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Agrotech, Interaction, Opinions

 By Anil Kumar SG, Founder and CEO, Samunnati

Indian agriculture is cruising on the IT superhighway fueled by increasing digitisation, leading to low cost of acquiring data on everything from land records, topography, soil conditions, to crop development, weather-related data collected by drones and satellites. Application of technologies has also introduced new funding opportunities for investors, and startups, which are now striving to tackle the major challenges that farmers face. 

India’s agriculture and animal husbandry sector demonstrated remarkable resilience even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Valued at $370 billion, the sector continues to be the principal source of income for over 40 per cent of the population and contributes a fifth of the country’s GDP (FY 2021). But the sector has been plagued for long by chronic structural issues and inefficient commodity value chains, since 86 pe cent of India’s farmers belong to the small and marginal category.

India still loses close to 40 per cent of its horticulture production mainly due to fragmented and disconnected supply chains, poor post-harvest management, lack of processing facilities, lack of connectivity via roads, absence of scientific storage during distribution, and so on. Farmers neither have access to timely information nor actionable advice and price signals do not reach them in time. Hence, overall, the agri commodities supply chains are operating at sub-optimal capacities.

Role of innovations and technology

Despite chronic issues such as low literacy levels, poor digital literacy, inadequate infrastructure and lack of access to formal financial systems, India has made huge progress on all these fronts in the last few decades. Farmers adopt those technologies or innovations that are simple to understand, easy to use, and give demonstrable results on the field.

Scale-neutrality is another important factor that is vital to ease the technology transition for farmers, especially, the use of digital tools. The COVID-19 pandemic in fact, contributed towards pushing farmers towards the ‘digital advisory’ model. Many Indian AgTech companies currently providing innovative products for enhancing traceability, cutting wastage in supply chain, real time weather monitoring or pests and disease alerts, are helping the farmers, mainly smallholders, get connected to the wider ecosystem and vice versa.

Several AgTech players support farmer collectives (Farmer Producer Organizations/ Farmer Producer Companies) through digitisation. Recently, the Indian government also launched an initiative to establish 10,000 farmer-owned cooperatives by 2024. When FPOs are coupled with e-commerce B2B and B2C platforms at the front end, commodity supply chains transform into demand-driven and market-oriented value chains by eliminating inefficient processes and intermediaries. FPOs can facilitate faster adoption of productivity-boosting technologies by leveraging economies of scale and building the necessary infrastructure. All these are slowly but steadily helping the commodity value chains become lean, and efficient.

Innovation-led growth

Among all the issues, credit remains the most important for a farmer. Equally important is for farmers to have access to formal financial sources to avoid exploitation by indiscriminate agents or money lenders. Easing access to finance will help risk-averse farmers invest in better quality inputs, and technologies, which will ultimately enhance their incomes. Tech-driven fintech companies are creating innovative products and services to suit those who traditionally remained ‘unbankable’ for long in the agri value chains, mainly the smallholder farmers. Synergistic partnerships are critical and evolution of newer concepts like Co-lending arrangements wherein traditional banks are partnering with the new-age, digitally driven fintech NBFCs, which can lead to enhanced financial inclusion to help the underserved and the unserved like MSMEs, and tier 3, 4 cities. 

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

 By Anil Kumar SG, Founder and CEO,

Agrotech, India, Interaction, IT

Srivatsa Sreenivasarao, CEO and Co-Founder TraceX Technologies interacted with AgroSpectrum about the status of block chain technology usage in agriculture in India. Edited excerpts;

TraceX Technologies is a blockchain powered agritech platform that enhances supply chain traceability and transparency. It was founded in 2019 by Srivatsa Sreenivasarao and Anil Nadig, with an aim to build clean, transparent, and traceable supply chains across the food and agriculture ecosystem. Its blockchain-enabled proprietary platform digitises the supply chain from start to end.  All the stakeholders in the supply chain can add, view, and exchange data in real time. The data collected acts as a single source of truth that cannot be altered or tampered with. TraceX currently has a B2B SaaS subscription model where it works with companies across livestock, poultry, seafood, and agri supply chains. Srivatsa Sreenivasarao, CEO and Co-Founder TraceX Technologies interacted with AgroSpectrum about the status of block chain technology usage in agriculture in India. Edited excerpts;

How is TraceX providing end to end digital traceability solutions in the coffee value chain?

TraceX has been working very closely with many D2C coffee brands offering ‘bean to cup’ traceability. One of the projects that we are working on is providing traceability for coffee produced by the farmers across coffee growing regions in India. Through our solution, we can offer brands and their customers the ability to track and record the journey of coffee through every stage of the production process, from bean to cup. 

TraceX’s digital traceability solution offers the following advantages:

Ensure consistent quality in produce: TraceX’s platform offers a way to track the predefined package of practices to achieve consistency in the yield quality

Builds trust among consumers: TraceX provides credibility to claims, offers complete provenance of the product through a quick scan of the QR code, and makes the brand stand out by providing verifiable and authentic information to the customers.

Maintain regulatory compliance: The farmers/ FPOs must upload authentic data to meet regulatory compliances. The data recorded at each step of the supply chain helps satisfy all regulatory requirements.

Ability to incentivise farmers: TraceX creates a digital identity for the coffee product and allows the consumer to know the entire story including the farmers and plantation area in which the coffee was grown.

Single source of information: Prior to TraceX, all the information was available at silos across all the stakeholders in the supply chain. There was no way to comply for food safety. Through TraceX, all the stakeholders come onto one unified blockchain network to transact information and thus ensure a single source of truth from farm to fork.

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

Srivatsa Sreenivasarao, CEO and Co-Founder TraceX Technologies

Agro Universities, Agrotech, R&D

 It will facilitate microalgae biomass production throughout the year including rainy season when outdoor cultivation is hindered due to low light and rainwater.

ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai transferred a technology for microalgae biomass production using a Photobioreactor developed by ICAR-CIFE to Phoenix Agrotech LLP, Mumbai.

The agreement was signed by Dr C.N. Ravishankar, Director/Vice-Chancellor, ICAR-CIFE and Vinit Rathod, CEO, Phoenix Agrotech LLP on behalf of the respective organizations. The technology was transferred in a non-exclusive mode.

The newly designed Photobioreator enables optimum utilization of natural light through a tubular module installed under outdoor conditions. The Photobioreactor also consists of an integrated harvesting module and LED light panels for illumination of indoor culture tank. The novel design of Photobioreactor facilitates microalgae biomass production throughout the year including rainy season when outdoor cultivation is hindered due to low light and rainwater accumulation in open culture systems.

A team of scientists will guide the industry for realizing the potential of technology and will provide necessary training and technical know-how.

 It will facilitate microalgae biomass production throughout

Agro Universities, India, People

Dr Pathak took over the charge of Secretary, DARE and DG, ICAR from Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra on 1st August 2022.

Senior scientist Dr Himanshu Pathak was appointed as the Director General (DG) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE).

Dr Himanshu Pathak was serving as the Director, the ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Baramati, India. Prior to this he was the Director, ICAR-NRRI, Cuttack, India. He worked as a Scientist, 1992-01 and Senior Scientist, 2001-06, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi; Co-Facilitator, Rice-Wheat Consortium for the Indo-Gangetic Plains (RWC), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)-India, New Delhi 2006-09; Principal Scientist, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 2009-16; Professor, Discipline of Environmental Sciences, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 2013-16.

He did his Ph.D. in Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India (1992) and Post-doctorate Experiences at University of Essex, United Kingdom (1996-97) and Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Germany (2004-05).He has completed MSc in Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. He also studied BSc in Agriculture from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.

Dr Pathak is a scientist of global repute working in the area of Abiotic stress, Climate change and Soil science. He has received many national awards and recognitions for his work Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (2019), Dr NS Randhawa Memorial Award, NAAS (2021), Dr R V Tamhane Memorial Lecture Award of by the Indian Society of Soil Science (2021), Platinum Jubilee Award Lecture of ISCA (2018), Krushi Gourav Award, Orissa Krushak Samaj (2017), Silver Jubilee Commemoration Medal of INSA (2016), Society of Agricultural Professional Excellence Award (2016), etc.

Dr Pathak took over the charge of

Animal Health, Company News, Finance, India, Live Stock, Poultry

Health Products sales constituted 34 per cent of the total sales in Q1 FY23, versus 20 per cent in Q1 FY22.

One of the India’s leading poultry and animal vaccine manufacturing company, Hester Biosciences Limited has reported consolidated net profit of Rs. 3.56 crore and Revenue from Operations of Rs. 50.70 crore for the Q1FY23. Individually, the gross margins of the vaccines and the health products have been in line with the corresponding quarter, however, the overall margins have reduced due to the increase in the proportion of health products sales which have lower gross margins compared to vaccines. Health Products sales constituted 34 per cent of the total sales in Q1 FY23, versus 20 per cent in Q1 FY22.

Highlights of Q1 FY23

On the vaccine side:

The recent outbreak of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in certain parts of the country since July 2022 is expected to result in additional sales in Q2 FY23.

The Company was a successful bidder in a government tender for PPR vaccine for sheep & goat, the supplies for which are likely to start from September 2022.

Vaccine sales declined by 30 per cent in Q1 FY23 compared to the corresponding quarter, largely due to two reasons:

The comparative period last year had hugely benefited from one-off sales on account of the then prevailing poultry disease outbreak. Our sales were near to a record high due to the outbreaks.

The decline was in the sales of poultry vaccines in Q1 FY23. The poultry industry continued to face strong headwinds on account of increased cost of inputs (mainly feed) and pricing pressure on eggs and broiler birds. Consequent to severe margin pressure, the poultry industry sharply reduced new bird placements along-with initiatives towards input cost optimisation.

Relative increase in marketing expenses in Q1 FY23 as against in Q1 FY22 which were significantly lower due to Covid travel restrictions (notwithstanding the higher sales in Q1 FY22 due to disease situation in poultry)

Increased market development cost in Animal Health and Petcare Divisions on account of company’s continuous efforts in expansion activities. These are expected to moderate over next few quarters as growth in sales picks up in new territories.

Petcare division

The Company launched a new division for Petcare during Q1 with 10 products. Activities related to market development, field force establishment and product pipeline are ongoing. Petcare Division will emerge as a steady long term growth driver, given the increasing adoption of pets in the country.

The Company is strengthening its new product vaccine pipeline by developing new vaccines like Classical Swine Fever (CSF), Sheep Pox and an improved version of Brucella vaccines. Bulk antigen production capacity expansion project is completed and trial runs are ongoing. Expansion of Fill-Finish line capacity is expected to be completed by Q4FY23. These 2 expansions will double the production capacity in vaccines. The recent notification by Government of India to allow the manufacture and sale of Avian Influenza Inactivated vaccine, H9N2 strain, will contribute to our sales from Q3.

Health Products sales constituted 34 per cent

Company News, Finance, India, Sugar industry

Company has registered Rs 2,851 crore net revenue from operations in Q1FY23 compared to Rs 1,957 crore in Q1 FY22.

 DCM Shriram Ltd. announced its Q1 FY23 financial results. Company has reported Rs 2,851 crore net revenue from operations in Q1FY23 compared to Rs 1,957 crore in Q1 FY22 registering 46 per cent growth YoY.

Key developments of Q1 FY23 are as follows.

  • Net Revenues (net of excise duty on sale of country liquor) up 46 per cent YoY at Rs 2,851 crore.
  • Chemicals revenues up by 117 per cent at Rs 896 crore driven by prices & volumes.
  • Vinyl business revenues up 31 per cent at Rs 243 crore driven by volumes and prices.
  • Carbide prices up 18 per cent and PVC prices up 3 per cent.
  • Carbide volumes up 135 per cent. PVC volumes down 13 per cent YoY. Volumes in Q1 FY22 were affected due to second wave of Covid 19. Volumes had an impact of Rs 24 crore on the revenues.
  • Fertilizer revenues up 46 per cent at Rs 321 crore resulting from higher gas prices which is a pass through.
  • Shriram Farm Solutions (SFS) revenues stable at Rs 218 crore vs 212 for Q1 FY22.
  • Overall, Sugar business revenues (net of excise duty on country liquor sales) up 26 per cent at Rs 710 crore led by sugar volumes up 20 per cent YoY, due to better releases and domestic sugar prices up 7 per cent.
  • Distillery volumes up 12 per cent YoY and ethanol prices also higher for current ethanol season
  • Bioseed revenues up 9 per cent YoY at Rs 205 crore
  • Revenue from India operations up 31 per cent YoY led by Cotton in trade channel and Corn in institutional channel.

Commenting on the performance for the quarter and period ending March 2022, in a joint statement, Ajay Shriram, Chairman & Senior Managing Director, and Vikram Shriram, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, said, “We are witnessing very high inflation levels across the globe after many decades. There are supply chain disruptions, prices of key commodities are still elevated, Interest rates are rising, currencies across the globe are at historic lows against the US dollar and there is Russia-Ukraine conflict which is continuing. These have led to uncertain economic environment. With our strong businesses and balance sheet we are well placed to manage these uncertainties. Our operating and financial performance during the quarter continues to remain strong.

Sugar business is facing margin pressures in Sugar; however, Ethanol earnings are stable. This season costs have gone up with increased in SAP as well as adverse climate factors. Sugar policy especially in Uttar Pradesh requires better support from government. Ethanol continues to get fillip from the Government considering their target of 20 per cent mandate by 2025, here again cane juice-based ethanol requires a differentiated policy for UP given unfavourable cost dynamics. Fenesta & Shriram Farm Solutions businesses continue to witness good growth with new product portfolios & geographical expansion.

We are investing close to Rs 3,500 crores in various projects primarily in Chemicals and Sugar business which are to be commissioned over the next 12 months and will be funded from internal accruals and debt. These projects will increase our scale, forward integration, new product lines along with bringing efficiencies and cost reduction. Some of these projects are directed towards creating wealth out of waste, building future capabilities and reducing carbon footprint.

Company has registered Rs 2,851 crore net

Agrotech, Company News, North America, R&D

The partnership will support farmers, biostimulants companies, and food industries to gain biological soil insights.

Biome Makers Inc., the global AgTech leader in soil health analysis, has partnered with Biospheres to integrate Biome Makers’ BeCrop® technology into the Microspheres lab in France. The partnership between Biome Makers and Microspheres Lab supports farmers, biostimulants companies, and food industries to gain biological soil insights, evaluate and support the transition to agroecological practices and develop outcome-based programs toward regenerative agriculture. This collaboration will strengthen both companies’ ability to further serve the industry by using BeCrop® technology at the new Microspheres Lab.

Biome Makers continues to identify labs that share our mission towards global soil health restoration,” states co-founder and CEO Adrian Ferrero. “We are thrilled to partner with Biospheres and license our BeCrop® technology to France and empower stakeholders to learn more about the benefits of understanding soil biology.”

Biome Makers’ analysis, integrated into a larger panel of analysis Microspheres Lab used on soil, allows them to improve their understanding of the microbiological aspect of soils and thus refine their diagnoses and the resulting advice for farmers and agricultural companies.

Thanks to Biome Makers BeCrop® technology, Microspheres Lab also offers their client services the evaluation of the effect of agricultural inputs, mainly biocontrol products or biostimulants, or agricultural practices on soil microbiology and its possible functions. Biospheres’ expertise in the implementation of trials under farming conditions as well as what the Biome Makers technology can deliver, allow Biospheres to offer a new way to evaluate the effect of these products under agricultural conditions.

“Microspheres Lab is very enthusiastic about the acquisition of Biome Makers license and the launch of new lab activities in France, in partnership with Biome Makers. In the continuity of Biospheres activities, the establishment of Microspheres Lab allows us to go further in our expertise in soil biology and more particularly in soil microbiology and its functionalities to advise farmers and companies,” states Biospheres founder and CEO Sébastien Roumegous. “This will allow us to meet a real demand from the agricultural world in terms of soil microbiological analysis, helping us to better understand and qualify soil health as well as drawing operational conclusions for the improvement of agricultural practices.”

The partnership will support farmers, biostimulants companies,

AgroPolicy, Animal Health, India, Live Stock

Vaccine is made by National Equine Research Center in collaboration with Indian Veterinary Research Institute.

Providing a big relief to the livestock of the country, the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, has launched the indigenous vaccine Lumpi-ProVacInd to protect livestock from Lumpy Skin disease. The vaccine has been developed by the National Equine Research Center, Hisar (Haryana) in collaboration with the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izzatnagar (Bareilly).

Describing this vaccine as a milestone for eradicating the Lumpy disease, Tomar said that livestock, along with human resource, is the biggest asset of our country, which we have a big responsibility to preserve and prosper.

Tomar said that yet another new dimension has been set by developing this vaccine under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). He congratulated the scientists of the Equine Research Center and the Veterinary Research Institute for developing the Lumpi disease vaccine. Ever since the disease came to India in 2019, research institutes have been engaged in developing the vaccine.

Tomar directed the concerned officials to provide this vaccine in large numbers at the earliest for relief to the cattle. He said that there are thirty crore livestock in the country, considering the plight of mute animals, all possible measures should be taken to provide them relief at the earliest.

Vaccine is made by National Equine Research

Agro Universities, R&D

Bio-insecticide will be effective in preventing the outbreak of fruit flies in guava and mangoes.

Dr Seema Ramnivas and Dr Divya Singh of the Department for Research and Development, Chandigarh University have developed a bio-insecticide spray, which will be effective in preventing rotting of fruits. While giving information about Bio Insecticides, Dr Divya said that the use of chemicals to control fruit fly is harmful to the consumers, as it leaves a toxic residue on the fruits. In such a situation, this bio-pesticide developed by the university will prove to be a boon for consumers and gardeners, because it will not cause any harm to health due to its biological nature, while it will be effective in preventing the outbreak of fruit flies.

Fruits like guava and mango are cultivated in various states of India including Punjab. Guava is cultivated in an area of 8,000 hectares in Punjab alone, but the horticulture sector has been severely affected by the attack of fruit bees (Bactrocera dorsalis) in the past few decades. Most guava growers face low yields during the rainy season due to infestations of fruit flies and insects. Especially during the rainy season, fruit flies cause a loss of 27 to 42 per cent to the gardeners, while they have to suffer up to 80 percent of the loss during the rainy season. If Punjab is considered, then farmers of the state have to suffer up to 70 percent loss in fruit production due to not taking proper measures.

Satnam Singh Sandhu, Chancellor, Chandigarh University said, “The bio-pesticide spray developed by the faculty of the university would prove to be effective in tackling the challenges faced by the fruit growers.” He further said that a budget provision of Rs 12 crore has been made by Chandigarh University to encourage its students towards research and as an institution. “We also have a responsibility towards the society and various projects have been started at the social level by the faculty and students of the university.”

Bio-insecticide will be effective in preventing the

AgroPolicy, Biofuel industry, India

The plant will utilise about 2 lakh tonnes of rice straw (parali) annually to generate around 3 crore litres of Ethanol annually.

On the occasion of World Biofuel Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the 2nd generation (2G) Ethanol Plant in Panipat, Haryana to the nation today via video conferencing. Governor of Haryana, Bandaru Dattatreya, Union Ministers, Narendra Singh Tomar, Hardeep Singh Puri, Rameswar Teli, were among those present on the occasion.

The dedication of the plant is part of a long series of steps taken by the government over the years to boost the production and usage of biofuels in the country. This is in line with the Prime Minister’s constant endeavour to transform the energy sector into being more affordable, accessible, efficient and sustainable.

The 2G Ethanol Plant has been built at an estimated cost of over Rs 900 crore by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) and is located close to the Panipat Refinery. Based on state-of-the-art indigenous technology, the project will turn a new chapter in India’s waste-to-wealth endeavours by utilising about 2 lakh tonnes of rice straw (parali) annually to generate around 3 crore litres of Ethanol annually.

Creating an end-use for the agri-crop residue would empower farmers and provide an additional income generation opportunity. The Project will provide direct employment to people involved in the plant operation and indirect employment will be generated in the supply chain for rice straw cutting, handling, storage, etc.

The project will have zero liquid discharge. By reducing the burning of rice straw (parali), the project will reduce Greenhouse Gases equivalent to about 3 lakh tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent emissions per annum, which can be understood as equivalent to replacing nearly 63,000 cars annually on the country’s roads.

The bio-fuel plant of Panipat will also be able to dispose the stubble without burning it. The Prime Minister remarked that it will lead to many benefits. The first advantage would be that mother earth would be freed from the pain that was caused by burning stubble. The second advantage would be that the new systems for stubble cutting and its disposal, new facilities for transportation and new biofuel plants will bring new employment opportunities in all these villages. The third advantage would be that the stubble which was a burden for the farmers, and was a cause of concern, would become a means of additional income for them. The fourth advantage will be that pollution will be reduced, and the contribution of farmers in protecting the environment will increase further. And the fifth benefit will be that the country will also get an alternative fuel.

The plant will utilise about 2 lakh

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, India, Machinery – Post-harvesting

Time limit for the testing process of tractors used for Agriculture will be slashed from nine months to just 75 working days.

The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has reduced the time limit for the testing process of tractors used for Agriculture from nine months to just 75 working days. This development comes as a big gift for the agriculture sector during the celebration of the “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” on 75th year of India’s Independence.

Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and on the directions of the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, the Ministry / Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has taken this positive initiative in order to promote mechanization in the agriculture sector in the country and to ensure the availability of suitable tractors for the farmers. In order to implement the new, effective and speedy testing process of tractor testing, revised guidelines have been issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to the Central Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute (CFMTTI), Budni and other concerned officers, which will be effective from 15th August, 2022.

Time limit for the testing process of

Company News, Europe, Trade

The Biolchim Group will be a key part of the strategic foundation of the Huber AgroSolutions (HAS) business unit of HEM that currently includes Miller Chemical & Fertilizer (Miller).

U S based J.M. Huber Corporation (Huber), a global, family-owned specialty engineered materials manufacturing company—announced that it has signed a binding agreement to acquire full control of the Biolchim Group from NB Renaissance, Chequers Capital and the Biolchim Group management team. The Biolchim Group, managed and headed by Galileo Quattro SARL, has its main operating base in Italy and is a leading producer and distributor of a full range of specialty plant nutrition and biostimulants. Closing of the sale, anticipated to occur by the end of 2022, is subject to customary closing conditions including the foreign direct investment approval in Italy.

All the companies in the Biolchim Group—including Biolchim S.p.A, Cifo, Ilsa S.p.A, Matécsa Kft, and West Coast Marine-Bio Processing Corp.—are within the scope of the purchase. The Biolchim Group operates eight production plants globally and its products—biostimulants, trace elements, and water soluble, liquid and foliar fertilizers—are present in over 70 countries worldwide. The Biolchim Group has a rich 50-year history of serving the agricultural industry.

Upon close of the sale, the Biolchim Group will become part of Huber Engineered Materials (HEM), a company within the Huber portfolio of businesses. The Biolchim Group will be a key part of the strategic foundation of the Huber AgroSolutions (HAS) business unit of HEM that currently includes Miller Chemical & Fertilizer (Miller).

Leonardo Valenti, CEO of the Biolchim Group since 2008 and a pioneer in the plant nutrition industry, will remain committed to lead the Biolchim Group through the next phase of growth and the integration, leveraging the synergy potential of the strategic combination of both entities.

Huber AgroSolutions’ vision is to become a leading formulator of sustainable, high-performing agricultural products globally. The acquisition of the Biolchim Group, which has achieved impressive growth due to its broad offering of biostimulant and specialty nutritional products, significantly advances this vision by bringing an innovative and entrepreneurial workforce and culture to HAS. Together the companies share a culture that is deeply committed to plant nutrition and the success of its many customers around the globe.

The complementary sales footprint of both companies will enable expanded customer and product access into key agricultural regions globally. In addition to remaining committed to serve the Biolchim Group’s existing customer base, this also ideally positions HAS to advance the sales of the Biolchim Group’s products through its strong relationships with US-based growers and its complementary distribution network in Latin America and select countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Biolchim Group’s sales channels are ideally suited to advance the sales of various Miller products via its strength in Europe and its global subsidiary network.

The Biolchim Group will be a key

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agrotech, Opinions

By S.K. Chaudhary, Founder & Director, Safex Chemicals

India’s population stands at a whopping 140 crores, with trends aggressively pointing to a rise. In such a scenario, it is pivotal for the country to be assured that its resources will be enough to fulfil the needs of its people in times to come. While agriculture is vital to create adequate food resources, agrochemicals are a fundamental element of agriculture to guarantee food security for everyone in the time to come.

The demand for food security is at the Centre stage, with a robust agrochemical industry being its backbone. To guarantee the same and meet its rising needs, the agrochemical industry in India was valued at a massive $4.5 billion in the year 2020. The industry is now expected to grow at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.6 per cent between 2021 to 2026 and is projected to culminate to a value of almost $7.4 billion by 2026. While India is currently food-sufficient, challenges like constant population growth and severe climate change threaten India’s current food security status.

The case of the Indian agrochemical industry

All the chemicals used to enhance crop yields like pesticides and fertilizers are known as agrochemicals. These also include insecticides, herbicides and fungicides that protect the crops from the severe risk of attack from insects and animals. In addition, we also have soil conditioners, which work by enhancing the overall soil fertility. It may surprise you that India alone is the fourth-largest producer of agrochemicals worldwide after the USA, Japan, and China. But the value of domestic consumption of agrochemicals in India is only $2.72 billion, while products worth $3 billion are exported globally. Witnessing the rising demand for food and constant population growth, agrochemicals today are the most practical method for improving crop yields and meeting the increasing demand for food worldwide. They are widely used in fields to protect crops and maximise output.

There are many statements claiming the dangers of agrochemical use. However, they are not entirely true. While all agrochemicals go through extensive toxicity tests prior to their use, modern technologies and newer chemistries in their manufacturing have curbed environmental impact to a great extent. Agrochemicals are highly diluted, sufficient for tiny pests but not harmful to humans. Lastly, crops break down and synthesise the chemicals, which remain in their system only for a short time. Therefore, the claims that all modern agrochemicals are dangerous for humans, and the environment are often untrue and sometimes falsely magnified.

The globalisation of the agrochemical industry

Globalisation has been a game-changer for the agricultural industry, wherein growth has been rapid. As per estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, a few decades ago, growth in agriculture was roughly 3 per cent, which has transitioned to almost 6% now. Globalisation has opened several avenues from technology exchange to international trade, further offering an enhanced knowledge base, better know-how on crop production, and newer methods for boosting yields.

Doors have opened for agriculture and its complementary support arm — the agrochemical industry, which has followed the lead to derive benefits from this cause. Today, enhanced investments in agricultural infrastructure, the opening of free trade between economies and facilitating private sector activity in the agrochemical industry have led to its time in the sun. Globalisation has made farming a more formal profession in India. Farmers today are more conscious about their agricultural efforts to generate ample income while meeting consumer demands. The agrochemical industry has been ensuring this aspect sustainably by supporting the production of the most excellent yields from the farmer’s cultivated land.

Future ahead

As the population increases, the demand for food products will also rise. However, the landmass available for agriculture is gradually shrinking due to the heightened effect of urbanisation. This will provide an impetus for the farmers to use different agrochemicals to increase land productivity, maintain soil health and enhance yields. Post advancements in know-how being offered by globalisation and the integration of agrochemicals into farming practices is clearly the safest and most practical option to support the overall food security and propel the industry’s growth rate in India

By S.K. Chaudhary, Founder & Director, Safex

AgroPolicy, Sugar industry

To increase income of farmers, Government has increased FRP by more than 34% in past 8 years.

Keeping in view interest of sugarcane farmers (Ganna Kisan), the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for sugar season 2022-23 (October – September) at Rs. 305/qtl for a basic recovery rate of 10.25 per cent, providing a premium of Rs 3.05/qtl for each 0.1 per cent increase in recovery over and above 10.25 per cent, & reduction in FRP by Rs. 3.05/qtl for every 0.1% decrease in recovery. However, the Government with a view to protect interest of sugarcane farmers has also decided that there shall not be any deduction in case of sugar mills where recovery is below 9.5 per cent. Such farmers will get Rs 282.125/qtl for sugarcane in ensuing sugar season 2022-23 in place of Rs. 275.50/qtl in current sugar season 2021-22. FRP of sugarcane is fixed to ensure a guaranteed price to sugarcane growers. Government has increased FRP by more than 34% in past 8 years.

The A2 + FL cost of production of sugarcane (i.e actual paid out cost plus imputed value of family labour) for the sugar season 2022-23 is Rs 162/qtl. This FRP of Rs. 305/qtl at a recovery rate of 10.25 per cent is higher by 88.3 per cent over cost of production, thereby ensuring the promise of giving the farmers a return of more than 50 per cent over their cost. The FRP for sugar season 2022-23 is 2.6 per cent higher than current sugar season 2021-22.

Decision will benefit 5 crore sugarcane farmers (Ganna Kisan) and their dependents, as well as 5 lakh workers employed in the sugar mills and related ancillary activities. 9 years back, FRP was only Rs 210/ qtl in sugar season 2013-14 & only about 2397 LMT of sugarcane was purchased by sugar mills. Farmers were getting only about Rs. 51,000 cr from sale of sugarcane to sugar mills. However, in past 8 years Government has increased FRP by more than 34 per cent. In the current sugar season 2021-22, about 3,530 lakh tons of sugarcane of worth Rs. 1,15,196 crores was purchased by sugar mills, which is at all-time high.

To increase income of farmers, Government has