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Acquaculture, Acts & Schemes – Centre

The e-Gopala app also launched during the function

The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 10, 2020 via video conferencing. The flagship scheme is aimed at focused and sustainable development of the fisheries sector

The Prime Minister said that the Matsya Sampada Yojana is being launched in line with the AatmaNirbhar Bharat goals. He said it is being launched in 21 States of the country with an investment of Rs 20,000 Crores which would be spent in the next 4-5 Years. Out of this, projects worth Rs 1700 crores are being launched today.

Under this scheme he said that many facilities have been inaugurated in Patna, Purnia, Sitamarhi, Madhepura, Kishanganj and Samastipur.

The PM also launched the e-Gopala App, a comprehensive breed improvement marketplace and information portal for direct use of farmers. The PMMSY will have an estimated investment of Rs 20,050 crores for its implementation during a period of 5 years from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25 in all States/Union Territories.

Out of this, an investment of about Rs 12340 crores is proposed for beneficiary-oriented activities in Marine, Inland fisheries and Aquaculture and about Rs 7710 crores investment for Fisheries Infrastructure.

PMMSY aims to enhance fish production by an additional 70 lakh tonne by 2024-25, increasing fisheries export earnings to Rs.1,00,000 crore by 2024-25, doubling of incomes of fishers and fish farmers, reducing post-harvest losses from 20-25% to about 10 percent and generation of additional 55 lakhs direct and indirect gainful employment opportunities in fisheries sector and allied activities.

Special focus will be given for employment generation activities such as seaweed and ornamental fish cultivation. As of now, under the PMMSY, the Department of Fisheries has approved Rs. 1723 crores worth of proposals for 21 States/UTs in phase-I.

 

The e-Gopala app also launched during the

Schemes - Banks

The bank is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in a big way for generating business 

State Bank of India is planning to launch a loan product, SAFAL, primarily focused on organic cotton growers who don’t have any credit history, said a top official of the country’s largest lender. 

The bank is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in a big way for generating business, SBI managing director C S Setty said speaking at a Fintech conference organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). 

“We want to go beyond this so-called retail segment and reach out to… like farmers. Today I am not only giving crop loans… We are about to launch a product called Safe and Fast Agriculture Loan (SAFAL). There is a company which brought all the organic cotton growers and created a database on the basis of block chain,” Setty said. 

He further said that any buyer of this cotton across the world can check whether the farmer actually is growing the organic cotton. “We are just taking the data and providing the credit linkage to them because they don’t have the credit history. They are not borrowers of crop loans but we have the ability to pick them up because the technology has brought them together and provided the market visibility to them,” he added.

Citing another example of use of AI and ML, Setty said the bank has done 1.7 million pre-approved loans and 21,000 crore businesses have been booked under this product during the lockdown. 

Observing that the power of data analytics has been fully appreciated by the bank, he said, “our AI/ML department is not an experimental department, it is a business-oriented department. We have had a net income creation of about ₹1,100 crore in the last two years.” 

Currently, he said, the bank has more than 40 Machine Learning based models which it uses across the spectrum for business, risk mitigation, fraud management. The bank has built a capability which is unmatched in the banking industry, he claimed.

 

Source- PTI

The bank is using Artificial Intelligence (AI)

E-commerce

More farmers, allied industries could adopt sustainable agriculture

Khadi and Village Industry Commission’s (KVIC) website (www.kviconline.gov.in/khadimask) has quickly gained popularity across India helping artisans sell their products to the remotest parts of India. The portal that was launched with just khadi face masks on July 7, 2020, has evolved into a full-fledged E-market platform with 180 products as of now and many more in the pipeline.

The shift towards Khadi products could benefit farmers become self-reliant and help steer them towards the traditional Indian approach to sustainable and eco-friendly agricultural practices.

KVIC is adding at least 10 new products to its online inventory every day and has set a target of adding at least 1000 products by October 2, 2020. In less than two months’ time, KVIC has served nearly 4000 customers. The product range is priced from Rs 50 to Rs 5000, keeping in view the choice and affordability of all sections of buyers.

Customers have expressed great satisfaction over the online sale of Khadi products. KVIC has received online orders from 31 States and Union Territories. It has fixed the minimum order value at Rs 599 for free delivery of goods and has entered into an agreement with the Postal Department for delivery of consignments via Speed Post.

More farmers, allied industries could adopt sustainable

Acts & Schemes – Centre, India

Around 5000 farmers to be benefited

An organic food processing unit has been set up in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh which will be beneficial to around 5000 farmers. Inaugurating the unit, Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that the diversity of agricultural raw material base and agro-climatic attributes of UP provide the perfect environment for the state to develop a vibrant food processing industry.

Badal urged the promoters of the unit to experiment and invest further into new innovative products in the organic segment of the food processing sector. She appreciated the promoters for setting up a manufacturing plant in UP for tea products to be exported to about 30 countries.

The unit is likely to provide employment for 100 and indirect employment for 250 people. A processing capacity of 3 MT per day has been created and the unit will process agro produce worth Rs 350 crores. The Minister added that the food processing sector can address major challenges in agriculture such as post-harvest losses, lack of marketing options & low income of farmers along with providing employment opportunities to the rural population.

Around 5000 farmers to be benefitedAn organic

Agro chems – Fertilizers

The joint venture will generate direct and indirect employment.

For the revival of three plants at Sindri, Gorakhpur and Barauni, the Chemicals and Fertilizers Ministry has recently provided Rs 1,257 crore interest-free loan to Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Ltd (HURL).

HURL is a joint venture between state-owned firms NTPC, CIL, IOCL and Fertiliser Corporation of India Ltd (FCIL). The loan agreement was executed here between the Department of Fertilizers and HURL in the presence of Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers DV Sadananda Gowda; Secretary (Fertilizers); Additional Secretary (Fertilizers) and Managing Director, HURL, according to an official statement.

Gowda said that the approval of the loan to the three units of HURL is an important step towards achieving the government’s target to boost domestic urea output and reduce import dependency.

Furthermore, it will help the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign and will generate direct and indirect employment. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in 2016 had approved the revival of the Gorakhpur and Sindri units of FCIL and the Barauni unit of HFCL. 

Accordingly, a joint venture company was incorporated as HURL. The equity stake of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), and Coal India Ltd (CIL) is 29.67 per cent each, whereas Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL) has 10.99 per cent shareholding.

HURL is setting up three gas-based urea manufacturing units at Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni. The capacity of each plant is 12.7 lakh tonne per annum.

The joint venture will generate direct and

India, Nature

This will help in increasing farmers’ income and also reduce dependency on imports of some raw material.

Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar has recently inaugurated 22 bamboo clusters in nine States – Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Assam, Odisha, Nagaland, Tripura, Uttarakhand & Karnataka through virtual mode. He also released a logo for the National Bamboo Mission. Acclaiming the success of the National Bamboo Mission, the minister said that India is now gearing up to increase the export of bamboo products.

Keeping in mind the importance of bamboo, the Indian Forest Act 1927 was modified in the year 2017 to remove bamboo for the category of trees, therefore now anyone can start cultivation and business in bamboo & its products.

Tomar called upon the States to take forward the objectives of the mission that would contribute to PM Modi’s vision of an AatmaNirbhar Bharat via an AatmaNirbharKrishi. The support being given by the Mission to local artisans through locally grown bamboo species would also actualize the objective of Vocal for Local. This will help in increasing farmers’ income and also reduce dependency on imports of some raw material.

The amended National Bamboo Mission was launched in the year 2018-19 for the development of the complete value chain of the sector. The Mission is being executed in a hub and spoke model, with the main objective of connecting farmers to markets so as to enable farmer producers to get a ready market for the bamboo grown & to increase the supply of right raw material to the domestic industry.

In addition, the bamboo ecosystem has been energized with 23 States being supported, including all the eight states of North East.

 

This will help in increasing farmers’ income

Europe, Machinery – Post-harvesting, Transportation

 Delivering largest combine harvesters  from company to fields by road was challenging task

 
 

The challenge faced by the Transport Logistics team at CNH Industrial, was the transportation of its Case IH and New Holland Agriculture combine harvesters from the Company’s hub in Zeebrugge, Belgium, to destinations throughout Europe. Combine harvesters are by far the largest piece of machinery at a farmer’s disposal weighing in at up to an impressive 24,500 kilos which makes delivering them from the factory to field by road an exceptionally challenging task.

To solve this very modern problem, the CNH Industrial logistics team took inspiration from one of the oldest means of transport – water. The River Danube, at 2,780 km is the second longest river in Europe, flows through 10 countries from the Black Forest in Germany to the Black Sea, in the southeast corner of the continent and has been used for shipping freight for centuries. Founded in 1829 The Danube River Steamboat Shipping Company grew to become the largest river shipping company in the world with some 200 steamboat ships and 1,000 cargo boats. The advent and subsequent expansion of the railway meant that river transport declined in importance and popularity. The team at CNH Industrial recognized the potential in this once widely used means of transport for the shipping of its combines  

 Delivering largest combine harvesters  from company to

Agro chems – Pesticides, Agrotech, E-commerce

Wrath  works effectively against many insects such as worms, thrips, aphids, scale, whiteflies

 

Whiteflies are one of the world’s most widespread field, garden, and greenhouse insects. These pale, tiny pests are very dangerous and are known for their devastating effects on most agricultural crops. Worldwide there are over 1500 species of whiteflies, with dozens of those species causing the most trouble for agriculture. Whiteflies bring harm not only by their feeding habits but also by transmitting almost 60 viral plant diseases. The harm that these tiny creatures bring to farmers is huge – from reduced yields to the death of plants. For greenhouses whiteflies can be even more devastating, once inside they are protected from weather and natural enemies. Worldwide economic losses from whiteflies are estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually. 

 

GROPRO’s portfolio includes highly effective biopesticides – Wrath, one of them, works effectively against many insects – worms, thrips, aphids, scale, whiteflies and many others. The product can be widely used on open fields and greenhouses with multiple crops such as coles, cucurbits, vines, fruit trees etc. Wrath proves that biological insecticides can be very effective – giving results with 92-98% control of insects, including whiteflies.  

Wrath is a broad-spectrum soft body insecticide; the overwhelming benefit is that it has a 0 PHI (pre harvest interval), so growers today do not need to pre-spray prior to harvest and apply only where and when needed. When used properly, it will provide both contact and residual activity lasting 17-14 days. Wrath is formulated with a highly pure and effective essential oils; it is accepted as a highly refined and environmentally safe, when used as directed, as well as worker safe material. 

GROPRO, Corp. a USA based producer and supplier of bio crop protection products has recently launched into the agricultural market with a quick and steady stream of products. GROPRO combines enthusiasm and knowledge with a deep comprehension of the real-world hurdles that growers and the agricultural industry are facing today. With multiple field trials accomplished in the U.S. and internationally GROPRO has a proven track record of delivering natural and organic materials while allowing growers to augment the conventional agrochemical products used in an integrated pest management (IPM) approach.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

Wrath  works effectively against many insects

Agrotech, Organic, World

Demand for organic food major factor driving growth

 Global aeroponics industry was estimated at $578.7 million in 2018 and is expected to grow to $3.53 billion by 2026, registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 25.6 percent from 2019 to 2026. This estimation is as per a report entitled ‘Aeroponics Market by Application (Indoor Farming and Outdoor Farming) and Component (Irrigation Component, Lighting, Sensor, Climate Control, Building Material, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019–2026’ published by Allied Market Research.

Rise in demand for organic food, limited arable land for traditional agriculture and popularity of disease-free environment are the major factors enabling the growth of the global aeroponics market. The lighting segment contributed to more than one-fourth of the global aeroponics market share in 2018 and is expected to be the most dominant segment till 2026.

The climate control segment is projected to have the fastest CAGR of 30.3 percent during 2019–2026. The indoor farming segment accounted for three-fifths of the global aeroponics market revenue in 2018 and is anticipated to retain its top status by the end of 2026. It is also the segment to grow at the CAGR of 27.6 percent during the estimated period.

 

 

Demand for organic food major factor driving

Agro chems – Fertilizers, E-commerce

IFFCO’s overseas subsidiary JIFCO has also surpassed the monthly production target for August 2020.  

 

 

IFFCO’s units have mostly achieved their targets in the month. IFFCO’s Phulpur unit produced and dispatched urea in time and almost achieved the monthly production targets. IFFCo’s Kalol plant has also achieved its highest monthly production target.

The IFFCO Paradeep achieved highest ever monthly production, bagging & dispatch target of complex bulk fertilisers for the month of August 2020.  IFFCO’s MD Dr U S Awasthi has appreciated this achievement. IFFCO’s Aonla Unit head I C Jha and his team also received words of appreciation from the MD for achieving the monthly targets.

IFFCO’s overseas subsidiary JIFCO has also surpassed the monthly production target for August 2020. The MD congratulated the JIFCO team through a tweet.

MD Dr Awasthi congratulated each team separately. For IFFCO’s Phulpur Unit head in particular, IFFCO MD tweeted, “Congratulations for making good effort by IFFCO Phulpur Unit @mmasood278 & entire team even at this crisis time of corona pandemic. The unit produced & despatched urea fertiliser in time and almost achieved the monthly production targets for the month of  Aug 2020. Keep it up”.

Similarly, he tweeted for other units and encouraged them to perform better in future too. Besides, IFFCO’s Kandla Unit has also surpassed the given monthly production targets for the month of August 2020. The unit even dispatched fertilisers well in time in the difficult times of corona.

 

source- Indian Cooperative

 

 
 
 
 
 

IFFCO’s overseas subsidiary JIFCO has also surpassed

Agro Universities, R&D, Sustainable Energy

Solar powered sprays saves 75 % water

 
 
 In order to address the irrigation issue in agriculture, CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) Durgapur has launched two solar-powered spray systems to help farmers engaged in site-specific irrigation to reduce wastage of water.

He said the solar battery-operated sprayers developed by CSIR-CMERI could be used for targeted pest control that will further reduce environmental pollution.  The spokesperson added that the systems are equipped with 2 tanks, flow control & pressure regulators for different water & pesticide requirements of the crops, site/target specific irrigation, maintaining proper dilution of pesticide to control the pest, maintaining soil moisture levels in a narrow range & weed control.

During trials conducted by CSIR-CMERI, the farmers were told that the devices save up to 75 per cent  water.

The spokesperson said, while the 5-litre backpack sprayer is for marginal farmers and the trolley sprayer with 10-litre capacity is for the small farmers of India.  Institute Director, Professor Harish Hirani said, “These devices will bring a revolution in the sphere of precision agriculture by decreasing water usage in the fields. This new technology can help create agricultural avenues even in the arid & semi-arid regions”.  

He said that the sprayers will be available at reasonable prices so that farmers can easily purchase them. Prof. Hirani said, “Affordable pricing provides opportunities to the cottage & micro-industries to further the outreach of the technology”.  

The systems basically work on Solar-Powered batteries, thereby enabling its usage even in energy & power deprived agri regions and also reducing dependence on fossil fuels. These sprayers are very simple to develop, easy to learn & implement, thus it will help to overcome the water crisis faced by the farmers in India. 

 

Solar powered sprays saves 75 % water      In

Agrotech, Finance, Start ups

EY report predicts Agritech startups to account for $24 billion by 2025

In its report ’Agritech-towards transforming Indian agriculture’, Ernst & Young (EY) recently revealed that India’s burgeoning startup ecosystem has been actively playing its part in disrupting the agriculture sector. According to EY, the multinational professional services firm headquartered in London, agritech startups are operating in an attractive market with an estimated potential of $24 billion by 2025.

The report states that agritech companies have received investments of $532 million till April this year. But, despite witnessing strong investment activity in the last few years, market penetration in the sector is still very low at around one percent, the report added. Ankur Pahwa, Partner and National Leader E-Commerce and Consumer Internet, EY India said that there would be consolidation in the industry as larger players begin to acquire regional players to achieve scale in market linkages and extend into other service domains as well.

Pahwa added that global investors can harness their learning from their success stories in the agritech segments to help them realize their full potential in India. In July, 2020, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister for Agriculture had said that Indian government will fund 112 startups in the first phase, with a sum of Rs 11.85 crore in the current financial year.

 

EY report predicts Agritech startups to account

Agro chems – Fertilizers

HIL (India) is the sole manufacturer of DDT globally

HIL (India) Limited, a PSU under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has supplied 114.2 metric tonnes ( MT ) of DDT 75 per cent WP to Zambia for their malaria control program.

HIL CMD SP Mohanty said that this is the last phase of dispatch out of 307 MT orders received from the Ministry of Health Zambia. HIL has also executed supplies of 20.6 MT to South Africa recently and in the progress of supplies of 129 MT to Zimbabwe.

HIL (India) is the sole manufacturer of DDT globally. The company was incorporated in the year 1954 to manufacture and supply DDT to the Government of India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the malaria control program. In the year 2019-20, the product was supplied to 20 States In the country. The Company is also exporting the product to many African countries.

Malaria continues to be one of the major public health problems globally.  WHO recommends DDT as one of the efficient IRS chemicals to curb the malaria mosquito menace and it is widely used by Southern African countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique etc. India is committed to manufacture and supply quality products at reasonable prices to the Southern African region, which will strengthen our bilateral relationship.

HIL (India) is the sole manufacturer of

Sustainable Energy

Partnership will focus on capacity, capability, facility and infrastructure through resource mobilization


An online Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as a ‘Strategic Association’ to strengthen the Solar Energy sector across the nation was signed between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CMERI), Durgapur and National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), Gurugram on September 7, 2020.

CSIR-CMERI has expertise in design and development of Solar Artifacts of various capacities for multifaceted uses ranging from fulfilling localized energy demand to boosting Agricultural sector for irrigation, solar powered agro dryer, decentralized solar cold storage, charging of battery operated agricultural machineries etc.

Its expertise in the domain of Solar Converter and Conditioning unit and Isolated Minigrid will also be immensely useful in this collaboration. National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), an autonomous centre of excellence of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, is engaged in Solar PV/Thermal R&D, Testing, Demonstration Projects, Skill Development, Consultancy, Innovation and Incubation etc.

The MoU will help to conduct joint field studies for different solar technologies, skill development of stakeholders including developing contents and carry out policy and regulatory studies dealing with grid integration, recycling and disposal of solar panels, batteries, etc among others.

 

Partnership will focus on capacity, capability, facility