Connect with:
Saturday / March 15. 2025

logo
mobile-logo
Home2024 (Page 64)
Agribusiness, Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Fertilizers, Company News, India

 IFFCO will use the ammonia supplied by ACME for manufacturing complex fertilisers at Paradeep unit in Odisha and Kandla unit in Gujarat.

Cooperative fertiliser major IFFCO announced that company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with renewable energy company ACME for supply of commercial grade ammonia. Under the terms of the agreement, ACME will supply approximately 200,000 metric tons of ammonia to IFFCO, manufactured through a renewable energy route. This collaboration is aligned with the National Green Hydrogen Mission, spearheaded by the Prime Minister, aiming to position India as a global hub for the production, utilization, and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives.

Ammonia will be produced at ACME’s plant in Gopalpur, Odisha using renewable energy and supply the same to Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), company mentioned. Ammonia is an important base material for fertilisers.

The cooperative said that it will use the ammonia supplied by ACME for manufacturing complex fertilisers at Paradeep unit in Odisha and Kandla unit in Gujarat.

IFFCO also mentioned that ACME would retain a green credit and trade in the form of ITMO (Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes) with other countries under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The initiative will lead to significant decarbonisation of the economy, reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports, and enable India to assume technology and market leadership in green hydrogen, it added.

Birinder Singh, Director IFFCO said, “This is a step forward in our ongoing efforts to innovate in the field of fertilizer production and supply.”

Hiren Mehta, Chief Commercial Officer at ACME, said, “This partnership with IFFCO represents a significant leap forward in our mission to promote sustainable energy solutions. The MoU will pave the way to sign bilateral agreements between India and other countries under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement”.

 IFFCO will use the ammonia supplied by

Dairy, India, Live Stock, People

Shah was Chairman of several esteemed Institutions such as National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Mother Dairy, IDMC, IIL, NCOL, NDS, (IRMA), NDDB CALF, NDDB MRIDA, Anandalaya, among others.

The National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India Ltd. (NCDFI), in its Board elections held on April 5 unanimously elected Dr Meenesh Shah as the Chairman. The election was conducted by Praveen Chaudhary, IAS, District Collector of Anand who served as the Returning Officer. Prior to this, NCDFI in its General Body meeting held on April 04, 2024 elected eight directors on the Board unopposed. This included Dr Meenesh Shah, Jharkhand Milk Federation, Dr Mangal Jit Rai, Sikkim Milk Union, Shamalbhai B. Patel, Gujarat Milk Federation, Randhir Singh, Haryana Milk Federation, K. S. Mani, Kerala Milk Federation, Balachandra L. Jarakiholi, Karnataka Milk Federation, Narinder Singh Shergill, Punjab Milk Federation and Sameer Kumar Parida, West Assam Milk Union.

Apart from these elected directors, Regupathi, Executive Director, NDDB is the nominated director on the Board of NCDFI. Meenesh Shah has wide range of experience and expertise from his being Chairman of several esteemed Institutions such as National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Mother Dairy, IDMC, Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL), National Cooperative Organics Ltd (NCOL), NDDB Dairy Services (NDS), Institute of Rural Management (IRMA), NDDB CALF, NDDB MRIDA, Anandalaya, among others.

NCDFI is a national-level apex dairy cooperative registered on December 7, 1970 and is governed under the provisions of the Multi State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2023. It has 20 Regular Members, 14 Associate Members and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) as its Institutional Member.

Shah was Chairman of several esteemed Institutions

Agrotech, Collaborations, Company News, India, Start ups, Water

The partnership enables Unnati to offer its network of retailers and farmers climate mitigation products.

Unnati, a fintech-powered digital farming company, announced that company has partnered with Prince Pipes, an integrated piping solutions provider. The partnership will offer Unnati’s retailers and customers a range of Prince Pipes’ products, beginning with agricultural pipes ‘Aquafit’ and borewell pipes ‘Safefit’. The company mentioned that the partnership enables Unnati to offer its network of retailers and farmers climate mitigation products.

By teaming up with Unnati, Prince Pipes will tap into a vast online customer base, leveraging the convenience and efficiency of digital channels, mentioned the release.

Amit Sinha, Co-Founder and Director of Unnati, said: “We are excited to join hands with Prince Pipes in this collaboration. Their longstanding presence in the pipes industry aligns well with our vision to offer our customers top quality products. This association allows us to ensure that retailers and customers associated with Unnati have access to high-quality pipes, benefiting their businesses and improving water-related solutions in their farms.”

Nihar Chheda, VP Strategy, Prince Pipes & Fittings Ltd, said: “At Prince Pipes we understand the importance of embracing digital platforms to meet the evolving needs and expectations of our customers. Partnering with Unnati will allow us to expand our engagement with agri customers, to offer a seamless and enhanced online shopping experience. We are excited to embark on this digital journey and look forward to aligning more actively with agriculture-led communities through our range of products.”

The partnership enables Unnati to offer its

AgroPolicy, India, Supply Chain, Transportation

In FY 2023-24, port has achieved highest ever coastal shipping traffic of 59.19 million metric tonnes, with a growth of 0.76 million metric tonnes i.e. 1.30 per cent over the previous year.

Paradip Port Authority (PPA’s) remarkable journey has reached new heights with the recent record-breaking achievement of clocking incredible 145.38 MMT cargo throughput in FY 2023-24 and thus-by nudged passed Deendayal Port, Kandla to emerge as the highest cargo handling major port of the country. For the first time in the 56 years history of operation, PPA has surpassed previous records, set by Deendayal Port. Paradip Port has also recorded growth of 10.02 million metric tonnes (7.4 per cent) of traffic on YoY basis.

During the financial year the Port has achieved highest ever coastal shipping traffic of 59.19 million metric tonnes, with a growth of 0.76 million metric tonnes i.e. 1.30 per cent over the previous year. The thermal coal coastal shipping has reached 43.97 million metric tonnes i.e. 4.02% per cent over the previous year cargo handling. Thus, the Paradip Port is emerging as a hub for coastal shipping in the country.

Paradip Port has been able to improve its berth productivity to 33014 MT from 31050 MT of previous financial year, thus registering 6.33 per cent growth. The berth productivity achieved by Paradip Port is the highest among all the ports of the country. During the financial year, the Port has handled 21,665 numbers of rakes, registering a growth of 7.65 per cent over the previous financial year. During the financial year, the Port has handled 2710 ships, registering an increase of 13.82% over the previous financial year.

The increased performance in cargo handling has been driven by various system improvement measures undertaken by the Port during the financial year, which are detailed as below:

1. Improved system of operation at mechanized coal hand plant to reduce idle time between rake unloading has resulted in highest handling of thermal coal at MCHP i.e. 27.12 million metric tonnes.

2. The northern dock of the port has been declared for handling 16 meters draught cape vessels.

3. Simultaneous handling of 1 Cape and 1 Panamax at coal handling berths, which was not being done during the previous year.

• Paradip Port has frozen its tariff for cargo handling at the level of 2022 for next 3 years as a part of its business development initiatives. It is to be noted that Paradip Port is the cheapest in terms of tariff among all the port of the country. In terms of provisional financial results,

1. The Operating revenue has crossed Rs.2,300 Crores against Rs.2,074 Crores in comparison to previous fiscal, resulting an increase of 14.30 per cent.

2. The operating surplus has crossed Rs.1,510 Crores against last year of Rs.1,300 Crores with a growth of 16.44 per cent.

3. The net surplus before tax has crossed Rs.1,570 Crores against last year Rs.1,296 Crores exhibiting growth of 21.26 per cent.

4. Net surplus after tax has also crossed Rs.1,020 Crores against Rs.850 Crores of last year which is 20 per cent increase.

5. The operating ratio has also improved to 36 per cent against 37 per cent last year.

Paradip Port, with 289 million metric tonnes rated capacity port as on date, is poised to cross 300 million metric tonnes capacity mark in another 3 years with the commissioning of Western Dock project. The work of Western Dock project with 25 million metric tonnes capacity is in full swing by the PPP Operator i.eM/s. J.P.P.L. The said project will also increase the draught of the port, enabling the port to handled fully laden cape vessels by 2026.

Paradip Port, which has mechanized 80 per cent of the berths as on date, plans to become 100 per cent mechanized by 2030 with the mechanization of existing 4 semi-mechanized berths. The Port has also planned to add another 4 berths for which requisite approval will be taken during the current financial year, itself.

In FY 2023-24, port has achieved highest

Agri Genomics, Agro Universities, Agrotech, R&D

This joint effort marks a step toward advancing scientific knowledge and sustaining the resilience of rice cultivation through state-of-the-art genomic analysis.

In the past six years, the Plant Pathology and Host Resistance Group has been outsourcing its genomic sequencing to explore the complexities of rice pathogens as part of its work, notably on Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae pathogen, responsible for rice bacterial leaf blight. The pathogen’s diversity and complex genomes necessitate complete sequencing for comprehensive understanding. The group also focuses on false smut, neck/leaf blast, brown spot, and tungro diseases requiring the need for new genomic information for understanding rice-pathogen interactions.

The Integration of the MinION™ sequencing technology from Oxford Nanopore Technologies Ltd. in its laboratory enables IRRI researchers to establish important genomic information on common rice diseases at a faster rate. Ultimately, it will further advance the institute’s effort in developing DNA-based tools for accurate disease identification, uncovering genetically based resistance in specific rice varieties, and improving effective strategies for deploying disease-resistant rice varieties.  

To maximise the application of nanopore sequencing, the Plant Pathology and Host Resistance Group conducted a comprehensive internal end-user training and an initial sequencing run on 05-06 March 2024. Dr Van ScheplerLuu, head of the IRRI Plant Pathology Laboratory; assistant scientists Genelou Grande and Dale Pinili, and MS student Michael Urzo were trained by Prof. Andrew Montecillo from the Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños.

This joint effort marks a step toward advancing scientific knowledge and sustaining the resilience of rice cultivation through state-of-the-art genomic analysis.

This joint effort marks a step toward

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agrotech, Company News, Drones, India, Seeds

With the increasing role of drones in empowering farmers, this initiative aims to equip farmers of Haryana with benefits and implications of modern farming practices.

Reiterating its commitment to empowering farmers, Susheel Kumar, Country Head and MD of Syngenta India, a leading Swiss based agri-science company, on Saturday applauded the ease and speed with which Haryana farmers have adopted use of drones and other technologies including CropWise Growers App. Joining a drone flying demonstration by Syngenta trained drone pilots at the Integrated Beekeeping Development Centre (IBDC) in Kurukshetra, Kumar said Haryana was poised for faster growth with a mix of enabling policies and progressive vision of farmers. IBDC is an Indo-Israel agriculture project established by the Department of Horticulture, Govt. of Haryana for the development of beekeeping in Haryana. Kumar visited the facility and expressed keen interest in the activities of IBDC. The support to IBDC is in keeping with Syngenta’s commitment to sustainability and conservation of pollinators.

A native of Haryana, who loves to call himself ‘son of the soil’ Kumar said Syngenta will continue to support initiatives of the Haryana government to empower farmers through futuristic farming techniques and practices. “Farmers safety is at the heart of Syngenta and towards this we carry out stewardship activities to train farmers on safe spraying,” Kumar added.

Syngenta’s R&D Center is a 25 years old state-of-the-art facility in Karnal carrying out breeding activities of seeds like Okra, Watermelon, Tomato and cucumber. “Through its continued emphasis on high-quality research, the Centre is dedicated to providing the finest varieties for best yields and economic gains of farmers in Haryana and north India,” said Kumar while demonstrating to the farmers the various activities being carried out here.

Later, Kumar also joined a group of farmers who demonstrated drone flying. “Under our CSR program, in collaboration with Syngenta Foundation of India, we launched a drone pilots training program under which we have trained 100 drone pilots in Haryana including 18 women, from across 16 districts of Haryana. This is a game-changer for it will not only provide new employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for the youth, but will also enhance efficiency for our farmers, and help in their yields. It augurs well for the future of farming in Haryana, as drone helps in precision spraying of crop protection solutions saving resources and time,” Kumar said.

With the increasing role of drones in boosting agricultural productivity and empowering farmers, this initiative aims to equip farmers of Haryana with benefits and implications of modern farming practices and also educate farmers about the transformative potential of drones in farming, including efficiency improvements, cost reductions, and the promotion of sustainable practices.

Dr KC Ravi, Chief Sustainability Officer, Syngenta India Pvt Ltd highlighted Syngenta’s commitment to technology-driven progress across the country and support farmers towards rural prosperity by bringing new technology and sustainable solutions in time given unique challenges and needs of Indian farmers. He mentioned the launch of drone spray solutions and the successful implementation of commercial spray services across several states, including Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka is a step towards realising our commitment.

With the increasing role of drones in

Agribusiness, Agrotech, Company News, India, Start ups

Company has expanded its language support to include several international languages such as Swahili, French, Spanish, Malay, Portuguese, Turkish, and Arabic.

Satyukt, a global Ag-tech aims to revolutionise farming practices worldwide, announces the expansion of language support for its Sat2Farm mobile application. Sat2Farm, a satellite-based agricultural monitoring system, has widened its language offerings to cater to farmers across the globe, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for users from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

Agriculture is a global industry, and farmers worldwide need access to technological tools and information. With over 5.35 billion people now connected online, the power of the internet continues to grow, enabling individuals from all corners of the world to engage with a vast array of online resources.

“English has achieved global status, but not all farmers speak English fluently,” says Dr Sat Kumar Tomer, Founder & CEO, Satyukt Analytics. “Providing agricultural apps in vernacular languages ensures that language barriers do not prevent farmers from accessing important information and utilizing the full potential of agricultural technologies.”

Sat2Farm, initially available primarily in English, has expanded its language support to include several international languages such as Swahili, French, Spanish, Malay, Portuguese, Turkish, and Arabic. This expansion aims to make Sat2Farm’s services accessible to a global audience and to better serve users who may not be proficient in English.

“We recognize the importance of language accessibility in reaching farmers across diverse regions and cultures,” adds Dr Sat Kumar Tomer, Founder & CEO, Satyukt Analytics “By expanding language support for Sat2Farm, we aim to empower farmers worldwide with valuable real-time data and insights to enhance their farming practices.”

With the latest update, Sat2Farm users now have access to a comprehensive database covering over 80 pests and diseases commonly affecting crops worldwide. Additionally, users can benefit from 80+ crop calendars available in their preferred language, facilitating optimized farming practices. Furthermore, irrigation advisories tailored for over 50 crops are provided, offering users valuable insights to enhance their irrigation management strategies.

To access Sat2Farm in their preferred language, users simply need to download the Sat2Farm application on their mobile devices from the Google Play Store, install it, select the language of choice, and sign up.

Company has expanded its language support to

Agro Universities, Foodgrains, R&D

Key outcomes of the meeting included the development of plans for establishing Centers of Excellence on Millets in major millet-producing countries.

Agricultural leaders, policymakers, and high-level representatives from the global south gathered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 25-26 March 2024, to chart a course for collective action beyond the International Year of Millets 2023 (IYM2023).

Millets, hailed for their climate resilience and nutritional density, have garnered global recognition as a crucial component in the fight against food insecurity and environmental degradation, providing hope to the 2.1 billion people who live in the arid regions of Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

High-level representatives from leading millet-producing countries in the global south including India, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Malawi, alongside prominent organizations such as the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), and the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), came together to devise strategies for strengthened collaboration under a shared vision of resilience for the drylands.

Director General of ICRISAT, Dr Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes, said the elevated level of representation and engagement from all participants during the two-day session augurs well for the future of millets.

“It is important that we build on the momentum and legacy of the IYM2023 to ensure the world has access to millets, which are Smart Food with the ability to feed and nourish the planet amid growing global populations, increasing temperatures and climatic events,” Dr Hughes remarked.

“I thank all stakeholders who made the effort to attend and actively participate in these two intensive days of strategic planning, knowledge sharing and deliberations. Together, we have laid the groundwork for sustained progress in millet promotion and adoption in the global south,” she added.

Key outcomes of the meeting included the development of plans for establishing Centers of Excellence on Millets in major millet-producing countries. Centers are envisioned to serve as hubs for innovation, research, and knowledge exchange, driving sustainable crop production, resilient value chains, and broader consumer access to affordable and nutritious millet-based diets.

The convening also served as a platform to reaffirm a shared commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the global south, particularly by supporting food security, poverty eradication, and environmental sustainability. 

Key outcomes of the meeting included the

Agro Universities, R&D, Textile industry

Experts discussed about the future of GM cotton in India at a brainstorming workshop on ‘Biotech Interventions in Cotton Improvement: Opportunities and Challenges’ in Nagpur.

The country is poised to make India a global hub for textile industry. Several states including Maharashtra, Telangana and Tamil Nadu have undertaken a slew of initiatives to establish exclusive textile parks. In this context, Cotton experts and scientists said that a concerted push to Genetically Modified (GM) cotton will be vital to ensure a robust textiles value chain and achieving the aspirations of the States. GM Cotton with new traits will remain pivotal to this ambition.

At a brainstorming workshop on ‘Biotech Interventions in Cotton Improvement: Opportunities and Challenges’, organised by the ICAR- Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur in association with Biotech Consortium India Limited (BCIL), with support from the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII), at ICAR-CICR campus in Nagpur, experts said the future of GM  cotton in India will be determined by a complex interplay of technological, regulatory, socio-economic, and environmental factors. Cotton researchers and agricultural experts emphasized the necessity of continued innovation, responsible stewardship, and stakeholder collaboration for harnessing the full potential of modern biotechnologies-genetic engineering and gene editing.

Bt-cotton brought a revolution in the country’s cotton production and transformed a cotton-importing country into a leading cotton producer. However, the momentum broke with the decline in production in FY2015. Since then, affected by pest infestation, specifically, pink bollworm, cotton production in the country is registering a constant stagnation. Addressing challenges and ensuring responsible stewardship of the technology will be essential for sustaining its benefits and promoting the long-term viability of cotton farming in India. To counter these challenges, the need for biotechnological interventions in cotton improvement is the most pressing issue in India.

Dr Y. G. Prasad, Director, ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur said, “Adopted in India more than two decades ago, Bt-cotton varieties are genetically engineered to produce insecticidal proteins that are toxic to certain pests, such as bollworms and pink bollworms, significantly reducing the need for chemical insecticides and improving yield and quality.”

Dr C D Mayee, Former Chairman, ASRB and Former Director, ICAR-CICR, Nagpur noted cotton expert expressed that biotechnology has enabled the development of herbicide-tolerant cotton varieties that allow for more effective weed control, reducing the need for manual labour for weed management, and can improve overall crop yields.

Speaking on the current challenges and need for genetic interventions in cotton, Dr Paresh Verma, Head AAI, Executive Director-Bioseeds Division, DCM Shriram Limited, Hyderabad, said, “Collaborative efforts involving policymakers, researchers, farmers, and other stakeholders are needed to navigate regulatory complexities, promote technology access and equity, and ensure that biotech interventions contribute to sustainable and inclusive cotton farming systems.” He added that, “The development and adoption of GM cotton varieties with broad-spectrum insect resistance represent a significant advancement in cotton production technology, offering farmers effective pest management solutions and contributing to more sustainable and profitable cotton farming systems.”

Field testing of GM cotton is a crucial step in the development and evaluation of new varieties before their commercial release and needs to be expedited. Experts also highlighted that focus on cotton needs to be sharpened in wake of employing over 45 million skilled workers, according to industry estimates, India’s textile industry is poised to achieve a milestone of US$250 billion in textile production by 2030.

Maharashtra, in particular, has set an ambitious target of reaching US$100 billion in textile production. The escalating requirements of the textile industry highlights the need to revitalize the cotton sector, experts assert. The current production levels present a significant bottleneck in the growth trajectory of the textile industry. To address this, there is an urgent need to fortify the cotton value chain and bolster cotton production.

Experts discussed about the future of GM

Agribusiness, Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Pesticides, Company News, Europe, Finance, Seeds

Sales were impacted by softer demand due to high levels of channel inventory remaining from 2022.

Syngenta AG, a wholly owned subsidiary of Syngenta Group, published its 2023 full year results. Syngenta AG’s consolidated sales for 2023 were $19,196 million, compared with $19,963 million in 2022, a decrease of 4 percent year on year. At constant exchange rates sales decreased by 3 percent. Sales in 2023 were 4 percent lower than 2022, 3 percent lower at constant exchange rates, with a 1 per cent decrease in sales volumes and a further 2 percent decrease in local currency sales prices. Currency movements decreased reported sales by 1 percent.

Sales of Crop Protection products decreased by 4 percent, 3 percent at constant exchange rates and Seeds sales were 1 percent lower than 2022, also at constant exchange rates. Farm economics and crop prices remained relatively strong in 2023, although falling from the very high levels of 2022, except for commoditized products where pricing fell sharply. Sales were impacted by softer demand due to high levels of channel inventory remaining from 2022.

Crop Protection

Sales were 6 percent lower, 4 per cent at constant exchange rates from lower volumes of GESAPRIM® in Brazil and the US. Sales were 56 per cent lower due to lower TOUCHDOWN® prices and volumes in Latin America after the particularly high demand in 2022. GRAMOXONE® sales were also lower in the US and Latin America North. Fungicide sales increased by 7 per cent, 9 percent at constant exchange rates, with strong growth in sales of the new ADEPIDYNTM technology. Insecticide sales were 2 percent lower, 1 percent at constant exchange rates, with strong growth in sales of the new PLINAZOLIN® technology in Latin America offset by lower sales of older products.

Seedcare

Seedcare sales were 2 percent higher, 5 percent higher at constant exchange rates from growth in China and Asia. Asia Pacific. Sales were 5 percent lower, but 2 percent higher at constant exchange rates: local currency price increases were achieved to offset currency weakness in Pakistan and Bangladesh, but US dollar prices were lower in Australia and India. China sales maintained strong growth and increased by 18 percent versus 2022, 26 per cent at constant exchange rates. Growth was driven by new products, particularly ADEPIDYNTM.

Seeds

Sales were 6 percent lower, also at constant exchange rates, with prices 5 percent higher to cover the increased input cost of the seeds more than offset by lower volumes. Corn sales were lower in Latin America due to a shortage of competitive germplasm. Sales increased by 12 percent, 10 percent at constant exchange rates, with local currency sales prices to cover increased product costs. Sales volumes were lower in Russia and the Ukraine.

Sales in Asia Pacific, including China, increased by 10 percent, 15 percent at constant exchange rate, with higher corn sales in South East Asia and China.

2024 Outlook

Sales prices of non-selective herbicides are currently expected to be more stable in 2024. Conversely, field crop seed sales prices were higher in 2023, offsetting increased cost of goods sold that are linked to the cost of the relevant crop; both sales prices and cost of goods are expected to have stabilized in 2024.

Given the progress of channel inventory reduction in 2023, the impact on 2024 is currently expected to be less significant. Traded prices of key crop commodities underpin farmer profitability and support the usage of crop protection products and high-quality seeds to optimize both crop yield and quality. Syngenta expects significantly lower levels of sales returns in 2024 compared to 2023 mainly driven by the significant reduction of the in-channel inventory.

Sales were impacted by softer demand due

India, Supply Chain, Transportation

Total Traffic reaches 85.82 million Metric Tons in FY 2023-24.

 Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), Mumbai, Maharashtra one of India’s leading container ports, achieved a historic milestone by recording its highest-ever throughput of 6.43 million TEUs in the fiscal year 2023-24. Surpassing the 6.05 million TEU mark of 2022-23, the Port continues its upward trajectory. In comparison, the corresponding period last year witnessed a record throughput, marking a notable 6.27 per cent increase in total throughput.

The total traffic handled at JNPA during the period from April-2023 to Mar-2024, is 85.82 million tonnes, which is 2.33 per cent higher, as against the 83.86 million tonnes handled during corresponding period in previous financial year. This includes 78.13 million tonnes of container traffic and 7.70 million tonnes of Bulk Cargo as against 76.19 million tonnes of container traffic and 7.67 million tonnes of bulk traffic in the corresponding period of last year respectively.

Breakdown of container traffic shows that 2.03 million 2027781 TEUs were handled at BMCT, 1.59 million TEUs at APMT, 1.13 million TEUs at NSICT, 1.11 million TEUs at NSIGT, 0.56 million TEUs at NSFT and 7,978 TEUs at NSDT.

Unmesh Sharad Wagh, IRS, Chairman of JNPA, said “We take immense pride in announcing this significant milestone. It underscores our dedication to establishing the Port as a premier gateway for EXIM trade. This accomplishment reflects the unwavering commitment of our team to delivering top-notch services, including the centralized parking plaza, single window clearance and various other initiatives, which facilitate the ease of doing business. I extend my gratitude to all our partners and stakeholders for their continued trust and support. JNPA remains steadfast in its mission to contribute to the nation’s economic advancement.”

Total Traffic reaches 85.82 million Metric Tons

Agro Universities, Fruits, R&D

ICAR-CCARI’s Nutmeg Pericarp Taffy allows farmers to earn an additional annual income of Rs 5,600 per tree, apart from the yield of nutmeg spice products.

The invention “Process for preparing Nutmeg Taffy and resultant food product thereof” invented by Dr A.R Desai and the team of ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Goa has been granted Patent No. 528119.

Nutmeg is an important spice crop of India which is mainly grown for nutmeg seed and mace. After collecting these economic products, farmers often leave behind nutmeg pericarp in the garden for rotting. Nutmeg pericarp, which makes up 80-85 per cent of the fresh weight of the fruit, is known for its high nutritional value. ICAR-CCARI, Goa developed Nutmeg Pericarp Taffy, a product that stores well at room temperature for 12 months without synthetic preservatives. This technology allows farmers to earn an additional annual income of Rs. 5,600/tree, apart from the yield of nutmeg spice products. The product is simple, requires no costly equipment, and is commercially acceptable. It has been commercialized twice with M/s Tanshikar Spice Farm, Netravali, and Goa State Biodiversity Board.

Farmers, agri-entrepreneurs, self-help groups, small and medium-scale food industries, and agro-ecotourism centers were the potential beneficiaries of the technology.

ICAR-CCARI’s Nutmeg Pericarp Taffy allows farmers to

Company News, Finance, Inputs, World

Sales in India declined over the full year period following high channel inventory, creating pressure on pricing in the market.

ADAMA Ltd. reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2023.  Company reported that 13 per cent drop in sales to $1,136 million (-13 per cent in RMB terms; -14 per cent in CER [1] terms), mainly reflecting a 15 per cent decrease in prices and a 1 per cent increase in volumes. Company’s Adjusted EBITDA amounted to $95 million vs. $129 million in Q4 2022.  Company posted Adjusted net loss of $101 million; Reported net loss of $79 million. Company reported Operating Cash Flow of $293 million in Q4 2023 vs $352 million in Q4 2022 and Free Cash Flow of $130 million vs $204 million in Q4 2022.

Steve Hawkins, President and CEO of ADAMA, said, “The crop protection industry as a whole faced challenging market conditions throughout 2023, resulting from high channel inventory and ongoing destocking at the distributor level. In response, ADAMA took immediate steps that supported a significant improvement ‎in cashflow in ‎‎2023, highlighting our strong execution ability‎. ‎

“In addition to the significant improvement ‎ in cashflow, we improved the ‎sales mix of higher margin products, reduced operating expenses and inventory. These, however, are only the first steps to ensure the Company is ‎fully prepared to take advantage of anticipated market opportunities in 2024 and ‎onwards. To fully respond to the long-term as well as short-term market challenges, we launched an intensive transformation plan aimed at improving the quality of the business and revaluing ADAMA. We will focus on winning in the largest growing segment of the market – the value innovation segment – with our outstanding pipeline of differentiated products powered by our proprietary formulation technologies.”

Asia-Pacific (APAC):

In China, the market is still experiencing high channel inventories and pricing pressure especially in commodities impacting both the branded formulation and non-ag sales. Sales were supported by the branded business, driven by recent and new launches of differentiated products, and ADAMA’s active ingredient business which recovered substantially, benefiting from the Sanonda Jingzhou site reaching high utilization after relocation.

In the Pacific region, sales in the full year and fourth quarter were impacted by high channel inventories and pricing pressure, combined with just in time purchasing patterns. In Australia, dryer weather also impacted sales. Despite this, sales benefited from the launch of the differentiated product Grindstone® and the Company’s biologicals portfolio.

‎Sales in India declined over the full year period following high channel inventory, creating pressure on pricing in the market. Moreover, the erratic weather did not support the consumption of such inventory. Despite this, it is noteworthy that differentiated product TrassidTM was well accepted in the market and along with increased focus on farmer demand generation, the Company’s sales increase in Q4.

Sales in the wider APAC region continued to experience pricing pressure, particularly from commoditized products. Despite this, particularly noteworthy was the performance of the Company’s sales in South Korea resulting in market share gain, supported by positive weather conditions.

Full Year 2023 Highlights:

Sales down 16 per cent to $4,661 million (-12 per cent in RMB terms; -15 per cent in CER terms), mainly reflecting a 8 per cent decrease in prices and a 7 per cent decrease in volumes.

Adjusted EBITDA amounted to $407 million vs. $740 million in the full year of 2022

Adjusted net loss of $236 million; Reported net loss of $225 million

Operating Cash Flow of $356 million vs $106 million in 2022

Free Cash Flow of -$147 million vs -$417 million in 2022

Sales in India declined over the full

Agribusiness, Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, India

These molecules will be produced in Anupam Rasayan’s existing facilities as well as in its soon-to-be-commercialised fluorination plants.

Anupam Rasayan, a leading player in India’s custom synthesis and specialty chemical sector, has recently inked a significant Letter of Intent (LOI) with a prominent Japanese company. The LOI, valued at approximately $90 million (Rs 743 crores) over the next seven years, entails the supply of two advanced intermediates utilising fluorination chemistry. These molecules will be produced in Anupam Rasayan’s existing facilities as well as in its soon-to-be-commercialised fluorination plants.

Commenting on the LOI, Anand Desai, Managing Director of Anupam Rasayan, said, “We are delighted to announce the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with one of the largest Japanese players in Fluorochemicals. Anupam will be the first company in India to manufacture these key molecules domestically, with applications spanning both pharmaceuticals and engineering fluids. The signing of this LOI also signifies the addition of a prestigious new customer to our portfolio.”

Desai further highlighted the role of the Business Development Team in securing the deal, emphasizing their exceptional proficiency in creating opportunities that align with the company’s global expansion objectives.

He added, “This landmark LOI not only expands and diversifies our customer base but also solidifies our position in the Japanese markets as one of the most reliable partners for supplying specialized molecules to global majors.”

These molecules will be produced in Anupam