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Agrotech, Company News, India, People, Sustainable Energy

Chalasani has over 40 years of experience in the public and private sector across the entire gamut of the power sector.

The Board of Directors of Suzlon Energy Limited has appointed J. P. Chalasani as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in place of Ashwani Kumar who has resigned as CEO of the company with effect from 5th April 2023 on account of personal reasons.

JP Chalasani joined the Suzlon Group in April 2016 as Chief Executive Officer. Post a highly successful tenure as CEO, Chalasani transitioned to a Strategic Advisor role with the group in July 2020. JP Chalasani was reappointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Suzlon Group on 5th April 2023. Renowned for his project management and people leadership skills,  Chalasani brings to the company more than 40 years of experience of working in the Indian power sector, especially with companies like NTPC, Reliance Power and Punj Lloyd.

Prior to joining Punj Lloyd, Chalasani had spent over 18 years with the Reliance Group. He joined Reliance Group (undivided) as a Vice President in 1995 and worked on a number of assignments for the group.

Chalasani has over 40 years of experience

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, India, Supply Chain, Sustainability, Trade

Telangana exported spices, cereal, cotton, meat and other things

Telangana’s agriculture export increased by 40 per cent from 2020 to 2022 reaching Rs 10, 000 crore.

Telangana exported spices, cereal, cotton, meat and other things. Cotton export of the state reached Rs 3055 crore and spice, tea and coffee accounted for Rs 1963 crore. Telangana’s meat export reached Rs 268 crore, cereals export accounted for Rs 1480 crore. The state also exported maize, rice, grapes, lemon, mangoes and soybean.

Telangana’s foreign direct investment has reached Rs. 3000 crores from 2019 to 2021. Telangana has developed better infrastructure which helped to grow the state’s agricultural export.

Telangana exported spices, cereal, cotton, meat and

Company News, India, Logistics, Supply Chain

With acquisition of Karaikal port APSEZ now operates 14 ports in India.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), the largest transport utility in India, has completed the acquisition of Karaikal Port Private Limited (KPPL) pursuant to NCLT approval. Earlier, APSEZ was declared as the successful resolution applicant under the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) of KPPL.

Karaikal Port is an all-weather deep-water port on India’s eastern coast that was developed on the Build, Operate and Transfer format under the Public-Private Partnership by the Government of Puducherry. The Karaikal Port was commissioned in 2009, and was developed in the Karaikal District of the Union Territory of Puducherry, around 300 KMS south of Chennai. It is the only major port between Chennai & Tuticorin, and its strategic location allows the port easy access to industrial-rich hinterland of Central Tamil Nadu.

The port gets a 14-meter water draft and has land area of over 600 acres. Its existing infrastructure includes 5 operational berths, 3 railway sidings, mechanized bulk cargo handling system including mechanized wagon-loading and truck-loading systems, 2 mobile harbour cranes and a large cargo storage space that includes open yards, 10 covered warehouses and 4 liquid storage tanks. With a built-in cargo handling capacity of 21.5 MMT, the port primarily handles, Cement, Fertilizer, Limestone, Steel & Liquids. The upcoming CPCL’s 9 MMTPA new refinery at Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu presents an opportunity for Karaikal Port to handle an additional large volume of liquid cargo.

Commenting on the occasion, Karan Adani, CEO and Whole-time Director, APSEZ said, “The acquisition of Karaikal Port is another milestone in consolidating our position as India’s largest transport utility. With acquisition of Karaikal port APSEZ now operates 14 ports in India.

APSEZ will spend further Rs 850 crores over time to upgrade infrastructure in order to reduce the logistics cost for the customers. We are envisaging to double the capacity of the port in the next 5 years and also add container terminal to make it a multipurpose port.”

In FY 2023, Karaikal Port handled 10 MMT of cargo and acquisition consideration of Rs 1,485 crores implies an EV/EBITDA multiple of 8x on FY23 EBITDA number.

With acquisition of Karaikal port APSEZ now

Agro Universities, Agrotech, Cold Storage, Horticulture, India, R&D, Supply Chain

This cost-effective sensor will be particularly useful for exporting high-value fruits over long distances.

Jodhpur based Indian Institute of Technology’s researcher has successfully created and demonstrated a cost-effective and highly sensitive tactile pressure sensor for detecting fruit ripeness. The sensor utilizes nanoneedle textured PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) as the dielectric layer and is lithography-free, allowing for flexible and large-scale fabrication. The team characterized the sensitivity and hysterics response of the capacitive tactile sensor and examined its transient response.

The developed sensor is capable of sorting fruits as per their ripeness and hence, by integrating the newly developed sensor with a robotic arm, it will be possible to create a high-throughput system that can effectively sort fruits based on their ripeness and quality during the plucking or transportation stages. This cost-effective system will be particularly useful for exporting high-value fruits over long distances.

By measuring the elastic modulus and capacitance, the researchers were able to demonstrate ripeness assessment for different types of tomatoes. In horticulture, monitoring fruit ripeness is essential to maintain their freshness and quality. Various microsensors have been developed for fruit sorting and ripeness detection. For instance, some devices rely on chemical analysis of sugar and starch content, while others use electrochemical sensing, image processing, electronics noise, and tactile sensing methods. However, chemical analysis is destructive and not applicable at all stages of ripeness, while electrochemical sensing requires expensive equipment. Image processing for ripeness detection is limited to specific fruit families, and changes in colour are not reliable indicators of ripeness for some fruits such as kiwis, mangoes, and blueberries.

On the other hand, measuring firmness has been a dependable and automated method for assessing ripeness. Therefore, there is a need for a sensitive tactile sensor integrated into a robotic system, capable of providing pressure, mechanical stiffness, and firmness information for a sufficiently large number of fruits during harvesting and transportation.

Talking about the significance of the research, Dr Ajay Agarwal, Professor & Head, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Jodhpur, said, “The development of the highly sensitive tactile pressure sensor and its integration with a robotic system has the potential to revolutionize the way in which high-value fruits are sorted today. This innovative technology offers a cost-effective solution for accurate and reliable fruit ripeness detection during harvesting and transportation, enabling high throughput sorting of fruits based on their quality and ripeness. The implementation of this system can have a significant impact on the fruit industry, improving efficiency, reducing waste, and increasing the shelf life and overall quality of exported fruits.”

This cost-effective sensor will be particularly useful

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

The hybrid has been tested for performance in last two years of multi-location trials in AP and other chilli growing states.

Hyderabad based Nuziveedu Seeds, a 50-year research company in seeds, identified solution with new chilli hybrid NCH-6889 which will be available to Indian farmers soon. The new chilli Black thrips tolerant hybrid NCH-6889 which it can tolerate Black thrips feeding on leaves and fruits. The hybrid has been tested for performance in last two years of multi-location trials in AP and other chilli growing states like MP, Maharashtra and eastern states of India. This proved to be an important tool for farmers looking to reduce the cost of cultivation and for better quality and yield.

NCH-6889 is a high yielding hybrid suitable for all hot pepper growing areas of India. It has an excellent fruit quality preferable in all major markets & ensures high returns for the farmers with less maintenance expenses, due to high Black thrips tolerance coupled with LCV disease tolerance which leads to reduced cost of pesticide usage.

Black thrips is a widespread pest species of quarantine importance and designated as one of the pest species of South East Asia. This new invasive thrips infestation causes significant damage to the chilli crop by mainly colonizing on flowers and underside of leaves while younger ones (Nymphs) restrict themselves to under surface of the leaves. Both adults and nymphs damage plants by rasping and sucking the plant sap. Heavy infestation affects the growth of the plant, flower drop and reduces fruit set and development, ultimately resulting in yield loss. During 2021, heavy infestation of T. parvis Pinus was observed due to heavy rainfall of North East monsoon in contrast to other thrips species in southern parts of the country in chilli crop. Farmers could not control this new species despite spray of several chemicals and ended with 60-70 per cent crop loss.

Big relief will come from Black trips to Indian chilli farmers with the cultivation of NCH-6889 and it saves more than Rs 10000 per acre spraying chemicals cost along with assurance in income earnings to farmers.

The hybrid has been tested for performance

Agri Genomics, Agrotech, Company News, Europe, Finance, R&D

This year’s program addressed three innovation themes -sustainability traits, plant transformation technologies, and the gene editing potential of local plant varieties.

Bayer announced its 2023 cohort of Grants4Ag grant recipients who have been selected to research promising sustainability and biotechnology subjects in agriculture with support from Bayer. The annual program provides both financial and mentorship resources, with awards ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 Euro in addition to access to some of Bayer’s leading Crop Science researchers as mentors for the duration of the program. This year’s program addressed three innovation themes integral to Bayer’s R&D efforts in its Crop Science division: sustainability traits, plant transformation technologies, and the gene editing potential of local plant varieties.

This year’s focus lies on research to support sustainability and the development of next-generation genomic tools in agriculture / Researchers will receive funding and mentorship resources from Bayer to further advance their pioneering work and grow with mentorship from industry leaders. Researchers are able to work on promising sustainability and biotechnology subjects in agriculture with support from Bayer.

“The Grants4Ag program can make a direct impact on the future of agriculture and drive food security and sustainability going forward,” said Dr Phil Taylor, Director of Open Innovation and Outreach for Bayer’s Crop Science Division. “We will be working with some of the best and brightest researchers from leading academic institutions around the world and are looking forward to advance innovations together.”

Grants4Ag awardees retain all intellectual property rights to their research. In addition to financial awards, successful researchers will also be paired with Bayer scientists to provide project guidance as their research progresses. With support from innovation partnering platform Halo, Bayer received more than 100 proposals from researchers around the world during a five-week submission window this past fall.

This year’s program addressed three innovation themes

Company News, Horticulture, India, Supply Chain, Trade

The partnership will enable Haskelberg to expand its reach in India while also benefiting from IG Deccan’s local knowledge and expertise.

 Haskelberg and IG Deccan have recently announced an exciting partnership that will benefit Indian consumers with the best genetics from Israel in the form of avocados. The two companies have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate and propagate avocado plants together in India, which is a significant milestone for both companies. The salient feature of this partnership is that the top-notch plants will be cultivar-consumers.

The collaboration between Haskelberg and IG Deccan is a major breakthrough for Israel rootstocks and varieties in India. The partnership aims to bring the best quality avocados to the Indian market that can not only meet consumer demand but also help in the growth of both companies in the space of propagation. The Indian market has huge potential for both companies, and the collaboration will undoubtedly create a win-win situation for all.

Udi from Haskelberg expressed his excitement about the partnership and the ground-breaking milestone that it represents for both companies. He believes that this collaboration will shift the tide in the propagation space and contribute to the growth of both Haskelberg and IG Deccan. The partnership will enable Haskelberg to expand its reach in India while also benefiting from IG Deccan’s local knowledge and expertise. At the same time, IG Deccan will be able to leverage Haskelberg’s experience and technology in the propagation space.

Dr Srinivas from IG Deccan expressed his satisfaction with the partnership and praised Haskelberg as the most professional and knowledgeable company when it comes to propagation. He believes that this partnership will not only benefit both companies but also contribute to the development of the agricultural sector in India. This partnership will enable IG Deccan to bring the best genetics from Israel to India and help in the local production of avocados, which will ultimately benefit the Indian farmers as well.

The partnership between Haskelberg and IG Deccan is an excellent example of how collaboration can benefit the entire industry. The two companies are joining hands to bring the best quality avocados to the Indian market, which will not only benefit the consumers but also help in the growth of both companies. The partnership will also contribute to the development of the agricultural sector in India, which is a significant milestone for both companies.

The partnership will enable Haskelberg to expand

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Finance, India, Schemes - Govt, Start ups, Sustainability

This scheme has multiple features to help the industry

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has disbursed an amount of Rs 30 crores to the beneficiaries during the year 2022-23 under the PLI Scheme for Drones and Drone Components.

To promote the indigenous drone industry, the government notified the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and drone components in 2021. The step was widely welcomed by academia and industry experts. This scheme has multiple features to help the industry.

The total incentive is Rs. 120 crores spread over three financial years.  It is nearly double the combined turnover of all domestic drone manufacturers in the fiscal year 2020-21.

For this scheme, the PLI rate is 20 per cent of the value addition which is one of the highest among PLI schemes.

Under this scheme, the value addition is calculated as the annual sales revenue from drones and drone components (net of GST) minus the purchase cost (net of GST) of drone and drone components. 

The PLI rate is kept constant at 20 per cent for all three years, which is an exceptional treatment for the drone industry in the country.

The Minimum value addition norm has been at 40 per cent of net sales for drones and drone components instead of 50 per cent which is another exceptional treatment for the industry. 

The eligibility norm for MSMEs and startups is at nominal levels.

The coverage of the scheme includes developers of drone-related software also.

PLI for a manufacturer is capped at 25 per cent of the total annual outlay. This allows for the widening of the number of beneficiaries.

In case a manufacturer fails to meet the threshold for the eligible value addition for a particular financial year, she will be allowed to claim the lost incentive in the subsequent year if she makes up the shortfall in the subsequent year.

This scheme has multiple features to help

Acquaculture, Environment, Live Stock, Supply Chain, Sustainability, World

The larger production of fishmeal in Peru due to the late start of the second fishing season

The world’s fishmeal production in the first two months of this year increased by 55 per cent from the same period of last year, according to the latest report from the Marine Ingredients Organisation (IFFO).

IFFO reports that overall marine raw material used was about 15 per cent higher in February 2023 compared with the same month last year. This was due to better catches in all the regions, bar Spain and the Icelandic and North Atlantic area.

The larger production of fishmeal in Peru due to the late start of the second fishing season in the North-centre area of the country was the main driver, but most regions have started the year with improved availability of raw material.

As for fish oil, total cumulative output in the first 2 months of 2023 was 20 per cent down year-on-year, mainly driven by the drop in production reported in the Icelandic and North Atlantic area.

Peru’s second fishing season in the North-Centre region was officially closed on February 5, with 84 per cent of the 2.283 million tonne quota landed. No catches are being reported in Peru at the moment; the industry is expecting the government to shortly conclude the evaluation of the Peruvian Institute for Marine Studies (IMARPE)’s report on the status of the anchovy biomass; official announcements on the quota and the starting date of the next fishing season in the North-centre of the country could come soon.

China’s marine ingredients and aquafeed production remain subdued. Little time is left before the new fishing ban along the Chinese coastline will be re-imposed on May 1. By-products from processed fish destined to direct human consumption are getting more important as a source of raw material for reduction, together with imports of marine ingredients.

Aquafeed production in the first months of 2023 has remained subdued, partly because of the seasonal activity slowdown in both the aquaculture and pig farming sector, partly because of the Covid wave that hit the country and the long holiday breaks. Aquafarming activities have so far remained confined to some areas of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan provinces. It is expected that the sector will reactivate when temperatures rise in April-May.

The larger production of fishmeal in Peru

Agrotech, Company News, India, Machinery - Pre-harvesting

Mahindra OJA’s primary markets are India, the US, SE Asia and Japan.

Mahindra Tractors, part of the Farm Equipment Sector at Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), introduced “OJA” as the new brand name for its new future-ready range of tractors from its most ambitious global tractor program, K2. The name “OJA” is derived from the Sanskrit word “Ojas” which symbolises Vitality, Energy & Strength.

The Mahindra OJA is Mahindra’s all-new light-weight global tractor platform, focusing on both domestic and international markets including USA, Japan, and South-East Asia, and has been developed through close cooperation between the engineering teams of Mitsubishi Mahindra Agriculture Machinery, Japan, and Mahindra Research Valley, India, the R&D centre for Mahindra’s Auto & Farm sector.

The Mahindra OJA will have four sub-tractor platforms — the Sub Compact, Compact, Small Utility and Large Utility- tractor categories, covering 40 models across various multiple HP points.

Speaking on the brand name announcement, Hemant Sikka, President – Farm Equipment Sector, M&M Ltd. said, “Ahead of the global premiere of the production version of our most awaited tractor program codenamed K2, we at Mahindra are pleased to announce “OJA” as the new brand name of Mahindra’s new light-weight tractor range. Slated for launch later this year, the OJA is Mahindra’s Future Ready approach to tractorisation exemplified by numerous first best-in-class technologies for improved performance and productivity, through which we aim to transform farming and enrich farmers’ lives.”

Mahindra OJA tractors will be manufactured exclusively at Mahindra’s Zaheerabad tractor facility; one of South-Asia’s largest and Mahindra’s youngest tractor manufacturing plants. A vertically integrated tractor facility, Mahindra’s Zaheerabad facility also rolls out Mahindra’s next-generation range of Yuvo and Jivo tractors, including the recently launched Plus Series of tractors.

Mahindra OJA's primary markets are India, the

AgroPolicy, Dairy, India, Supply Chain, Sustainability, Trade

States that a decision will be taken after watching the demand-supply position later in the summer

The central government clarified that no final decision has been taken on the import of milk products such as ghee and butter and that if at all such a decision is taken, imports would be routed only through the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), which would ensure that the market is not distorted and the interests of dairy farmers are protected.

The government cleared this after former Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said the Centre’s decision to import milk products will be unacceptable as it directly affects the income of the domestic milk producers and impedes the revival of the dairy sector from the covid-19 pandemic.

Purushottam Rupala, Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries stated that only states that a decision will be taken after watching the demand-supply position later in the summer, which inter alia means that no final decision has been taken in this regard.

States that a decision will be taken

Agrotech, Company News, Europe, Finance, Seeds

This investment includes a new seed dryer, state-of-the-art agricultural field equipment, storage facilities.

Bayer has revealed an investment of overall 60 million euros from 2023 onwards in its corn seed production facility Pochuiky, Ukraine. With this the life sciences company emphasizes its commitment to Ukraine and strengthens its Crop Science business in the country, contributing to rebuilding the economy. This investment includes a new seed dryer, state-of-the-art agricultural field equipment, storage facilities and the construction of two bomb shelters to ensure the safety of the Ukrainian colleagues who have been operating the facility and executing this investment project under very difficult circumstances.

Bayer’s Head of Public Affairs, Science and Sustainability Matthias Berninger said, “Our investment underscores our commitment which is in full alignment with our vision of ‘Health for all, hunger for none’ and reflects the critical importance of the country in the global food supply chain. We will do our part to support the rebuilding plan for Ukraine and protecting food security for the region and for the world.”

Berninger attended a small business delegation on a visit to Ukraine led by Robert Habeck, German Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. The delegation which also included Oliver Gierlichs, Managing Director of Bayer Ukraine, discussed Germany’s commitment to the country and its people as well as the possibilities of an economic partnership. It was the first business delegation of the German government in Ukraine since the beginning of the war.

Prior to the war, the company made a significant investment of close to 200 million euros to establish corn seed production through a network of skilled Ukrainian farmers and the greenfield seed processing site in Pochuiky. The plant was inaugurated in 2018 and operates with around 100 on-site employees and about 250 to 300 seasonal workers. Bayer, with its plant, is one of the biggest investors in the region. Its taxes comprise about 25% of the local community budget. Bayer is actively involved in solving social issues of the local community in the Pochuiky village by investing in the construction of a new road and the local hospital, as well as continuously supporting the local school, kindergarten and library.  Pochuiky site investment in line with overall efforts of Bayer to support Ukraine.

This investment includes a new seed dryer,

Agrotech, Company News, Dairy, India, R&D, Start ups

The company has developed a patented technology to produce dairy proteins such as casein & whey, without any animal being involved

Zero Cow Factory, a biotechnology company producing India’s first animal-free protein and dairy products using bioengineering microbes and precision fermentation, announced that it has raised $4 million (INR 32 crore) in a seed round. The round was co-led by Green Frontier Capital, GVFL and pi Ventures, with participation from Pascual Innoventures, the investment arm of a leading Spanish dairy group Calidad Pascual. With this funding, Zero Cow Factory will be able to accelerate its R&D efforts, scale up production capacity, and obtain regulatory approvals to hit the market.

Surat-based Zero Cow Factory was founded in 2021 by Sohil Kapadia and Parini Kapadia with the aim of revolutionising the dairy industry by producing sustainable animal-free milk proteins and dairy products. Their product is a new alternative to cow’s milk protein that replicates its taste, texture, nutrient profile, and appearance. The company has developed a patented technology to produce dairy proteins such as casein & whey, without any animal being involved. Zero Cow Factory is highly focused on animal-free casein production which is the most complex protein and hasn’t been commercialised by any company globally. The company’s first product is A2 Beta-casein which is also healthier as the A1 milk protein which causes indigestion is absent from their product. The aim is to be the first company to get global regulatory approval for this protein. This will be used to formulate various sustainable food and dairy products like cheese, yoghurt, ice cream, supplement powder etc. which are used across various industries like food, dairy, CPG, nutraceutical, and dietary supplements.

The company’s animal-free ‘Smart Protein’ is a healthy alternative to cow’s milk protein as it is free of lactose, antibiotics, growth hormones, cholesterol and saturated fat. Moreover, compared to conventional dairy farming, it is created through a more environmentally friendly process, with higher efficiency metrics. Their technology requires 99 per cent less land, 98 per cent less water, emits 84 per cent less CO2e, and consumes 65 per cent less energy. The company has already demonstrated proof of concept at the lab scale with a small bioreactor which is producing animal-free casein. With this funding round, they will accelerate work on building their pilot facility in Gujarat to be ready for commercial production. They are in discussions with multiple Fortune 500 companies across the CPG, dairy and nutraceutical sectors who have shown a keen interest to partner with the company to formulate various products using Zero Cow Factory’s milk proteins as ingredients while replacing milk in their supply chain.

“We are excited to partner with our investors’ outstanding setup and combine them with our talented team, which positions us uniquely to lead the way in building a global dairy 3.0 that is animal-free, sustainable, and scalable,” said Sohil Kapadia, Co-founder and CEO of Zero Cow Factory.

“We are developing a technology to reproduce milk proteins to craft real dairy products that are ethical, safe, delicious, and identical to cow milk but without any animal involved,” said Parini Kapadia, Co-founder and CSO of Zero Cow Factory.

The company has developed a patented technology

AgroPolicy, Environment, India, Sustainability, Sustainable Energy

The plan includes 64.38 GW of Solar Power, 51.79 GW of Hydro Power, 42.02 GW of Wind Power and 10.77 GW of biopower

The Government has decided to invite bids for 50 GW of renewable energy capacity annually for the next five years, from 2023 to 2028. These annual bids of ISTS (Inter-State Transmission) connected renewable energy capacity will also include setting up of wind power capacity of at least 10 GW per annum. The plan was finalised by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) at a meeting chaired by R. K. Singh, Union Minister for Power & NRE last week, according to the press release.

India currently has a total renewable energy capacity of 168.96 GW with about 82 GW at various stages of implementation and about 41 GW under tendering stage. This includes 64.38 GW of Solar Power, 51.79 GW of Hydro Power, 42.02 GW of Wind Power and 10.77 GW of biopower.

Considering the fact that Renewable Energy (RE) projects take around 18-24 months for commissioning, the bid plan will add 250 GW of renewable energy and ensure 500 GW of installed capacity by 2030. The Ministry of Power is already working on upgrading and adding the transmission system capacity for evacuating 500 GW of electricity from non-fossil fuel.

Speaking during the meeting, R. K. Singh, Union Minister for Power & NRE said that the declaration of the trajectory of short-term and long-term RE capacity addition by the Government is a significant step towards achieving the goal of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 and towards a faster energy transition.

In addition to this, the Ministry has declared a quarterly plan of the bids for FY 2023-24, which comprises bids for at least 15 GW of renewable energy capacity in each of the first and second quarters of the financial year (April-June 2023 and July-September 2023 respectively), and at least 10 GW in each of the third and fourth quarters of the financial year (Oct-December 2023 and January-March 2024 respectively).

The plan includes 64.38 GW of Solar