 metric tonnes of Origin’s nutritionally enhanced corn (NEC).

Pricing will be based on the prevailing price of corn at the time of delivery but based on current market prices the deal would be valued at RMB3100 per metric ton, or RMB62 million in total ($9.2 million).

Origin had previously announced 50,000 metric ton supply agreement back in April of this year. The approximate combined value of the two orders is RMB217mm ($32 million). This backlog of orders does not include any impact from the previously announced collaboration with BaoDao Feed.

“It is quite gratifying to see the feedstock industry’s excitement and demand for our new corn variety, NEC,” said Dr Gengchen Han, Origin Agritech’s Chairman. “We are focussed on operations and ramping up production to catch up with the quickly increasing demand.”

Yunnan will purchase 20,000 metric tonnes of Origin's

AgroPolicy, Horticulture, Sustainability

The Rs 227-crore programme will benefit over nine lakh farming families

MK Stalin, Chief Minister, Tamil Nadu launched the Kalaignarin All Village Integrated Agriculture Development Programme. The programme is to be implemented for Rs 227 crore and will benefit over nine lakh farming families in 1,997 village panchayats across the state.

The programme will be implemented in all 12,525 village panchayats across Tamil Nadu in five years. It will be implemented by the Agriculture Department in close coordination with the Rural Development Department.

According to an official release, under this scheme, coconut saplings, home farming saplings, horticultural saplings, sprays needed for farming and kit for the vegetable garden will be distributed and a 100 per cent subsidy would be provided to Adi Dravida farmers for sinking wells in drylands, employ drip irrigation, to dig farm ponds, among others.

The Rs 227-crore programme will benefit over

Agrotech, Company News, R&D

  The state of the art Agri Advisory Centre in Pune has employed over 500+ Agri Doctors and provides real-time Agri advisory solutions to farmers.

AgroStar, India’s largest digital farmer network and an end-to-end solutions provider for farmers, announced the opening of India’s Largest Agri Advisory centre and a Quality Assurance Lab for Seeds and Fertilisers at its headquarters in Pune, Maharashtra. The Agri Advisory Centre and quality lab were inaugurated by Dheeraj Kumar, IAS, Commissioner Agriculture, Maharashtra along with the guest of honour,  Umesh Chandra Sarangi, IAS, Retd. Additional Chief Sec (Home), Govt. Of Maharashtra.

The AgroStar Quality Assurance Lab (AQAL), is a part of their R&D efforts and innovation with the single intent to ensure farmers get the absolute best quality inputs through the AgroStar platform. The lab is equipped with advanced equipment to conduct seed testing as per ISTA (International Seed Testing Association) protocols and fertiliser testing as per international standards. It is operated by a team of highly qualified professionals that include seed technologists, seed analysts, quality control professionals, and chemistry quality analysts.

AQAL will carry out tests like physical purity test, moisture test, and standard germination test, maintenance of relative humidity, temperature & time to time monitoring of germination samples. The seed lab has already undertaken more than 150 seed germination & other tests. The lab is in the process of receiving accreditation from NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration) and ISTA (International Seed Testing Association). The fertiliser testing capability will help in testing the quality of all the fertilisers including water-soluble fertilisers and other micro and macro nutrients before supplying them to farmers.

The Agri Advisory Centre has a team of 500+ Agri experts (B Sc. graduates and postgraduates) providing real-time advisory services to farmers at no cost charged. Be it guidance on seed varieties, preventive measures against pests and diseases or crop nutrition management, these advisors are helping farmers to grow good quality crops, increase their yield and reduce their cost of cultivation.

Speaking at the inauguration, Dr. Devraj Arya, Vice President – Farm Solutions and Regulatory Affairs, AgroStar said “The AgroStar Quality Assurance Lab will determine the quality assurance of seed and fertilisers before supplying the products to our farmers on the AgroStar platform. AQAL will also ensure testing of crop nutrition products (Fertilisers & micro nutrients) to ensure high-quality supply of fertilizers and crop nutrition products to our farmers and later we will expand our services for pesticide analysis in near future.”

  The state of the art Agri

Acquaculture, Agrotech, Start ups

Aquaconnect will showcase the startups’ tech-driven solutions at Davos

Aquaconnect, a technology-driven full-stack aquaculture inputs and outputs platform with embedded fintech, supported by a phygital distribution network,  has announced that it will be showcasing its technology solutions, as part of a startup delegation led by UMAGINE, at Davos.

Aquaconnect is one among seven startups from Tamil Nadu visiting Davos, in the backdrop of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meet scheduled May 22-May 26, 2022. Aquaconnect will be seen as part of the UMAGINE Lounge in Davos, where it aims to attract interest towards India’s Blue revolution powered by technology. Rajamanohar Somasundaram, Founder & CEO of Aquaconnect who is representing Aquaconnect in Davos, will demonstrate use cases and the need for a data-driven approach in aquaculture to improve productivity, sustainability and traceability of seafood.

Commenting on this occasion, Founder & CEO, Rajamanohar Somasundaram, said, “We are humbled and delighted with the opportunity to go global and share our learnings and impact stories in this sector with leaders from all over the world. We started our journey in 2017 with an aim to promote sustainable aquaculture among the farming communities and better farmer livelihoods. At Davos, we look forward to meeting and collaborating with the global community and demonstrating how technology is driving improvements in aquaculture.”

UMAGINE is a community-driven project by the Government of Tamil Nadu that aims to improve the technology ecosystem in the State and provide a breeding ground for deep-tech companies in the state. Umagine will host its flagship Summit in Chennai annually, the inaugural edition for which will be hosted from 21to 23 September 2022. Currently, UMAGINE is reaching out to captains of global companies on the side-lines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at the Umagine Lounge in Davos. As part of this, UMAGINE is leading a delegation of seven tech entrepreneurs who are creating an impact in their respective fields and contributing to the growth of the state.

Aquaconnect will showcase the startups’ tech-driven solutions

Company News, Environment, R&D

The hybrids are photo-insensitive, drought-tolerant and have better resistance to diseases

Ankur Seeds has launched GMS-based Indian Bean (Dolichos) Hybrids. Dr Manoj S Phalak, a vegetable breeder at Ankur Seeds, has successfully developed a stable genetic male sterility system in Indian beans using the mutation breeding technique and has effectively combined it with a unique system of cross-pollination mechanism for hybrid seed production. Ankur Seeds has successfully commercialised the hybrid technology by developing two protein-rich hybrids viz. Ankur Dolly and Ankur-427, that are proving to be valuable contributions to the nutritional security of the vegetable world and have immense potential to revolutionise global vegetable cultivation.

Both the Dolichos beans hybrids are photo-insensitive, drought-tolerant, have better resistance to diseases and can grow and yield well in harsh weather conditions. 

The hybrids are photo-insensitive, drought-tolerant and have

Agrotech, Environment, Start ups

Organisations joining forces to develop the next generation of crop nutrition and food tech startups

ICL, a leading global speciality minerals company, has partnered with startup accelerator StartLife in its quest to invest in startups focused on new ways to address global challenges in food and agricultural production. These challenges range from increasing yields and tackling food insecurity, to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Both organisations are fully geared toward accelerating the business development and growth of early-stage startups, and this partnership enables them to advance in their shared mission.

Headquartered in Israel, ICL Planet Startup Hub serves as the vehicle ICL uses to cultivate, nurture and accelerate innovation in the AgriFood tech ecosystem, through open innovation and collaboration on a global basis. Potential targets also include novel ways to recycle minerals, extract them from waste streams and convert them to fertilisers or develop innovative functional proteins for clean label applications, among others.

“ICL Planet Startup Hub seeks to establish a new generation of plant nutrition solutions, and we aim to invest in startups, which can make a meaningful difference,” said Hadar Sutovsky, VP of External Innovation at ICL Group. Sutovsky first encountered StartLife through its annual summit – F&A Next – which is centered on disruptive AgriFood technologies and brings together startups, investors and corporates from all over the world.

“StartLife has a strong track record of spotting and attracting promising early-stage startups globally, and its position at the heart of the European AgriFood tech ecosystem, its focus on sustainable food systems, and its strong links with the world-renowned Wageningen University & Research were central to our decision to enter into a partnership,” continued Sutovsky.

StartLife’s Operations Director, Laura Thissen, said, “Through this partnership, StartLife aims to accelerate startups’ scaling journey and, at the same time, support ICL in finding the best startups, which match their innovation challenges. Our team is already identifying startups looking to partner and help solve a piece of the innovation puzzle for Planet Startup. The scope includes crop nutrition, such as next-generation fertilisers and biostimulants, but also precision farming and alternative proteins.”

Thissen added, “To boost innovation, StartLife actively connects startups to leading players in the industry. ICL’s core domain is complementary to our partner community value chain coverage. In our talks, we quickly discovered we have a lot of synergies in our activities and the same drive for sustainability in food and agriculture.”

Startups have much to gain from a collaboration with ICL Planet Startup Hub, including market access, expertise and world-class scientists, as well as the ability for sample testing. As an on-the-ground industrial partner, ICL can also provide agronomic or food application feedback. ICL Planet Startup Hub is already an active investor in several AgriFood startups, most recently in alternative protein companies Plantible and Protera.

Organisations joining forces to develop the next

Agro Universities, Agrotech, Foodgrains, Supply Chain, Warehousing

Discussions were held on the efficient management of stored grains

The “7th Meeting of the Indian Grain Storage Working Group (IGSWG)” was recently organised by the Division of Agricultural Engineering, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi at the National Agricultural Science Centre Complex, New Delhi.

Inaugurating the meeting, Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) urged for looking into the bulk storage of grains and bringing out a comparison of its advantages and disadvantages to the traditional methods as a document. The Director-GeneralDirector-General also suggested establishing the extensive linkages with the Department of Food and Public Distribution, Food Corporation of India, Industry Partners and other stakeholders for the efficient management of the stored grains.

Dr SN Jha, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Engineering), ICAR briefed about the salient achievements of the group since its inception. Dr Jha highlighted the Theme of the 7th Meeting – “Natural Modern Grain Storage Technologies” and its importance in the era of organic farming and natural farming.

Dr Suresh Kumar Chaudhari, Deputy Director General (Natural Resource Management), ICAR highlighted the importance of the grain storage vis-à-vis the location and environmental conditions of the place.

Dr Tilak Raj Sharma, Deputy Director General (Crop Science), ICAR suggested the adoption of modern technologies along with natural techniques for enhancing the shelf life of the grains.

Dr Ashok Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension), ICAR also graced the inaugural session of the Meeting.

Earlier, Dr Kanchan K Singh, ADG (Farm Engineering), ICAR delivered the welcome address.

The scientists from the various ICAR Institutes and All India Coordinated Research Project on Post-Harvest Engineering & Technology Centres, Faculty Members and Students from ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi; delegates from CFTRI, FCI and Industries, etc., participated in the meeting.

Discussions were held on the efficient management

Acquaculture, Agri Genomics, AgroPolicy

A nano aquarium was also unveiled at the VGP Marine Kingdom

Anitha R Radhakrishnan, Minister for Fisheries & Animal Husbandry, Government of Tamil Nadu has launched the hatchery bred marine ornamental shrimps and nano aquarium at VGP Marine Kingdom, Chennai. The initiative has been introduced by the ICAR-National Bureau of Fisheries Genetic Resources (NBFGR), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh and VGP Marine Kingdom, Chennai.

Radhakrishnan underlined the initiatives of the fisheries department for the betterment of the fishers of the state for improving their livelihood options. The minister appreciated the ICAR-NBFGR and VGP Marine Kingdom’s efforts on the new concept of Marine Nano Aquaria with the captive-raised shrimps.

Dr KK Lal, Director, ICAR-NBFGR, Lucknow outlined the bureau’s initiatives, the concept of community-based ornamental aquaculture and the need for collaborative involvement with the market leaders like the VGP Marine Kingdom.

VGP Ravidas, Managing Director, VGP Group stated about the VGP Marine Kingdom and the pioneering efforts in establishing the first oceanarium in the country at Chennai.

A nano aquarium was also unveiled at