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Acquaculture, Sustainability, World

Seafood Scotland, the trade and marketing body for Scotland’s seafood sector, will co-host the 2024 Responsible Seafood Summit

In conjunction with Seafood Scotland, the Global Seafood Alliance announced that the 23rd edition of its flagship event, the Responsible Seafood Summit, will be held at the Fairmont St. Andrews in historic St. Andrews on Scotland’s east coast from Oct. 21 to 24, 2024.

Seafood Scotland, the trade and marketing body for Scotland’s seafood sector, will co-host the 2024 Responsible Seafood Summit. At last year’s SEG, GSA and Seafood Scotland jointly announced that Scotland had won the bid. Seafood Scotland will work with the Scottish government and other seafood industry bodies to deliver the event along with GSA.

The Fairmont St. Andrews is Scotland’s largest conference facility, with more than 15,000 square feet of meeting space and 220 guest rooms. It is located just outside of the village of St. Andrews, which is known as the home of golf and is located only about 50 miles from Edinburgh.

This is the first time that the Summit will be held in Scotland or the United Kingdom. Since its inception in 2001, the Summit has been held in Europe three times – Madrid in 2008, Paris in 2013 and Dublin in 2017.

“Scottish seafood is highly prized in many key markets around the world and, having visited Scotland earlier this year, we already know that St. Andrews is a prime location for the 2024 Summit,” said Wally Stevens, GSA’s interim CEO. “Having spent the first two years post-pandemic in North America, we’re thrilled to be returning to Europe for our annual headline event and we’re expecting delegates from every corner of the globe to be in St. Andrews, particularly now that Asia has fully opened up.”

Mairi Gougeon, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, said, “The Responsible Seafood Summit is the largest international seafood business conference of its kind. The Summit provides a platform for the world’s seafood thought leaders to share knowledge and ideas and to participate in developing a healthy, responsible, global seafood community.”

Donna Fordyce, CEO of Seafood Scotland, added, “Scotland is one of the world’s most trusted seafood-producing countries thanks to our investment in quality, innovation and sustainability. We produce over 60 species of seafood and export to over 120 countries globally. Our industry spans world-class fish markets and expert processors to stunning sea loch farms and hand-dived shellfish. We will be ensuring our guests have an opportunity to experience the unrivalled seafood, latest innovations and sustainable best practices we can offer from Scotland.”

Seafood Scotland, the trade and marketing body

Agro Universities, Agrotech

The incubation facility at CFTRI aims to support and guide spices exporters and startups in developing innovative products and processes.

Spices Board India, under Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, and the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish incubation facilities for spices with the aim to support and guide spices exporters and startups in developing innovative products and processes.

The establishment of the incubation facility at CFTRI is expected to support new product and process development in spices, as well as foster innovations and technologies for value addition, potentially diversifying the spices export basket and standardising processes for innovative products. The initiative will provide Indian spices with new business and export opportunities.

The selected incubatees will receive support for up to 18 months, including office space, technical support, access to relevant equipment, laboratory facilities, resources, knowledge sources, etc.

The Board has devised a pilot scheme to assist incubatees with 90 percent of project costs up to a maximum of Rs 10 lakh per incubatee during the incubation period.

The horticulture sector faces many production challenges that stop it from realising its full potential, such as small operational landholdings, lack of irrigation and poor soil management.

The incubation facility at CFTRI aims to

India, Sugar industry, Sustainability

The downward revision has been made due to a fall in sugar output in Maharashtra to 105 lakh tonnes in 2022-23

Indian Sugar Mill Association (ISMA) has revised downwards the country’s sugar production estimate to 328 lakh tonnes for the current marketing year ending September, from an earlier projection of 340 lakh tonnes.

The downward revision has been made due to a fall in sugar output in Maharashtra to 105 lakh tonnes in the 2022-23 marketing year (October-September), from an earlier projection of 121 lakh tonnes.

In January, ISMA had projected an output of 340 lakh tonnes, after a diversion of 45 lakh tonnes towards ethanol.

Sugar production in 2021-22 stood at 358 lakh tonnes post diversion towards ethanol.

In Uttar Pradesh, the sugar production for 2022-23 has been revised upward to 105 lakh tonnes from 101 lakh tonnes projected earlier.

In Karnataka also, the output is likely to increase to 57 lakh tonnes in 2022-23 from 56 lakh tonnes estimated earlier.

ISMA had earlier this month, said that sugar production fell 6 per cent to 311 lakh tonnes till April 15 of the 2022-23 marketing year ending September, mainly due to lower output in Maharashtra.

The downward revision has been made due

Agrotech, Company News, Horticulture, India

To create a collaborative ecosystem to unlock the potential of the horticulture segment.

Bayer, a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of agriculture and healthcare organized a National seminar “India Horticulture Future Forum 2023” yesterday, to deliberate upon the future of Indian Horticulture and nutrition security concerns that can be alleviated through the Fruits and Vegetables segment. In this one of its kind events, the spotlight was on the challenges, opportunities, and advancements of the segment from the lens of empowering the smallholders for better economic prospects. The event involved presentations as well as panel discussions on effective policies, schemes, implementation models, and programs aimed at boosting the sector’s competitiveness and growth. The event was attended by senior policymakers, regulators, researchers, academicians, subject matter experts, corporates from across the value chain and representatives of financial institutions and importing countries.

The India Horticulture Future Forum 2023 held insightful sessions with an India-centric perspective, discussing development opportunities in the sector. The event featured several engaging sessions, including “AgTech Revolution focusing on Horticulture,” “Fruits and Vegetables for Better Health and Nutrition,” “Export Opportunity for India in Horticulture,” and “Insights into Policy Developments and Key Regulations.”

All these key pillars were deliberated upon by the experts with the aim to create diverse workstreams to address the key concerns and opportunities for the sustainable growth of the segment. Grant Thornton Bharat LLP served as the Knowledge Partner for this event and will be facilitating these task forces along with Bayer.

In a special message read out during the event, Narendra Tomar,Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India said, “The country has today graduated from largely targeting food security issues to nutritional security issues. In this setting, horticulture production is the key to address both the challenges.”

Speaking at the conference, D Narain, President, South Asia, and Global Head of Smallholder Farming, said, “India will witness a threefold jump in demand and consumption of horticultural crops within the next decade apart from the opportunities associated with global exports. In this context, the India Horticulture Future Forum is an effort to create a collaborative ecosystem to fully harness the potential of the horticulture segment from a macro lens of nutritional security and national economic growth while at the grassroots level, positively impacting the incomes and livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers”.

Professor V. Padmanand, Partner, Grant Thornton LLP, said “Strengthening the horticulture value chain will involve interventions in the production, post-harvest and processing infrastructure and marketing and logistics space. Team Grant Thornton has been working extensively on these areas with the government, private stakeholders, farmers as well as global development partners. The need of the hour is to upscale best practices and models countrywide through synergized joint action.”

At the seminar, experts discussed urgent steps required to integrate and revamp the horticulture production and value chain system, promote healthier and more nutritious foods, and improve farmers’ income.

To create a collaborative ecosystem to unlock

Agrotech, Company News, Finance, India, Schemes - Banks, Start ups, Warehousing

With this partnership, Arya.ag, will further its mission to drive financial inclusion for farmers and FPOs and offer loans.

Arya.ag, India’s largest and only profitable grain commerce platform at scale, has announced a strategic partnership with Shivalik Small Finance Bank – a scheduled commercial bank in India. With this business correspondent model partnership, Arya.ag, will further its mission to drive financial inclusion for farmers and FPOs and offer loans through Shivalik Small Finance Bank under Warehouse Receipt Finance.

To bridge the trust deficit in the ecosystem, Arya.ag partners with various financial institutions to offer loans to small and marginal farmers including women, who fall out of the consideration of formal banking.

“We at Arya.ag are thrilled to announce our partnership with Shivalik Small Finance Bank. Shivalik Small Finance Bank’s innovative technology-focused vision and their dedication to serving smallholder farmers perfectly align with our core objective of building trust and transparency in the agricultural value chain. Our collaboration will not only strengthen our ability to promote equitable growth in agriculture but also offer more opportunities for the smallest stakeholders to access financial resources and drive positive change in the industry” said Anand Chandra, Co-founder of Arya.ag, regarding the partnership.

“In line with our vision to focus on small and underserved segments through the delivery of digitally focused, affordable products and differentiated customer experience, partnership with Arya.ag will enable us to stay connected with the farmers directly. Arya.ag’s digitized processes, AI enabled systems and customized solutions it offers us the additional layer of professional assurance we require at all levels.” said Anshul Swami, MD & CEO Shivalik Small Finance Bank.

In today’s landscape, the adoption of high-tech banking capabilities is more crucial than ever to meet the needs of a rapidly changing industry and diverse borrower base.  Alliances like these enable ease of business for seamless lending processes, more efficient operations for end-users, and create new opportunities for digital engagement.

With this partnership, Arya.ag, will further its

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, Supply Chain, Sustainability

A quantity of 354 LMT of rice has been procured

During the ongoing Rabi Marketing Season (RMS), 195 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of wheat have been procured surpassing procurement done in 2022-23. This has largely benefited the farmers. In RMS 2022-23, the procurement was 188 LMT.
 
MSP outflow of about 41 thousand 148 crores has already been made to about 14.96 lakh farmers during the ongoing wheat procurement operations. Major contribution in the procurement has come from three wheat-procuring States of Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.
One of the major factors, contributing to the progressive procurement this year, is the grant of relaxation by the Government in quality specifications of wheat being procured, in view of untimely rains leading to lustre loss. This will reduce the hardship of farmers and check any distressed sales.
The Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry said, rice procurement is also progressing smoothly. A quantity of 354 LMT of rice has been procured till now.

In addition, rice procurement is also progressing smoothly. A quantity of 354 LMT of rice has been procured till 26.04.2023 during the Kharif crop of KMS 2022-23 with another 140 LMT yet to be procured. Further, a quantity of 106 LMT rice has been estimated to be procured during the Rabi crop of KMS 2022-23.

The combined stock position of wheat and rice in the Central Pool has surpassed 510 LMT which puts the country in a comfortable position to meet its requirements of food grains. With the ongoing procurement of wheat and rice, the food grains stock levels are on the rise in Government granaries.

A quantity of 354 LMT of rice

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Sustainability

He emphasised taking technology like micro-irrigation to the maximum number of farmers while saving water

Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare inaugurated the Summit on Farm Machinery Technology, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Tractor and Mechanisation Association (TMA). Tomar said that there are about 85 per cent of small farmers in the country, who should get the benefit of technology & machinery. An amount of Rs.6120.85 crore has been released to the states from 2014-15 to 2022-23 for various activities like training, testing, setting up of CHCs, hi-tech hubs and Farm Machinery Banks (FMBs) under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM). Besides 15.24 lakh farm machinery and equipment have been distributed at subsidised rates through state governments, including tractors, power tillers and automated machinery.

Tomar said that agriculture is a priority of the country and no one could destroy the fabric of our agriculture-based rural economy even in adverse circumstances. In terms of agricultural products, India stands at Number One or Second rank in the world today, which is a result of the hard work of the farmers, the contribution of scientists and industry, and the farmer-friendly policies of the government with the support of technology.

Farmers’ access to the market has also been increased through e-NAM mandis and the gaps in the agriculture sector are being filled up, for which more than Rs 1.5 lakh crore packages have been earmarked for Agriculture and Allied sectors. He emphasised on taking technology like micro-irrigation to the maximum number of farmers while saving water.

He emphasised taking technology like micro-irrigation to

Acquaculture, Sustainability, World

For the fourth consecutive year, Kvarøy Arctic is continuing a global scholarship program for women

Norwegian salmon producer Kvarøy Arctic is inviting applications for its fourth global women in the aquaculture scholarship programme.

Launched in 2020, the scholarship’s objective is to educate women about the future of food systems and the significance of sustainable aquaculture within them. Since the beginning of the program, over 1,000 women from more than 55 countries have applied for scholarships.

To ensure fair evaluation, we invited women who are already transforming the state of aquaculture to join the scholarship committee. Julie Kuchepatov from Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE), together with Kvarøy Arctic’s management team, oversee the annual scholarship.

“For three years, SAGE has proudly supported Kvaroy Arctic’s Women in Aquaculture scholarship program, and we are excited to continue this effort in 2023. We cannot overstate the importance of this program which helps to usher in the next generation of women who are ready, willing, and able to lead the aquaculture sector into a bright, blue future,” explains Julie Kuchepatov who founded the non-profit initiative Seafood and Gender Equality with the goal to work towards a more diverse, inclusive, ethical, and sustainable seafood industry.

“Empowering women in aquaculture is not just a moral imperative, it’s an economic one too. By providing women with the tools and resources they need to thrive in this industry, we can unlock untapped potential and drive sustainable growth for our communities. Let’s break down the barriers and ensure that every woman has the opportunity to make a splash in aquaculture!”, shares Jennifer Bushman, Marketing Director at Kvarøy Arctic. 

Kvarøy Arctic is committed to promoting gender equity in the seafood production sector by investing in women’s education and research. With a focus on preparing women for leadership positions, the company’s program aims to break down barriers and create equal opportunities for women pursuing careers in aquaculture. By empowering women to participate in decision-making processes, Kvarøy Arctic is working towards eliminating gender boundaries and fostering a more diverse and inclusive industry.

For the fourth consecutive year, Kvarøy Arctic

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, India, Sustainability

The report presents a set of good and innovative practices adopted by state governments and organisations in various aspects of the millet value- chain

NITI Aayog released a report titled Promoting Millets in Diets: Best Practices across States/UTs of India. The report was released by Suman K. Bery, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman in the presence of Member (Health) Dr V.K. Paul, Member (Agriculture) Dr Ramesh Chand and CEO B. V. R. Subrahmanyam.

The report presents a set of good and innovative practices adopted by state governments and organisations in various aspects of the millet value- chain, especially production, processing and consumption. The report in three themes i.e. (a) State Missions and initiatives to promote millets; (b) Inclusion of millets in ICDS; (c) Research and development and use of technology for innovative practices. The report will serve as a guiding repository to revive and mainstream millets in our diets.

Speaking on the occasion, Suman K. Bery, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman said, “The release of the publication is very timely. Prime Minister has provided strategic leadership in raising the importance of millets. Slowly, there have been shifts in diets which is linked to environmental sustainability and health impacts and people are now beginning to appreciate the medicinal, nutritional and anti-inflammatory value of millets. As a way forward, we need to leverage the power of branding and marketing to popularise millet as a superfood and make it fashionable”.

Dr V.K. Paul, Member NITI Aayog said, “Millets are nutritionally wholesome crops. Having a document of this nature is vital as it will give confidence to people and those engaged in millets who look at data, evidence and practices to mainstream millets in our diets and systems”.

The report presents a set of good

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Fertilizers, AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, Sustainability

IFFCO has commissioned three urea plants in a single year

Amit Shah, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation launched IFFCO Nano DAP (Liquid) in New Delhi. Several dignitaries including the Secretary of, the Ministry of Cooperation, Gyanesh Kumar, and the Chairman, of IFFCO, Dilip Sanghani were present on the occasion.

In his address, Amit Shah said that the launch of the IFFCO Nano DAP (Liquid) product is an important beginning to making India self-reliant in the field of fertilisers. He said that this effort of IFFCO is an inspiration for all the national cooperatives to research and venture into new areas. The launch of the IFFCO Nano DAP (Liquid) product will bring a paradigm shift in the agriculture sector of India, it will make farmers prosperous and India self-reliant in the field of production and fertiliser. Shah said that the use of liquid DAP, through spraying on the plant, will help increase both the quality and quantity of production as well as the conservation of the land. This will contribute a lot to restoring the fertility of the land and will reduce the threat to the health of crores of Indians caused by chemical fertilisers.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Minister Amit Shah appealed to farmers to use more effective liquid Nano Urea and DAP instead of granular urea and DAP. He said that the use of granular urea damages the land as well as the crop and the health of the people. He said that farmers have the maximum capacity to accept any new changes.  The effect of one bottle of 500 ml on the crop is equivalent to that of a 45 kg bag of granular urea.

Amit Shah said that 384 lakh metric tonnes of fertiliser are produced in the country, out of which cooperative societies produced 132 lakh metric tonnes. Out of this 132 Lakh metric tonnes of fertiliser, IFFCO has produced 90 Lakh metric tonnes. He said that cooperative societies like IFFCO and KRIBHCO have a huge contribution to India’s self-reliance in the fields of fertiliser, milk production and marketing. Shah said that instead of mass production, the main mantra of cooperation is mass production by the masses. It was believed that this mantra could not be successful after the decade of 1970-80, but, many cooperative societies like IFFCO and KRIBHCO have followed this mantra. Along with their professionalism in every field of cooperation, research, capacity and capability, they have kept the spirit of co-operative alive and have implemented it on the ground. He said that the biggest example and success story of a cooperative is that if today IFFCO earns Rupee 1, after the deduction of income tax, 80 paise goes directly to the farmers.

In this series, the cooperative society IFFCO has commissioned three urea plants in a single year.

IFFCO has commissioned three urea plants in

Agrotech, Animal Health, Company News, Sustainability, World

The device is helpful for farmers and ranchers who must ensure that their livestock has access to fresh water at all times

LoneStar Tracking announces the release of its satellite water tank monitoring system. The device operates anywhere on the globe. Four water level measurements are taken each day. The device is helpful for farmers and ranchers who must ensure that their livestock has access to fresh water at all times. In addition, the software notifies the rancher if the water level drops below a certain point. Therefore, to check the water level, travelling to individual water trough locations is unnecessary.

The company was founded in 2016 by Thomas Remmert and Ryan Kelley. It has grown steadily over the years, expanding its product line and service offerings to meet the evolving needs of its customers. Today, the company offers a comprehensive suite of GPS tracking solutions for animals, livestock, wildlife, and equipment. The company provides automated tank monitoring, tank level sensor, electric fence monitoring, and temperature/humidity monitoring.

Thomas Remmert explained, “Precision agriculture technologies like satellite water tank monitoring systems are revolutionising how we farm, enabling us to use water and other resources more efficiently, increase our crop yields and quality, and reduce costs. In today’s world, it’s essential for farmers and ranchers to adopt modern technologies to stay competitive and sustainable.”

LoneStar Trucking is a leading provider of GPS tracking solutions and automated monitoring solutions for businesses, organisations, and individuals across the globe. LoneStar Tracking has established itself as a trusted partner for clients in various industries, focusing on reliability, accuracy, and user-friendly technology.

Reliable and accurate data is essential to making informed decisions in today’s fast-paced business environment. That’s why LoneStar Tracking is committed to providing customers with the highest quality IoT solutions. The products are designed to be easy to use and integrate seamlessly with existing systems, giving clients the data they need to optimise their operations, reduce costs, and improve their bottom line.

The device is helpful for farmers and

Agrotech, Company News, Europe, R&D, Seeds

A new greenhouse and office space are under construction for the soft fruit breeding program to use as an extension of Rijk Zwaan’s Dinteloord facility.

Rijk Zwaan announced the launch of a new breeding program for soft fruits according to a release. This program will include strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. The official start was noted by breaking ground on a new greenhouse at Rijk Zwaan’s facility in Dinteloord, the Netherlands.

“Soft fruit is traditionally propagated vegetatively rather than from seeds,” said breeding manager Pieter Egelmeers. “We are focusing on both in our breeding program. Building on our knowledge of research, breeding and seed production, we hope to bring new and innovative strawberry, blackberry and raspberry varieties to the market that will of course add value for growers and other chain partners.”

“We are still at the very beginning of our soft fruit breeding program, so it is too early to say when Rijk Zwaan’s first soft fruit varieties will be ready to market,” said Egelmeers, adding that it takes an average of six to 16 years to breed new varieties.

A new greenhouse and office space are under construction for the soft fruit breeding program to use as an extension of Rijk Zwaan’s Dinteloord facility. Construction work began onsite in April and is expected to be completed in 2024.

A new greenhouse and office space are

Company News, Finance, India, Organic, Start ups

The funding will be used to expand TBOF’s manufacturing capacity, construct farmer training centres and expand its domestic and international business.

Two Brothers Organic Farms (TBOF), a producer of natural and organic farming products announced the successful completion of its pre-Series A funding round of Rs 14.5 crores. The pre-series A will set the base for Series A and the funding will be used to expand TBOF’s manufacturing capacity, construct farmer training centres and expand its domestic and international business. Additionally, the investment will help empower farmers, create more employment opportunities for women in villages and enhance rural livelihoods.

TBOF is founded by Satyajit Hange and Ajinkya Hange, two brothers from Bhodani, Pune, the Farmer’s Sons who quit their careers as bankers to start their organic farm. They have launched several initiatives to create awareness among farmers on the importance of organic farming. In the past few years, Satyajit and Ajinkya have trained more than 16,000 farmers in sustainable farming.

Leading Bollywood Actor, Akshay Kumar, who is dedicated to health and wellness, invested in TBOF due to the company’s strong emphasis on producing healthy organic food and developing the rural sector. Virender Sehwag, India’s Cricketing Legend, post visiting TBOF’s farms was inspired by TBOF’s strong commitment towards creating a positive impact on the farming community, and the health of the society and hence decided to invest.

The funding will be used to expand

Acquaculture, Europe, Japan, Sustainability, Trade, World

North America, Europe, and Japan have confirmed their participation

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP) are hosting ASC Shrimp Summit on June 12-14, 2023. This year, shrimp buyers from all three major and promising export markets of Ecuador – North America, Europe, and Japan – have confirmed their participation.

“Connecting the marketplace to the producers is a vital part of our work at ASC in promoting ASC-certified shrimp and demonstrating how responsible aquaculture production works. We are very excited to bring major retailers from Japan to Ecuador, which is an important supplier to this market for high-quality shrimp,” Koji Yamamoto, ASC General Manager in Japan, said.

“In the previous edition of the ASC Shrimp Summit, our esteemed North American guests explored the world of Ecuadorian shrimp. They experienced the commitments of SSP producers that embrace the best practices with the highest quality and social and environmental responsibility, complying with ASC label requirements, and with a special focus on zero use of antibiotics, neutral impact on water and full traceability. Their findings confirmed why Ecuador is the leading producer and exporter of shrimp in the world. This year, we are excited to expand this encounter to Europe and Asia, enabling more representatives from our three main markets to witness firsthand the exceptional efforts of our industry,” Pamela Nath, Director of the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership, said.

Ecuador is the world’s leading shrimp producer and exporter of Pacific white shrimp (P. vannamei), supplying all major shrimp markets such as Europe, China and the US. In 2022, Ecuador exported more than 1 million MT of shrimp, reaching 66 countries, and adding $6.7 billion in exports. Ecuador also accounts for approximately 40 per cent of available ASC-certified shrimp in the world.

A packed and exciting agenda awaits the participants of the ASC Shrimp Summit in Guayaquil. During the visit, participants will tour ASC-certified farms and processing plants to see firsthand what responsible aquaculture production looks like. The tour also includes a visit to a feed mill, an important aspect of responsible seafood farming, which is now covered by the ASC Feed Standard.

North America, Europe, and Japan have confirmed