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VertiFarm, a new business event is set to address all aspects of sustainable cultivation methods

Under the banners of Growing & Processing, Retail & Pharma and Start Ups & Investors, VertiFarm is set to address all aspects of sustainable cultivation methods between 27 and 29 September, 2022. This challenging subject area for our futures has great potential for conquering new markets across the world. As a new meeting place, the international show dealing with next-level farming and new food systems offers suppliers, producers and distributors the optimum starting point for intensifying business relationships, establishing new contacts and raising awareness for sustainable food production among the general public.

Visitors to the show will obtain a detailed overview of controlled production systems for vegetables, fruit, salad crops, herbs and microgreens as well as fish, insect breeding and cultivation of medicinal plants. VertiFarm provides solution tactics for global challenges such as crop failures, food supplements, security of supply, energy efficiency and urban sustainability.

Other key subject areas are automation and logistics, variety development, cosmetics and oils, crop protection and fertilisers, climate and lighting systems, energy production and efficiency, and research and education. Interested visitors will be able to familiarise themselves with all facets and approaches concerning sustainable food production. The conceptual sponsor behind VertiFarm is the Association for Vertical Farming (AVF), the world’s leading non-profit organisation supporting and promoting the sustainable growth and development of the indoor/vertical farming movement.

High-calibre supporting programme for the VertiFarm launch

The programme accompanying the show continues to take shape and will be updated continuously over the coming weeks and months. Companies, institutions and other industry players are welcome to help shape it – proposals concerning subject matter areas of technology, new food systems, financing, business models and consumer acceptance, AI, robotics and automation are welcome to be submitted before 29 July 2022: Call for Papers.

Retail Day programme – supporting retailers and resellers

In cooperation with the North Rhine Westphalia & Westphalia-Münsterland Trade Association, the retail trade’s climate protection initiative is set to add a Retail Day to the VertiFarm line-up on 28 September 2022. It will start with brunch and go on to highlight the potential of vertical farming for the food trade, followed by a guided tour of selected suppliers at the show. From around noon, panels and expert talks will get underway addressing the key topics of planning law, urban development, energy efficiency, sustainability, regionality, ROI, economic viability and best practice.

VertiFarm, a new business event is set

The funds will primarily be used for expansion into more demand centres, establishing dominance across supply micro-pockets and hiring

B2B marketplace for fruits Vegrow has received $25 million in a Series B round led by Prosus Ventures. Existing investors including Matrix Partners India, Elevation Capital, Lightspeed, Ankur Capital and angel investor Sanjiv Rangrass also participated in the round.

The new round has come after a gap of 12 months for the Bengaluru-based start-up which picked up $13 million in Series A in July last year. The funds will primarily be used for expansion into more demand centers, establishing dominance across supply micro-pockets and hirings, said VeGrow in a release.

Vegrow focuses on matchmaking across demand and supply for fruits, aggregating multiple channels such as wholesalers, semi-wholesalers, modern trade and general trade in 100 cities on the demand side and more than 20,000 farmers on the supply side.

 Vegrow claims that it engages with farmers across more 400 production pockets and helps them align with market expectations and get better yield. According to the company, it processes more than 200 tons of fruits daily. Vegrow majorly operates in Karnataka and competes with Dailyninja, Waycool and Zomato’s HyperPure.

Vegrow also said that it has grown 15-fold in the last 12 months with industry leading gross margins of 20 per cent. The company, however, did not disclose its revenue numbers for FY22. During FY21, Vegrow remained a pre-revenue stage company with Rs 11.8 crore in revenue and a loss of Rs 4.8 crore.

Prosus, the lead investor of this round, has invested in very few companies in the agriculture space. Last year, it had led a $30 million round in Patna and Gurugram-based startup DeHaat. The firm also backed the startup in its $115 million round in October.

The funds will primarily be used for

This new carbon credit model will support farmers as they expand sustainable and regenerative practices

UPL Limited, a global provider of sustainable agricultural solutions, has announced the European launch of the Gigaton Carbon Goal, a new series of global initiatives to sequester one gigaton (one billion tons) of atmospheric carbon dioxide by 2040.

UPL will enable agri-ecosystems to create, implement and validate carbon emission and capture protocols. This will generate carbon credits that directly benefit farmers with the potential for additional revenue streams. This new carbon credit model will support farmers as they expand sustainable and regenerative practices, directly benefitting the environment and positioning agriculture as a climate-positive industry.

UPL will mobilise its resources, experience, and global network to identify, invest in, and supply the tools, techniques and technologies that can help equip and empower each farmer.

Jai Shroff, CEO of UPL Limited, said, “We’re reimagining sustainability to see agriculture become climate-positive and farmers empowered with new sources of income. Our partnership with FIFA, who share our commitment to fostering sustainable and inclusive growth, exemplifies the goals of our OpenAg network, which puts collaboration at the heart of progress and sustainability. We look forward to working with FIFA and farmers to positively contribute to farmer livelihoods, the health and productivity of fields, our global food future, and the fight against climate change.”

The Gigaton Carbon Goal pilot phase is already underway with more than 100 000 farmers across 230 000 hectares in Europe, the Americas and Asia, and the initiative aims to cover more than 100 million hectares, the equivalent of 100 million football fields.

This new carbon credit model will support

The Minister suggested that KCC should be given to people from Maldhari (Ghumantu) Community, who do not stay in one place and have no collateral security to offer

Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala attended a meeting chaired by the Union Minister of Finance, Nirmala Sitharaman to review the progress in issuance of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to poor farmers from Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries Sector with Banks & RRBs. 

Parshottam Rupala, in the meeting held on July 8, 2022, suggested a few measures for compliance by the Banks viz, all Banks must follow the Guidelines of KCC properly, the due acknowledgment for KCC application should be given to the applicants and a timeline decision on the application should be fixed. He added that the reasons for rejection should be clearly indicated so that field officers could rectify and re-submit the forms.

The Minister suggested that KCC should be given to people from Maldhari (Ghumantu) Community, who do not stay in one place and have no collateral security to offer. He further said that KCC should be given to poor fishermen who are unable to give any collateral. The Minister said that these efforts should aim at accelerating the efforts of Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in full saturation of KCC in the country.

The KCC facility will help fisheries and animal husbandry farmers to meet their short-term credit requirements of rearing of animals, poultry birds, fish, shrimp, other aquatic organisms and capture of fish.

Department of Fisheries is trying to explore the possibility of extending KCC to the fishermen who are not covered at present such as those who do not own/lease boat or assets etc. 

The Minister suggested that KCC should be

Training focused on elements of paddy cultivation such as puddling, transplanting, processing, production and export process

More than 150 students from Class IV to Class XII participated and learnt the basics elements of paddy cultivation at the training farm of APEDA promoted Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF) which is situated at Modipuram in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh. Students visited the training farm on three different days and learnt the basics of paddy cultivation such as puddling, transplanting, processing, production and export process. The students also learnt the activities like the process of making rice from paddy, de-husking, making steamed rice, production of rice meant for export and extraction of oil from rice and fodder for animals.

Besides, BEDF scientists explained to them the process of Basmati production, processing, storage, the volume of business and export activities. They also learnt about soil health cards management, including green manure crops and experienced the nodules in leguminous crops, including Moong bean and Sesbania and transplanted Basmati crops in the field.

Dr M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA said that the objective of this initiative is to impart practical knowledge to students as well as enhance their understanding of the entire value-chain of rice production to exports, was to support the government’s attempt to. He informed that similar field visits of students will be organized in other parts of the country for imparting practical knowledge on agricultural production systems.

In line with the objective of the NEP, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), organised farming demonstrations and farm training to hone the skills and inculcate practical knowledge of paddy cultivation among students, start-ups and others.

Training focused on elements of paddy cultivation

The Centre also advised that the price to distributors by the manufacturers and refiners also needs to be reduced immediately so that the price drop is not diluted in any way

The Department of Food and Public Distribution in a meeting on July 6, 2022, has directed leading Edible Oil Associations to ensure reduction in the MRP of edible oils by Rs 15 with immediate effect.

The Centre also advised that the price to distributors by the manufacturers and refiners also needs to be reduced immediately so that the price drop is not diluted in any way. It was also impressed upon that whenever a reduction in price to distributors is made by the manufactures/refiners, the benefit should be passed on to the consumers by the industry and the Department may be kept informed on regular basis. Some companies which have not reduced their prices and their MRP is higher than other brands have also been advised to reduce their prices.

During the meeting it was discussed that the international prices of imported edible oils are on a downward trend which is a very positive picture in the edible oil scenario and, therefore, the domestic edible oil industry needs to ensure that the prices in the domestic market also drop commensurately.

It may be recalled that in May 2022, the Department had convened a meeting with the leading edible oil associations and according to sources, the MRP of Fortune Refined Sunflower Oil 1 litre pack had been decreased to Rs 210 from Rs 220 and MRP of Soyabean (Fortune) and Kachi Ghani oil 1 litre pack from Rs 205 to Rs 195. The reduction in oil prices came in the wake of Central Government reducing the import duty on edible oils making them cheaper. 

The Department is continuously monitoring the prices and availability situation of edible oil in the country and it is imperative that the benefit of reduced duty structure on edible oils and the continuous significant drop in prices at the international market be immediately passed on to the end consumers without fail.

The Centre also advised that the price

NFDB Lab project on “Assessment of pathogenic microorganisms along with nutrient and residual contaminant profiling in fish and aqua Feeds” was launched on 22nd National Fish Farmers Day.

National Fisheries Development Board, Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, celebrated the 22nd National Fish Farmers Day in a hybrid mode at NFDB Hyderabad. The program was graced virtually by Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Dr L. Murugan, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Jatindra Nath Swain, Secretary Department of Fisheries launched the NFDB Lab project on “Assessment of pathogenic microorganisms along with nutrient and residual contaminant profiling in fish and aqua Feeds”. On this occasion NFDB and State Bank of India signed MOU to facilitate FIDF & Entrepreneur Models scheme. Sagar Mehra, Joint Secretary (Inland Fisheries) highlighted that there is a steady increase in share of fisheries in the country’s GDP.  About 2.8 crore people are dependent on fisheries in the country. During the program, the dignitaries interacted with progressive fish farmers under PMMSY scheme. Fish farmers availing quality seed from NFFBB gave feedback on growth performance of improved seed varieties. North East fish farmers shared their prospects in fisheries sector. Nearly 30 States/UTs participated virtually in groups with more than 500 participants.

More than 1000 fish farmers, aquapreneurs & fisher folks, professionals, officials and scientists from across the nation participated in the event. During the event, 4 posters as an outreach on Domestic Fish Consumption and sustainable production were released. Poster on “Fish for Motherhood” & “Fish Nutrients and their Wellness Benefits” were released by Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan and posters on “Sustainable Fishing Practices” & “State Fishes of India” were released by Dr L. Murugan.

NFDB Lab project on “Assessment of pathogenic

The Financing Package will allow Rivulis to re-finance its own debt and also re-finance the debt of the International Irrigation Business (“IIB”) of Jain Irrigation (India)

Rivulis Pte. Ltd. (“Rivulis”) announced that it has signed definitive agreements with 5 banks for the financing of its current and future debt for an amount of up to US$250,000,000. The syndication was led by HSBC, with the participation of the State Bank of India (India), Rabobank (Netherlands), Leumi Bank (Israel) and First International Bank of Israel.

The Financing Package will allow Rivulis to re-finance its own debt and also re-finance the debt of the International Irrigation Business (“IIB”) of Jain Irrigation (India), which, according to prior announcements made on the 22nd of June 2022, will merge with Rivulis pending regulatory approvals. Whilst not in place now, Rivulis has the option to approach all the lenders to incorporate sustainability features based on KPIs (to be agreed) in order to track the Company’s ESG performance.

Eran Ezra, Rivulis CFO, explained: “This Financing package, offered by such prestigious banking institutions, underscores our strong forward momentum to become a global irrigation and climate leader, and is testimony to the strong backing received in this. The package will allow for strong organic growth while simultaneously enabling us to execute on our already announced merger with Jain’s IIB. The terms obtained by the banks, including covenant and maturities’ structure, will give us the operational flexibility we need to execute on our strategic plans to make modern irrigation accessible to growers across the globe and will enable management focus on the tasks ahead of us.”

Dalit Uri, HSBC Israel, Head of Corporate Banking, added: “We are proud to support Rivulis, a truly innovative company committed to resolving the most pressing challenges of our planet: feeding humanity while preserving the planet from the perils of climate change. As a leading international bank, it was natural for us to become a part of Rivulis’ journey to help growers across the world.”

The Financing Package will allow Rivulis to

The company has registered its highest ever Q1 overall sales of 39,274 tractors, which is 18 per cent growth above 33,219 overall tractor sales recorded in the corresponding period in FY’22

India’s No1 tractor export brand, Sonalika Tractors has been creating new product as well as performance benchmarks ever since the FY’23 inception and has proudly rewritten its record books yet again. The company has registered its highest ever Q1 overall sales of 39,274 tractors, which is 18 per cent growth above 33,219 overall tractor sales recorded in the corresponding period in FY’22. With a dominating Q1 performance, the company has further accelerated its journey in the on-going financial year and cemented its position for upcoming seasons ahead.

Despite unprecedented heat wave affecting crop production across the country, the MSP uptick from government side has facilitated healthy rural cash flow, thereby driving tractor overall demand in Q1 FY’23. As monsoon continues expand base across the country, Sonalika Tractors will remain at the forefront to support farmers win their everyday farming challenges.

Commenting on achieving the new Q1 performance milestone, Raman Mittal, Joint Managing Director, International Tractors Limited, said, “Delivering on farmer’s expectations month after month empowers us to set new benchmarks both in terms of product as well as performance. Achieving our highest ever Q1 overall sales of 39,274 units with 18% growth is a testament that we understand farmers and their regional market requirements well, which subsequently boils down to reinforced farmer trust in brand Sonalika. Strategically supported by our unique approach of customising our tractor portfolio, I am optimistic that we have set our FY’23 course in right direction for upcoming seasons later during the year. Sonalika Tractors will continue to address regional farmer requirements to ensure high productivity and income for their buoyant future.”

The company has registered its highest ever

The partnership will have access to more than 40 million farmers in India and focus on transforming how farmers mitigate and adapt to climate change and other livelihood related risks

Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AICIL), a nationalised insurance company under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, has signed a three-year agreement with Wingsure, an insurtech company that leverages artificial intelligence and deep technology to protect farmers worldwide.

As part of the agreement, Wingsure will use its advanced technology capabilities to significantly strengthen the accessibility of insurance products and services to farmers in India; curate and promote AICIL’s comprehensive portfolio of agriculture insurance products and enable its channels, including groups and partner brokers, to distribute on its mobile app.

Launched to support economic empowerment with transparency and promote sustainability through modern agricultural practices, Wingsure’s application leverages advanced computer vision, augmented reality, and voice capabilities to provide intelligence and facilitate the underwriting and insurance claims processes for small holder farmers. The partnership will have access to more than 40 million farmers in India and focus on transforming how farmers mitigate and adapt to climate change and other livelihood related risks. 

Malay Poddar, Chairman and Managing Director, AICIL, said, “We firmly believe that technology implementation is key to providing insurance and thereby protecting the underserved. Through our association, we will utilise the Wingsure technology platform to support our vision of how farmers can leverage insurance to mitigate risk.”

The partnership will have access to more

The objective of this conclave was to give thrust to increase the area, production and productivity, marketing, branding of Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) and also to enhance the farmer’s income

Under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, National Conclave on Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) has been organised on July 7, 2022. The objective of this conclave was to give thrust to increase the area, production and productivity, marketing, branding of Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) and also to enhance the farmer’s income. A Technical Session was also conducted to address the issues related to planting material, cultivation practices, post-harvest & marketing and research on Kamlam (Dragon Fruit). Progressive farmers of States namely Haryana, Karnataka, Gujarat and Nagaland shared their experiences during the workshop.

Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, DA&FW, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, GoI as Chief Guest shared his views and highlighted that there is need to promote and develop a plan for increasing the area of Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) as the fruit is having specific nutritional value and global demand.

He suggested to prepare an Annual Action Plan (AAP) of 5 years in consultation with States to promote overall development in respect to cultivation, post-harvest management, marketing processing and Value addition.

Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, mentioned in his speech that there should be potential market of this fruit so that growers can develop their own branding. There is also need to develop a 5-year strategy to increase the area of Kamlam upto 50,000 ha.

The objective of this conclave was to

The recent funding includes investment from Ospraie Ag Sciences (OAS), Bunge Ventures, the for-profit, global investment arm of Bunge and UPL Ltd.

Phospholutions Inc., a leader in sustainable fertilizer technology, has announced additional investment from leading global agricultural companies to support commercialization of RhizoSorb® in the US row crop market. The recent funding includes investment from Ospraie Ag Sciences (OAS), Bunge Ventures, the for-profit, global investment arm of Bunge and UPL Ltd.

“RhizoSorb® is proven to deliver the same amount of phosphorus to the plant with half the amount of applied fertilizer,” said Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Hunter Swisher. “Conventional fertilizers are inefficient as less than 25 per cent of phosphorus is taken up by the crop during the growing season. With recent increases in fertilizer prices and supply constraints in key global markets, farmers urgently need proven solutions to help maximize the return on input costs. This investment helps accelerate our commercial launch by supporting this year’s commercial trial program, strategic development partnerships, and enables product to be delivered to the US row crop market for the 2023 growing season.”

Utilizing its extensive network and 25 years of experience investing in agriculture, OAS is positioned to help farmers achieve a sustainable future. Carl Casale from OAS commented, “RhizoSorb® technology aligns closely to our venture firm’s mission to do more with less. The technology promotes increased grower profitability and reduces environmental impact to contribute to a more sustainable future for farming.”

This new investment series announced follows the Series A totaling $10.3M announced early last year, which allowed Phospholutions to more than triple in size. At the time, the investments were led by Continental Grain Company with participation from Tekfen Ventures, Maumee Ventures, Ag Ventures Alliance, and 1855 Capital. Additionally, Phospholutions recently won a $250K investment during The Radicle Challenge by UPL.

The recent funding includes investment from Ospraie

The 48-member Committee will meet once every quarter in a financial year to discuss, recommend, prescribe and advise policies regarding the sectors.

The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (FAHD), Government of India, has announced the formation of a National Advisory Committee for Animal Husbandry and Dairying sector encompassing several industry experts and business leaders.

Balram Singh Yadav, Managing Director, Godrej Agrovet Limited, has been appointed as an industry representative in the committee. The newly formed Committee will be chaired by Hon’ble Union Minister (FAHD), Parshottam Rupala, and co-chaired by MoSs (FAHD), Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan. The 48-member Committee will meet once every quarter in a financial year to discuss, recommend, prescribe and advise policies regarding the sectors.

On the appointment, Balram Singh Yadav, Managing Director, Godrej Agrovet Limited, said, “I am thankful to the Ministry for giving me with this opportunity. It is an honour to work with some of the industry’s brightest and most committed minds and contribute towards the future growth of the country. The Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairy sectors have a lot of scope for furthering its contribution to the Indian economy at large. I am confident that right policies and ecosystems crated through the concerted efforts of the government and the industry will lead to high employment generation and help elevate farmers’ income.  

Dr O.P. Chaudhary, Joint Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairy (DAHD), Government of India (GoI) will act as Member Secretary of the Committee and plan coordination unit of DAHD; GoI will provide all secretarial assistance to the Committee. This Committee comprises various government officials, union leaders, experts in the fields, farmers, and industry representatives to recommend, prescribe and advise policies relating to cattle & dairy development, feed and fodder, poultry, piggery, sheep, goal, animal health, other livestock, etc.

The 48-member Committee will meet once every

ICRISAT’s improved crop varieties and value chain development technology will be leveraged alongside AGRA’s extensive seed systems networks to bridge gaps in market access.

ICRISAT and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) announced a new partnership that synergizes their strengths. ICRISAT’s improved crop varieties and value chain development technology will be leveraged alongside AGRA’s extensive seed systems networks to bridge gaps in market access to early maturing, high yielding and nutritious varieties of drought tolerant crops in Africa.

Speaking at the AGRA-ICRISAT partnership meeting, Dr George Bigirwa, Deputy Vice President for Program Development and Innovations, AGRA, noted that the partnership will focus on four areas:

Climate change: ICRISAT works on Drought Tolerant Crops (DTCs) like sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, and pigeonpea which are important crops to address climate change;

Diversification: AGRA is considering incorporating DTCs in their value chains;

Nutrition: This is a big challenge in most countries given ongoing civil wars, conflicts and the global economic recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation calls for incorporation of hardy DTCs.

Gender inclusivity: Some of ICRISAT’s mandate crops play an important role in achieving gender inclusivity especially for women who consider DTCs as their main source of income and nutrition. ​ ​ ​Dr Arvind Kumar, Deputy Director General-Research, ICRISAT, reiterated Dr Bigirwa’s statement on the four areas of partnership that will be enhanced through knowledge and capacity development, technology dissemination, intensification of dryland systems, natural resource management, seed systems and value chain development, market linkages, precision and digital agriculture technologies, and farm mechanization. “ICRISAT’s Director General Dr Jacqueline Hughes’ visit to AGRA’s office in Nairobi indicates the institute’s desire to work closely with AGRA,” said Dr Kumar.

During the discussion, AGRA showcased their strategic plan which focuses on climate adaptation and resilience to help farmers deal with climate change, and inclusivity so that women and youth can benefit from agricultural development. ​ They also highlighted that their business lines include seed systems, sustainable farming, and inclusive markets and trade.

ICRISAT’s improved crop varieties and value chain