Connect with:
Wednesday / December 4. 2024

logo
mobile-logo
Home2022August (Page 3)
Agro Universities, Agrotech, Start ups

 It aims to bridge the gap between retailers and modern ways of doing business, which will prove profitable for all agricultural stakeholders including farmers.

Taking significant strides to make the agriculture sector more informative, productive and filled with progressive individuals, Unnati, a fintech-driven agriculture ecosystem, has launched a one-of-its-kind platform called the Agri-Retailer Academy.

This unprecedented academy will equip retailers with adequate education on best practices of running an outlet, hands-on training to master digital ways, data collection and analytics techniques, farmer engagement methods and methodologies to expand the knowledge of sustainable farming to ground stakeholders. This initiative is likely to bridge the gap between retailers and much-needed modern ways of doing business, which will eventually prove profitable for all agricultural stakeholders including farmers. Farmers will also greatly benefit from this initiative as the retailers will be well-informed about their business leading to better product recommendations, availability etc.

For the uninitiated, Unnati has recently also introduced Retailer Insurance for its vast network of uStores to safeguard retailers against business uncertainties. Millions of small agriculture business owners and retailers struggle with a dearth of proper knowledge, information about new-age practices and modern resources, so Unnati is working on its mission to offer them appropriate guidance to scale their growth.

This initiative to launch a specialised Agri-Retailer Academy is another measure Unnati has taken to support the underserved retailer community in the agriculture segment. It currently has a complete network of more than 48K+ retailers and plans to expand this number to 1 lakh by the end of this fiscal year.

 Amit Sinha, Co-founder, Unnati said, “At Unnati, we firmly believe retailers are an integral part of the agriculture ecosystem. Our biggest priority is to assist them in understanding modern practices and tools and help their business scale productively and safely. The Agri-Retailer Academy is launched to keep the same vision in mind. We intend to encourage retailers to become more confident and secure, to be able to survive today’s highly-competitive world, and continuously evolve during these trying yet rapidly changing times. This initiative will definitely provide the much-needed help and support retailers need and strengthen our overall agriculture ecosystem. This is just another step in the right direction.”

 It aims to bridge the gap between

Agrotech, Company News, Start ups

 The partnership with the technical institutes will facilitate the application of drones by both government and private sector in the African country.

Agri-drone startup Garuda Aerospace has announced that the company has partnered with Harare Institute of Technology and Nyangani Virtual University to offer drones-as-a-service to the agriculture industry in Zimbabwe.

Garuda has mentioned that its partnership with the technical institutes will facilitate the application of drones by both government and private sector in the African country. In agriculture, Garuda’s drones will be used for carrying out large scaling mapping, inspection and training to increase the agricultural output.

Recently Garuda has announced the completion of the plantation of 75 000 seeds using drones in partnership with Rotary Club Bombay and the Tamil Nadu Forest Department.

″We are constantly on the lookout for partnerships that enable us to deploy drones for agricultural applications that empower the ecosystem and the farmers, ″ Agnishwar Jayapraksh, founder and chief executive of Garuda Aerospace said in a statement.

Jayapraksh added that the objective of the new partnership is to add value to the agriculture ecosystem by providing them with drones that leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies.

The startup claims it has over 30 types of drones and offers 50 drone-based services including precision agriculture spray, damage inspection, warehouse management, seed dropping, cleaning of solar panels and delivery of medicines using drones. Some of the more common agricultural applications using drones include pest control, health monitoring, livestock management, soil analysis, and aerial survey.

Founded in 2015, Garuda is backed by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The start-up raised US$30 million in a Series-A round last month at a valuation of US$250 million.

 The partnership with the technical institutes will

Agro Universities, Agrotech, India

 MoU will focus on empowering local farming communities of FPOs by increasing business and trade opportunities in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh

ICAR- Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) with Flipkart India Private Limited to enable market access for FPOs and SHGs by procuring quality produce directly from the farmers. 

Dr C. V. Ratnavathi, Director, ICAR-IIMR and Giridhar Perab, Associate Director, Flipkart, Shri Girish Nair, South Zone Head, Flipkart, Dr Srinivas Babu and Dr Sangappa, Scientists of ICAR-IIMR participated in MOU agreement signing.

Through this partnership both the parties will focus on empowering local farming communities of FPOs by increasing business and trade inclusion opportunities for small and marginal farmers of FPOs in four states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh) where ICAR-IIMR is acting as CBBO. It will create a shared value for all stakeholders and provide better marketing linkages, remunerative prices to small and marginal farmers of FPOs.

ICAR-IIMR in collaboration with Flipkart aims to enable market access to FPOs, by engaging small and marginal farmers with groceries private label business for sourcing requirements and training, capacity building initiatives of FPOs. This shall help, assist and develop, provide knowledge and understanding in regard to quality of produce, quantity, documentation, pricing and licenses requirements and aspects to be part of the ecosystem for the small, marginal farmers of FPOs.

ICAR-IIMR will support Flipkart’s engagement with the FPOs, by providing infrastructure support for training and capacity building activities in the implementation and engagement of the program with their available resources.

 MoU will focus on empowering local farming

Company News, Finance

Company plans to accelerate the commercial deployment of its next-generation product portfolio into new North American markets.

Toranto based Vive Crop Protection announced the close of its USD $26 million Series C investment round. The round was led by Emmertech with participation from the Cibus funds, and existing investors Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), Export Development Canada (EDC), and Urbana Corporation. Vive has also secured debt financing from Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) to provide both working and growth capital in support of their continued expansion.

Vive will have a second close in the next quarter to accommodate top-tier investor groups still completing diligence – all strategically focused on next-generation agriculture technology. Vive will leverage its newest funding to accelerate the commercial deployment of its next-generation product portfolio into new North American markets while advancing its research and development pipeline.

“The investment by Emmertech, the Cibus funds, and existing investors, and the debt financing provided by Silicon Valley Bank underscores our success in delivering innovative solutions to farmers,” said Darren Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Vive Crop Protection.

Kyle Scott, Managing Director of Conexus Venture Capital & Emmertech, says, “We are thrilled to be backing Vive’s outstanding team and the trust they’ve built among farmers with solutions that are efficient, sustainable, and profitable. We look forward to supporting Vive with their R&D infrastructure and entrance into global markets.”

Alastair Cooper, Head of Venture at the Cibus funds, said, “Our investment underlines our commitment to disruptive companies like Vive who place innovation at the core of their business model. As agriculture continues to embrace new technology, we believe Vive products will become increasingly important for maximizing on-farm efficiency and sustainability.”

Graeme Millen, Managing Director and Climate Tech & Sustainability lead in Canada for Silicon Valley Bank, says, “Vive’s unique technology exemplifies the power of next-generation solutions to create sustainable yet profitable outcomes for stakeholders. This approach aligns with SVB’s role as an active partner for high impact Agtech companies and we’re excited to support Vive’s important mission.”

Vive’s proprietary Allosperse® technology is a nanoscale, polymer-based delivery system that improves the targeting and performance of both synthetic and biological active ingredients, enhancing farmers ROI and sustainability profile.

Company plans to accelerate the commercial deployment

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Company News, Oilseeds

The collaboration will bring new opportunities and growth in building oil palm plantation in Assam, Manipur and Tripura.

Godrej Agrovet, one of India’s largest diversified agribusiness companies, today announced that it has signed three MoUs (Memorandum of Understand) with Assam Manipur and Tripura state governments for development and promotion of oil palm cultivation in the region under the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) scheme.

In August 2021, Government of India had launched the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEOOP) with planned outlay of Rs 11,040 Crore. Under this mission, Government has envisaged to raise area under cultivation of oil palm to 10 Lakh hectares by 2025-26 and 16.7 Lakh hectares by 2029-30 with special focus on the North East region and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

As part of the MoU signed, Godrej Agrovet will be allotted land across the three states for promotion and development of sustainable palm oil plantations in the region. The collaboration will bring new opportunities and growth in building oil palm plantation in these three states and would help to provide the required support to the farmers.

Balram Singh Yadav, Managing Director, Godrej Agrovet Limited, said, “With more than thirty years of experience in oil palm business, Godrej Agrovet has been working and educating farmers from North East on sustainable palm oil plantation processes. Currently, we have around 65,000 hectares under palm oil cultivation across the country, which we plan to increase to 1 lakh hectares in the next few years. We are confident that the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) along with active participation of responsible organisations such as Godrej Agrovet will lead to bridging the gap in India’s oil mission.”

Sougata Niyogi, CEO – Oil Palm, Godrej Agrovet Limited, added, “We have been invested in promoting and developing north east as a growth market for palm oil cultivation for over a decade. According to industry estimates, these states have utilised less than 1% of its potential. These states promise huge opportunity for growth and improving income of the farming household. With our processing plant in Mizoram, we are prepared to sustainably serve the demand of the north east markets. With active support of the state governments, we can develop 15000 hectares in four North Eastern states in the next five years.”

The collaboration will bring new opportunities and

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agrotech, Company News, India

BAL also received the registration for indigenous manufacturing of another crucial pesticide Kresoxim Methyl Technical u/s 9 (4) in the RC meeting.

Best Agrolife Limited, a leading player in the Indian agrochemical industry, has been granted registration for the indigenous manufacturing of Pyroxasulfone technical u/s 9(3) by Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee in the 440th meeting. With this Best Agrolife Limited (BAL) will become the first Indian agrochemical company to manufacture Pyroxasulfone Technical in India. BAL also received the registration for indigenous manufacturing of another crucial pesticide Kresoxim Methyl Technical u/s 9 (4) in the same RC meeting.

 Pyroxasulfone is a novel pre-emergence herbicide for wheat, corn, and soybean. Wheat is the primary cereal crop in India. The total area under the yield is about 29.8 million hectares in the country. While the area harvested for corn across India in 2021/2022 was 9.7 million hectares the Kharif acreage under soybean in the 2021 Kharif season was 120 lakh hectares. Pyroxasulfone controls the problematic weeds in these crops and ensures their better quality and higher yields. It acts by inhibiting the biosynthesis of very long-chain fatty acids in plants. As compared with other commercial herbicides it has lower application rates and higher efficacy against broadleaf weeds.

The market size of Pyroxasulfone is approximately Rs 450 crore at present and its demand will increase further in the coming years. Until now India was dependent on other countries for Pyroxasulfone. However, now under the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, it will be manufactured indigenously and will be easily available to the farmers. This will prove to be highly beneficial for them as they will get a high-quality product at a better price.

“This new development is of paramount importance for our company and we strongly believe it will play a decisive role in achieving our goals. Our company is focused on developing cost-effective and sustainable crop solutions which benefit farmers across multiple crops and our comprehensive product portfolio is a testimony to that. With these new pesticides in our product portfolio we will be able to contribute more to efficient global food production in the future,” said Mr. Vimal Alawadhi, Managing Director – Best Agrolife Limited.

BAL also received the registration for indigenous

AgroPolicy, India, Seeds

Eminent seed production experts of the country are participating in this three-day conference.

The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the 11th National Seed Congress-2022 at the Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Agriculture University in Gwalior.

On this occasion the newly constructed auditorium of the University was named after the late Dattopant Thengadi. Simultaneously the State Academy of Agricultural and Allied Sciences (SAAS) was launched. The efforts of NAAS at the national level and SAAS at the regional level will further accelerate the activities of agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry science and promotion of related research and education.

“Now that the climatic conditions are changing, this challenge has to be dealt with. Now there should be self-sufficiency in pulses and oilseeds also. For this the government is working in mission mode, but along with policies and funding, the invention of seeds should be such that it increases productivity and takes the country towards self-reliance. Agricultural scientists have a huge responsibility in this, and they need to do more work,” said Tomar.

In this event, deliberations will be held on the new experiments in the field of improved seed production in the country, keeping in view the future requirements and a policy will be framed on the strategy of improved seed production, especially of oilseeds and pulses. Eminent seed production experts of the country are participating in this three-day conference.

Initially the Vice Chancellor Prof. S. Koteshwara Rao delivered the welcome address. Dr. R.C. Agrawal, Deputy Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research; Ashwini Kumar, Joint Secretary (Seeds), Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and other dignitaries also addressed the gathering. In the programme, the Registrar, Anil Saxena along with the University officials, scientists of Krishi Vigyan Kendras, farmers and students were present on the occasion.

Eminent seed production experts of the country

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Company News, India, R&D

Jharkhand became the first state to implement blockchain in the country which is being used to track seed distribution.

In a significant development which would revolutionize agriculture in the country, Directorate of Agriculture, Jharkhand and global blockchain technology company, SettleMint, India jointly announced the successful launch of seed distribution to farmers based on blockchain technology. In the two years of operations in India, SettleMint has made significant progress and took rapid strides towards the enablement of blockchain adaption in India. The successful implementation of blockchain based seed distribution to farmers in Jharkhand is a testimony to that effect.

Jharkhand is 1st state to implement blockchain in the country which is being used to track seed distribution. The blockchain platform tracks seed supply distribution-from issuing of supply orders from the Directorate of Agriculture, placing of seed demand by District Agriculture Officer, tracking seed distribution from empanelled government seed producing agency to distributors, retailers, LAMPS/PACS, FPOs and finally to the farmers. The move to implement blockchain is aimed at bringing transparency and authenticity of seeds which the farmers receive under the seed exchange scheme and other schemes. The state is committed to onboard all stakeholders, i.e., supplies, distributors, and farmers, invest in their training and adoption of technology.

It is envisioned to implement blockchain technology for tracking distribution of seeds, inputs, implements etc under all the schemes being implemented by Directorate of Agriculture like State Seed Distribution Scheme, NFSM, PMKSY, NHM. This will play a crucial role in the transparent execution of schemes while doing away with middlemen as it enables traceability, real time monitoring and efficient management of the schemes. “It is the utmost priority of this government to make quality seeds available to the farmers at the right time, along with filtering of middlemen, identification of the beneficiaries and creation of farmers’ database.” Jharkhand Agriculture Director Nesha Oraon said.

Shahzad Fatmi, CEO, SettleMint India, said, “We are delighted to partner with Jharkhand as it become the first state in the country to distribute seeds through blockchain technology. Blockchain is proving to be a game-changer in the agricultural sector. It is revolutionizing agrarian supply chains by making them more transparent and traceable.”

Jharkhand became the first state to implement

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, India

 The campaign is an acknowledgment of the tremendous hard work of farmers and it celebrates their enormous contribution.

Agri-input major Dhanuka Group has launched a unique brand campaign ‘India Ka Pranam Har Kisan Ke Naam’ to mark the 42nd foundation day of the company. The campaign is dedicated to acknowledging the sweat and toil of the hardworking farmers of India and celebrates their contribution in nation building.

“From ‘ship-to-mouth’ syndrome of the 1960s to a net exporter of food grains, we have a lot to be proud of. It is primarily due to the tireless efforts of our farmers that we are in such a sweet position in comparison to some other nations that are undergoing severe food shortages amidst the global turmoil,” said R. G. Agarwal, Chairman, Dhanuka Group.

The campaign “India Ka Pranam Har Kisan Ke Naam” highlights the journey of our farmers and salutes them for their tireless work. Indian farmers battle many adversities year on year to ensure that enough food is produced to feed not only the entire nation but also export to other countries.

“Our campaign India Ka Pranam Har Kisan Ke Naam is an acknowledgment of the tremendous hard work of our farmers and through this campaign we salute them for their enormous contribution,” Agarwal said.

The Group has also launched a new TVC as a part of this special campaign, which will be displayed throughout the country. The campaign is being promoted on print, television and digital platforms across the country.

“Right since our inception, we at Dhanuka have been at the forefront of contributing our best for the betterment of our farmers. We work with an aim of provide products that enable farmers to protect their crop, increase the yields and profits,” Agarwal said. Around 60-70 per cent of India’s population is involved in agriculture and allied activities and the progress of the nation depends on their wellbeing. Dhanuka has released this campaign at a time when the country is celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate the 75th Independence Day of the nation. “On the march towards Amrit Kaal, we salute our kisan and jawans – to acknowledge and strengthen their potential of which has provided security to our beloved nation by all means.”

 The campaign is an acknowledgment of the

Acquaculture, AgroPolicy, Agrotech, IT, Live Stock

The online marketplace will help the fish farmers and stakeholders to source the inputs such as fish seeds, feed, medicines, etc.

Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, launched the Online Market Place feature “Aqua Bazar” in the “MatsyaSetu” mobile app during the 9th general body meeting of the National Fisheries Development Board. The app was developed by the ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA), Bhubaneswar, with the funding support of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad through the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). The online marketplace will help the fish farmers and stakeholders to source the inputs such as fish seeds, feed, medicines, etc., and services required for fish culture as well as farmers can also list their table-size fish for sale. The marketplace aims to connect all stakeholders in the aquaculture sector.

While addressing the gathering, Parshottam Rupala, Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, stated that capacity building of fish farmers should be given top priority. Intensive training courses should be organized and exposure visits should be organized for the farmers.

ICAR-CIFA and NFDB have developed this digital platform to bring all the stakeholders to one place. Through this platform, any registered vendor can list their input materials. The listed items will be displayed in the marketplace based on geographical proximity to the app user. The listings are categorized into the following major categories; fish seeds, input materials, services, jobs, and table fish. Every listing will contain detailed information about the product, price, available quantity, supply area, etc. along with the seller’s contact details. The needy farmers/stakeholders can contact the vendors and fulfil their procurements.

 The feature also allows the fish farmers to list their grown table-size fish/fish seeds for sale with an option to indicate the date of availability along with the price offer. Interested fish buyers will contact the farmers and offer their prices. It will certainly help the farmers to receive more business enquiries from buyers or buyer agents who procure fish, paving the way for increased awareness about the market situation and better price realization of farmers’ produce.

The online marketplace will help the fish

AgroPolicy, Horticulture, India, Trade

The meet was attended by farmers/FPOs, exporters and officials from JDGFT, KAPPEC, UAS, etc.

In a first of its kind initiative, a “Buyer Seller Meet on Dragon Fruit” was organised by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Bangalore Regional Office in collaboration with University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore and KAPPEC, at the GKVK Campus, Bangalore to promote export of Dragon Fruit.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr M. Angamuthu, Chairman APEDA said that more stakeholder’s interaction will be done in future and a Reverse Buyer Seller Meet will be organized for promotion of Dragon Fruit and value-added products in order to boost exports. He pointed towards the collaboration with I.I.H.R. for standardization of fruit parameters and value-added products to help the industry. The Meet was attended by Farmers/FPOs and Exporters. Officials from JDGFT, KAPPEC, UAS were present during the event. Dr S. Rajendra Prasad, Vice-Chancellor, UAS(B) inaugurated the event.

APEDA has taken number of export promotion activities and initiatives, by way of development of virtual portals for organizing Virtual Trade Fairs, Farmer Connect Portal, e-office, Hortinet Traceability system, Buyer Seller Meets, Reverse Buyer Seller Meets, product specific campaigns etc. APEDA has been closely working with the state government for creating infrastructure and promotion of export from the state.

The meet was attended by farmers/FPOs, exporters

Agrotech, Company News, R&D

Brazil represents a great opportunity for BVT to further market a foliar and soil-applied version of CR-7

Canada based Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. has announced that the Company has been granted a patent for BVT’s Clonostachys rosea CR-7 microbial strain (CR-7) in Brazil for use as a biological control agent in agriculture.

The Brazil patent grant (Patent Number BR112016005139-4) recognizes the unique properties of BVT’s proven CR-7 strain. It covers the use of CR-7 in any application method, in any formulation (solid or liquid), for yield improvement, and for disease control.

Brazil represents a significant market opportunity for BVT across specialty and row crops. It has a vast diversity of fruit and vegetable crops and is also the largest soybean producer in the world, with an estimated 140 million tonnes grown annually on about 100 million acres. It is also the world’s largest soybean exporter, with annual exports estimated at 90 million tonnes.

“We are making significant advancements in soybean seed treatment in the United States, and extending the work into Brazil is the next logical step in scaling our business,” said Ashish Malik, CEO of BVT. “Brazil also represents a great opportunity for BVT to further market a foliar and soil-applied version of CR-7, and we are continuing to evaluate the opportunities for the bee vectoring process despite a more limited commercial pollination services industry compared to the United States.”

Malik also added that BVT’s inroads into Brazil are ground breaking. It’s rare for their authorities to allow a company to patent naturally-occurring microbial strains. The fact that we have been granted a patent for CR-7 speaks to how compelling and proprietary our technology really is. Having a patent-protected product paves the way for significant market entry opportunities with business partners in Brazil. It’s a key part of our strategy to strongly position BVT to capture global market share.”

BVT has had over 65 patents granted and currently has more than 35 pending in all major agricultural regions worldwide, including North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Brazil represents a great opportunity for BVT

Company News, Finance, North America

The funding will enable company’s delivery of the first-ever externally applied RNA for crop protection

US based GreenLight Biosciences, a public benefit corporation striving to bring effective and safe solutions to make food clean and affordable for everyone and dedicated to developing health solutions for every person on our planet, announced a private placement of approximately $109 million.

The financing includes participation from new and existing institutional investors, including S2G Ventures, BNP Paribas Ecosystem Restoration Fund, Continental Grain Company, Cormorant Asset Management, the Cummings Foundation, Fall Line Capital, the FTX Foundation, Insud Pharma, Morningside Venture Investments, Rivas Capital, Sigmas Group, SymBiosis and certain directors and executive officers of GreenLight.

“GreenLight’s RNA platform has continued to prove its value as our research and development addresses a wide range of solutions to the world’s challenges,” said Andrey Zarur, CEO of GreenLight. “We are grateful for the support, conviction, and trust of our returning investors. We are also delighted to welcome new investors who have decided to join GreenLight in our mission to feed the world and keep it healthy.

“This funding enables our delivery of the first-ever externally applied RNA for crop protection. In coming months, we anticipate EPA approval and launch of Calantha™, our solution for control of the Colorado potato beetle. Later this year, we plan to make a regulatory submission of our solution targeting varroa mites, which are decimating honeybee colonies around the globe.

“In recent months, we have manufactured mRNA at scale with Samsung Biologics and launched partnerships to develop vaccines with the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health and with The Serum Institute of India.” GreenLight will be working to develop vaccines for COVID and shingles in the coming months.

Matt Walker, a Managing Director at S2G Ventures and member of GreenLight’s Board of Directors, said, “This capital infusion from new and existing investors is not just a vote of confidence in GreenLight’s team and technology platform, but also in its commercial progress and growing pipeline of opportunities in human and plant health.”

The funding will enable company’s delivery of

Agro chems – Pesticides, Agrotech, Company News

From 2023, UPL will co-distribute Oro Agri’s Orange Oil bioprotection formulation and company will use its global distribution network to access new markets.

UPL Ltd, a global provider of sustainable agricultural solutions, announced a new collaboration with Oro Agri, a Rovensa company, for the co-distribution and further development of Orange Oil, a biosolution effective against a wide range of pests and diseases.

Orange Oil was developed by Oro Agri as a residue free biosolution with fungicidal, insecticidal, and acaricidal functions, as well as excellent adjuvant properties. Already registered in over 30 countries and with more than 140 crop and pest combinations, Orange Oil now joins Natural Plant Protection – NPP’s biosolutions portfolio, further enabling farmers to embrace more sustainable agriculture.

From 2023, UPL will co-distribute Oro Agri’s 60 g/L solo Orange Oil bioprotection formulation. Oro Agri will continue to supply existing customers directly while UPL will use its global distribution network to access new markets and build a wider customer base. UPL and Oro Agri will also collaborate to develop, register and market new and existing Orange Oil formulations to offer growers around the world access to the latest, most effective, and sustainable crop protection biosolutions. The agreement is part of UPL’s OpenAg® commitment to build a collaborative global network within the industry and beyond.

Eric van Innis, CEO of ROVENSA said, “This collaboration agreement with UPL will allow the rapid development of one of our flagship products across the globe, maintaining our distribution in markets where we already have presence and strengthening our footprint in new potential markets, optimizing the combined regulatory and intellectual property of both UPL and Rovensa. Both parties share the same mission: contributing to feed the planet through sustainable agricultural inputs for a well-balanced agriculture.”

Mike Frank, President and COO at UPL, said: “We look forward to collaborating with Oro Agri to evolve Orange Oil with more applications, combining our expertise to benefit growers. Orange Oil will join our ProNutiva® programme, working in synergy with NPP’s other biosolutions and UPL’s conventional inputs to improve farmers’ efficiency and profitability while reducing environmental impacts.”

From 2023, UPL will co-distribute Oro Agri's