Connect with:
Friday / May 2. 2025

logo
mobile-logo
HomeStandard Blog Whole Post (Page 369)
Agro Universities, Webinar

Experts deliberate on the internationalisation of agricultural education, aligning to the national educational policy

The international webinar on Fostering Global Collaboration among Agricultural Higher Educational Institutions organised by the ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad.

The webinar was organised in collaboration with the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, New Delhi under the National Agricultural Higher Education Project.

 

In his address, Dr RC Agrawal, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Education), ICAR & National Director, NAHEP emphasised on the internationalisation of agricultural education, aligning to the national educational policy, human resource development and multi-global practices, etc.

 

Bekzod Shamsiev, Task Team Leader, World Bank suggested for utilising the World Bank’s Network across the different countries to foster the global collaborations.

 

Dr Srinivasa Rao, Director, ICAR-NAARM, Hyderabad and Dr Rajender Parsad, Director, ICAR-IASRI, New Delhi were also present during the occasion.

 

The webinar registered the participation by more than 200 participants from the state agricultural universities, National Coordinators, NAHEP Component – 2 Team Members and other ICAR institutes.

Experts deliberate on the internationalisation of agricultural

Agro Universities, R&D, Supply Chain

Discussions were held on to enhance the processing and value-addition activities for the resins / gums under the project

The ICAR-Indian Institute of Natural Resins & Gums, Ranchi, Jharkhand recently organised the 13th Annual Workshop of Network Project on Harvesting, Processing and Value Addition of Natural Resins and Gums (NP-HPVA of NRGS).

 

In his inaugural address, Dr Suresh Kumar Chaudhari, Deputy Director General (Natural Resource Management & Agricultural Engineering), ICAR highlighted the importance of the natural resins and gums. The DDG emphasised on connecting the stakeholders, consumers and entrepreneurs of the Natural resins and gums sector to the Project through the sensitisation programmes and workshops, etc. He also stressed on developing an Action Plan for the Project with realistic targets and a timeline including a commercialisation plan for the developed technologies / products.

 

Dr KK Singh, ADG (Farm Engineering), ICAR emphasised on prioritising the project’s research activities to get results in the form of products, technologies and quality publications.

 

Dr KK Sharma, Director, ICAR-IINRG, Ranchi encouraged the cooperating centres to have a complete value-chain for the assigned resins or gums commodities to their centre. He also emphasised on enhancing the processing and value-addition activities for the resins / gums under the project.

 

In his welcome address, Dr N Prasad, Project Coordinator briefed about the main objective of the workshop. The workshop was aimed at reviewing the annual progress of the Network Project Centres and discussing the technical programmes for the Year – 2022-23.

Discussions were held on to enhance the

Agrotech, R&D, Sustainable Energy

Farmers from Vietnam, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan spoke about increased crop productivity and seek approval of more biotech crops

The recently held virtual 15th Pan-Asia Farmers Exchange Programme was co-organised by CropLife Asia, CropLife Philippines and the Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines. The event discussed issues related to the importance of agricultural biotechnology to build resilience to climate change and enhance crop production to achieve food and nutritional security. Scientists, researchers, farmers and other experts from the seed industry expressed their views about the benefits of genome editing technology, Genetically Modified (GM) crops, new plant breeding innovations, and speedy regulatory approvals for new technologies in different countries.

Farmers from Vietnam, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan explained how the use of biotechnological solutions led to an increase in their profits through higher and better-quality yield and reduction in crop inputs.

Dr Rhodora Romero- Aldemita, Director, Southeast Asia Center; Director, Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology, International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Application (ISAAA) said that the use of biotech crops has been increasing quite fast, with coverage of 190.4 million hectares by 2019.

Dr Aldemita said “Biotech crops contributed to food security, sustainability and climate change. It has helped us to increase production, conserve biodiversity, provide a better environment, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and alleviate poverty and hunger in more than 17 million farmers and 65 million people. The Philippines is the leading GM crop adopter in the Southeast Asia region and non-adopting countries need to adopt it to meet the global food demand. There is evidence that this technology works and hence it is unreasonable to delay and not letting beneficiaries enjoy it.”

Dr Rusell Reinke, team leader, Improving Health Through Safe and Nutritionally Enhanced Rice, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said, “It is important that sustainable production of sufficient nutrient-rich and staple foods should be accessible, affordable and desirable to all. Golden rice can meet our goals of 30-50 per cent of EAR for women and children and the farmer management is the same as for existing varieties. Farmer and consumer studies is also underway to guide development.”

Dr Szalbolcs Ruthner, regulatory Affairs Manager, International Seed Federation (ISF) said that gene editing is a continuum of all knowledge, plant scientists and breeders have accumulated in the past. He added, “This is a part of plant breeding activity, and a part of toolbox plant breeders are using. The main aim is to increase and create genetic variability when they can use it to develop a new variety.”

Experts were of the view that communicating science is as important as implementing science in laboratories. If research is not rightly communicated, then the work is half done. Studies have shown that when research is understood and consumers are reassured, they are more willing to accept new technologies.

Farmers from Vietnam, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Dairy, Start ups

The award was presented by Prahlad Singh Patel at Agri-Food Empowering India awards 2021

 

Stellapps Technologies was awarded the ‘Best agri start-up in digital innovations’ at Agri-Food Empowering India Awards for its effort in digitising the dairy sector in India. The award was presented by Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Jal Shakti of India at New Delhi.

The award recognises engineering excellence and innovative concepts in food processing technology, manufacturing, hygiene, food safety and technology research. The award scheme has been conceptualised in association with various Government of India agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare & The Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India. 

Stellapps has been recognised for its innovative tech solutions in digitising and strengthening the dairy farming processes.

Ranjith Mukandan, CEO and Co-founder, Stellapps said, “We are honoured to receive the ‘Best Agri Start-Up in Digital Innovation’ at Agri-Food Empowering India awards 2021. The award is an acknowledgement of our efforts towards digitising the dairy ecosystem in India and has given us immense joy and motivation. We aim to contribute to the agriculture growth in India and empowerment of smallholder Indian farmers through our innovative solutions.” 

 

The award was presented by Prahlad Singh

Agro chems – Chemicals, Finance

Registers total income of Rs 2648.10 crore in Sept quarter

Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF) has reported a net profit of Rs 117.92 crore for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, against Rs 103.88 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year and Rs 207.48 crore in the previous quarter (QoQ).

The company posted a total income of Rs 2648.10 crore for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, against Rs 2349.03 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year (YoY) and Rs 2417.26 crore in the previous quarter (QoQ).

For the half-year ended September 30, 2021, RCF has reported a total income of Rs 5065.36 crore, against Rs 3998.67 crore during the half-year ended September 30, 2020.

The net profit was at Rs 325.40 crore for the six months ended September 30, 2021, compared to Rs 123.08 crore for the half-year ended FY 2021.

 

Registers total income of Rs 2648.10 crore

Agro Universities, R&D

Both the institutes will be able to explore new opportunities and conduct advanced research in the interest of smallholder farmers

The ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology (NIPB) and ICRISAT recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance their research efforts in the area of agriculture development with a focus on molecular biology, genetic engineering and capacity building. 

Dr Rajeev K Varshney, Research Program Director, Accelerated Crop Improvement, ICRISAT, and Dr Ajit Kumar Shasany, Director, ICAR-NIPB, shared the signed MoU during the Research Advisory Committee Meeting of ICAR-NIPB held recently in New Delhi. 

Dr Shasany, while appreciating ICRISAT’s advanced research activities, particularly on genomics-assisted breeding and other areas, said, “This partnership will empower and enable both the institutes to explore new opportunities and conduct advanced research in the interest of smallholder farmers across the country and also help in building the capacities of our next-generation scientists from the national system.”

Dr Varshney said, “We work very closely with several national partners in India and this new collaboration will further our ongoing efforts and also provide new avenues for faster deployment and delivery of advanced biotech tools and approaches to accelerate crop improvement programmes.”

“ICRISAT and NIPB have been conducting impressive agricultural research for many decades. I am hopeful of this very positive collaboration and partnerships between these premier institutes to develop research products that will significantly help farmers, especially smallholders, to increase their crop yields and incomes,” said Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Director Country Relations, ICRISAT.

Dr Arvind Kumar, Deputy Director General-Research, ICRISAT, congratulated both the institutes and said that this MoU would benefit and complement both the institutes to leverage their capabilities towards enhancing the genetic gains in smallholder farmers’ fields and towards improving the agricultural landscape by jointly working on the common interest of profitable agriculture.

Both the institutes will be able to

Agrotech, Singapore, Sustainable Energy

Neville will be responsible for the company’s overall sustainability and communications strategy for the whole of the business

Singapore-based Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), leading integrated palm-based agribusiness, has appointed Anita Neville to join its executive leadership team in the new role of Chief Sustainability and Communications Officer (CSCO).  

 

As GAR’s Senior Vice President for Group Corporate Communications, she has overseen the company’s corporate communications across all communications channels and to all audiences. As CSCO, Neville will be responsible for the company’s overall sustainability and communications strategy for the whole of the business.

 

Neville joined GAR six years ago, after two decades working in the environmental not-for-profit sector with various international NGOs and sustainability standards systems. She has worked in sustainability and communications with roles in non-governmental roles, including WWF-UK and Rainforest Alliance. She is based in Singapore, where she lives with her husband and two sons. 

 

Neville said, “I am honoured to be entrusted with this new role and to continue the work established by Pak Pungki. I think it speaks to GAR’s strength in sustainability that we are able to make this transition from within the existing GAR team. I am excited to work even more closely with our sustainability staff, and to look at how GAR’s sustainability journey can expand to incorporate our whole business.” 

 

Neville will be responsible for the company’s

AgroPolicy, Supply Chain, Trade

Manufacturers of Darjeeling tea have been directed not to purchase green leaf from the outside GI area

The Centre has taken a strict step to ensure that sub-standard teas are not imported and distributed in India. A notification in this regard has been issued today. As per the directions of the Minister of Commerce and Industries, four circulars have been issued by the Tea Board on 11.11.2021 under the Tea Marketing Control Order, 2003, Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005 for protection of Darjeeling GI as detailed below:

 

All importers have been directed to ensure that origin of imported tea is mentioned in all their sale invoices and not to pass off imported tea as teas of Indian origin. All distributors of tea have been directed not to blend cheap and inferior quality imported teas with Indian Origin teas for domestic consumption. Manufacturers of Darjeeling tea have been directed not to purchase green leaf from the outside GI area.

 

The tea buyers have been directed not to blend imported tea with teas of Darjeeling/Kangra/Assam (Orthodox)/Nilgiri (Orthodox). In order to ensure compliance with the above directions, Tea Board has started surprise checks on distributors/importers, especially of Nepal Tea. A surprise check of three units in Siliguri was conducted on 11.11.2021 and samples were drawn for testing. 

 

Manufacturers of Darjeeling tea have been directed

Agro Universities, AgroPolicy, Environment, Supply Chain

An exhibition of farmers’ products was organised in the programme

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar virtually inaugurated the Kisan Bhawan and Beekeeper Conference at the Central Institute of Horticulture, Nagaland. Tomar said, “Honey-producing farmers should move forward in collaboration with the state government, the Central Government has stood with them shoulder to shoulder and step by step.”

 

In the programme organised under the Amrit Mahotsav of Azadi, Tomar said that the climate of the North-East region is favourable for agriculture. The area is ideal for the cultivation of horticultural crops especially fruits and vegetables, flowers and spices. Keeping in view the interests of the small and marginal farmers of the North Eastern Region in horticulture, the Central Institute of Horticulture, Nagaland was established under the Central Sector Scheme of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and this institute was established for the development of horticulture and upliftment of the farmers. The state is working well with the government, FPOs and other stakeholders. 

 

An exhibition of farmers’ products was organised in the programme. Mini kits were provided to the farmers for new experiments in farming. Products made by the trainee farmers were launched. Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shobha Karandlaje was the special guest at the function. Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal, Additional Secretary Abhilaksh Likhi and Vivek Agarwal, Agriculture and Horticulture Commissioner Dr SK Malhotra, Chairman of Plant Variety and Farmers Rights Protection Authority, Dr KV Prabhu, Secretary to Governor T Mhabemo Yanthan, Commissioner and Horticulture Secretary of Nagaland Annanla T Sato, Government, Horticulture Director Dr E Lotha, Board of Management (BOM) members Shiv Anjan Dalmiya and Diwakar Chachari and hundreds of bees parents and other farmers were present. Dr NK Patle, Director, Central Institute of Horticulture delivered the welcome address. 

An exhibition of farmers’ products was organised

Agrotech, Nature, Seeds

Women farmers from Betul district of Madhya Pradesh were recognised for their contribution towards shaping the farming methods

Corteva Agriscience, the global agriculture company, organised a virtual ceremony to celebrate the contribution of women farmers of the Farmers-Producer Organisation (FPOs) and the company’s Pravakta programme. Three women farmers were felicitated for their contribution towards sustainable agricultural practices and for creating a positive impact in the lives of fellow farmers through active knowledge sharing. 

 

Saraswati Bai, Lakshmi Bai and Sukhiya Bai from Betul district of Madhya Pradesh were felicitated for leading the momentum of change and supporting hundreds of other women farmers in their respective regions. 

 

The awarded women farmers shared their inspiring stories during the ceremony. They also spoke about the support given by Corteva under varied interventions. Corteva is leading several programmes to empower women smallholder farmers to realise higher yields and increased profits. 

 

Under the flagship programme ‘Pravakta program’, various women farmers have been trained to become the local ambassadors, ‘Pravakta’, who guide fellow farmers on preferred agricultural practices, enabling them to implement good agronomic practices and establishing market linkages of the crop. Through the FPO programme, Corteva has established an ecosystem to promote agri-entrepreneurship amongst rural women across India, primarily in Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. They have been helping FPOs by providing financial literacy, leadership training and technical grooming for agriculture entrepreneurship for women farmers/agri entrepreneurs. With the introduction of AcreNext next generation of rice farming programme for women farmers in India, Corteva is spearheading the movement of using direct-seeded rice farming methods in the water-scarce region of Nawada, Bihar. 

 

Women farmers from Betul district of Madhya

IT, R&D

The landmark international study was led by Dr Rajeev Varshney from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in Hyderabad

A massive international research effort has led to the development of a genetic model for the ‘ultimate’ chickpea, with the potential to lift crop yields by up to 12 per cent. The research consortium genetically mapped thousands of chickpea varieties, and the UQ team then used this information to identify the most valuable gene combinations using artificial intelligence (AI).

 

Professor Ben Hayes led the UQ component of the project with Professor Kai Voss-Fels and Associate Professor Lee Hickey, to develop a ‘haplotype’ genomic prediction crop breeding strategy, for enhanced performance for seed weight.

 

The landmark international study was led by Dr Rajeev Varshney from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in Hyderabad. The study confirmed chickpea’s origin in the Fertile Crescent and provides a complete picture of genetic variation within chickpea. 

 

“We identified 1,582 novel genes and established the pan-genome of chickpea, which will serve as a foundation for breeding superior chickpea varieties with enhanced yield, higher resistance to drought, heat and diseases,” Dr Varshney said.

 

Professor Hayes said the UQ team used the data to model a chickpea with perfect genetics for seed weight, a trait linked to yield.

 

FastStack combines AI with genomic prediction technology to identify the combinations of genes most likely to improve crop performance.

 

UQ plant breeder and crop geneticist, Associate Professor Lee Hickey, said the global demand for protein-rich pulses was increasing.

 

“Improving the productivity of chickpea for Australia offers opportunities for our farmers to supply local food industries and export markets,” he said.

 

“Using this AI-generated chickpea model for increased seed weight in the field will be challenging, given the number of generations it will take in cross-breeding for optimal chickpea genetics, and the impact of different environments and management practices on crop growth.

 

Dr Hickey said new genomic breeding approaches, including the haplotype model, are expected to redefine chickpea breeding strategies for developing high-yielding and nutritious chickpea varieties.

Chickpea is an important rotation crop in farming systems, as it is self-fertilising for nitrogen, reducing the need for nitrogen fertiliser.

The landmark international study was led by

Agrotech, Machinery - Pre-harvesting, Machinery – Post-harvesting

Launches CODE, an innovative and affordable farm mechanisation solution for farmers

Swaraj Tractors, part of the Mahindra Group, launched CODE, a revolutionary new multi-purpose farm mechanisation solution to transform horticulture farming in India. 

 

An indigenously designed farm mechanisation solution, CODE is conceived with the idea of eliminating the drudgery of labour involved in horticulture farming. The narrowest and the lightest ride-on machine, CODE will revolutionise horticulture farming in India allowing farmers to carry out inter-culture operations in narrow rows for various vegetable and fruit crops. Additionally, the shorter turning radius of this machine provides better manoeuvrability in smaller farms cultivating horticulture crops. 

 

 

Launches CODE, an innovative and affordable farm

Agrotech, China, Supply Chain

Nisun will apply its digital technologies to the agricultural supply chain, using the Internet, Internet of Things, and other technologies

Nisun International Enterprise Development Group, a provider of innovative comprehensive solutions has signed a supply chain cooperative agreement with Haikou Jinlvguo Fruit Production & Marketing Cooperative. Under this agreement, the two parties will cooperate in the field of the agriculture supply chain.

According to the agreement, utilising its supply chain management capabilities, Nisun will help connect Haikou Jinlvguo at the upstream of the supply chain with reliable sales channels to increase Jinlvguo’s sales volume and market shares. Through this cooperation, Nisun will apply its digital technologies to the agricultural supply chain, using the Internet, Internet of Things, and other technologies to incorporate modern logistics and financial technology into the supply chain. As such, Nisun will serve as a bridge between core enterprises and the market, helping to establish a comprehensive platform in the agricultural supply chain for sharing upstream and downstream information on product market supply and demand, transactions, prices and other information.

“The integration of digital technology and the agricultural industry will reshape the business model of the agricultural supply chain,” commented Xiaoyun Huang, Chairman and CEO, Nisun International. “Nisun will explore the logistics, capital flow and information flow in the supply chain, using the relationship between the core enterprise and the principal supply chain to improve the credit capacity of other members, prevent misinformation, and improve the industrial chain, helping those in low credit groups obtain loans. This change will also promote further cooperation in the supply chain management and resource sharing among Nisun and core enterprises in the upstream and downstream of supply chains.”

Nisun will apply its digital technologies to

Agro chems – Pesticides, Agrotech, China, Nature

The XAG V40 and P40 are fully autonomous drones that can conduct mapping, spraying, and broadcast on farm

China-based XAG, the trailblazers of agriculture robotics and AI, has launched V40 and P40 Agricultural Drone globally, bringing digital agriculture into more rural areas with an ageing population and weak infrastructure. The XAG V40 and P40 are fully autonomous drones that can conduct mapping, spraying, and broadcast on the farm. The drones are designed in supporting farmers’ transition to climate-smart practices, driving greater growth with lower carbon footprints and less agrochemical.

The V40, as the flagship model of XAG V Series Agricultural Drone, is a milestone in getting farmers connected to the digital age. It is the first tilting twin-rotor unmanned flying platform of its kind in agriculture to find the right balance between precision, performance, and efficiency. As an upgraded model of the classic P Series agricultural drone, XAG P40 is more compact, flexible, and easy to transport with four arms.

The V40 Agricultural Drone is an award-winning design that embodies XAG’s understanding of agriculture, farmers, and society. The V40 has a more concentrated wind field that contributes to an effective spray width of up to 10 metres. With multiple aerodynamic optimisations, its spray penetration is over twice that of a traditional multi-rotor drone, making drops penetrate more precisely into dense crop canopies. This provides stronger protection against weeds, diseases, and insect pests to close the yield gap.

Both V40 and P40 Agricultural Drone are built with a highly modular design that can significantly reduce the barriers of farmers to embrace digital agriculture. They support three different task systems – XAG RevoSpray, RevoCast, and RealTerra, which allows farmers to use the same platform for collecting digital field maps, sowing seeds, and controlling crop diseases.
 

The XAG V40 and P40 are fully