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Agrotech, Company News, India, Start ups

It aims to enable its affiliated farmers and the larger ecosystem to become more efficient and productive via protective farming, in turn increasing its returns.

GROWiT, India’s leading Direct-to-Farmer (D2F) protective farming company, announces a partnership with Samunnati, an open agri network. The partnership will increase awareness and penetration of protective farming techniques and products among farmers associated with Samunati and its farmer producer organizations (FPOs).

GROWiT aims to help them get an increment in yield and per hectare output. This development is part of its larger mission to help double farmers’ income by 2030. Samunnati, based in Chennai, is India’s leading open agri networks serving the entire value chain with its solutions, including Agri Commerce and Agri Finance. By collaborating with GROWiT, the company aims to enable its affiliated farmers and the larger ecosystem to become more efficient and productive via protective farming, in turn increasing its returns.

Commenting on the partnership, Saurabh Agarwal, Director and CEO of GROWiT, said, “This partnership is not about GROWiT and Samunnati alone. We have always promoted protective farming techniques because of the benefits they offer to farmers in terms of crop quality, yield, and carbon footprint. If we achieve the goal of doubling farmers’ income by the end of this decade, it will benefit the entire agriculture industry and farmer community in India.”

Echoing the sentiments, Samunnati, said, “We are pleased to be associated with GROWiT. We have partnered with them to spread awareness about protective farming and how it can help our affiliated farmers increase their yield in an economical and sustainable way. This collaboration will also give us more avenues to increase our return.”

For the Surat-based D2F agritech firm, this development also translates to an increase in revenue while also offering its franchise owners increased customer (farmer) reach, which would result in an increase in sales and their income. GROWiT recently entered into technical collaboration with KVK Baramati and will continue to push its efforts towards empowering Indian farmers.

It aims to enable its affiliated farmers

Agri Genomics, Agrotech, India, Oilseeds, Organic, Seeds

The production of seeds in the Ravines of Morena will improve the land and the land will turn fertile.

The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, recently laid the foundation stone of an organic seed farm of the National Seed Corporation (NSC) at Morena. 

Upon its completion, new organic seeds of oilseeds will be available to the farmers of Madhya Pradesh. With this farm, farmers will be introduced to modern techniques, and will get high yielding seeds and their socio-economic status improved.

Tomar announced that the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change has taken a big decision to recommend de-notification of 207 hectares land in the National Wildlife Sanctuary of Chambal. Due to this sanctuary area being a revenue land, the availability of sand will be at the local level, which will also increase employment.

Tomar said that the Central Government has decided to establish a farm in Morena (MP) for the production of organic seeds by improving the land in the rugged area. For this, the M.P. Government has allotted 885.34 hectares of land in 4 villages (Gadora, Jakhauna, Rithora Khurd & Gorakha) of Morena to the Union Ministry of Agriculture. 

This land is a rugged area of ​​Chambal and farming was not possible due to ravines in the area. As NSC is committed to provide quality seeds to the farmers and is producing 15 lakh quintals of quality certified seeds and making them available to the farmers, hence the Agriculture Ministry has entrusted the responsibility of developing a farm in Morena to the NSC for the production of organic seeds. 

The production of seeds in the Ravines of Morena will improve the land and the land will turn fertile.

Inspired by land reforms, local farmers will be able to improve the land in their fields and produce seeds with the latest scientific method and get high economic benefits from low cost of farming. Farmers will get to learn the latest techniques of seed production here. Local and state farmers will be taught the latest seed production techniques through training by NSC experts. Local workers of Morena will get employment through land reforms and seed production in the farm. Farmers will get good production by getting latest and genetically and physically pure organic oilseed seeds from Morena Farm, which will not only improve the socio-economic status of the farmers of the state, but will also provide nutritional security to the farmers.

The production of seeds in the Ravines

Agrotech, Logistics, Thailand

NIA encourages investment opportunities for the Thai food sector and counter global food security crisis through ‘Space – F Project‘

The National Innovation Agency (Public Organisation), Thailand or NIA is targeting the use of deep tech as the main engine to drive Bangkok towards becoming the FoodTech Silicon Valley – an innovative food hub of Southeast Asia and the world.

Dr Pun-Arj Chairatana, Executive Director of NIA said that the deep-tech business in food and agriculture continues to enjoy its equal growth as the e-commerce and fintech worldwide, the food companies in Thailand also relish robust supply chains. FoodTech startup incubation and acceleration is the key to secure global food security goals, as well as help drive Bangkok in becoming “FoodTech Silicon Valley” or “Food Innovation Hub of Southeast Asia and the World”. Dr Pun-Arj is confident that Thailand’s capital will contribute as an important meeting ground for startups and investors in advanced food technology from around the world. Bangkok will also serve significantly as a locally-sourced raw material development centre. 

Thailand has sufficient raw material to serve growing demands, the country also has a top-notch logistics service. These attributes make the Thai food industry exceptional and position Thailand as the kitchen of the world.

The utilisation of innovation and technology in the food industry is not diverse and still lacks research and development. The NIA, therefore, stepped in to encourage the use of innovation in this particular industry. Intending to feed the world through innovation, the ‘SPACE-F’ project was initiated in 2019 to incubate and accelerate the growth of FoodTech startups in Thailand. The project brings together FoodTech startups and corporates through innovative mentorship, business connections, and a co-working program. 

NIA encourages investment opportunities for the Thai

Bee keeping, India

Government committed towards increasing overall potential of beekeeping industry in the country

National Bee Board (NBB), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, in collaboration with National Seed Research and Training Centre (NSRTC) Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, organised a National Workshop on Role of Agri Startups in Honey Value Chain at NSRTC Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

Beekeepers, Honey Startups and FPOs, stakeholders in beekeeping, officials from various Ministries/ Government Organisations/ Institutes, State Departments of Horticulture, State Agricultural Universities (SAUs)/ Central Agricultural Universities (CAUs), etc participated in the workshop.

Dr N K Patle, Additional Commissioner (Horticulture) and Executive Director, NBB briefed about the role of role of Agri Startups in Honey Value Chain. He also highlighted the role of National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM) and its contribution in the beekeeping sector, including promotion & facilitation for honey startups and FPOs.  He highlighted that implementation of NBHM scheme is also intended to strengthen the infrastructure facilities for honey collection, storage, processing, testing & branding centres, which ultimately enhance the potential of beekeeping in the nation. He invited Honey Startups and FPOs to avail the facilities available under NBHM and adopt beekeeping in a scientific manner to get additional income through honey and other beehive product.

Startups from MANAGE and other states shared their experience and explained about their products being marketed in the country. They also highlighted the importance of Honey Value Chain being created by various stakeholders. These startups are promoting honey sector by Queen breeding, comb, raw honey production and food supplement of bee pollen.

Government committed towards increasing overall potential of

Agro chems – Pesticides, Horticulture, India, R&D

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,

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, India

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

Agri Genomics, Agro Universities, Agrotech, R&D, Seeds

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

Company News, Finance, India, Start ups, Vegetables

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

Agrotech, India, Machinery – Post-harvesting

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

Agrotech, India

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

Agro chems – Fertilizers, Finance, Live Stock

$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

Agrotech, Animal Health, Company News, Live Stock, Sustainability

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

Acts & Schemes – Centre, AgroPolicy, India

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

AgroPolicy, India

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