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This bio-pesticide is effective against Helicoverpa armigera, Spodoptera litura, white fly and aphid with safe to natural enemies.

The patent office of the government of India has granted and issued a certificate of patent for an invention entitled bio-pesticide compositions and formulation from (Citrullus colocynthis) for insect control under Patents Act, 1970. (Patent No: 407022)

Dr D. K. Samadia, Director, ICAR-Central Institute for Arid Horticulture, Bikaner stated that the product is absolutely safe and effective to control insect-pests in arid zone fruits and vegetables. The invention was made by Dr S. M. Haldhar, Scientist (Entomology) and his team.

The ICAR-CIAH has released the product with the name of “Thar Jaivik 41 EC”. This bio-pesticide is effective against Helicoverpa armigera, Spodoptera litura, white fly and aphid with safe to natural enemies. The data on phyto-toxicity effect on plant was also recorded and found that no effect was observed on plant when applied 10 times more dose of the recommended dose of bio-pesticide. It was also observed that there was no effect on fruits and vegetables three days after spraying Thar Jaivik 41 EC. Indian arid zone is characterized by high temperature and low and variable precipitation, which limit the scope for high crop productivity. The existing low productivity could be increased by following improved new technologies and inputs. The area and yield potential of arid horticultural crops has increased many-fold because of the development of new varieties, agro-techniques and plant protection measures in arid region. Insect-pests are major constraints for increasing the production of arid horticulture crops in India. Chemical pesticides have played an important role in managing pests and diseases and increasing arid horticulture crops production in the past but  their indiscriminate  use  for  over three  decades has  led  to  several problems such as development of resistance in pest to pesticides, pesticides residues,  destruction  of  beneficial insects and the outbreak of secondary pests.  These negative effects have provided the impetus for the development of alternatives including botanical pesticides. Organic botanical pesticides are an important group of naturally occurring, often slow-acting crop protectants that are usually safer to humans and with minimal residual effects.

This bio-pesticide is effective against Helicoverpa armigera,

NATCO estimates the current market size of CTPR containing products in India to be over Rs 2000 crores

Natco Pharma Limited has announced that the company has received order from Hon’ble High Court of Delhi stating that NATCO is allowed to launch Chlorantraniliprole (CTPR) and its formulations, through its non-infringing process.

NATCO, which has diversified into agrichemicals a few years ago, said that it is the first Company in India to have received its registration approval given by Central Insecticide Board & Registration Committee (CIB&RC) recorded in its Minutes of the 425th Meeting held on January 25th, 2021, for indigenous manufacture of Chlorantraniliprole (CTPR) Technical 93.00 per cent w/w min. under Section 9(3).

CTPR technical is formulated into broad-spectrum insecticides used across wide range of crops for pest management. NATCO estimates the current market size of CTPR containing products in India to be over Rs 2000 crores. The Company plans to launch its products very shortly.

NATCO estimates the current market size of

This groundnut variety will help increase the income of farmers and traders in India and enhance export opportunities for Indian groundnut

Groundnut oil considered as good as olive oil was made possible with the development of high oleic acid varieties. Now, a new variety identified for national release opens promising avenues for India, parts of Southeast Asia and Africa.

India’s first ‘Spanish type’ high oleic groundnut developed by researchers at ICRISAT in partnership with the Junagadh Agricultural University is advantageous compared to the initial varieties (Girnar 4 and 5) of the ‘Virginia-type’.

Spanish lines occupy a significant area across India, Southeast Asia and Africa, while the less popular Virginia lines are limited to the Indian states of Rajasthan and parts of Gujarat.

“The new groundnut line being high yielding, drought tolerant, and resistant to foliar diseases will help increase the income of farmers and traders in India and enhance export opportunities for Indian groundnut. The growing demand for groundnut oil in the pharmaceuticals and personal care sectors has further boosted its share in the global market, which is expected to account for USD 3.28 billion by 2029,” said Dr Janila Pasupuleti, Cluster Leader, Accelerated Crop Improvement, ICRISAT.

The new variety GG40 (ICGV 16668) was developed by a ​ team of groundnut breeders at ICRISAT in partnership with Main Oilseeds Research Station (MORS) Junagadh Agriculture University (JAU), Gujarat. The new line departs from conventional breeding techniques and was bred through marker-assisted backcrossing at ICRISAT. Multi-environment testing resulted in the selection of this line based on its superior performance across locations and was recommended for national testing by JAU.

“The new groundnut line is recommended for cultivation in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Maharashtra during the rainy season,” said Dr RB Madariya, Head in charge-Research Scientist (Groundnut), MORS JAU, Gujarat, India. ​

This groundnut variety will help increase the

The startup plans to expand its operations to cover major cities in South India over the next 12 months.

Deep Rooted, India’s leading farm-to-consumer (F2C) brand for fruits and vegetables, has announced that it has raised $12.5 million in Series A funding. The round was led by IvyCap Ventures with participation from existing investors including Accel, Omnivore, and Mayfield.

Deep Rooted provides urban consumers access to quality fruits and vegetables sourced directly from farmers and includes the largest network of greenhouses in India.  Currently operating in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai, Deep Rooted has become a one-stop shop for fresh produce, offering over 200 varieties of fruits and vegetables. Through its greenhouse network, Deep Rooted can deliver a year-round supply of residue-free produce, using a fraction of the water and land compared to conventional farms. Over the next 12 months, the startup plans to expand its operations to cover major cities in South India, strengthen its technology stack, and proactively hire across marketing, technology, and business functions.

Based in Bengaluru, Deep Rooted was co-founded in 2020 by Avinash B R, Gururaj Rao, Arvind Murali, and Santhosh Narasipura. “We are thrilled to partner with IvyCap as we expand across South India, working directly with farmers and delivering the freshest fruits and vegetables to urban consumers,” said Avinash BR on receiving the seed funding.

 Ashish Wadhwani, Partner at IvyCap Ventures, commented, “Fruits & Vegetables (F&V) as a category is ripe for disruption. Deep Rooted, with its razor-sharp focus on F&V, has already showcased a sustainable and profitable view of the opportunity while delivering value to both the farmers and end consumers.” Prashanth Prakash, Partner at Accel, observed, “Consistent high quality and sustained availability are the two key factors in this category to win consumer trust and Deep Rooted delivers both with its end-to-end management of the supply chain. They have already built a substantial base of happy consumers and I look forward to seeing them scale this in South India & beyond.”

The startup plans to expand its operations

Company will showcase its six tractors, a Combine Harvester and biomass management solutions at the PAU campus in Ludhiana on 23rd and 24th of September.

New Holland Agriculture, a brand of CNH Industrial, will be present on 23rd and 24th of September at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Kisan Mela in Ludhiana. The brand’s stall 95-97, 111-113 & Mela Mural 2 will be showcasing six state-of-the-art tractors that include New Holland 3600-2 TX Super, 3037 TX Super, 3600 TX Super 4WD, 3630 TX Super 4WD, 5620 TX and 3600-2 all-rounder. A Combine Harvester TC5.30, Square Baler – SSB BC5060 and Rake RKG129 will also be on display.

Commenting on the participation at the Kisan Mela, Raunak Varma, Managing Director and Country Head, CNH Industrial – India & SAARC, said, “We have strategic growth plans for the Indian market and our time-tested products in the farm equipment segment are well suited for Indian conditions and offer superior value proposition to our customers. Punjab and Haryana are strong markets for us and participation at PAU Mela gives us an opportunity to engage with our existing and prospective customers. We are sure that our range of farm mechanization solutions will excite a lot of visitors and will help make farming more productive and efficient.”

Company will showcase its six tractors, a

FPOs targeted for effective knowledge transfer and wider outreach

CropLife India, an association of 16 R&D driven crop science companies, and the leading voice of the plant science industry in India, pioneered an awareness cum training program on “Application of Kisan Drone Technology in Agriculture” throughout the State of West Bengal. The training and demonstration program was organized jointly with the Agriculture Department and State Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute (SAMETI) Government of West Bengal.

The two days training and demonstration program was held in Narendrapur on 15 & 16 September 2022; Swami Sarvalokananda, Secretary, Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narendrapur; Hrishikesh Mudi, Special Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Govt. of West Bengal; being the Chief Guest. Dr. S. Chattaraj, Sr. Scientist, NBSSLUP, ICAR, Kolkata, Dr. Dibyendu Dutta, Former Scientist – Head & GM, RRSC-East, ISRO, Kolkata, Dr Damodhara Rao Mailapalli, Associate Professor, IIT, Kharagpur and Dr. Manas Ghosh, Principal ATC & Director SAMETI addressed the gathering. Apart from them, present on the occasion were officials of SAMETI, Scientists of Krishi Vigyan Kendra and Extension Officers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), member companies and other officials.

Hrishikesh Mudi, Special Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Government of West Bengal said, “With the introduction of Kisan Drones, they are becoming the Indian farmer’s new best friend which would help in saving time, cost and increasing yield and productivity. The Centre and State Governments are taking the all the necessary steps to facilitate the usage of drones.” During the program, CropLife India released its Drone Poster for quick reference & further dissemination. CropLife India believes that with all the favourable policy support coming in from the Government, the conducive ecosystem needs to be nurtured in order to ensure faster adoption of drones in Indian Agriculture. All the ecosystem stakeholders – Government, Agricultural Universities, Research Institutions, Corporates, Industry Associations, Drone Training Institutes, Drones manufacturers, Drone service providers, FPOs, farmers, Agri & Rural Entrepreneurs, etc. will have to work in tandem towards achieving this. Many agrochemical companies are exploring avenues for improving farmers’ stickiness towards their products. Hence, going forward, the demand for customised Drone-as-a-service models (Agricultural applications and Crop protection) is bound to rise by leaps and bounds

FPOs targeted for effective knowledge transfer and

$100 million will be used to reform agriculture and help alleviate the food crisis disproportionately impacting communities in Africa and South Asia.

During United Nations General Assembly week, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation—alongside governments, philanthropies, the private sector, NGOs, and global and community leaders announced commitments totalling $1.27 billion to improve and save millions of lives.

Out of the total amount, $100 million will be used to reform agriculture and help alleviate the food crisis disproportionately impacting communities in Africa and South Asia. It will be given to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) to support national governments in rebuilding resilient, sustainable local food systems. The other beneficiary will be the African Fertiliser and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) to make fertilisers affordable and accessible for smallholder farmers.

The amount will be used by the CGIAR’s Nigeria-based International Institute of Tropical Agriculture research center to accelerate work that is already supplying farmers with improved and new varieties of crops, such as beans high in iron; sweet potatoes naturally rich in vitamin A; and naturally hardy cassava, millet, and sorghum. The funding will also facilitate working with partners to supply sustainable feed and fodder to African families that depend on livestock as a critical source of income and nutrient-dense food. It will also be utilised to strengthen local food systems by empowering women farmers with the tools and resources they need to succeed and support their communities

“This week has underscored the urgency of the challenges we face, and the promise of sustainable solutions that save and improve lives,” said Mark Suzman, Gates Foundation CEO. “We can get back on track toward the SDGs, but it’s going to take a new level of collaboration and investment from every sector. That’s why our foundation is significantly stepping up our commitment to help confront crises now and ensure long-term impact across critical determinants of health and development,” he further added.

$100 million will be used to reform

Cooperation combines BASF’s deep value chain sustainability experience in animal nutrition and Evonik’s extensive knowledge of feed formulation and customer insights

BASF and Evonik entered into an agreement, granting Evonik certain non-exclusive licensing rights to Opteinics™ – BASF’s digital solution to increase understanding and reduce the environmental footprint of the feed and animal protein industries. Evonik integrates the digital ready-to-use sustainability platform Opteinics™ into its global feed consultancy services. Combining BASF’s digital sustainability solution Opteinics™ with Evonik’s innovative farm management tools and sustainability services will help customers to produce more sustainable feed and animal protein.

Opteinics™ is a software solution launched by BASF in 2021 to measure, analyze and minimize the environmental impact of animal protein, with an emphasis on animal feed production. Currently the software offers modules for pig and poultry production and can be integrated with feed formulation software.

Opteinics™ for pork has recently been fully verified to conform with the ISO 14040 and 14044 LCA standards as well as with the UN Food & Agriculture Organization Livestock Environmental Assessment & Performance (LEAP) Partnership guidelines.  Applications for the dairy value chain and for the optimization of compound feed mixtures will follow soon.

With the use of Opteinics™, Evonik can even better support the livestock industry to make significant progress in fighting climate change, safeguarding ecosystems, and ensuring health and well-being as it works to achieve sustainable food production.

“With Evonik, we have a strong partner to make it a preferred and leading solution as a digital sustainability platform for the global feed industry,” said Manuel Rez, Director Global Product Management Performance Ingredients & Solutions and Marketing BASF Animal Nutrition.

“We are incorporating BASF’s ready-to-use software Opteinics™ into our comprehensive sustainability solutions for customers,” explains Dr. Stefan Mack, head of Service Marketing at Evonik’s Animal Nutrition business line.

Cooperation combines BASF’s deep value chain sustainability

This new initiative is beneficial and inspiring for the agriculture and food processing sector.

Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Pashupati Kumar Paras launched the convergence module between the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Pradhan Mantri Micro Food Enterprises Upgradation Scheme (PMFME) and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

Through this convergence, the eligible beneficiaries under PMFME and PMKSY Scheme availing credit-linked subsidy would be able to avail an additional benefit of Interest Subvention @3 per cent on the interest rate being charged by the banks over and above the 35 per cent of subsidy being provided under the PMFME Scheme.

A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was also issued with the objective of providing maximum benefits to the beneficiaries under AIF, PMFME and PMKSY. The SOP will be available on the websites of the scheme.

Speaking on the occasion, Tomar said that this will benefit different sections of the country, including farmers and small-scale entrepreneurs of processing industry. Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, Paras said that this new initiative is beneficial and inspiring for the agriculture and food processing sector.

Tomar said that while employment opportunities have increased, farmers and entrepreneurs are getting continuous benefits through various schemes of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Ministry of Food Processing Industries. Tomar said that through various schemes of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Ministry of Food Processing Industries, farmers and entrepreneurs are getting continuous benefits, while employment opportunities have also increased.

Paras said that this launch will play an important role in making successful food processing enterprises, especially micro entrepreneurs processing agricultural products, which will act as an inspiration for the agriculture and food processing sector.

This new initiative is beneficial and inspiring

The concerned states must effectively utilise Rs 600 Crore made available to them this fiscal to achieve the ‘Zero Stubble Burning’ goal

Narendra Singh Tomar Union Minister, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare hold a high-level review meeting with the officials of State Governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi, Officers of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), on the actions taken/proposed to be taken by the State Governments for management of stubble burning during 2022 season.

Tomar told the officials of the States to strengthen and widen the IEC activities to make aware the farmers that stubble burning leads to loss of soil fertility in the long run, like the overuse of urea. He urged the officials to make arrangements to take the farmers to the sites, where the Pusa Decomposer developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is being used for practical demonstrations.

For effective control of paddy stubble burning during the ensuing season,  Tomar directed that the States should  chalk out a comprehensive action plan at micro level, establish a mechanism to ensure effective utilization of machines, promote use of bio-decomposer in a complimentary mode with the CRM machines, promote ex-situ utilization of straw by way of mapping demand from adjoining industries like  biomass based power plants, bioethanol plants etc. and take up IEC activities for mass awareness among farmers through intensive campaigns in the electronic/print medias, social media as well as through Kisan Melas, publications, seminars, advisories with the involvement of all stakeholders in this sector.  If all the actions are taken at the State level in a holistic manner, the stubble burning can be effectively controlled during the coming season.

During the period from 2018-19 to 2021-22, the funds amounting to 2440.07 crores have been released (Haryana – Rs. 693.25 crores, Uttar Pradesh – Rs 533.67 crores, NCT of Delhi – Rs 4.52 Crores, ICAR and other Central Agencies – Rs 61.01 crores, and the major share has gone to the State of Punjab i.e., Rs. 1147.62 Crores).

The concerned states must effectively utilise Rs

The company is in active discussions with customers from other countries to leverage the demand for “Indian Traditional Plant-Based and Vegan products”

 Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has announced that GREENEST, India’s pioneering plant protein food brand has shipped India’s first plant-based meat export consignment to the USA from Gujarat in India.

The 5,000 Kg consignment consists of GREENEST products (Plant-based Mini Samosas, Hot and Spicy Strips, Momos, Spring Rolls, Nuggets, Grilled patty, and other Vegan products). GREENEST is a pioneer in plant-based protein products and is backed by investors like Better Bite Ventures (a New Zealand based dedicated Alt Protein VC fund), Magnetic, and Sachid Madan (the former Chief Executive of ITC’s frozen snacks business).

“This is just a beginning, and we hope that India with its rich vegetarian heritage will become a hub for the growing global demand for plant-based Vegan products” said Dr M. Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority).

Harpreet Singh, Regional Head, APEDA Gujarat said “APEDA provides assistance to exporters under various components of its schemes such as Infrastructure, quality, and market development. In addition, APEDA also conducts international Buyer Seller Meets (BSM), Virtual trade fairs with importing countries to promote export of agricultural & processed food products. Plant-based vegan food is a burgeoning category with a strong international potential and we see it as one of the key contributors to our packed foods export portfolio from Gujarat.”

Gaurav Sharma, Founder & CEO, GREENEST said, “We have been receiving a large interest from foreign markets for high quality and healthy plant-based foods and GREENEST is happy to take the lead in this endeavour from India. We are confident that on the back of our strong product quality and unique value proposition, these volumes will grow significantly in the months to come. We hope that this opens new opportunities for our friends in India’s plant-based industry.”

“We believe Indian plant-based foods are primed to be a popular category in the global markets and are witnessing a high number of enquiries for ethnic and value-added plant-based meals both from food service operators and retailers. The consignment to US is the first of many more to follow and we are confident that with APEDA’s continuous involvement and support, we will see many more flag offs happening in the times to come,” said Jeet Hirpara, Managing Partner of Wholesome Foods.

Varun Deshpande, Managing Director at expert non-profit the Good Food Institute India, said, ” GFI India is supporting APEDA in formulating and promoting policy pathways for the export of plant-based foods, while also working with the stakeholders within the sector to ensure that products being exported are competitive with the products available in other markets.”

The company is in active discussions with

Skill development programmes were conducted in different batches for the tribal farmers of seven tribal hamlets of Thrissur district on “Value added Milk Products

ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Ela, Old Goa, Goa established a small-scale dairy processing unit in collaboration with Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU), Kerala for the skill development of Scheduled Tribe farmers of Coastal Districts of Kerala.

This small-scale dairy processing unit is established under STC fund in collaboration with KVASU.The Small-Scale Dairy Processing Unit was inaugurated at the Vaniyampara Village of Thrissur District of Kerala.Prof. M. R. Saseendranath, Vice-Chancellor, KVASU, Dr. Parveen Kumar, Director, ICAR-CCARI, Goa and other dignitaries form KVASU and the local grama panchayats graced the occasion.

The Director, ICAR-CCARI along with the team of scientists visited the tribal hamlets and interacted with the farmers to get the first-hand information on the socio-economic status and research intervention needs of the scheduled tribes of Kerala.

In continuation to the inauguration, skill development programs were conducted in different batches for the tribal farmers of seven tribal hamlets of Thrissur district on “Value added Milk Products” at the Department of Dairy Technology, Varghese Kurien Institute of Dairy and Food Technology (VKIDFT), Mannuthy, Kerala.

Skill development programmes were conducted in different

The Basmati rice export steadily grew from 346 lakh tons to 463 lakh tons between 2012-13 and 2020-21.

India is a global leader in rice exports – both Basmati and non-Basmati. In the last 10 years from 2012-13, India’s Basmati rice export (in volume terms) has grown 46 per cent at a CAGR of 4 per cent. The Basmati rice export steadily grew from 346 lakh tons to 463 lakh tons between 2012-13 and 2020-21. The slight decline witnessed in the last financial year (2021-22) came mainly on account of reduced purchase by Saudi Arab.

Data from the WTO show that during 2021 when the COVID was epidemic, Saudi Arab’s import of rice from all sources drastically declined by nearly 6 lakh tons. Purchase from India declined too. However, the current FY (2022-23) year, the trend shows a significant increase in import of Indian Basmati rice by Saudi Arab.

While asserting these facts, Deepak Shah, Chairman of Crop Care Federation of India (CCFI) said, “The recent move by the Punjab and Haryana governments to suspend use of 10 generic pesticides was ill-conceived, unwarranted and would in no way help increasing Basmati rice export. Instead, it would only increase the cost of cultivation as the farmers would be forced to use expensive alternatives.” Deepak Shah further observed that the decision to suspend the use of 10 pesticides was taken by the Punjab and Haryana governments without any material evidence under Section 27 of the Insecticides Act. CCFI has made a detailed analysis and submitted to the Punjab Government.

The report prepared by CCFI has several interesting facts

Data from the European Commission show that the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for pesticides frequently get revised. For instance, in the last month (July 2022) alone the EU notified as many as 33 revisions in the MRLs. Monitoring such volatile changes in the MRLs and their compliance is a costly affair with no guarantee of sustaining the export.

CCFI’s urges the food safety authority in India (FSSAI) to create a level playing field under the WTO-SPS Agreement. India must subject food imports from the EU to 0.01 ppm MRL analysis. The EU uses 6 times more pesticides than India. Therefore, food imports from the EU would be carrying residues of pesticides not approved in India. India must reject such imports from the EU. Quid pro quo pays in the international trade. It would make the other party to act rationally and reasonably.

The Basmati rice export steadily grew from

The new data offering is aimed at analysts, traders, procurement managers and policy makers.

Kpler, a fast-growing leader in technology-led data, analytics, and market insight, has announced the expansion of its offering to agricultural commodities.

Grains & Oilseeds Flows brings real-time visibility on 90 per cent of the global seaborne trade across more than 17 food and feed commodities, including wheat, corn, barley, soybeans and soybean meal. They are the latest addition to Kpler Dry Bulk Flows (Coal, Iron Ore and Metals). Along with the recent launch of Biofuels and Chemicals, which include biodiesel and vegetable oils, Kpler strives to provide a one-stop solution to facilitate the understanding and forecasting of global supply and demand across the entire agricultural complex. The new data offering is aimed at analysts, traders, procurement managers and policy makers who need real-time data to support their market monitoring and trading decisions. 

The recent supply disruptions, such as the war in Ukraine and global inflation, coupled with the need to track resilience of the food security supply chain are key drivers for these new Kpler Flows. 

Since 2014, Kpler has pioneered the use of data technologies to bring real-time transparency on the commodity global supply chains, starting with seaborn flows. Blending hundreds of sources including satellite imagery, AIS and ground intelligence, Kpler Flows have become an industry-standard solution providing real-time data and analytics across dozens of commodities to the benefit of thousands of professionals. 

François Cazor, Kpler’s CEO, said: We have seen in recent years the commodity market convergence breaking down silos. The turmoil in energy markets is filtering through to food commodities, ramping up fertiliser prices and agricultural fuels to unprecedented levels. Simultaneously, supply chain dislocation coupled with a surge in protectionist measures have added another layer of uncertainty to global food security. In this context, we look forward to bringing essential data to stakeholders across the supply chain that help address vital challenges. This is part of Kpler’s mission to facilitate efficient and sustainable trade.”

The new data offering is aimed at