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Agrotech, India, Seeds

Centre is setting up 10,000 new FPOs, for which a provision of INR 6,865 crore has been made

In a virtual address to the National Conference on Enhancing Agricultural Productivity on the topic ‘Integration of Improved Seeds and Agri Inputs’, organised by the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM)  in New Delhi, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, said, “Agriculture sector is the backbone of our country and our rural economy and agriculture has such strength that the country can easily overcome adverse situations.” . 

There is a need to work in this direction to transform agriculture into advanced farming, technology should be used in agriculture and its continuity should be maintained, the stronger and more profitable the Agriculture sector is, the stronger the country will be.

Tomar said that the government is working to reduce the gap between farmers and the market, providing infrastructure in rural areas and eliminate the role of middlemen. He said that the number of small farmers in the country is more, who have small acreage and do not have money for investment; for such farmers, the Central Government is setting up 10,000 new FPOs, for which a provision of INR 6,865 crore has been made and small farmers are being mobilised.  

Farmers should do group farming, so that the input costs can be reduced, production quality improves and small farmers can shift to remunerative crops and get the price for their produce on their own terms.

Centre is setting up 10,000 new FPOs,

Animal Health, India

Farmers were educated about different technologies developed by the Centre

Dr Jagadish Barbad, Joint Director, Animal Husbandry Department appraised State Animal Husbandry Department’s role in promotion of camel farming. He applauded NRCC’s role in extending animal health services to this far-reach areas of Rajasthan. Dr Artabandhu Sahoo, Director, ICAR-NRCC briefed about the recent achievements of the Institute.

The camp was attended by more than 258 farmers in which 408 camels received prophylactic chemotherapy for deadly disease ‘Surra’. Risk for outbreak of Surra disease in camel in coming months is high due to higher precipitation received in Rajasthan state compared to the previous year’s resulting into increased population of blood sucking flies transmitting the disease.

Farmers were educated about different technologies developed by the Centre and other efforts taken for conservation of camel like promotion of camel as a milch animal.

During the camps, dewormers, first aid medicine kits, feed supplements and salt licks were also distributed for other livestock farmers. Blood and fecal samples were collected from camels for updating the epidemiological status of various parasitic diseases prevalent in the area. The Camel and other livestock owners were also advised on usage and advantage of mineral and feed supplements, medicines for immediate health care besides special.  attention on seasonal health. care, year-round management practices, cleanliness of self and the premises. They were also explained on clean milk production, organised collection, processing and marketing of camel milk for higher benefit and revenue with profitability.

Farmers were educated about different technologies developed

Agro chems – Chemicals, India

Briar is Safex’s first overseas acquisition as a global expansion strategy

Safex Chemicals India Limited (Safex), a fast-growing Indian agrochemicals company, announces the acquisition of Briar Chemicals (Briar), the UK’s leading agrochemicals Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) provider, from the pan-European alternative investment firm AURELIUS Equity Opportunities. Safex is backed by ChrysCapital, one of India’s largest private equity firms, which owns a significant minority stake in the business.

“We are delighted to enter the UK by acquiring the country’s pre-eminent independent agrochemical CDMO provider,” said Piyush Jindal, Director of Safex. “The addition of Briar to Safex’s crop protection business strengthens our position in the global agrochemicals market.”

Founded in New Delhi in 1991, Safex is a leading Indian manufacturer and supplier of the most advanced crop protection chemicals. Safex is one of the fastest-growing agrochemical companies in India, having achieved a Combined Annual Growth Rate of over 25 percent in revenue over the last five years. Briar is Safex’s first overseas acquisition and forms part of the company’s strategy for global expansion in step with the substantial growth of the worldwide agrochemicals market, which is set to increase in value by over 11 percent from USD 62.3 billion in 2022 to USD 69.4 billion in 2026. 

“Acquiring Briar Chemicals will fast-track Safex into becoming a fully integrated company, present in all industry verticals. Strong operational synergies and strategic vision will help Safex to become an important player in the global agrochemical industry. This is a very exciting time for our business,” said Mr. SK Chaudhary, Founder, and Director of Safex.

Briar is Safex’s first overseas acquisition

Agro chems – Fertilizers, Company News, India

As per MoU IFFCO will supply & distribute IFFCO Nano Urea, Sagarika WSF, Biofertilisers and other products in Malaysia.

The fertiliser cooperative major, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has signed an MoU with Singapore-based Bind Resources PTE for supplying and distributing the latter with Nano Urea and other products. On behalf of IFFCO, Yogendra Kumar, Marketing Director whereas on behalf of Bind Resources PTE Vivudh Rawal signed the MoU.

The MoU was signed at the IFFCO headquarters.  Dr U S Awasthi, Managing Director & CEO, IFFCO, mentioned in his tweet, “In yet another development IFFCO signed an MoU with Bind Resources PTE Ltd, Bind Pte Singapore to supply and distribute IFFCO Nano Urea, Sagarika WSF, Biofertilizers and other products in Malaysia.

As per MoU IFFCO will supply &

Agrotech, Company News, North America, Organic

CEA involves growing crops indoors in a highly conditioned environment as the most common forms are greenhouse and vertical farming

Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. has announced its first sales commitment in the growing Controlled Environment Agriculture (“CEA”) market. This key customer is a leading industry innovator in vertical farming with multiple US locations and will be conducting a paid pilot of the BVT system as a crop productivity tool.

CEA involves growing crops indoors in a highly conditioned environment as the most common forms are greenhouse and vertical farming. Entering this sector is a significant growth opportunity for BVT given the global CEA market was valued at over US$74 billion in 2021 and is estimated to reach US$125 billion by 2027.

“CEA is the future of agriculture, in particular for fresh produce,” said Ian Collinson, Sales Manager at BVT. “Growing crops vertically means we can grow more efficiently with greater yield and can be closer to urban centers where the bulk of fresh produce is consumed. It also means growers are no longer dependent on weather conditions, and therefore can operate 365 days a year with far less risk from external factors than traditional farming.”

This innovative agriculture method has several planet-friendly benefits. Farming vertically means 4-6 acres’ worth of crops can be grown in a single indoor acre. The ability to grow food closer to major population centres limits the carbon footprint that results from transportation across great distances. Plus, this process uses 70-90% less water than conventional outdoor methods, and requires significantly fewer pesticides, fertilizers and far less heavy machinery.

“BVT is committed to helping farmers of all circumstances,” said Collinson. “We are pleased and excited to enter the growing CEA market. BVT’s natural precision agriculture system, which is OMRI-listed for organic use, can help indoor growers’ productivity by helping them produce better quality fruits and vegetables – and provide consumers with premium products.”

CEA involves growing crops indoors in a

Agrotech, Company News, Middle East countries, Sustainability

One of only 54 global companies to make the World list of ‘Doing well by doing good’

AeroFarms, a Certified B Corporation and the pioneer in vertical farming, is announced as a Change The World Company by Fortune. The list recognises innovative companies that have made an important social or environmental impact through their profit-making strategy and operations this year.  

It continues to increase consumer availability of AeroFarms flavourful, delicious and sustainably grown leafy greens and microgreens while also scaling farming operations and transforming the agriculture industry. This year, AeroFarms opened two indoor vertical farms: the world’s largest aeroponic smart farm in Danville, Virginia and the world’s largest Research and Development farm in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Both farms scale the company’s mission to grow the best plants possible for the betterment of humanity and advance the agriculture industry forward.

“This Change The World honour reinforces AeroFarms’ award-winning legacy to build and scale our business as a force for good,” says David Rosenberg, AeroFarms CEO and Co-Founder. “We have been transforming agriculture with people and planet in mind, using the latest breakthroughs in indoor vertical farming, artificial intelligence and plant biology to fix our broken food system and this award is a testament to our team’s commitment to our broader mission.”

One of only 54 global companies to

Agro chems – Fertilizers, Agrotech, India, Sustainability

To enhance crop and soil specific fertiliser systems and improvements to nutrient use efficiency, balanced soil nutrition

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a $30 million loan with Smartchem Technologies Limited (STL) to finance capital expenditure and research and development of enhanced-efficiency specialty fertilisers as well as investments to promote energy efficiency, health, and safety.

In addition, an accompanying technical assistance grant will focus on improving the climate resilience of up to 4,000 smallholder farmers through building their soil management and financial literacy skills.

“ADB’s financial assistance will help us to further improve our enhanced efficiency specialty fertiliser business including applied R&D and grass-root farmer training initiatives. It is encouraging to have our efforts towards crop and soil specific fertiliser systems and improvements to nutrient use efficiency and balanced soil nutrition, validated by international partners like ADB,” said STL Chairman and Managing Director S C Mehta. “We will continue to strive to deliver our vision of raising the yield and quality of Indian agriculture to the global best. We look forward to growing this partnership with ADB.”  

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.

To enhance crop and soil specific fertiliser

Europe, Sustainability

Partnership to further advance WFP’s smallholder farmer support programmes in Rwanda and Uganda

Novo Nordisk Foundation commits  $ 4.1 million grant to improve health, nutrition, food security and incomes for marginalised and vulnerable smallholder farming communities. The objective is to build the resilience and functionality of food systems in the most food insecure regions of both countries.

“This exciting new partnership with the Novo Nordisk Foundation will leverage WFP’s existing homegrown school feeding and smallholder farmer support programmes to create even greater impact by further investing in children’s education while building efficient food systems to ensure food is available and affordable for all.”

“Creating resilient food systems is central to WFP’s work across Eastern Africa – from emergency relief to building sustainable livelihoods,”says Michael Dunford, WFP’s Regional Director for Eastern Africa.

“We are pleased to partner with the World Food Programme and contribute to advancing its existing programmes in Rwanda and Uganda, where millions of people fail to thrive due to the global food crisis. The fact that the programmes focus on offering immediate support, and also work to build sustainable food systems for the longer term, is very well aligned with how we work at the Novo Nordisk Foundation, I’m particularly excited about the prospect of bringing nutritious meals to thousands of school-aged children, since we know that this is a good incentive for them to come to school, which forms a foundation for a bright future and a better quality of life.” Says Flemming Konradsen, Senior Vice President, Social & Humanitarian, Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Partnership to further advance WFP's smallholder farmer

Company News, Finance, India, Institutions, Start ups

CCFR will help drive speedier and efficient disbursement of credit to farmers, agricultural sector entrepreneurs, and businesses

TransUnion CIBIL, in collaboration with geo-spatial data analytics provider SatSure, has launched the CIBIL Credit and Farm Report (CCFR). This powerful solution will support lenders in improving the flow of credit to the agricultural sector using data oriented and digital credit assessment capabilities. The CCFR will lead to quicker and more astute decisions on agricultural lending and will help drive speedier and efficient disbursement of credit to farmers, agricultural sector entrepreneurs, and businesses.

The CCFR combines the power of credit information from TransUnion CIBIL and crop parameters based on geo-spatial data from SatSure to provide a holistic solution to lenders for making credit decisions on agricultural lending. It offers a digitally-powered and analytics-oriented ecosystem for agricultural financing and policy making, helping catalyse the rapid development of farming and agriculture across India. The CCFR can also help support regulators, policy institutions and stakeholders in India’s financial ecosystem with data analytics and insights for driving sustainable growth and financial inclusion in the agricultural sector.

Agricultural credit reach and regional disparity (credit not in proportion to their share in agriculture output) are also cited as some of the key challenges in the Reserve Bank of India’s report by the working group on agricultural credit. Other information challenges in agricultural lending include the lack of data on determinant credit parameters such as district-wise input cost for a crop, type of crops being grown, crop-wise sown area, the number/share of small and marginal farmers cultivating a crop, and data about allied activities being undertaken by small and marginal farmers.

Speaking on how the CCFR can help catalyze agricultural credit inclusion, Rajesh Kumar, MD and CEO of TransUnion CIBIL, explained,“Of India’s 14.6 crore1 farmers, only 5.7 crore have accessed credit from the formal lending ecosystem. One of the key roadblocks for credit penetration in the agricultural sector is the unavailability of a single, holistic source of information for assessing credit risk and production risk. Now that the CCFR is making contemporary credit insights along with crop production and production risk parameters available, lenders will have a comprehensive view for astute agricultural credit risk management and policy implementation.”

The CCFR provides parameterised credit details along with information about farm details and crop performance, ownership details, and other important regional metrics in a scientific manner derived from geo-spatial, remote sensing data along with government published APIs. The nuanced information in the CCFR offers credit institutions a one-stop view of borrowers and furthers the digitization of agri- loans to aid in quick disbursals, lowering appraisal costs, and increasing the user base,” said, Prateep Basu, founder and CEO of SatSure.

CCFR will help drive speedier and efficient

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Pesticides, Company News, North America

With EPA approval achieved, state registrations are now in progress, and UPL expects to have supply in place for the 2023 growing season.

UPL, a global leader in sustainable agriculture solutions, has announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted approval for BATALIUM® AMPED™ herbicide for wheat. Featuring three modes of action, wheat growers can now achieve fast acting and long-lasting post-emergent control of the toughest broadleaf and grass weeds.

BATALIUM AMPED herbicide is an all-in-one weed solution that controls more than 70 broadleaf and 11 grass species, including wild oats, green foxtail, Russian thistle and herbicide-resistant kochia. A top feature is the product’s finishing power, offering long-lasting grass control.

BATALIUM AMPED herbicide features a unique and high-performance formulation of three active ingredients at the fullest rates — flucarbazone (Group 2), fluroxypyr (Group 4) and bromoxynil (Group 6) — providing the most effective weed control solution on the market.

“Spring and winter wheat growers in the Northern Plains need this high-performance herbicide solution to address the never-ending onslaught of weed pressures,” says Kathleen Seitzinger, UPL Marketing Manager, Northern Crops. “We encourage growers to use a systemic weed control strategy to reduce herbicide resistance. BATALIUM AMPED herbicide fits both wheat-on-wheat and crop rotation systems.”

Seitzinger adds that BATALIUM AMPED herbicide provides a simple solution in one product to control all problematic weeds in wheat. With EPA approval achieved, state registrations are now in progress, and UPL expects to have supply in place for the 2023 growing season.

” With three modes of action, wheat growers can be confident that BATALIUM AMPED provides the most effective weed control solution on the market today. Through UPL’s OpenAg purpose, we’re bringing unique, sustainable solutions to growers when and where they need it the most”, Seitzinger said.

With EPA approval achieved, state registrations are

Agrotech, Company News, Organic, Sustainability, World

Growing high-nutrient, clean, sustainable fruits and vegetables all year-round is the target

US based company Advanced Container Technologies which is in the business of selling and distributing self-contained, automated, indoor “micro-farms”,  announces the launch of GrowPods, the company’s unique Controlled Environment Farms, which can help provide new income streams for farmers, along with a host of other significant benefits.

3 pounds of toxic chemicals are sprayed on food, per person, every year, many fruits and vegetables contain 90 percent fewer nutrients than at the start of this century. 

“Our food system is in peril and we can no longer keep going on as if everything is fine,”. “It’s time for farmers to look to new ways of growing crops that don’t depend on soil, and don’t require chemicals or pesticides.” Doug Heldoorn, CEO of ACTX, said.

GrowPods are hydroponic controlled environment farms that can grow about an acre of food with about a third of the water used in traditional farming. With state-of-the-art automation, GrowPods provide farmers, businesses, organisations, and individuals the ability to grow ultra-clean food which is even better than organic.

Heldoorn summarised saying “Our nation’s farmers need new tools and techniques to survive,” he said. “GrowPods offer a pathway forward to a more sustainable future.”

Growing high-nutrient, clean, sustainable fruits and vegetables

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Fertilizers, Agro chems – Pesticides, India

BAL is listed among the top 15 agrochemical companies in India

Indian agrochemical major Best Agrolife Ltd. (BAL) revealed that CARE Ratings Limited has given a ‘CARE A-’ rating to the long-term bank facilities of the company with a stable outlook. CARE assigns the rating to BAL’s bank facilities on the basis of the company’s long track record of operations, integrated operations of the group with a diversified product portfolio, and wide distribution network. The rating is derived strength from the consistent growth in scale of operations at the compounded annual growth rate of over 23 percent over the past four fiscals ending FY22. 

Mr. Vimal Alawadhi, MD, BAL, said, “This upgrade is an important milestone in our journey and reaffirms the strength of the organisation and its leadership along with the financial and operational excellence. The upgraded rating reflects our perennial focus on executing our strategy and building a solid foundation for strong and reliable long-term leadership in the agrochemical industry.”

BAL is listed among the top 15 agrochemical companies in India and is engaged in the manufacturing of agrochemical products. The company offers more than 70 formulations of insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and PGRs and retains one of the country’s most comprehensive portfolios with 360+ formulations and more than 80 technical manufacturing licenses. 

BAL is listed among the top 15

Company News, India, Live Stock

The company aims to emerge as a market leader within the first year of launch itself

Licious, a Bengaluru-based D2C Food Unicorn, has announced its foray into the alternative protein sector with the launch of UnCrave – India’s first D2C plant-based meat brand.

This launch aligns with the company’s strategy of portfolio diversification leveraging its strong core brand equity. Licious aims to emerge as a market leader within the first year of launch itself & create relevance for the larger set of meat-eating consumers who trust the brand.

Developed from plant-based proteins, the offering currently consists of vegetarian chicken and mutton seekh kebabs that are rich in protein and free of all artificial preservatives and trans-fat. In the initial phase, the UnCrave range will be available in all major metro cities in India.

“We have invested in over 20 months of R&D, in-house, to develop a range of products that closely resembles the taste and texture of meat in a never-before-experienced way. We have paid close attention to not just the quality standards, but also the nutritional profile making it a protein-rich vegetarian fare that is also free of artificial preservatives & MSG. With UnCrave, we aim to introduce the country to newer ways of experiencing meat”, said Abhay Hanjura & Vivek Gupta, Co-founders of Licious.

The company aims to emerge as a

Company News, India, Oilseeds

Phase 1 of the factory is expected to be commissioned by September 2023

3F Oil Palm Pvt. Ltd, a leading oil palm company in India, kicked off its investment in the northeast with the ‘Bhumi Puja’ for an integrated Oil Palm factory in Arunachal Pradesh. The factory ground-breaking ceremony took place at the factory site at Roing in lower Dibang Valley. The event was attended by senior officials from Arunachal Pradesh government and the chief guest for the event was Tage Taki, Minister of Agriculture. The company had already acquired 120 acres of land for the project in the month of February. All necessary approvals and statutory clearances pertaining to the land were also obtained. The integrated Oil palm project will consist of a State-of-the-art Oil palm factory (Palm Oil Processing and Refining plant), a Zero discharge effluent plant, a power plant based on palm waste, and other buildings and godowns for support functions. This addition of this factory will supplement the existing company operations that include Nursery Operations, Area Expansion/ Crop Maintenance, FFB Harvesting and Collection and other ancillary farmer services. The factory is set to be developed in 2 phases and phase 1 is expected to be commissioned by September 2023. Phase 1 of the project is expected to generate local employment of over 300 people.

3F Oil Palm Pvt Ltd is a front runner and pioneer in the Oil Palm Development program in Arunachal Pradesh with total Oil Palm Area under planting of around 2,000 hectares that is spread across a farmer base of 500 Farmers. All the area under Oil Palm is linked to satellite technology with 100 per cent traceability. The company is the first in the state to import high-quality hybrid variety imported seedlings from various countries, for the benefit of the farmer. The company is also the first to be allotted a fertiliser distribution license for timely and cost-effective supply of fertilizers to the farmers. Both of these initiatives are expected to significantly increase farmer yields and promote ease of planting. With all of these firsts and the additional traction created by the Oil Palm Factory, the company is expected to add 5000 Ha per year over the next 5 years.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanjay Goenka, CEO and MD, 3F Oil Palm Limited, said, “Since the plantations are at a nascent stage, our factory will be running at extremely low-capacity utilization. The primary reason for expediting this investment is to build farmer confidence so that they are encouraged to take up up Oil Palm cultivation at a large scale.”

3F Oil Palm has a strong presence with factories and contract plantations in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, and Gujarat and has a very strong growth plan for the Northeastern region – Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

Phase 1 of the factory is expected