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Agrotech, India, Supply Chain

Camel milk will now be available across the country

An MoU was signed between ICAR-National Research Centre on Camel, Bikaner and Pearl Lacto to transfer the innovative Camel Milk Powder Technology (CMP) technology. With the transfer of innovative technology of CMP, camel milk will now be available across the country.

Artabandhu Sahoo, Director, ICAR-NRCC and Mr Aman Dhill, Founder, Pearl Lacto Company signed the MoU on behalf of the respective organisations.

Sahoo exhorted that by using innovative techniques the functional properties present camel milk remains intact to a greater extent. He said ‘Camel Milk’, can be called ‘MEDICINAL-STOREHOUSE’ or SUPER-FOOD due to its therapeutic and nutraceutical properties. Sahoo stressed that the transfer of this non-thermal powder-making technology to Pearl Lacto Company, will expand access to needy consumers across the country. He also urged that camel rearers should fully adopt camel milk entrepreneurship and move forward in this direction so that the camel milk market can be converted into an organised food supply chain.

RK Sawal, Principal Scientist said that the processing methods of cow and buffalo milk cannot be directly used for processing camel milk as camel milk has different characteristics, therefore scientists of the centre are being made efforts to process camel milk by innovative methods and to make various quality products.

During this occasion, Aman Dhill said that the company is at present mainly engaged in the business of cow’s milk, the intention of the company is to bring ‘Camel Milk’ in the market so that the needy and common people can get its benefit. The company will make available the powder and its manufactured products through its parlours located in different cities across the country and through online channels, he added.

Camel milk will now be available across

Agrotech, Sustainability, World

CS-MAP is a participatory approach that integrates local knowledge and science-based researches in developing maps of climate-related risks and adaptation plans for crop production

To provide technical support on participatory climate-risk mapping and adaptation planning, the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR) Initiative on Asian Mega-Deltas conducted a training workshop on Climate-Smart Mapping and Adaptation Planning (CS-MAP) for local research partners in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The workshop introduced the CS-MAP approach as the tool for conducting the mapping activities in the AMD target provinces in Cambodia, such as Kandal, Takeo, Prey Vieng, and Svay Rieng.

Developed and implemented by the Department of Crop Production of Vietnam and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security in Southeast Asia from 2016 to 2020, CS-MAP is a participatory approach that integrates local knowledge and science-based researches in developing maps of climate-related risks and adaptation plans for crop production, suitable to location-specific conditions. It has been effectively implemented in five ecological regions of Vietnam, including the Mekong River Delta region, in order to help farmers mitigate climate-related risks, such as flooding, drought and salinity intrusion.

Bui Tan Yen, Senior Scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) – Vietnam, emphasised that “CS-MAP is the methodology and not the maps”. He shared that CS-MAP takes into consideration the local specific conditions and the conflicts in natural resources management, and support climate-smart management of food production.

Yen also explained the scientific basis of implementing CS-MAP in Cambodia’s context. He presented the historical statistics of climate-related risks in Cambodia and current gaps in risk management in agriculture. He also demonstrated how multiple layers including spatial risk data, land cover, main food products and other spatial data are combined to produce the base-map for the participatory CS-MAP process.

To give a better context of the local food systems and vulnerability risk in the targeted provinces in preparation for CS-MAP activities, Trang Vu, Associate Scientist at IRRI Vietnam, presented the findings of the AMD team’s field visits to Kandal and Takeo provinces in October 2022. She reported on the key agricultural products (i.e., rice, vegetables, fish, and poultry) and main climate-related risks that had strong effect on agricultural production (i.e., drought, flood), as well as the current system for disaster warning and response in these areas.

Trang also discussed the four supporting tools for participatory discussion and mapping, such as focus group discussion, key informant interview, climate risk listing, and pairwise ranking. These are the tools to be used in conducting the participatory mapping process.

Using hands-on approach, Yen introduced each of the steps in the CS-MAP process, including the objectives, outputs, methods, required materials and equipment, and specific activities for each step. The participants were divided into two groups to practice developing risk map and adaptation plans for Kandal Stueng district and S’ang district of Kandal province. They were also given the opportunities to lead the facilitation, especially the participants from Department of Agricultural Land Resources Management (DALRM) – General Directorate of Agriculture, WorldFish Cambodia, and IRRI Cambodia, as they will lead the CS-MAP process in the four AMD target provinces

In her closing remarks, Rica Joy Flor, Innovation Systems Scientist at IRRI Cambodia, said that the workshop is a great start for the participants to make a solid contribution to the AMD initiative. She stressed that “now we have the tools and the capacity in us to bring this down (the CS-MAP process) to the level of our partners in the provinces.” She encouraged all the participants to work on this together to deliver results that can be shared at the national level and can influence the production systems at the farmers’ level.

CS-MAP is a participatory approach that integrates

Company News, India, Supply Chain, Warehousing

It’s essential that an integrated holistic view of the agriculture value chain is taken towards providing the necessary fillip to the agricultural growth: Saket Dalmia, President, (PHDCCI)

In the run-up to the upcoming Union Budget, many industry stalwarts, stakeholders and experts have expressed their views on what can make or break the agri sector growth. Recently, Saket Dalmia, President, (PHDCCI) shared his views.

The major highlights include:

1) Reforms in rural infrastructure logistics and cold chain are required as it would help in increasing the level of food processing industry and rural entrepreneurship. These would lead to increased participation in the global agriculture and food exports. Exports of agri and food processing products should be increased to the level of $ 100 billion in next three years from the current level of around $ 50 billion (2021-22).

2) The increase in public investments in agricultural infrastructure would attract private investments in cold storage, warehousing and supply chain of agriculture produce in order to reduce food wastage and get them to urban citizens at moderate rates. It shall also raise the returns to agriculturists.

3) Strengthen access to credit for long term loans to enhance growth and productivity in the sector and to enhance farm incomes.

4) Adoption of direct transfer of subsidies on electricity, fertilisers, etc. to the beneficiaries to ensure better delivery of subsidies to the end-users.

5) Minimise the wastage from the current level of more than 30 per cent to less than 10 per cent in next five years by augmenting storage capacities, modernising/ upgrading the godowns.

Need for holistic view

It is essential that an integrated holistic view of the agriculture value chain is taken towards providing the necessary fillip to the agricultural growth. This requires a joint participatory approach from all concerned stakeholders including the farmers, input vendors, traders, processors and the government. The Union Budget can be very effective in laying down a comprehensive policy framework and providing a tremendous thrust through appropriate fiscal benefits and closely monitor the action plans.

It's essential that an integrated holistic view

Acts & Schemes – Centre, India

Centre will soon initiate prompt steps to give proper benefits to the farmers on the issue of small claims after discussing with the State Governments and insurance companies

Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, the Centre has decided to make full payment of the pending claims of Kharif 2021 to the farmers of Barmer. At the initiative of the Government of India, the Agriculture Insurance Company last week said it had settled partial claims amounting to Rs 311 crore. Following a review meeting held today, the insurance company will pay additional claim amount of Rs 229 crore to the farmers. Claim payment of a total of Rs 540 crore to the eligible farmers of Barmer will be expedited. Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Kailash Choudhary, senior officials of the Ministries of Finance and Agriculture, Chairman and Managing Director of Agriculture Insurance Company and Agriculture Commissioner of Rajasthan were present in the meeting.

Addressing the review meeting, the Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar said that the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has provided better financial security cover to crores of farmers in case of crop loss. By taking decisions in the interest of the farmers, the Government of India is trying to make it easier for the farmers so that they do not face any problem while taking crop insurance. Under the Crop Insurance Scheme, the Central Government will soon initiate prompt steps to give proper benefits to the farmers on the issue of small claims after discussing with the State Governments and insurance companies.

During the meeting there was comprehensive discussion on the ease of crop insurance scheme and the proposed solutions for small claims, in which it was also decided to make consolidated payment for all eligible applications while paying claims to farmers in future.


Centre will soon initiate prompt steps to

North America

The campaign conveys why California walnuts are a smart choice due the ideal climate, fertile soil, among others

California Walnut Commission (CWC) which represents the walnut growers and handlers of California, continues its commitment to educating consumers about the benefits of walnuts and why to include them in the daily diet. Through its new campaign titled ‘Think Walnuts, Think California’.

The campaign conveys why California walnuts are a smart choice; the ideal climate, fertile soils and the farmers dedication to providing high quality walnuts for all to enjoy. California walnuts are grown, harvested, and processed under standards and regulations that are mandated by federal and state authorities. In addition, California walnut growers and processors support research and innovation in water quality and conservation; soil health; energy use; and air quality constantly seeking out and incorporating new methods of growing and handling walnuts that minimise waste, enhance productivity, and preserve and protect natural resources. 

Commenting on the campaign launch, Pamela Graviet, Senior Marketing Director, International, California Walnut Commission and Board, said, “The Indian market has a love for high quality foods and great flavours. Nutrient-rich walnuts should be a top addition and this campaign is our humble attempt to generate awareness about walnuts grown in California and our multi-generational family farms that strive to provide this healthy, delicious food.”

She further added, “Mildly sweet and beautifully nutty, California walnuts boasts the potential to enhance any meal-whether you’re munching on these as a smart snack, adding to your curries, salads, and desserts or blending to create smoothies, a nut butter, or more. Just a handful (28g) provides 2.5g plant-based omega-3 ALA, 4g protein, 2g fiber, and 45mg of magnesium – that brings us to another highlight of California walnuts-scientific research has shown they are good for heart, brain, and gut health. Nutrition, versatility, high quality and exceptional flavour-California walnuts provide all that and more. So, when you Think Walnuts, Think California.”

The new campaign will be featured through advertising, on-ground activities, retail promotions and across social media platforms wherein the who’s who of online space-from celebrities, F&B influencers, and health experts will spread the message on why California should be top of mind when thinking about walnuts. 

California walnuts are available at all grocery stores and e-commerce sites. When buying walnuts, look for the California Walnuts logo mark, “California” or “Californian” on the package or produce of USA to ensure that you are buying genuine high-quality California walnuts.

The campaign conveys why California walnuts are

Agrotech, Company News

To offer easily accessible, mobile agriculture insurance products to thousands of smaller farmers

Under a strategic partnership, Lexasure’s digital insurance offering for farmers, Flourish, will be integrated with the AgriON app, providing easy access to purchase and manage agricultural insurance to provide farmers with greater resiliency against adverse events. The launch of Flourish with the AgriON app is planned for the first quarter of 2023.

AgriON promotes financial inclusion for Indonesia’s farmers through a mobile fintech platform that includes a digital bank account, digital loans for seeds, fertiliser, and farming tools, automated payments, and tools to benchmark yield, sales, and productivity. Currently, more than 4,000 farmers are registered with the AgriON platform in Indonesia, which is expected to grow to 20,000 by the end of 2023.

“AgriON is doing groundbreaking work by bringing a suite of digital banking and management tools to smaller farmers across Indonesia, a sector that has historically been unbanked or underbanked without access to credit or high-quality inputs to drive productivity,” said Ian Lim, Founder & CEO of Lexasure Financial Group.

“For this reason, they make an ideal channel partner for Lexasure’s Flourish digital insurance offering for farmers, enabling producers to achieve resiliency and have a solid foundation for productivity growth and investment. Our shared goal is to leverage digital tools to create scalable, cost-effective fintech products that are adapted to the needs of customers in Southeast Asia and promote food security for the region.”

Insurance products that will be available on the platform will include crop insurance, livestock & bloodstock (Equine Insurance), and agriculture machinery and equipment insurance, provided through licensed insurers in Indonesia. 

In addition to financial solutions, AgriON enables the traceability and sustainability of farmers’ products using digital technology, thereby empowering farmers to maximise the yield and value of their products when using sustainable farming practices.

“Digital insurers are now fully aware that the digital transformation of the insurance industry is well underway,” Lim added. “We will continue to pursue innovative partnerships to help our clients digitise the entire insurance value chain and reach underserved populations across the region.”

To offer easily accessible, mobile agriculture insurance

Company News, Dairy, India, People

Jayen Mehta takes interim charge

Dr R S Sodhi, the Managing Director (MD) of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), the cooperative that runs the Amul brand and has the largest share in India’s dairy market, has resigned from the post. The GCMMF board has accepted his resignation. Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jayen Mehta will now take charge in his place. Dr Sodhi started his tenure at Amul as Senior Sales Officer in 1982 and became MD in 2010. Dr Sodhi is president of the Indian Dairy Association (IDA).

 Sodhi mentioned that he was already on extension for two years and was continuing on the request of the board (of GCMMF). Jayen Mehta, who had been with the federation for the past 32 years and was the chief operating officer of GCMMF, has been appointed as the new Managing Director. Mehta has been appointed as MD for an interim period.

Jayen Mehta takes interim chargeDr R S

Company News, India, Industry Reports / Analysis, North America, Supply Chain, Warehousing

To exhibit a CAGR of 9.7 per cent during the forecast period

The global agriculture supply chain management market is expected to exhibit strong growth, reaching $1299.23 million by 2028 as per a recent report by Markets N Research provides wide-ranging statistical analysis of the Global Agriculture Supply Chain Management Market’s continuous developments, capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand and import/export.

The report titled “Agriculture Supply Chain Management Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, observes that the market size in 2021 stood at $745.5 million and $1299.23 million in 2028. The market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 9.70 percent during the forecast period.

The analysis covers ‘By Component (Hardware, Solution and Services), By Solution Type (Manufacturing Execution System, Transportation Management System, Warehouse Management Systems, Supply Chain Planning and Procurement & Sourcing), By Deployment Model (On-premise and On-Demand/Cloud-Based), By User Type (Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Large Enterprises) and Regional Forecasts, 2022-2028’.

To exhibit a CAGR of 9.7 per

Agro Universities, AgroPolicy, India, Logistics, Supply Chain, Transportation

The newly inaugurated school in Agartala will equip entrepreneurs with professional training to become experts in global transportation and logistics

Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, along with Dr Manik Saha, Chief Minister, Tripura inaugurated the School of Logistics, Waterways and Communication in Agartala. The school will enable the rich pool of talent of the region to become world class experts in the transportation and logistics sector. In order to unlock the promised economic potential of the Northeast, the school will be enabling the innate capacity of human resources along our opulent waterways, said Sonowal.

The Centre for Logistic, Communication and Waterways would facilitate in conducting studies/research, training, workshops/seminars for stakeholders like businesses, exporters/importers, Chambers of Commerce and Industries, local entrepreneurs, tourist operators etc. It has been set up under State Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (SIPARD). SIPARD is an autonomous body funded by the Government of Tripura and partially by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India.

Speaking on the potential of waterways as an avenue of economic progress of the Northeast, Sarbananda Sonowal said, “Apart from being a swift, clean and affordable means of transport, this opens a new ray of hope for growth of trade with the international market. The deeper, longer and wider network of inland waterways will not only decongest and reduce carbon footprints but has the potential to generate significant economic activities and boost international trade in the region.”

The newly inaugurated school in Agartala will

AgroPolicy, Biofuel industry, India

Opening a new regional office in New Delhi marks an important milestone in USGC’s journey and commitment to enable Indo-US trade

The US Grains Council (USGC) has been in India for more than 25 years, working with government officials to create market access for distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol for fuel. In recent years, the USGC has been working with multiple stakeholders to build awareness around ethanol and its benefits. The opening of this new office marks an important milestone in USGC’s journey and commitment to enable Indo-US trade, develop markets and improve lives.

On the occasion, Ryan LeGrand, USGC President and CEO, said, “The US-India trade relationship has never been better. India is already our second largest ethanol trading partner – all brought in for industrial purposes. With its ambitious ethanol blending program, India is poised to be one of the leading ethanol markets in the world. There is great potential for India and the U.S. to collaborate and for India to increase its ethanol blending capacity. Given this background, we have carved out a separate regional office to work jointly with our stakeholders to build India’s sustainable ethanol blending programme.”

As part of her welcome note, Alejandra Danielson Castillo, USGC Director in India, said, “India is a vibrant economy with growing energy needs, and ethanol offers a good solution to offset the import bill as well as move toward net-zero. The U.S. underwent a similar transformation and movement toward biofuels. It has developed a robust regulatory framework and infrastructure to support its biofuel industry and address climate change.”

“Our farmer members and agribusinesses would like to share the benefits of our experience with India to ease the transition to higher blends in areas like transport, pricing, logistics and environmental considerations.”

USGC has been particularly active in the region by being a significant part of conversations to promote the use of biofuels and clean energy in India. With this new office, USGC will also be able to establish a Centre of Excellence to disseminate knowledge and share best practices with all stakeholders.

Opening a new regional office in New

AgroPolicy, India, Organic

The cooperative society will manage various activities related to organic sector by providing certified and authentic organic products

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a historic decision of setting up and promoting a national level cooperative society for organic products under the Multi State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002 with support from relevant Ministries especially the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (M/Doner) through their policies, schemes & agencies following the ‘Whole of the Government Approach’.

PACS to APEX: Primary to national level cooperatives societies including primary societies, district, state and national level federations, multi state cooperative societies and Farmers Producer Organisations (FPOs) can become its member.  All these cooperatives will have their elected representatives in the Board of the society as per its bye-laws.

The cooperative society will manage various activities related to organic sector by providing certified and authentic organic products.  It will help in unlocking demand and consumption potential of organic products in domestic as well as in global markets.  This society will also help cooperatives and ultimately their farmer members in getting benefits of high price of organic products through aggregation, branding and marketing on large scale by facilitating testing and certification at affordable cost.

The cooperative society will also provide institutional support for aggregation, certification, testing, procurement, storage, processing, branding, labelling, packaging, logistic facilities, marketing of organic products and arranging financial assistance to the organic farmers through is members cooperatives including Primary Agricultural Credit Societies/Farmers Producer Organisations (FPOs) and will take up all promotion and development related activities of organic products with the help of various schemes and agencies of the Government.  It will empanel accredited organic testing labs and certification bodies who mee the criteria specified by the society to bring down the cost of testing and certification.

The society will manage entire supply chain of organic products produced by cooperatives and related entities through member cooperatives It will utilize the services of national cooperative export society being set up under MSCS Act, 2002 for export marketing and thereby enhance reach and demand of organic products in global market.  It will also facilitate in providing technical guidance, training and capacity building of organic producer and developing and maintaining dedicated market intelligence system for organic produce.  While promoting organic farming, balanced approach will be maintained between regular mass farming and organic farming.

The cooperative society will manage various activities

Company News, Finance, India, Start ups

Cropin AI Labs is to bring predictive intelligence to every acre of the world’s cultivable land

Cropin, the global agritech pioneer that has built the world’s first industry cloud for agriculture, has secured Rs 113 crore in funding from new investors Google and JSR Corporation, as well as existing investors ABC Impact and Chiratae Ventures. The funds will aid in expanding Cropin Cloud, company’s recently launched intelligent agriculture cloud platform, to cater to the growing demand for digitisation and predictive intelligence in the global agriculture sector.

Cropin Cloud, launched in September 2022, has quickly become a leading platform in the digital transformation of agriculture. With the support of this funding round, Cropin will be able to further invest in its go-to-market efforts and expand the platform’s capabilities, including developing next-generation predictive intelligence solutions through Cropin AI Labs. The goal of Cropin AI Labs is to bring predictive intelligence to every acre of the world’s cultivable land. In addition, Cropin plans to expand its business presence in new regions and industries, focusing on creating solutions that promote sustainable agriculture practices and address global food security challenges on a large scale.

Commenting on the investment, Krishna Kumar, Co-Founder & CEO, Cropin said, “Since its founding in 2010, Cropin has been dedicated to improving the intelligence of food production and maximizing value for all stakeholders in the agricultural ecosystem. By making farms and harvests traceable, predictable, and sustainable, Cropin aims to transform how food is grown. The involvement of new strategic investors like Google and JSR Corporation, and the support of our existing investors, demonstrates confidence in our mission and impact. We are excited to partner with global technology innovators like Google, which further validates our capabilities and solidifies our position as a leader in the digitalization of global agriculture″.

Commenting on the development, Sudhir Sethi, Founder and Chairman Chiratae Ventures India Advisors, said, “Cropin has always embodied these values, and they are poised to be the largest Agritech company globally with its cloud-based, SaaS business model. This investment underlines our strong belief in their growth and the impact they deliver to co-create a truly sustainable global agri-food ecosystem. ″

Cropin AI Labs is to bring predictive

Agrotech, Company News, Start ups

 This year’s group shows the importance of connecting with the startup community across a broad range of applications and technologies

Deere & Company has released the names of eight companies chosen for its 2023 Startup Collaborator program. The Startup Collaborator was launched in 2019 and helps John Deere enhance precision technology in its agriculture and construction equipment.

“This year’s group shows the importance of connecting with the startup community across a broad range of applications and technologies,” said Julian Sanchez, director of emerging technology at John Deere. These connections help John Deere better understand opportunities to advance precision technology in agriculture and construction.”

The Startup Collaborator, now in its fifth year and includes notable alumni such as Bear Flag Robotics, and Hello Tractor. In 2021, Bear Flag Robotics was acquired by John Deere to support the company’s autonomous tractor solutions. In 2022, John Deere also invested in Hello Tractor, a company that connects tractor owners with smallholder farmers through a farm-equipment sharing app.

The eight companies participating in the 2023 Startup Collaborator include:

Albedo, a startup company developing low-flying satellites that will collect visible and thermal imagery at ultra-high resolution.

ANELLO Photonics, a company that is disrupting the navigation industry with their Silicon Photonics Optical Gyroscope, a low-noise and low-drift optical gyroscope smart sensor for autonomous applications.

GrAI Matter Labs is in the business of Life-Ready AI – artificial intelligence that feels alive, delivering brain-inspired chips that behave like humans do and makes devices assisting humans act, and react, in real time.

Impossible Sensing, an aerospace company developing and applying space technology to the agriculture industry to help the world become carbon neutral.

IntelliCulture, a company providing farm equipment management software that helps drive sustainable farming practices through actionable insights, efficiency improvements and risk mitigation.

Precision AI, a startup that’s creating the world’s first artificial intelligence-powered agricultural drones for plant-level herbicide applications at broad-acre scale.

RodRadar, a company transforming excavation. Its Live Dig Radar™ technology provides real-time, on-site, automatic alerts to prevent damage to underground utility infrastructure during excavation.

Vega is the window that certifies agribusiness sustainability to the world. Supporting sustainable production, Vega impacts the entire agri-food chain through traceability, risk analysis and monitoring of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices.

“The Startup Collaborator is an exciting way for big ideas to grow into something larger,” said Michele Kaiser, business development manager for the John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group.

 This year's group shows the importance of

Agri Genomics, Agro Universities, India, Seeds

Advanta interested to further work closely with IRRI to leverage knowledge and experience in rice science to create market-differentiating breeding products

A delegation from Advanta Seeds from India and the Philippines visited IRRI Headquarters to explore potential areas of collaboration between the two organisations.

Advanta Seeds, a subsidiary of Indian multinational UPL Limited, is a global leader in traditional plant breeding for high-quality seeds in various field crops, including rice. As part of its global strategy, IRRI engages with private sector partners around the world to accelerate the scale and reach of the institute’s innovations and technologies to benefit farmers, particularly smallholders.

Advanta is already a trusted partner of IRRI, and a member of various initiatives such as Hybrid Rice Development Consortium (HRDC), Network for Accelerated Rice Varieties for Impact (NARVI), and Two Line Rice Hybrid Study Group. Now, they are interested to further work closely with IRRI to leverage knowledge and experience in rice science to create market-differentiating breeding products.

Members of the visiting Advanta delegation included Satyadev Vaddadi, Director – R&D FC & FR – South Asia; Elangovan Mani, India Molecular Breeding Lead (VC & FC); Balaji Suresh Pippalla, Manager for Trait Introgression; and Seraj Ahmad, Business Lead – Philippines & NEA.

The delegation was welcomed by IRRI Tech Transfer Senior Manager – Business Development Linga Reddy Gutha and Deputy Platform Leader for Rice Breeding Innovations Sankalp Bhosale. The delegation participated in various in-depth scientific discussions with Damien Platten, Nese Sreenivasulu, Kenneth McNally and Shalabh Dixit.

The potential collaborations discussed included: 1) how IRRI can play a role in integration of genomic selection in their rice breeding strategy; 2) grain quality profiling of their parental lines for predictive breeding; 3) closer collaboration in rice native traits and informatics; 4) licensing of additional rice hybrids from HRDC for the Philippines; 5) exploration of a collaboration model for exchange of germplasm from Direct Seeded Rice breeding program, and 6) Licensing of IRRI germplasm for Africa.

As a follow up of this meeting, IRRI Tech Transfer and Jauhar Ali will visit Advanta’s facility in Hyderabad, India this December to discuss various opportunities of two-line rice hybrids. 

Advanta interested to further work closely with