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AgroPolicy, India, IT, Supply Chain, Sustainability, Warehousing

The MoU is aimed at providing information to depositors about the benefits, besides doing further outreach activities to improve agricultural pledge finance in India.

To facilitate farmers and traders in providing low-interest rate loans, Warehousing Development Regulatory Authority(WDRA) exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the  Punjab National Bank (PNB)  in the presence of T.K Manoj Kumar, Chairperson, WDRA, Mukesh Kumar Jain, Member, WDRA, Atul Kumar Goel, MD&CEO, PNB, Sunil Kumar Chug, CGM, PNB and other senior officers of WDRA and PNB.

The MoU was signed with the intent of promoting awareness about finance against e-NWRs (electronic Negotiable Warehouse Receipts) with features such as no additional collateral and attractive interest rates. The MoU is aimed at providing information to depositors about the benefits, besides doing further outreach activities to improve agricultural pledge finance in India.

It is envisaged that the product will have far-reaching consequences with regard to the acceptance of e-NWRs among small and marginal farmers. It has the potential to make a significant impact on the finances of rural depositors by preventing distressed sales and releasing better prices for the produce.

Combined with the inherent security and negotiability of the e-NWR system, the Produce Marketing Loan will go a long way in improving rural liquidity and increasing farmer’s income.

During the event, a presentation was made by WDRA on the importance of post-harvest pledge financing using warehouse receipts for improving rural credit. Bank officers from up-country locations joined in video-conferencing mode. The bank representatives also highlighted the risks faced by the lending institutions in this sector. WDRA assured their full regulatory support in improving the fiduciary trust among stakeholders.

The MoU is aimed at providing information

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, India

The team includes Dr Rajendra Kharul, Dr Uday Gokhale, Dr Rajendra Jagdhane and Dr Mahadev Patil

Best Agrolife Ltd one of the leading agrochemical companies in India has roped in a team of highly experienced R&D experts for its wholly-owned subsidiary Best Crop Science Pvt. Ltd.

The team includes Dr Rajendra Kharul, Dr Uday Gokhale, Dr Rajendra Jagdhane and Dr Mahadev Patil. All four hired R&D experts are highly experienced PhDs and post-doctorates from reputable foreign and Indian institutes in Synthesis Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.

A PhD in Organic Chemistry from NCL, Pune and a Post-doctorate from the University of Canada, Kharul has worked with Zydus Cadila for over 20 years. He will be designated as the General Manager of the R&D department of the company.

Dr Uday Gokhale is a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Alberta, Canada and a Post Graduate in the same subject from Poona University. He has published 10 patents and over 20 publications in leading scientific journals. 

Dr Rajendra Jagdhane is a PhD in Organic Chemistry from NCL, Pune and a Post-doctorate from the University of Canada, whereas Dr Mahadev Patil has done his PhD in Organic Chemistry from Bangalore University and Post-doctorate from the University of Finland. 

The team includes Dr Rajendra Kharul, Dr

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, India, Supply Chain, Sustainability

Till the 5th e-auction, 28.86 LMT wheat stock has been sold

As a part of Govt of India’s initiative for market intervention to control the price of wheat and atta, in the sequel of weekly e-auctions of wheat, the 6th e-auction was conducted by the Food Corporation of India. A total quantity of 10.69 LMT of wheat was offered from 611 depots across 23 Regions of FCI and 4.91 LMT of wheat has been sold to 970 bidders.

In the 6th e-auction, against the all-India weighted average reserve price of Rs. 2140.46/qtl, the weighted average selling price received was Rs 2214.32 /qtl. In the 6th e- auction Quantities ranging from 100 to 499 MT had maximum demand followed by quantities of 500-999 MT followed by the 50-100 MT quantity bracket.

Till the 5th e-auction, 28.86 LMT wheat stock has been sold against which 23.30 LMT has been lifted.

After the 6th e-auction, the cumulative sale of wheat under OMSS (D) has touched 33.77 LMT against the overall allocation of 45 LMT. The sale has brought a significant effect in cooling down the price of wheat and atta all over the country which is likely to remain stabilised with the future tenders for the open sale of wheat under OMSS.

Till the 5th e-auction, 28.86 LMT wheat

Company News, India, Machinery - Pre-harvesting

The agreement was locked after several rounds of assessment and audits

CEAT announced that CEAT Farmax radials are being fitted in Case IH and New Holland tractors.

The agreement was locked after several rounds of assessment and audits by the OEM of the Mumbai-based radial plant of CEAT and after multiple tests done on tires on various parameters.

“We have always been confident about the quality of our agriculture radials ever since we introduced them to the world in 2017. We have invested in world-class technologies and the best people to design our products. This partnership with CNH Industrial further lends credibility to that. We hope to be a long-term partner to them and want to help farmers grow their productivity.” says Amit Tolani- Chief Executive, CEAT Specialty.

The agreement was locked after several rounds

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agrotech, Biostimulants, Company News, Latin America

ADAMA Chile produces leading bio-stimulant products in Latin America, including ExpertGrow

ADAMA Ltd, a leading crop protection company, announced that it has exercised its call option to acquire the remaining 40 per cent stake in ADAMA Chile, formerly known as Chile Agro. This is following ADAMA’s initial investment in Chile Agro in 2013, whereby the Company acquired 60 per cent of its equity.

ADAMA Chile specialises in the development, production and commercialisation of bio plant nutrition and agrochemical products in Chile, including ExpertGrow, a triple mode-of-action bio-stimulant for the increase of yield in a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as in soybeans. ExpertGrow is based on a unique fermentation process – developed by ADAMA – that improves the plant’s photosynthesis, thereby reducing abiotic stress and improving fruit/pod retention and plant growth.

ExpertGrow is sold across Latin America in Brazil, Columbia, Peru, Ecuador and Paraguay as well as in other key markets such as Italy, France, Spain, China and Thailand. In the coming years, it is expected to be rolled out to additional countries.

The global biological crop protection market is fast-growing and expected to reach $18.2 billion in 2026. Combined with formulation capabilities and additional leading biological products such as NUTRICHELATES and LIGHUP, ADAMA has a strong pipeline of solutions to deliver to the Latin American market in the coming years.

“Biologicals are an important segment of ADAMA’s developing sustainable portfolio,” said Carlos Danilowicz, Head of the Latin America Commercial Unit. “We see a growing interest from farmers in biological products, especially in fruit and vegetable crops that are grown for export, addressing consumer and regulatory environments. This further investment will increase our presence in this growing market.”  

ADAMA Chile produces leading bio-stimulant products in Latin

Acquaculture, Agro Universities, Agrotech, Animal Health, Company News, India

IIL is developing vaccines for fisheries sector with a long-term strategic objective of reducing use of antibiotics there by antimicrobial resistance in environment.

Hyderabad based Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), a leading vaccine manufacturer, has announced partnership with Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA), Bhubaneswar, an Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Institute for the commercial development of vaccine against Hemorrhagic Septicemia, also called Aeromonas Septicemia, Ulcer Disease or Red-Sore Disease in freshwater fish.

IIL ventured into aqua business in October 2022 by launching products for aquaculture health market dealing with pond management and fish or shrimp gut management and subsequently announced commercial development of fish vaccines with ICAR-CIFE. Aquaculture sectors play a vital role in India’s economy and fisheries sector is a means of livelihood for ~28 million people in the country. India is the 3rd largest fish producer in the global sphere and more than 65 per cent of India’s fish is through Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture. The main constraint to aquaculture globally, however, is disease with an estimate that 20 per cent of all cultured aquatic animals are lost because of infectious diseases, amounting to around 10 billion USD in losses annually on a global scale.

Hemorrhagic Septicemia in freshwater fishes is caused by Aeromonas hydrophila, an opportunistic pathogenic bacterium. This infection is the scourge of fresh and brackish water fish farming worldwide and is considered as a significant economic problem in Indian aquaculture over the past decades. All the cultured freshwater fish species in India like rohu, catla, mrigal, silver carp, grass carp, common carp, medium carps, channel catfish, eel, etc. are susceptible to this disease.

Over the years, antibiotics and chemotherapeutants are used for controlling bacterial diseases including A. hydrophila. Now bacterial pathogens have become resistant to these chemicals, when used over an extended period and some chemicals pose environmental health hazards. In this context, vaccination is the most promising and environmentally safe concept for controlling diseases.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited said, “IIL is the first in India to get to fish vaccines. We are aware of the challenges associated with being the first, having been in similar situations for many other livestock vaccines. We are working at multiple-fronts in defining pathways for commercial development of fish vaccines in India”.

Dr. Priyabrata Pattnaik, Deputy Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited added “IIL is committed to developing vaccines for fisheries sector with a long-term strategic objective of reducing use of antibiotics there by antimicrobial resistance in environment, as part of “One Health” initiative”.

Dr. Pramoda Kumar Sahoo, Director of ICAR-CIFA said “Currently there is no fish vaccines available in India on a commercial scale to prevent aquaculture infections. Scientist from CIFA conducted years of research to develop vaccine candidate against Aeromonas Septicemia. I am glad that IIL have come forward for commercial development of this vaccine”.

IIL is developing vaccines for fisheries sector

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

Satellite-mounted imager to detect fluoresces from crops when under stress from a Pathogen attack or a lack of water or nutrients

InnerPlant, the company creating a new category of seed technology that unlocks data and makes global farming more efficient and sustainable, and Satellogic Inc, a leader in sub-meter resolution Earth Observation (EO) data collection, announced a collaboration to launch a first-of-its-kind device designed to detect human-engineered crop signals from space. The announcement was made on the opening day of the World AgriTech Innovation Summit.

The specially designed imaging instrument is scheduled to be mounted to a Satellogic satellite and is intended to detect optical signals emitted by crops engineered by InnerPlant to fluoresce in response to stress such as an attack from pathogens or a lack of water or nutrients.

Drone-based aerial testing is expected to start in the next few months and the satellite-mounted device is planned to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket later this year. The success of this mission will mark the first time in history that a signal from a human-engineered organism is detected from orbit.

“Better data directly from plants gives farmers the tools they need to increase yields while reducing chemical inputs. Modern farming taking place on such a vast scale – with many farms in the thousands of acres – makes satellite detection a critical way to collect data affordably,” Shely Aronov, CEO and founder of InnerPlant, said from the Summit. “Satellogic understands how EO data collection fits with farming and is truly giving InnerPlant and the future of agriculture a figurative and literal boost.”

Studies show that farmers lose as much as 40 per cent of yields or $220 billion worldwide due to pathogens in spite of overapplication that sees as much as 30 per cent or $250 billion of pesticides wasted – negatively impacting our air, water and soil.

Earlier detection and more responsive, plant-specific interventions offer a way to prevent waste and losses but historically farmers lacked early actionable data. Satellite-based detection can provide a scalable way to give farmers the early warning they need to better care for crops and soils.

Satellite-mounted imager to detect fluoresces from crops

Agrotech, Company News, North America

Bayer and Microsoft provide ready-to-use capabilities available for businesses and organizations to license and use for their own internal or customer-facing digital solutions.

Following a 2021 strategic partnership announcement with Microsoft, Bayer launched new cloud-based solutions for the agri-food industry: AgPowered Services from Bayer in combination with the new Microsoft Azure Data Manager for Agriculture provide ready-to-use capabilities available for businesses and organizations from start-ups to global enterprises to license and use for their own internal or customer-facing digital solutions.

For example, companies that develop on-farm technologies can build on the new cloud infrastructure and core capabilities from Microsoft (Azure Data Manager for Agriculture) and license additional capabilities from Bayer (Bayer AgPowered Services) to build digital tools that support favorable agronomic outcomes for growers. Similarly, consumer goods companies can use the cloud offerings to build solutions that provide insight into nutrients, sustainability, and production practices to build trust with consumers, stakeholders and investors.

Azure Data Manager for Agriculture combines decades of Bayer’s agricultural expertise with Microsoft’s cloud solutions, advancing the industry through readymade capabilities and robust infrastructure that allow innovators to focus on differentiated value. After initial preview starting today allowing for customer exploration of both the Azure Data Manager and AgPowered Services, full commercial availability will be announced at a later date.

“Only innovation can ensure global food security while protecting the planet. Modern agriculture and food production generate a tremendous amount of valuable data that can drive productivity and sustainability,” said Dr Robert Reiter, Head of R&D for Bayer’s Crop Science Division. “However, this data is often disconnected, not useable throughout the value chain, and the costs to build digital solutions from scratch are high. Our new cloud-based solutions help overcome these challenges. Customers can use the infrastructure and capabilities to build their own digital solutions and products on top of the most robust collection of ag data in the world.”

These cloud offerings also support an ecosystem that allows for greater transparency along the whole food production value chain. This transparency, enabled through end-to-end interoperability, would make it easier for consumer goods companies to partner with growers based on how crops are raised and help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions based on origin practices. The potential to support sustainable agriculture and food production can ultimately benefit companies, farmers, consumers, and the planet.

Solutions built on Azure Data Manager can benefit farmers seeking to track disease, pest and weed pressure, apply precision inputs, identify crop growth and production patterns, measure potential yield, track and capture carbon emissions, and analyze heat stress impact, rainfall, hail and weather data. In addition to bringing the first AgPowered Services to the cloud offering, Bayer is using capabilities from Azure Data Manager to power insights in FieldView.

Using these cloud-based enterprise solutions, value chain partners will be able to apply insights into supply projections, sustainable sourcing, and ESG reporting. They will also be able to meet quickly changing consumer preferences for fresh, high-quality ingredients with data driven insights that allow for optimization of harvest, transport, and ripening processes as well as advanced traceability of food ingredients.

“This is an important step towards accelerating the impact of big data and agriculture. With high-quality data fueling insights, we expect to see a value chain that is more predictable, more transparent, and importantly, where value is shared all the way back to producers,” said Jeremy Williams, Head of Climate and Digital Farming at Bayer’s Crop Science Division.

Bayer and Microsoft provide ready-to-use capabilities available

AgroPolicy, India, R&D, Sustainability, World

The aim of this conference is to facilitate the development of a global ecosystem of partners from academia, industry, government, and multilateral and bilateral organisations

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the apex body for co-ordinating, guiding and managing research and the World Bank have come together to announce the first International Conference on ‘Blended Learning Ecosystem for Higher Education in Agriculture’ in India under the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP). The three-day event to be held from March 21-23 in New Delhi will be hosted by ICAR – IASRI (Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute), which is a multi-partner global forum to support collaboration for the development of a state-of-the-art blended education system for higher agricultural education.
 

The aim of this conference is to facilitate the development of a global ecosystem of partners from academia, industry, government, and multilateral and bilateral organisations who would provide critical insights towards the design and full-scale implementation of all aspects of the Resilient Agricultural Education System (RAES) under National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP), that is, learning management system, content repository, and system-wide capacity building. Apart from the engaging discussions the three-day event will also showcase an exhibition on the diverse range of services and offerings in the field of agriculture and blended learning.
 

The conference and exhibition will be inaugurated by Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. Various other ministries will also be participating along with other global leading institutions like AICTE, IIT and IRRI among others. Eminent speakers addressing the conference include Dr Himanshu Pathak, Secretary, Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE) and Director General (DG), ICAR, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, Dr R.C. Agrawal, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Education), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India and Dr Auguste Tano Kouame, Country Director, The World Bank among others.
 

Dr Himanshu Pathak, Secretary, Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE) and Director General (DG), ICAR, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, said, “According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the agriculture sector in India contributes 17-18 per cent of the Gross Value (GVA) added of the economy and employs more than 40 per cent of the workforce. Farmers are adopting new technologies to improve and monitor crop health and production. The true adoption of blended learning has immense potential and can unlock the agriculture economy to new heights.’’

The aim of this conference is to

AgroPolicy, India, Sustainability

Agriculture Minister addressed the conference on the ‘Dawn of a Plant-Based Age’ during the Aahaar exhibition

In order to deliberate on plant-based foods as an option for Food Security in the future, a conference was organised on the topic ‘Dawn of a Plant-Based Age’ during the ‘Aahaar’ exhibition organised at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Inaugurating the conference organised by the Plant Based Foods Industry Association (PBFIA), the Chief Guest, Narendra Singh Tomar Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said that plant-based foods, along with meeting the needs of the times, will create job opportunities and boost agriculture. It will also give strength to the Agriculture sector. In view of the challenges that agriculture is facing, a plant-based alternative diet is an important step.

Union Minister Tomar said that if we prepare the options that will be needed in the future, then we can avert any crisis in the coming times. We are well aware of the present and future challenges, Food Security is one of them. In the coming decades, India will complete the centenary of Independence, by that time the population will also increase, whereas due to the works like infrastructural development, the laying of new railway lines in large numbers, construction of world-class national highways for modern and developed India, we have to be prepared for the possible reduction in the area under cultivation.

There is a need to think from now on how much food we will need till the year 2050 and how much global demand will increase from us. In this direction, the Central Government is making all efforts at its level.

Agriculture Minister addressed the conference on the

Agrotech, Company News, India, Start ups

The rebrand is ahead of the company’s plan to launch the world’s largest fleet of commercial green on green AI spot spray robots in India by June 2023.

Bangalore based AgTech startup TartanSense, has rebranded as Niqo Robotics. The rebranding comes on the heels of the company launching their proprietary green on green AI spot spray robots in India. With a fleet size of 50, this will be the world’s largest commercial deployment of AI powered robotic sprayers. Niqo’s proprietary green on green tech leverages real time AI assisted computer vision to selectively spray chemicals on plants resulting in up to 60 per cent chemical and water savings.

Niqo Robotics seeks to challenge the status quo of conventional farming methods by pioneering an AI powered robotics revolution in agriculture. This revolutionary spirit of the company is strongly embodied in the new brand identity. The name Niqo is derived from the word “Nikolaos”, meaning Victory of the People. The victory flag in the logo is symbolic of the brand’s ambition to liberate the entire farming ecosystem from unreliable availability of labour and unsustainable farming practices. Niqo aims to do this through the scientific application of AI-powered robotics in all major farming activities like sowing, spraying, and harvesting.

As Niqo Robotics, the company’s mission is to make AI powered agricultural robots reliable as well as accessible. Staying true to this mission, Niqo Robotics has built their proprietary green on green AI spot spray tech stack to seamlessly integrate with existing agricultural sprayers in the market, making it truly accessible.

Speaking on the rebrand, Jaisimha Rao, CEO and Founder Niqo Robotics said “It has taken us many years of innovation, frugal engineering, and rigorous testing to cover the distance from lab to land. The rebrand couldn’t have come at a better time. As we get ready to launch the world’s largest fleet of green-on-green AI spot spray robots to market, we need a strong identity that can boldly carry us into this exciting future. The name Niqo represents our hunger to win in this challenging ecosystem of robotics and agriculture. We are especially proud that India is leading the way for commercialising AI powered spot spraying at scale”.

“Niqo unabashedly embodies our innovative thinking and revolutionary spirit. This is reflected in every aspect of the brand’s identity from the name to the logo, typeface, colours, voice, and a strong customer centric narrative. For example, Niqo typeface is custom designed, inspired by postmodern style and data visualisation systems. The sharpness and slight curves create contrast and a strong image. It is an ode to the intricate engineering that goes into building our robots. This is the steadfast foundation we need as we take our first steps as a consumer brand” said Arha Padman, Chief Marketing Officer, Niqo Robotics.

The rebrand is ahead of the company’s

Agrotech, Company News, Horticulture, India, Supply Chain

In addition to Italy and India, Desy apple variety is also being planted under license in Poland and Turkey.

IG International has clinched the rights to grow Desy, a new apple variety bred by Italian nursery consortium Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti (CIV). IG International’s Tarun Arora and CIV’s Pier Filippo Tagliani signed the licensing agreement at Fruit Logistica, with the pair underlining the bright prospects for the variety in India. In addition to Italy and India, Desy is also being planted under license in Poland and Turkey.

IG International is one of the top fresh fruit importers in India. The brand has created a reputation for itself in this niche market where it has been present for more than 50 years. The company has an organized, strategic sourcing system augmented by a seamless supply chain with a well-connected overseas procurement network. With more than 50 varieties.

Desy is a full colour red apple that’s crunchy, juicy and super sweet, according to CIV. It is also characterised by its ‘grower friendly’ qualities, with trees that are easy to manage, excellent yield and high disease tolerance, the breeder added.

“Desy has a striking appearance with 90 per cent red colour and a yellow background,” explained Tagliani. “It has an attractive regular shape, and the flesh is very sweet; the Brix level is 16 degrees at harvest, going up to 18 degrees after storage. The flesh is firm, juicy and crunchy, and it has excellent shelf life.”

One of the key benefits of the variety from a growing perspective is its disease tolerance, with resistance to apple scab and low susceptibility to powdery mildew, Tagliani added.Arora said IG will plant around 10ha of Desy in India as a trial, with plans to expand plantings to around 200ha in the coming years.

Desy is the first international apple variety IG has introduced to India, and Arora said the company had “complete confidence” in its attributes for both Indian consumers and growers. “One of the great things about it is the full colour – it’s highly marketable with the beautiful wrap around red colour.

“It’s also one of the finest varieties in terms of disease resistance. And from what we’ve seen in the trials in Bolzano and southern Italy, it performs consistently across growing regions. It’s a one-pick apple, so this also reduces the cost for us to go ahead and harvest.

“Another thing we’ve seen with this apple is that despite the high Brix, it has great storage qualities. It’s able to last even if you do not put it into controlled atmosphere storage – it still offers 12-month consistent marketability.”

In addition to Italy and India, Desy

Agrotech, Company News, Environment, Europe, Sustainability

Carbonomy helps farmers reach certain standards which allow them to earn carbon credits.

Hedonova, a Paris-based hedge fund, has announced its equity investment of $16 million in Carbonomy’s Series A funding round at a valuation of $130 million. Carbonomy is a firm that helps farms become sustainable and increase their revenues by earning carbon credits.

This investment aligns with Hedonova’s commitment to investing in innovative and socially responsible projects that deliver long-term value to their clients. Hedonova recognises that sustainability and environmental responsibility are critical for the success of any business, and they are proud to support Carbonomy’s efforts in promoting sustainable agriculture practices.

Carbonomy’s platform enables farms to earn carbon credits by adopting sustainable practices such as reducing the use of fertilisers and pesticides, improving soil health, and implementing renewable energy solutions. Carbonomy helps farmers reach certain standards which allow them to earn carbon credits. These credits can then be sold to companies and organisations that want to offset their carbon footprint and achieve their sustainability goals.

“We are excited to support Carbonomy’s mission to help farms become more sustainable and increase their revenue. This investment will be part of our agricultural portfolio and will be used to service our current and new agri investments by helping them earn carbon credits,” says Alexander Cavendish, CEO of Hedonova. “Their innovative approach to promoting sustainable agriculture practices aligns with our commitment to investing in socially responsible projects that deliver long-term value for our clients.”

Carbonomy’s platform has the potential to revolutionise the agricultural industry by promoting sustainable practices and creating new revenue streams for farmers. By supporting Carbonomy’s growth, Hedonova aims to contribute to the development of a sustainable and socially responsible business model that delivers long-term value for all stakeholders.

“We are thrilled to have the support of Hedonova in our mission to promote sustainable agriculture practices,” says Mark David Frank, CEO of Carbonomy. “This investment will enable us to expand our platform and reach more farmers, helping them to earn more revenue while adopting environmentally responsible practices.”

Carbonomy helps farmers reach certain standards which

Acquaculture, Agri Genomics, Agrotech, Foodgrains, India, Live Stock, Poultry, R&D

The companies have a multi-year collaboration to develop and commercialise soybean varieties that can create a potential new value stream opportunity for soybean farmers

Corteva Agriscience and Bunge announced significant advancements in the development of more nutritious soybean meals for the animal feed industry, specifically suited for poultry, swine and aqua feed. The companies have a multi-year collaboration to develop and commercialise soybean varieties that can create a potential new value stream opportunity for soybean farmers while giving feed compounders a new option to reduce their use of synthetic additives, lower costs, and shrink their carbon footprint.

Through this collaboration, Corteva is leveraging its expertise in germplasm, gene editing, and traits discovery to develop soybean varieties with greater protein content, optimised amino acid profiles, and lower levels of anti-nutritional factors. Early field trial research has confirmed Corteva’s approach to boosting protein levels and significantly increasing the proportion of the key amino acids methionine and lysine in the soybean while maintaining the high field and oil yields. 

“The future of food production hinges on developing new tools and technology to help farmers sustainably meet their production goals,” said Dr Tom Greene, VP, of Biotechnology, Corteva Agriscience. “Our collaboration with Bunge aligns with our commitment to sustainable innovation while supporting improved animal performance and greater value opportunities for livestock and row crop farmers. Our next step is to bring the higher-protein, enhanced-amino acid profile into a commercial soybean variety that offers the best value for soybean farmers.” 

Bunge will be the exclusive processor of the oilseed as well as an exclusive merchandiser of the high-value meal and oil, leveraging its deep farmer relationships and existing facilities to source the oilseed and deliver incremental value to farmers, feed compounders and animal protein producers.

Globally, sales of synthetic methionine and lysine for feed applications exceed $10 billion annually, and the market is expected to grow with underlying animal protein demand. 

“As a global leader in oilseed processing, we are uniquely positioned to leverage upstream and downstream partnerships with leading and innovative industry players to unlock value for our farmers and customers. We are very pleased by the early results of this collaboration with Corteva,” said Kaleb Belzer, VP of Protein Ingredients at Bunge. “Naturally over-expressing methionine and lysine will make soybean meal an even better ingredient for our feed customers, enabling them to significantly reduce or even eliminate the use of expensive synthetic additives and to cut the carbon emissions associated with those supply chains, which is multiples larger than that of soybean meal.” 

The companies have a multi-year collaboration to