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Agro chems – Pesticides, Agro Universities, Agrotech, India

1000+ farmers participated in demonstration programmes

ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack held a series of demonstrations on Drone Technology in different villages of Cuttack district covering 108 acres of rice crop area in 9 villages belonging to 4 blocks of Cuttack district, Odisha. More than 1000 farmers participated in demonstration programmes and farmers were briefed on usefulness and mechanism operation of drone technology especially in crops like rice considering its wetland nature and amount of pesticides being applied.

Department of Agriculture and Farmers welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India has sanctioned central assistance to ICAR for demonstrating Drone Technology for implementation of Component number 1 under Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM). 

Under this mission, it has been directed to conduct large scale demonstrations to promote use of Drone Technology in agriculture.

1000+ farmers participated in demonstration programmesICAR-National Rice

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Fertilizers, Company News, Finance, Middle East countries

ICL’s consolidated sales of $2,519 million were up 41 per cent year-over-year versus $1,790 million.

Israel-based leading global specialty minerals company, ICL reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2022. Consolidated sales of $2,519 million were up 41 per cent year-over-year versus $1,790 million. Operating income of $935 million was up 191 per cent versus $321 million, while adjusted operating income of $928 million was up 195 per cent versus $315 million. Net income of $633 million was up 181 per cent, while adjusted net income of $628 million was up 192 per cent. Adjusted EBITDA of $1,049 million was up 139 per cent versus $438 million. Adjusted EBITDA margin of 41.6 per cent was up versus 24 per cent. Earnings per share of $0.49 were up 188 per cent versus $0.17.

Once again, ICL’s focus on long-term specialties solutions benefitted the company, as did additional upside from commodity prices, which began to ease following record-setting rates in the first half of the year.

“ICL delivered another quarter of record results, with record third quarter and year-to-date sales, operating income, EBITDA, operating cash flow and net profit, as well as a new production record at our Dead Sea site and year-to-date records for free cash flow and EPS. All three of our specialties businesses delivered record third quarter results, even with shifts in demand and continued global supply chain challenges,” said Raviv Zoller, president and CEO of ICL. “Our third quarter results reinforce our recent investor day message, which stressed our commitment to growing our leadership position across our differentiated businesses, as these represent significant long-term opportunities for ICL to deliver sustainable shareholder value.”

ICL's consolidated sales of $2,519 million were

Agrotech, Animal Health, Company News, Dairy, India, Live Stock

Drone delivery of vaccines is expected to not only reach remote difficult terrains faster but also help in providing critical vaccines on time for the protection of livestock from several diseases.

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, Dept of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, along with Hyderabad-based Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) and drone service provider came together for the maiden drone flight from Roing to Paghlam in Arunachal Pradesh. Drone delivery of vaccines is expected to not only reach remote difficult terrains faster but also help in providing critical vaccines on time for the protection of livestock from several diseases.

“Pursuing the ‘Medicines from Sky’ initiative, IIL is proud to be part of the history for transporting FMD vaccine (Raksha-Ovac) through drone for the first time in Arunachal Pradesh today, organised by Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India”, tweeted IIL.

Tage Taki, Minister for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Government of Arunachal Pradesh; Upamanyu Basu, Joint Secretary (LH), Dept of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India; Sujit Nayak, Joint Commissioner (LH), Dept of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India were present along with IIL’s representatives – D Banerjee and Mainak Sen.

Dr K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited, expressed great hope for further technological intervention in making vaccines available to remote locations in the country. With this, IIL has amply demonstrated the delivery of “medicines from the sky”.

Indian Immunologicals Limited headquartered in Hyderabad, India is one of the largest producers of vaccines in Asia. IIL has multiple GMP manufacturing sites and exports to over 50 countries.

Drone delivery of vaccines is expected to

India

Thousands of farmers participate in the Krishi Mela turning it into a milestone for Chambal-Gwalior region

A 3-day mega agricultural fair, exhibition and training programme, organised by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, at Morena, Madhya Pradesh concludes today. On the third and final day also thousands of farmers participated in it.

On this occasion, Tomar said that this Krishi Mela proved to be a milestone for the Chambal-Gwalior region in terms of improved agriculture, and that small farmers are benefiting from the schemes of the government, as they are moving ahead.

Union Minister Tomar thanked the scientists associated with agricultural institutions across the country including the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for guiding thousands of farmers by training them in this agriculture fair. He also lauded the contribution of the MP state government and district administration and officials of the Union Ministry of Agriculture in organising the event. The Union Minister also complimented various agricultural institutions and companies for setting up the stalls.

On the last day of the fair, farmers were trained on subjects like natural farming, crop diversification and soil testing, dairy entrepreneurship, organic fertilisers, mushroom production, fish production, goat rearing, animal nutrients, water conservation, millet production and processing and floriculture. On this occasion, newly constructed seed buildings of KVK were also inaugurated. Many public representatives and office bearers of the region were also present in the programme.

Thousands of farmers participate in the Krishi

Company News, Finance, Horticulture, India, Start ups, Supply Chain

To leverage Allfresh’s capabilities, as well as network of apple and citrus growers, and farmers in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh

Chennai-based WayCool Foods, India’s leading food and agri-tech company, has announced an investment in AllFresh Supply Management Private Limited (AllFresh) as part of its strategy to create a Keiretsu in the global food supply chain. 

AllFresh has been pioneering the development of modern supply chains in the apple and citrus spaces, introducing state-of-the-art practices and technology to erode food loss and extend shelf life of these products. With increase in prosperity, the consumption of premium fruit is expected to grow rapidly in India. As the nation ramps up its acreage under cultivation to meet this growing demand, WayCool will leverage Allfresh’s capabilities, as well as network of apple and citrus growers, and farmers in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, among other locations, connecting their output to WayCool’s extensive network of over 1,25,000 retail clients.

The investment will help AllFresh further invest in its capabilities in post-harvest tech to enhance quality and extend shelf life. AllFresh will also benefit from increased access to WayCool’s deep and dense distribution network in India, and the UAE. 

Chinna Pardhasaradhi, Group CFO, WayCool Foods said, “We welcome AllFresh into the WayCool Family.  The investment in AllFresh will further strengthen our sourcing of premium apples and citrus from across India. WayCool already brings these products from global sources. Our investment in AllFresh therefore completes our supply chain capability and enables us to deliver fresh fruit year-round.” 

Naresh Jawa, Founder and Promoter, AllFresh said, “I am delighted to be on board with WayCool. AllFresh & WayCool pursue the common objective of formalising the scattered fruit and vegetable industry in India. Our aim is to reduce pre & post-harvest wastage, and realize better value for farmers, using state-of-the-art knowledge and technology. We look forward to extending our acquired expertise in efficient procurement and marketing of Indian Apples & Oranges to a wider basket of premium fruits along with WayCool”. 

WayCool has been making several effective investments in companies that bring complementary capabilities to its platform, especially those with deep capabilities that are at the cusp of rapid growth. Most recently, it had invested in SV Agri, one of India’s largest independent potato supply chain and solutions companies, which has grown by over 2.5x since its most recent fundraise from WayCool.

To leverage Allfresh's capabilities, as well as

Agrotech, Company News, India

The mega facility, with an annual capacity of 20,400 MT, will process turmeric, chilli, and blended spices

ITC has launched its internationally benchmarked spices plant in Palnadu, Andhra Pradesh, with an investment of Rs 200 crore. The plant was inaugurated by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy,Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh. Sanjiv Puri, Chairman, ITC and other eminent dignitaries were present on the occasion.

The state-of-the-art mega facility will have processing lines for turmeric, chilli, and blended spices, with an annual capacity of 20,400 MT of spices. It will have the capability to produce over 15 organic spices and will boost ITC’s food exports globally. The target global markets are Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, China, among other countries.

The world-class ‘Make in India’ plant will cater to all processing needs, including storage, cleaning, processing, sterilisation, packing, quality testing, leading to an end-to-end custody of quality assurance. The unit will also anchor a sustainable spices value chain that will extend support to farmers through a robust crop development programme ensuring traceability.

More than 5,500 farmer families and over 2,200 livelihoods will be supported across the value chain. The facility will be powered by high-tech energy efficient equipment and will have rooftop solar panels to ensure clean energy consumption. A majority of the workforce at the unit will include women.

ITC’s manufacturing footprint in Andhra Pradesh has been strengthened over the years with over 18 units, including its own facilities and those where the company has promoted local entrepreneurship.

The mega facility, with an annual capacity

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Fertilizers, Company News, Finance, India

Fertilisers segment revenues grow by 47 per cent y-o-y

Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corporation Limited, one of India’s leading producers of industrial chemicals and fertilisers (DFPCL), announced its results for the quarter ended September 30, 2022.  The company registered best financial performance with high growth in Q2 and H1. Company’s Q2 FY 2022-23 net profit jumped nearly threefold to Rs 276 crore whereas revenue was up by 51 per cent.

H1review:

The company’s net profit stood at Rs 93 crore during the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal whereas operating revenue of the company grew by 51.7 per cent to Rs. 2,719 crore during the quarter under review, compared to Rs 1,793 crore in the same period a year-ago. H1 Fertilisers Segment revenues grew by 36 per cent y-o-y with segment margins of 8 per cent. Cost of production inevitably grew due to the sharp rise in the price of raw materials

Q2 review:

Company’s Q2 Fertilisers Segment revenues grew by 47 per cent y-o-y with segment margins of 7 per cent. Although the southwest monsoon started off abnormally, it made a full recovery after June. India received above normal rainfall during the monsoon season (June -Sept) Croptek Cotton and Maize was introduced in Kharif season. Croptek sales volumes received encouraging response during the quarter which was majorly in Cotton, Maize and Sugarcane.Restricted availability of MOP, key source of Potassium i.e ‘K’, majorly impacted Smartek portfolio in Q2. Cost of production has inevitably grown due to the sharp rise in the price of raw materials.

Commenting on the company performance in Q2 and H1, Sailesh C Mehta, Chairman & Managing Director said, “Despite huge RM prices hikes, our pass through remains healthy. Our strong alignment with India growth story provides positive tailwinds to demand growth for our products. Our drive from Commodity to Speciality continues to support premium margins and brand consolidation in the mining chemicals, pharma chemicals and crop nutrition businesses.

 Mehta also added that the unique ADB association has been a very satisfying acknowledgement of the efforts and impact we have been making with providing speciality and crop-specific performance fertilisers and our intense work at the farmer level. Our drive for fast-track project execution for the Ammonia and TAN projects continues full swing.

Fertilisers segment revenues grow by 47

Agrotech, India

25 per cent of revenue earned by NamFarmers will be shared with IISR, Lucknow

ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow have signed an MoU with NamFarmers.com for faster dissemination of IISR developed technologies.The MoU will be helpful in quick dissemination of ICAR-IISR developed technologies.

The MoU was signed by Dr A D Pathak, Director, ICAR-IISR, Lucknow and Asif Riaz, General Manager, NamFarmers.com on behalf of respective organisations.

Under this MoU, the ICAR-IISR, Lucknow will get Rs 2 each for the registration of each sugarcane farmer with NamFarmers.com. The advisory and technological information shared by the IISR, Lucknow will be sponsored by private firms on NamFarmers.com and thus 25 per cent of the revenue earned by the firm will be shared with IISR, Lucknow.

Dr Pathak said that there is immense scope for dissemination of improved sugarcane production technology as the Institute has developed number of improved sugarcane varieties with matching production and protection technologies which need faster dissemination among the stakeholders.

25 per cent of revenue earned by

Acts & Schemes – Centre, Foodgrains, India

Millets market set to grow from its current market value of more than $9 billion to over $12 billion by 2025

To promote shipment of nutri-cereals, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry through its apex agricultural export promotion body, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has prepared a comprehensive strategy to promote Indian millets exports across the globe commencing December 2022.

The millets export promotion programme comes at the backdrop of the proposal of India that was supported by 72 countries which lead to the United Nations’ General Assembly (UNGA) declaring 2023 as International Year of Millets (IYoM). The government is currently organising IYoM-2023 at domestic and international level to popularise Indian millets as well as its value-added products across the world and make it a peoples’ movement.

For exports of Indian millets’ promotion, centre has planned to facilitate participation of exporters, farmers and traders in 16 international trade expos and Buyer Seller Meets (BSMs). As per the government’s robust strategy to promote millets, Indian missions abroad would be roped in branding and publicity of Indian millets, identification of international chefs as well as potential buyers such as departmental stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets for organising B2B meetings and direct tie-ups.

APEDA has planned to organise millet promotional activities in South Africa, Dubai, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Sydney, Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom and United States of America by facilitating participation of different stakeholders from India in some of the significant food shows, Buyer Seller Meets and Road Shows.

As part of the promotion of Indian millets, APEDA has planned to showcase millets and its value added product at various global platforms such as Gulfood 2023, Foodex, Seoul Food & Hotel Show, Saudi Agro Food, Fine Food Show in Sydney (Australia), Belgium’s Food & Beverages Show, Germany’s BioFach and Anuga Food Fair, San Francisco’s Winter Fancy Food Show, etc.

India’s top 5 millet producing states are Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, while the share of export of millets is nearly 1 per cent of the total millet production. Exports of millets from India include mainly whole grain and the export of value-added products of millets from India is negligible. However, it is estimated that the millets market is set to grow from its current market value of more than $9 billion to over $12 billion by 2025. India’s major millet exporting countries are U.A.E, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Oman, Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, the UK and the USA. The varieties of millets exported by India include Bajra, Ragi, Canary, Jawar, and Buckwheat.

Millets market set to grow from

India, Live Stock

BIMSTEC Secretariat and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) sign MoU

India hosted the Second Agriculture Ministerial-level meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) on November 10, under the chairmanship of Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Agriculture ministers of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand participated in the meeting. While addressing the meeting through video conference, Tomar urged the member countries to cooperate in developing a comprehensive regional strategy to strengthen cooperation for the transformation of agriculture and urged the member countries to adopt a conducive agricultural food system and a healthy diet for all.

The 2nd BIMSTEC Agriculture Ministerial Meeting adopted the Action Plan for Strengthening BIMSTEC Agricultural Cooperation (2023-2027). An MoU between the BIMSTEC Secretariat and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has been signed and approval has been given to bring Fisheries and Livestock sub-sectors under the Agricultural Working Group. Tomar, in his address, referred to the importance of millet as a nutritious food and the efforts made by India to promote millet and its products during the International Year of Millets – 2023. He asked participating countries to actively participate in India’s initiative to promote millet as a food. “Natural and ecological farming should be promoted to conserve agricultural biodiversity and reduce the use of chemicals”, Tomar added. 

BIMSTEC Secretariat and the International Food

Agrotech, Company News, Middle East countries, Sustainability

To become globally available to farmers interested in regenerative agriculture practices from 2023

 Israel-based Netafim, an Orbia business and a global leader in precision agriculture solutions, recently announced the first ever carbon credit programme for drip-irrigated rice. The aim of this inaugural program is to dramatically reduce methane emissions from rice cultivation to almost zero, while providing additional long-term income to growers. The first project for this program is located at the LaFagiana Farm in Venice, Italy and will be registered with Verra. The carbon credits programme will be available to farmers around the world interested in regenerative agriculture practices beginning in 2023.

Rice is the most prolific source of sustenance worldwide, approximately accounting for 21 per cent of global per capita caloric intake, and 27 per cent per capita caloric intake in developing countries. A staple for more than half of the world’s population, rice cultivation uses 30-40 per cent of the world’s annual consumption of freshwater while contributing to over 10 per cent of the world’s methane emissions.  

With Netafim’s innovation, carbon credits serve an important role in financially assisting farmers in adopting sustainable or regenerative agricultural practices that reduce or sequester emissions, with each credit representing one ton of CO2 equivalent emissions.

Sameer Bharadwaj, CEO of Orbia said, “Netafim’s carbon credit programme is a pioneering example of our company’s commitment to solving for global food security and economic enablement while contributing to a healthy planet. Through this programme, we are challenging 5,000-year-old assumptions about rice farming and demonstrating better, cleaner and more productive ways to sustain and advance lives around the world, by the billions.”

“If just 10 per cent of paddy rice farmers switch to drip, the drop in emissions will be equivalent to taking 40 million cars off the road,” said Gaby Miodownik, Orbia’s Executive Vice President & President, Precision Agriculture (Netafim). “This program marks the first time a carbon credit is being generated based on the application of irrigation technology.”

To become globally available to farmers interested

Live Stock, Sustainability

To invest $1.4 billion to help smallholder farmers 

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation echoed African Leaders Call for countries to rapidly scale-up finance for climate adaptation and pledged to invest $1.4 billion to help smallholder farmers address the immediate and long-term impacts of climate change. The announcement was made by Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27).

“The effects of climate change have already been devastating, and every moment the world delays action, more people suffer, and the solutions become more complex and costly,” said Suzman. “Our commitment will help smallholder farmers adapt today and build resilience for the future. It is essential for this climate summit to produce bold commitments that address immediate and long-term needs. Leaders must listen to the voices of African farmers and governments to understand their priorities and respond with urgency.”

The foundation’s commitment will fund immediate action and long-term initiatives over four years to help smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia build resilience and food security. Funding will focus on spurring African-led innovation to build a pipeline of climate-smart agriculture projects, new applications of digital technologies, climate-smart innovations for smallholder livestock farming, and support for women smallholder farmers to capitalise on their untapped potential.

“Women in rural Africa are the backbone of their food systems, but they have never had equal access to the resources they need to reach their full potential or build resilience to looming climate threats,” said Melinda French Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “As the climate crisis accelerates, women’s vital role in their economies is too important to overlook. With the right financing and marketing support, women smallholder farmers could earn more in a day than they currently earn in a month, ultimately transforming these regional food systems and unlocking a healthier, more sustainable, and more prosperous future for families and communities across the continent.”

“The climate crisis is causing enormous harm every day as it jeopardises entire regions of people and economies,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “More funding is necessary to ensure agricultural and technological innovations are widely available to vulnerable communities, helping them to adapt to climate change, save lives and increase economic growth.”

To invest $1.4 billion to help smallholder

Company News, Europe

New Generation T4 F/N/V offers more powerful performance and has been extended with a new 118-hp model at the top of the range

The New Holland T4.120 F was crowned as the ‘Best of Specialised’ tractor at the Tractor of the Year 2023 Awards. The coveted title, assigned by a jury of independent journalists specialising in agricultural mechanisation, recognises the best tractor in the European market.

The engine, advanced hydraulics and specifications packed in a supremely compact tractor with a new, low-height hood make it a true game-changer in the specialty sector.

Carlo Lambro, New Holland Brand President “This prestigious award recognises once again New Holland’s supremacy as the undisputed leader in the specialty tractor segment. We have remained at the forefront of this sector for seven decades by constantly innovating, upgrading and extending our uniquely wide offering to meet the most specialised requirements of our customers. This latest “Best of Specialised” title is testament to the many years of work and dedication in this important segment, particularly in Europe. I would like to congratulate and thank all the teams involved in the development of this tractor, especially at the Jesi plant and Engineering in Modena, Italy.”   

New Generation T4 F/N/V offers more powerful

Agrotech, Company News, Europe, Start ups

Targenomix to continue its startup approach as a standalone entity wholly-owned by Bayer

Bayer has announced the acquisition of German biotech start-up Targenomix. The spin-off of the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology (MPI MPP) uses novel systems biology and computational life science tools to identify new modes of action for crop protection compounds.

The Targenomix expertise, personnel, and platforms will be an important part of delivering on Bayer’s commitment to the design of safe and effective molecules and will accelerate the discovery and development of molecules with the potential to make agricultural production more sustainable despite dynamic challenges like climate change, and increasing weed, disease and insect resistance.

Targenomix, a spin-off of the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology, will contribute to Bayer’s Crop Science R&D pipeline by continuing to deliver novel systems biology approaches for innovative crop protection discovery. Targenomix will continue its startup approach as a standalone entity wholly-owned by Bayer.

Dr Robert Reiter, Head of R&D at Bayer’s Crop Science Division said, “By using a unique and holistic systems biology approach and leveraging leading expertise building on a strong scientific foundation stemming from the MPI MPP, Targenomix has delivered numerous novel targets and modes of action for small molecules in weed control. Their innovative tools to identify and select safe and sustainable compounds complement our design-based strategy in crop protection discovery and will accelerate the development of new products that farmers need to meet future challenges of agriculture.”

By further integrating Targenomix’ systems biology approach into Bayer’s established R&D pipeline, Bayer is driving the development of innovative new technologies towards safe and effective products that farmers need. “Combining Bayer’s leading capabilities and proven crop protection pipeline with Targenomix’ flexible startup mindset, deep multi-omics technology, and systems biology expertise will allow us jointly to continue to deliver novel modes of action,” said Dr Sebastian Klie, CEO of Targenomix.

Targenomix to continue its startup approach