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Company News, Seeds

 The company is helping the next generation of farmers through its hybrid millet seeds and modernizing the key agricultural attributes to support them in growing what matters.

Corteva Agriscience, the global agriculture company, has been committed to offering an unparalleled choice of seed products and innovations for today and tomorrow. Observing the “International Year of Millets 2022-23” and to address the demand for adequate food, nutrition, and livelihood security while combating climate change, the company is focused on engaging the next generation of farmers through its hybrid millet seeds and modernizing the key agricultural attributes to support them in growing what matters.

Millet is grown for grain as well as for fodder production. The grain can be used in poultry and cattle etc. The developing countries in Asia and Africa contribute around 93 per cent of total millet production in the world. India is their largest global producer, with a 41 per cent market share. Millet can withstand extreme temperatures, floods, and droughts accompanied by its low carbon footprint aids in mitigating the effects of climate change. This crop is mostly sown in rainfed areas after rain and can grow in areas that experience frequent periods of dry weather during either the vegetative or reproductive phases. Given the huge potential of millets in bolstering India’s food and nutritional security and alleviating hunger, there is a growing need for high potential hybrid seeds that can be grown in irrigated as well as rainfed areas that can help farmers to increase their income.

In line with this, Corteva’s hybrid millet seeds provide maximum productivity and profitability. Corteva representatives also work with farmers to create more sustainable agricultural practices that can be implemented across the entire farm.

Gurpreet Bhathal, Marketing Director, Corteva Agriscience South Asia said, “Antrashtriya Bajra Mahotsav’ 2022-23 will spotlight the ecological benefits and nutritional value of millets to producers and consumers. We believe that the initiative will benefit the farmers the most. As a part of our efforts towards delivering for farmers and agriculture, we, at Corteva Agriscience, are supporting the farmers with hybrid seeds for years to deliver exceptional yields and meet their full potential. We take pride in this as the benefits of millets will be delivered to millions of consumers. As more consumers become aware of the nutritional value of the millets, more people will consume them, which will help farmers increase their income.”

Corteva Agriscience strives to help farmers improve the performance of their farms, every year, through leading-edge agronomy, digital farming, and financial expertise. The company is concentrating its efforts to educate farmers about the use of technology-driven solutions that enable growers to achieve the sustainable development goals of food security and nutrition. 

 The company is helping the next generation

Interaction, Sustainability

EKI Energy Services Ltd. is a leading Carbon Credit Developer & Supplier across the globe. Founded in 2008, the Bombay Stock Exchange listed company has been passionately working towards rehabilitating planet Earth to a future of net-zero carbon emission. EKI offers sustainable solutions for climate change and carbon offsets with global standards like CDM, VCS, Gold Standard, GCC, IREC, TIGR and others. With an aim to contribute to the development of a climate resilient global economy, the company offers strategic solutions to businesses and organisations globally to achieve their climate ambition. The company has incorporated a new associate – GHG Reduction Technologies Pvt Ltd. for the backward integration of carbon credit supply. Manish Dabkara, CMD & CEO, EKI Energy Services Ltd shares his views with AgroSpectrum on the status of carbon farming market in India and the way forward

How is EKI helping farmers to generate an additional, sustainable income from carbon cropping?
We at EKI have defined best practices for the implementation of Agricultural Nature- based Solutions (Ag-NbS) based on various on-the-ground experiences to assist project designers, proponents, farmers and conservation practitioners seeking repayable project financing for new initiatives.Ag-NbS can help farmers adapt to future weather extremes such as droughts, severe storms, or coastal flooding by improving soil health and water retention, reducing soil erosion,and buffering shorelines, as well as promoting food and nutrition security through varied production systems and also as a source of income. They can reduce the usage of chemical additives, lowering production costs and make food safer.

NbS are a form of Ecosystem-based Mitigation (EBM) that can contribute to combating climate change by preventing the degradation and loss of natural and managed ecosystems. When effectively implemented, nature-based solutions can deliver a triple benefit in terms of agricultural productivity and resilience, climate change mitigation, and biodiversity enhancement. NbS has been used to address a wide range of societal challenges, including climate change, human health, disaster risk reduction, food and water security, and so on. Due to uncertainty in weather patterns, water insecurity, and soil degradation; agriculture is one of the sectors that face several market failures. Although Ag-NbS are projected to improve air, water, and soil quality significantly, the upfront costs and risks of transitioning to NbS make the alternative unaffordable for many farmers.

Transitioning to Ag-NbS usually necessitates an ecosystem of actors, including NGOs, governments, corporations, and others, coordinating their activities through clear policies and institutional participation. Investments should be made to help resource-strapped farmers embrace natural farming practices such as replacing synthetic fertilisers with organic soil amendments.

What are the challenges in the carbon farming trading sector in India?
At EKI, we develop mechanisms involved in carbon farming to help restore the lost functions of the ecosystem and strengthen ecosystem service delivery considering all the aforementioned challenges. Our framework mainly includes soil health and water quality (environmental well-being), in addition to improved farm productivity and profitability. Effective planning strategies are needed that not only meet human demands but also safeguard environmental resources. Carbon farming initiatives (CFI) call for agro-environmental policies to encourage farmers to use sustainable farming techniques. However, getting farmers to participate in such programmes is challenging,owing to the complexity of scheme design and implementation, as well as policymakers’, investors’, and farmers’ competing objectives.

In addition to inadequate knowledge or management abilities, some of the hurdles to carbon farming are directly related to landowners’ interests. Political instability has a significant impact on such practices’ adoption and implementation. Furthermore, ambiguity about environmental consequences and a lack of understanding of such policies and plans may impede their implementation.
In fact, many farmers are unaware of the benefits and limitations of carbon farming, which is exacerbated by high input costs and concerns about the impact of carbon farming on yield and farm productivity. Significant challenges to carbon farming include capital investment, incompatibility of carbon farming with traditional farm management techniques, and potential impact on farmers’ ability to seek financial help from banks or other sources. Along with terrestrial carbon sequestration, carbon farming provides an opportunity to sustain biodiversity, as well as economic and social co-benefits. However, its successful execution is dependent on adequate institutional structures and information dissemination. Farmers must be given exact information on carbon removal, estimated financial rewards in the carbon market, changes in carbon yields based on soil type, potential effects on property value, and agricultural production.

What inputs are required for the growth of the carbon credit trade sector in India?
The growth of carbon credit trade in India requires the following:

• A national legislation by Parliament to pave the path for the formation of requisite market systems and legitimisation of the National Carbon Registry & National Carbon Market to meet the country’s commitments under Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)

• Respective line ministries, which may include the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, etc., to effectively form the national policy for the formation of a national carbon market.

• Regulation to be brought in on an urgent basis to formulate the rules for the operation of such a carbon market. The market should be effectively sunk with the National Carbon Registry.


• Effective level playing field to support private sector participation in the origination of carbon emission reductions (projects) and country endorsement to participate in International Voluntary Carbon trading, bringing the requisite FDIs in India

• In the recent future, with the advent of operational modalities under Article 6 Supervisory Body of UNFCCC and its administered International Carbon Registry, the Indian National Carbon Registry should effectively be linked on a real-time basis with the International Carbon Registry.

• The above measures will help to establish a transparent and vibrant carbon market, providing an indexing facility to leverage the most required green/carbon finance instruments and facilitating India’s carbon neutral growth path while helping in attaining its NDC goal.

What are your growth plans and strategies in FY 22-23?
EKI Energy Services has achieved numerous milestones in 2022 and as we gear up for 2023, we promise to continue the momentum and empower the planet’s journey to net-zero. We have recently announced a host of strategic plans in preparation for COP27 as a part of our roadmap for FY 2022-23. Our new brand identity of ‘Steering the planet to net-zero’ explains our continued focus on climate action. We have committed to becoming net-zero by 2030 and also mobilise up to 1 billion credits within the next 5 years (by 2027). We aim to ensure that as businesses globally plan their roadmap for FY 22-23, they will take inspiration from us and include definitive climate goals and targets for emission reductions and net-zero. We also plan to enhance our international presence and enter into new geographies and further consolidate our leadership position. We aim to further strengthen the backwardintegration of the carbon credit supply chain through environment-friendly projects that also enable community upliftment such as biogas and tree plantation amongst others. We will continue to look for new growth avenues to play a bigger role in global carbon asset management.


How do you foresee the future of the carbon farming trading sector in India and what are the plans of the company to create direct market linkages for carbon credit?
As the carbon credit market continues to grow exponentially, we expect the carbon farming sector to grow as well. The implementation of NbS projects and other carbon reduction projects that enable greater focus on farmland practices and sustainable agriculture will directly promote carbon farming which will also ensure a steady supply of carbon credits. Policy guidelines will also aid the development of carbon farming. We continue to drive focused efforts to increase NbS projects. We also have a partnership with Shell Overseas Investments B.V. (The Netherlands) for this. These projects will enable carbon reduction and bring greater focus on carbon farming. As the ecosystem develops, more and more farmers will join the quest for carbon financing given its ability to make their farmland and farming investments self-sustaining for higher produce even as they generate additional revenues from carbon credits. COP26 witnessed the zeal of nations to turn the 2020s into a decade of climate action and support including India’s commitment to achieving net-zero by 2070. The future of the industry seems bright. But it isn’t easy for any country to reduce their carbon emissions to meet their climate goals and hence, the requirement for services like carbon credits will increase gradually because emission trading is usually considered the best system to reduce emissions.

Dipti Barve
dipti.barve@mmactiv.com

EKI Energy Services Ltd. is a leading

Agrotech, Interaction, Sustainability

Recently the Regenerative Production Landscape Collaborative (RPL Collaborative) launched Madhya Pradesh’s first Public-Private-Community Partnership (Compact) to improve regenerative agricultural practices and source sustainably. The partnership is led by Inditex, H&M Group, IKEA, Neutral, PepsiCo India, Samunnati Finance, Jayanti Spices, INI Farms and S.V. Agri. The multi-stakeholder Compact also includes key-decision makers such as civil society organisations (CSOs) namely SRIJAN, Action for Social Advancement, Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, and farmer producer organisations. Anita Chester, Partner Designate, Laudes India LLP shares her views with AgroSpectrum on Public-Private-Community Partnership (Multi-stakeholder Compact) in India and its role in improving regenerative agricultural practices and source sustainably

What is the Regenerative Production Landscape Collaborative (RPL Collaborative) ‘Compact’ and how will it benefit farmers and the agri industry?
The RPL Collaborative is an innovative jurisdictional model aimed at fostering agricultural ecosystems that conserve and enhance natural resources, and build community resilience while enabling businesses to source responsibly. Originally founded by IDH – The Sustainable Trade Initiative, WWF India and Laudes Foundation, the partnership has attracted diverse stakeholders. In the most recent update, RPL Collaborative announced the launch of its first Compact in Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh. Sustainable land management that has a single commodity focus or relies solely on certifications fails to address issues such as soil degradation, GHG emissions and producer livelihoods at scale. There is, therefore, a need for a multi-stakeholder collaboration that is place- based, locally contextual and puts the voice of the producer front and centre. To achieve this, the collaborative will support locally driven, multi-stakeholder governance structures that drive market transformation – bringing together government institutions that enable sustainable and green growth, companies that commit to sourcing responsibly and meet their sustainability goals, community and producer organisations for more inclusive decision-making, and impact investors and funders who seek scalable solutions that deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

What was the need for a multi- stakeholder compact in PPP?
Engaging public and private stakeholders helps build a strong multi-stakeholder governance for the programme. Joining hands with like-minded partners from the government, private sectors, CSOs, farmer organisations, communities and other enablers contributes to building a shared, long-term vision and approach to scale regenerative and restorative production practices. The collaborative will jointly discuss and agree on targets towards unlocking environmental and social impact in the region. This approach provides producers a seat at the table while encouraging businesses to transition
away from top-down certification-based sourcing practices and enable the public sector to frame contextual policies. Laudes Foundation has played a catalytic role in providing the funding and in bringing together this multi-stakeholder vision and collaboration, to radically transform business models and agricultural practice.

What will be the role of the private sector in the RPL Collaborative?
The private sector will play a key role in the collaborative by way of providing demand signals, committed offtake and co-investment. They will join the governance of the programme and help define the strategic direction for the Collaborative along with other involved stakeholders. Future- proofing production systems requires businesses to reimagine their sourcing practices and adopt business models that consider structural issues such as a lack of incentives for protecting natural resources and less power for producers and stakeholders further down the supply chain to negotiate prices. The private sector will engage with NGO partners, Farmer Producer Companies and other supply chain partners to work with the last mile producers leading to improved farmer livelihood and regenerative agriculture practices. Also, the assurance of demand by the private sector has the ability to unlock credit for farmers.

How does the RPL Collaborative contribute in developing the agri supply chain in India?

The aim of the Collaborative is to develop aregenerative agriculture value-chain for multiple crops in the region by encouraging producers to use organic and regenerative principles and improve market access for sustainable products (from the region) by connecting them with global and national companies. This includes facilitating access to finance for producers and the value chain by linking them with financial institutions.The Collaborative will also support projects that generate ecosystem benefits such as reduction in emissions, improvement in soil health, better water management practices and biodiversity-friendly agriculture that can be further adopted and scaled by the private and public sector.

How will you promote regenerative agriculture and sustainable sourcing?

The Collaborative is committed to taking a truly inclusive approach to empowering producers as key decision makers within the programme. To promote sustainable sourcing, it will work with private sector players from the food and apparel sector to help them connect with farmers while constantly looking at opportunities to market regenerative produce from this region.

What are your future plans in India?
By 2025, the goal is to cover nine districts in Madhya Pradesh through a combination of in-field interventions, value chain development, institutions and governance building, and concerted public-private engagement to address the smallholder resilience in the landscape holistically. While the first Compact is being formed in the ecologically sensitive tiger belt of Satpura-Maikal landscape in Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh which will reach 20,000 farmers, the second Compact will cover eight districts in western Madhya Pradesh, including parts of the Narmada Basin to reach
100,000 farmers. Overall, the Collaborative aims to reach 120,000 farmers with 200,000 hectares of cropland under sustainable land management practices and 300,000 hectares under landscape governance.

Dipti Barve
dipti.barve@mmactiv.com

Recently the Regenerative Production Landscape Collaborative (RPL

Agri Genomics, Agro Universities, R&D

Chickpea researchers got an opportunity to observe in person and select desirable germplasm among over 10,000 accessions that originated in more than 50 countries.

With an aim to enhance use of chickpea germplasm in India’s crop improvement, ICRISAT Genebank organized a germplasm field day at its global headquarters in Patancheru and displayed chickpea germplasm diversity and trait-specific sources to various researchers participating in the event.

Chickpea researchers got an opportunity to observe in person and select desirable germplasm among over 10,000 accessions that originated in more than 50 countries. This included pan genebank accessions from ICRISAT genebank (>3,500 accessions) and ICAR-NBPGR (1,500 accessions), 292 highly diverse reference set collection, 2,200 accessions of whole-genome sequenced, and 223 superior haplotypes.

Twenty-one researchers from eleven Indian institutions participated in the event. ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi and Hyderabad, ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur, Bihar Agricultural University, Bhagalpur, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar, Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute Durgapura, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Glocal University Training & Research Center, Hyderabad, and Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University, Nandyal.

Dr Kuldeep Singh, Head – Genebank, ICRISAT, welcomed the participants, and explained the importance of germplasm conservation and laid stress on the use of diverse germplasm in crop improvement. He also emphasized on other research areas in chickpea, including the use of superior haplotypes for yield-related traits, identified at ICRISAT through the whole-genome sequencing of 3,366 accessions.

Dr Arvind Kumar, Deputy Director General – Research ICRISAT, emphasized the importance of germplasm in trait improvement. The ICRISAT and ICAR-NBPGR genebanks are leading, with one of the largest efforts on phenotypic and genomic characterization of over 5,000 chickpea germplasm, translating these efforts to integrate in the breeding pipeline for chickpea improvement.

Dr Patrick Okori, Cluster Leader – Seed Systems, ICRISAT, while addressing the participants shared that, “The project supported by DBT, India will help to improve chickpea productivity in the country and across the globe. Diversifying the cropping system in Africa, with crops like chickpea which grow in a short time, can help us effectively address the issue of malnutrition.”

Chickpea researchers got an opportunity to observe

Agrotech, Company News

The exclusive license and supply agreement will allow UPL to commercialise a new biocontrol technology from Agrauxine in the United States

UPL, a global leader in sustainable agriculture solutions, has recently announced a strategic collaboration with Agrauxine by Lesaffre, a subsidiary of Lesaffre company specializing in biological crop solutions. The exclusive license and supply agreement will allow UPL to commercialise a new biocontrol technology from Agrauxine in the United States.

The collaboration with Agrauxine broadens the biological offerings that NPP will deliver in the United States. A new biocontrol technology from the collaboration is awaiting US EPA registration, expected later in 2022.

Agrauxine by Lesaffre is a business unit of Lesaffre, a key global player in fermentation for more than a century. Based in France, Agrauxine develops, manufactures and commercialises biosolutions from selected natural strains of fungi, bacteria and yeast microorganisms.

“Agrauxine is a recognised global innovator in the development of sustainable solutions derived from microorganisms that address critical challenges of growers,” says Jim Petta, Natural Plant Protection Head, North America. “This partnership is a natural for us, and it’s a collaboration that will strengthen our BioSolutions product pipeline to deliver enhanced value for US growers.”

Says Hugo Bony, CEO, Agrauxine by Lesaffre, “We have strong ambitions for growth in the U.S. market. We’re looking forward to our partnership with UPL to deliver this new biocontrol technology derived from microorganisms that will help growers overcome crop stresses during germination, emergence and early plant growth.”

The exclusive license and supply agreement will

Agrotech, Europe, R&D

It is the first step towards becoming a partner and hub for research and development of new biological techniques and solutions for Bayer.

MAAVi Innovation Centre of Kimitec, Europe’s largest research centre focused on natural agriculture and one of the world’s largest natural technology hubs for food systems transformation, has announced Bayer is evaluating some Kimitec products. Tests are focused on the potential for future joint research and development of sustainable and effective biological products that leverage Kimitec’s expertise in biostimulants, biopesticides and the soil microbiome.

“This is the first step towards becoming a partner and hub for research and development of new biological techniques and solutions for Bayer. Together, we will move toward a paradigm shift in agriculture with the use of products derived from natural sources,” says Felix Garcia, CEO and Founder of MAAVi Innovation Center and Kimitec.

In line with the objectives of the European Green Pact, Kimitec’s MAAVi Innovation Center focuses on the environmental impact of agriculture while maintaining productivity to support global food security. MAAVi’s research is the starting point for the development of a more sustainable food production system and is currently working to realise the objectives of the Horizon Europe and Farm to Fork programmes.

“MAAVi’s expertise in developing biological solutions that support sustainable futures for agriculture offers a lot of potential,” stresses Benoit Hartmann, Head of Biologicals for Bayer. “We look forward to continuing our evaluations with this agricultural R&D centre.”

It is the first step towards becoming

Agrotech, Machinery – Post-harvesting, Sustainability

 It showcases some of the projects and initiatives that are enabling CNH Industrial to pursue its sustainability strategy.

CNH Industrial has redoubled its commitment to a more sustainable future, as evidenced by the sixth edition of A Sustainable Year which highlights a selection of sustainability initiatives accomplished in 2021.It complements the earlier publication of the 2021 Sustainability Report, providing a reader-friendly snapshot of the Company’s major social, economic, and environmental activities as well as its strategic sustainability targets.

A Sustainable Year showcases some of the projects and initiatives that are enabling CNH Industrial to pursue its sustainability strategy. Highlights include CASE Construction Equipment’s beach care project to tackle plastic waste and raise awareness, and the Company’s program to install solar panels on the roofs of all manufacturing plants by 2030. It also details the New Holland brand’s e-Source, a new plug-in system which transforms mechanical energy generated by a tractor into electricity to power implements, consequently reducing carbon emissions, improving safety standards, and saving fuel.

Furthermore, the publication provides updates on how the Company is engaged with its people and communities at large, promoting Diversity and Inclusion initiatives and supporting its customers on their own sustainability journeys.

These stories are testament to CNH Industrial’s leading role in corporate sustainability. The Company continues to be acknowledged for its commitment, including 11 consecutive years of being named as an Industry Top Scorer in the Dow Jones Sustainability World and Europe Indexes.

 It showcases some of the projects and

Foodgrains, Warehousing

The facility is slated to be operational in the fall of 2023 and will help CHS expand operational capabilities and increase efficiency across its footprint

CHS has announced that it will begin construction of a new state-of-the-art grain facility with 1.25 million bushels of additional storage capacity in Erskine, Minn. The facility is slated to be operational in the fall of 2023 and will help CHS expand operational capabilities and increase efficiency across its footprint. The new shuttle elevator will bring total capacity at the location to 4.55 million bushels of storage and will complement existing CHS grain, agronomy and energy assets and offerings for area producers.

Rick Dusek, executive vice president of CHS ag retail operations stated, “Our people, assets, capabilities and operational footprint are the strengths of our retail platform, and this important project advances our strategy to expand our customer-focused retail solutions platform, creating value and driving growth for farmers – as customers and owners. This facility is a key location in the flow of grain from the Upper Midwest to export terminals in the Pacific Northwest.”

The new terminal is the latest in a series of investments throughout Minnesota and North Dakota by CHS. In keeping with its core value of safety, the company has placed priority on safety features and advancements to improve operating conditions.

“Along with expanding our grain handling capabilities and value to area farmers, the new facility will create advantages for our employees, farmers and community,” says James Hardy, who manages CHS Northern Grain, a CHS business unit with 11 grain facilities in northwest Minnesota.

CHS Northern Grain is a part of CHS Inc, a leading global agribusiness owned by farmers, ranchers and cooperatives across the United States.

The facility is slated to be operational

Trade

The mango show in Bahrain is part of APEDA’s new initiatives to explore international markets for Indian mangoes under the ‘Mango Festival 2022’

In a major boost to the export of mangoes, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) launched an eight-day-long Mango Festival in the Kingdom of Bahrain on June 13 in association with the Indian Embassy and Al Jazira Group.

At the show, 34 varieties of mangoes from eastern states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, are being displayed at eight different locations of Bahrain’s Al Jazira group supermarket. 27 of these varieties have been procured from West Bengal, while two each variety are from Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and one variety from Uttar Pradesh. All the varieties of mangoes have been directly procured from farmers and two Farmer Producer Organisations. The mango show will continue till June 20, 2022.

All the 34 varieties of Indian mangoes have been displayed at eight different stores of Al Jazira located at Hamala, Mahooz, Zing, Juffair, Budaiya, Adilya, Seef and Riffa in Bahrain. Besides, mangoes as a whole, several mango preparations like mango cake prepared in Al Jazira bakery, juices, different varieties of mango shakes, etc. have also been showcased at the festival.

The mango show in Bahrain is part of APEDA’s new initiatives to explore international markets for Indian mangoes under the ‘Mango Festival 2022’. It’s the outcome of APEDA’s commitment to provide a global platform for Indian mangoes that for the first time 34 varieties of mangoes from eastern states have been showcased in Bahrain.

The mango show in Bahrain is part

AgroPolicy, Trade

IBSM aimed at boosting exports of Apricots and other agri products from Ladakh

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in collaboration with Union Territory of Ladakh has recently organised an International Buyer Seller Meet (IBSM). 

IBSM aimed at boosting exports of Apricots and other agri products from Ladakh.

Eighteen entrepreneurs from UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir displayed a range of Apricots and other Agri Products. Twenty buyers from India, USA, Bangladesh, Oman, Dubai participated in this event. 

More than 30 producers of Ladakh Apricots and other agro products and stakeholders from UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir participated to interact with the importers and exporters providing platform to growers, entrepreneurs from UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir to display their products and facilitate B2B interactions. 

APEDA, under its initiative to boost exports from Himalayan Region is encouraging States and UTs to harness their potential of agricultural produce exports. A platform will be created for the buyers to get the products directly from the producer group and the processors.

IBSM aimed at boosting exports of Apricots

Agro chems – Fertilizers, Company News

 Ramping up potash production capability to 18 million tonnes by 2025 and planning for approximately $2 billion in additional share repurchases in 2022

 Saskatchewan based Nutrien Ltd announced it plans to increase fertilizer production capability in response to structural changes in global energy, agriculture and fertilizer markets. The company is hosting a virtual investor update meeting today at 10:30 am EDT and will provide details on its strategic growth and capital allocation plans at this event.

“The challenge of feeding a growing world has never been clearer as global supply constraints have contributed to higher commodity prices and escalated concerns for global food security. There is no simple or fast solution to overcome this challenge and we see potential for multi-year strength in agriculture and crop input market fundamentals,” said Ken Seitz, Nutrien’s Interim President and CEO.

“Nutrien’s integrated business is best positioned to respond to these supply challenges and help sustainably feed a growing world. We are safely bringing on additional low-cost potash and nitrogen production from our existing facilities, while delivering the products, services and solutions growers need through our leading global Retail network,” added Seitz.

Accelerating Potash Production Ramp-Up

Nutrien is accelerating the ramp-up of its annual potash production capability to 18 million tonnes by 2025 in response to the uncertainty of supply from Eastern Europe. This represents an increase of more than 5 million tonnes, or 40 percent, compared to our production in 2020. The acceleration pathway is through existing low-cost capacity that is unmatched in the industry and supported by world-class global logistics infrastructure. The incremental production capability is expected to be added at a similar annual pace to the additions over the past two years.

To boost production, the company will hire and train approximately 350 people and invest in underground mining equipment, mine development, storage and loadout capacity. Nutrien continues to evaluate additional low-cost brownfield expansion opportunities beyond 18 million tonnes at its Saskatchewan mines that would supply longer-term market demand growth.

 “The strength of our expected cash flow provides an opportunity to accelerate our strategic growth initiatives and return significant cash to shareholders. The additional planned share repurchases announced today reflect our confidence in Nutrien’s near-term earnings and the potential for a more robust long-term outlook,” said Pedro Farah, Nutrien’s Executive Vice President and CFO.

 Ramping up potash production capability to 18

Agro Universities, Goat farming, Live Stock

Developing goat production as a viable business hinges on strengthening all the links in the value chain.

A pilot study led by ICRISAT proves that developing efficient goat value chains lead to better rewards for farmers by increasing their market knowledge and bargaining power. Amongst the many interventions, goat sale auctions fetched on average a 6 per cent higher price than those sold through conventional market sales that often do not pay off the cost of feed. The study was for the CLIM2 project implemented in Southern Malawi, where half the country’s poor people live on farms less than one hectare.

As part of this project, farmers, traders, butchers, researchers, extension workers and policymakers embarked on a journey of goal setting, knowledge exchange and learning. They selected and tested prototypes of interventions that allowed the value chains to transform and provide higher income, food security and nutrition for smallholder farmers in Southern Malawi. Developing goat production as a viable business hinges on strengthening all the links in the value chain.

“The project has built the confidence of farmers and economically empowered farmers and off-takers such as butchers and vendors through higher profits from goats,” Madalitso Ngombe, Agribusiness Officer, Balaka district.

Benefits for farmers

In Southern Malawi, every third household owns goats amidst extremely high pressure on land and limited alternative sources of income. Highly prolific at relatively low labour cost, goats are an attractive capital, particularly for women and youth.

Higher sales of goats at higher prices translated into increased household income and changing lifestyles among farmers in Malawi, while goat meat consumption contributed to improved food and nutrition security.

Goats are important for the resource-poor to balance grain price fluctuations. Highly variable grain prices impoverish the poorest who are not food self-sufficient. Goat prices, in comparison, are more stable and they are like liquid assets that can be quickly converted to cash, which cushions farmers against grain price fluctuations. However, many still follow traditional principles in raising and selling goats.

Win-win for farmers and buyers

Establishing goat auction sales centres equipped with goat sales pens and portable digital weighing scales and owned by community-based MSMEs, added positive impetus, strengthening their capacity to sell more goat products of higher quality. At initial auction sales, buyers competed for good quality goats, which sold faster. This gave farmers insights into the type of goats the market wants and the price they can expect. Farmers appreciated the transparent price setting and buyers found quality products easily and at reduced transport costs when normally they would spend time and resources searching for goats at farm gates.

“At a recent auction, a goat reached a price of MK 48,000 (USD59), which has never happened before,” James Makwito, Phalula EPA, Assistant Veterinary Officer, Balaka district.

Developing goat production as a viable business

Agrotech, Company News

The free nematode tests will help growers assess soil health.

Plant-parasitic nematodes lurk under the soil, wreaking havoc on plants’ root systems, which can ultimately damage yields and overall plant health. Certis Biologicals knows that root health is key to producing quality crops year after year, so the company is providing free nematode tests that help growers assess soil health.

Roots and Nematodes

“Since nematodes live under the soil, they are an easy pest for growers to overlook,” says Chris Judd, Global Vice-President, Marketing for Certis Biologicals. “We are partnering with growers to provide the information they need to make a fully-informed decision about nematode treatments in their soils. At Certis, we want to be a partner in ensuring the success of growers and we are happy to provide this service as a way to show that value.”

Growers who are interested in taking part in the free nematode soil testing program can begin by visiting www.nematodetesting.com and completing a short form. Depending on the region, entrants will then work with a partner laboratory to gather and submit a small soil sample for processing. Results will be shared along with any treatment recommendations from Certis representatives. Those interested in participating do not need to be current customers to participate in the program and there is no requirement to purchase a Certis product.

“Growers often wrongly attribute nematode damage to disease and treat above-ground effects while missing the root cause,” Judd says. “Leaving plant-parasitic nematodes untreated can weaken the root systems of crops, causing reduction in overall plant health and eventual death.”

“This completely free test can be an integral tool that lets growers know which nematode they have in their fields and if treatment is needed before these negative impacts are felt.”

The free nematode tests will help growers

Agrotech

The signing of this MoU with TNAU marks NLI’s first partnership in the ‘agri-tech’ space in India

NEC Laboratories India (NLI), an entity of NEC Corporation India – a wholly-owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation has recently announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) to create newer solutions to resolve agricultural issues using analytics and AI. The signing of this MoU with TNAU marks NLI’s first partnership in the ‘agri-tech’ space in India.

Through this co-creation partnership, NEC aims to create a solution which helps identify major crop disease and deficiency categories, and provide appropriate remedies via Agri experts. NLI will develop a mobile app with AI/ML capability, while TNAU shall provide expert guidance and assist in data collection activity to detect diseases in this collaboration. By combining the best of both parties, early detection of disease onset through artificial intelligence can be achieved, and farmers will be able to take remedial actions promptly.

Dr Subramanian, Director of Research said, “India is a predominantly agricultural economy, and farmers today face a wide array of problems in the field that need to be addressed instantly. With the signing of this MoU, the university intends to use AI for the early detection of pests and diseases, and it is our honour to be joining hands with NEC Laboratories India and the NEC Group. Their decades of deep-tech expertise and problem-solving capabilities for both critical social problems, as well as industrial challenges, makes them an ideal technology partner for this endeavour.”

The signing of this MoU with TNAU