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Agrotech, Company News, India, IT, Machinery – Post-harvesting

With the Krish-e Smart Kit, Mahindra aims to track & digitise every acre & kilometer of rental activity carried out in the country.

 Krish-e Mahindra’s AgTech business launched the Krish-e Smart Kit (KSK). An after-market device, the Krish-e Smart Kit is the first-of-its-kind smart device that provides equipment owners with detailed insights of their tractors and farm equipment, through GPS enabled time tracking and remote monitoring of various parameters from the comfort of a smart phone.

A cutting-edge offering, the Krish-e Smart Kit is developed by Carnot Technologies, an Ag-Tech start-up, founded in 2015 by four alumni from IIT Bombay in their mid-20s, who as part of the IITB racing team, developed solutions to monitor the performance of race vehicles from the pit. Today Carnot Technologies is engaged in manufacturing and retailing products and services related to internet-connected devices for monitoring performance of vehicles and equipment, with M&M Ltd. having acquired a significant stake in the company.

The Krish-e Smart Kit enables equipment owners and rental entrepreneurs to sustainably improve fleet performance, improve incomes and manage maintenance costs, while reducing tractor downtime and preventing unauthorised usage of their tractors. The Smart Kit also includes an advanced trip replay feature for tracking commercial transportation and trolley activity.

The kit is brand agnostic and can be installed on any new or old brand of tractor or farm equipment, such as harvesters, rice transplanters and self-propelled sprayers. The kit is paired with an app called the Krish-e Rental Partner App and is available on the Google Play Store. In addition to tracking and monitoring, the app also offers users access to an inventory of high-end farm machinery on a pay per use basis.

Ramesh Ramachandran – Senior Vice President and Head Krish-e – Farm Equipment Sector, M&M Ltd. said, “An industry first aftermarket IoT solution, the Krish-e Smart Kit presents the smartest, most affordable and sustainable way for farmers and businesses to connect and monitor their farm equipment on the go. In its scale-up phase, with over 25,000 active users we will officially launch the Krish-e Smart Kit. Besides farmers, we invite institutions, FPO’s, government bodies and start-ups in the state to partner with us on this connected journey as we aim to digitise every acre and kilometre of rental activity. Going forward we aim to become the leading provider of connectivity for farm equipment in India.”

Pushkar Limaye – CTO, Carnot Technologies commented, “With a vision of building world-class products out of India, we came up with a small plug-and-play device for tractors to help improve their productivity using IoT, with real-time updates on smartphones. And today we are glad to see over 25,000 kits having already helped farmers digitise their businesses and adding real value on ground. And today with the official launch of the Krish-e Smart Kit, together with Mahindra, we aim to digitise Indian farming with an India-based solution, while reaching a larger audience of tractor owners and rental business owners.

With the Krish-e Smart Kit, Mahindra aims

Agrotech, Company News, Horticulture, R&D, Sustainability, World

3D vision helps apple producers take control of crop load management

ADDIUM, a leading provider of innovative solutions for agriculture, introduced POMETA, its new intelligent crop load management system.

At a time when margins are thin, apple producers need to take control of crop load management, optimise chemical thinning, get the most value out of every labourer and consistently hit crop load targets. Getting crop load right means packing out more bins per acre, hitting size targets, packing more high-quality fruit, and realising good return bloom.

“Fruit producers are squeezed on both sides,” said Dave Brown POMETA Director, “Consumers and grocery stores demand high-quality fruit, but the labour needed to produce the best fruit only gets more expensive. It is getting hard to make money growing apples.”

With POMETA technology, growers can quickly count clusters, fruits, and fruit per tree, and estimate singles, doubles, and triples. From 5 mm diameter, growers can determine individual size and growth rates for thousands of fruit in a matter of minutes. And using fruitlet counts and growth rates, POMETA helps growers dial in chemical fruitlet thinning by automatically forecasting fruitlet drop. And all this is possible without requiring routine calibration manual counts.

According to Patrick Plonski, POMETA Computer Vision Director, “We use iPhone video to construct a 3D model of an orchard canopy, locate and size the fruit, and estimate hidden (occluded) fruit. We see every tree from 100 or more perspectives, which allows us to detect more fruit than any photo-based technology. And the 3D technology allows us to track the persistence of individual fruitless, and measure individual growth rates to the nearest mm.”

POMETA offers the most sophisticated computer vision technology, made simple and easy for growers to use. The POMETA data acquisition app (POMViz) is as easy to use as taking a phone video. The POMETA web app has simple navigation and clear data displays to provide growers with rapid insights.

3D vision helps apple producers take control

Company News, Foodgrains, Sustainability, World

A dedicated food security programme for producing and importing countries in Africa, India, and Latin America

UPL Ltd. a global provider of sustainable agricultural solutions will support a renewed commitment to strengthening developing world food production, storage, and supply chains with a ‘food security’ programme.

The agreement was reached at the inaugural Earthna Summit in Doha, Qatar, with the governments of Zambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and The Gambia alongside the Commonwealth Secretariat. The sessions were also attended by representatives from Qatar Foundation’s (QF’s) Earthna Centre for a Sustainable Future, AGRA, United Nations Development Programme, CGIAR, Chatham House, EMBRAPA, and the Indian Institute of Management Rohtak.

The Summit aimed to build new sustainability pathways for hot and arid environments as part of global efforts to address the moderate or severe food insecurity faced by one-in-four people globally. The summit sought to align South-South efforts and create a dedicated food security programme for producing and importing countries in Africa, India, and Latin America.

UPL contributed to the creation of this ‘food security’ programme through the open plenary session and closed-door technical discussions, in which experts agreed to explore a new working methodology for food security. This included ensuring the development of farmer resilience, capacity building and creating demonstration plots for climate-resilient crops.

Jai Shroff, Group CEO of UPL Ltd., said, “Our contention is clear: no one has food security until everyone has food security. And the key to security is farmer resilience. The results of our discussions in Doha show that there is a new urgency to address food security and new energy among developing world nations to agree on approaches that will deliver real results. We look forward to announcing our roadmap with Earthna and to developing initial projects across Africa as part of our Reimagining Sustainability mission and OpenAg commitment to collaboration.”

Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, Executive Director of Earth, said, “It is essential that the global community works together to encourage and enable self-sufficiency at national and international levels. I am delighted that at the Earthna Summit 2023, heads of state, QF’s Earthna and other partners have come together and committed to a new collaborative approach to enhance food security. I am confident that this programme will lead to lasting and impactful action, and make a significant contribution to these countries’ fight against climate change.”

A technical white paper will be prepared for the launch of pilot programmes in Zambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and The Gambia.

A dedicated food security programme for producing

Company News, People, R&D, Sustainability, World

The study found that while many sectors across the global economy continue to experience negative pandemic-induced challenges, farmland remained a reliable asset

Farmland investment manager FarmTogether released a new study that illustrates farmland’s historical resilience in the face of financial turbulence over the last three decades, demonstrated by the asset’s stable performance since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent market turbulence. The study, titled ‘Farmland: A Historically Stable Asset During Uncertain Times,’ examines farmland’s performance in the context of several major asset classes, including equities, bonds, commercial real estate, and REITs. 

“The last few years, even weeks, have been challenging to navigate from a portfolio management perspective,” said David Chan, Chief Client Officer and Head of Business Development at FarmTogether. “This study comes at a critical moment for those searching for uncorrelated, defensible alternatives for real capital preservation.”

The study found that while many sectors across the global economy continue to experience negative pandemic-induced challenges, farmland remained a reliable asset throughout this tumultuous period. Despite early headwinds led by supply chain disruptions and reduced demand for certain products, farmland investments experienced net positive growth each year over the last three years, outpacing the performance of each asset analysed in the study. 

The study attributes farmland’s performance throughout this period, and several decades prior, to the asset’s historically low volatility, low correlation with traditional assets, and rising cropland values, which are sitting at a record $5,050 per acre in the US. The study additionally reverberates farmland’s historical role as a hedge against rising prices during inflationary environments; since the onset of the pandemic, farmland returns have had a 0.97 correlation with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The study found that while many sectors

AgroPolicy, Environment, India, Sustainability

The G20 member countries reaffirmed their commitment towards combatting the environment and climate crisis, but with a renewed sense of urgency

The Second G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) meeting concluded in Gandhinagar with shared views and accordance on outcomes of the priority areas. Building on the discussions from the first ESCWG, constructive deliberations among the G20 countries took place on Arresting Land Degradation, Accelerating Ecosystem Restoration Enriching Biodiversity; Promoting a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Blue Economy and Encouraging Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy.  The G20 member countries reaffirmed their commitment towards combatting the environment and climate crisis, but with a renewed sense of urgency. All the G20 countries agreed on the pressing need for concerted global efforts and the immediate action required, given the current scenario. After technical sessions delving deep into the outcomes of the three priority areas identified by ECSWG under the India Presidency, the countries highlighted several action points on how to bring about a meaningful change.

The key inputs collated from deliberations over the 1st ECSWG, focused group discussions and the written inputs shared by the member countries were the highlight of the session on Biodiversity, Land degradation and ecosystem restoration during the pre-lunch session of the second day. The session witnessed engaging deliberations among the delegates on the two priority landscapes identified under India’s Presidency and presentations on the proposed Gandhinagar Implementation Roadmap (GIR) and draft publications on a compendium of best practices by experts from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE).

The G20 member countries reaffirmed their commitment

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, India, R&D, Sustainability

The declaration highlights the need to strengthen digital Infrastructure including digital e-learning content and deployment of emerging immersive technologies across Agricultural Higher Education Institutions

There is a need to strengthen digital Infrastructure including digital e-learning content and deployment of emerging immersive technologies across Agricultural Higher Education Institutions in India. Institutionalising a system-wide Digital Capacity Building Program across stakeholders to improve systemic digital competence, knowledge and skills is also a necessity.

The Delhi Declaration on Modernisation of Agricultural Education System in alignment with the National Education Policy issued jointly by The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the World Bank highlights the need to incorporate digital resources and tools for effective and accessible teaching and learning in Agriculture. It lays emphasis towards creating a renewed and resilient system for gender-inclusive and sustainable education that will pave the way for India’s agriculture education sector. Multidisciplinary technology-facilitated education should be promoted and the policies on Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture and Mathematics (STEAM) in agricultural higher education need to be transformed.

The Delhi Declaration was unveiled on the concluding day of the successful three-day International Conference on Blended Learning Ecosystem for Higher Education in Agriculture 2023 hosted jointly by the ICAR and the World Bank. The Conference was held as part of the National Agricultural Higher Education Project’s (NAHEP) Resilient Agricultural Education System (RAES) development initiative.

Undertaken to strengthen the National Agricultural Education System in the country, NAHEP is a five-year project initiated in 2018 with an equal contribution of $82.5 million (about Rs. 600 crores) each from the World Bank and the central government. The World Bank loan is to be repaid over 19 years after a grace period of five years, the purpose of NAHEP is to transform agricultural higher education. The Blended Learning Platform is part of the project.

Speaking at the valedictory session, Dr R B Singh, Former President of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) and Chairman, of the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB) said, “By promoting sustainable development goals through the dissemination of knowledge and skills, we empower the next generation of agricultural leaders to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Let us continue to collaborate across borders and disciplines, to ensure that agriculture remains a force for positive change in the world.”

According to Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Former Secretary Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General, ICAR, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, “Education is the backbone of a thriving agricultural sector. Blended learning offers a powerful tool to bridge the gap between traditional classroom teaching and the demands of a rapidly changing world. I urge all stakeholders to embrace it and integrate it into our education systems. It is important for us to embrace new methods and technologies to strengthen the agriculture education system and develop a skilled workforce that can contribute to the growth of the agriculture sector.” 

“India’s agricultural sector pays a massive significance on the country’s economy. Every year, more than 5000 Indian students receive PhDs, which is more than the rest of the globe. I believe NAHEP is the perfect example of how opportunities can be provided for vocational education as it has given the platform to another initiative called the Resilient Agricultural Education System (RAES). We will continue working with the ICAR and the Government of India to disseminate new technologies so that all states of the country can benefit equally from them,” said Dr Auguste Tano Kouame, Country Director, of the World Bank.

The declaration highlights the need to strengthen

AgroPolicy, India, Trade

During the current financial year (April 2022 – January 2023), the agricultural exports have amounted to USD 43.37 billion.

The Government has been monitoring export performance including that of agricultural and processed food products in the current financial year i.e., 2022-23 vis a vis 2021-22. No targets have been fixed yet for export for the year 2023-24. During the current financial year (April 2022 – January 2023), the agricultural exports have amounted to USD 43.37 billion, registering an increase of 6.04% over the exports of USD 40.90 billion during the corresponding period of the previous financial year i.e., April 2021 to January 2022. During the financial year 2021-22, India’s agricultural export touched the highest ever level of USD 50.21 billion.

Rise in agricultural exports improves realisations for farmers and has a positive impact on their income. In order to ensure that the farmers benefit from exports, the Government has launched a Farmer Connect Portal for providing a platform for Farmer Producer Organisations/Companies (FPOs/FPCs) and cooperatives to directly interact with exporters.

The Government has taken several steps at State and District level to promote agriculture exports. State specific Action Plans have been prepared and State Level Monitoring Committees (SLMCs), Nodal Agencies for agricultural exports and Cluster Level Committees have been formed in a number of States. The Government is utilising the District as Export Hub (DEH) initiative to achieve the objectives of Agriculture Export Policy (AEP). Under the DEH initiative, products including agricultural and processed food products with export potential have been identified in all 733 districts across the country. State Export Strategy has been prepared in 28 States/UTs.

This information has been given by the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Anupriya Patel in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.

During the current financial year (April 2022

AgroPolicy, India, Pulses, Supply Chain

Centre directs pulses importers to declare stocks availability in a routine transparent manner.

Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Rohit Kumar Singh directed major pulses importers to ensure that all stocks available with them are declared in a transparent manner regularly.  They were advised not to hold back any stock which may disrupt availability of pulses in the domestic market. The Government has stepped up its efforts to monitor stock disclosures of pulses by millers, stockists, traders, importers, etc. to ensure that prices of Tur are normalised and the availability and affordability of Tur is ensured in the domestic market.

Meanwhile, the Committee under the Chairmanship of Additional Secretary Nidhi Khare took a meeting with all the States/UTs today wherein they were requested to explore all the sources to increase the number of registered entities in Stock Declaration Portal including FSSAI licensees, APMC registered traders, GST Registered traders of pulses etc.  To cross validate the stocks declared, States were also requested to get information from warehouse service providers, both public and private.  The need to monitor stocks of imported pulses at custom bonded warehouses was also emphasized, to ensure their timely release from Ports.

The Department is also planning to hold interaction with all stakeholders across value chain to ensure availability and affordability of pulses for consumers. The Pulses Associations and Importers have assured wholehearted cooperation in disclosing the stocks in a transparent manner.

Centre directs pulses importers to declare stocks

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Pesticides, Company News, North America

Willowood group currently operates offices in India, USA, Hong Kong, China and Kenya.

Willowood India launched its Brazilian subsidiary at Goose Island Brewhouse, located in São Paulo, Brazil. The corporation’s Brazilian and international management represented by Executives Marcos Gaio (Country Manager – Brazil), Vijay Mundhra (Global CEO), Parikshit Mundhra (MD) and Jitendra Mohan (COO) brought together special guests from Brazilian agribusiness for an afternoon of information and socialising.

The event also featured a lecture by João Pontin with news from the Registration & Regulatory area & a presentation by Marcos Gaio which dealt with Willowood’s business vision for Brazil. The lecture ‘Macroeconomic Vision of Brazil and the Brazilian Agro Industry for 2023’, with Jankiel Santos, Senior Economist at Banco Santander.

Willowood Chemicals is an affiliate of Willowood Group, a leading global producer and distributor of crop protection chemicals. The group currently operates offices in India, USA, Hong Kong, China and Kenya. Products include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, biopesticides and plant growth regulators. Willowood places a strategic emphasis on innovation-driven solutions, using in-house R&D capabilities and a committed team of agronomists to fuel a continuous pipeline of new products.

Willowood group currently operates offices in India,

Agrotech, Biostimulants, Company News, Europe

Bionema’s expanded portfolio enhances the company’s offering to the BioAg sector, and complements its ongoing research, training and continuing development of novel biological solutions.

Bionema Ltd reports the expansion of its portfolio’s quantity and scope, as the company launches a number of new environmentally-friendly biological products to support biological agriculture (BioAg), horticulture, forestry, and turf & amenities.

With growing public awareness and concerns about the effects of chemical pesticides on human health, biodiversity and the environment, there is greater demand for alternative solutions to control insect pests and enhance crop yields. Addressing these challenges, Bionema Ltd, a world- leading developer of biocontrol sustainable solutions, is introducing its range of more than 70 biological products for use in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, turf &amp: amenities, and public health.

The BioAg market, which includes biopesticides, biostimulants and biofertilisers, has been estimated to be valued at USD 12.6 billion in 2022. It is projected to reach USD 24.6 billion by 2027, according to market analysts MarketsandMarkets, reflecting a CAGR of 13.6 per cent. This rapid rate of growth reflects widespread and increasing demand for biological solutions as the world embraces more environmentally friendly innovations.

Bionema’s new product catalogue lists more than 70 biopesticides, biostimulants, biofertilisers, molluscides, biocides, efficacy boosters, insect monitoring tools and nutrient management products. The portfolio expansion reflects Bionema’s evolution in focus and strategy, announced last year following the company’s deal with Syngenta that secured Bionema’s position as a world- leading biocontrol technology company.

Bionema’s management team set a new course to focus on company growth, which is has been implementing for the past 15 months and has resulted in an expanded product portfolio of products offering biological solutions for agriculture, horticulture, turf & amenities, forestry, and public health.

“Our vision to be a leading BioAg technology developer, reducing the need for chemical pesticides, has led us to where we are today,” said Dr Minshad Ansari, Founder and CEO of Bionema. “The world is changing and there is increased consumer, societal, regulatory and government demands for reduced chemical use – for example, consider the EU’s plan to remove 505 pesticides by 2030 and increase organic farming from 8 to 25%. Targets like this just won’t be feasible without sustainable alternatives, such as the ones we are launching now.”

Bionema’s expanded portfolio enhances the company’s offering to the BioAg sector, and complements its ongoing research, training and other services in the continuing development of novel biological solutions. Bionema has collected a library of more than a thousand commercially viable microorganisms for pipeline candidates, and the company’s innovative formulation and delivery technologies can lead to products that deliver higher virulence, greater stability, better spore yields, and wider host ranges.

Bionema’s expanded portfolio enhances the company’s offering

Agrotech, Company News, Europe, R&D

It will also ensure the continued investment and development of research and technical innovation that has pioneered many of the advanced Integrated Turf Management techniques.

Syngenta and ICL have signed a new agreement to continue and enhance the strong relationship that has brought great innovation, investment and service to the turf industry. The agreement includes the launch of new products, along with digital technologies and technical communication strategies.

The move reinforces the close working relationship of ICL’s unparalleled nutrition expertise, industry support and technical field force to deliver Syngenta’s world leading technical R&D products and services over the past 15 years.

It will also ensure the continued investment and development of research and technical innovation that has pioneered many of the advanced Integrated Turf Management techniques now successfully implemented by turf managers.

The extended agreement comes at an exciting time for both companies introducing ground-breaking technological advances. That includes the launch of ICL’s eqo.s® controlled release fertiliser technology and Syngenta’s new fungicide, herbicide and biocontrol products, along with Acelepryn and NemaTrident integrated solutions for turf soil pest control in 2023.

Announcing the new agreement, Syngenta Commercial Head, Daniel Lightfoot said: “The combined strength of ICL and Syngenta has, over the past 15 years, pioneered the products and the techniques to deliver huge advances in the management of high-quality turf and amenity landscapes.

“We are delighted to forge stronger links between the two companies that together can better help our customers to meet the current challenges, as well as develop further in the future. Stephen Squires, ICL Regional Business Lead, added: “We have built an incredibly strong strategic alliance with Syngenta, this agreement underlines the strength of the relationship.

“Together we will continue to deliver and build on the full value of our world leading product portfolios, our technical innovation and our industry knowledge and technical advice to our customers.”

It will also ensure the continued investment

Agro Universities, Agrotech, India, R&D

 It aims to establish of a network of institutions and actors to advance seed and varietal development, adaptation, and accelerate the deployment of product concepts.

 The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Bayer agreed to support and co-invest in a four-year project “Scale Direct” that aims to accelerate the global efforts of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) on direct seeded rice (DSR) research and development for smallholder farmers in Asia and Africa. The Project got launched through a ceremonial event hosted at IRRI South Asia Regional Centre, Varanasi on 09 March 2023.

Underpinned by IRRI’s DSR research flagship, the project titled “Improving the quality of life of smallholder rice farmers in Asia and Africa through introduction, on-farm testing and scaling of improved germplasm and climate smart agronomy” and also named as “ScaleDirect” is a comprehensive integration of breeding specific varieties for DSR establishment methods, on-farm validations, DSR specific agronomic practices, and seed systems and enterprise development activities.

The global initiative’s core objectives include the 1) establishment of a network of institutions and actors to advance seed and varietal development, adaptation, and accelerate the deployment of product concepts, product varieties or hybrids, and required DSR market-suited traits, 2) introduction, validation, and scaling of climate-smart agronomic practices and technologies, 3) strengthening formal and informal seed production, delivery, and entrepreneurship for equitable, gender-inclusive access to climate-resilient products, and 4) an evidenced-based learning, feedback, and recommendation mechanism for experts and policymakers.

“Smallholder farmers are an integral part of the agriculture system and advancements in farming are key to their growth. We are elated to partner with USAID and IRRI to bring the latest innovation and Agri-focused technology to smallholders across the globe, building a better agriculture system and staying true to Bayer’s vision of ‘Science for better’ in agriculture,” said Simon-Thorsten Wiebusch, Country Divisional Head – Crop Science Division of Bayer for India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

USAID General Development Officer, Dr. Jim Gaffney lauds the project for its alignment with the US government’s Feed the Future Initiative to end hunger. He also expressed his optimism for the returns this investment will bring given its strong backing from multiple national agriculture research systems (NARS) partners, among other collaborating sectors.

“There is massive opportunity and learning in public, private, and community extension network collaborations. The diverse participation by various stakeholders in this launch is a clear manifestation of true public-private partnership. This collaboration rests upon a shared vision of making our farming systems more responsive to climate change impacts,” said IRRI Rice Breeding Innovations Platform leader, Dr. Hans Bhardwaj.

Resulting from co-conceptualization meetings between IRRI, Bayer, and USAID that began in 2022, the project is touted to help improve the environmental and socio-economic sustainability of rice production and lead to widespread adoption of DSR practices among smallholder farmers in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique.

IRRI Director General, Jean Balié stressed the importance of this synergy as well as the crucial role of the NARES partners in the timely and appropriate scaling of these interventions. “We cannot emphasize enough that we are committed to bringing new innovations to the forefront of rice systems. Furthermore, we are highly committed to ensuring that these technologies provide sustainable economic outcomes for our stakeholders. The shared goal is always to improve the lives of farmers.”

 It aims to establish of a network

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, India, Pulses, Supply Chain, Sustainability

Committee to monitor the stock of Tur held by entities such as importers, millers, stockists, traders

The Department of Consumer Affairs has constituted a Committee under the chairmanship of Nidhi Khare Additional Secretary, to monitor the stock of Tur held by entities such as importers, millers, stockists, traders etc. in close coordination with the state governments. The decision has come against the backdrop of reports of market players not releasing stocks despite the regular arrival of imports in good quantities.

The latest announcement of a Committee to monitor stock disclosure indicates the government’s intention to deal with hoarders and unscrupulous speculators in the market. It also indicates the government’s determination to keep prices of Tur under control in months ahead. The government is also closely watching the stock position of other pulses in the domestic market to take necessary preemptive measures in the event of an unwarranted price rise in the coming months. It may be recalled that the government had issued an advisory to the States and UTs on 12th August 2022, to enforce stock disclosure in respect of Tur under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. Further, in order to facilitate smooth and seamless import, the government has removed the 10 per cent duty applicable for Tur imports from non-LDC countries as the duty creates procedural hurdles even for zero-duty imports from the LDCs.

Committee to monitor the stock of Tur

AgroPolicy, India, People, Sustainability

The Department of Sericulture, Rajouri, Mulberry Circle Lamberi organised Kissan Scientific interaction under ATMA programme.

The Jammu and Kashmir government is focusing towards the revival and holistic development of the Sericulture sector.

Cocoon growers are being facilitated with requisite skill development training, the latest technological interventions and related infrastructural support for transforming the sericulture industry in J&K. 

The J&K government was working on area expansion under mulberry plantations to increase leaf availability for rearers and enrich green wealth.

The Forest and Sericulture Departments are jointly working towards achieving J&K’s Green Mission besides creating and ensuring marketing support to the cocoon growers in selling their produce in their vicinity.

The futuristic roadmap for holistic growth of agriculture and the allied sector will safeguard the age-old skills being transferred from generation to generation. The effort is aimed to help preserve and promote of unique and indigenous craft legacy of J&K across the globe.

The government is giving importance to the adoption of the latest technological advancements in the silk industry to reduce dependence on imported silk. One of the three important centres in the country for Research and Development, Training, Transfer of Technology and IT Intervention has been set up at Kashmir’s Pampore.

Recently, the Department of Sericulture, Rajouri, Mulberry Circle Lamberi organised Kissan Scientific interaction under ATMA programme. The main objective of the programme was to educate silkworm rearers about the latest technology and practice for silkworm rearing. 

The farmers were briefed about various projects being implemented under Holistic Agriculture Development Programme. 

The Central Silk Board is promoting a bivoltine production program extending technical support through 6 clusters besides extending the state of the art of soil testing facilities. Due to the continuous efforts of the Institute and technological interventions, the average yield of bivoltine cocoons has been enhanced significantly.

Notably, the Silk Samagra Yojana launched in 2017-18 under the guidance of PM has proved to be a game changer in making sericulture sustainable by supporting J&K’s silk industry in an integrated manner. 

Under Silk Samagra Phase-I, about 900 silkworm rearers have benefited directly beside the establishment of about 618 rearing houses. Besides, the Central Silk Board has allocated Rs 35 crore for J&K under Silk Samagra Phase-II benefitting around 27,000 families involved in Sericulture in the state.

The Department of Sericulture, Rajouri, Mulberry Circle