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Agrotech, India, R&D, Vegetables

Researchers at IIT Guwahati, led by Prof Vimal Katiyar, Department of Chemical Engineering and Centre for Excellence in Sustainable Polymers (CoE-SusPol), have developed an edible coating to extend the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables. This coating material, which prevents wastage, is tested on vegetables such as potato, tomato, green chili and strawberries, Khasi Mandarin, Apples, pineapples, Kiwifruits and were found to keep these vegetables fresh for nearly two months.
The researchers believe that their development can help the country meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 12.3 that is aimed at reducing food losses along the production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.
Highlighting the need for such research, Prof Vimal Katiyar, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Guwahati, and CuSPol, IIT Guwahati, spoke, “According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, between 4.6 and 15.9 per cent of fruits and vegetables go waste post-harvest, partly due to poor storage conditions. In fact, post-harvest loss in certain produce items like potato, onion and tomato could be as high as 19 per cent, which results in high prices for this highly consumed commodity.”
Speaking about the developed biodegradable coating, Prof. Vimal Katiyar, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Guwahati, “The newly-developed coatings can be mass-produced and are unique. They are very stable to light, heat and temperature up to 40oC, edible and can be safely eaten as part of the product formulation and do not add unfavorable properties to it. They retain the texture, color, appearance, flavor, nutritional value and microbial safety of the fruit or vegetable that has been coated, thereby enhancing their shelf life to several weeks to months”.

Researchers at IIT Guwahati, led by Prof

Agro chems – Pesticides, Company News, India, World

UPL Corporation, the flagship company of UPL Ltd for global operations, has appointed Mike Frank as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UPL’s Global Crop Protection (CP) business which manages all CP assets outside of India. Mike will be a member of the UPL Crop Protection Board of Directors.

He joined UPL in early 2022 as President and Chief Operating Officer of UPL’s Crop Protection business based out of its London headquarters and plays a significant role in driving sustainable solutions in global food value chain networks to advance its OpenAg® purpose.

“As we continue to realign our businesses and strengthen our advancement to lead the pureplay crop protection market, we have been taking a more focused approach to our structure. Mike Frank is the natural choice to lead this transition, bringing extensive experience leading global agriculture companies, deep knowledge of innovative and digital technologies, and a proven track record of superior value creation for all stakeholders. He demonstrates an impressive leadership style, entrepreneurial mindset and a strong commitment to strengthening organisational culture”. Said Jai Shroff, Group CEO of UPL and Chairman of UPL Corporation.

UPL Corporation, the flagship company of UPL

Agrotech, Bee keeping, India

To harness the export potential of honey in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a ‘Sweet Revolution’ through promotion of beekeeping and allied activities, the Indian government along with honey producing farmers and private companies is taking huge strides forward to enhance honey production and revenue generation.

The rising prevalence of chronic medical ailments, such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, represents one of the key factors positively influencing the honey market in India. In addition, the escalating demand for immunity-boosting and health-improving products is offering lucrative growth opportunities to honey manufacturers. The rising utilisation of honey in home remedies is also increasing the sales of honey in the country. Apart from this, scientific validation of the medicinal properties of honey and its rising usage in formulating medicines for the treatment of cough and acute throat infection on account of its antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial properties is augmenting the market growth. Additionally, leading players are focusing on launching different product variants, which is propelling the market growth. Along with this, the Government of India is introducing various training programmes and mentoring services to educate farmers on the latest beekeeping practices. Furthermore, the expansion of organised distribution channels, such as supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, and general stores, along with the thriving e-commerce industry, is stimulating the market growth. Moreover, increasing investments by key players in research and development (R&D) activities to improve extraction processes are anticipated to drive the market further.

The Indian apiculture market reached a value of Rs 20,480 million in 2021. It is all geared up to reach a benchmark figure of Rs 40,161 million by 2027, with a CAGR of 11.73 per cent during 2022-2027, according to IMARC, a global research company with its headquarters located in Noida.

India is a major honey exporting nation. As per the data shared by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, India exported 74,413 metric tonnes (MT) of natural honey worth Rs 1,221 crore during 2021-22, with the United States taking a major share at 59,262 MT. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Nepal and Morocco were the other top destinations for Indian honey. When it comes to producing and exporting honey, India came in at 8th and 9th, respectively. The main producing hubs for natural honey in the nation are Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Policy Impetus for Apiculture

Exports of honey have enormous potential, particularly post the COVID-19 pandemic, given the rise in its intake as a potent immune booster and a healthier option than sugar. To further enhance honey production and to make this sector more profitable, last year, the Government of India approved an allocation of Rs 500 crore for the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) for three years (2020-21 to 2022-23). The mission was announced as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative in February 2021.

To harness the export potential of honey in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a ‘Sweet Revolution’ through promotion of beekeeping and allied activities, the Indian government along with honey producing farmers and private companies is taking huge strides forward to enhance honey production and revenue generation. Keeping in view the importance of beekeeping as part of the Integrated Farming System in the country, the NBHM is promoting holistic growth of the beekeeping industry for income and employment generation for farm and non-farm households. Some of the focus areas include, enhancement of  agriculture/ horticulture production, development of  infrastructural facilities –  including setting up of Integrated Beekeeping Development Centre (IBDC)s/Centre of Excellences (CoEs), honey testing labs, bee disease diagnostic labs, custom hiring centres, Api-therapy centres, nucleus stock, bee breeders, and empowerment of women through beekeeping.

Under NBHM, 11 projects totaling Rs 25.60 crore have been approved to increase both knowledge and skill in scientific beekeeping; empower women through beekeeping; and showcase the positive effect that honeybees can have on crop yields and quality. It also seeks to educate farmers about the availability of specialised beekeeping equipment for the manufacture of valuable commodities across the honey value chain. Products such as royal jelly, bee venom, and comb honey, as well as upcoming research into the potential of High Altitude Honey, unique honey production in the Kannauj and Hathrus districts of Uttar Pradesh, and the potential of mustard honey to treat colon cancer in 2020-21 are some of the major sub-elements associated with this project.

Elaborating further on the subject, Dr Tanu Sethi, Senior Associate, NITI Aayog stated, “The Sweet Revolution is an ambitious initiative of the Government of India, which is aimed at promoting apiculture, popularly known as ‘beekeeping’, for accelerating the production of quality honey and other related products. Beekeeping is a low investment and highly skilled enterprise model, in which technology application has emerged as a great enabler for socio-economic growth. The demand for good quality honey has grown over the years as it is considered a naturally nutritious product. Other apiculture products such as royal jelly, beeswax, and pollens are also used extensively in different sectors like pharmaceuticals, food, beverage, beauty, and others.”

Echoing similar thoughts, Anand Jakkulwar, CEO, Anand Bee Farm Enterprises said, “Recently, the beekeeping sector has attained new heights owing to the Central Government’s initiative ‘Sweet Revolution’. This initiative has attracted many young entrepreneurs to get associated with this business and has resulted in enhancing the production of honey in India. If everything falls into place, India has the potential to become a leading honey producer in the world.”

To read more click on https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

To harness the export potential of honey

Agrotech, Bee keeping, India

In addition to honey, the activities of the magical insect lead to a variety of in-demand products and valuable benefits to agriculture including increase in crop production.

Beekeeping is one of the oldest agri-allied industries in India. Besides honey, it includes the production of propolis, beeswax, bee venom, pollen, and royal jelly.  Honeybees also present an uncommon opportunity for diversification in agriculture.

The honeybee also contributes to sustainable agriculture by increasing farm yield through pollination and helping in environment-friendly disease and pest management. Production of crops such as blueberry, strawberry, tomato, sunflower, apple, canola and pulses have increased in the US and Europe because of bee pollination.

According to the latest Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) report, the honeybee can be used as an effective tool for increasing production and income of farmers. Apis cerana was used in the past, but Apis mellifera, when  introduced and domesticated, provides better pollination and yields going up to 40 to 50 kg honey per box. Various products, such as beeswax, bee venom, and royal jelly are also obtained.

At present, there are about one million colonies of honeybees in India and the National Commission on Agriculture has estimated that given the existing vegetational wealth, 150 million bee colonies can be sustained which would be capable of producing 1.5 lakh tonnes of honey. At the same time, this would generate employment for 15 million rural and tribal families besides phenomenal improvement in crop productivity and higher returns from unit area.

Hive bees

India has an array of honey bees i.e. Apis cerana indica (native Indian hive bee), A. mellifera (European bee), A. dorsata (rock bee), A. florea (small Indian bee) and Trigona iridipennis (dammer bee). All these are useful as plant pollinators. But they are restricted in distribution and numbers and are not available when required for pollination. All these other insects are therefore unreliable as efficient pollinators. As against these, the hive bees live in colonies throughout the year and can be taken for crop pollination purposes whenever and wherever required. Their number can be made adequate by simple addition of colonies. In view of these and other advantages, honeybees are used in many advanced countries for pollination of a number of agricultural and horticultural crops.

It has been proved that such use of bee colonies for pollination, results in manifold increase in crop yields. The data on bee pollination experiments conducted by various workers in countries like the USA, the UK or erstwhile the USSR, have shown that temperate fruits like apples or pears yielded many times more fruit when bees were provided than when self-pollinated. Legume crops like beans, clovers, berseem and Lucerne showed spectacular increase in yield due to bees helping in pollination. Here, the yield increases had been over 33,000 per cent over self-pollination. Such an increase is the result of self-sterility, i.e. the flowers can never be fertilised by their own pollen. If bees or other pollinators are not available, they cannot and do not set seed or fruits.

Expert pollinators

Honeybees as pollinators are known to enhance productivity of cross-pollinated crops. Natural pollination through wild honeybees normally occurs in crop fields. However, pollination activity through apiculture enhances both quality and productivity of various crops. India introduced Apis mellifera in the north Indian states in the early seventies to enhance crop production in apple, kinnow, orange, and vegetables such as cucurbits. In eastern India, this species is extensively used in enhancing litchi production. Standardisation of colony requirements for these crops has enabled commercial beekeeping and custom hiring of bee colonies in various states.

In other parts of the country, the dominant commercial exploitation is by using Apis cerana indica. The pollination induced through this species of honeybees helps in early setting of seeds, resulting in early and more uniform crop yield. It is estimated that about 5 per cent to 25 per cent increase in yields of various crops is due to pollination by honeybees, and in crops like apple in the absence of bees, no yield is expected. The most important crops where substantial increases in yields can be obtained are litchi, almond, citrus, grape, cucurbits, plum, pear, cashew, papaya and cardamom.

To read more click on https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

In addition to honey, the activities of

Bee keeping, India, Opinions

 By Rituparna Majumder, Senior Manager – Life Science Advisory, Sathguru Management

India is home to the largest number of beehives (12.2 million) and is the eighth largest producer in the world, producing about 62,000 metric tonnes (MT) of honey worth Rs 21.1 billion (2020- 21). Today India contributes to only about 3.6 per cent of global natural honey exports worth Rs 6.62 billion, of which 73 per cent is exported to the US. The Indian honey market is anticipated to reach Rs 38.3 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 10.31 per cent, according to IMARC report. The country’s largest honey-producing states are West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Bihar.

The flavoured honey market in India is gradually gaining traction. Increasing consumer preferences for healthy and natural alternatives over artificial sweeteners and increased awareness about honey’s advantages drive the market’s growth. The country’s diverse flora helps produce honey in various flavours. Multifloral honey such as Multi-flora Himalayan and monofloral honey such as Rapeseed/Mustard, Eucalyptus, Lychee, Sunflower, Karanj /Pongamea, Multi-flora Himalayan, Acacia, Wild Flora are some of the significant varieties of flavoured honey.

Multifloral and monofloral honey

Multifloral honey (wild/forest honey), derived from a wide array of wild flora, is less expensive, and is the most common type of honey in the markets. The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of multifloral honey help treat skin problems, reduce swelling, and heal wounds and burns. Monofloral honey is predominantly derived from the nectar of a single flowering plant. It is harder to produce owing to its dependence on a dominant blossom’s nectar and pollen that determines the flavour, taste, and properties. Hence it  fetches a premium price. Monofloral honey results from two conditions (a) predominance of the target plant in the vicinity of hives, leaving the bees with little choice of plants, and (b) timing for introducing the hive and coinciding harvesting of the honeycomb with the blooming period.

Monofloral honey contains diverse dietary phytochemical compounds with functional and nutritional properties such as phenolic acids, minerals, phenolics, and flavonoids. It also has a low glycemic index (GI). This has led to its prominence in the medicinal field owing to direct health benefits, wound healing, antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. It aids in soothing chronic coughs and reducing allergies. The elusiveness of monofloral honey with regards to its geographical area or plant species fetches premium pricing. Orange Blossom honey from Meghalaya, Eucalyptus Honey from the Nilgiris, Jamun Honey from the forests in Eastern India, and Indian Laurel Honey from the Western Ghats are a few of the popular monofloral honey varieties available in India.

The domestic market is broadly segmented into multifloral honey and monofloral honey (eucalyptus honey, ajwain (carom) honey, sidr (lote) honey, and others). Multifloral honey contributes approximately 60 per  cent of the honey market being the most popular flavour. In contrast, the market for different monofloral honeys that are perceived as more exotic and beneficial is still in nascent stages, with eucalyptus, ajwain, and sidr contributing approximately 10 per cent each and the remaining 10 per cent from others. According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), in the case of multifloral honey the pollen count of plant species’ does not exceed 45 per cent. In contrast, for qualifying as monofloral honey, the pollen count of the plant species should not be less than 45 per cent. 

 By Rituparna Majumder, Senior Manager – Life

Agrotech, Animal Health, India, Opinions, Poultry

By Dr Krishna Sahoo, Global Product Manager, Proteon Pharmaceuticals

Given the high prevalence of disease in poultry due to intensive farming, innovative solutions such as bacteriophages are the need of the hour.

In 2018, the Indian poultry market was valued at Rs 1,750 billion and it is expected to reach Rs 4,340 billion by 2024. Notable for its production of eggs, meat and employing rural people, poultry farming in India is growing every year. However, with tremendous growth, the rate of infectious disease outbreaks in poultry farms has also risen across different regions. To counter this challenge, biosecurity on poultry farms has received increased interest, especially over the past few decades.

What is Biosecurity?

Biosecurity refers to the procedures or methods used to prevent the introduction and spread of disease-causing organisms in poultry farms. Infectious agents like parasites, fungi, protozoa, viruses and bacteria are a serious threat to poultry health, which in turn leads to morbidity and mortality. Biosecurity aims to overcome the indirect and direct threat of diseases to poultry, through effective control measures like cleaning, disinfection, traffic control and segregation. Its main objectives are:

Keep out highly contagious diseases like Newcastle Disease (ND), Infectious Bronchitis (IB), and Infectious bursal disease (IBD) (Gumboro disease)

Reduce pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli

Control vector habitat and attractants

Sanitisation of equipment and supplies

Improve the health of the flock

Reduce mortality losses

Increase profitability

Causative factors

Despite being one of the largest producers of broiler meat and eggs, the Indian poultry industry faces some major challenges. The majority of Indian poultry farms are open buildings where climate control and quarantine mechanisms are out of place. This exposes the birds to potential epidemics and diseases. A study conducted on the samples collected from 160 chickens received at the Veterinary University Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (VUDDL) in Tamil Nadu from 2014 to 2016 showed a high prevalence of infectious diseases like Newcastle Disease, E. coli infection, Salmonellosis, Fowl Cholera, Clostridia infection and Candida infection.

The domestic poultry market in India lacks comprehensive quality standards to maintain optimal hygiene in poultry farms. Farm licensing is done at the municipality level where people often lack the expertise, knowledge and human resources to adhere to the quality standards.

Lack of clean and hygienic dry processing facilities along with waste treatment plants can lead to serious environmental concerns. The wet processing machinery can be a serious threat to the environment, owing to poor waste disposal management.

On top of that, the intensive poultry farming practices are restricting the birds to immunologically compromised, unhygienic crowded locations that are leading to zoonotic disease outbreaks. To combat the zoonotic diseases, there is indiscriminate use of antibiotics which is leading to bacteria developing resistance against them.

The fight against these challenges requires extensive biosecurity measures at every step of poultry farming to mitigate the threats and remain profitable.

To read more click on https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

By Dr Krishna Sahoo, Global Product

Allied Industry, Bee keeping, India, Interaction

In an interaction with AgroSpectrum India Namrata Khanna, Director, India Honey Alliance (IHA) shared her vision for a ‘Sweet Revolution’ along with the infrastructural and regulatory challenges plaguing the Indian honey market at large. Edited excerpts.

What are the factors driving the Indian honey market given that its size is expected to reach Rs 38 billion by 2027, according to a report by the  International Market Analysis Research and Consulting Group (IMARC)?

Demand for honey has been growing with consumers becoming more health conscious and including honey in their daily diet. This demand witnessed a sizeable jump during the COVID pandemic as honey is known for its immunity boosting properties. In fact, the market touched a high in 2020, with a total valuation of Rs 19.2 billion and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10 per cent to reach Rs 30.6 billion by 2026.  All this can be attributed to the therapeutic properties that honey carries.

The pandemic ensured people made a beeline for wellness products. Today, the industry is propelled by the Food & Beverage segment, personal care and cosmetic industry due to its proven use in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, as a natural humectant, and as a healthy alternative to sugar. Many leading FMCG players are launching not just different flavours of honey, such as tulsi, ajwain, ashwagandha, eucalyptus and jamun, but also newer formats like honey-based syrups, which have been driving market growth. The rising applications of honey in home remedies due to its antibacterial and antiseptic qualities that help in healing wounds and burns, also influence the growth of the honey market.

Moreover, the recommendation by the Ministry of AYUSH for honey as a home remedy for preventive care only helped in propelling the overall demand.

Further, scientific endorsement of the medicinal properties of honey and its growing usage as a premium ingredient in nutraceuticals are also creating a favourable market outlook. The demand is also getting escalated owing to the easy product availability through e-commerce platforms and extensive R&D activities to improve its uses and quality. Besides, the Government of India is introducing various training programmes and mentoring services to create awareness amongst farmers about the latest beekeeping practices.

To read more click on https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

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In an interaction with AgroSpectrum India Namrata

Agro chems – Pesticides, Biostimulants, Company News, Europe, World

Andermatt Group AG, a Swiss company group specialising in the development of biological solutions based on microorganisms for the control of insect pests and diseases and for biostimulation, has become the majority shareholder (80 per cent stake) in the Croatian company BIOinput d.o.o.
Located in Varaždin, Croatia, BIOinput d.o.o. has developed to be a leading supplier of biological plant protection products, biocides, plant stimulants and nutrition specialties in Croatia. Talking about the major business development, Martina Borić, Managing Director, BIOinput, said, “There is a great cultural and entrepreneurial fit between BIOinput and the Andermatt Group. We are proud to be a part of the Andermatt network and look forward to bringing its fast-growing portfolio of biological solutions to our Croatian customers.”
The Andermatt Group has been investing over the last decade in a worldwide production and distribution network to strengthen its position in important agricultural markets. “We are excited about the integration of BIOinput in the Andermatt Group which will definitely support our strategy to create a large offer of biologicals for the Croatian customers”, said Daniel Zingg, CEO of Andermatt Group AG.
In return for the sales of its majority in BIOinput, Martina Borić will become minority shareholder in the Andermatt Group. It is part of the succession plan of the founders of the Andermatt Group AG to integrate other biocontrol pioneers as shareholders.

Andermatt Group AG, a Swiss company group

Agro chems – Pesticides, Company News

FMC India, an agricultural sciences company, launched the third year of its safety awareness and stewardship campaign around pesticide use for the farming community in the Indian district of Akola, in partnership with the agriculture department of the Maharashtra state government. This campaign builds on an initiative which FMC India started in Akola in 2020, to promote the adoption of safe agricultural practices aimed at preventing accidental cases of poisoning amongst the farming community.
Elaborating on the awareness campaign, Ravi Annavarapu, President, FMC India, said, “FMC is heavily invested in the welfare of the farming community in India. As such, we have been training farmers on safe and sustainable agricultural practices over many years. Our campaign in 2021 reached 7,500 farmers in the different villages throughout Akola, and we firmly believe that this year’s campaign will scale up to new levels and reach an even wider farmer community to improve their awareness and knowledge.”
As part of the campaign, FMC India collaborates with the government’s agriculture department, health department and Krishi Vigyan Kendra (agricultural extension centers in India) to organise farmer meetings and education sessions about the proper usage of pesticides in different crop seasons and crop varieties. Mobile vans are mobilised on a mass scale to ensure education sessions are offered to a large number of villages and farmers throughout Akola.
This year’s campaign was launched in the presence of Akola District CEO Saurabh Katiyar, Akola District Zila Parishad President Pratibhatai Bhojane, Additional CEO Dr Saurabh Pawar, Akola District Superintendent of Agriculture Aaarif Shah, former Zila Parishad President Pushpatai Ingale, Akola District Agriculture Development Officer Muralidhar Ingale, District Quality Controller Milind Janjal, along with FMC India’s Area Marketing Manager Hiraman Mandal.

FMC India, an agricultural sciences company, launched

Agro chems – Pesticides, Company News, North America

Corteva Agriscience and BASF Agricultural Solutions have announced their agreement to develop future herbicide-tolerant soyabeans and complementing herbicides for farmers in North America and beyond. The collaboration aims to bring competitive alternatives to manage resistant and tough-to-control weeds through innovative trait stacks and durable, long-lasting modes of action. 

Farmers will benefit from broader weed management options and strong germplasm choices from both BASF and Corteva seed brands. The strategic cross-licensing agreement includes the development of new trait stacks, as well as optimised herbicide options for future weed control.

“The spirit of our cooperation is to drive innovations that make a difference for farmers,” said Dr Peter Eckes, President R&D and Regulatory of BASF Agricultural Solutions. “Our new PPO trait in combination with our leading herbicide products and exciting herbicides pipeline gives soybean farmers new options in managing challenging weeds. Collaborating also strengthens our branded soybean seed business.”

“Expanding options for soybean farmers to manage weed challenges with the herbicides that work best for their operation is one of our priorities,” said Dr Sam Eathington, Executive Vice President, Chief Technology and Digital Officer, Corteva Agriscience. We know farmers who prefer the weed control system will need additional, new modes of action as they work to improve the sustainability of their weed-control practices.”

Corteva Agriscience and BASF Agricultural Solutions have announced

Agro chems – Pesticides, Agrotech, Biostimulants, India

The World BioProtection Forum’s India Chapter and Sharda University are organising the World BioProtection Summit – India (WBS–India) 2022 on December 1 at Sharda University, Greater Noida, India. WBS-India 2022 will bring these solutions to the Indian BioAg/Agritech sectors, with international experts who can help companies in India to expand their networks and achieve their goals. The event will gather Innovators, Academics, Manufacturers, Agronomists, Technical managers, IPM practitioners and End-users in the BioProtection sector, at the highly reputed Sharda University. 

This year’s event has two main objectives, ‘Accelerating novel technologies and products for global market’ and ‘Connecting academia and industry, creating synergy for faster advancement of the Bioprotection sector‘.

The organisers would welcome presentations from innovative companies, academics and researchers who are involved in innovation, efficiency, and productivity through the commercialisation of innovative solutions and new production systems to the topic of the conference. Exciting exhibition and sponsorship opportunities are also available for companies wanting to showcase their products and technologies, and to demonstrate their imagination, innovation and excellence in the industry.

The World BioProtection Forum’s India Chapter and

Acts & Schemes – Centre, AgroPolicy, India, Pulses

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved disposal of chana pulses to states and union territories at discounted rates to utilise for various welfare schemes. The disposal will be done from the stock of pulses procured under Price Support Scheme (PSS) and Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF). 

It also approved enhancement of the ceiling on quantity of procurement under PSS from existing 25 per cent to 40 per cent in respect of tur, urad, and masur. Under this approved scheme, the states and UTs are offered to lift 15 lakh metric ton of chana at the discount of Rs 8/kg over the issue price of the sourcing state on first come first serve basis. The states and UTs will utilise these pulses in their various welfare schemes including mid-day meals, public distribution system, and integrated child development programmes.  

This will be a one-time dispensation for a period of 12 months or till the complete disposal of 15 lakh metric ton stock of chana. The centre will spend Rs 1200 crore for the implementation of this scheme.

In recent times, the country has witnessed an all-time high production of chana, especially during the last three years. The central government under the price support scheme has made record procurement of chana due to which 30.55 lakh metric ton Chana is available with the government under PSS and PSF. The production of chana is expected to be good in the coming rabi season as well.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)

Acts & Schemes – Centre, AgroPolicy, India, Trade

The National Bee Board (NBB) organised a workshop on ‘Strengthening of Export Potential of Honey’ at Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management (VAMNICOM), Pune, Maharashtra. Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, additional secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, chaired the workshop. Dr Likhi launched bee wax products manufactured by FPOs during the workshop wherein it was also decided to establish a cooperative honey project at VAMNICOM.  The workshop also gave a platform for honey processors, exporters, FPOs and agri start ups to share their experiences about the future strategies for export promotion of honey.

India is one of the major honey exporting countries in the world and has exported 74,413 MT of honey worth Rs. 1221.17 crore during 2021-22. More than 50 per cent of the honey production in India is being exported to about 83 countries including major markets like USA, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh and Canada.  Some of the major varieties of honey exported are mustard honey, eucalyptus honey, lychee honey, sunflower honey, pongamia honey, multi-flora Himalayan honey, acacia honey and wild flora honey. 

India has around 12,699 beekeepers and 19.34 lakh honey bee colonies registered with the National Bee Board at present and produces about 1,33,200 metric tonne of honey, as per the 2021-22 second advance estimate. A total 102 projects worth Rs. 133.31 crore have been sanctioned under the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) till date. Under the scheme of ‘Formation of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations’, 100 FPOs of beekeepers/ honey producers have been allotted to TRIFED (14), NAFED (60) and NDDB (26) for the implementation of activities under NBHM. The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has also developed an online portal, Madhukranti, to maintain traceability records of honey and other beehive products.

The National Bee Board (NBB) organised a

Company News, India, Oilseeds

Hyderabad-based 3F Oil Palm Pvt. Ltd, a leading oil palm company in India, announced that it will kick off its investment in the northeast by setting up an integrated oil palm factory in Arunachal Pradesh. The ceremony will take place on September 30, 2022 at Roing in lower Dibang Valley. The company had already acquired 120 acre of land for the project in February this year with all the necessary approvals and statutory clearances. The integrated oil palm project will consist of a state-of-the-art oil palm factory (palm oil processing and refinery), a zero-discharge effluent plant, a power plant based on palm waste, and other buildings and godowns for support functions. The addition of this factory will supplement the existing company operations including nursery, area expansion/crop maintenance, FFB harvesting and collection and other ancillary farmer services. The factory is set to be developed in two phases and phase 1 is expected to be commissioned by September 2023. The first phase of the project is expected to generate local employment to over 300 people. 

3F Oil Palm Pvt Ltd has a total oil palm area under planting of around 2,000 hectare spread across a farmer base of 500 farmers, with 100 per cent satellite traceability. The company is the first in the state to import high quality hybrid variety imported seed sprouts from selected identified countries, for the benefit of the farmers. It is also the first to be allotted a fertiliser distribution license for timely and cost-effective supply of fertilisers. Both of these initiatives are expected to significantly increase farmer yields and promote ease of planting. The company is expected to add 5000 Ha per year over the next five years.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanjay Goenka, CEO and MD, 3F Oil Palm Limited, said, “We are very delighted and excited about our upcoming integrated oil palm factory in Arunachal Pradesh. Since the plantations are at a nascent stage, our factory will be running at extremely low-capacity utilisation. The primary reason for expediting this investment is to build farmer confidence so that they are encouraged to take up oil palm cultivation at a large scale. Due to the proactive leadership of the government of Arunachal Pradesh and the newly formulated NMEO (OP) policy, we believe that the state can be at the forefront of the Prime Minister’s vision of aatmanirbharta in edible oils.”

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

Hyderabad-based 3F Oil Palm Pvt. Ltd, a