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Award, Environment, R&D, Sustainability, World

The winning research institute or university will receive a three-year funding package to support a dedicated junior research team

Synthos has announced the launch of its first international research award for scientists pursuing PhDs in sustainable synthetic rubber, specialised high-performance elastomers and/or tire compounds.


The Synthos Rubber Circularity Award aims to encourage innovative ideas and solutions, leading to the development of a breakthrough technology platform that will significantly improve the environmental performance of synthetic rubber-based tire compounds while supporting the sustainability objectives of the global automotive and tire sectors.
Dr Malte Wohlfahrt, Research & Development Director, Synthetic Rubber, emphasised the significance of the new award, stating, “This global competition will allow us to foster cutting-edge technologies, ultimately driving us towards our goal of achieving 100 per cent green products by 2030. We take great pride in our diverse group of exceptional and talented scientists that make up the Synthos Rubber R&D Center, based in Schkopau, Germany and Oswiecim, Poland, and we eagerly look forward to expanding our horizons by collaborating with a junior research group from anywhere in the world.”


He added, “By nurturing innovation through partnerships with the brightest minds in scientific research, we will bring invaluable skills and expertise to our company and continue to play a pivotal role in advancing the development of greener tire materials.”
The winning research institute or university will receive a three-year funding package to support a dedicated junior research team. Applicants must submit their proposals by August 31, and finalists will be invited to present their ideas at a special event in Schkopau, Germany, on October 11, 2023.

The winning research institute or university will

Agrotech, Company News, Live Stock, Poultry, Sustainability, World

The mobile coops for sale on the website are designed for easy assembly, cleaning, and maintenance

Happy Farmer offers an extensive range of premium quality aluminium commercial chicken coops that can also be used for ducks, turkeys or ducks as well as a line of chicken tractors for backyard chicken enthusiasts. Their mobile coops are available on their website, https://www.happyfarmer.store/, and are meticulously crafted to cater to the unique needs of both small and large-scale poultry farmers. With durability, functionality, and the welfare of the birds in mind, Happy Farmer provides a healthy solution for a thriving poultry business.

The mobile coops for sale on the website are designed for easy assembly, cleaning, and maintenance. They feature top-quality materials to ensure longevity, predator protection, and optimal ventilation for healthy and happy birds. The aluminium mobile coop line is easy to move to give chickens fresh pasture every day. Happy Farmer’s coops also come in various sizes and configurations, allowing farmers to choose the ideal solution for their specific requirements.

At Happy Farmer, the mission goes beyond providing exceptional coops. They are excited to enable a community of homesteaders and farmers to raise healthy poultry and produce nutrient-rich eggs. The founders, Daniel and Chris, bring their unique perspectives to the company, from Daniel’s hands-on experience in Belize to Chris’s marketing expertise and background on a dairy farm. Together, they are building a brand that truly reflects the values of the homesteading and farming communities.

The mobile coops for sale on the website are

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

India shows an overall increase to farm cash flows of 36 per cent using SMART Seeder MINI-MAX™ comprised of 19 per cent reduction in cost per acre.

Clean Seed Capital Group Ltd.  is pleased to announce the results of our input reduction and yield results from this seasons’ harvest at our proving grounds in India in collaboration with our partners, Northern Mega Farmers FPO and University of Chandigarh.   

The results from utilising the SMART Seeder MINI-MAX™ in a side-by-side comparison to the most current and most utilised seeding equipment available in India shows an overall increase to farm cash flows of 36 per cent using SMART Seeder MINI-MAX™ comprised of 19 per cent reduction in cost per acre; 26 per cent increase in per acre crop yield; 67 per cent reduction of chemical fertilizer use, and 67 per cent reduction of diesel consumption.   

The results and related harvest are receiving significant attention from the farming community, our partners and regional news. We believe this positive outcome will accelerate interest in India to adopt MINI-MAX™ technology throughout its regions, which can then positively impact adoption in additional countries thereafter.

Graeme Lempriere, Chairman & CEO said “Our mandate with MINI-MAX™ in India was to demonstrate the scalability of our technology portfolio, from our North American SMART Seeder MAX™ Series 60, into a compact design for additional international markets. We are proud to have confirmed with our partners in India that MINI-MAX™ produced benefits consistent with those of the SMART Seeder MAX™ here in North America as we move closer to a definitive agreement to mass produce the MINI-MAX™ for the Indian market and other international opportunities.”

Clean Seed’s SMART Seeder MAX™ technologies are revolutionary seeding tools that utilise the unique synergy of sophisticated electronic metering and intuitive software control putting row-by-row variable rate technology at the forefront of agricultural innovation.  Our innovations create a new class of highly accurate seeding equipment designed specifically for today’s farmer.

India shows an overall increase to farm

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Pesticides, AgroPolicy, Company News, India, Sustainability

Crop-specific SOPs issue for use of pesticides with farming drones

The book titled ‘Machinery for Millets Production, Processing & Value Addition’ released

Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare released Crop Specific ‘Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Application of Pesticides with Drones’ in the public domain for the guidance of farmers and other stakeholders. Tomar also released a booklet titled ‘Machinery for Millets Production, Processing and Value Addition’. On this occasion, Tomar said that agriculture is our priority, so whether it is research or initiating schemes, the first priority of the government is to promote agriculture and improve the financial condition of the farmers. There are many challenges in the Agriculture sector. To retain the farmers, attract the new generation and increase the remuneration of the farmers by reducing the cost of production. For this, technical support in the agriculture sector is very important, the government is making continuous efforts in this direction.

Under the Agricultural Mechanization Sub-Mission, ICAR institutes, KVKs, SAUs, other State/Central Government Agricultural Institutes and Government of India PSUs engaged in agricultural activities are provided financial assistance at the rate of 100 per cent of the drone cost (up to Rs. 10 lacks per drone) besides Contingent Expenses for the purpose of demonstration of drones in the farmers’ fields. FPOs are given grant-in-aid at the rate of 75 per cent for the purchase of drones for a demonstration on farmers’ fields. For the purpose of providing agricultural services through the use of drones, financial assistance is given at the rate of 40 per cent of the original cost of the drone by CHCs to Farmers Cooperative Society, FPOs and Rural Entrepreneurs for the purchase of drones, subject to a maximum of Rs.4 lakh. Agricultural Graduates setting up CHCs are provided financial assistance up to Rs. 5 lacks at the rate of 50 per cent of the cost of drones. Individual small and marginal farmers, SC-ST farmers, women farmers and farmers of North-Eastern states will also get 50 per cent of the cost of the drone subject to a maximum of Rs 5 lakh while other farmers are eligible for assistance at 40 per cent of the cost of the drone, subject to a maximum of Rs. 4 lakhs.

Crop-specific SOPs issue for use of pesticides

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Fertilizers, Agro chems – Pesticides, Agrotech, Company News, India

The company estimates that this hi-tech plant can annually output nearly Rs 250 crores worth of proprietary technical grade material.

Nichino India, a leading agrochemical company, has announced the inauguration of a new manufacturing plant in Humnabad. It was inaugurated by its Global President Hiroyuki Iwata San along with other key company representatives of Japan & India.  

The plant features multipurpose facilities for the production of insecticides, fungicides, intermediates, and formulations. The company estimates that this hi-tech plant can annually output nearly 250 crores worth of proprietary technical grade material. The plant is designed to be extremely safe to the environment with specialities like dedicated acid recovery systems, dust-free blocks, dedicated Nauta dryers, Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) systems, etc.

One of the recent innovations by Nichino India is the development of a new active ingredient Benzpyrimoxan (BPX) after 10 years of research. Orchestra® is a brand-new Japanese technology for effective BPH management that has a different mode of action and a safe toxicology profile, meaning it does not impact the lives of beneficial insects or non-target organisms. BPX works through a novel and unique mode of action called Ecdysone Titer Disruptor, and it has a long residual activity, i.e., it protects crops for an extended period after application.

Orchestra® is part of the “Make in India” initiative launched by the Government of India to promote domestic manufacturing. Developed through joint research between the company in Japan and India, it is the culmination of Japanese technology and Indian intelligence and will be available on the Japanese and Indian markets. Nichino India is excited to bring this new age of technological development to India, which has already shown impressive results with around 2 lakh satisfied farmers, and counting.

The inauguration of the new manufacturing plant is a significant milestone for Nichino India as the company continues to grow and expand in India.

The company estimates that this hi-tech plant

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, Finance, India

 The company will also invest to enhance manufacturing capabilities and create backward integration in its manufacturing process.

Best Agrolife Ltd., India’s leading agrochemicals manufacturer, has announced its medium to long-term target to gain 15-20 per cent market share. The company is also enhancing its manufacturing capabilities through ‘brown field’ and ‘green field’ capex plans.

Besides, the company is also seeking 25-30 per cent growth in revenue by increasing the share of the Formulation Business and B2C segment. This will also ensure consistency in healthy EBITDA delivery, offering a better return on equity. Additionally, the company is spreading its footholds in the overseas markets in FY 23-24 to replicate its domestic success story with selective offerings, ensuring sustainable and healthy profit margins.

“Best Agro is working proactively to maintain its leadership position. The investment plans aim to build the company’s manufacturing capabilities, create backward integration in its manufacturing process, and improvise gross margin and working capital management. Along with investments, we believe that schemes such as ‘Make in India’, and production-linked incentives (PLI) will boost domestic production, leading to the sector’s and the company’s growth. We are also expanding our footholds in the overseas markets,” says Vimal Alawadhi, MD, Best Agrolife Ltd.

The company is also optimistic about the long-term benefits of simplifying the export registration process, reducing trade barriers, and improving focus on bilateral trade agreements to enhance revenue generation through exports.

 The company will also invest to enhance

Company News, Finance, Horticulture, India, Schemes - Govt, Supply Chain, Sustainability

Innoterra received the cluster development program grant at the National Conference India Cold Chain Conclave in New Delhi, India

The Swiss-Indian agri-tech platform company, Innoterra, announced that it has won the prestigious grant award of $6.3 million from the National Horticulture Board (NHB), Government of India.

The grant award letter was presented to Dr Anup Karwa, Director of Input Marketplace. The selection process was steered by national agencies. It involved several rigorous review rounds with senior authorities from NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) and ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) and took 7 months to complete. The grant is given to Innoterra for a 4-year tenure project to strengthen the banana cultivation supply chains in the Anantapur cluster in Andhra Pradesh, India (AP). During the occasion, Innoterra received high praise for its track record in perishables in India.

Speaking about the award, Dr Anup Karwa said, “We are honoured to receive this prestigious grant from the Government of India. This win is a testimony to Innoterra’s strong and growing market position in the agri-space in India. The grant mandates us to strengthen various facets of our supply chain from pre-production and post-harvest to logistics & marketing that will benefit many smallholder farmers in the coming years.”

The Company’s nutrition business comprising perishables, non-perishables, dairy and cattle feed is a foundation and springboard for the platform business. Launched in April 2022, Innoterra’s platform connects the agricultural value chain with two powerful digital orchestration marketplaces. The input marketplace provides farmers with access to farm inputs and the output marketplace connects smallholder farmer households with retailers for offtake. Recently, Innoterra crossed the milestone of onboarding 327,300+ farmer households and 12,500+ retailers on its platform.

Innoterra received the cluster development program grant

Agrotech, Company News, Sustainability

Ayana Bio’s lemon balm and echinacea are non-GMO plant powders with standardised hallmark bioactive compositions

Ayana Bio, the plant cell technology company announced the first-ever launch of plant cell-cultivated lemon balm and echinacea health and wellness ingredients, starting with the U.S. market. These products have the bioactive composition of conventionally grown botanicals and can directly replace lemon balm and echinacea in dietary supplement formulations for sleep, mood and immune support.  

Ayana Bio’s products are produced using plant cell cultivation technology, a means to create plant materials without growing plants in the ground. The process begins by identifying the best plant cell lines—similar to traditional plant breeding. These plant cells are propagated from authenticated plants and are assessed to identify the ideal line for important characteristics like bioactive potency, composition and stability. Ayana Bio further optimises the conditions and nutrients the plant cells need to grow and multiply. Unlike some plants that take years to grow and mature in the ground, plant cells are fully propagated and harvested as an ingredient in just a few weeks.

Ayana Bio’s lemon balm and echinacea are non-GMO plant powders with standardised hallmark bioactive compositions. These bioactive-rich ingredients were created as alternatives to overcome the supply challenges of agriculturally derived lemon balm and echinacea. Lemon balm supports sleep and mood, and echinacea offers immune benefits, but both can face harvesting issues like adulteration, pesticides, contamination, inconsistent quality, seasonal weather variation, infection and limitation of active metabolites.

“The dietary supplement industry is in desperate need of bioactive that are traceable and more sustainable,” said Frank Jaksch, chief executive officer of Ayana Bio. “Bringing plant cell-derived health and wellness ingredients to these markets will help CPGs access the full spectrum of the bioactive characteristic of these plants without the supply chain challenges. Consumers are seeking out products for healthier lifestyles and a healthier planet.”

Plant cell cultivation avoids traditional production challenges while yielding the identical molecular composition and the same health and wellness benefits as agricultural counterparts – and can be tailored to even higher concentrations of bioactive. These plant cell-derived ingredients are DNA-fingerprint certified and clean label, with standardised phytocomplex, increased bioavailability, full traceability and a neutral taste and colour.

“Agricultural limitations have long been a hurdle in harvesting our most beneficial ingredients,” said Effendi Leonard, chief technology officer of Ayana Bio. “Plant cell technology is creating a sustainable future of standardised botanical ingredients as CPG companies partner with innovative companies to incorporate clean label bioactive across their product lines. We’re proud to be the first to commercialise the products of this technology for health and wellness in these key markets.”

Ayana Bio's lemon balm and echinacea are non-GMO

Agrotech, Biofuel industry, Environment, India, Sugar industry, Sustainability

India is currently chairing the CEM along with G-20 and will soon be launching the historic Global Biofuels Alliance officially

Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) has joined the BioFuture Campaign, a global initiative launched by the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) to promote sustainable bioenergy development and deployment in India. India is currently chairing the CEM along with G-20 and will soon be launching the historic Global Biofuels Alliance officially through the platform.

As the premier sugar organisation in India, ISMA serves as the primary interface between the government and private sugar mills in the country. The association has been at the forefront of India’s national ethanol blending program, which aims to reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels and promote the use of sustainable biofuels. Due to the efforts of the industry, India has been able to reach 10 per cent blending in record time and will be crossing 20 per cent by 2025.

ISMA’s commitment towards sustainability and the sugar industry’s phenomenal contribution to India’s biofuel program has already become a globally acknowledged success story. With the tremendous potential for sugarcane to produce bioenergy, the industry has become the forerunner in implementing India’s energy transition to a cleaner future. ISMA remains committed to lowering India’s carbon footprint and is already expanding the sugar energy matrix to include ethanol, Compressed Bio Gas (CBG), Green Hydrogen, and Green Methanol.

India is currently chairing the CEM along

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Environment, India, R&D, Sustainability

The discussions were focused on Innovations and Technological Interventions for Agri-Food Systems Transformation

The Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) of G20 nations on ‘Sustainable Agriculture and Food System for Healthy People and Planet’ concluded successfully at Varanasi.

General Dr V K Singh (Retd.), Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Road Transport and Highways inaugurated the meeting on 17th April.

About 80 delegates from the G20 Member States; Invited Guest Countries and International Organisations participated in the meeting.

Dr Himanshu Pathak, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) chaired the meeting for three days (17-19 April 2023).

The discussions were focused on Innovations and Technological Interventions for Agri-Food Systems Transformation, Frontiers in Science and Technology for Achieving Food Security & Nutrition, Biofortification in Food Crops for Enhancing Nutritional Value, Tropical Seaweed Farming for nutrition and blue growth, Millets And otHer Ancient Grains International Research Initiative (MAHARISHI), One Health as an Integrated and Unifying Approach: Partnerships and strategies for coordinated action, Transboundary Pests and Diseases: R&D Priorities for resilient agri-food systems, Climate Resilient Technologies and Innovations for sustainable agri-food systems, Nature-Positive Agriculture: Science and Innovations for building resilient agri-food system, Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI): Reducing GHS emissions and increasing crop yields. Digital Agriculture and Traceability, Digital Technological Solutions for Reducing Food Loss and Waste, Agri-tech Startup Ecosystem, Pluralistic Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (EAS): partnerships for improving lab to land and outreach, Smallholder and Family Farming: G20- Global South Cooperation forAgri-R&D, Public-private Agri-R&D for Public Goods: Experience in Generating and Accelerating Innovations.

The discussions were focused on Innovations and

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, India, IT, Seeds

SATHI portal will ensure quality assurance system, identify the source of seed in the seed production chain.

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched the SATHI (Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic Inventory) Portal and Mobile App, a Centralized Online System for seed traceability, authentication and inventory designed to deal with the challenges of seed production, quality seed identification and seed certification. It has been developed by the NIC in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on the theme of ‘Uttam Beej – Samriddh Kisan’.

SATHI portal will ensure quality assurance system, identify the source of seed in the seed production chain. The system will consist of integrated 7 verticals of the seed chain – Research Organisation, Seed Certification, Seed Licensing, Seed Catalogue, Dealer to Farmer Sales, Farmer Registration and Seed DBT. Seeds with valid certification can only be sold by valid licensed dealers to centrally registered farmers who will receive subsidy through DBT directly into their pre-validated bank accounts.

 On this occasion, Tomar said that the Government of India is constantly trying to overcome the challenges and difficulties faced by Agriculture sector through various schemes and programmes. SATHI portal is an important step in this direction. When its use starts right to the grassroot level, it will prove to be a revolutionary step in the field of agriculture.

Tomar said that the first phase of SATHI (Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic) portal has just been launched. He directed the officials to ensure that the second phase does not take long. Efforts should be made to increase awareness so that the farmers get full benefit from it. There will be a QR code under this system, through which the seeds can be traced. Training should be imparted through Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Krishi Vigyan Kendras and State Governments. He urged all the states to join the Seed Traceability System.

SATHI portal will ensure quality assurance system,

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

The new facility enables the venture-backed company to deliver products in domestic and international markets

Loki Foods opened its doors ahead of schedule in March 2023 to its first scale facility in Kopavogur, Iceland. The new facility enables the venture-backed company to deliver products in domestic and international markets. This news arrives shortly after receiving a Eurostars grant from the Icelandic Centre for Research (Rannís) in collaboration with NoPalm Ingredients, Flecks Brauhaus Technik GmbH, NewMilkLab NV, and the University of Iceland.

Loki Foods is fulfilling the world’s need for next-generation plant-based meats and seafood. The food technology company hails from the shores of Iceland–the seafood capital of the world–where the bar for quality, delicious and nutritious seafood is unmatched. Loki Foods has created a universe of plant-based fun, starting with a first-of-a-kind plant-based white ‘fish’ fillet that hits that high bar. The Loki Filet tastes feel and cooks just like the real deal while containing as much protein, omegas and other desirable nutrients as North Atlantic cod.

Backed by leading early-stage food technology investment funds, including Sustainable Food Ventures, Big Idea Ventures, VegInvest, FoodHack, Kale United, and Lifely VC, Loki Foods is producing sustainably nutritious food with renewable energy to rival unsustainable conventional meats and seafood. “Kale United has invested in plant-based seafood for a long time. Most companies have addressed categories that are easier to mimic. But Loki Foods are not afraid of going after the most important product – white fish fillet,” Måns Ullerstam, Founder of Kale United invested in Loki Foods’ oversubscribed pre-seed round in 2022. 

The new facility enables the venture-backed company

AgroPolicy, India, Live Stock, Poultry

Procedure for export of non-halal certified meat and meat products will remain unchanged.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) recently issued a notification regarding the streamlining of the Halal Certification process for meat and meat products. As per the notification, meat and meat products shall be allowed to be exported as “Halal certified”, only if produced, processed and/or packaged in a facility having a valid certification under the “India Conformity Assessment Scheme (iCAS) — Halal” of the Quality Council of India (QCI), issued by a Certification Body duly accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) as per the guidelines issued/amended from time to time.

The export consignment(s) to countries where there is a regulation on Halal, the producer/ supplier/ exporter shall also meet the importing country’s requirements/regulations, as applicable, and shall hold valid certificate(s) issued by Halal certification bodies approved under the national halal system of the importing country. In such cases, the Halal certification under i-CAS Halal shall be initially voluntary on the part of the producer/supplier/exporter.

All existing Halal Certification Bodies shall have six months’ time from the date of issue (April 6th) of this notification to seek accreditation from NABCB for i-CAS Halal. All existing Export Units, including those already registered with Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) as members, shall have six months’ time from the date of issue of this notification, for registering themselves at dedicated and integrated online portal for meat exports developed by APEDA.

Procedure for export of non-halal certified meat

Company News, India, Logistics, Supply Chain

Mundra continues to be India’s largest seaport with 155 MMT of total cargo handled during the year.

Ahmedabad based Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), the largest integrated transport utility in India and a part of the diversified Adani Group, handled 32 MMT of total cargo in March 2023, implying a Y-o-Y growth of 9.5 per cent. For the first time since July 2022, the volumes crossed the 30-MMT mark. With 339 MMT in FY23 (April 2022 – March 2023), APSEZ recorded its largest port cargo volumes ever – which is a good 9 per cent Y-o-Y growth. Adani Ports has been continuously increasing its market share for the past years, outperforming all of India’s cargo volume growth.

APSEZ consistently works on cargo diversification at all its ports. This year, Krishnapatnam Port successfully added soybeans, edible oil and sugar to its cargo portfolio while Dighi Port handled sugar, for the first time and Dhamra its first rice vessel for export to Bangladesh.

“The improvement in cargo volumes is testimony to the faith that our customers have in us,” said Karan Adani, CEO and Whole Time Director, APSEZ. “It shows our commitment to using improved efficiencies and technological integrations to drive and achieve customer satisfaction. The APSEZ’s flagship port, Mundra, is outpacing all its closest rivals and continues to be the largest port in the nation in terms of volumes handled. Mundra’s infrastructure meets world standards and provides service levels on par with those of its global competitors, making it India’s gateway for container goods.”

The overall container volumes handled by APSEZ in India jumped to 8.6 MTUs (+5% YoY), including 6.6 MTEUs at Mundra alone. It continues to be India’s largest seaport with 155 MMT of total cargo handled during the year.

Increase in cargo volume at ports reflects country’s economic prosperity. Almost 95 per cent of the trade volumes in India are carried through maritime transport. So, having world-class mega ports is imperative for the Indian coastline. APSEZ has strategically built a string of ports across the Indian coastline along with ICDs (inland container depots) and warehouses, woven intricately with self-owned rakes, covering around 90% of the country’s hinterland.

The capability to maintain deep draft ports enables APSEZ’s customers bring larger vessel parcels, thereby lowering their overall logistics cost. The lower logistics costs allow businesses to export goods, boosting domestic economy and raising the employment rate in the process. Mundra handled the deepest container vessel – MSC Washington with an arrival draft of 17.0 meters – ever handled by any Indian port, and the largest vessel, MSC Fatma, with a vessel length of 366 m and carrying capacity of 15,194 TEUs. The port also docked its first LNG-fueled vessel, Aframax Crude Oil Tanker, at its SPM facility. The draft is 14 meters long with a total displacement of 1,26,810 MT.

Mundra continues to be India’s largest seaport