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Biostimulants, Company News, Malaysia

By collaborating with Novozymes, Azelis will be able to tap into its knowledge and solutions for the benefit of company’s long-term A&ES strategy in Asia Pacific.

Azelis, a leading innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, is pleased to announce the expansion of its distribution partnership with Novozymes, a leader in biological solutions. Effective immediately, Azelis will distribute Novozymes’ best-in-class bio-based agriculture (“BioAg”) solutions, including its portfolio of microbial inoculant, biostimulant and biocontrol solutions, in Malaysia. This mandate builds on Azelis’ successful partnership with Novozymes across Asia Pacific in other markets, from Home Care & Industrial Cleaning in the Philippines to Food & Nutrition in New Zealand.

Novozymes’ dynamic biological solutions are derived from naturally occurring microbes and biomolecules. Their portfolio of solutions drives crop performance, improves nutrient use efficiency, and helps crops manage abiotic stresses through natural processes. The addition of Novozymes’ innovative products strengthens Azelis’ lateral value chain in the Agricultural & Environmental Solutions (“A&ES”) industry, allowing the group to offer technical solutions that include the latest BioAg technology and solutions.

Muhammad Iqbal, Commercial Head Agriculture SEA, Novozymes, said, “Through this partnership, customers will have access to solutions that leverage our combined expertise – Novozymes’ BioAg knowledge and Azelis’ in-depth crop nutrition expertise, leading to new opportunities for growth. Additionally, Azelis’ experienced teams of sales and technical experts, along with their established agrochemical presence across Southeast Asia, will ensure Novozymes’ innovative portfolio of bio solutions reach a wider range of customers in the region.”

Antonius Prihantono, Azelis Asia Pacific Market Segment Director Agrochemicals, commented, “We are pleased to be able to include Novozymes’ biological solutions in our portfolio, as BioAg products are the future of the Agricultural industry. By collaborating with Novozymes, we will be able to tap into their knowledge and solutions for the benefit of our long-term A&ES strategy in Asia Pacific. Together we plan to develop field trial protocols, evaluate trial results, and share best practices to ensure our common goal of bringing first-class BioAg solutions to the market.”

By collaborating with Novozymes, Azelis will be

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, Finance, India

For the quarter ended on March 31, 2023, the Company registered sales of Rs.32,768.9 million, as compared to Rs 33,895.6 million for the corresponding period of the previous year.

BASF India Limited registered sales of Rs 136,447.7 million for the financial year ended March 31, 2023, as compared to Rs. 130,997.3 million in the previous year, representing an increase of 4 per cent.

The Company reported Profit before tax (before exceptional items) of Rs. 5,280.9 million as compared to Profit before tax (before exceptional items) of Rs. 7,473.6 million in the previous year.

For the quarter ended on March 31, 2023, the Company registered sales of Rs.32,768.9 million, as compared to Rs. 33,895.6 million for the corresponding period of the previous year, a decrease of 3 per cent. Profit before tax (before exceptional items) stood at Rs. 969.2 million for the quarter that ended on March 31, 2023, compared to Profit before tax (before exceptional items) of Rs 1,785.1 million for the corresponding period of the previous year.

“Despite macroeconomic challenges, our Company has shown resilience with our agricultural solutions, nutrition and care as well as surface technologies segments seeing consistent growth. We continue to efficiently manage working capital while increasing operations” said Alexander Gerding, Managing Director, BASF India Limited. “We are pleased to see that the growth witnessed by the Company over the years has also empowered us to contribute substantially for corporate social responsibility focused projects”, he added.

The Board of Directors of the Company have recommended dividend of Rs. 8 /- per equity share i.e., 80 per cent for the financial year ended 31st March 2023. This is subject to the approval of the shareholders at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.

For the quarter ended on March 31,

AgroPolicy, Horticulture, India, R&D

Goa is a hub of Mankurad mangoes and it is having an unusual delay in harvesting mangoes

The Agriculture Department of Goa has asked the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) to conduct a study to find out the delay in the ripening of the mangoes Mankurad this season. Goa is a hub of Mankurad mangoes and it is having an unusual delay in harvesting of mangoes.

The Agriculture Department of Goa has sent a request to the ICAR to study the delay in ripening and the reasons behind it. According to the local media Preliminary inquiries by the Agriculture Department have revealed the delay in the natural ripening of the mango because of the heat wave which hit the State in the month of March. It is suspected that the extremely hot conditions must have affected the pollination. But, since the state is witnessing an unusual situation this year, the Agriculture Department has asked the ICAR to do a study on the situation.

Munkarad mangoes are still raw thus leaving the farmers with no option but to delay the harvesting. Farmers expect harvesting to take place anytime.

Goa is a hub of Mankurad mangoes

AgroPolicy, India, World

8th meeting of Agriculture Ministers of SCO countries chaired by Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar

The 8th meeting of Agriculture Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries was held through video conferencing under the chairmanship of Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China and Pakistan participated in it along with India. Under the chairmanship of India, SCO member countries adopted the Smart Agriculture project. Expressing satisfaction over the smart agriculture action plan and the initiative of innovation in agriculture, Tomar said, India has taken several concrete steps to promote smart agriculture.

Welcoming everyone to the SCO meeting on behalf of India, Union Minister Tomar said that India gives importance to its relations with SCO in promoting multilateral, political, security, economic and people-to-people interactions. It is a matter of pleasure and pride for us to organise a meeting of SCO Agriculture Ministers to discuss strengthening cooperation in food security and nutrition, especially in the current situation.

He added that India is the largest employer globally in the agriculture sector, where more than half of our population is engaged in agriculture and allied sectors, while India also represents an important economic activity for many countries. Its importance is also evident from the fact that India’s budget allocation for agriculture and allied sectors has increased more than 5 times in 10 years from 2013-14. Over the years, India has performed well in the agriculture sector, contributing to global food security with food grain production, registering a significant growth in exports, and exports of agricultural and allied products have crossed Rs 4 lakh crore.

8th meeting of Agriculture Ministers of SCO

Agrotech, Climate, Company News, Environment, Nature, Sustainability, World

Rigorous Measurement will Enable Enhanced Rock Weathering to Scale as a Reliable Carbon Removal Solution

Eion, a carbon removal company announced its industry-first patent to directly measure carbon removal through ERW. Eion is working with farmers and existing agricultural systems to rapidly scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR) to meet Net Zero goals while improving soil health and creating jobs in rural communities.

Led by a team of scientists and recognised soil and geochemistry experts, Eion’s patented approach directly measures carbon dioxide removed by mineral weathering in soils using immobile trace elements–soil fingerprinting– to show applied minerals removed CO2 from the atmosphere and were transported away to be permanently sequestered. Eion’s measurement approach can be deployed widely for ERW with any silicate rock.

“Our measurement methodology unlocks enhanced rock weathering for the benefit of the global climate and local communities,” said Adam Wolf, Co-Founder and CEO of Eion. “ERW has long been an elegant way to clean up the atmosphere. The catch was you couldn’t measure it. We discovered how to use the soil samples agronomists already take to measure carbon removal precisely. This MRV milestone is the first step to scaling a proven climate solution, which Eion plans to do by tapping into the existing agricultural system and putting people to work along the way.”

Eion uses olivine in its operations—a mineral that has been approved for decades as a safe, effective micronutrient fertiliser—and works with local crop advisors to ensure that every acre is managed consistently with the grower’s agronomic and management goals. To measure carbon removal, Eion takes soil samples just before the rock is applied on the field and keeps on monitoring changes in the soil over time after the rock has been applied to quantify weathering and the CO2 removed in the process.

Six to nine months after applying olivine, Eion can show that 40 per cent to 70 per cent of the mineral has dissolved, capturing atmospheric CO2 that is ultimately stored in the ocean for thousands of years. As the mineral continues to dissolve, CO2 will continue to be captured until the reaction is complete.

In 2022, Eion removed 500 tons of carbon dioxide, and in 2023, it will deliver another 8,500 tons of verifiable removal employing its patented measurement methodology. By 2026, Eion will be on track to remove 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually while creating jobs in rural communities where it operates.

Rigorous Measurement will Enable Enhanced Rock Weathering

Agrotech, Climate, Environment, R&D, World

New AgStack sub-project is using the latest science in remote and in-field sensing for carbon measurement, reporting and verification (MRV)

The AgStack Foundation, a project of the Linux Foundation, announced the launch of a sub-project for developing a global-scale, open-source digital/remote sensing model for FIELD-LEVEL CARBON MONITORING for agriculture and forestry applications.

Global climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing our world today. As we continue to see the effects of global warming, it has become increasingly important to take action to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the impact of climate change. One strategy that has gained momentum is using agriculture and forestry land for carbon sequestration – the process of capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in ground reservoirs. While public-private stakeholders have been developing incentive structures to encourage participation through carbon credit markets, the current measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) process is manual, expensive and becomes economical only for large growers and projects. Making a sustainable global impact requires an MRV process that can provide transparency and can scale efficiently to enable participation from stakeholders of all sizes economically viable. 

AgStack’s subproject will leverage the power of existing digital infrastructure such as the geo-id, asset registry and the open-source community to develop models that enable existing carbon sequestration models such as the NASA SMAP to be scaled down so they can be used at an individual field level. Participants will be able to use the open-source models and compute parameters such as carbon flux through public or private data sources on their own servers and report back using the geo-id digital infrastructure maintained by AgStack. 

In conclusion, climate change is a global challenge that requires urgent action. Carbon sequestration is a promising strategy to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the impact of climate change. However, the expense of the MRV process is a challenge that AgStack is actively trying to solve through open source.

New AgStack sub-project is using the latest

AgroPolicy, Finance, Horticulture

Under the National Horticulture Mission Scheme, farmers in the state will be financially supported for horticulture activities

Punjab Government has approved Rs. 4.07 crore to enhance the horticulture sector in Sangrur and Malerkotla districts.

Under the National Horticulture Mission Scheme, farmers in the state will be financially supported for horticulture activities. The initiative aims to promote crop diversification and provide farmers with a self-sufficient environment while improving their income.

Under this, the cultivation of guava, kinnow, strawberry, peach, flowers, net house, plastic mulching, low tunnel, poly house, high-quality vegetables, beekeeping, mushroom production units, mushroom spawn lab, hybrid seeds and seed infrastructure unit, onion storage, and vermicompost will be promoted.

Under the National Horticulture Mission Scheme, any farmer in the state can apply for financial support. The scheme aims to promote horticulture activities in the region and support farmers in improving their income.

The government’s efforts to promote crop diversification and support farmers in expanding their horticulture activities through financial assistance under the National Horticulture Mission Scheme are expected to improve the income of farmers and promote the growth of the sector.

Under the National Horticulture Mission Scheme, farmers

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, Finance, India

The renewal is in accordance with the automatic renewal clause agreed upon by the parties in the long-term agreement.

Anupam Rasayan India Limited, one of India’s leading custom synthesis & specialty chemical players, has announced that the company has renewed long term contract worth revenue of Rs 436 crores with one of the leading German multinationals for supply of patented life science specialty chemical for the next 3 years on exclusive basis.

This renewal is in accordance with the automatic renewal clause agreed upon by the parties in the long-term agreement signed three years ago, following the completion of the original contract duration of three years.

The company mentioned that we anticipate the volumes of this molecule to increase beyond the minimum offtake volumes, considering the high-growth end market. MNCs, showcasing the trust the renewed contract not only solidifies our position as a reliable supplier but also highlights our position as a reliable supplier but also highlights our agility in meeting the evolving needs of clients. This contract renewal, along with recently signed LOIs assures the consistent and steady growth trajectory of the company.

The renewal is in accordance with the

Agro Universities, Agrotech, People, R&D

Having 32 years of experience in the agri sector, Dr Kohli led a European consortium on the Jatropha biodiesel to generate phorbol-ester free seed-oil.

Ignite Life Science Foundation proudly welcomes Dr Ajay Kohli to our Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Ajay has more than 32 years of experience in upstream research, innovation, and leadership in the agricultural sector with positions in India, UK, USA and the Philippines and research roles in Europe and Africa.

His research interests are genetic and genomic technologies, particularly for plant abiotic stress tolerance, rice grain development and nutritious quality, and nitrogen remobilization and use efficiency. He was also a part of the team working on the human genome to underpin genome level chromatin accessibility, which laid the foundations of ATAC sequencing. He led a European consortium on the Jatropha biodiesel to generate phorbol-ester free seed-oil. He is passionate about farmer welfare and environmental sustainability through common sense guided appropriate technologies.

Welcoming him to Ignite Prof. Ramaswamy Subramanian, Director – Bindley Bioscience Center, Purdue University and Founding Director, Ignite said, “Ajay Kohli is passionate about his science and has demonstrated skills in translating research findings in the lab into those that positively affect farmers. His excitement and enthusiasm are contagious. I am delighted that Ajay has agreed to be part of the Scientific Advisory Board of Ignite and we look forward to his leadership and participation”.

A brilliant scientist, Ajay has the exceptional ability to apply his research to enhance the lives of farmers. Ajay holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the John Innes Centre, UK and M. Tech and BS degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur and Lucknow University respectively. With his wide-ranging experience in the application of cutting-edge science to address practical problems in modern agriculture, Ajay will be a valuable addition to the Scientific Advisory Board”, said Dr K. K. Narayanan, SAB, Ignite.

Having 32 years of experience in the

Animal Health, Finance, Live Stock, World

The new program will help reduce the risks of animal disease outbreaks by improving disease surveillance and veterinary services in the livestock.

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved an $82 million loan towards the adoption of global best practices for animal health management to prevent, detect, and respond to endemic zoonotic, transboundary, and emerging infectious diseases. It will strengthen India’s One Health approach, which recognizes that people and animals are connected with their shared environment.

Animal disease outbreaks globally continue to pose risks to public health systems and have enormous economic costs. With India having the largest livestock population in the world, these risks are particularly high. For example, foot and mouth disease alone costs the country more than $3.3 billion annually.

The Animal Health System Support for One Health Program will support India’s Livestock Health and Disease Control Program, which seeks to control animal diseases and zoonoses.

The $82 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) uses the Program-for-Results (PforR) financing instrument that links disbursement of funds directly to the achievement of specific program results. The loan has a maturity of 11.5 years with a grace period of 4.5 years.

“The new program will help reduce the risks of animal disease outbreaks by improving disease surveillance and veterinary services in the livestock and wildlife sectors,” said Auguste Tano Kouame, the World Bank’s Country Director for India. “At least 2.9 million livestock farmers will have increased access to improved animal health services in the participating states of Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh.”

Through state-of-the-art laboratories, the program will also strengthen collaboration and data sharing with the human health sector. It will also enhance food quality and safety in animal products, especially in livestock and wet markets.

“In India, around 68 percent of the workforce relies on farming and remains in close contact with domestic animals and poultry, thereby becoming frequently exposed to sick or infected animals,” said Hikuepi Katjiuongua, Adarsh Kumar and Anupam Joshi, the Task Team Leaders for the program. “By supporting evidence-based policies on animal disease and zoonoses management, the program will address food safety in livestock value chains.”

The new program will help reduce the

Agrotech, Company News, India, Sustainability

Affordable modern technology & right quality farm inputs can help farmers to increase their yield, quality, and income

R G Agarwal, Dhanuka Group Chairman made a strong pitch for the integration of technological advancements, such as drones and artificial intelligence, with the agriculture sector to enhance crop yield, reduce costs, and ultimately improve the income of farmers.

The Dhanuka Group is a prominent player in the agrochemical industry, with a mission to empower farmers by providing them with innovative solutions.

Addressing a press conference Agarwal said drones and artificial intelligence are two of the most promising technologies that can revolutionize the agriculture industry.

Drones have already been used in the agriculture sector for spraying pesticides and other activities, but they can be promoted on a larger scale through public-private partnerships. We are also supplying the first drones approved by DGCA for use in agriculture as well as spray services, he said.

He said the implementation of advanced technologies like drones and artificial intelligence will enable farmers to compete more effectively in the global market while improving the efficiency of their farming operations.

 “These technologies can help in identifying crop diseases and pests attack in advance, as well as assist in the efficient use of fertilizers and water management. With the help of these technologies, farmers can make informed decisions based on real-time data and plan their crops better,” said Agarwal.

He further said Dhanuka Group is playing a significant role in the promotion of technology and has also invested in a drone manufacturing company. The company is also running several campaigns to increase awareness about the use of the right quality farm inputs and purchase against bill only. He said recently, Dhanuka Agritech has operationalised a state-of-art Research & Training Centre (DART) for farmers at Palwal (Haryana) which was inaugurated by Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar.

Recognising the importance of technology accessibility, Agarwal stressed the need for a right to technology for farmers, ensuring that they have affordable access to modern tools and techniques.

“This inclusion will enable farmers to leverage modern tools and techniques effectively, addressing the challenges posed by climate change. It will enable farmers to make the most of innovative solutions and effectively manage their agricultural operations,” he said.

“The adoption of modern technologies, along with the use of the right quality farm inputs can help farmers address the challenges posed by pest attacks. Drones and artificial intelligence can provide farmers with real-time information about weather patterns, soil moisture levels, and other critical factors that affect crop growth. With this information, farmers can make informed decisions,” he said.

Affordable modern technology & right quality farm

Acquaculture, AgroPolicy, Europe, India, Sustainability

The agreement includes a study on using cutting-edge UK technology to spot diseases in shrimp aquaculture

The UK and India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement on science, research and innovation, which will help facilitate a raft of new joint research programs – some of which include aquaculture initiatives.

The collaborative activities carried out under the MoU will be supported by joint funding agreed by both sides, with finances for each program determined between the UK and India on a case-by-case basis.

“The agreement will remove red tape standing in the way of major collaborations while unleashing a raft of new joint research schemes aiming to deliver progress on some of the biggest issues facing the world: from climate change and pandemic preparedness through to AI and machine learning,” according to the UK government press release.

The agreement includes a study on using cutting-edge UK technology to spot diseases in shrimp aquaculture, as well as a partnership using data to detect harmful algal blooms (HABs) affecting the ocean. Moreover, there are plans to fund 10 UK-India fisheries research fellowships.

“The agreement is part of our program of deepening UK collaboration with other global science superpowers on ground-breaking innovation and research, to help tackle shared global challenges,” said George Freeman, Minister of State for the new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. “This partnership will grow the sectors, companies and jobs of tomorrow for the benefit of both our countries and the globe.”

The agreement includes a study on using

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, Europe, Finance

The company recorded double-digit percentage gains in the Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia/Pacific regions, but saw sales fall in Latin and North America, mainly due to lower volumes.

The Bayer Group experienced a slow start to 2023 as expected. “Sales were on a par with the exceptionally strong prior-year quarter,” CEO Werner Baumann said on Thursday when presenting the Quarterly Statement for the first quarter. The normalization in the glyphosate business has accelerated, although this effect was largely offset by growth in the other parts of the Crop Science business, he explained. Group earnings were mainly weighed down by the glyphosate business and inflation, and were also impacted by R&D investment at Pharmaceuticals, which remained high.

In the agricultural business (Crop Science), sales declined by 1.1 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.) to 8.351 billion euros. Excluding the glyphosate business, Crop Science sales were up around 8 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.). The division recorded double-digit percentage gains in the Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia/Pacific regions, but saw sales fall in Latin and North America, mainly due to lower volumes. Sales at Herbicides decreased by 24.3 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.) due to lower volumes and prices for glyphosate-based products. By contrast, Corn Seed & Traits saw sales rise by a substantial 15.8 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.), primarily driven by higher prices in the North America and Europe/Middle East/Africa regions. Sales at Insecticides rose by 12.6 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.), with significant price and volume increases in Europe/Middle East/Africa thanks to Movento™ and in Latin America due to Curbix™ more than offsetting lower volumes in North America. Sales were also up at Soybean Seed & Traits, which registered growth of 1.4 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.) that was mainly driven by higher volumes in Latin America. Sales at Fungicides came in at the prior-year level, with higher prices in all regions offsetting lower volumes in Latin and North America in particular.

EBITDA before special items at Crop Science decreased by 11.0 percent to 3.267 billion euros, mainly due to the fall in sales in Latin and North America. Earnings were also diminished by an increase in particular in the cost of goods sold, which was due to high inflation. There was a positive currency effect of 54 million euros (Q1 2022: 98 million euros). The EBITDA margin before special items declined by 4.3 percentage points to 39.1 percent.

Baumann confirmed the Group outlook for full-year 2023 based on the average monthly exchange rates from 2022. However, for the remainder of the year Bayer sees potential risks mainly arising from the significantly reduced market price expectations for glyphosate-based products, he said. “We continue to expect performance to improve in our other businesses in the second half of the year,” Baumann noted. “Overall, we expect target attainment to come in at the lower end of our guidance.”

The company recorded double-digit percentage gains in

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, Finance, India

FY23 EBITDA grew by 10 per cent YoY to Rs 11,178 crore as against Rs 10,165 crore in FY22.

 UPL Ltd. has reported financial results for the fourth quarter of FY23 (Jan-Mar 2023).  UPL’s fourth quarter of FY23 revenue grew by 4 per cent YoY to Rs 16,569 crore. The quarter was impacted by rapid decline in product prices and delays in planting season that resulted in headwinds for product placements.  FY23 revenue grew by 16 per cent YoY to Rs 53,576 crore, led by better product realizations (+10 per cent), favorable currency impact (+5%) and flat volumes. FY23 EBITDA grew by 10 per cent YoY to Rs 11,178 crore as against Rs 10,165 crore in FY22. EBITDA margins were lower mainly due to weaker-than-expected performance in Q4 impacted by headwinds in the post-patent space, which offset the healthy performance delivered during the first nine months..

Commenting on the performance, Jai Shroff, Chairman and Group CEO – UPL Ltd., said “We delivered a resilient set of results for FY23 despite facing significant headwinds in the final quarter. Thanks to the dedication, agility, and tenacity of our teams, we were able to deliver on most of our commitments. We reduced our gross debt by over $600 Mn and net debt by $440 Mn driven by improved cash flow from operations and a leaner working capital cycle. In-line with our priority of creating shareholder value, we created distinct pure play platforms during the year to bring in enhanced focus and operational freedom to pursue independent growth strategies thereby unleashing the growth potential of each of our distinct platforms.  Going forward, as we look ahead to FY24, we are well-positioned to deal with the market headwinds and deliver better profitability growth. In the longer-term, we remain confident of achieving our growth ambitions and transforming the food value chain with emphasis on sustainability.”

Mike Frank, CEO – UPL Global Crop Protection, said “FY2023 was a tale of two distinct periods, our performance in the first nine months delivered >20% growth in Revenue and EBITDA. The fourth quarter was an unusual one with pricing pressure and delayed purchases by channel in the post-patent space due to oversupply of certain molecules. Our focus in the last quarter was to grow share in key markets, liquidating most of our high-cost inventory, closely manage working capital and smartly set-up our inventory position for the next year. As a result, given our lean inventory position, we are well-placed to deal with the challenging market conditions which are likely to persist for first half of FY24, but also to benefit once the market begins to normalize thereafter. Backed by our superior manufacturing and product innovation capabilities, we remain confident of growing significantly faster than the market in FY24 and beyond “

FY23 EBITDA grew by 10 per cent