Connect with:
Sunday / February 23. 2025

logo
mobile-logo
Home2023 (Page 92)
Company News, India

Sanjeev Kharbanda comes with extensive hands-on experience of over 28 years in management and business leadership

Best Agrolife Ltd, India’s leading agrochemical company, announced the hiring of business transformation leader, Sanjeev Kharbanda, as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to further strengthen and boost the company’s financial operations and key long-term business strategies

A finance professional and business transformative leader Sanjeev Kharbanda comes with extensive hands-on experience of over 28 years in management and business leadership.

Commenting on the appointment, Vimal Alawadhi, Best Agrolife Ltd (BAL) founder and MD said, “We are pleased to welcome Sanjeev Kharbanda to our leadership team during an exciting time of growth for the company. Other than his deep knowledge of both Indian and international financial markets he also holds a stellar record of delivering tangible results and creating long-term, sustainable value. With his invaluable breadth of experience, Kharbanda will surely help in role in taking BAL to new heights of success.”

Kharbanda joins BAL from Aqualite Industries Private Limited, a footwear brand on a growth trajectory, where he managed the dual role of CFO and Business Co-Pilot for all strategic decisions or moves. He has also worked as General Manager – Corporate Finance with Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Private Limited for more than a decade and at senior profile with other organisations across the sectors, broadly including FMCG and Telecommunication. As CFO, Kharbanda will lead the financial activities of the organisation including performance improvement, financial operations, investor sourcing, stakeholder management, and more.

“I am excited to be joining BAL as CFO and to be exploring the industry of agrochemicals which is quite new for me. Over the past few years, BAL has grown remarkably and is swiftly climbing up the success ladder through new opportunities, under the leadership of highly professionalised and visionary Board Members. I look forward to working with the Board, and team and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders on this next stage of development to accelerate the company’s strategic growth and path to profitability,” said Sanjeev Kharbanda, CFO of BAL.

Sanjeev Kharbanda comes with extensive hands-on experience

AgroPolicy, Dairy, India, Live Stock, People, R&D, Schemes - Govt, Sustainability

The Product Processing Utilisation & Training Wing has been inaugurated to explore the immense opportunities in the camel product processing sector

Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala, inaugurates the ‘Camel Product Processing Utilisation & Training Wing’ at the ICAR centre in Bikaner. ICAR–Bikaner is a Premier Research Centre and an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Considering the importance of camel in the socio-economic development of arid and semi-arid zones, the Government of India established a Project Directorate on Camel at Bikaner in 1984, which was upgraded to National Research Centre on Camel (NRCC) in, 1995

The Centre has been identified as one of the important tourist places of Bikaner and is included in the tourist book. A camel museum is available to apprise them of the developmental and research aspects of the camel in the desert ecosystem. Every year thousands of Foreign and Indian tourists visit the centre.

The Product Processing Utilisation & Training Wing at the centre has been inaugurated by taking into consideration the immense opportunities that this sector holds.

Parshottam Rupala interacted with pastoralists and the pastoral community at the research centre. Further, the Minister also visited the institute’s facilities and interacted with the scientist and domain experts. Detailed discussions followed on the significance of the inception of this producinstitute’s facilities and interactions shall benefit the pastoral community.

While inaugurating the training wing, Parshottam Rupala said, ‘With the Animal Husbandry sector emerging as one of the diversified drivers of economic growth and rural income, there is a need for technological infusion, public investments, and policy reforms. Further, the Union Minister also said that this centre is beneficial not only to the pastoral communities in the state of Rajasthan but India as a whole. He added that the Ministry aims to work in tandem with the stakeholders for the continued growth of the livestock sector.

The Product Processing Utilisation & Training Wing

Agrotech, Company News, India, People, Sustainability

The new program, MANDI, aims to benefit 50,000 farmers by end of 2023

Mastercard and ACCESS Development Services announced the launch of a new program in Assam focused on empowering farmer-producer organisations (FPOs) in the state. The program, Mainstreaming Agriculture through Networks and Development Initiatives, or MANDI, aims to strengthen FPOs by helping build their capacity through structured technical assistance by a professional cadre of trainers.

According to the ACCESS baseline survey of FPOs in Guwahati, 95 per cent of organisations cited access to markets as their key challenge along with a lack of financial services and the awareness and knowledge to avail of government schemes.

Mastercard and ACCESS are aiming to help address these challenges by facilitating training frameworks, curricula, and tools for FPOs. The program will focus on accelerating growth and development among FPOs and enhancing the financial literacy among farmers by Training them in best agricultural practices, Improving their access to market linkages, and digital tools, Generating awareness about financial services along with the available government schemes
The program has been operational on a pilot basis in Assam for the last six months and has been able to onboard 83 FPOs to date. As it continues, MANDI aims to benefit 50,000 farmers by the end of 2023.

The launch event was attended by Sankar Das, AGM, NABARD, Dr Jayanta Sharma, Senior Scientist, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kahikuchi, Dr Lalit Sharma, Director, Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, and other distinguished guests.

Vipin Sharma, CEO, ACCESS Development Services, said, “The adoption of agritech solutions has played a vital role in streamlining the supply chains and addressing diverse challenges related to market linkages and access to financial services. There is a need to strengthen FPOs through technology to ensure increased connectivity and enhanced productivity. We are thrilled to collaborate with Mastercard and facilitate the tools, curriculum, and skills to ensure long-term sustainability for FPOs.”

Gautam Aggarwal, Division President, South Asia, Mastercard, said, “FPOs face several challenges to growth due to lack of digital infrastructure and technical skills. The MANDI program aims to address these issues by establishing a sustainable model that bolsters the resilience of smallholder farmers as well as supports self-reliance for FPOs by equipping them with knowledge, digital tools, and training. This initiative advances the Government of India’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and reiterates Mastercard’s commitment to connecting more people to the digital economy, including those who earn their livelihoods from agriculture.”

The new program, MANDI, aims to benefit

Agrotech, Company News, Finance, India, People, Supply Chain, Sustainability

ERGOS’ credit product is the first of its kind in India that provides tailor-made credit solutions to small and medium-scale farmers and buyers through data-backed technology

ERGOS, India’s leading farmer-centric technology platform, announced that it has enabled its lending partners to achieve disbursement of over Rs 100 crore to small and medium-scale farmers and buyers. This milestone has been achieved through the recent launch of ERGOS’ credit product for the farming community which has enabled thousands of farmers in 3 different states in India to access institutional credit.

ERGOS backed by Aavishkaar Capital, Chiratae Ventures and British International Investment enables farmers to digitise their farm produce and provides them with doorstep access to end-to-end postharvest supply chain solutions.

ERGOS’ credit product is the first of its kind in India that provides tailor-made credit solutions to small and medium-scale farmers and buyers through data-backed technology. Unlike conventional loan options, ERGOS’ platform allows farmers and buyers to access asset-backed low-cost credit irrespective of their socio-economic background or limited credit history. The product leverages data-driven insights and a unique risk-scoring matrix that is based on the farmer’s field profiling, crop pattern, the value of their produce digitised and performance patterns of the crops that are being cultivated by the farmers.

Umesh Gowda, CTO, said “The impact of ERGOS’ GrainBank platform is unprecedented. We have been able to convince farmers to adopt mobile-driven technology and engage in transactions using bank accounts electronically as against cash, which also helps farmers to improve their credit score as we had zero defaulters and 100 per cent of loans are being closed on time. This milestone not only sets a benchmark for helping small farmers gain access to credit at competitive rates but also paves the way for a more inclusive and transparent financial system by leveraging technology at farmgate. ”

 Kishor Jha, Founder and CEO of the company, said “Our vision for the future of agriculture revolves around creating sustainable farming solutions that promote growth and ensure a financially secure future for farmers. We are dedicated to bringing digital technologies to the forefront of the agriculture industry for a more secure farm future. The ERGOS’ platform is well-equipped to serve farmers all across the country. With a presence in over 50 plus districts and partnerships with banks and local institutions, the company is confident of growing 3x in FY24 and building an annual disbursal book of Rs 5,000 crore by FY28.”

Ajay Maniar, Partner at Aavishkaar Capital said, “The leadership team at Ergos has continued to build and execute on their vision of creating Ergos as a ‘farmer first’ Grainbank that allows a farmer to store their grains safely, avail instant financing against their stored stock and discover the best market price for their produce, all facilitated via few clicks on the Ergos App. The company has successfully demonstrated its model across multiple geographies and is now well positioned to replicate and scale its model across India whilst creating significant value for the underserved farmer community”

ERGOS’ credit product is the first of

AgroPolicy, India, Opinions

By Ram Kaundinya, Director General, Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII)

The Union Budget 2023-24, presented by the Finance Minister has many positive announcements for agriculture in general and a budget allotment of Rs 1.25 lakh crore. The budget is an important instrument used by governments to shape public policy, economic growth and desired public responses to a country’s needs.

The most important announcement is the development of open source, open standards and interoperable Digital Public Goods (DPG) for delivering several services to the farmers. As we know digital technology is transforming our lives. A DPG like Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has completely changed the landscape of payment systems in the country. Even many of the developed countries do not have such a system. The recently introduced Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) will also have a major impact on the scale-up of digital ecommerce businesses and consumers. Similar DPGs are to be developed for delivering multiple services to the farmers like a supply of inputs, crop advisory /health monitoring, credit, insurance, etc. Some private organisations like Agri Collaboratory, the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) are working on this subject, apart from several government organisations and the Agristack, launched by the government earlier. It is very heartening that the government has now focused attention on this subject through the budget announcement, which will help in making this a reality.

Setting up an Agri Accelerator Fund for startups in rural areas is another major announcement. This will go a long way in supporting the new wave of startups coming up in the food, agri and fintech sectors. Startups are working in the pre-sowing phase, cultivation-phase and post-harvest phase of crops, livestock, fisheries, poultry and other segments of agriculture. This fund will help in scaling up real innovations, including grass- root level innovations which can play a crucial role in making farming easier and reducing the drudgery of the farmer, apart from making it attractive for the youth and women to get into agriculture.

A micro-irrigation project has been announced in Karnataka as well, with an allotment of Rs 5,500 crore budget, aside from targeting Rs 20 lakh crore of agri credit. All these  are very positive measures to help agriculture and the farmers.

The Cooperative sector received a big boost in the budget, emphasising the need for a cooperative-based economic development model. This is in line with the recent announcements made about giving a major role to cooperatives in the supply of seeds to farmers. The budget talked about the computerisation of 65000 Primary Agricultural Credit Coop Societies at an investment of Rs 2516 crore. This will also help in setting up a national database of cooperative societies. Massive decentralised storage facilities will be set up for crop output in rural areas. There will be a scale-up of multi-purpose cooperative societies, dairy societies, fisheries societies, etc. These measures will help the rural areas in a big way and the farmers will benefit particularly well.

The thrust towards natural farming has continued in the budget. A few important announcements were made. An Organic Bioresources Scheme has been announced, which envisages setting up 200 compressed biogas plants at an investment of Rs 10,000 crore Large-scale biomass collection and distribution structures will be set up.

A Bharatiya Prakrutik Natural farming system will be established under the name GOBARDHAN Scheme. 10,000 bio-input resource centres will be set up to promote natural farming among one crore farmers. This is a massive program which hopes to convert almost 5 per cent of the farmers to natural farming. This could be a turning point in the history of natural farming in India. However the challenge of marketing products of such natural farming as value-added products through an identity-preserved supply chain system will remain a challenge, unless the government announces a separate programme for it. The profitability of the one crore farmers will depend on marketing their output at remunerative prices.

The budget should have addressed more deeply incentivising sustainable agricultural practices and smart agriculture, which will help in mitigating climate risk. Specific and well- targeted incentives for crop diversification, reducing water consumption and similar urgent needs could have been included in the budget. Promotion of natural farming is not a guarantee for sustainable agriculture.

To read more click on: https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

By Ram Kaundinya, Director General, Federation of

Agrotech, India, Interaction, People, R&D

On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2023, AgroSpectrum India, had the privilege of speaking with her to share her message with women in agriculture and to inspire others in the industry.

As India looks to enhance its economic growth, empowering and mainstreaming women in the agriculture workforce can create a paradigm shift. Dr Manju Vishawakarma, General Manager of Ankur Seeds is a shining example of this. With her three decades of dedicated service to the company, she has risen through the ranks on her own merit and sustained hard work, to become an industry leader. On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2023, AgroSpectrum India, had the privilege of speaking with her to share her message with women in agriculture and to inspire others in the industry.

Could you please share your academic and career journey with us?

I grew up in Nagpur and completed my Master’s in 1982 and PhD in 1989 from the Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University. During my doctoral research studies in cytogenetics, I was awarded a senior research fellowship by ICAR. In 1989, I started my professional career as an Assistant Research Officer with Ankur Seeds at Nagpur and have since continued my service here for 34 years.

At Ankur, I applied my expertise in the breeding of vegetable crops, specifically chilli and okra crops. Vegetable breeding became my passion over the years. Subsequently, I worked on Rapeseed and Mustard oilseed crops to understand their species diversity and genetics and applied my learnings in the breeding of vegetable crops. Later, I assumed the responsibility of Research Coordinator for vegetable crops in the year 2000 and then coordinated research activities in solanaceous and cucurbitaceous crops, besides planning and executing breeding projects in several other vegetable crops, exploring newer areas and techniques of crop improvement research.

My focus was on studying the qualitative and quantitative traits that influenced significant biotic and abiotic stresses. In 2007, after elevation to the position of General Manager, I initiated research activities in the areas of Biotechnology, Molecular Breeding and Tissue culture and added regeneration studies and marker-assisted selections for disease resistance to accelerate vegetable breeding activities.

I am humbled to have contributed substantially to the wellbeing of farmers through several successful vegetable hybrids developed by my teams under my guidance. Many of these hybrids are still being cultivated profitably over large acreages and are very popular among growers.

I have authored many research papers and have chaired many scientific sessions.

You have been recognised as a valuable researcher and contributor to the seed industry. Can you elaborate on your research works and also a few of your achievements?

Throughout my research and career, I have always believed to have a personal touch with farmers, take their opinion on product and cultivations practices and then correspondingly work on improvising the seed to help cultivators have monetary benefits. I have grown through the ranks of Research Officer, Research Co-ordinator, Head, Vegetable Department and now General Manager of Ankur Seeds.

While I was Head of Ankur Seeds’ R&D, I ensured that the Vegetable Department developed and launched 52 hybrid plant varieties for commercial cultivation. I was recognised for the development of unique germplasm that contributes to translational research using new knowledge in bringing about a transformation in a crop. To give an example a mutant variety of rapeseed mustard with high oil content was developed under my research guidance. I have been responsible for creating significant economic benefit to farmers in our country by creating crops that gave good yields and quality. Hybrid chili ARCH-228 fetched premium value for its high colour and high pungency and yields up-to 40 qtls/acre. Hybrid Chili ARCH-226 is heat tolerant and when cultivated in summer gives high value yields. These chilli varieties made good sales in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Similarly, hybrid Okra varieties AROH-9 and AROH-10 were developed to produce high yields and also be tolerant to Yellow Vein Mosaic Virus (YVMV). Farmers were extremely happy with this seed variety as YVMV is a big nuisance that causes severe monetary loss. Rapeseed Mustard variety ARM-SL-213 is another seed variety that was developed to give a distinct colour (shiny light green) in the crop, which was equally high yielding.

In the last 30 years, I have attended several national and international seminars and conferences, and I have chaired two sessions of AVRDC or World Vegetable Centre and APSA. (World Vegetable Centre, an international non-profit research and development institute, is committed to alleviating poverty and malnutrition in the developing world through the increased production and consumption of nutritious and health-promoting vegetables.)

Recently, The Foundation for Advanced Training in Plant Breeding (ATPBR) recognised me for my contributions to genetically enhancing, hot pepper, okra, solanaceous, cucurbitaceous and oilseed crops by bestowing me with the “Women Achievers in the Seed Industry” Award.

To read more click on : https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

On the occasion of International Women’s Day

Agrotech, India, Industry Reports / Analysis

The plant-based meat market is projected to range from $283 million to $880 million (Rs 2194 crore to Rs 6824 crore). Although the Indian plant-based meat market is currently in its nascent stage, it has already established its position in the market. The market is still small at around Rs 300 crore, but it has the potential to grow 8-10 times and reach Rs 3,500 crore by 2026. Let’s take a closer look at the buoyant plant-based meat space.

The plant-based food sector presents an incredible opportunity to India for the long term by effectively and efficiently utilising natural resources and adding value through processing. It can cater towards the populations living and working in cities as well as those in rural settings, who increasingly have access to cold chains and supermarkets. It can leverage the unique strengths and qualities of its indigenous crops.

The export market for India’s plant-based sector is projected to be significant by 2030, with the plant-based meat market expected to be larger than that of milk, as per a report by the Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority (APEDA). The plant-based meat market is projected to range from $283 million to $880 million (Rs 2194 crore to Rs 6824 crore). Although the Indian plant-based meat market is currently in its nascent stage, it has already established its position in the market. The market is still small at around Rs 300 crore, but it has the potential to grow 8-10 times and reach Rs 3,500 crore by 2026. Let’s take a closer look at the buoyant plant-based meat space.

In September 2022, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Authority (APEDA) facilitated the export of first consignment of plant-based meat products under vegan food category from Nadiad in Kheda district in Gujarat to California, the United States of America (USA) in a move to boost exports of unique agricultural processed food products. The first shipment has vegan food products like momos, mini samosas, patties, nuggets, spring rolls, burgers, etc. The shipments were exported by Greennest and Wholesome Foods. 

Stressing on exploring new foreign destinations, APEDA Chairman, Dr M Angamuthu said that APEDA is working towards promotion of plant-based meat products in a big way without disturbing the conventional animal-based meat export market. The APEDA has planned to promote a variety of vegan foods products, including pancake, snacks, cheese, etc, to the countries of Australia, Israel, New Zealand and others in coming months.

With the growing popularity of vegan food products in developed countries, the plant-based food products have a huge export potential in the international market due to the high nutrient value of the vegan food products. Due to its rich fiber and lesser cholesterol contents, vegan food products are becoming alternative food products across the globe.

APEDA has taken number of export promotion activities and initiatives, by way of development of virtual portals for organising Virtual Trade Fairs, Farmer Connect Portal, e-office, HortiNet Traceability system, Buyer Seller Meets, Reverse Buyer Seller Meets, product specific campaigns etc. APEDA has been closely working with the state governments for creating infrastructure and promotion of export from the state. APEDA assists in upgradation and strengthening of recognised laboratories for export testing and residue monitoring plans. APEDA also provides assistance under the financial assistance schemes of infrastructure development, quality improvement and market development for boosting export of agricultural products. 

However, the plant-based meat industry in India is facing challenges such as product pricing, lack of awareness among farmers and consumers, research and development in key ingredients and technology and funding. A robust distribution infrastructure is needed to accelerate growth in the sector. Focus on product innovation aimed at improving palatability while optimising costs will help the industry maintain healthy growth.

As a major stockholder in the plant-based meat industry value chain, the agriculture sector can grow along with the plant-based meat industry with the help of government initiatives such as public procurement that can provide assurance to farmers and manufacturers participating in a new market. Increasing access and exposure to plant-based foods and fostering access to the market for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can also help.  Additionally, subsidies for key ingredient crops can bolster production of the strategic ingredients for plant-based foods.

Incentivising farmers and manufacturers, expanding access, and ensuring smaller businesses can participate in the sector will accelerate growth and innovation in the near-term and strengthen the sector in the long-term. Soy flour, concentrates and isolates, along with other ingredients like gram flour, mung bean protein and spices, are almost always locally sourced from within the country. New research is ongoing on incorporating ingredients like millets, rice, chickpeas, mushroom and jackfruit into plant-based meats. Thus plant-based meat is adding value to the processing of Indian agricultural produce.

To read more click on:https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

The plant-based meat market is projected to

Agrotech, Australia, China, Industry Reports / Analysis, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand

The global plant-based seafood market is projected to reach $1.3 billion by 2031, growing at a 42.3 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2022 to 2031. The market size for plant-based seafood was valued at 42.1 million in 2021, accounting for 62.7 per cent market share.  The seafood segment is expected to remain dominant during the estimated period, with products like burgers, fillets, cutlets and tenders in high demand.  As the numbers and outlook for the future are looking optimistic for the industry, let’s examine this growing Alt-food source.

Plant-based meat was first developed in Asia and now, plant-based seafood is in demand in the region. According to a recent report by the Good Food Institute APAC, consumers in Asia are increasingly changing their dietary habits to include plant-based seafood due to concerns about heavy pollution in the ocean.

Plant-based seafood or alternative seafood is emerging as a new source of food in Asia. Plant-based seafood is made from legume proteins, soya protein, wheat protein, rice, vegetables, seaweed and plant oils.

The global plant-based seafood market is projected to reach $1.3 billion by 2031, growing at a 42.3 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2022 to 2031. The market size for plant-based seafood was valued at 42.1 million in 2021, accounting for 62.7 per cent market share.  The seafood segment is expected to remain dominant during the estimated period, with products like burgers, fillets, cutlets and tenders in high demand.  As the numbers and outlook for the future are looking optimistic for the industry, let’s examine this growing Alt-food source.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report 2022 states that fisheries and aquaculture production globally has reached 214 million tonnes, including 178 million tonnes of aquatic animals and 36 million tonnes of algae. Since 1961, per capita consumption of seafood has increased by 3 per cent annually.  Although global seafood production is in better condition, environmental concerns, health issues, and overfishing of certain species have led to a surge in demand for alternative seafood or plant-based seafood. 

According to a Good Food Institute survey, seven of the top ten seafood-consuming countries are in Asia, including China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Japan, India, Malaysia and Indonesia. This indicates a significant potential market for plant-based seafood products. Investors are also ready to invest in plant-based seafood products. In 2021 plant-based seafood companies raised $175 million and more than 120 companies are manufacturing and developing plant-based seafood mostly from, East and Southeast Asia. 

The global plant-based seafood market is projected to reach $1.3 billion by 2031, growing at a 42.3 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2022 to 2031. The market size for plant-based seafood was valued at 42.1 million in 2021, accounting for 62.7 per cent market share.  The seafood segment is expected to remain dominant during the estimated period, with products like burgers, fillets, cutlets and tenders in high demand. 

Plant-based seafood or alternative seafood is emerging as a new source of food in Asia. Plant-based seafood is made from legume proteins, soya protein, wheat protein, rice, vegetables, seaweed and plant oils.

Mirte Gosker, Acting Managing Director of the Good Food Institute APAC said, “As with all foods, the taste is the single most impact factor in determining the commercial success of alternative seafood products but it is not the only one. Consumers also want products that can match or exceed the nutritional value, freshness and affordability of the conventional seafood they know and love. Satisfying these demands will require substantially more investment from the public and private stakeholders into open-access research and development aimed at improving the quality and cost of plant-based seafood products. For the sake of achieving Asia’s ambitious food security goals and preserving the richness of our oceans amid a world of surging protein demand, we should all hope that alternative seafood producers can live up to consumers’ high expectations.” 

To read more click on: https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

The global plant-based seafood market is projected

Agrotech, Horticulture, India, Interaction

Sairaj Dhond, the Founder and CEO of Wakao Foods spoke with AgroSpectrum about the current status and opportunities in the plant-based meat industry in India. Edited excerpts;

Wakao Foods is a sustainable company based in Goa that offers plant-based ethically sourced ‘Ready to Cook’ and ‘Ready to Eat’ products to the market. Its first offering is native jackfruit meat. The company is inspired by the rising trend of veganism in India and around the world and focuses on sustainability. Despite launching just before the pandemic hit India in 2020, Wakao has achieved a 25 per cent month-on-month growth since its inception. The jackfruit meat offered by Wakao is hand-picked from farms and manufactured hygienically, with a commitment to ethical sourcing. Additionally, the company donates 1 per cent of every sale to local farmers throughout India who are working to feed our country. The company prioritises indigenous agri-practices, fair prices for farmers, and top-quality natural produce. Sairaj Dhond, the Founder and CEO of Wakao Foods spoke with AgroSpectrum about the current status and opportunities in the plant-based meat industry in India. Edited excerpts;

How is Wakao Foods contributing to the plant-based meat industry in India?

Wakao Foods is contributing in a very big way because we are the first company that started jackfruit meat. Jackfruit is naturally available in abundance in India and no one identified it or tapped into its potential. So, Wakao Foods has brought forward a traditional fruit that is grown a lot in India and has a natural texture, zero preservatives and humongous potential across the globe.

How would you envisage the future of the plant-based meat industry?

The future is very bright, it is an upcoming industry category which will take some time to really flourish into a mass category but we are not just at the tip of popularisation. So much is going to happen in this industry. It will be explored in a big way.

Wakao Foods has received Rs 75 lakh for 21 per cent equity from SUGAR Cosmetics, MamaEarth, and Emcure Pharmaceuticals in the latest round of funding. What are your  expansion plans and strategies in the international market in 2023?

We did receive the funding on the show – Shark Tank India but after coming out unfortunately I did not take that funding because there were negotiations where I thought we needed to get a better valuation and on mutual terms, we decided not to go ahead with that round of funding. We still remain very good friends and I have great respect for the sharks and what that show gave me.

We are working very hard to explore the international market because we believe that there is huge potential for global expansion and a worldwide footprint, for a product like ours. The real market lies in the international arena, because it’s a mature market. That’s where people have been consuming mock meat for the last 10-15 years and they understand what plant-based mock meat is. We are going very strong, so we are looking for and identifying the distributors and importers in different countries. We already have our presence in five countries and are looking to expand to at least 10 more countries over the next 6 to 8 months.

Where does the company procure jackfruit for meat production? How will it help in boosting the agriculture sector in India?

Jackfruit is grown in over 16 states in India. About 1.4 million-ton jackfruit is grown every year. We identified and mapped the various regions where jackfruit is grown and we procured it from across India, but predominantly from south India – mostly from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Goa and also from the Maharashtrian belt. It helps the agricultural sector in a huge way because jackfruit is typically considered useless by most people. Almost 75 per cent of it is wasted every year. That itself shows you the kind of impact we can have on the agriculture sector. We can make use of every single jackfruit in India and if my estimates go well, then, we would require even more than what is available right now.

What are the challenges faced by the plant-based meat industry and what inputs are required for its growth? 

The biggest challenge that we face right now is the pricing of the product. Unless we become a mass product and scale up, we won’t be able to rationalise the pricing. Therefore, we have to work on our prices, and it will only change with an increase in the scale of our products and production. Secondly, we need to educate the masses about veganism and our products. There is very little awareness about the type of products we have, or about plant-based meat. So, we need to spend a lot of time and money on educating our consumers on what exactly we are doing and that is taking up a lot of our time, energy and resources. 

To read more click on: E-Magazine – Agro Spectrum India

Sairaj Dhond, the Founder and CEO of

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agrotech, Company News, India

This market will cater to over 20,000 farmers by providing them safe place to do their business and consumers of over 30 villages and urban areas around this district headquarter.

Global CEO J Erik Fyrwald on Thursday said Syngenta is all geared up to celebrate India’s march to Amrit Kaal and its emergence as the world’s 5th largest economy. Fyrwald termed India’s rapid march on the path of progress as inspirational and transformational and said that this has strengthened Syngenta’s resolve to continue to invest itself in the future of the country’s agriculture. On a 3-day visit to India, Fyrwald was speaking after dedicating one of the country’s biggest rural wayside markets in Wanaparthy district, Telangana, build under Syngenta’s flagship CSR I-CLEAN (Inculcating Cleanliness, Learning, Education, Awareness and New Habits) program. Apart from Telangana, 24 such I-CLEAN projects are running in Bihar (18), Uttar Pradesh (02), Karnataka (04) catering to the needs of rural farmers.

Spread over 51020 sq feet, this state-of-art market is built at a cost of Rs 3.3 crore in Wanaparthy and will be handed over to the Agriculture Marketing Board for operation and maintenance. This market will cater to over 20,000 farmers by providing them safe place to do their business and consumers of over 30 villages and urban areas around this district headquarter.

“Present in the country for 94 years now, India has always been at the core of our focus for its sheer size, diversity and potential – 40% of workforce in the country is employed in agriculture. We have consistently worked on addressing challenges facing Indian agriculture. Accordingly, our R&D has been geared to providing technology to the farming community for enhancing productivity and also reducing input costs for better returns on investment. We invest and innovate to transform the way crops are grown and protected to bring about positive, lasting change in agriculture. Our ambition is to be the most collaborative and trusted team in agriculture, providing leading seeds and crop protection innovations and digital solutions to enhance the prosperity of farmers, wherever they are,” Fyrwald added.

Susheel Kumar, MD & Country Head, Syngenta India said, “The I-CLEAN project has been a remarkable success. We are glad to be able to contribute to the rural prosperity of Telangana, which has one of the highest rates of agriculture growth at 7.8 per cent. With a slew of impressive programs including Rythu Bandhu Scheme, Mission Bhagiratha and Drone Certification, the state has made rapid strides and it gives us joy to become partners in this journey.”

Syngenta’s I-CLEAN program has brought about significant transformation. According to a social-economic impact assessment, the income of farmers who sell their produce at I-CLEAN markets have gone up by 49% as they are able to spend more time in markets; the improved infrastructure sees increased daily footfall. The facilities like safe drinking water, solar lights and toilets have improved the livelihood opportunities of local farming communities by about 40%.  

Dr KC Ravi, Chief Sustainability Officer, Syngenta India, said, “This state-of-art wayside market is equipped with modern amenities including approach roads from the highway, 78 raised platforms, sheds, lights, parking facility, safe drinking water, toilet blocks for men and women, water harvesting, lush green frontage, waste disposal, and children playing area.”

This market will cater to over 20,000

Acquaculture, India, Interaction

Experts from fisheries discussed the current issues in fisheries and way forward in the session.

“Department of Fisheries will follow up the suggestions which will emerge from Fishtech 23 conference “, said Sudhir Mungantiwar, Forest Minister Maharshtra State. He inaugurated Fishtech 23 Conference through video call organised by Maharashtra Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) at CIDCO Exhibition & Convention Centre in Vashi, Navi Mumbai. As Mungantiwar could not come for the Fishtech 23 conference he shared his thoughts in video message.

In his welcome address, Ravindra Boratkar, President, MEDC informed the audience about current scenario of fisheries in the country, “Maharashtra has 4.35 lakh tonnes of marine fisheries. India’s fisheries production is 8 per cent of world production. India export 13.39 lakh tonnes fish worth Rs 57,000 crore.”

 Dr Ashish Paturkar, Vice-Chancellor, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University emphasised the importance of digital technology in fisheries sector.

“New technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Real time data, etc. should be used for improved quality which is important for increasing fisheries export. Value addition is also important for increasing the export,” said Paturkar.

He also added that processing of surplus production of fish is also important as otherwise it can create pollution problem.

Ramsdas Sandhe,Chairman, Maharashtra Rajya Machhimar  Sahakari Sangh, explained the problems faced by fishermen in  Maharashtra state. He said, “One major problem is pollution of plastic, chemicals and sewage in the fisheries. As result 65 per cent fisherman have gone in their profession. Government has imposed restrictions on the strength of diesel engines which created problems for fishermen but this problem is resolved after the instructions from State Department of Fisheries   ”

Meenal Mohadikar, Vice President MEDC proposed the vote of thanks in the last session of inauguration.

Fishtech 2023 a “Sustainable Blue Revolution: Nutritional Security and Exports” event which comprises of Exhibition, conference and workshops aims to promote development and leverage of opportunities in the fisheries sector. FISHTECH 2023 evolve around fisheries business opportunities in the different regions of Maharashtra and it is a regional hub nationally as well as internationally.

 Fishtech concentrates on establishing a partnership between states and regions to promote seamless development and leverage of opportunities in the fisheries sector. The objectives of the event are to bring together stakeholders from the different parts of the Maharashtra region, public sector enterprises, and the private sector in the fisheries sector.

Experts from fisheries discussed the current issues

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, India, SAARC, Sustainability

Sri Lanka’s Minister for Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera appreciated India’s efforts to promote the use and popularisation of millet

In Sri Lanka, the High Commission of India held an interaction on the importance of millets in Colombo. Sri Lanka’s Minister for Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera appreciated India’s efforts to promote the use and popularisation of millet. He said Millets are very helpful, especially for those who are battling illnesses like Cardiovascular disease and diabetes. He added that Sri Lanka can benefit from better varieties of millet from India through collaboration with Indian institutions like Indian Council for Agricultural Research.

Gopal Baglay, High Commissioner said that Millets have been a part of Indian cultural DNA. Recounting India’s journey from food-grain shortage to surplus, Baglay also recounted the shift towards water-intensive and cash crops. He elaborated on the benefits millets would provide to small farmers, especially in crises.

The High Commissioner said that once forgotten, millets have now become popular as smart foods and healthy food. Remembering Sri Lanka’s crisis last year, he said that both India and Sri Lanka acknowledged food security as the first pillar of cooperation. He asserted that today’s interaction on millet can help achieve cooperation on food security.

Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation for Sri Lanka and Maldives Vimlendra Sharan welcomed the interaction organised by the Indian Mission. He said that the international year of Millets is timely and a reminder to work towards integrating millets into our production cycle and consumption pattern. Elaborating that millets are climate resilient, he added that in Sri Lanka millet production is restricted to under 7000 hectares as against 8 lakh hectares in the case of rice. He added that this scenario needs a change. He further said that FAO stands with Sri Lanka to bring the best practices and technologies to help Sri Lanka in improving millet cultivation.

Sri Lanka’s Minister for Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera

Company News, Horticulture, India, Start ups

Fasal Fresh simplifies procurement by bringing end-to-end traceability & demand-specific sourcing directly from their precision farm network to buyers.

Bengaluru based Fasal, India’s earliest sustainable horticulture farm network company and the one-stop-shop for horticulturalists, today announced expansion into the farming output business with the launch of ‘Fasal Fresh’. Fasal Fresh removes intermediaries in procurement to ensure fairer prices for farmers while bringing end-consumers export-quality produce that has been grown using Fasal’s proprietary farm-level crop intelligence systems.

Through its patented IoT system called Kranti, Fasal has been making horticulture farming guesswork-free with advanced irrigation alerts, farm level forecasts, and pest/disease forewarnings. Today, Fasal works with Indian farmers over 60,000 acres across 20+ crops, who are leveraging this technology. Fasal Fresh, which has been in the works since last year with a focus on building the horticulture farming network, will directly bring the produce grown via precision farming to the end consumers via retailers/e-tailers, wholesalers and exporters.  Currently, Fasal Fresh is operational in Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad with its Mumbai operations planned for March this year.

Shailendra Tiwari, Founder, Fasal, said, “Procurement of fruits across the country remains fragmented and hindered by several issues in the value chain like lack of any visibility of supply, quality inconsistency, and wastage of produce during transit, among others. But with our progressive horticulture approach through differentiated tech deployed on large acreages combined with the Fasal Fresh network, we are able to solve a lot of these supply chain issues.

We can completely revamp the entire value chain by providing a consistent supply of high-quality produce to buyers and significantly better compensation to the farmers. The network is built to bring a higher level of predictability and traceability to the horticulture supply chain via tech at a scale which was not possible before. “To drive the business vertical, a veteran horticulture supply chain expert, Manoj Kumar, has joined as Director, Fasal Fresh. “Through Fasal Fresh, we are excited to directly connect farmers growing high-quality produce using Fasal’s IoT systems and advisories with exporters, modern retailers, and end consumers. The aim is to have assured availability of precisely grown, high quality and sustainable fruits with competitive pricing for the end-consumers while ensuring transparency in deals and timely payments for the farmers – all using Fasal’s end-to-end platform,” added Manoj Kumar, Director, Fasal Fresh.

Our predictability in supply allows consistent availability of high-quality sorted, graded, and packed produce enabling buyers to plan well in advance and minimize transit loss. Fasal Fresh aims to be a system that dramatically simplifies the lives of farmers, sellers, retailers as well as end-consumers in gaining access to safer and healthier fruits as well as vegetables at fair prices. Right from making conscious decisions to use only required levels of pesticides to eco-friendly packaging, Fasal Fresh comes with the promise of access to safer, precise and sustainably grown fruits and vegetables.

Fasal Fresh simplifies procurement by bringing end-to-end

Agrotech, Animal Health, Company News, India, Live Stock

It aims to improve the genetic potential of livestock, enhance productivity, and provide better livelihood opportunities for livestock.

Asia’s largest emergency medical service provider company Ziqitza Healthcare Limited after having achieved major milestones in the country by providing ambulances and medical helplines in multiple states of India is now all set to step into veterinary services with its latest government contract of running mobile veterinary units in Uttar Pradesh. The service area assigned to Ziqitza covers 14 districts in the western part of the state. A total of 92 MVUs will offer medical care to domestic and street animals, birds and reptiles in Uttar Pradesh, as a part of the Animal Husbandry Department’s unique initiative. This is the first time Ziqitza Limited has ventured into Mobile Veterinary Units as there is a growing demand for this service as this aims to improve the genetic potential of livestock, enhance productivity, and provide better livelihood opportunities for livestock.

Speaking about the achievement, ZHL’s Head of Government Business, Jitendra Sharma said, “We are quite thrilled to start a new journey in Uttar Pradesh where we are already operating the ALS Ambulances. This new project will add a feather in our caps and renew our commitment to serve all life not just limited to human life. We are deeply grateful to the Animal Husbandry Department and the Uttar Pradesh government for giving us this opportunity to serve a unique set of patients.”

The MVUs which will be specially deployed for treating animals will be fully equipped with all life saving apparatus and will also have a team of three members- veterinarian, a para veterinarian and a helper. 50 per cent of MVUs will operate on a fixed route and attend to any diseased or injured animal on the way. Remaining MVUs will be linked to the call center and will reach the location on demand. For this, a toll-free number 1962 is being set up in Lucknow. The ambulances will treat the animals on the location itself.

Highlighting details about the contract, Project Head (Uttar Pradesh) at Ziqitza Healthcare Limited Deepak Kharbanda said, “We have been given the contract for three years. The entire state has been divided in 5 clusters and ZHL has been awarded a contract for the western cluster of the state which comprises 14 districts. We will begin our operations in west UP soon.”

Ziqitza Limited currently runs 250 ALS ambulances in the state which are used to transfer in-treatment patients from one hospital to another. The company has so far served 153675 beneficiaries in Uttar Pradesh.

It aims to improve the genetic potential