Connect with:
Wednesday / March 12. 2025

logo
mobile-logo
Home2022 (Page 16)
Agro Universities, India, Pulses

16 beneficiaries awarded an ‘Authorised User Certificate’ of GI-tagged Gulbarga Tur Dal 

At a recent training programme hosted by the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Raichur and ICRISAT, 16 beneficiaries were awarded an ‘Authorised User Certificate’ of GI-tagged Gulbarga Tur Dal as granted by the Geographical Indications Registry, Government of India.

The programme enlightened the authorised users on ways to discover and flag counterfeit tur dal being sold as GI-tagged Gulbarga Tur Dal in the market. The importance of using the GI logo as an identification mark on the packaging for originality and quality assurance was explained to the authorised users.

“The GI protection offers benefits to both consumers and producers, leading to the overall economic prosperity of rural communities. An exclusive logo distinguishes the original from the counterfeit products, thus guaranteeing quality to the consumer,” said Dr Surya Mani Tripathi, Head, Legal Services, ICRISAT, who was instrumental in facilitating the GI tag for the Gulbarga Tur Dal.

The program was attended by farmers and millers, members from the Pulse Board, UAS Raichur and the IPFC team at Agribusiness and Innovation Platform (AIP)-ICRISAT. Throughout the discussion, it was emphasised that post GI registration, the focus should be on quality control and implementation of business frameworks to maximise the commercial value of GI-tagged Gulbarga Tur Dal.

16 beneficiaries awarded an 'Authorised User Certificate'

Acquaculture, Environment, IT, R&D, Sustainability

CAIS will act as a knowledge platform and a way forward for sustainable coastal agriculture benefiting farmers, scientists and policy makers

The ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (CCARI) has launched a Coastal Agricultural Information System (CAIS) developed by ICAR-CCARI. CAIS launched for the benefit of farmers, scientists and policymakers, during the ongoing 5-day international training program on “Diversification of Coastal Agroecosystems for Climate Resilience and Livelihood Security”.

The programme was organised by ICAR-CCARI in collaboration with the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF). The inaugural function was attended by eight foreign and six national participants from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Maldives and Vietnam.

ICAR Director General (natural resource management) Suresh Kumar Chaudhari stressed on the importance of diversification, climate resilience and livelihood in coastal regions as different components of the training programme.

He also said CAIS will act as a knowledge platform and a way forward for sustainable coastal agriculture benefiting farmers, scientists and policy makers. CIFOR-ICRAF Country Director, Chandrashekhar Biradar stressed that “climate change is a fact and rising sea level, and land degradation, especially in coastal regions which are adversely impacting agriculture.” Highlighting the importance of the training program, CIFOR-ICRAF Asia Director Javed Rizvi urged the participating countries to identify opportunities for mutual collaboration.

CAIS will act as a knowledge

Company News, India

Platforms 14, 15, and 16 have majority of trains departing for Bihar and Uttar Pradesh where bulk of target audience resides

BL Agro, India’s leading FMCG Company, breaks new ground and becomes the very first company to be granted naming rights of New Delhi Railway Station platforms 14, 15 and 16.

This is the first time that such a tie-up with private players has been made possible, and the honour has been awarded to reputed businesses or government organisations.

With this pioneering agreement, Platforms 14 and 15 will be branded as ‘Nourish Platform 14 and 15’ and Platform 16, the one on the Ajmeri Gate side of the station, will be branded as ‘Bail Kolhu Platform Number 16’. The new stylisation ‘Nourish Platform 14 and 15’ and ‘Bail Kolhu Platform 16’ at New Delhi Platform will be seen at all the places in the platform area and wherever else the name is displayed.

Ghanshyam Khandelwal, Chairman, BL Agrosaid, “It is an appreciable initiative taken by Indian Railways, and I congratulate the ministry for such progressive vision. It indeed is a landmark moment for us and we’re ecstatic to be spearheading it for New Delhi Railway Station.”

Ashish Khandelwal, Managing Director, BL Agro said, “We chose Platforms 14, 15, and 16 because the majority of the trains that depart from there are for Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the two states where the bulk of our target audience resides. It’s a meeting of minds. On average, each platform handles 13 to 23 trains per day, and the number of passengers the entire station gets is over 2 lakhs. Come the festive seasons, the footfall reaches 6 lakhs daily. It opens for us an unusual window to reach deeper into our target market in an unexplored way.”

Platforms 14, 15, and 16 have

Animal Health, Company News, Environment, Live Stock, Poultry, Thailand

All purchased maize is grown on land with legal land deeds, in support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and CP Foods policies to help farmers to protect biodiversity

Thailand-based company Charoen Pokphand Foods PLC (CP Foods) has confirmed that the maize supply chain has met the 100 per cent zero-deforestation target, thanks to continual efforts in achieving sustainable and responsible sourcing and full traceability.

All purchased maize is grown on land with legal land deeds, in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and CP Foods policies to help farmers sustainably cope with climate impacts and protect biodiversity.

Woraphot Suratwisit, vice president of Bangkok Produce PLC (BKP), the supplier of agricultural raw materials for CP Foods feed mill, said that his company has strictly followed the responsible and sustainable sourcing policy. All materials must be cultivated on the land with legal deeds and not involving forest encroachment or deforestation. In this regard, based on the traceability system, maize is being supplied by sustainably-maintained plantation fields. Thanks to Blockchain technology, the supply data has been linked with feed mill’s production line, to raise the level of trust and transparency among consumers with the assurance that the purchased maize is not involved with any type of deforestation.

All enlisted in CP Foods maize supply chain, farmers or local purchasers, are required to register. Aside from registration, to identify their plantation fields, farmers must produce their farmer registration books that contain the information from the Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives. For every purchase, the involved farmer or middle-man is required to add the transaction into the supply data system, so that the system can record the flow of corn and its volume.

CP Foods’ sustainable sourcing policy for 100 per cent zero-deforestation maize goes hand in hand with CP Foods anti-deforestation policy which is an integral part of the company’s net zero greenhouse gas emissions target and supports the Sustainable Development Goals 2, 13 and 15.

All purchased maize is grown on land

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, Finance, Seeds

Profit Before Tax stood at Rs 2,290 million, compared to Rs 2,195 million in the corresponding period of the previous financial year

 Bayer CropScience Limited announced its unaudited results for the quarter (Q2) and half year ended (H1) September 30, 2022. For Q2 ended September 30, 2022, Bayer CropScience Limited (BCSL) registered Revenue from Operations of Rs14,519 million as compared to Rs 13,651 million in the corresponding period of FY 2021-22. Profit Before Tax stood at Rs 2,290 million, compared to Rs 2,195 million in the corresponding period of the previous financial year.

For the H1 ended September 30, 2022, BCSL reported Revenue from Operations of Rs 31,193 million compared to Rs 27,810 million for the corresponding period in FY 2021-22. Profit Before Tax for the H1 ended September 30, 2022 stood at Rs 6,113 million, compared to Rs 5,395 million for the corresponding period in FY 2021-22.

BCSL concluded the sale of a part of its seed distribution portfolio comprising of mustard, millet, cotton and sorghum seeds in Q3 of FY 2021-22. Considering this, the portfolio adjusted Revenue from Operations grew by 8 per cent for Q2 and 14 per cent for H1 FY 2022-23 while Profit Before Tax increased by 14 per cent for Q2 and 22 per cent for H1 FY 2022-23, respectively.

Commenting on the quarterly and half-yearly results, Simon-Thorsten Wiebusch, Executive Director BCSL said, “Our continuing revenue growth in Q2 was driven largely by strong demand and product liquidation of our crop protection portfolio despite continuing supply chain challenges and a tough hybrid rice season. Supportive commodity prices led to better acreages and strong sales of Corn seeds. A near-normal monsoon in most parts of the country except for the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal also aided positive demand momentum. Our efforts of reaching larger segments of smallholder farmers through alternate go-to-market initiatives such as Sahbhaagi and Better Life Farming Centers are also steadily gaining ground.”

Simon Britsch, Chief Financial Officer, BCSL said, “We have maintained our growth momentum in H1. We continue to invest in our business growth opportunities and focus on sustaining margins despite continuing challenges associated with global supplies and rising costs”.

Profit Before Tax stood at Rs 2,290

Agro Universities, Agrotech, India, R&D

ICRISAT scientists evaluated improved management practices such as biochar, need-based fertiliser and irrigation for their potential to sequester carbon

Results of a modelling study by ICRISAT from 2020 to 2022 reveal that the right combination of fertiliser, biochar and irrigation can potentially increase soil carbon by as much as 300 per cent over 30 years in 13 districts of Odisha and Maharashtra, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change.

The modelling study found that biochar increased carbon value in the soil by 130-300 per cent over 30 years with little difference in yield. Whereas, optimal fertilisers increased the carbon as well as yield by up to 30 per cent. The carbon sequestration increased by more than 300 per cent in combination with fertiliser, biochar, and irrigation.

As part of the project, ICRISAT scientists evaluated improved management practices such as biochar, need-based fertiliser and irrigation and assessed agricultural management practices for their potential to sequester carbon. Important crops such as cotton, sorghum, soybean, chickpea, pigeonpea and millet were studied in the region. In addition, soil sampling and the analysis of long-term experiments on improved vs traditional farmer practices and tillage and residue management practices were also conducted.

The modelling study was conducted in five districts of Maharashtra (Jalna, Dhule, Ahmednagar, Amravati and Yavatmal) and eight districts of Odisha (Angul, Bolangir, Deogarh, Dhenkenal, Kalahandi, Kendujhar, Nuapada and Sundergarh). These districts have a predominantly semi-arid climate with annual rainfall between 600 mm and 1,100 mm.

Data such as crop yield, weather, soil types and crop management practices were collected from different sources. ​ ICRISAT scientists made projections for carbon sequestration and yields for both States and conducted long-term experiments.

ICRISAT scientists evaluated improved management practices such

AgroPolicy, India, Textile industry

Strategic projects cleared for the development of Indian economy

Ministry of Textiles clears 20 strategic research projects worth Rs 74 crore in the areas of Agrotextiles, Speciality fiber, Smart textiles, Activewear textiles, Strategic application areas Protective gear and apparel Sports textiles under the chairmanship of Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles. These strategic research projects fall under the Flagship Programme ‘National Technical Textiles Mission.’

Among these 20 Research projects, 5 Projects of Speciality Fibres, 6 Projects of Agro-textiles, 2 Projects from Smart Textiles, 2 from protective gear and apparel, 2 from geotextiles, 1 from activewear apparels, 1 from strategic application area, 1 from sports textiles were cleared.

Leading Indian Institutes cleared strategic projects for the development of Indian economy and a step in the direction of Atmanirbhar Bharat, especially in the field of Geotech, Industrial and Protective, Agriculture and Infrastructure.

“Industry and Academia linkages are essential for the growth of research and development in the application areas of Technical Textiles in India. Building convergence with Academicians, Scientists and Researchers is the need of the hour.” Said Piyush Goyal. 

To bolster the innovation and research ecosystem in technical textiles, NTTM will support ideation and prototyping R&D projects worth upto Rs 50 lakhs and 100 lakhs respectively, which have clear potential to translate into commercial products and technologies.

Strategic projects cleared for the development of

Agro chems – Fertilizers, India, Schemes - Govt

Subsidy approved will be Rs 51,875 Cr

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal of the Department of Fertilisers for per Kilogram rates of Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) for various Nutrients that is Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potash (K) and Sulphur (S) for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilisers for Rabi Season – 2022-23.

Subsidy approved by Cabinet for the NBS Rabi-2022 (from 01.10.2022 to 31.03.2023) will be Rs 51,875 crore including support for indigenous fertiliser (SSP) through freight subsidy. 

This will enable smooth availability of all P&K fertilisers to the farmers during Rabi 2022-23 at the subsidised / affordable prices of fertilisers and support the agriculture sector. 

The variation of trading prices in the international market of fertilisers and raw materials has been primarily absorbed by the Union Government.

Subsidy approved will be Rs 51,875 CrThe

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, Finance, India

Profit After Tax at Rs 44.83 Crore in Q2 FY23 and Rs 83.14 Crore for H1 FY23

New Delhi-based Insecticides (India) Ltd. (IIL), one of the country’s leading manufacturers of crop protection and nutrition products announced its unaudited results for Q2 and H1 ended on 30th September, 2022. IIL boasts of an impressive product portfolio consisting of 21+ technical products and 105+ formulation products.

Performance Highlights:

Revenue from Operations reported at Rs 582.49 Cr. in Q2 FY23 and Rs 1143.37 Crore for H1 FY23

EBITDA stands at Rs 68.45 Crore in Q2 FY23 and Rs 126.90 Crore for H1 FY23

PAT at Rs 44.83 Crore in Q2 FY23 and Rs 83.14 Crore for H1 FY23

Commenting on the performance, Rajesh Agarwal, Managing Director (IIL) said, “We are very happy to share that we had a good quarter and half year in terms of financial performance and a successful quarter and half year in terms of market acceptance of our newly launched products. We have been able to deliver solid results, with revenue from operations having grown by 31 per cent from Rs 44.36 Crore in Q2 FY22 to Rs 58.24 Crore in Q2 FY23.

The EBITDA increased by 6.68 per cent from Rs 64.16 Cr in Q2 FY22 to Rs 68.45 Cr. in Q2 FY23. EBITDA margins declined from 14.45 per cent in Q2 FY22 to 11.76 per cent in Q2 FY23 on a YoY basis due to increase in cost of raw materials and currency headwinds which led to a forex loss. However, on QoQ basis the margins improved by 133 bps primarily led by better product mix and calibrated price hikes majorly offsetting elevated input cost and currency headwinds. While PAT increased by 7 per cent from Rs 41.87 Crore in Q2 FY22 to Rs 44.83 Crore in Q2 FY23.

Talking about the growing acceptance of their products, R&D initiatives, and export performances, Rajesh Agrawal, Managing Director, “We have received a good response to our newly launched products like Hachiman, Shinwa, Torry and Izuki. Our R&D initiatives are being recognized as successful innovations in the form of several patents being granted in H1 FY23, taking our total patented products to 18. On the exports front, we continue to witness good demand, however we have focused on exports in a calibrated manner.

“At IIL, we’re committed to launching new products to keep pace with the changing trends and requirements of crop protection and nutrition market.,” Agarwal further added.

Profit After Tax at Rs 44.83 Crore

Agrotech, India, R&D

This platform functions efficiently at temperatures as low as 4°C.

The CRISPR gene-editing technology has scaled to a new height in India. Indian scientists have demonstrated for the first time that the associated Cas9 enzyme, which acts as molecular scissors to cut DNA at a location specified by a guide RNA, can bind to and cut the target DNA at very low temperatures.

This work has shown the highly efficient functioning of this platform at temperatures as low as 4°C. making it possible to edit genes in temperature sensitive organisms, plants, or crop varieties.

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) are short DNA sequences found in the genome of prokaryotic organisms such as bacteria, which are reminders of previous bacteriophage (viruses) attacks that the bacteria successfully defended against. Cas9 enzyme (part of bacteria’s defence mechanism) uses these flags to precisely target and cut any foreign DNA, thus protecting the bacteria from future attacks by similar bacteriophages. The unprecedented precision of targeting the DNA sequences and then efficiently cutting them is the basis for CRISPR-Cas9 technology, which has been recently demonstrated in editing genes in cells and organisms.

CRISPR-Cas9 technology has been successfully used for many purposes, including basic studies of gene function, agriculture, and medicine to increase our knowledge of disease processes and their potential future therapies. So far, most binding trials were typically performed at 37 °C.

As a further step to advance this platform into the forefront of biomedical and analytical biotechnology, scientists of Raman Research Institute (RRI), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have explored temperature-dependent binding and release of cleaved products by the Cas9 enzyme. Serene Rose David, Sumanth Kumar Maheshwaram, Divya Shet & Mahesh B. Lakshminarayana, under the guidance of Dr Gautam V Soni, have demonstrated that the Cas9 enzymes strongly bind to the target at very low temperatures and remains bound to the cleaved DNA products even after the enzyme has done its job.

Subsequently, the bound products were released in a controlled fashion using high temperature or chemical denaturant (that make proteins and DNA lose their 3-dimensional structure and become non-functional). The research published in the Scientific Reports journal of the Nature Portfolio expands possible application of the Cas9-based genetic toolbox to a previously unexplored temperature range that would be compatible with long-term storage of biological samples.

This platform functions efficiently at temperatures as

Agro Universities, Start ups

Start-ups selected for incubation will be evaluated as per the scheme criteria to receive funding of up to Rs 50 lakh.

Hyderabad based Agribusiness Incubator (ABI) of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has launched a second call for applications from eligible ag-tech start-ups under the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations-Seed Support Program (NIDHI-SSP).

ABI-ICRISAT will offer incubation services for business development and scaling up activities, access to mentor and investor networks and ecosystem service partner packages. Start-ups selected for incubation will be evaluated as per the scheme criteria to receive funding of up to Rs 50 lakh.

This program is supported by the National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. Indian start-ups working on innovative technologies or business models in the agri-food and allied sectors are encouraged to apply. It is an ideal opportunity for start-ups to raise funds without any equity dilution. ​ ABI-ICRISAT will provide debt-based funding at the prevailing repo rate.

Start-ups selected for incubation will be evaluated

Agrotech, India, IT, Start ups

MCCIA will help curate the list of potential investee start-ups and intend to make the first investment before the end of December 2022.

Pune based Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) has launched an initiative to support Agri-tech start-ups which provide technology-based solutions to various agriculture-related problems. The chief guest for the event was the prominent Indian Cricket Player, Ajinkya Rahane, who has a keen interest in the agriculture sector and start-ups. He would be playing a key role in this initiative. Ajinkya Rahane and associates will make seed investments in some of the Agri-tech start-ups. Towards this, they will begin with a fund of Rs 1 crore. They hope to inspire more such investors to come forward and grow the size of the fund over the next few months and years and further enhance the impact.

(MCCIA) will help curate the list of potential investee start-ups. They intend to make the first investment before the end of December 2022 and three of them before the end of this financial year. As a part of its mission to support and strengthen the agriculture sector in Maharashtra, the (MCCIA), Pune has been actively working with start-ups and small-scale entrepreneurs in the sector to help them grow.

 Fifty-one Agri-Tech Startups participated in this initiative. The attendees also included founders of other (non-Agri-tech) start-ups, corporate professionals, business owners and MCCIA office bearers.

MCCIA will help curate the list of

Agrotech, India, Start ups

At the CII Agro Tech India 2022, WRMS displayed a variety of IoTs like AWS, APS, AIS and educated attendees about the SecuFarm App and SecuTrak solution.

Chandigarh based Weather Risk Management Services (WRMS), an agriculture and dairy risk management company, recently participated at the CII Agro Tech India 2022, the premier Agri and Food Technology Fair held at Chandigarh. At the CII Agro Tech India 2022, WRMS displayed a variety of IoTs like AWS, APS, AIS and educated attendees about the SecuFarm App and SecuTrak solution. The expo was focused on strengthening the Indian agriculture and food processing sectors through technology interventions, discussions, and nurturing partnerships.

“We are delighted to take part in CII Agro Tech India 2022. It was a fantastic opportunity to interact directly with potential clients, discover new markets, build business connections, and gain honest feedback on the products the company offers. Our booth witnessed a good footfall of attendees that included Farmers, FPOs, MFIs, seed companies, contract farming companies, and other sustainable farming companies. We received a lot of inquiries about and positive feedback about our Automatic irrigation, SecuTrak and smart farming solutions that use AI and IoT technology to help farmers overcome their most difficult obstacles, increase production, practise sustainable farming, and ensure revenue” said Anuj Kumbhat, CEO and Co-Founder, WRMS.

“We also displayed IoTs like AWS, APS, AIS which were extremely popular among farmers and FPOs visitors. FPOs connected with us to understand our SecuFarm product and showed keenness to pilot with us” he further added.

The SecuFarm app from WRMS is a ground-breaking agri-tech solution that gives farmers farm-level production assurance by downscaling their risk using data and technology. With the most up-to-date digital technology, it reaches farmers all over India and supports them to ensure they achieve a better yield by adhering to the package of practices supplied with them in their native dialect.

At the CII Agro Tech India 2022,

Country, India, Sugar industry, World

As of October 31, 2022, more than 96 per cent of cane dues of farmers for SS 2021-22 have already been cleared despite record procurement of sugarcane of more than Rs 1.18 lakh crore

The government of India has allowed the export of sugar up to 60 Lakh Metric Tonne (LMT) during the sugar season (SS) 2022-23. The Director General of Food Trade (DGFT) has already been notified to extend the inclusion of sugar exports under the ‘Restricted’ category up to October 31, 2023.

The Central Government has prioritised the availability of about 275 (LMT) of sugar for domestic consumption, about 50 LMT of sugar for diversion to ethanol production and has a closing balance of about 60 LMT as of 30.09.2023. A balanced quantity of sugar produced by sugar mills in the country would be allowed for exports. Since at the beginning of sugar season 2022-23, initial estimates of sugarcane production are available, it has been decided to allow the export of 60 LMT sugar. The sugarcane production in the country will be reviewed periodically and based on the latest available estimates, the quantity of sugar exports to be allowed could be reconsidered.

During SS 2021-22, India exported 110 LMT of sugar and became the second largest exporter of sugar in the world and earned about Rs 40,000 crore worth of foreign exchange for the country. Timely payment and low carrying cost of stocks for sugar mills also resulted in early clearance of cane arrears of farmers. As of October 31, 2022, more than 96 per cent of cane dues of farmers for SS 2021-22 were already cleared despite record procurement of sugarcane of more than 1.18 lakh crore rupees.

In the sugar export policy for SS 2022-23, Government has announced a sugar mill-wise export quota for all sugar mills in the country with an objective system based on the average production of sugar mills in the last three years and the average sugar production of the country in last 3 years. Further, to expedite the sugar exports and to ensure flexibility to sugar mills in the execution of the export quota, mills may decide to surrender the quota partially or fully within 60 days of the date of issue of the order or they can swap the export quota with domestic quota within 60 days.

At the end of Sugar Season 2022-23, it is expected that most sugar mills will be able to sell their products either in the domestic market or in the international market through exports and will clear the cane dues of farmers in time. Thus, the policy has created a WIN-WIN situation for sugar mills in the country.

As of October 31, 2022, more than