Connect with:
Wednesday / March 12. 2025

logo
mobile-logo
Home2022 (Page 32)
Agrotech, India

At the recently held AgriTech Summit, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmer Welfare emphasised that agriculture is a very important sector for our country and we accept the primacy of agriculture. In this regard, work is being done in the direction of its progress, changes in it, inclusion of policies, cooperation, etc. There are 86 per cent small farmers in the country, who have small acreage and cannot invest much. The government is working to take these farmers forward, without whom neither agriculture nor the country will progress.

The government has started the work of creating 10,000 new FPOs. Of these, 3,000 have become FPOs. If small farmers join these FPOs, then the area under cultivation increases, the collective power of the farmer’s increases. If there is only one type of farming, then production will increase and farmers will be able to get good price. This effort is being made to increase the income of the farmers. Tomar added, “The government is also working in the field of pulses and oilseeds. Both were areas of scarcity. Farmers have ventured into pulses and have made huge leaps in production. There is still a gap in oilseeds, for which the government is working on the oilseed mission”.

He also said that there is a need to deal with the challenges of the agriculture sector, how technology should be introduced in it, how to increase the availability of private investment, how to create employment opportunities. Talking about technology in the agriculture sector, Tomar said that the government is working on Digital Agri Mission so that the farmers can reach the government and the government can reach all the farmers. If transparency will increase through technology, then all the farmers will be able to get the full benefits of all the schemes. 

At the recently held AgriTech Summit, Narendra

Company News, Finance, India, Machinery - Pre-harvesting

The company’s domestic sales in August 2022 were at 20,138 units, as against 19,997 units during August 2021. The total tractor sales including domestic and exports during August 2022 were at 21,520 units, as against 21,360 units for the same period last year. Exports for the month stood at 1,382 units.

Commenting on the performance, Hemant Sikka, President – Farm Equipment Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, “We have sold 20,138 tractors in the domestic market during August 2022, with a growth of 1 per cent over last year. Monsoon has been overall positive with 8 per cent higher than LPA, however the spatial distribution has been deficient in key paddy states of eastern India, thus impacting paddy sowing. We are optimistic that tractor purchases on auspicious days in the festive season will lead to a revival in demand, as farmers start preparation for harvesting operations. We are preparing for strong tractor demand in the festive season. In the exports market, we have sold 1,382 tractors, a growth of 1 per cent over last year.”

The company’s domestic sales in August 2022

Dairy, Environment, India, Live Stock

A special session on Feed, Food and Waste was held under the chairmanship of Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on the third day of the International Dairy Federation’s World Dairy Summit in Greater Noida. He drew the attention of the delegates from across India and abroad towards the challenges of Agriculture and Dairy sectors and spoke about working together on common issues. 

Mainly, there is a need to work on how to ensure adequate availability of fodder and what can be done towards this objective.

Stressing on ‘Waste to Wealth Management’ by all means, Tomar said that normally waste is not disposed properly, whether it is the crop stubble or the disposal of fruits and vegetable waste in homes, converting them into wealth is the need of the hour. 

Giving the example of the Decomposer which is Invented by the Pusa Institute, which increases the productivity of the farm and keeps fodder available for the cattle as well. Tomar says there is a need to work in this direction on a large scale.

There is also a need to pay attention on creating awareness about how cattle get food and said that cow dung is also a waste. The basic spirit behind all this is to benefit the farmers. 

A special session on Feed, Food and

Company News, Finance, World

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk has collaborated with PT Syngenta Indonesia to provide financial services for farmers through the CENTRIGO™ Farming Ecosystem.  The end-to-end ecosystem, aimed to support farmers’ needs and increase productivity and profitability, will be launched in October 2022.

The collaboration was formally announced at the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Agus Noorsanto, Director of Institutional and Wholesale Business of BRI and Kazim Hasnain, President Director of PT Syngenta Indonesia on 13 September 2022. The collaboration involves various banking services provided by BRI for PT Syngenta Indonesia and all the stakeholders in its business ecosystem.

Agus Noorsanto said this collaboration will help improve the living standards of farmers and advance the agricultural sector in Indonesia. “All financial transaction management will be carried out efficiently through digital solutions, such as the Cash Management Platform – BRICaMS, Corporate Billing Management – BRICBM, Pasar Rakyat Indonesia – PARI, and others.”

PT Syngenta Indonesia is committed to advancing agriculture in Indonesia and ensuring sufficiency as well as quality in a sustainable manner. Through cutting-edge technologies, worldwide experience, and partnerships across the value chain, PT Syngenta Indonesia believes it can help accelerate the growth of the agricultural sector in Indonesia.

On the same occasion, Supari, Director of Micro Business of BRI, and Ronnie Keh, Director of PT Syngenta Indonesia, also signed a cooperation agreement on microcredits and digital solutions for farmers of the CENTRIGO™ Farming Ecosystem. In addition, A Letter of Intent (LOI) was also delivered to Amam Sukrianto, Director of Small and Medium Business of BRI, regarding business cooperations in the SME sector.

The goal of CENTRIGO™ Farming Ecosystem is in line with BRI’s mission to become the champion of financial inclusion that embraces all levels of society. BRI’s experience in disbursing loans from ultra-micro, micro, small and medium enterprises to the corporate segment, will greatly support Indonesia’s agricultural ecosystem.

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk has

Acts & Schemes – Centre, AgroPolicy, Horticulture, India, Supply Chain, Trade

In a move aimed at boosting export of agricultural and food products from Ladakh, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry through its export promotion body APEDA is in process of handholding of Apricot value chain stakeholders to enhance export from Ladakh under the brand ‘Ladakh Apricot’.

It is expected that the initiatives of APEDA towards export promotion of Apricots and other agri-products would give a fillip to overall development of the region. The export promotion strategy of APEDA places major focus on canopy management of the apricot orchard/trees obtain a uniform and better-quality harvest of apricots. It would help in sustained marketing, product development, research and development (R&D), enhancement of traceability and brand promotion of apricot, which is one of the important fruit crops of Ladakh and is locally known as ‘Chuli’.

APEDA, in association with UT of Ladakh, is also facilitating towards development of export infrastructures such as setting up of integrated pack house facilities with grading lines, pre-cooling units with cold storages and insulated/refrigerated transportation up to packhouse/exit ports, common infrastructure facilities such as pre-shipment treatment facilities e.g. irradiation, Vapor Heat Treatment, Hot Water Dip Treatment for compliance with Phyto-Sanitary requirements of importing countries.

APEDA is also focusing on strengthening packaging for fresh apricots, transport protocol and Brand Promotion ‘Ladakh Apricots’ for better price realization of apricots of trans-Himalayan Ladakh, which are known for their better quality.

Work on obtaining GI tag for Ladakh apricot is also in process. Notably, bulk of the apricot produced in Ladakh is consumed locally and only a small quantity of it is sold in dried form.

Given that logistics support plays a key factor in export promotion of any product, APEDA is working towards the augmentation of logistics support apricots too through air on the lines of market linkage scheme – PARVAZ and by road to nearest international exit ports for streamlining the exports from the region.

In a move aimed at boosting export

Agrotech, India, Interaction, Organic

Event will bring together the entire vertical farming and urban agriculture value chain under one roof – for two power-packed networking days.

Adopting tech-driven urban agriculture and vertical farming is critical where the world requires transition specially to deal with two major issues: climate change and food insecurity. India, although a developing country, is pacing fast with the incorporation of the modern style of agriculture.

The third edition of the Global Vertical Farming Show – GVF 2022, will be held on 29th and 30th November 2022 at Welcome hotel by ITC, New Delhi. After the successful conclusion of its previous edition in the UAE region, Global Vertical Farming Show – GVF 2022 is a trailblazing event which will bring together the entire vertical farming and urban agriculture value chain under one roof – for two power-packed networking days. It is an extremely exclusive event that aims to bring change and development to the region by bringing stakeholders from all over the world.

Vertical Farming service providers, Urban Agriculture firms, LED light providers, Government Bodies, Consultants, Ag-Tech, Agribusiness, Food, Logistics, Project Developers, Investors, Financial Institutions, and other essential industry stakeholders will be present at the show. AgroSpectrum is the media partner of Global Vertical Farming Show – GVF 2022.

To know more about the event and registration click on: https://verticalfarmingshow.com/registration.html

Event will bring together the entire vertical

Agrotech, India, Sustainability

Precision Agriculture and usage of technology has gained a lot of traction in the recent past. Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Former Director General, Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR said that this technology in the agriculture sector must gain pace as it would help twin causes of achieving reasonable growth and maintaining ecological balance at the same time.

Dr Mohapatra added, “To avoid ship to mouth syndrome of 1950-60s, it is paramount to enhance our agriculture production at a faster pace than growth in demand due to continuous rise in population. Usage of technology and precision agriculture practices would help us in enhancing production on one hand and maintaining ecological balance. Amid ever-increasing environmental concern, sustainable practices are the need of the hour and technology will play a key role in it.”

He also asked the Agrochemical Federation to work for awareness of the farmers to purchase the right and genuine agri inputs with GST bills and also how to use and when to use agrochemicals.

Precision Agriculture and usage of technology has

Company News, Environment, R&D, Sustainability

Aleph Farms, the first cultivated meat company to grow steaks directly from non-genetically engineered animal cells, has nnounced that it has been officially recognized by the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) as an Innovation Sprint Partner. As part of this innovation sprint, $40 million is being invested in cellular agriculture R&D over the next five years through Aleph Farms. 

It will introduce its products into global markets as soon as regulatory processes conclude and approvals are finalized. 

Cultivated meat is also far more efficient than cows at converting feed into meat. By requiring 95% less land, cultivated meat opens up new opportunities for land use, including producing more food and re-wilding habitats for biodiversity, the latter of which further reduces emissions.

“Enhancing food security via cellular agriculture empowers communities and fosters regional cooperation, spurring economic growth in the process. This is why we are especially proud to be allocating these R&D funds as an AIM for Climate Innovation Sprint Partner,” said Didier Toubia, co-founder and CEO of Aleph Farms. “With cellular agriculture, humanity is better equipped to overcome significant food-related challenges and bring agricultural systems back into balance.”

Aleph Farms, the first cultivated meat company to

Agro Universities, Agrotech, India, People, R&D

Ravi Singh, head of wheat improvement and rust research at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), has received the V S Mathur Memorial Award 2022 for outstanding contribution in the field of wheat crop improvement from the Society for Advancement of Wheat and Barley Research (SAWBAR).

Singh received the award from T. R. Sharma, Deputy Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and G. P. Singh, Director of the Indian Institute for Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR) at ICAR.

As recipient of the award, Singh delivered a lecture during the 61st All India Wheat and Barley Research Workers’ Meet in Gwalior, India, on August 29. He highlighted and praised the partnership between India and CIMMYT as essential for accelerating gains in wheat yield despite the stresses of climate change thanks to improved resilience in new varieties and earlier sowing.

“The ICAR-CIMMYT wheat improvement partnership remains crucial for delivering new varieties with higher rates of genetic gain in farmers’ fields to enhance productivity, climate resilience, disease resistance and nutrition while meeting market needs,” he said.

Successes of the partnership include integrated breeding with a common agenda, commercialized varieties that are adapted to flexible sowing dates including early sowing, diverse and durable resistance to rust diseases, adoption of wheat blast resistant varieties in large areas, biofortified and high-quality varieties, and the move towards mainstreaming of zinc (Zn) biofortification.

Singh also paid homage to the award’s namesake, as VS Mathur’s “wheat varieties once occupied fields of many millions of farmers and provided food and nutrition to many more millions throughout India and beyond”.

Ravi Singh, head of wheat improvement and

Foodgrains, India

The Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) has requested various States like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana Rajasthan, Kerala to organise workshop/seminars on importance of consuming Fortified Rice in the sensitive areas of tribal belts and districts that have populations vulnerable to Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anaemia.

This initiative has been carried out by organising workshops by the Government of Gujarat at Meril Academy.

Various people gave presentations which was followed by a Panel discussion by technical experts and officials from Food Corporation of India and Department of Food & Public Distribution. The programme is covered by several leading local newspapers in Gujarat. 

At the end of the workshop, there was general consensus regarding the positive impact of rice fortification in Government schemes and its significant contribution to the country’s nutritional security strategy.

The Department of Food and Public Distribution

Agrotech, Company News, North America, R&D

Biome Makers, a global AgTech leader, announces a strategic partnership with DISAGRO®, the largest provider of agriculture solutions in Latin America, based in Guatemala. DISAGRO® is aligning itself with technology providers, like Biome Makers, to bring the latest innovative technology to market and help recover soil health.

This licensing agreement between DISAGRO® and Biome Makers will enable Biome Makers to expand its reach to 11 new Latin American markets, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Dominican Republic, and Belize, ensuring that the standard for soil health analysis, BeCrop®, is accessible and available to all stakeholders. 

BeCrop® technology is the first digital soil technology platform with the largest global database of 10M taxonomic references of soil microorganisms, delivering a functional crop-specific analysis of the soil microbiome. The technology decodes soil biology and provides user-friendly data-fueled insights about farmland’s underground bioactivity.

This agreement will elevate DISAGRO®’s reach in soil health and analytics with a new and improved wet lab, which will open in 2023. Positioning a physical lab in Latin America will provide quicker results and enable growers and advisors to make better agronomic decisions in the field.

“At DISAGRO®, we encourage innovation in agriculture by delivering the most cutting-edge technology in the world to our customers. That is why the alliance made with Biome Makers and the integration of BeCrop® technology to AgritecGEO® services reaffirm our commitment to improving conditions and information for optimizing resources, precise task execution, and greater knowledge of the crops,” states Estuardo Jara, DISAGRO Marketing Corporate Director.

Biological soil testing and analysis is a sustainable farming practice. DISAGRO® hopes to provide further insights for growers into adopting regenerative agricultural practices that positively impact soil health on the farm.

“Biome Makers is inspired by the work DISAGRO® does for the farming communities in Latin America. This partnership is a huge step to providing advanced biological soil analytics to growers in the region, empowering them to optimize inputs, saving time and money, and ultimately improving the health of their farmland, crop quality, and yield,” said Adrian Ferrero, CEO and Cofounder at Biome Makers.

Biome Makers, a global AgTech leader, announces

Uncategorized

A series of pre-launch events and initiatives were organised recently by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on the MyGov platform to create awareness and a sense of participation in the country around the ancient and forgotten golden grains.

The MyGov platform has become a very important and successful medium for raising awareness through organisations of various competitions. The engagement on MyGov will play an important role in helping to make it a people’s movement. 

A series of pre-launch events and initiatives

Agro chems – Fertilizers, Climate, Environment, India, Sustainability

ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal under the All India Network Programme on Organic Farming Centre, held a Mass awareness campaign on “Cow-Compost-Carbon and Climate under Theme: Organic/Natural Farming” as a commemoration of 75 years of India’s Independence.

The  aim of the Mass Awareness Campaign was to create awareness and  importance of cow and composting to enrich the soil with carbon, which links to mitigate climate change.

An interactive session with farmers was also held during the programme and more than 250 participants including farmers, scientists, students, extension workers, and other officials, participated in the virtual platform program.

ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal under

Agrotech, India

At the recently held Centre-State Science Conclave in Ahmedabad experts discussed plausible technological interventions for processing, product development, sustainability, and export orientation that could improve farmers’ income.

A need for adaptation of technologies like ICAR-FUSICONT technology for medium and high-density plantations to bridge the yield gap, increase productivity, and collaboration to expand the online market places is needed. 

The expert panellists at the agriculture session of the conclave organized by the Department of Science & Technology, deliberated on challenges and their plausible solutions for improving agricultural income. 

At the recently held Centre-State Science Conclave