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Agrotech

Ahrens will oversee all divisions of the U.S. sales division and identify new market strategies 

 

 

In a diverse and challenging market environment, being responsive to dynamics are important factors to continue to grow and support the UPL business. At the start of the new fiscal year, UPL announces changes to its U.S. leadership team to support those efforts. 

Brian Ahrens has been named Head of U.S. Ag Sales. In this role he will oversee all divisions of the U.S. sales division and identify new market strategies to further UPL’s growing U.S. manufacturing business.

“Brian’s broad leadership experience and passion for our industry will continue to drive our momentum and vision for the future,” says Vicente Gongora, Head of UPL, North America. “We are happy to continue to live our purpose of promoting from within and congratulate him on his new role.” 

Ahrens has worked in various roles within the organization, most recently as the lead for the Professional Products Team.

He succeeds Brian Cardin, who requested to step aside from his position after nearly 10 years of leading the U.S. sales team. Cardin will lead the Key Account Manager team, reporting directly to Ahrens. Throughout his tenure, he has helped grow the company into a top-tier manufacturer in the U.S. market. He will use that depth of experience to focus on further developing UPL’s expanding distribution network.

 “I’d like to thank Brian Cardin for his tireless work in helping me bring UPL to where we are today. This kind of change is a clear demonstration that we live our values by promoting internal talents such as Brian Ahrens while respecting personal aspirations with Brian Cardin,” says Vicente Gongora. 

Ahrens, Cardin and Gongora plan to work closely together to further strengthen the sales team to meet the growing needs of UPL in the U.S. moving forward.

 

Ahrens will oversee all divisions of the

Acts & Schemes – Centre, Agro chems – Pesticides, Agrotech

 Currently India has 50 mounted sprayers and have placed orders of 60.  

India has placed an order of 50 ultra-low volume sprayers with the UK to control the menace of migratory locust, which is looming large this kharif season. On Wednesday, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister for Agriculture, interacted with representatives of the pesticide industry to take stock of preparedness plan of the country to prevent a locust attack in the upcoming days.

 Scientists at the Locust Warning Organisation (LWO) had reported sighting of the desert locust from Jaisalmer and Sriganganagar districts of Rajasthan on April 11. Locusts are normally seen in India between July and August. This year, not only did they appear much earlier, but were also seen in swarms rather than in isolation. At present, large swarms are active in East African countries, and have devastated their standing crops of wheat, sorghum, and maize, among others. If left unchecked, the migratory pests can wreak havoc across many districts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Punjab. 

Last year, India had reported the sighting of locusts for the first time in the last 26 years. Between May last year and February this year, about 4.03 lakh hectares were treated from mostly December onwards. Unseasonal rain had propelled the unrestricted growth of the pest in the Arabian Peninsula, and the insects had also come to attack large tracts of land in Pakistan and India. This year, multiple swarms are active in the Horn of Africa, which have already started migrating to other areas.

 Commonly used organophosphate pesticides like Malathion (96 per cent ultra-low volume aerial application) is used to control the pest. Mounted sprayers are used to treat areas of infestation with the chemical. India, at present, has 50 such vehicles and have placed orders of 60 or more such sprayers, which are expected to arrive soon. Till Wednesday, 16,415 hectares of the districts of Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Nagaur, Sriganganagar, Ajmer, Barmer and Pali in Rajasthan, as well as Fazilka in Punjab have been treated for the pest. 

Ten Locust Circle Offices of the Government of India, located in Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Phalodi, Barmer, Jalore, Churu, Nagaur, and Suratgarh districts of Rajasthan, as well as Palanpur and Bhuj districts in Gujarat, are working in scheduled desert areas of more than two lakh square km in India. The locusts are monitored, surveyed and controlled in coordination with the concerned state agricultural departments, as well as district administrations. In addition, pest control in crops is being done by the agricultural departments and concerned state governments.

 Currently India has 50 mounted sprayers and

Acts & Schemes – Centre

 It aims to save farmers from high-interest rates generally charged by money lenders in the unorganized sector. 

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced concessional credit boost worth Rs 2 lakh crore for 2.5 crore farmers via Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) issued by the Centre. She said that “A special drive will be undertaken to offer concessional credit to PM-Kisan beneficiaries via Kisan Credit Cards. Fishermen & Animal husbandry farmers would also be included in this drive”. 

About 2.5 crore farmers across the country will be covered and will benefit from the credit flow of about Rs 2 lakh crore. The minister indicated that around 25 lakh new Kisan Credit Cards are in the pipeline for small & marginal farmers. It must be noted that Kisan Credit Card is a government scheme that aims to save farmers from high-interest rates generally charged by money lenders in the unorganised sector. 

The incentive on crop loans provided till March has also been extended till 31st May to support farmers, Finance Minister said while sharing details of the 2nd phase of the economic stimulus package worth Rs 20 lakh crore announced by PM Modi on Tuesday.

 Sitharaman told that three crore farmers with farm loans of Rs 4.22 lakh crore availed the benefit of three-month loan moratorium. The announcements made by Finance minister today focussed on small farmers, migrant workers, street vendors and small traders.

While commenting on government’s announcement of credit boost for farmers, Ajay Kakra, Leader – food and agriculture, PwC India said, “The initiative boost credit of 2 lakh crore to increase coverage of 2.5 lakh farmers under KCC will surely increase the credit umbrella and help increase their liquidity issue given the acute cash crunch during Covid 19 situation.”

He also added that , Additional Emergency Working Capital(EWC) fund of INR 30000 crores from NABARD can come very handy to farmers for managing post-harvest operations for Rabi or pre-season operations for Kharif season during the covid situation when the entire food supply chain is looking forward towards increasing liquidity.

 

 

 It aims to save farmers from high-interest

Agrotech

Dr Chandra serves as Chief Scientist of Microsoft Azure Global research team ,to drive innovations in agriculture industry 

 

 

Terramera®, the global agtech leader transforming how food is grown and the economics of agriculture over the next decade, recently announced that Dr. Ranveer Chandra has joined its Science & Technology Advisory Council. Dr Chandra serves as Chief Scientist of Microsoft Azure Global, where he leads the Azure Global Research Team to drive innovation across different industries including agriculture, financial services, retail, logistics and energy using Azure’s cloud-based platform and artificial intelligence (AI). 

The Science & Technology Advisory Council advises Terramera on its commercial efforts and mission to reduce the global synthetic pesticide load by 80% by 2030. Established to push the envelope on technologies that address global food security and climate change, the Council includes other world-renowned advisors such as Dr. Adrian Percy (Chair), Tom Chi and Dr. Markita Landry.

 “One of my key missions is to help identify, devise and refine technologies to sustainably nourish the growing population of the world and I have been impressed with Terramera’s aggressive goals on reducing chemical use and increasing yield,” said Dr Chandra. “Terramera’s Actigate technology is a breakthrough and I am incredibly excited to help unlock the potential for increased food production without harming the planet and bring together the latest advances in tech and agtech.” 

Dr. Chandra started the Azure FarmBeats initiative at Microsoft, which is designed to use technology to improve food production in the midst of challenges such as limited arable land and receding water. His experience in leading this project and helping to build unique solutions to solve these problems using low-cost sensors, drones, as well as vision and machine learning algorithms, is well-suited to advance Terramera’s goals. 

“Terramera has a vital role to play in improving plant health and farm yields and establishing agriculture as a significant solution to climate change,” said Karn Manhas, Terramera Founder and CEO. “Ranveer’s cutting-edge experience in cloud computing and AI, combined with his knowledge of the challenges associated with food production, will help us measure, quantify and accelerate the impact of our Actigate technology. We are thrilled to have him join our Science & Technology Advisory Council.”

 

Terramera currently uses the Azure FarmBeats platform to efficiently design and test new Actigate™ Targeted Performance technology formulations, which will enable faster prediction efficacy and product development to advance its 2030 goal.

Dr Chandra serves as Chief Scientist of

Agro chems – Pesticides, E-commerce, North America

It combines the benefits of a botanical product with the advantages of a conventional fungicide.

  Summit Agro USA announces the introduction of the first hybrid fungicide for US agriculture – REGEV. This next generation disease control product combines the benefits of a botanical product with the advantages of a conventional fungicide. 

“REGEV brings together Tea Tree Oil and difenoconazole giving growers across a variety of crops a very effective disease control product, while reducing chemical usage and providing effective resistance management control,” said Fred Yates, Summit Agro marketing manager for botanical products. “The preventative and curative activity of REGEV with a broad crop and disease control label, plus its ability to enhance plant growth and yield all provide significant value to growers,” Yates added. 

The hybrid nature of new REGEV means reducing the chemical load in treated crops, which differentiates it from conventional options. In addition, the multiple modes of action with REGEV presents a very low probability for the development of resistance or cross resistance in plant pathogens. 

REGEV will be introduced in major crops such as soybeans, rice and potatoes as well as specialty crops including cucurbits, fruiting vegetables, bulb vegetables, brassica leafy vegetables, legume vegetables, grapes, tree nuts and citrus.

 Yates explained that “studies have shown that the addition of Tree Tea Oil to difenoconazole improved the efficacy of difenoconazole and its sensitivity against fungal isolates.” The bottom line is growers can now obtain excellent disease control from two modes of action, yet with only one residue.

 

 

It combines the benefits of a

E-commerce, R&D, Seeds

Brevant seeds will offer more than 200 corn hybrids and soybean varieties 

 

 

Corteva Agriscience announces the launch of Brevant seeds, a bold, high-performance corn and soybean brand available exclusively at retail locations in the Midwest and Eastern Corn Belt.

Brevant (pronounced brah-VAHNT′) is built on a century of agricultural experience, science and support from Corteva. The new brand will expand retail’s access to Corteva Agriscience genetics, traits and technology. Brevant brand seed will be available to order this summer for 2021 planting. Brevant seeds will offer more than 200 corn hybrids and soybean varieties. 

“Brevant brings a completely new and unique opportunity to retailers and their customers,” says Jason Dodd, general manager for Brevant. “It’s the right combination of people and products from an organization that truly cares about your individual success. Access to Corteva Agriscience’s genetics and deep germplasm pool through Brevant will be a great new advantage to retail customers.” 

Committed to Retailers and Their Customers

The launch of Brevant and the exclusive retail route-to-market in the Midwest and Eastern Corn Belt brings a new, agile way of doing business with Corteva. This includes a new field structure with sales and agronomy roles, and a sales process driven by Retail Development Teams.

 “We are introducing the Brevant brand for farmers who prefer the service and local expertise that retail brings to their farm,” says Mike Lozier, marketing leader for Brevant. “With Brevant, both retailers and farmers have the freedom to choose a new brand without compromising what’s most important to them. We’re committed to collaborating with farmers’ local retail teams to ensure their farm is always ready for what’s next.” 

New Brand, Proven Genetics

Brevant seeds may be new in the U.S. market but its performance is well documented in nearly 3 million head-to-head comparisons. Corn hybrids offered for 2021 planting in the Brevant brand average 7 bu/A more than the competition and Enlist E3 soybean varieties offered for 2021 planting in the Brevant brand average 1 bu/A more than the competition.

 Brevant brand corn and soybean portfolios will feature the latest trait technology solutions and a complete line of BMR silage corn, including its proprietary line of Unified corn silage and TMF hybrids backed by Brevant’s highly trained Silage Technology Managers. 

Brevant is dedicated to helping retail reach their seed growth potential and customers can expect a higher level of focus and support.

Brevant seeds will offer more than 200

AgroPolicy

State government has provided 40 vehicles to the Locust Warning Organization (LWO) for effective locust management

Rajasthan Agriculture Minister Lalchand Kataria has directed the officials of the Department of Agriculture to coordinate with the Locust Warning Organization (LWO) for effective locust management and control. He also asked the tenants to take full support for this. Kataria reviewed the status of locusts in the state through video conferencing with departmental officials. 

The Agriculture Minister said that timely management of the locust attack is necessary in order to save the crops. For this, the State Government is providing all possible resources. He also stated that the state government has provided 40 vehicles to the Locust Warning Organization. Approval to rent 600 tractors has also been issued. He informed that the Central Government has also been requested to provide additional resources.

 Kataria instructed the officials to carry out locust control by conducting an effective survey. He assured that enough pesticides are available. The locust should not be uncontrolled anywhere due to lack of vehicles, pesticides and other resources. The officials of the Department of Agriculture will coordination with the officials of the LWO to aid them, added the Minister.

 Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Omprakash said that the locust of Ganganagar, Barmer, Jodhpur, Nagaur and Ajmer are affected by the locusts. The departmental teams are surveying with full vigilance in order to control the spread of the swarms of locusts. 138 survey teams are engaged in the affected area. Insecticide spray is being done through 45 trains by the Locust Warning Organization.

State government has provided 40 vehicles to

Acts & Schemes – Centre, Foodgrains

REPF will comprise representatives from the rice industry, exporters, and officials from Apeda, Commerce & Agriculture ministry 

The centre has set up a new body – Rice Export Promotion Forum (REPF) to give further impetus to rice exports, under the aegis of the Agricultural and Processed Foods Export Promotion Development Authority (Apeda). India, the second largest producer of rice in the world and the only agri-commodity from India that maintained its competitiveness in the overseas market. 

As per reports, rice, both basmati and non-basmati variety, is the largest commodity in India’s agri export basket which shipments stood at $7.77 billion in 2018-19, with basmati exports at $4.72 billion and non-basmati at $3.05 billion. However, the final export figures for 2019-20 are yet to be released by Apeda.

Considering the importance of the export of rice, its inherent potentials and the multifarious issues, which are faced in the process, it is decided to constitute a Rice Export Promotion Forum,” said Apeda notification.

As per the reports of Business Line, the new body will comprise representatives from the rice industry, exporters, and officials from Apeda, Commerce Ministry, Agriculture Ministry and Directors of Agriculture from major rice-producing states such as West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

“The EPF will make concerted efforts to identify, document particulars and reach out to stakeholders across the entire production/ supply chain of export of rice for increasing these exports significantly to the global market, through various interventions,” the notification said. 

India, the second-largest producer of rice in the world, has been the largest exporter of the cereal after the shipments of the non-basmati were allowed from 2011.

India’s production has been going up steadily over the past several years. From around 96 million tonnes in 2010-11, rice production is seen touching a record 117.47 million tonnes in 2019-20, per Second Advance Estimates.

 

 

REPF will comprise representatives from the rice

E-commerce, Finance, Start ups

The company will be using the fresh funding to fuel its growth in international markets, specifically in the US and across Asia Pacific.  

 Agritech start up Intello Labs announced that it has raised US$5.9 million in a series A round led by early-stage investor Saama Capital, alongside Singapore’s Grow and SVG Ventures Thrive from the US. 

Existing backers Omnivore and Nexus Venture Partners also participated in this round, according to a statement.

Launched in 2016, Intello Labs uses AI and machine learning to automatically grade and analyze the quality of fresh produce. It seeks to increase transparency in the supply chain as well as reduce value risk and food waste.

Its mobile app Intello Track uses smartphone cameras to capture images of produce, and then objectively grades them based on color, size, and visual defects. It also offers systems such as Intello Sort, a machine that segregates fresh produce based on quality, and Intello Pack, which monitors their quality before they’re dispatched to customers. 

Milan Sharma, co-founder and CEO of Intello Labs, said the company will be using the fresh funding to fuel its growth in international markets, specifically in the US and across Asia Pacific.

 “There has been a significant spike in interest from these markets over the past few months, which was further accelerated by Covid-19, and now we have the firepower to go after these opportunities,” Sharma added. 

Based out of Gurgaon, India, Intello Labs currently has operations in Singapore, China, and the US. Some of its larger clients include Reliance Fresh, Dole, Ocean Spray, and a number of e-grocery companies in China and Southeast Asia.

 In April last year, the start-up raised US$2 million in seed funding from Nexus Venture Partners and Omnivore, which it then used to expand further in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia.

The company will be using the fresh

E-commerce, R&D, Seeds

CoAXium allows growers to produce more, higher quality wheat with less dockage and foreign matter. 

 

 

Not long ago, taking nine or more years to release a new wheat variety was considered standard practice. Breeders would cross two varieties and then spend years stabilizing the genetics and making selections. Now, with the help of new breeding techniques such as double haploid, genomic selection using molecular markers and rapid-cycle speed breeding, wheat breeding programs can turn out new varieties in six years or less. This improved efficiency has been a gradual change in the industry that, for the most part, has gone without much notice from farmers — with the exception of the CoAXium® Wheat Production System.

 In June of 2015, the Colorado Wheat Research Foundation (CWRF), Albaugh, LLC and Limagrain Cereal Seeds (LCS) joined forces to change the way farmers produce wheat and control winter annual grassy weeds. Together, they created a cost-effective production system that combines elite wheat varieties with a patented non-GMO herbicide-tolerance trait and a new post-emergent ACCase grass herbicide. CoAXium allows growers to produce more, higher quality wheat with less dockage and foreign matter.

 Breeding companies have been moving quickly to develop wheat varieties that work with the new production system ever since — at a speed never before seen in wheat genetics. A short five years after the CoAXium collaboration began, there have been 11 AX variety releases.

 Limagrain Cereal Seeds is one of the breeding programs leading the charge, with four CoAXium hard red winter wheats in its portfolio. All four varieties provide excellent grassy weed control, and each one offers additional distinct advantages for central plains farmers.

 The CoAXium Wheat Production System and U.S. breeders plan to continue advancing genetics while providing a cost-effective solution to yield-robbing grassy weeds. More CoAXium varieties are in the pipeline, including ones with well-known LCS Chrome in the pedigree, and the herbicide-resistant trait has been integrated into public and private breeding programs across the country.

CoAXium allows growers to produce more, higher

Dairy, E-commerce

MoooFarm bagged first prize for solving the Problem Statement-E-commerce Solutions and won a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh. 

For building innovative solutions to provide advisory services to the dairy farmers across the country, MoooFarm, an innovative agri-tech start-up bagged 1st prize for solving the Problem Statement-Ecommerce Solutions and won a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh. The prize was conferred by Start-up India along with the Department of Animal Husbandry, Government of India. There were 44 finalists in this category. Apart from the prize money; mentorship support, master classes and incubation support will also be provided to the winners. 

MoooFarm is an agri-tech company that combines extension and technology to provide last-mile advisory support to the farmers at the right time, hence saving the farmers and their cattle from issues arising out of delay in addressing them timely. Farmers can connect via voice/video call with a network of qualified and experienced veterinarians using MoooFarm’s mobile application, which is available on Play Store.

 This has been exceptionally beneficial during these times of COVID-19 lockdown as farmers are enquiring on cattle-health related problems and getting immediate advisory/solutions. To further support the farmers, MoooFarm also launched a toll-free number and has already provided more than 15,000 minutes of free on-call advisory to farmers.

 Start-up India along with the Department of Animal Husbandry, Government of India had announced the Animal Husbandry Start-up Grand challenge on Sep 2019. The challenge, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mathura on September 11, saw India’s most promising dairy start-ups participating in the challenge. 

As many as 157 entries were received and were scrutinised by Start-up India experts, AH Department experts and shortlisted finalists then presented to a jury of senior officials. 

“About 70 percent of calls are related to cattle health, disease and treatment which clearly tells that E-Vet is the need of the hour. MoooFarm plans to use the prize money to further build its emerging technologies in order to disrupt the dairy industry and bring in White Tech revolution in India,” said Param Singh, Founder, MoooFarm. 

MoooFarm is also creating a machine learning (ML) engine which would be able to give varied solution recommendations to farmers based on inputs pertaining to their cattle and dairy farm. 

MoooFarm also won an award from World Bank group in 2019 for their unique solution of ’Facial Recognition of cattle’ and is extensively working on this breakthrough technology. 

All these technologies will reach each and every small-holder farmer via MoooFarm’s mobile based application and its network of village level entrepreneurs (VLE) in a phased-out manner.

 

MoooFarm bagged first prize for solving the

E-commerce, Supply Chain

Under this partnership, Creamline Dairy, subsidiary of Godrej Agrovet, will deliver essential food items under their brand Godrej Jersey 

Godrej Agrovet Limited (GAVL), a diversified agribusiness company, has announced partnership with food delivery applications Zomato and Swiggy. This move comes as a response to ensure uninterrupted supply of essentials to customers amidst the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak. 

Under this partnership, Creamline Dairy, subsidiary of Godrej Agrovet, will deliver essential food items under their brand Godrej Jersey which includes – milk, ghee, curd, paneer and buttermilk.

 While these products were already available on e-commerce sites such as Big Basket and Flipkart, consumers in Hyderabad, Chennai and Visakhapatnam can now place their orders for Jersey products through Zomato and Swiggy that are connected to the nearby retail points. 

Delivery through these applications is operational in Chennai and Visakhapatnam.Their services in Hyderabad will commence once the restriction on food delivery through Swiggy and Zomato is lifted in Telangana. These applications enable quicker delivery anytime during the day. 

Similarly, to meet the growing demand for frozen snacks, Godrej Tyson Foods Limited too has partnered with Swiggy in Mumbai, Kolkata and Guwahati to deliver a wide range of frozen snacking products including nuggets, patties, kebabs, tikkas and cold-cuts under the brand Godrej Yummiez. 

The company has come up with a housing society delivery model in Mumbai to deliver products under their brands, Real Good Chicken and Godrej Yummiez. These services will enable consumers to fulfil their protein needs while staying safe at home. 

Balram Singh Yadav, MD, Godrej Agrovet Limited, said, “Our arrangements with Swiggy and Zomato will enable consumers to stay safe at home and include proteins effortlessly in their daily diet.”

“At Godrej Agrovet, we have always put our consumers, at the heart of everything we do. Our brands Godrej Yummiez, Real Good Chicken and Godrej Jersey provide a wide range of products and these arrangements will enable all of us to emerge stronger,” he added.

Creamline Dairy has also undertaken an initiative that will enable housing societies to directly order essential food items, under its brand Jersey. 

The brand has also launched a store finder to locate 250-plus Jersey parlours that are spread across Hyderabad, Warangal, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Vijayawada, Vizag, Guntur, Chennai, Bangalore and rest of Andhra Pradesh and TamilNadu.

In addition, delivery of assorted pre-packed dairy products such as paneer, ghee and curd is also being made available through Jersey parlours.

Under this partnership, Creamline Dairy, subsidiary of

E-commerce

STEYR, the premium short-liner agricultural brand of CNHI won award in the Concept Design category.  

 

 

STEYR, the premium short-liner agricultural brand of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI / MI: CNHI), has received the prestigious Platinum Award in the 2020 MUSE Design Awards Competition in the Concept Design category. Conferred by a jury composed of renowned international design professionals and leading industry specialists, the STEYR Konzept succeeded in a field of some 3,000 entrants. The MUSE Creative and MUSE Design Awards, established by the International Awards Associate Inc., recognize the achievements of design professionals from around the world hailing from a range of disciplines.

 Combining innovative technologies in a unique, sustainable and potentially zero emission package, STEYR, in partnership with sister powertrain brand FPT Industrial, created the STEYR Konzept, which encapsulates a future vision for agricultural machinery. 

Conceived by CNH Industrial’s Design Centre, the concept is characterized by a completely fresh design approach and is a distinct departure from conventional tractor design. Every element is functional yet stylish, and the fluid design lines convey a technologically advanced approach. Key STEYR styling cues have been integrated and reinterpreted with a futuristic slant, such as the traditional external white cab structure and the inclusion of an asymmetrical grille. The cab’s minimalist design language is complemented by advanced display projection technology. Key operating parameters are projected onto the front transparent screens to enhance overall operator visibility and access to at-a-glance information. This customer centric design is focused on reducing operator fatigue and improving overall productivity.

 The STEYR Konzept’s technology is as groundbreaking as its design. Featuring innovative architecture developed by FPT Industrial, the global powertrain brand of CNH Industrial, the tractor employs a serial hybrid approach whereby the diesel engine, a compact 4.5-liter 4-cylinder unit, works at optimal speed as an energy generator, charging batteries. The engine is disconnected from the wheels, and traction is provided by four independent electric motors directly installed in the wheel hubs. Depending on the application, the concept can achieve a 10% fuel saving versus pure diesel. 

This study is an important investigation into the future of tractor design, that blends a unique combination of technologies and functionality into an environmentally friendly, efficient and fully functional machine.

STEYR, the premium short-liner agricultural brand of

Acts & Schemes – Centre, E-commerce

Integration of APMC mandis with e-NAM will strengthen and facilitate farmers to sell their harvested produce through the online portal 

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday launched integration of 117 additional wholesale mandis with the electronic National Agriculture Market (eNAM) platform, taking the total number of online mandis to 962 across the country. 

The additional mandis integrated with eNAM platform include Gujarat (17), Haryana (26), J&K (1), Kerala (5), Maharashtra (54), Odisha (15), Punjab (17), Rajasthan (25), Tamil Nadu (13) and West Bengal (1), an official statement said.

 Right now, farmers auction their agriculture produce at 6,900-odd APMC (Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees) mandis spread across the nation. Some agriculturists are also using online bidding through e-NAM platform. 

Launching the new mandis through video conferencing, Tomar said efforts should be made to strengthen eNAM further to benefit the farmers.Integration of APMC mandis with eNAM will strengthen and facilitate farmers to sell their harvested produce through the online portal, he said. 

The target is to integrate 1,000 mandis before May 15. More mandis are being integrated in the current COVID-19 situation as the e-NAM platform provides a distant bidding facility for wholesale produce in APMC mandis without physical presence of buyer/trader near the auction site for bidding.

The electronic platform also provides an e-payment facility through which traders can pay farmers after the trade is executed from anywhere, be it home or office, without going to banks, thus avoiding crowd. 

To decongest mandis during COVID-19 lockdown situation, the government has launched new features on the eNAM platform, enabling direct trading from warehouses as well as collection centres of farmers’ producers’ organisations (FPOs), besides logistics support. 

According to the ministry, as many as 1.66 crore farmers, 1.30 lakh traders and 71,911 commission agents are using e-NAM platform. 

Commodities, worth over Rs 1 lakh crore, have been traded on the e-NAM as on May 9 this year. The volumes of trade stood at 3.43 crore tonnes and 37.93 lakh bamboo and coconuts. 

That apart, digital payments worth Rs 708 crore were made through the eNAM platform, benefitting more than 1.25 lakh farmers. 

A total of 236 mandis participated in inter-mandi trade across 12 states, whereas 13 states/UTs have participated in the trade, allowing farmers to interact directly with distantly located traders. 

At present, 150 commodities, including foodgrains, oilseeds, fibers, vegetables and fruits, are being traded on eNAM. More than 1,005 FPOs have been registered on eNAM platform and have traded 2,900 tonnes of agri-produce worth Rs 7.92 crores.

Integration of APMC mandis with e-NAM will