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Company News, Environment, India, Sustainability

Supported through Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund (RNCF), the initiative will establish 75 urban food gardens across Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata municipal schools.

Amazon and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, South Asia, today announced the launch of an extensive urban food garden initiative to improve nutrition for children in municipal schools in India. The initiative aims to set up a network of 75 urban food gardens in municipal schools across Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Kolkata. This US$1 million initiative is built on India’s School Nutrition Garden Scheme and is expected to provide 15 million school meals over three years for children in need.

The gardens in these urban biodiversity havens are meticulously designed small cultivation spaces promoting local food production and community engagement. In addition to encouraging state schools to grow food and supplying a greater variety of fresh produce in students’ midday meals, the initiative also supports educational experiences in composting and rainwater recycling. 

The urban food garden initiative is supported through Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund, a $100 million initiative supporting climate resilience and nature conservation in communities where it operates. This fund finances nature-based solutions that complement Amazon’s broader operational decarbonisation and sustainability efforts. Urban gardens created through this initiative are designed to be biodiverse, productive, and resilient to the adverse impacts of climate change, contributing to the overall wellbeing of the environment and communities involved.

“The urban garden initiative with ICLEI South Asia is not just about growing food, it’s about nourishing futures. This aligns deeply with Amazon’s commitment to conserving, restoring, and supporting nature and our communities,” said Abhinav Singh, Vice President Operations, Amazon India. “By supporting this transformative initiative, we’re investing in the wellbeing of India’s youth and communities, environment, and sustainable development goals.”

In areas where space is limited, machaan (trellis) farming, or multilayer farming, will be employed to support year-round cultivation. This system helps to effectively utilize space, with vegetable plants such as ginger cultivated on the ground, and creepers like gourds covering the top of the trellis. Where there is space in the middle, tomatoes and brinjals can be grown. This practice of creating micro-habitats not only increases crop diversity, but also addresses the challenges of water logging and enhances overall produce availability. The urban gardens will enhance the air-quality while supporting food base for pollinator species such as bees. Improving pollinator diversity and supporting an improved habitat for them will contribute to addressing the global crisis of pollinator decline. Additionally, these urban biodiversity havens will serve as a valuable educational tool, giving students firsthand experience with natural processes such as pollination and plant growth cycles.

Supported through Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund

Agribusiness, Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Fertilizers, Agro chems – Pesticides, Finance, Inputs

India Pesticides Limited delivered strong performance on both YoY and QoQ basis earning total revenue of Rs. 234 Crore showcasing growth at the rate of 13.6 per cent YoY and 4.5% QoQ

India Pesticides Limited (BSE: 543311; NSE: IPL), one of the fast growing agro-chemical companies for technical manufacturing (″IPL″ or the ″Company″), announced its results for quarter and half year ended September 30th, 2024.

Q2 & H1 FY25 Financial Performance:

(Rs. In Cr.)Q2 FY25Q2 FY24YoY
%		Q1 FY25QoQ
%		H1 FY25H1 FY24YoY
%
Total Income23420613.6%2244.5%45841111.5%
Gross Profit1057735.8%8819.7%19315127.8%
Gross Margin (%)44.8%37.5%39.1%42.0%36.7%
EBITDA393125.2%3222.1%715723.9%
EBITDA Margin (%)16.6%15.1%14.2%15.5%13.9%
EBIT342725.8%2824.4%625024.6%
EBIT Margin (%)14.7%13.3%12.4%13.6%12.2%
PAT262032.9%1933.0%453529.6%
PAT Margin (%)11.1%9.5%8.7%9.9%8.5%

Q2 FY25 Key Performance Highlights:

i. Total Income was Rs. 234 Crore, an increase of 13.6% and 4.5 per cent on YoY and QoQ respectively

ii. EBITDA of Rs. 39 Crore, an increase of 25.2 per cent on YoY with EBITDA margin of 16.6 per cent

iii. Net Profit of Rs. 26 Cr, an increase of 32.9 per cent on YoY with PAT margin of 11.1 per cent

H1 FY25 Key Performance Highlights:

i. Total Income was Rs. 458 Crore, an increase of 11.5 per cent on YoY basis

ii. EBITDA of Rs. 71 Crore, an increase of 23.9 per cent on YoY with EBITDA margin of 15.5 per cent

iii. Net Profit of Rs. 45 Cr, an increase of 29.6 per cent on YoY with PAT margin of 9.9 per cent

iv. Cash Flow from Operations stood at Rs.17 Crore

India Pesticides Limited delivered strong performance on

Agribusiness, Allied Industry, Foodgrains, Investments, Packaging & Labelling

With no added sugar and perfected through extensive global and local testing, Amstel Grande achieved top scores in blind tastings, setting a new standard in premium beer, making it an exciting choice for discerning beer lovers

United Breweries Limited (UBL) announced the launch of its iconic premium beer brand, Amstel Grande, in India. The grand unveiling took place at an immersive event in Mumbai, where the entire theme transported attendees to the streets of Amsterdam. With this launch, UBL introduces a new era of premium beers in India, combining brewing excellence with over 150 years of heritage from Amsterdam.
Amstel Grande promises to offer Indian consumers an unparalleled beer experience, thanks to its secret ingredient: time. The beer is slow brewed and matured longer, allowing its flavors to fully develop, resulting in a rich, smooth taste. Crafted using the finest quality barley, unique Dutch yeast, and carefully selected hops, each sip of Amstel Grande is a testament to the brand’s unwavering commitment to quality. This premium brew reflects Amstel’s commitment to quality and its philosophy of being ‘Brewed for Bonding,’ creating moments for connection and celebration among friends.

Amstel Grande arrives in India after a carefully curated journey, crafted specifically to match Indian tastes. United Breweries views Amstel Grande as a flagship initiative in the premium beer segment for the coming years. Developed locally in India, this launch meets the demand for a premium strong beer with global appeal and international quality, globally inspired, locally brewed. The packaging, designed with young, premium beer enthusiasts in mind, reflects the beer’s Amsterdam roots with illustrations of iconic Dutch architecture and scenic canals, capturing the charm of Amsterdam in every bottle.

Amstel Grande is now available in Maharashtra, with plans for expansion to other states in the near future. Amstel Grande is competitively priced at INR 160 for 330ml bottle, INR 195 for 500ml can and INR 250 for 650 ml bottle and readily available at leading outlets across Maharashtra.

With no added sugar and perfected through

Agribusiness, Agro chems – Fertilizers, Company News, Finance, India

Company’s Crop Nutrition Business (CNB) achieved a remarkable 83 per cent YoY increase in sales volume of manufactured bulk fertilizer, which is highest ever sales.

Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corporation Limited (DFPCL), one of India’s leading producers of industrial and mining chemicals and fertilisers, announced its results for the quarter ended September 30, 2024. Company’ s EBITDA Margin improved to 18 per cent compared to 12 per cent year-over-year. Company’s Crop Nutrition Business (CNB) achieved a remarkable 83 per cent YoY increase in sales volume of manufactured bulk fertilizer, which is the highest ever sales.

Commenting on the performance, Sailesh C. Mehta, Chairman & Managing Director said, DFPCL has shown impressive performance in Q2 FY25, achieving a 13 per cent growth in revenue. This growth was primarily driven by the Crop Nutrition business, which experienced an 18 per cent YoY increase in revenue, while the Chemical business grew by 8 per cent YoY despite a lean quarter for the chemical sectors.

“Fertilizer and Chemical businesses acted as a natural hedge, enabling the company to deliver consistent and improved performance.

“There has been a consistent increase in the proportion of revenue from specialty products, along with an overall rise in revenue, driven by the strategic move of transitioning from commodity to specialty,” says Mehta.

The ammonia plant has enabled all our businesses to reap substantial benefits from backward integration, effectively mitigating supply chain risks and price volatility. As a result, we are now able to capture the increases in global ammonia prices within the group.

As India continues to grow, the chemical and fertilizer sectors are poised to thrive. The demand outlook for the Crop Nutrition, Mining Chemicals, and Industrial Chemicals Business is well aligned with India’s growth story, providing strong and positive tailwinds. We are actively working on the execution of the TAN Project and the Nitric Acid Project in Gopalpur and Dahej, respectively, to capitalize on future growth.

Crop Nutrition Business (Fertilisers) Review

In Q2 FY25, manufactured bulk fertilizer has achieved highest ever sales volume of 268 KMT, an 83 per cent YoY increase, driven by improved demand from above-average rains, which led to 102% Kharif crop sowing and positive market sentiment across all regions.

Sales volume of Croptek surged to 37 KMT, reflecting a 70 per cent YoY growth, with continued focus on providing crop-specific solutions for targeted crops, including cotton, soybean, sugarcane, corn, grapes, pomegranate, and banana.

The company has recently launched premium water-soluble fertilizer grades. Sale of specialty fertilizer Bensulf was 9 KMT, up 7 per cent YoY.

Company’s Crop Nutrition Business (CNB) achieved a

Agribusiness, Cold Storage, Supply Chain, World

Company collaborated with Rubens Technologies and Escavox that will enhance AgroFresh’s FreshCloud digital platform.

 AgroFresh Solutions, Inc., a global leader in post-harvest produce freshness and quality solutions, announced two groundbreaking collaborations with Rubens Technologies and Escavox that will enhance AgroFresh’s FreshCloud digital platform, a comprehensive data-backed solution that empowers the produce supply chain to make real-time decisions informed by data. These collaborations underscore AgroFresh’s commitment to innovation, as FreshCloud leverages more advanced analytics, monitoring tools and data to extend freshness and reduce food waste from farm to shelf.

“With the addition of Rubens Technologies and Escavox solutions, the FreshCloud digital ecosystem is now informed by near real-time data at each crucial step in the produce supply chain: at the grower, in production, in storage, at retail distribution, and during transit,” says Bradford Warner, AgroFresh Global Head of Digital and Data. “These collaborations enable FreshCloud to provide a fully integrated monitoring system, empowering growers, packers, marketers and shippers to make critical business decisions to improve fruit quality and profitability.”

Make Informed Harvest Decisions with Rubens Technologies

FreshCloud Harvest now integrates data from Rubens Technologies’ hand-held spectral scanner that enables growers to quickly and easily collect fruit quality indicators to help them predict the optimal time for picking and assess fruit quality, without damaging the produce. Using spectral sensing combined with proprietary algorithms, the scanner measures brix, firmness and starch in apples, replacing time-consuming, subjective manual checks with near real-time data.

“This collaboration combines Rubens Technologies’ innovation with AgroFresh’s expertise in pre- and post-harvest solutions to deliver a unique value proposition, improving fruit quality, reducing waste and offering greater profitability for all stakeholders,” says Daniel Pelliccia, Founder and CEO of Rubens Technologies.

With the integration of Rubens Technologies and Escavox solutions into FreshCloud, AgroFresh strengthens its leadership in leveraging data and technology to achieve optimal produce freshness and quality. By adding advanced quality measurement and real-time transit monitoring, FreshCloud becomes an even more powerful tool in reducing food waste, enhancing product quality and increasing sustainability across the entire value chain.

Company collaborated with Rubens Technologies and Escavox

Agbiologicals, Collaborations, Company News, Seeds, World

The catalyst for the partnership agreement is Indigo’s new CLIPS device — an innovative flowable powder seed coating application system.

Indigo Ag and GROWMARK announced a major multi-year strategic partnership to bring new innovative powder-based biological products and sustainability programming to GROWMARK’s member companies and farmers. Now, farmers will be able to conveniently access and benefit from Indigo’s market-leading suite of biological and sustainability solutions through their local FS cooperatives.

The catalyst for the partnership agreement is Indigo’s new CLIPS device — an innovative flowable powder seed coating application system.

GROWMARK COO, Wade Mittelstadt, said, “Biological products have the potential to deliver valuable benefits for growers, but utilising them on the farm can be a challenge due to stability, shelf-life, and application constraints. Indigo’s CLIPS system addresses all of those hurdles and is an incredibly easy and innovative solution. We’re very excited to be able to offer this technology, along with Indigo’s science-based and proven portfolio of biotrinsic® products through our network of FS cooperatives in more than 15 states and provinces across North America.”

The strategic partnership provides retailers and farmers full access to Indigo’s broad and continually evolving portfolio of biotrinsic® products, proven in over 2000+ field trials to help boost crop yields and farm profitability through improved water and nutrient use efficiency, drought tolerance, and plant productivity. It also includes Indigo’s innovative bionematicide and biofungicide products.

Jon Giebel, VP of Product Strategy at Indigo said, “Although the CLIPS device is only available with Indigo’s biotrinsic® products in 2025, the new agreement with GROWMARK opens the discussion for future third-party product access to the CLIPS system providing even greater choice to farmers. We believe that the CLIPS platform offers a new industry standard that will unlock the next generation of high-performing biological active ingredients, and through our partnership with GROWMARK, we will bring these products to farmers at scale.”

Additionally, GROWMARK has been working closely with Indigo’s sustainability portfolio since 2021 and has continued to drive adoption of Indigo’s industry-leading carbon program. Today’s announcement builds upon that collaboration to now include pilots in the insets market for food/feed as well as fuels. As an example of these new initiatives, Indigo and GROWMARK member companies will partner on proactive data collection and carbon intensity scoring to ensure that growers and ethanol producers are ready to take advantage of incentives once 45z guidance is finalized.

“GROWMARK has been a driving force in the industry for many years, and we are pleased that we can work together to offer innovative economic and agronomic solutions to farmers alongside the expertise of GROWMARK member cooperatives,” said Dean Banks, Indigo CEO. “We’ve seen great success in our three-year Carbon partnership to date, and now we reaffirm our shared commitment to innovation by working together to help hundreds of thousands of farmers capture value from the next frontiers in agriculture.”

Mark Orr, GROWMARK CEO, said, “Innovation is a key component of GROWMARK’s enterprise strategy. We’re constantly evaluating new and novel product offerings through our AgValidity and MiField trial programs, as well as through our venture capital fund, Cooperative Ventures. This innovative strategic partnership with Indigo will create value for our member-owners, both through the licensing of the groundbreaking CLIPS system, as well as through Indigo’s market-leading biological portfolio.”

The catalyst for the partnership agreement is

Agribusiness, Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, Finance, India, Inputs

In Q2 BCSL achieved a 7 per cent increase in revenue from operations primarily driven by higher volumes which were partially offset by price pressure rooted in lower producer prices in China.

Bayer CropScience Limited announced its unaudited results for the quarter (Q2) and half year ended (H1) September 30, 2024. For Q2 ended September 30, 2024, Bayer Company (BCSL) registered Revenue from Operations of Rs 17,376 million as compared to Rs 16,172 million in the corresponding period of FY 2023-24. Profit Before Tax stood at Rs 1,901 million, compared to Rs 3,057 million in the corresponding period of the previous financial year.

For the H1 ended September 30, 2024, BCSL reported Revenue from Operations of Rs 33,688 million compared to Rs 33,568 million for the corresponding period in FY 2023-24. Profit Before Tax for the H1 ended September 30, 2024, stood at Rs 5,059 million, compared to Rs 7,118 million for the corresponding period in FY 2023-24.

Commenting on the quarterly results, Simon Wiebusch, Vice Chairman & Managing Director and CEO, BCSL said, “In Q2 BCSL achieved a 7 per cent increase in revenue from operations primarily driven by higher volumes which were partially offset by price pressure rooted in lower producer prices in China. Moreover, our margins were negatively impacted by higher production costs in corn seeds due to adverse weather conditions as well as a higher cost of goods sold in our chemical business. Despite these headwinds, we are looking forward to a stronger rabi and spring season, delivering sustainable, long-term value for our stakeholders.”

Speaking about the quarterly results, Simon Britsch, Chief Financial Officer, BCSL said, “We maintain our strong focus on cash flow generation and prudent operational expense management. However, we witnessed one-time effects from higher receivables and employee severance provisions. As we look forward, we are confident in our ability to continue with further growth investments and distributing a significant share of our profit to our owners.”

In Q2 BCSL achieved a 7 per

Acquaculture, Agribusiness, AgroPolicy, India, Interaction, Investments, Live Stock, Schemes - Govt

Around 60 Investors from various parts of the country specializing in technologies related to Tuna and Seaweed will also be participating in the event.

The Department of Fisheries, under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, is organizing an Investors Meet 2024: Investment Opportunities in Fisheries and Aquaculture sector of Andaman & Nicobar Islands on 14th November 2024 at Taj Exotica, Swaraj Dweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands in the gracious presence of Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (MoFAH&D) and Ministry of Panchayati Raj along with George Kurian, Minister of State, MoFAH&D and Ministry of Minority Affairs, Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Minister of State, MoFAH&D and Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Admiral D K Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd.), Lieutenant Governor, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Secretary (Fisheries), Department of Fisheries(DoF), MoFAH&D, Chief Secretary, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and other dignitaries. The event will also have participation from officials from the Department of Fisheries, State/UT Fisheries Departments, scientists, etc. Around 60 Investors from various parts of the country specializing in technologies related to Tuna and Seaweed will also be participating in the event.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands offer a prime opportunity for fisheries development, with around 6.0 lakh square km of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rich in under-exploited sea resources, particularly Tuna and Tuna like high valued species, estimated at 60,000 metric tons. Their proximity to Southeast Asian countries enables efficient sea and air trade, while the pristine waters support sustainable fishing practices. Coupled with effective administrative measures, the region is well-positioned to leverage its marine resources for economic growth. The Investors’ Meet 2024 in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands offers a platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and business exploration, with sessions to promote public-private partnerships for sustainable growth in fisheries and aquaculture. The event includes lead presentations, B2B and B2G interactions, and strategy planning, aiming to drive investments in infrastructure, technology transfer, skill development, and innovation. Interactive sessions will highlight best practices, address private sector challenges, and foster Southeast Asian networking to explore new business opportunities and trade synergies in the sector. In addition, the event will also mark the launch of video for the development of a Tuna Cluster in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

The fisheries sector recognized as the “Sunrise Sector” is a key growth driver in India’s economy and plays an essential role in enhancing national income, exports and food security, particularly benefiting rural areas. Over the past decade, the Government of India has led the sector’s transformation through flagship initiatives like PMMSY, FIDF, and the Blue Revolution, with an unprecedented investment of Rs 38,572 crore since 2015.

India exported 17.81 Lakh Tons of seafood worth Rs 60,523.89 crore during 2023-24. The seafood exports of India have more than doubled since FY 2013-14, an increase of 100 per cent despite pandemic imposed challenges in global markets. Indian seafood is exported to 129 countries with largest overseas market being USA. This has resulted in tremendous progress in seafood exports, which has increased with an average annual growth rate of 14% in the last 10 years.

The Department of Fisheries envisages to enhance fisheries exports to Rs 1 lakh crores by 2024-25. This initiative presents valuable opportunities for investors in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (A&N). This initiative aims not only to increase exports but also to create significant employment opportunities in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Key resources like tuna and seaweed are among the priority sectors for development, with a focus on fostering sustainable growth and maximizing the region’s economic potential. The Department of Fisheries is increasing its efforts on adoption of a cluster-based approach with an end-to-end value chain to drive growth in fisheries and aquaculture.

Around 60 Investors from various parts of

AgroPolicy, Animal Health, Animal Husbandry, Dairy, Dairy, India, Live Stock

Key Strategies discussed to boost Livestock Sector: Vaccination, Fodder Cooperatives, Disease Control

A Regional Review Meeting of the Northern States/UTs was held on 12th November 2024 in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The meeting brought together Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, Directors and scheme officers from the Animal Husbandry and Dairying Departments of the Northern States/UTs including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to discuss the progress of various departmental programs and schemes. Key officials of the department including Ms. Varsha Joshi, Additional Secretary and Shri Jagat Hazarika, Adviser (Statistics) were also present for the meeting.

During the meeting, Secretary DAHD reviewed the physical and financial progress of several key schemes, including the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM), Entrepreneurship Development under the National Livestock Mission (NLM), the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) and the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) During the meeting, progress of Government of India’s flagship LHDCP(Livestock Health and Disease Control Program), which focuses on vaccination against major diseases such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD),Brucellosis, PPR (Peste des Petits Ruminants) and Classical Swine Fever(CSF) was also reviewed, with discussions on the status of six-monthly vaccinations for cattle, buffaloes, sheep, and goats.

Discussions were also held on several other topics including components under Assistance to States for Control of Animal Diseases (ASCAD), the operationalization of Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs) and the formation of “Pashukalyan Samities.” Alka Upadhyaya, urged the states to speed up vaccinations and increase reporting to prevent disease spread. She underscored the need for sero-surveillance and mentioned that the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Free-zones should be a focus. Highlighting the importance of growth in the dairy sector, she emphasized upon the need to increase processing capacity and diversifying dairy products. Secretary, DAHD encouraged the States to spend funds for interest subvention under NLM. She asked the states to monitor claim-to-settlement ratio and review the progress constantly. On the issue of fodder production, she requested all the states to constitute fodder cooperatives. Increasing the coverage of the organized dairy sector, promoting Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP) especially in the Goat, Pig and Poultry sector and optimising the infrastructure and wealth creation by taking the benefits of NLM and AHIDF were highlighted as strategic approaches to strengthen the livestock sector in the Northern region. Secretary, DAHD also emphasized the collective responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure the success of the ongoing 21st Livestock Census that plays a critical role in shaping future policies and programs for the Animal Husbandry sector and called for leveraging the latest technologies to achieve its successful implementation.

Key Strategies discussed to boost Livestock Sector:

Agribusiness, Finance, Funding, Investments

The company achieved a notable 226 per cent revenue growth over the previous quarter, reflecting strong market momentum.

Kisaan Parivar Industries Limited has released its financial results for the quarter and six-month period ending September 30, 2024, demonstrating remarkable growth and strong financial performance. For the current quarter, the company reported an impressive turnover of Rs. 240 Lakhs, contributing to a benchmark turnover of Rs. 346 Lakhs for the first half of the fiscal year. The company achieved a notable 226 per cent revenue growth over the previous quarter, reflecting strong market momentum. Gross profit before tax rose to Rs. 168.18 Lakhs for the six months ended September 30, 2024, while earnings per share increased to Rs. 1.43, underscoring the company’s profitability and shareholder value.

Rajani Nanavath, Managing Director of Kisaan Parivar Industries, expressed pride in the company’s accomplishments, emphasizing how the dedication to quality and excellence has enhanced brand value and customer trust. The company has announced plans to split its shares, a move aimed at improving accessibility for retail investors and positively impacting market perception by making shares more affordable for a wider range of small investors. Additionally, in response to the growth in business volume and strong investor sentiment, the company proposes to infuse additional capital to strengthen its resources, supporting ongoing business expansion.

Kisaan Parivar Industries remains committed to maintaining strict quality controls and effective production management to ensure sustainable growth and profitability. Nanavath expressed appreciation for the trust and support of the investors, noting that it boosts the company’s morale and competitive drive. Looking ahead, the company is exploring partnerships with leading NBFCs and Fintech firms to accelerate its growth and extend further benefits to the farmer community, reinforcing its mission to contribute positively to agriculture.

The company achieved a notable 226 per

Agribusiness, Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Fertilizers, Agro chems – Pesticides, Company News, Finance, Inputs, Seeds, World

In the agricultural business (Crop Science), sales decreased by 3.6 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.) to 3.986 billion euros.

The Bayer Group has reported third-quarter sales that were level with the prior-year period on a currency- and portfolio-adjusted basis (Fx & portfolio adj.), while earnings declined. In the agricultural business (Crop Science), sales decreased by 3.6 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.) to 3.986 billion euros. Sales of glyphosate-based herbicides declined by 19.1 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.) as purchasing patterns normalised and volumes decreased as a result, while a significant acreage reduction for corn in Latin America contributed to a similar decline in global sales of the Corn Seed & Traits business (Fx & portfolio adj. 19.3 percent). These negative effects were partially offset by substantially increased fungicide and insecticide sales, with growth rates of 13.1 percent and 9.5 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.), respectively.

EBITDA before special items at Crop Science increased to 35 million euros (Q3 2023: minus 24 million euros), mainly due to lower provisions for the Group-wide short-term incentive (STI) program and a decrease in the cost of goods sold. Earnings were negatively impacted by the slight decline in sales. There was a positive currency effect of 32 million euros (Q3 2023: 121 million euros).

“The development of the agricultural market has been weaker than anticipated, especially in Latin America, and the company also continues to face pricing pressure in the crop protection business, he said. Bayer is therefore lowering its 2024 targets for Crop Science. For 2025, Bayer is cautious on the agricultural market environment. Additional regulatory challenges and generic pricing pressures are set to put pressure on the crop protection business”, said Bill Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Bayer.

In the agricultural business (Crop Science), sales

Agribusiness, Collaborations, India, Vegetables

The government had procured 4.7 lakh tons of rabi onion for the price stabilization buffer this year, and started the release from 5th September, 2024 through retail sale at Rs.35 per kg and also through bulk sales in major mandis across the country

The government has decided to upscale the onion disposal in order to address temporary constraint in onion supply observed in certain markets in the past 2/3 days owing to festival season and closure mandis. NAFED has indented two more rakes for Delhi-NCR and one for Guwahati this week. Similarly, dispatch through road transport would also be upscaled to ensure availability of onions in the market. The availability of onions would be further accentuated by more supplies from NCCF, both through rail and road transport. Additionally, the government has also decided to offload onions kept in cold storage at Sonipat to meet the requirements of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal, J&K, Delhi etc. The government is alive to the market developments and keeping close watch to take ameliorative action to stabilise the onion prices.

As per the assessment of Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, actual kharif sown area this year was 3.82 lakh hectare which is 34% higher than 2.85 lakh hectare sown last year. Sowing progress of late kharif onion is also reported to be normal with coverage of 1.28 lakh hectare till first week of November.

Earlier, 1,600 MT of onion transported by Kanda Express and arrived at Kishanganj Station in Delhi on 20th October, 2024, and another shipment of 840 MT of onion by rail rake to Delhi arrived on 30th October, 2024. Bulk shipment of onions has also been sent to Chennai and Guwahati in recent past. On 23rd October, 2024, 840 MT of onion had been dispatched from Nashik by rail rake which arrived at Chennai on 26th October 2024. A shipment of 840 MT onion by rail rake arrived at Changsari Station in Guwahati on 5th November, 2024 which was distributed in various district of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and other NE States.

Retail prices of tomato are on the decline with the fall in mandis prices. At Azadpur mandi, the weekly average price is down by 27% to Rs.4,000 per quintal and at Pimpalgaon the weekly average price is down by 35% to Rs.2,250 per quintal. In Madanapalle the weekly average price is down by 26% to Rs.2,860 per quintal amidst a 20% increase in total weekly arrivals. In Kolar the weekly average price is down by 27% to Rs.2,250 per quintal.

The all-India average retail prices of potato are stable during last three months at about Rs.37 per kg. The weekly average mandi prices of Rs.1,860 per quintal at Agra has been down by 15% during last week. As per the market intelligence inputs, overall Potato acreage is expected to increase by 16% this year with expected 10% increase in Punjab and Farrukhabad region in UP. In Madhya Pradesh, 80% sowing is completed and sowing area in Indore and Shajapur are reported to be up by 8% other areas like Ujjain region is at par with last year. In West Bengal, the sowing is yet to begin, but the sowing intentions according to the seed sales is reported to be higher than last year.

The government had procured 4.7 lakh tons

AgroPolicy, Finance, Microfinance

The allied activities receive only 10 per cent of the total agricultural credit while they contribute lion’s share of 40 per cent to the agricultural output

Department of Financial Services (DFS) reviewed the progress of credit disbursement to agri-allied activities such as animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries with Public Sector Banks (PSBs), NABARD and State/ UT Level Bankers’ Committee. Representatives of State Governments / UTs, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Department of Fisheries also participated in the discussions.

Government urged PSBs to take all necessary steps to ensure that respective targets are met during the current financial year, and stressed on the State Governments to facilitate banks in improving flow of credit to these sectors.

Experts underscored the importance of the allied sector in driving agricultural growth and its employment potential in rural area and highlighted the trend of regional disparity in credit disbursement in allied activities. The Government therefore directed banks to conduct regional level assessment/meetings to ensure disbursement of credit in all areas as all regions have huge potential in allied activities. NABARD is supposed to play a pivotal role in this regard, in terms of coordination with state line departments and LDMs in identification of fish farmers and providing them benefit of KCC scheme.

Government of India’s focus on seamless access to affordable credit to allied sector was brought to light and all stakeholders have been urged to take all necessary steps to increase credit flow to the sector.

The allied activities receive only 10 per

Acts & Schemes – Centre, Agribusiness, AgroPolicy, Opinions, Pulses

India’s urad import from Brazil has shown significant rise from 4,102 tonnes in the 2023 to over 22,000 tonnes till October end of 2024

Currently, India imports urad dal only from Myanmar, which has witnessed disruption in supplies because of internal security issues. Brazil is therefore believed to hold the potential to become a major source for the import of black gram (urad) and pigeon peas (tur) for the country. Government has therefore decided on sourcing the same for meeting domestic requirements.

According to Sources, trade in pulses with countries like Brazil and Australia has been uniquely advantageous because of the contrast in cropping seasons vis-a-vis India, which allows these countries to plan their cropping pattern based on India’s crop prospects.

In 2023, India is known to have imported 1.51 MT (lentil), 0.77 MT (tur or pigeon pea) and 0.59 MT (urad or black gram) from Australia, Canada, Myanmar, Mozambique, Tanzania, Sudan and Malawi. The government has adopted a consistent policy on imports by putting three varieties of pulses – tur, urad and masoor under zero-duty import duty regime till March, 2025 so that farmers in those countries can make decisions to grow pulses well in advance.

For instance, in case of chickpeas (chana), when India notified duty-free import of the commodity in May 2024, following lower rabi-2024 production, Australia responded with a massive increase in sowing area as the period coincided with the sowing season in that country. Australia’s chana production in 2024 is estimated at 13.3 lakh tonne against 4.9 lakh tonne in 2023, basically for export to India.

India's urad import from Brazil has shown