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Agrotech, Company News, Finance, India, Start ups

The company plans to use this funding for talent acquisition, R&D and production scale up.

Dare Ventures, the venture capital arm of Coromandel International Limited has announced its third investment this year into a differentiated drone startup, Dhaksha Unmanned Systems Private Limited. The company plans to use this funding for talent acquisition, R&D and production scale up.  

Coromandel, India’s largest private phosphatic fertilizer company has been a pioneer in deploying new age agritech solutions for the benefit of Indian farmers. The company has earlier partnered with Dhaksha drones to undertake several pilot programs of drone-based nutrient and crop protection applications. The company intends to soon launch a first of its kind “Drone as a Service” model in India. 

Dhaksha, one of the forerunners in the drone space in India, provides a complete range of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) technology solutions for different applications covering agriculture, defence, surveillance and delivery, among others. Based out of Chennai, the company has over the years developed expertise in drone R&D, testing, manufacturing, and customer support. In addition to having developed capability to manufacture battery-operated drones, Dhaksha is the only company in India to manufacture petrol engine-based drones. 

The “Agrigator” drone developed by Dhaksha targeting the agriculture industry, helps farmers with the application of fertilizers and crop protection products. Agrigator comes with a 12L spray tank and can cover up to 30-35 acres per day with 8-hour usage. In addition, the company has also developed targeted drones with specific use-case solutions across surveillance, goods delivery and mining.  

Commenting on the investment, Ramanathan Narayanan, Director and CEO of Dhaksha said, “This funding will help us create several milestones in the drone industry, deliver world-class drones, offer exceptional support to customers across India and make the company a frontrunner in realizing the government’s vision of making India a ‘Global Hub’ for Drones.”  

Commenting on their investment, Sameer Goel, Director, Dare Ventures Ltd., and Managing Director, Coromandel International Limited said “Coromandel is delighted to support Dhaksha in its aim to create a transformational impact on the drone manufacturing industry in India. With its strong research and manufacturing capabilities, we expect Dhaksha to be a leader in the Indian drone manufacturing space in the near future.”

The company plans to use this funding

Agri Genomics, Climate, Environment, India, Sustainability

Participating countries to deliberate upon the pivotal issues related to the development, conservation and protection of Plant Genetic Resources for the benefit of farming community

India hosts the 9th Session of Governing Body (GB9) of the ‘International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture’ (ITPGRFA) from 19-24th September 2022 in New Delhi. Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (A&FW) said the biodiversity in food & agriculture needs to be conserved to protect the rights of the farmers. He informs that eminent scientists and resource persons will participate from many countries across the globe. Deliberations during the session will facilitate to develop the climate resilient varieties and also a roadmap for exchange of scientific information on plant genetic resources for increasing crop production and productivity, he adds. 

Kent Nnadozie, Secretary (ITPGRFA) in his remarks said that the organization of 9th session of ITPGRFA provides a common platform for all the participating countries to deliberate upon the pivotal issues related to the development, conservation and protection of Plant Genetic Resources for the benefit of farming community. 

He further said that the scientific exchange of technological advancement among the countries will help mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change and food security globally.

Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Secretary DARE & Director General (ICAR) said that the plant genetic resources available with different countries will act as base material for development of new varieties to ensure better quality and higher productivity of crops.

The GB9 will consider the options for encouraging, guiding and promoting the realization of Farmers’ Rights as set out in Article 9 of the Treaty, developed by an ad hoc Technical Expert Group on Farmers’ Rights. The GB9 is expected to deliberate on the outcome of informal consultations as well as status of Treaty’s Multilateral System (MLS) implementation to guide future steps necessary for the enhancement of the MLS, which is considered vital for agricultural research, development and global food security.

India is endowed with rich crop genetic resources and has successfully established legal, institutional and scholastic infrastructure to utilize the genetic diversity for breeding new varieties. With this unique status and as GB9 host, India is expected to play a crucial role in minimizing the dissonance between technology-rich developed and gene-rich developing countries to achieve functional resolutions on critical agenda items. The GB9 provides an excellent opportunity to convey the steadfast commitment of India to conservation and sustainable utilization of plant genetic diversity as well as farmers’ rights

Participating countries to deliberate upon the pivotal

Agrotech, Company News, North America, Sustainability

This strategic partnership is expected to reach up to 2 million acres by 2030 and represents a trailblazing effort by two global companies that share ambitious carbon reduction goals.

ADM, a global leader in sustainable agriculture and nutrition, and PepsiCo announced a ground-breaking 7.5-year strategic commercial agreement to closely collaborate on projects that aim to significantly expand regenerative agriculture across their shared North American supply chains. This strategic partnership is expected to reach up to 2 million acres by 2030 and represents a trailblazing effort by two global companies that share ambitious carbon reduction goals. The companies’ capabilities span the food and agriculture value chains, creating a unique, large-scale platform to support farmers’ transition to regenerative agriculture, while building their resilience to climate change.

Reaching the strategic partnership’s goals could eliminate 1.4 million metric tons of greenhouse gasses – equivalent to the amount of electricity used to power 275,000 homes per year – at the farm level, while creating meaningful shared value directly for farmers.

“Building a better food system is essential to the future health of the earth and all of us,” said Jim Andrew, Chief Sustainability Officer, PepsiCo. “At its core, PepsiCo is an agricultural company, working to spread regenerative agriculture practices that restore the earth and reduce carbon emissions to 7 million acres by 2030. This partnership with ADM marks a sea change in how PepsiCo engages with strategic partners and is expected to help us reach almost one-third of that goal. By enabling greater collaboration through strategic partnerships like this one, we can strengthen the livelihoods and resilience of the farmers we work with, while building a more sustainable future together.”

“Sustainability is fundamental to ADM: Our growth strategy is underpinned by demand for more sustainable products, and our culture compels us to act,” said ADM Chief Sustainability Officer Alison Taylor. “Last year, we expanded on our Strive 35 sustainability goals with a commitment to reduce our Scope 3 emissions by 25 per cent by 2035 and expanding regenerative agriculture practices – as we have with our recent strategic partnerships with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Farmers Business Network – will be key to reaching that goal. This announcement is a major step forward, as we work with a partner whose values align with our own to scale up regenerative agriculture in a way few other companies can. We’re excited to take the next big step in reducing carbon and making our entire food system more sustainable.”

This strategic partnership is expected to reach

Agrotech, Company News, India, Sustainable Energy

 UPL and CleanMax Enviro Energy Solutions Pvt. Ltd. will set-up and operate a hybrid captive power plant with a capacity of 28.05 MW of solar power and 33 MW of wind power

UPL Ltd., a global provider of sustainable agricultural solutions, today announced a joint venture with CleanMax Enviro Energy Solutions (‘CleanMax’), a Mumbai-based renewable energy company, to establish a hybrid solar-wind energy power plant in Gujarat, India.

UPL and CleanMax will set-up and operate a hybrid captive power plant with a capacity of 28.05 MW of solar power and 33 MW of wind power. Combining two of the fastest growing renewable energy technologies, this project will enable UPL to increase its renewable energy usage to 30% of its total global power consumption (against 8 per cent currently). Due to their complementary nature, wind solar hybrid power plants are highly efficient, providing reliable and continuous power supply that helps to effectively manage power loads.

Jai Shroff, Global CEO of UPL, said: “At UPL, we are committed to Reimagining Sustainability internally as well as with our farming partners. Ensuring we have access to reliable, clean energy will help realize that vision as we significantly reduce our carbon footprint. We look forward to welcoming CleanMax to our OpenAg network through this partnership and are excited to be joining India’s green energy wave.”

Kuldeep Jain, Founder & Managing Director, CleanMax said, “This 61.05 MW captive wind solar hybrid project is a part of a larger wind solar hybrid farm developed by CleanMax in Gujarat. The overall capacity of the CleanMax wind solar hybrid farm stands at over 400 MW; comprising 230 MW wind and 180 MW solar; leading to carbon abatement of 8.75 Lakh tonnes of CO2 equivalent per annum.”

 UPL and CleanMax Enviro Energy Solutions Pvt.

Agrotech, Europe, R&D, Seeds

Syngenta Seedcare will become the exclusive commercialization distributor of Bioceres’s biological seed treatment solutions globally

Customers seeking cutting-edge biological seed treatment solutions will benefit from a global commercial and R&D collaboration announced between Syngenta Crop Protection’s Seedcare business and Bioceres Crop Solutions, a leader in biological crop productivity solutions.

The collaboration between Bioceres and Syngenta builds on a successful commercial partnership of more than 20 years in Argentina. Under the agreement*, Syngenta Seedcare will become the exclusive global commercialization distributor for Bioceres’ biological seed treatment solutions, except in Argentina where they will continue to collaborate under the existing framework. Under the long-term R&D collaboration, the companies will jointly undertake the development of new products while accelerating the registration of products already in the pipeline.

Syngenta Seedcare and Bioceres will expand their cooperation in key markets such as Brazil and China, as well as in other regions around the world. Implementation of the agreement will be subject to regulatory clearances.

Jonathan Brown, Global Head of Syngenta Seedcare said, “The agreement with Bioceres furthers our strategy to provide growers with more complementary choices to manage pest resistance and improve crop health. We draw strengths from our longstanding relationship with Bioceres and are fully committed to providing growers with more sustainable innovations to further improve seed health.”

Bioceres is a key provider of biological inoculants, including rhizobia bacteria, which improve crop nutrition and support plant growth. This seed-applied solution helps crops, such as soybean, capture nitrogen from the atmosphere and significantly reduces the need for nitrogen fertilizers – supporting regenerative agriculture. Biological seed treatment products such as inoculants, biocontrols and biostimulants are based on microorganisms, their metabolites, plant extracts and other naturally occurring materials. The global biologicals seeds treatment market is projected to grow from $0.6bn in 2020 to $1.6bn by 2030.

Chief Executive Officer of Bioceres Federico Trucco said, “Biological products play an important role in offering growers new solutions to increase crop yields while reducing agriculture’s environmental footprint.  We believe this collaboration with Syngenta will allow us both to advance those goals more rapidly in a time of significant global need for new solutions.”

Syngenta Seedcare will become the exclusive commercialization

AgroPolicy, India, Logistics, Supply Chain

National Logistics Policy has immense potential for development of infrastructure, expansion of business and increasing employment opportunities

The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi launched the National Logistics Policy (NLP) at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister called the launch of the National Logistics Policy a significant step in fulfilling the ‘Pran’ of India being a developed country. “To ensure quick last mile delivery, end transport-related challenges, save time and money of the manufacturers, prevent wastage of the agro-products, concerted efforts were made and one of the manifestations of those efforts is today’s National Logistics Policy”, the Prime Minister said. The resulting improvement in coordination will lead to the desired speed in the sector.

The Prime Minister reiterated that schemes like Sagarmala, Bharatmala, expedited the work of Dedicated Freight Corridors to improve logistics connectivity for systematic infrastructure development. Modi pointed out that the total capacity of Indian ports has increased significantly, and the average turn-around time of container vessels has come down from 44 hours to 26 hours. For promoting export, 40 air cargo terminals have been constructed. 30 airports have been provided cold-storage facilities. 35 multimodal hubs are coming up in the country. “Through waterways, we can do eco-friendly and cost-effective transportation, for this many new waterways are also being built in the country”, the Prime Minister added. He also mentioned Kisan Rail and Kisan Udan experiments during the Corona time. Today 60 airports have the facility of Krishi Udan.

PM also added that the echo of Make in India and India becoming self-reliant is everywhere. India is setting big export targets and is also fulfilling them. The notion that India is emerging as a manufacturing hub, is stabilizing in the mind of the world. If we study the PLI scheme we will find that the world has accepted it.”

The Prime Minister said that the National Logistics Policy will bring new energy to all sectors. When parameters, roadmap and timeline for performance come together then policy plus performance equal to progress emerges, he elaborated. “Today’s India prepares the ground before bringing any policy, only then a policy can be implemented successfully. National Logistics Policy has not come out of the blue and there are 8 years of hard work behind it”, he said.

National Logistics Policy has immense potential for

Agrotech, Machinery - Pre-harvesting, R&D, World

Agricultural drones are helping farmers to address labour shortage and reduce costs

Across Vietnam’s Mekong River delta, drones flying above the field to perform farm works have been gradually adopted in the rice paddies. Vietnam becomes one of the fast-growing markets for XAG Agricultural Drone, helping farmers address labour shortage and reduce costs. In the meantime, drone pilot is seen as the new favoured career for rural youth, who can harness technology to make a good fortune in the agriculture sector.

“With two XAG P100 agricultural drones, two small teams consisting of only 4 to 6 people can finish the fieldwork much faster and easier. While the drone sprays evenly and penetrate the rice crops more quickly, it can also spread seeds and fertilizers. Our service has helped him reduce labour cost and improve the yields.”said by 30-year-old Khuong, KPT’s co-founder.

The introduction of agricultural drone has changed the tune of young generation on rural development, it provides a decent work opportunity for rural youth who can build a new type of business like the KPT Fly Team or join as a drone pilot. They have become the new rising force to strengthen Vietnam’s role as ‘rice bowl’ of the world. The KPT Fly Team was established in 2021 by a group of young engineers with experience in rice cultivation. They provide services to farmers in the Mekong River delta, using XAG’s drones to handle pests, sow seeds, and spread fertilizers.

XAG’s agricultural drone is well credited for the level of its automation and precision, but what impresses KPT the most is the company’s agricultural ecosystem. From remote sensing drone to unmanned ground vehicle, XAG has also developed multiple types of products to focus on farmer’s various needs. More technologies will be applied on farm to yield a bright future.

Agricultural drones are helping farmers to address

Agro Universities, Agrotech, R&D

The registration for event shall take place till 26th September 2022.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research with its National Agricultural Higher Education Project and Crop Science Division is organizing Hackathon 3.0 ‘’KRITAGYA” on promoting ‘speed breeding for crop improvement’.

This program will provide an opportunity to students/faculties/entrepreneurs/innovators and others to showcase innovative approaches and technology solutions to promote innovation for crop improvement.

Under the guidance of the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, such initiatives will give impetus to the desired rapid results in the crop sector with the ability to learn, innovation and solutions, employability and entrepreneurship. It will also encourage greater adoption of technology enabled solutions in the country.

According to Dr. Rakesh Chandra Agrawal, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Education) and National Director, National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP), the definition of KRITAGYA is: KRI for Krishi meaning Agriculture, TA for Taknik meaning Technology and GYA for Gyan meaning Knowledge. In this competition, students, faculty and innovators/entrepreneurs from any university/technical institute across the country can apply and participate in the program as a group. The participating group shall consist of maximum 4 participants, with not more than one faculty and / or more than one innovator or entrepreneur. Participating students can collaborate with local start-ups, students from technology institutes and can win up-to Rs 5 Lakhs. The registration for event shall take place till 26thSeptember 2022.

This event is also extending the support to winners for further development in their concept propositions, its scalability and future plan in collaboration with Agri Business Incubators, MSMEs and other investors through support of ICAR.

The registration for event shall take place

Animal Health, Dairy, India, Interaction, Live Stock, R&D, Uncategorized

Will it be of much significance to tackle the hazard at the earliest or will it take too long to reach the beneficiaries?

India has been wading through the menace of the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) which has currently killed about 57,000 bovines and infected around over 15.21 lakh cattle. The global concern was widely discussed during the recently held “World Dairy Summit 2022’, from 12th-15th September, with a host of speakers declaring it as a dairy exigency.

The discussion revolved around the recently launched vaccine- Lumpi-ProVacInd, an indigenous shot developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) that is currently awaiting a nod for emergency use from Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) for the treatment of LSD. The delay is centred around the vaccine’s efficacy and its subsequent line of production.  Praveen Malik, Commissioner, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), talked to AgroSpectrum India highlighting similar concerns on the outlines of the global summit. He said, “The indigenous vaccine announced recently has been unnecessarily creating a buzz and wrongly termed as a breakthrough without even going through a pilot run. It needs to be properly tested before we can see any significant results on the ground in terms of preventing or curing the disease.” “After the requisite trials, it needs to be manufactured on a large scale to distribute it to all the stakeholders, not just a fraction of the population who need it. Else, the entire purpose of producing the vaccination will be defeated. Given this outlook, the bigger question is about the companies responsible for producing the vaccination at a later stage. Also, the entire process will take a significant time before we move the needle to the next stage,” he continued.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, during the launch of the indigenous vaccine to protect livestock from the disease in August this year however shared a different outlook on the efficacy of the shot and called it a ‘milestone event’. He said that Indian scientists have undertaken limited trials in a short period and have developed a 100 per cent effective vaccine complying with all standards, which will be effective in getting rid of the disease.

During the summit, Malik also commented on the existing portfolio of vaccinations available including Goat Pox, which is the current shot being administered in India to treat the spread of the deadly disease. Elaborating on its use, Malik said, “Goat Pox has good efficacy to completely eradicate LSD from the ground in the time to come. With the continuous use of this product, India will be left with a marginal number of such cases in a month or less, just like the small number of Covid cases we see today. The vaccination also has an avoidable or no relapse rate, making it an effective remedy against the widespread disease.”

In August, around 1.53 crore cattle were vaccinated with Goat Pox with the government aiming to vaccinate the entire population in the days ahead. It is a heterologous vaccine, currently being manufactured by Hester Biosciences Ltd and Indian Immunologicals Ltd respectively.

Whether the new vaccine would help further in eradicating this disease completely, is something to be seen over time.

By Manishika Miglani

Image credit- shutterstock

Will it be of much significance to

Company News, Finance, India

 Company plans to expand its processing capacity for fruits and vegetables-based products, set up a biomass plant to generate electricity from process waste.

First Farmer-led Company in India, Sahyadri Farms Post Harvest Care Limited has raised Rs 310 crore (almost EUR 40 million) growth capital from a group of impact-focused investor, Incofin, Korys, FMO and Proparco. Sahyadri Farms is well-placed to help farmers run their businesses in a more profitable and sustainable way. Alpen Capital acted as exclusive strategic advisor to Sahyadri Farms for this transaction.

The capital received from Korys, FMO, Proparco and Incofin is intended to further grow the farmer’s company. Sahyadri Farms plans to expand its processing capacity for fruits and vegetables-based products, set up a biomass plant to generate electricity from process waste and enhance its infrastructure, like packhouses.

Sahyadri Farms is a good example of rural entrepreneurship providing end to end solutions to small and marginal farmers.  In 2010 a group of 10 farmers took the initiative to collectively produce and export fresh grapes to Europe. That initiative has grown into the leading fruits and vegetable export and processing company that Sahyadri Farms is today, servicing over 18,000 farmers, covering more than 31,000 acres and 9 crops. The company walks with its farmers from their choice of crops to the farming practices they employ, from the inputs they use to how they harvest and sell their agricultural products.

“The idea of Sahyadri Farms is to unite farmers and make them think like professional entrepreneurs. We are building a sustainable, scalable, and profitable organization for all our stakeholders by making farming profitable and viable activity for each small and marginal farmer”, said Vilas Shinde, founding farmer and Managing Director of Sahyadri Farms.

Rahul Rai, Partner at Incofin India commented that, “Incofin feels privileged to lead this investor consortium and its partnership with Sahyadri Farms to support its spread as a global role model of a partnership-based approach to farming that results in sustainable financial impact, climate change adaptation and inclusive growth in rural communities while creating a technology-driven, globally competitive business.”

Michael Jongeneel, CEO of FMO said, “We expect this first international equity investment in a farmer-led organization in India to help Sahyadri Farms reach even more farmers and set a blueprint for further growth in the industry.’’

Françoise Lombard, CEO of Proparco said, ” This investment in a leading Indian agricultural company committed to a responsible approach will generate many positive social and environmental impacts.  Sahyadri Farms will be able to implement concrete measures to adapt to climate change, but also to mitigate it by increasing its share of renewable energy production to more than 50 per cent, and finally, to implement its zero-waste policy”.

“We are very excited to be a shareholder of Sahyadri Farms as it has a sustainable Business model with an emphasis both on consciousness towards the farmers’ community and on the environment. Their journey revolves around an inspiring story of a farmer turned entrepreneur who established a state-of-the-art infrastructure with a vision to transform traditional Indian farming”, said Hari Subramanian, Partner Korys India.

 Company plans to expand its processing capacity

Agrotech, R&D, World

Newest Indoor Vertical Farm Capable of Growing Over 3 Million Pounds of Fresh Leafy Greens Annually To Meet Increased Customer Demand

AeroFarms a certified B Corporation and world leader in indoor vertical farming, debuts AeroFarms Danville, its newest cutting-edge indoor vertical farm, growing award-winning leafy greens that are prized for their elevated flavour by top chefs and home makers alike.

Joined by Matthew Lohr, Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, Congressman Good and elected officials from Virginia and the city of Danville and Pittsylvania County, the AeroFarms Team celebrated the official Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening of AeroFarms Danville to meet increased customer demand.  

“This Grand Opening is an incredible milestone for AeroFarms as we scale our company to meet increased customer demand both here in the United States and globally,” said David Rosenberg, Co-Founder and CEO of AeroFarms. “We have amazing people aligned with our mission and focused on growing a distinctive, flavourful product that our customers love. AeroFarms Danville will help us bring safe, pesticide-free, great-tasting products to even more people.

AeroFarms leafy greens are safely grown indoors in state-of-the art commercial indoor vertical farms that are certified for USDA Good Agricultural Practices, SQF Level 2 Good Manufacturing Practices, Non-GMO Project Verification, OU Kosher, and the industry-leading CEA Food Safety Seal that was developed to differentiate indoor clean growing practices from the traditional challenges in the field. AeroFarms leafy greens are completely pesticide free and are ready-to-eat without any need to wash, providing a major benefit to customers looking for safety and convenience.   

Newest Indoor Vertical Farm Capable of Growing

Sustainability

United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) has entered an agreement with the Honourable Chamber of Deputies with the support of the Embassy of India in Mexico to promote recovery, reforestation, maintenance, and beautification of an urban green area within the Parliament of Mexico

The inauguration of the Garden of Friendship takes place which represents the shared commitment between the three entities to promote sustainability and green spaces. Participants of this event included the Honourable Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Parliament of India, equivalent of the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico, H E Om Birla who is leading an Indian Parliamentary Delegation on an official visit to Mexico and Dip. Sergio Gutierrez Luna- President of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies who jointly inaugurated the garden.

UPL was responsible for establishing the Organic Friendship Garden – India and Mexico, providing a range of sustainable bio solutions and technologies from its Natural Plant Protection (NPP) business unit’s portfolio which supports soil health, enable water efficiency, and help the garden’s plants and biodiversity to thrive. In India, UPL has undertaken drive towards afforestation and rehabilitation of the degraded forest and common lands. It works on Sapling to Forestry model by involving local stakeholders towards increasing the forest area. Community is encouraged and trained on the upkeep of these forests and amenities which is provided by UPL.

United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) has entered an

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Pesticides, China, Company News

FMC Corporation, an agricultural sciences company, has announced that the Zhengzhou Court, in the Henan province of China, has ruled in its favour in a patent infringement lawsuit against Henan Yongfeng Chemical Co., Ltd; Suqian Haide Pharmaceutical and Chemical Co., Ltd; Xinxiang Runyu New Material Technology Co., Ltd; and Wang Shichao (collectively “defendants”).

FMC had filed the lawsuit in May 2022 against the defendants for infringement of a patented key intermediate, used in the manufacture of chlorantraniliprole, FMC’s leading insect control active ingredient. On September 9, 2022, all the defendants were found guilty by the Chinese court, of infringing FMC’s composition of matter patent for a key intermediate to manufacture chlorantraniliprole and ordered to compensate FMC for related damages.

“FMC appreciates the court issuing this quick judgment to protect FMC’s intellectual property rights in China. Intellectual property rights encourage the continued innovation of crop protection solutions by recognizing the significant time, money and commitment invested in discovering new active ingredients. These rights exist in the interest of farmers, customers, investors, employees, suppliers and partners,” said Pramod Thota, president for FMC in Asia Pacific.

 Thota also added that FMC has continued to demonstrate that we have extensive and defensible patents covering manufacturing, manufacturing ingredients, formulation and use that extends well beyond the chlorantraniliprole active ingredient composition of matter patent. We will continue to vigorously defend our intellectual property in China and around the world.”

FMC invests heavily in the discovery of new active ingredients, the development of innovative formulations and biologicals in addition to the advancement of precision and digital agriculture technologies that support sustainable agriculture and improved food security.

FMC Corporation, an agricultural sciences company, has

Agrotech, India, Start ups

A total of 252 applications were received from aspiring start ups across India for MANAGE-Samunnati Agri-Startup Awards

The National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), in association with Samunnati presented the MANAGE-Samunnati Agri-Startup Awards to recognise impact-driven Agri and Agri-Tech start-ups dedicated to rebuilding the agriculture development ecosystem and supporting farmers through technological innovations. In the first edition in 2021, a total of 20 Awards at the five regional (17) and national (03) were given and a total cash prize of Rs 17.75 lakh for the start ups was awarded by Samunnati.

In the 2022 edition, applications from the Agri startups across India and nominations of startups from National level Agricultural institutions and Agribusiness Incubators were invited through a completely online process.

A total of 252 applications were received from aspiring startups across India. Twenty-one eminent professionals in agriculture and allied sectors evaluated the applications objectively and independently. Major focus of the evaluation was on impact creation, farmer connect, and gravity of the problems addressed by the startup along with progress made. A total of 32 awards, comprising 3 awards at the National level, 27 at the State level and 2 women entrepreneurs were awarded and selected start ups were invited to the award ceremony held on Sep 14, 2022, at MANAGE. Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Government of India, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and presented the awards to the winners recognizing their contributions to improving the agri ecosystem.

These start ups will be supported by MANAGE and Samunnati beyond awards and recognition. An investment meet is planned for the startups where the start ups will be given an opportunity to present their business model for funding with venture capital, angel networks and debt funding institutions. MANAGE will also be extending support through connecting the start ups with other Agri startups in the ecosystem, AC & ABC Agripreneurs, and Farmers through FPOs for backward linkages and with Agri business firms for the forward linkages. 

Samunnati with its initiative “Samaarambh”, is nurturing over 100 agri-focused start ups striving to address chronic challenges of the agri value chain for the past two years across India. MANAGE- Samunnati Agri-Start up Awards creates a platform and provide a great opportunity for the start ups in the coming years and establishes a benchmark for the start ups in the agricultural ecosystem.       

A total of 252 applications were received