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AgroPolicy, Dairy, Live Stock

NDDB MRIDA Limited, will open avenues of additional income to dairy farmers from sale of slurry/ dung.

 Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has launched NDDB MRIDA Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary company of National Dairy Development Board to take forward manure management initiatives across the country in presence of Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, MoS, FAHD and Dr L Murugan, MoS, FAHD. Atul Chaturvedi, Secretary, DAHD, Govt. of India, Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB, Ms Varsha Joshi, Additional Secretary (CDD), DAHD, and Sandeep Bharti, newly appointed Managing Director of NDDB MRIDA Limited.

NDDB has established NDDB MRIDA Limited, an Unlisted Public Limited Company under the Companies Act, 2013 on July 1, 2022 as with the paid-up capital of Rs. 9.50 crore.On the occasion, Rupala said NDDB Mrida Ltd will open avenues of additional income to dairy farmers from sale of slurry/ dung. He added that it will help in savings to the farmers by virtue of replacement of cooking fuel with biogas. He further said that efforts are being made for better utilisation of bovine dung but most are individual initiatives and this new company will provide structured impetus to manure management efforts.

 Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB and NDDB Mrida Ltd said “NDDB Mrida Ltd will take up setting up of manure value chain, biogas based CNG generation, biogas-based energy generation for dairy plants. He added thst the new company will explore opportunities to efficiently use cattle dung as ingredient for various applications in different industries and as a replacement to traditional wood, clay, paint, etc.”

Shah also added that the company will undertake research and development on cost effective technologies for efficient dung management and a major area of focus will be establishing revenue generation models at the village-level through sale of cattle dung-based products. He added that the company will provide marketing and sale support to agencies manufacturing gobar-gas slurry-based fertilisers and establish mechanisms to accrue carbon revenue from the projects to generate additional revenue stream for dairy farmers.

On this occasion, Dr Balyan launched a brochure on NDDB MRIDA Limited and Dr Murugan handed over NDDB’s SUDHAN trademark to Chairman and MD, NDDB MRIDA Limited.

NDDB MRIDA Limited, will open avenues of

Agrotech, Company News, IT, North America

A comprehensive digital platform will offer business management and sustainability data collection solutions to producers across North America.

ADM, a leader in sustainable nutrition and agriculture, and FBN (Farmers Business Network® FBN®), a global farmer-to-farmer network and AgTech company, announced that they had signed an agreement to expand availability of FBN’s leading-edge digital farm business management platform, Gradable, to ADM’s network of farmers across North America, offering 55,000 growers a comprehensive digital solution to manage their businesses and measure sustainable production data.

“ADM is leading in the decarbonization of our industry, meeting demand for food, beverages and consumer products that are produced sustainably from seed to store shelf. Last year, we committed to reducing our Scope 3 emissions 25 per cent by 2035. Just last May, we committed $20 million in incentives for farmers who use cover crops to improve soil health, prevent runoff and reduce carbon emissions. Now, we’re taking yet another important step by partnering with FBN to expand our array of digital tools and offer our farmer partners a leading-edge platform to measure and verify regenerative agriculture practices, and help manage their businesses. We’re excited to work with more farmers to find new opportunities for them to benefit from the production of differentiated, sustainably produced crops”, said Greg Morris, president of ADM’s Ag Services and Oilseeds business.

FBN’s Gradable technology platform was developed to provide a modern digital infrastructure to strengthen the relationship between grain buyers and farmers, as a new era emerges requiring efficient, transparent, and secure grain transactions for production agriculture. Gradable’s digital infrastructure does this by connecting farmer and buyer experiences into a single, secure technology platform.

A comprehensive digital platform will offer business

Agri Genomics, Agro Universities, R&D

The training will be imparted to ICAR-IISR scientists in the field of CRISPER Cas Genome Editing Technology for Soybean improvement.

The ICAR-Indian Institute of Soybean Research, Indore, Madhya Pradesh signed the Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) and Centre of Innovative & Applied Bio-processing (CIAB), Mohali, Punjab under the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.

 The following are the main areas of the collaboration envisioned:

  • The training of ICAR-IISR Scientists in the field of CRISPER Cas Genome Editing Technology for Soybean improvement.
  • Development of Sensor-based Technology for detection and quantification of microbes in bio-fertilizer formulations.
  • Encapsulation of bacteria in hydrogel and characterization of its efficacy & stability using the Sensor-based Technology.
  • Isolation and characterization of Triacontanol as bio-stimulant for Soybean production.
  • Estimation of Kunitz Trypsin inhibitor in the recently released Soybean varieties.
  • Characterization of Soybean food products for its shelf-life and storability. to mutually benefit from the strengths of the respective Institutions .

The training will be imparted to ICAR-IISR

Agrotech, Company News, R&D

Ginkgo to acquire Bayer’s 175,000-square-foot Biologics R&D center and enter into a new multi-year platform collaboration with Bayer to advance several agricultural biological programs.

Ginkgo Bioworks, the leading horizontal platform for cell programming, announced the signing of a definitive agreement for the previously announced transaction with Bayer to expand Ginkgo’s platform capabilities in agricultural biologicals. These capabilities will be built pursuant to a transaction in which Ginkgo will acquire Bayer’s 175,000-square-foot West Sacramento Biologics Research & Development site, team, and internal discovery and lead optimization platform for approximately $83.0 million in consideration. The proposed transaction is projected to close in the fourth quarter of 2022, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Ginkgo will also integrate the R&D platform assets from Joyn Bio, a joint-venture between Ginkgo and Leaps by Bayer formed in 2017.

While chemical and plant trait products are currently the dominant offerings on the market to improve crop performance, agricultural biologicals are a rapidly growing category of solutions that have the potential to offer tremendous sustainability and performance benefits. Bayer will be the first major partner of Ginkgo’s expanded agricultural biologicals platform, entering into a new collaboration focused on the advancement of Joyn’s marquee nitrogen fixation program, as well as new programs in areas such as crop protection and carbon sequestration.

As part of a three-year strategic partnership, Ginkgo will provide research services to Bayer in the field of agricultural biologicals with the potential to earn downstream value in the form of royalties on net sales from products developed under the partnership.  As previously disclosed, it is expected that the cash proceeds from this collaboration with Bayer will significantly offset the operating expenses acquired through the transaction.  In addition to this collaboration with Bayer, Ginkgo expects to engage with other customers in supporting the development of their agricultural biological programs.

Jason Kelly, CEO and co-founder of Ginkgo Bioworks said, “By acquiring one of the premier R&D sites for agricultural biologicals worldwide and partnering with the best-in-class teams at Bayer and Joyn, we are demonstrating our commitment to developing breakthrough products for growers around the world.”

Ginkgo to acquire Bayer's 175,000-square-foot Biologics R&D

Company News, Dairy

By the end of FY 2022-23, HAP will be procuring cow milk from over 1 lakh farmers across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra.

 Hatsun Agro Product Ltd. (HAP), a leading private sector dairy company in India, has announced its procurement expansion plans in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra. HAP has over 3100 milk collection centres that benefits farmers across various villages in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra. HAP plans to aggressively expand this network of milk collection centres in these three states to effectively serve over 1 lakh farmers.

HAP plans to position further its milk collection centres at remote locations to ensure farmers have access to the facility and help them reap the real benefit of having access to such a facility in their own village thereby providing them with market access leading to prosperity to our rural sector.

Hatsun Agro Product Ltd procures 100 per cent of the milk directly from farmers and has heavily invested in procurement infrastructure over the years to effectively handle significant volume of milk.

HAP is India’s first dairy company to work on increasing farmer income by reducing cost of production. The company has been collaborating at the University level to commercialize its high-yielding, protein-rich hybrid Napier green fodder (kambu / bajra) such as Co-4 and Co-5.

Many of HAP’s farmers have halved the cost of feeding their cows by cultivating Co-4 and Co-5 hybrid fodder. By using cow dung as manure, brush-cutters to save harvesting labour, rain-guns to cut water consumption and milking machines, labour costs have reduced significantly.

Milk Procurement Ecosystem @ Hatsun Agro Product Ltd

  • Transparency with regard to farmers in all aspects-weighing, testing and billing in front of them
  • Eko Milk Analyser for testing Fat & SNF in-front of the farmers
  • Cashless payment through direct bank transfer to farmers even before Demonetisation. This system has single-handedly eliminated middlemen and loan sharks.
  • Direct payment has brought farmers to the mainstream banking system that were earlier financially excluded and made them credit worthy.
  • Electronic Weighing scale being used for accurate measurement of milk
  • All collection centres within 2 Kms of the farmer’s place to ensure milk is collected fresh from the source.
  • Timely collection
  • Fixed time for route vehicles monitored by a team

By the end of FY 2022-23, HAP

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Sustainable Energy, Transportation

Initiative also includes Green Warehousing utilizing green solutions such as natural light or energy efficiency lighting, automated and compact storage systems and roof top solar.

Government of India is committed to reduce the emissions from shipping sector and promote the development of net zero and low-emission solutions. By 2030, all the Major Ports are to be made fully self-sustainable on electricity. All the energy requirements of the port are to be met through renewable sources. Initiative also includes Green Warehousing utilizing green/ natural solutions such as natural light or energy efficiency lighting, automated and compact storage systems, roof top solar, using HVLS fans and rainwater harvesting, informed Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal in the Lok Sabha.

To develop global standard ports in India, Maritime India Vision (MIV) 2030 has identified initiatives such as developing world-class Mega Ports, transhipment hubs and infrastructure modernization of ports. MIV 2030 estimates the investments to the tune of Rs. 1,00,000–1,25,000 Crores for capacity augmentation and development of world-class infrastructure at Indian Ports.

The Sagarmala programme is the flagship programme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to promote port-led development in the country through harnessing India’s 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes. As a part of Sagarmala Programme, more than 800 projects at an estimated cost of around Rs. 5.5 lakh crore have been identified for implementation during 2015 to 2035 across all coastal states an Eastern and Western side of the country. Sagarmala projects includes projects from various categories such as modernisation of existing ports and terminals, new ports, terminals, Ro & tourism jetties, enhancement of port connectivity, inland waterways, lighthouse tourism, industrialization around port, skill development, technology centres, etc. Further, under holistic development of coastal districts, a total of 567 projects with an estimated cost of around Rs. 58,000 crores have been identified.

Initiative also includes Green Warehousing utilizing green

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, Finance

Company has clocked a glorious growth journey by registering a revenue worth Rs 782 Cr during FY21.

Safex Chemicals, the nation’s leading Agrochemical Company, has clocked a glorious growth journey by registering a revenue worth Rs 782 Cr during FY21. Marking it as one of the most significant increases in the last 12 years, the company now envisions becoming a 1000 Cr valuation enterprise by the end of this financial year.

The agrochemical sector has witnessed a significant rise in opportunities to build resilience in maintaining effective management of food safety processes amid numerous challenges, including the climate changes (erratic monsoons) that led to an unpredictable demand pattern in FY22. The global pandemic further posed some serious hurdles by impacting the supply chain activities due to disruptions in transportation amid nationwide/state-wide lockdowns and the resultant labour shortage, fear among the employees to resume work, supply chain concerns, inflation and rise in commodity prices.

Safex has maintained its exceptional business momentum since the pandemic’s beginning with major advancements and product developments. It recorded an impressive revenue growth worth Rs 702 Cr even in FY20. Armed with an intent to emerge as the most prominent name across the Agrochemical Industry, the company has already recorded a 21X revenue growth and 32X operating profit growth since the last 12 years of its inception.

Sharing his excitement about achieving such remarkable growth numbers, S.K. Chaudhary, Founder & Director, Safex Chemicals said, “Safex has been a significant part in enabling heightened crop productivity & crop protection in India for nearly 29 years now on the back of our world-class infrastructure, superior products, last mile connectivity and commitment to. This has helped us contribute immensely to the country’s food security, quality of life and health scenario.  Its heart-warming to witness our years of painstaking labour bear such remarkable results. Safex Chemicals currently operates with a 12,000+ dealer network, 1,200+ employees, six plants and 60+ warehouses across the country

Company has clocked a glorious growth journey

Acquaculture, AgroPolicy

The webinar was intended to open a forum to initiate a dialogue about the crucial role of fisheries cooperatives in bringing out prosperity in the lives of fish farmers.

The Department of Fisheries (DoF), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal husbandry & Dairying, organized a webinar on “Potential & Role of Fisheries Cooperatives”. This was the 14th webinar organized by the department in an effort to celebrate the ongoing Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, marking 75 years of India’s independence.

The event was presided over by Jatindra Nath Swain, Secretary, Department of Fisheries (DoF), Government of India (GOI) along with Sagar Mehra, Joint Secretary (Inland Fisheries), Dr J Balaji, Joint Secretary (Marine Fisheries) along with other officials of the Department. This webinar was intended to open a forum to initiate a dialogue about the crucial role of fisheries cooperatives in bringing out prosperity in the lives of fish farmers, leading towards holistic sectoral development. 

More than 100 participants including expert panellists, fishers, farmers, entrepreneurs, members of fisheries cooperative societies, fisheries officials of different States/UTs, faculties from State Agriculture, Veterinary and Fisheries universities, Fisheries cooperative officers, Scientists, students and other stakeholders from the fisheries value-chain across the country attended the webinar.

Jatindra Nath Swain, Secretary, Fisheries said, “With the increased production and productivity in the Indian fisheries sector, the Government has been focusing more on establishing cooperatives to enable small-scale fishers to avail support for institutional credit, quality inputs, transportation, logistic etc. through collectivization”.

Sagar Mehra shared his views on the significance of institutionalizing fisheries cooperatives in India. He also mentioned that fisheries being a sunrise sector, there is a need to learn from the best practices from the dairy, agriculture industries and try to use the learnings for developing cooperatives in the fisheries sector.

Sandeep Kumar Nayak, Director General, NCP; Dr. K.P. Rajan, Director, DNS Regional Institute of Cooperative Management, Patna; Dr. S. Noorjahan Beevi, Additional Director of Fisheries, Tamil Nadu and Mr. Anil Rana, Board of Director, AgriOrganic Producer Company Ltd, Una, HP shared their valuable thoughts during the expert panel sessions. Towards the end, the forum was open for interactive discussion with a wide range of questions and answers from all participants.

The webinar was intended to open a

Agrotech, Company News, India, Machinery – Post-harvesting

ITOTY initiated by Tractor Junction in 2019 is a platform to recognise the hard work and efforts of tractor and farm equipment manufacturers in India.

Mahindra Tractors’, part of Mahindra’s Farm Equipment Sector, the world’s largest tractor manufacturer by volume, received four awards at the third edition of the prestigious Indian Tractor of the Year (ITOTY) awards 2022 in New Delhi.

Indian Tractor of the Year 2022 for the Mahindra 575 DI XP Plus

Best Tractor Above 60HP for the Mahindra Novo 755 DI

India’s Fastest Growing Tractor Manufacturer

Best CSR Initiative 2022 for Mahindra Shree Child Scholarship Program

ITOTY initiated by Tractor Junction in 2019 is a platform to recognise the hard work and efforts of tractor and farm equipment manufacturers in India – the largest tractor market in the world. The ITOTY awards is judged by jury members comprising of experts of farm equipment specialists from across the country who choose the most deserving contender after fair-minded voting.

Launched last year, the MAHINDRA 575 DI XP PLUS was the highest selling tractor in 2022 and is the strongest brand in 40-50 HP category; true to Mahindra Tractors Tough Hardum brand positioning. Recognized as one of the most Tough and reliable tractors in in its category, the MAHINDRA 575 DI XP PLUS is renowned for exceptional haulage capacity and can be used across a multitude of farming applications from pre harvest to post harvest.

The MAHINDRA NOVO 755 DI is one of the most powerful technologically advanced 4WD tractors in India, built for various conditions and agri seasons, ensuring the best result every time.

Mahindra Tractors has been India’s No.1 tractor brand for more than three decades. Having rolled-out its first tractor in 1963, through a joint venture with International Harvester Inc., USA, Mahindra & Mahindra in March 2019 became the first Indian tractor brand to sell 3 million tractors, inclusive of sales to global customers. Known for their exceptional build quality and performance on rugged and unforgiving terrain, Mahindra’s Tractors have earned the company both the Deming Award and the Japanese Quality Medals.

ITOTY initiated by Tractor Junction in 2019

Agrotech, Company News, Europe, Machinery - Pre-harvesting

It will be the second time Case IH has been involved as exclusive tractor supplier – as it has been at the same leading event in Belgium and the Netherlands.

PotatoEurope returns this year on 7th and 8th September as a landmark event and key meeting point for the potato industry. Back in its 2018 role as exclusive supplier of tractors and telehandlers, Case IH will perform extensive practical demonstrations as a highlight of the trade fair, held on the Rittergut Bockerode estate near Hanover, Germany. Case IH tractors will once again inject some Red Power into the fair, at its machine demonstrations both on the field and behind the scenes. More than 30 Farmall 100 C, Luxxum, Vestrum, Maxxum, Puma and Optum AFS Connect tractor models and several Farmlift telehandlers will represent the brand at this year’s PotatoEurope.

“Our enthusiasm for this trade fair has taken on a whole new dimension this year. We need to acknowledge how fragile global supply chains are, and I don’t just mean the semiconductor shortage from the Far East. Not least the continuity of supply of agricultural products may be affected by rising costs, falling prices and the war in Ukraine. For us, this means that the performance, efficiency and precision of our machines and our precision farming solutions are more important than ever,” stresses Dr Daniel Fischer, Head of Marketing at Case IH Germany.

Solutions for a wide range of challenges

This will be the fifth PotatoEurope held on the Rittergut Bockerode estate. It will be the second time Case IH has been involved as exclusive tractor supplier – as it has been at the same leading event in Belgium and the Netherlands. “We see this increasingly popular trade fair as an excellent opportunity to showcase our high-performance machinery under practical conditions in front of an expert crowd. Optum, Farmlift, Vestrum and indeed all our models have the same qualities; high efficiency, a relaxed working environment and maximum precision for the most varied tasks that are now essential skills in modern farming. These are just a few key elements that we as a manufacturer can offer, to ensure continuity of supply to Germany and Europe despite the current situation – not only in potato production but other areas, too,” says Dr Fisher. 

It will be the second time Case

Agrotech, Bee keeping, Middle East countries

Bioglobal A S will move forward on registration trials of BVT’s proprietary Clonostachys rosea CR-7 (CR-7) biological fungicide with Turkish authorities.

Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc.(BVT) has announced that the Company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Bioglobal A.S. in Turkey to accelerate BVT’s entry into the region, with an option to further expand into adjacent countries. Bioglobal will move forward on registration trials of BVT’s proprietary Clonostachys rosea CR-7 (CR-7) biological fungicide with Turkish authorities – these are official research trials that are a required part of regulatory submission. If successful, the two companies will work towards a commercial agreement to market and distribute BVT’s natural precision agriculture system to growers across the region.

Established in 2000, Bioglobal is a leading distributor of plant protection and plant nutrition products in Turkey, the Middle East and the Caucasus. Bioglobal has a long history of providing quality products and have well-established relationships with the region’s growing community.

“BVT aligns perfectly to Bioglobal’s core goal of providing sustainable and environmentally-friendly biological products to the agricultural marketplace,” said A. Özgür Ateş, General Manager of Bioglobal. “Pesticide residue poses a barrier to Turkish produce exports. Fortunately, BVT’s biological fungicide, which reduces traditional chemical use, provides disease control and improves crop yield, is a scalable long-term solution – enhancing the overall export value.”

“Turkey is an important producer of agricultural products, and bee pollination plays a vital role in Turkish agriculture with an estimated 300,000 bumble bee hives (1) sold in the country annually,” said Christoph Lehnen, BVT Business Manager for Europe, Africa and Middle East. “Eastern European countries are major importers of Turkish produce. Therefore, our immediate market focus in Turkey will be to target strawberry and tomato growers, with plans to expand into oilseed such as rapeseed (canola), and other berries and vegetables. BVT products registered in the USA have been awarded a zero-residue rating, which will greatly assist in selling and marketing BVT in Turkey.”

Ashish Malik, CEO ,BVT said, “Through Bioglobal, the work required to commercialize and sell BVT’s natural precision agriculture system in Turkey has already begun. BVT’s product was submitted to the Turkish authorities for official trial research approval earlier this year, and once approved, trials will commence shortly. BVT’s strategy is to continue to develop relationships with established partners in key markets to accelerate growth and broaden customer reach.”

Bioglobal A S will move forward on

Agrotech, Company News, Start ups

Company is planning to hire resources in various departments including Sales & Marketing, Data & Analytics, Technology, Product Management, Operations & Supply chain, Procurement, etc.

Delhi based agri-tech startup Otipy operated by Crofarm is planning to hire more than 250+ employees this fiscal. The company is looking for fresh talent across various departments including Sales & Marketing, Data & Analytics, Technology, Product Management, Operations & Supply chain, Procurement, etc.

As a fast-growing company, the startup is expanding its operations to different parts of the country and has mapped out a plan to generate employment opportunities for freshers as well as seasoned professionals through job aggregators and direct applications. Otipy is a young organization with a workforce of 400+ employees, the start-up has recently added young, energetic, and sharp talent across functions from different groups of institutions/ colleges along with experienced employees and with this announcement the company looks forward to adding more talent in the coming days.

In light of the current hiring process, Varun Khurana, Founder & CEO of Otipy said, “The demand for online fruit and vegetable buying has grown multifold since the outbreak of the pandemic. This has made us double the strength in the last two years as per business needs at a time when a lot of layoffs are happening in various startups and MNC’s. We are expanding geographically, therefore our hiring plans continue to be extensive.”

Otipy raised $32 million from Westbridge Capital in series B funding in March 2022 and after establishing its strong customer base in Delhi, the start-up is now aggressively expanding its operation to new geographies. The start-up is planning to cover nearby cities and towns in North India along with foraying in West India.

Company is planning to hire resources in

Agrotech, Company News, Horticulture, India

Apple Unnati is part of Coca-Cola India’s Fruit Circular Economy Initiative, which extends to fruit farmers across 12 states & 6 fruit varieties in India.

Coca-Cola India along with Indo-Dutch Horticulture Technologies today hosted a felicitation ceremony in Uttarakhand to applaud and recognize local farmers from the state. Eminent dignitaries Ganesh Joshi, Agriculture Minister, Uttarakhand, along with Shailesh Bhagoli, Secretary, Agriculture, Uttarakhand, graced the ceremony with their presence.

20 farmers were recognized for the exemplary productivity benchmarks they have been able to achieve by adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in apple farming. It has led to a 5X increase in their productivity, empowering them to enhance their incomes and uplift their livelihoods. Introduced to them by Coca-Cola’s Project ‘Unnati-Apple’, in collaboration with Indo-Dutch Horticulture Technologies, the aim is to increase apple productivity in India, especially in the State of Uttarakhand, by bringing global best practices primarily focusing on ultra-high-density plantation (UHDP), leading to a substantial increase in quality, productivity, and profitability per unit of land, hence significantly increasing farmers income and acting as a catalyst to help India in achieving self-sufficiency in apple production.

Project Apple Unnati, launched in 2018 under the flagship sustainable agriculture program of Coca-Cola in India – Fruit Circular Economy, aimed to aid the Indian agri-ecosystem by enhancing farming efficiency, strengthening forward linkages, and building food-processing capacity in the country, addressing challenges of low farm productivity, poor technology adoption and fruit wastage in the horticulture sector. Coca-Cola recognizes farmers to be its true suppliers for key ingredients and values the partnership by focusing on their overall well-being. Along with partners, the company has been working with fruit farmers since 2011, under the flagship project – Unnati, which currently covers 6 fruits – Mango, Apple, Orange, Grapes and Litchi and priority commodities like sugarcane. The program has benefitted 3.5 Lakh farmers so far.

 Devyani Rajya Laxmi Rana, Vice President Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability, Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia, “Apple Unnati is part of Coca-Cola India’s Fruit Circular Economy Initiative, which extends to fruit farmers across 12 states & 6 fruit varieties in India.”

 Sudhir Chadha, Director, Indo-Dutch Horticulture Technologies, said, “Project Apple Unnati in partnership with Coca-Cola India has enabled thousands of farmers in the state of Uttarakhand. In fact, Coca-Cola India has been one of the first-ever organizations in Uttarakhand to initiate positive interventions in the space of sustainable agriculture.”

Apple Unnati is part of Coca-Cola India’s

Agrotech, Company News, Japan, Trade

With this acquisition, Sumitomo aims to expand the operation’s sales territory in Brazil and achieve further business growth by linking Agro Amazonia’s extensive product portfolio

Japan based Sumitomo Corporation has reached an agreement with shareholders of Nativa Agronegócios & Representações LTDA. and Nativa Agrícola e Representação LTDA. (collectively, “Nativa”), an agricultural supplies distributor in southeastern Brazil, to acquire all shares of Nativa to make it a wholly owned subsidiary. The acquisition is through Agro Amazonia Produtos Agropecuários S.A., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the 2022 fiscal year once necessary approvals from relevant authorities are obtained.

With this acquisition, Sumitomo Corporation aims to expand the operation’s sales territory in Brazil and achieve further business growth by linking Agro Amazonia’s extensive product portfolio based on its strong relationships with agrochemical suppliers with Nativa’s fertilizer development and manufacturing capabilities and new customer segments.

In its medium-term management plan “SHIFT 2023”, Sumitomo Corporation has positioned agriculture as one of its next-generation growth fields and “Agricultural Input & Service” as a steady business growth category. In the agrochemicals field, Sumitomo Corporation started its agrochemical export business in the 1970s and currently operates an import and wholesale business in 37 countries overseas. In Europe, the company has expanded its value chain by acquiring agricultural supplies distributors. In the fertilizer field, since starting the fertilizer raw material import/export business in the 1950s, Sumitomo has built an integrated business base from importing fertilizer raw materials to manufacturers and selling direct to farmers, mainly in Japan and the Asia-Oceania region.

Established in 2000, Nativa is an agricultural supplies distributor with eight locations and a fertilizer manufacturing facility in the state of Minas Gerais, located in southeastern Brazil. In addition to soybeans and corn, the state of Minas Gerais is a region where coffee, fruit tree, and vegetable cultivation and seed production are thriving, especially among small and medium-sized farmers.

Agro Amazonia has been in business since in 1983 and is one of the largest agricultural supplies distributors in the Midwest of Brazil, operating 50 outlets in eight Brazilian states, mainly in the Mato Grosso region. Sumitomo Corporation acquired full ownership of the company in 2018 and has since contributed to the expansion of Agro Amazonia’s business by leveraging its financing, procurement, and business management expertise.

With this acquisition, Sumitomo aims to expand