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Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare was addressing the ‘11th Agrochemicals Conference 2022, organized by FICCI.

 Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt of India said that the private sector should come forward and support the government in reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides in the agriculture sector. Addressing the ‘11th Agrochemicals Conference 2022 -Policy Landscape for a Flourishing Agrochemicals Industry’, organized by FICCI, with the support of Department of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt of India.

Tomar also stated that the government is promoting the use of newer technology to be adopted by the farmers to produce expensive crops. “Work is also being done to ensure uniformity in production of crops along with ensuring quality in the production”, he added.

Bhagwanth Khuba, Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers and New & Renewable Energy, Govt of India urged the industry to focus on organic pesticides as this will take time to adopt to mitigate the side effects of pesticides currently used. “We must also promote manufacturing these organic pesticides in India as well”, he added.

Mr RG Agarwal, Chairman, FICCI Crop Protection Committee & Chairman, Dhanuka Group said, “We urge the government to reduce GST rates on pesticides and bring it at 5 per cent like fertilizers so as to benefit small and marginal farmers as well. The government should also provide PLI to pesticides industry to develop the domestic industry as an international manufacturing hub.”

FICCI-PwC Knowledge paper ‘Policy Landscape for a Flourishing Agrochemicals Industry’, was released during the event.

Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Agriculture &

The meet focussed on agricultural products from the eight states of the North Eastern Region and witnessed the presence of multiple national and International Brands

With the vision to promote sustainable trade and create market linkages, a mega buyer-seller meet was organised at under One District One Product initiative of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry with the support of Ministry of Development of North East Region (MDoNER) and its PSUs, North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation (NEHHDC) and North East Regional Agriculture Marketing Corporation Limited (NERAMAC). The meet focussed on agricultural products from the eight states of the North Eastern Region and witnessed the presence of multiple national and International Brands.

Over 70 sellers, traders, farmers, aggregators from various districts of each of the NE States – Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim – showcased their products to the buyers at the meet in Guwahati. Products included Meghalaya’s world-famous Lakadong Turmeric with more than 7 per cent curcumin content, the GI Tagged Large Cardamom from Sikkim and Queen Pineapple from Tripura, Orthodox Assam Tea, Manipur’s Black Chakhao Rice and more. These products have been showcased to over 30 large buyers representing big brands such as Reliance and ITC, as well as upcoming start-ups in India.

The keynote address for the event was made by Lok Ranjan, Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region in the presence of officials and subject matter experts from the Agricultural and Horticultural Departments of the various state governments. B Ramanjaneyulu, Director DPIIT, Manoj Kumar Das, Managing Director, NERAMAC, and Brig R K Singh, Managing Director, NEHHDC were also present.

Through the joint efforts, the best-in-class products from the region are being matched with big brands to improve the earning potential of farmers. Focused trade discussions were also facilitated between the buyers, sellers and the State Government representatives from all the 8 NER states. Additionally, Letters of Intent (LOI) worth Rs 6 crores were signed during the event. 

The meet focussed on agricultural products from

The three insecticides developed for rice, cotton and vegetable crops are a combination effective chemicals and fungicide will protect paddy crops from sheath blight and rice blast infections.

Agrochemical and fertiliser major Coromandel International launched three insecticides and a fungicide in recent.Company’s senior assistant vice-president and head (formulations-sales and marketing) B.V.S. Satish, launched Ortain Super, Phendal Plus, Canister and Prop-Plus, in the presence of firm’s assistant vice-president and head (formulations-sales and marketing) G.V. Suryanarayana, dealers and distributors.

  B.V.S. Satish said “All the four products had been developed in-house the company after a lot of research and development work. “The three insecticides developed for rice, cotton and vegetable crops are a combination effective chemicals, while fungicide Prop-Plus will protect paddy crops from sheath blight and rice blast infections”.

Satish also added that  the company was working towards strengthening its product portfolio for all major crops.Company’s senior general manager and regional business head S. Venkata Reddy, senior general manager and expert (marketing) Satish Tiwari and general manager (strategic marketing) Sourav Chakraborty were present on the occasion.

The three insecticides developed for rice, cotton

Biologicals by FMC demonstrates FMC’s commitment to providing farmers with science-backed biological solutions to help sustainably manage crops, protect yields and combat resistance

FMC Corporation, a leading global agricultural sciences company, has launched a new brand identity for its Plant Health business to reflect the company’s continuing growth and expansion of its biological’s platform. Agricultural biologicals represent a diverse group of crop protection and stimulant products derived from living organisms and naturally occurring compounds. Biologicals by FMC demonstrates FMC’s commitment to providing farmers with science-backed biological solutions to help sustainably manage crops, protect yields and combat resistance.

“FMC is investing substantially in the biological segment and is committed to providing growers with products offering unique modes of action as either stand-alone solutions or complementary to FMC’s portfolio of crop protection chemistries,” said Dr Bénédicte Flambard, global director of FMC Plant Health. “We are rapidly expanding our existing offerings into additional geographies by launching four new biopesticides around the world in the next four years. As part of this initiative, we are excited to share that we are introducing Zironar biofungicide/bionematicide in the US and Provilar biofungicide in Brazil this year.” 

Biologicals by FMC demonstrates FMC's commitment to providing

FICCI has said that GST Council should consider the agrochemical industry request favourably seeking reduction of the tax rate on agrochemical inputs for the farm sector from current 18 per cent to 5 per cent at the maximum

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in a press conference held on June 22, 2022, has said that GST Council should consider the agrochemical industry request favourably seeking reduction of the tax rate on agrochemical inputs for the farm sector from current 18 per cent to 5 per cent at the maximum.

The 47th meeting of the GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, will be held in Chandigarh on June 28 and 29.

Addressing the Press Conference on ‘Policy Landscape for a Flourishing Agrochemicals Industry’, organised by FICCI, R G Agarwal, Chair, FICCI Committee on Crop Protection and Chairman, Dhanuka Group said that high Goods and Service Tax (GST) on crop protection chemicals especially hurts small and marginal farmers by increasing their input cost and prompting them to use these essential ingredients in sub-optimal quantities to the detriment of farm output and their own financial health.

“A GST of 18 per cent on agrochemical is highly unjustified since they act as insurance to not only crop health but also increase their quality, yield and income of farmers. This high rate of 18 per cent is not justified and it should be brought down to a maximum of 5 per cent at par with fertilisers.”

Dr CD Mayee, a Former Agriculture Commissioner opined that Agrochemical industry acts as a backbone to our farmers and assures them of high yield with better quality produce while mitigating crop losses. In view of the climate changes and emerging threats of pest and disease there is urgent need to overhaul the regulatory system for introduction of new and innovative chemistries and technologies. There is also an urgent need to improve the enforcement mechanism, at several levels, to ensure the supply of high-quality agrochemicals to farmers on a sustainable basis.   

“This can be achieved with the cooperation of the private sector in addition to hiring adequate manpower and strengthening government laboratories, providing the latest analytical instruments, reference standards and making ISO17025 NABL certification mandatory as done under FSSAI Act as well as support from Quality Council of India or other independent organisations,” said Dr Mayee.

FICCI is organising its 11th Agrochemicals conference 2022 on the theme ‘Policy landscape for a flourishing Agrochemicals Industry’ on June 23 in New Delhi.

FICCI has said that GST Council should

Bionema’s new line of microbial solutions for vector management is eco-friendly, effective, and significantly reduces the use of chemical pesticides in public health.

With growing public awareness and concerns about the effects of chemical pesticides on human health, biodiversity and the environment, public health experts are looking for alternative solutions to control insects that transmit human diseases. Bionema Ltd, a world-leading developer of biocontrol solutions, believes that – when applied and used correctly – natural products and systems can meet the requirements and expectations of end users.

The biocides market size was estimated to be USD11.3 billion in 2021 and is projected reach USD13.6 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 3.7 per cent. The market is mainly driven by the rising demand for biocides in applications such as water treatment, household and personal care, paints and coatings, wood preservatives and others. Factors such as increased use of antimicrobial protection in end-use industries and stringent regulatory environments will drive the biocides market. APAC is the key market for biocides, globally, followed by Europe and North America, in terms of volume and value.

Bionema’s new public health biocontrol range comprises core products:

BioLarTM: Next generation liquid bioinsecticide formulation, developed for the control of larvae and pupae of mosquitoes, midges, and sandflies, before they grow into adults.

BioAdTM: Next generation liquid bioinsecticide formulation, developed to kill adult mosquitoes, midges, and other biting insects.

AttraKillTM: This ‘Lure & Kill’ product is designed to attract insects to the bioinsecticide, providing targeted and selective effects.

AutoMontTM: Designed for remote monitoring and mass capturing of insect populations for agriculture and public health importance, providing a quantitative reduction of insect populations over time.

Bionema encourages the implementation of a natural integrated pest management (IPM) approach. That might include, for example, ecological management, monitoring traps, pheromones, bacterial and fungal bioprotectants, all working together to provide the best possible pest control. “As well as launching the new line of public health products, we are working with end users to design pest management solutions that are suited to each individual customer’s requirements, using customised products,” explains Dr Minshad Ansari, Founder and CEO of Bionema Ltd. “Biocontrol solutions can be very effective as part of a natural IPM. We want to make sure that our customers achieve optimal results from our products, so we take the time to deliver that advice and a personalised approach that will ensure the best results, every time”.

Bionema’s new line of microbial solutions for

The Kalpa Agri-Business Incubator, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, Kerala in collaboration with Kerala start-up has jointly organised the RIBC 2.0

The Kalpa Agri-Business Incubator, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, Kerala in collaboration with Kerala start-up has jointly organised the “Rural India Business Conclave – 2022 (RIBC 2.0)” from June, 9to 13, 2022. The Chief Guest, Rajmohan Unnithan, Member of Parliament, Kasaragod, Kerala inaugurated the Conclave.

Dr Anitha Karun, Director, ICAR-CPCRI, Kasargod briefed about the main objective of the Conclave. Dr Karun stated that the programme could network the Knowledge Partners, Entrepreneurs and Financial Institutions for the inclusive Agri-business development.

The Conclave witnessed a wide array of activities like Rural-Agri Tech Hackathon, Funder’s Talks, Expert’s Talks, Panel Discussions, Startup Pitch, Interdisciplinary Workspace for Innovative Research, Investors Meet and Dream Big Kalpa, etc.

The Institute also signed two Memorandums of Understanding during the occasion.

The Kalpa Agri-Business Incubator, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops

This new in-house production capability of Indoxacarb is expected to improve the Company’s control over the availability, quality and cost of this important active ingredient

ADAMA Limited, a leading global crop protection company, announced that it has begun the in-house production of Indoxacarb, a key insecticide active ingredient (AI), with its new proprietary synthesis process providing a building block for ADAMA’s differentiated formulations. Producing this complex molecule with an innovative, cost-effective process is expected to improve ADAMA’s supply chain performance while opening access to a global market of approximately $200 million of Indoxacarb sales as of 2021.

“With its vast global market potential, we identified Indoxacarb as a key building block for ADAMA’s future differentiated product pipeline,” said Elad Shabtai, EVP Global Operations at ADAMA. “This new in-house production capability of Indoxacarb is expected to improve the Company’s control over the availability, quality and cost of this important active ingredient. Moreover, our Indoxacarb formulations deliver powerful solutions, thus combining our AI cost position with superior product features on the formulation side.”

ADAMA is targeting more than 15 countries with its self-produced Indoxacarb, including leading markets Brazil, India and the USA.

In addition to the potential sales of Indoxacarb, ADAMA expects to expand the production and sales of its proprietary active ingredient, Novaluron, due to increased demand, given that these two active ingredients are paired together in formulations to provide a highly effective solution against chewing pests in their early stages of development.

ADAMA’s Indoxacarb is now being manufactured in-house at its production facilities in Neot Hovav, Israel, and in India, requiring a dedicated production line with state-of-the art equipment.  

This new in-house production capability of Indoxacarb

The addition of Cainthus to the Ever.Ag portfolio will provide dairy farmers and their advisors new insights from passive data collection

Ever.Ag, a leading agtech provider dedicated to empowering supply chains to feed a growing world, has acquired Cainthus, a company that offers artificial intelligence-enabled cameras for analyzing dairy operations. The addition of Cainthus to the Ever.Ag portfolio will provide dairy farmers and their advisors new insights from passive data collection.

Ever.Ag CEO Scott Sexton commented, “We believe precision agriculture, now in the dairy barn, is the future. We are committed to growing, expanding, and embedding Cainthus technology into our software suite that spans the supply chain.”

The acquisition of Cainthus delivers on Ever.Ag’s mission and continues its decades-long tradition of partnering with the dairy industry from farm to fork. Additionally, as consumers become more focused on purchasing environmentally friendly and sustainably produced goods, the data it collects can validate responsible farming practices throughout the supply chain.

Ever.Ag plans to enhance the offerings of its My Dairy Dashboard product and producer portals ― which integrates data from milk pickups, feed delivered, recorded cow events, milk schedules, and pay information. Cainthus will use the operational data to associate and visually validate herd performance in the barn.

Both Ever.Ag and Cainthus are leaders in data digitisation for dairy farm operations and their animals. Ever.Ag solutions are designed, developed, and produced by a global team with a passion for agtech, client sustainability, and mutual prosperity.

The addition of Cainthus to the Ever.Ag

Cargill RegenConnect regeneratively-sourced cotton programme works to build a regenerative, traceable supply chain for growers and buyers

Beginning next month, Cargill will start enrolling US cotton growers in its Cargill RegenConnect regeneratively-sourced cotton programme, rewarding cotton growers for the positive soil health practices they are already using. This new addition to the Cargill RegenConnect portfolio furthers Cargill’s role in giving farmers access to emerging market opportunities within sustainable, traceable supply chains, opening doors to Cargill’s downstream customers looking to achieve their sustainable sourcing goals.   

William Barksdale, president of Cargill’s cotton business and chairman of the American Cotton Shippers Association said, “Cargill is committed to playing its role in advancing sustainable cotton production practices around the world. Through the Cargill RegenConnect regeneratively-sourced cotton programme, we are connecting market demand to the growers actively engaged in supporting environmental stewardship through regenerative agriculture practices.”

Cargill will offer one-year contracts to growers who have implemented cover crops and reduced-till or no-till practices since the Fall of 2021. Cotton growers can earn a premium for each pound of regeneratively-grown cotton contracted, produced and delivered to Cargill.  Cargill has partnered with Regrow to make it easy for farmers to securely enter data to verify their use of regenerative agriculture practices through the Regrow MRV platform.

Cargill RegenConnect regeneratively-sourced cotton programme works to

As part of the agreement, an additional 84 million restricted shares of DUTV were authorised and are being placed into Escrow

Digital Utilities Ventures, Inc (DUTV), has announced the execution of an agreement with Feed Earth Now, LLC, a privately owned limited liability company of Skokie, IL, in which, as part of the agreement, DUTV will become the majority shareholder. Also, as part of the agreement, an additional 84 million restricted shares of DUTV were authorised and are being placed into Escrow.

For the last 10 years, Feed Earth Now, LLC (FEN) have been developing a revolutionary, proprietary soil microbe formula (Terreplenish) from food waste that absorbs plant-available nitrates through absorbing atmospheric N2, and other beneficial microbes that thrive in soils and assist with enhanced plant growth and disease control while releasing tied up legacy phosphorus already in the soil.

This Terreplenish microbe formula in essence pulls 1/3 of the much-needed fertiliser for agricultural crops from the air, versus requiring it to be manufactured in large factories utilising CO2 emitting fossil fuels. The Terreplenish Microbial product has been commercially available in limited quantities to end-use customers for several years. 

Mark Gaalswyk, CEO of Easy Energy Systems, Inc, observed the technology and then developed a factory built Modular System to fully automate the entire process of making the Terreplenish microbe product from green waste material.  

As part of the agreement, an additional

By R Sabarinathan, Global Rice Agronomist, Netafim Ltd.

Scented (Basmati) rice, a unique product of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, is known for its aromatic quality and high economic value. It generates about three times higher prices than coarse rice. Approximately 20 per cent of the land used to cultivate rice grows scented rice in India, and northwest states account for more than 90 per cent of its total production. India contributes around 65 per cent of the total global supply of scented rice. The sustainability of the Basmati rice production in India has become a significant concern due to alarming water table depletion, growing food demand, stagnating, or declining productivity growth, and diminishing economic returns.

Traditionally, rice is a water-intensive crop and requires water for three primary purposes – preparing land (puddling), continual seepage, percolation, and growing the produce. The farmer growing Basmati rice has to keep the area spread continually flooded, which results in substantial unproductive water losses (up to 80 per cent) for reasons other than rice cultivation. The crop demands high water investments, labor, pre-crop preparation, and fertilizers. Despite these investments, farmers don’t get the expected returns because water inefficiency resulting lower crop yield, and reduced crop quality affects their profits.

Globally, India is one of the top basmati and non-basmati rice exporters. According to the statistics, in 2020-21, India’s rice exports (Basmati and Non-Basmati) rose by a massive 87 percent to 17.72 million Tonne (MT) from 9.49 MT achieved in 2019-20. In terms of value realization, India’s rice exports rose by 38 per cent to USD 8815 million in 2020-21 from USD 6397 million reported in 2019-20. In terms of volume of Basmati rice exports in 2020-21, the top ten countries – Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Kuwait, United Kingdom, Qatar, and Oman have a share of close to 80 percent in total shipments.

To achieve sustained growth in farmers’ income and continue dominating the global export market for scented rice, ensuring scientific and egalitarian water application in agriculture and minimizing wastage of water is paramount. The Indo-Gangetic plain (IGP) is an environmentally susceptible, communally momentous, and economically tactical sphere of India where landscape, groundwater, and soil fertility are threatened by climate change. The expensive land preparation, wastage of water through flooding, and the inefficiency of conventional techniques add to rice growers’ hurdles. Under these emerging scenarios, the farmers must focus on efficient alternative approaches for water use and start implementing drip irrigation for rice cultivation. Currently, the total area of rice under drip irrigation is around 500 Ha in India. Undoubtedly, it becomes imperative to introspect and overhaul agriculture practices in rice cultivation while acknowledging the efficiency that these upgrades would bring into the system.

Drip irrigation reduces water use through a precise water supply to the crop. So, for the one kilo of rice that the farmers used to grow in 5000 liters of water conventionally, they now need only 1500-1600 liters. They achieve a higher crop yield on a large scale in lesser water. Drip irrigation allows farmers to choose any desired close spacing crop after rice in crop rotation. They can also shift from low-income crops to high-income ones after cultivating rice. In paddy farming, rice roots remain submerged. They consume heavy metals and increase the arsenic in the harvest, thereby reducing the crop’s market value. However, drip irrigation helps reduce the arsenic uptake by around 90% and further results in a high-quality and marketable crop growth.

The farmer community could reduce labor costs with drip irrigation, achieve water efficiency, increase crop yield, and improve crop quality. All of these factors reduce investments and increase profits. Additionally, Paddy cultivation produces around 10 per cent of methane gas emissions globally. But, even if only 10 per cent of paddy rice cultivators upgrade to drip irrigation, the world will be able to reduce methane emissions equivalent to those of a staggering 40 million cars. Controlled application of water and fertilizer has increased the productivity of the crops by 50 per cent. All these boost farmer income levels by more than 40 per cent.

The backbone of the success of drip irrigation in rice cultivation is awareness generation and practical training amongst small and marginal farmers in potential states. Studying the current drip-irrigation programs, Indian rice growers must adopt the technology at full scale with proper and accelerated execution. Continuing to tread the path of adopting suitable technology will make doubling farmers’ income an achievable goal.

By R Sabarinathan, Global Rice Agronomist, Netafim

The two companies said the partnership would allow hemp farmers to take advantage of PanXchange’s deep knowledge of commodity trading

PanXchange, the industry market structure solution and benchmark price provider for US hemp, and the Washington DC-based National Industrial Hemp Council of America announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will support the growth of financial incentives for carbon sequestration for the US industrial hemp market.

Julie Lerner, founder, and CEO of PanXchange commented, “Partnering with a strong hemp membership and advocacy organisation like NIHC will help grow industrial hemp markets and related climate-smart agricultural practices across the supply chain.”

The two companies said the partnership would allow hemp farmers to take advantage of PanXchange’s deep knowledge of commodity trading and the potential impact of implementing climate-smart practices specifically for hemp growing and processing.

PanXchange is rolling out a transparent carbon program that provides farmers a viable path toward financial rewards for implementing regenerative agricultural practices. Moreover, Lerner explains that the PanXchange program gives farmers full ownership of the carbon credits earned and full agency to market the credits directly to buyers through its online trade platform.

The company already has 31,000 acres of croplands committed to the program for the 2023 crop year.

“Carbon sequestration and the voluntary carbon market are part of hemp’s renaissance and will be an important part of North American agriculture. This partnership will be a value-add for American farmers who choose to grow hemp.  Producers and the companies using these raw goods will also benefit alongside American consumers who will ultimately fulfill the promise of hemp’s potential to power our climate-smart economy,” said Patrick Atagi, President and CEO of the National Industrial Hemp Council of America.

The two companies said the partnership would

The company is now fully prepared to remain ahead of the competition market and expand its compact tractor range with launch of 3 new models in up to 30 HP segment in Turkey

Solis Yanmar, the flagship brand of International Tractors Limited, has been significantly expanding its market presence not just in India but across the globe. The company is now fully prepared to remain ahead of the competition market and expand its compact tractor range with launch of 3 new models in up to 30 HP segment in Turkey. Equipped with proven Japanese technologies, the tractors will further raise performance bar in the local tractor market. The company also recently unveiled the Solis 75 HP CRDi tractor in the Izmir & Konya National fairs held in February & March 2022 respectively.

Solis Yanmar has a strong product offering in less than 100 HP segment with more than 10 models and 20+ variants for the Agricultural & Compact tractor category. Solis Yanmar has established a robust presence in entire Turkish market with 50+ dealerships & close to 100 sales points across the country. The company also has 200+ dedicated service centres linked to these dealers to serve its end customers.

Sharing his thoughts on the growing market performance, Raman Mittal, Joint Managing Director, Solis Yanmar, said, “We feel delighted to share that we are the fastest growing tractor brand in Turkey while strongly holding No 1 tractor exports brand position. The Turkish market has a huge demand for tractors between 30-90 HP making our Solis 50 & Solis 90 to be the star products for us. Our S26 model has 88 per cent market share in calendar year of 2021 and overall we have captured 8 per cent market share in Turkey. We also recently unveiled the 75 HP CRDi tractor in the Izmir & Konya National fairs held in February & March 2022 respectively which was much appreciated. We are now expanding our compact tractor range in up to 30 HP with launch of 3 new models with Japanese technologies to address the niche segment and take Turkish tractor market by a storm.”

The company is now fully prepared to