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The merger brings together two highly complementary businesses, creating an innovation engine for Indian agriculture

The National Company Law Tribunal has approved the merger of Monsanto India Limited into Bayer CropScience Limited. After the merger, Monsanto products will retain their brand names and become a part of Bayer’s product portfolio.

This integration brings together two highly complementary businesses, creating an innovation engine for Indian agriculture. Farmers in India will benefit from Bayer’s innovative crop protection products and Monsanto’s expertise in seeds & traits and digital farming applications. Farmers will also benefit from a strong portfolio of innovation-led agricultural solutions and digital farming applications. 

Speaking about this strategic milestone for Bayer’s business in India, D. Narain, Managing Director & CEO, Bayer CropScience Limited, said, “Bayer has been operating in India for more than 120 years and understands the needs and aspirations of Indian farmers. With the integration of Monsanto into Bayer in India, we will be able to provide Indian farmers a strong portfolio of innovation-led agricultural solutions. Our long-term goal is to unlock the growth potential of Indian agriculture as a global producer & exporter of food, feed and fibre.”

The combination will bring together a vast talent pool of experienced employees from both organizations who will work closely with farmers to enhance crop yields, increase farm incomes and drive sustainable agriculture. Besides business operations, Bayer will also strengthen its corporate societal engagement in India further. “We are committed to deepen our dialogue with society and key stakeholders and contribute to the future of Indian agriculture while benefitting farmers, consumers and the environment,” added D Narain.

Upon the merger becoming effective, the shareholders of Monsanto India Limited will get 2 (two) equity shares of Rs.10/- each of Bayer CropScience Limited, for every 3 (three) equity shares held by them in Monsanto India Limited.

The merger brings together two highly complementary

Agrotech

Agricultural biotech company continues to expand its portfolio with unwavering support from investors

Agri-biotechnology company Front Range Biosciences announced that it has completed an $8.5 million Insider Round with participation from key investors including Militello Capital, Welcan Capital, AFI Capital, Phyto Partners, Harvard Business School Alumni Angels of New York, New York Angels, Sand Hill Angels XVI, LLC, Arcadian Capital Management, Halley Venture Partners LP and Salveo Capital, as well as other returning investors.

The round was oversubscribed with tremendous support from existing investors, highlighting the company’s growth trajectory from those who know FRB best. The Insider Round increases FRB’s pace of expansion for its Clean Stock® program, breeding program and intellectual property portfolio.

Vikas Desai, Founder and Partner at Welcan Capital said, “FRB is not just keeping up with the industry, it’s defining it. The ability to execute on their exponential growth plan, while developing innovative products to meet thriving market demand, proves FRB is an industry pace-setter and in position to remain the leader amongst the competition.”

Jon Vaught, CEO and Co-Founder of Front Range Biosciences said, “The continued global advancement of cannabis legalization is creating an opportunity for unprecedented growth and innovation in agriculture. The introduction of cannabis to the agricultural market as a new crop with medical, nutritional and industrial applications presents a unique opportunity for us to use modern biotechnology to provide sustainable solutions for farmers around the world.”

With the explosive growth of both the hemp and cannabis industries, the biotech race to provide high-quality genetics is in full swing. Supply for reliable, clean cannabis plants leveraging tissue culture technology is still less than 1% of total demand. FRB is driving the advancement of hemp and cannabis agriculture with its innovative varietal development platform and Clean Stock program that provides growers with best in class solutions for this exciting new crop. The Insider Round enables FRB to expand its lead over new entrants in the space, propelled by data-driven innovation and an unparalleled team of deeply experienced experts. By expanding hemp seed production both nationally and globally, alongside its young plant program, FRB’s production capabilities will multiply in 2020.

Bill Militello, Founder of Militello Capital said, “The management team at FRB continues to grow and accumulate decades of expertise in the agricultural and biotech sectors. With the acquisition of the Steep Hill genomics R&D team, FRB expands its leadership position and provides unparalleled benefits to the industry.”

Chi-Chien Hou, Managing Director at AFI Capital Partners said, “FRB continues to build on its position as the leader in agricultural biotech for the hemp and cannabis industries. The combination of FRB’s robust breeding program and their scaled tissue culture propagation results in tangible benefits for its customers by generating rigorous plants with higher yields and more selective expression.”

In conjunction with renowned research facilities such as CRAG and UC Davis, FRB’s expanded R&D program is commercializing valuable, unique traits such as disease resistance and yield.

Agricultural biotech company continues to expand its

Agrotech

The agreement will involve cooperation in field testing of hybrids of both Origin and INOVA in each other’s geographic regions

Origin Agritech, an agriculture technology and rural e-commerce company has announced that the Company has entered into a collaboration agreement with Inova Genética Ltda (INOVA), a member of the Wehrmann Group, from Cristalina-GO, Brazil.

The agreement will involve cooperation in field testing of hybrids of both Origin and INOVA in each other’s geographic regions. INOVA will also cooperate with Origin to evaluate corn seed biotechnology traits for application in South American markets. In addition, Origin and INOVA will explore commercial opportunities between the two companies, especially in corn seed breeding, production and distribution in South America.

INOVA is headquartered in Cristalina-GO, Brazil, and focuses on the plant breeding business. INOVA is a member of the Wehrmann Group, which is an active participant of the seed industry and a leading company in vegetable production in Brazil.

Dr. Gengchen Han, Origin’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said, “Wehrmann, which also owns Dois Marcos seed company, is an important seed industry player in Brazil and has many years of experience in both the soybean and corn seed businesses in Brazil. Our cooperation with INOVA will expand our geographic access for both our breeding technologies and our biotech traits.”

Dr. Verni Wehrmann, Chairman of the Wehrmann Group said, “It’s a great pleasure to visit Origin’s facilities in Beijing, and we are impressed by Origin’s biotech research and their breeding programs. We look forward to an in depth cooperation with Origin both on the biotech front and in conventional corn seed breeding programs.”

Origin Agritech Limited, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Zhong-Guan-Cun (ZGC) Life Science Park in Beijing, is China’s agricultural technology and a rural social e-commerce company, expanding in mid-2018 from crop seed breeding and genetic improvement business to be the technology developer in new rural e-commerce platform and Blockchain technologies.

 

The agreement will involve cooperation in field

Foodgrains

Special recognition as the Outstanding Forage Hybrid 2019 for revolutionizing forage sorghum production in India

A new sorghum hybrid developed using ICRISAT breeding material was recently given special recognition as the Outstanding Forage Hybrid 2019 for revolutionizing forage sorghum production in India.

This is significant considering that currently, India – the world’s leading milk-producing country – has a major deficit of 35% for green fodder. Known for its excellent yield and quality traits, the sorghum hybrid CSH 24 MF is not only widely adopted by farmers across the country, but also used as the national check – the gold standard against which other cultivars are tested – in national level tests for other forage sorghum hybrids. As of today, it occupies almost a third of the total area under forage sorghum in the country.

Up to 70% of milk production costs are livestock feed. Therefore, it is critical to develop economical yet nutritious sources of feed. Dual-purpose or fodder crops are among the least expensive sources of nutrients for livestock. However, against the annual forage requirement of 1325.7 million tons (816.8 and 508.9 million tons of green and dry fodder respectively) to support existing livestock population, the total annual forage production is 978.7 million tons (525.5 and 453.2 million tons green and dry fodder respectively). Currently, there is a net deficit of 35.6% for green fodder, 10.95% for dry crop residues and 44% for concentrate feed ingredients.

The ‘multi-cut’ (affording several cuttings over its lifetime) forage hybrid CSH 24 MF was developed by GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology (GBPUA&T), Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India, using its Pant Chari-6 as the male parent, and ICRISAT-bred ICSA 467 as the female parent. It was identified and released in 2009, and after extensive testing across the country, the hybrid has steadily gained popularity among farmers across the nation.

Moreover, it is used as the national check in All India Coordinated Sorghum Improvement Project (AICSIP) tests for pre-release evaluation of all new forage sorghum hybrids. Recently, the hybrid was given ‘Special Recognition’ as landmark cultivar for its excellent yield, quality and adaptability, which has led to its wide acceptance by sorghum farmers in India.

As the contributor of the vital female parent, ICRISAT has played a key role in this partnership – one of the most successful examples of collaborative research for development in CGIAR.

The demand for this hybrid is so high that the ICAR – Indian Institute of Millets Research grants licences to 10-12 seed companies each year to produce the seeds; part of the licence fee is shared with ICRISAT due to its contribution of the female parent.

This work is done as part of CRP on Grain Legumes and Dryland Cereals (GLDC).

Special recognition as the Outstanding Forage Hybrid

Logistics

Partnership increases scale, improves customer service, supports sustainable shipping and boosts earnings for partners

Cargill and Maersk Tankers announce a strategic partnership that will improve flexibility for customers and reduce fuel consumption and emissions, whilst having a positive impact on time-charter-equivalent earnings for partners. Cargill will enter its MR fleet into the existing Maersk Tankers MR pool, creating a new joint pool that will significantly increase the scope of their Medium Range (MR) spot tanker business, combining Maersk Tankers’ digital expertise with Cargill’s experience in trading.

The pool will be managed by Maersk Tankers, with members of Cargill’s tankers team joining to provide support on a full-time basis. The new team will be located across Copenhagen, Singapore and Houston and will cover all daily commercial and operational tasks.

The agreement does not include derivatives or MR tankers for period employment, which will be handled by Cargill and Maersk Tankers independently.

Maersk Tankers currently operates 44 vessels for 10 partners in its existing MR pool. Cargill will add its fleet of up to 20 vessels, increasing the total number of vessels to more than 60, making the new pool one of the market leaders in the MR segment.

Claus Gronborg, chief commercial officer at Maersk Tankers, said, “We are excited to partner with Cargill, a key industry player. The new set-up will substantially increase the scale of the pool and give us more flexibility to offer a better service to our customers.”

Digitalization and a shared passion for safety and sustainability

The joint pool will enable vessels to get exposure to the spot market, while benefiting from Maersk Tankers’ unique digitalized approach to trading. The company uses algorithmic trading to position vessels to improve customer service and optimize earnings for partners.

“Our teams share a passion for safety and sustainability and combine complementary skills. This partnership will bring a progressive approach to our customers, notably increased digitalization and sustainable shipping,” said Olivier Josse, global head of tankers, Cargill Ocean Transportation.

Both Cargill and Maersk Tankers are fully committed to reducing emissions and strive to play a leading role in moving the shipping industry towards a more sustainable future. The new joint pool will harness their combined expertise in fuel optimization, reducing bunker consumption and CO2 emissions.

Cargill’s vessels will enter the pool from 1 October 2019. Both companies intend to attract additional vessels from other shipowners and further increase the pool’s capacity over time.

Partnership increases scale, improves customer service, supports

Dairy

Arla will contribute with experience from its pan-European supply chain and its cooperative farmer culture to deliver commercial success with the farmers in Nigeria

In a new public-private partnership in Nigeria, farmer-owned Arla Foods is committing to further development of a long-term sustainable dairy industry and local dairy sector in Nigeria by helping 1,000 small scale farmers create better livelihoods while strengthening its business in the country.

Already active in existing development projects within the Nigerian dairy industry, Arla is now engaging further by signing a new Memorandum of Understanding with Kaduna State and the Nigerian government. While the State and the Government will offer 1,000 nomadic dairy farmers permanent farm lands with access to water, Arla will be the commercial partner that will purchase, collect, process and bring the local milk to market.

The new public-private partnership entered into by Arla is the first of its size in Nigeria and is part of Arla’s business strategy to meet consumer demand in Nigeria through a balance between development of the local dairy sector and imported milk and dairy products.

“With demand for nutritional dairy products increasing amongst Nigeria’s fast-growing population, there is a clear opportunity and need to support the development of the local dairy industry to help meet this demand. As a company with a history of successful collaboration on local dairy development projects and a long-term commitment to our Nigerian consumers, customers and partners, we are delighted about this new partnership, because it will make a real difference in many farmers’ businesses and lives,” says Tim Ørting Jørgensen, Executive Vice President and Head of Arla Foods International.

Public and private investments pave the way
Kaduna State and the Nigerian Government are committing to improve the structural conditions for the nomadic farmers. Instead of continuously moving in search of grazing areas and water, land will be set up for the farmers to permanently base themselves and have opportunities to expand their farms. Securing the infrastructure such as roads, power and water, which are necessary to process and bring the milk to market, is also part of the public commitment.

The project will primarily be funded by loans provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria and guaranteed by the local state. As the commercial partner, Arla will invest in establishing milk collection centres. These will be pivotal to Arla’s role as a processor of the milk produced by the farmers.

Scaling up a successful approach
Arla’s commitment to this new public-private partnership in Nigeria builds on the success of a collaboration initiated in 2016 with not only Kaduna Sate and the Nigerian Government, but also the NGO Care, the Danish Agricultural and Food Council, the local cooperative MILCOPAL and the Nigerian pastoralist organisation Coret.

Supported by Danida, that partnership works on a five-year project called the Milky Way Partnership Nigeria to develop a socially, environmentally and economically sustainable dairy value chain. The partnership and project have demonstrated a viable scalable business model that has created both an increase in income and job opportunities for local farmers and employees in the dairy sector.

At Amana Dairy Cooperative in the outskirts of Kaduna, the farmers see the benefits of being part of the Milky Way Partnership Nigeria. They now have steady access to water and a milking parlour has been installed to ensure that the milk is cooled down immediately after milking to preserve quality.

“Previously, the cows were drinking from the ponds. Now, they have fresh water and are well-fed. You can tell from their skin that they look healthy. We are very happy, and we are already starting to see the results,” says Alhaji Sani Aliyu, one of the dairy farmers at Amana Dairy Cooperative.

Being built to last
The Nigerian dairy industry is currently able to supply less than 10 per cent of the country’s current demand for dairy products, a gap that is increasing exponentially as the population grows over the next decades.

Most Nigerian dairy farmers are small scale and most milk collection consists of milking the cows by hand into small open bowls or buckets. If the milk is not consumed in the farmer’s own household, it usually doesn’t travel farther than to the nearest town market. Preventing the milk from spoiling in the heat is a big challenge.

Arla will contribute with experience from its pan-European supply chain and its cooperative farmer culture to deliver commercial success with the farmers in Nigeria.

“Bringing local milk into our product portfolio is part of the way we believe that our business will be long-term successful in Nigeria. We will only succeed in growing local farmers’ incomes, Nigeria’s dairy sector and achieving Arla’s ambitions in West Africa if the project and its activities are commercially viable. This is a great example of business and development going hand in hand to ensure long-term sustainable solutions that are built to last,” says Tim Ørting Jørgensen.

Facts about the project

  • Total investment: The project will primarily be funded by loans that are provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria and guaranteed by the local state. Arla will invest in milk collection centres.
  • Number of farmers: 1,000
  • Partners in the new public-private partnership: Arla Foods, Kaduna State and the Nigerian Government.
  • Partners in Milky Way Partnership Nigeria: Kaduna State and the Nigerian Government, Arla Foods, NGO Care, the Danish Agricultural and Food Council, the Nigerian cooperative MILCOPAL and the Nigerian pastoralist organisation Coret.
  • The Milky Way Partnership Nigeria is supported by Danida and The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Arla will contribute with experience from its

Schemes - Govt, Water

The initiative to help over 1000 families, farmers and horticulture communities in the region

Herbalife Nutrition, the global leader in nutrition, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Maharashtra to strengthen and develop the water resources in Chandrapur district for the benefit of it’s agricultural, husbandry and horticultural communities. Shri Sudhir Mungantiwar, Minister of Finance & Planning, Forests, Govt of Maharashtra was present for signing of the MoU. 

The nutrition powerhouse is in the 20th year of its business in India and has constantly endeavoured to contribute actively to the communities it is present in. The company’s ethos of making the world a healthier and happier place for all, is evident in the initiatives it passionately undertakes. The company has committed Rs. 1.3 crores to create the rural and agrarian outreach, which will improve the water holding and availability capacity of seven talabs impacting more than 1000+ families in Chandrapur district. 

Maharashtra has been grappling with sever water shortage in the last few years. The worst affected are the rural areas where livelihoods depend on availability of water for irrigation and horticulture. The government of Maharashtra initiated the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan in January 2016 to provide long-term and sustainable solutions to the water scarcity problem faced by rural communities.

Speaking on the occasion, Ajay Khanna, Vice President and Country Head, Herbalife Nutrition, India, said, “We are proud to support our Honourable Prime Minister’s Krishi Sinchai Yojana and the Government of Maharashtra’s water conservation efforts through this CSR initiative in the Chandrapur region. Agriculture is at the core of our nation’s development and we are committed to the welfare and development of this critical sector as well as its sub sectors. Herbalife Nutrition’s ethos is to Build it Better for all the communities it operates in and we look forward the opportunity to dedicate our capabilities towards nation building.” 

Shri Sudhir Mungantiwar, Minister of Finance & Planning, Forests, Govt of Maharashtra said, “For the rejuvenation of 8 Maji Malgujari ponds in Chandrapur district, CSR funds of Rs. 1.30 crore have been provided by Herbalife Nutrition. I thank them for their contribution. This project will be a boon for the agriculturists, horticulturists and people involved in animal husbandry who depend on ponds for their livelihood.”

The initiative to help over 1000 families,

Agro Universities, Water

Water Conservation & “More Crop Per Drop” is possible through Micro Irrigation: Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra

ICAR recently organized a press conference on “Scientific Agricultural Water Management: A pressing need for food safety” at the National Agricultural Science Centre Complex, New Delhi addressed by Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & DG (ICAR).

The Director General stated that this initiative will provide us a platform to disseminate the important policies, schemes and the latest technological advancements in agricultural arena to a large number of farmers at a time. Providing the data of continuous decrease in the water level since the Year – 1951 to 2014, he expressed his concerns about the major water related problems that we are on the verge to face in the near future.

Dr. Mohapatra stated about the utilization of approximately 85% of the current water use by the agriculture sector. He expressed his concerns about the exploitation of 70% of underground water for the fresh irrigation practices. This, in turn, has led the water level to decrease considerably. The growing gap between the Irrigation Potential Created (IPC) and Irrigation Potential Utilized (IPU) along with the uneven distribution of water over the canal system’s length has been one of the major challenges among the irrigation sector in the country. The low irrigation efficiency (35-40%), inequity in water distribution, mismatch between the irrigation water supply and crop water demand, tail enders deprivation, irrigation induced salinity and water-logging are some of the major challenges that are being faced in the canal commands.

The Director General emphasized on adopting the water storage and conservation practices by the farming sector in order to deal promptly with the situations of various challenges being posed to the ecosystem in the wake of climate change, drought and floods, etc. He stressed on the several approaches for improving the water-use efficiency or enhancing the agricultural water productivity like replacing the high water consuming crops with low water consuming ones, breeding water-use efficient crop varieties and adopting sustainable irrigation management encompassing the smart, precision technologies for irrigation and farming practices.

Dr. Mohapatra stated that the water conservation & “More Crop Per Drop” is possible through Micro Irrigation. He also urged to be less dependent on underground water and stressed on the importance of the storage and conservation of waste water.

Citing about the inception of the Government of India’s “Jal Shakti Abhiyan” from 1st July, 2019, Dr. Mohapatra stated about the Council’s initiatives to organize various training sessions, Melas and workshops under the aegis of Krishi Vigyan Kendras for making the farmers aware about the importance of selecting the proper irrigation and varieties of crops. He also highlighted about organizing a total of 500 Kisan Melas for the purpose.

He emphasized on the ICAR’s contribution in the preparation of the State Specific Action Plan (SSAP) in the water sector for the scientific assessment of the supply and demand side of water resources and vulnerability to the climate change under the National Water Mission. He emphasized that this will help in formulating the Annual State/UT Water Budgets and hence, in allocation and efficient utilization of available water resources.

Dr. Mohapatra also highlighted the various technologies developed by the ICAR for water storage and conservation.

 

 

Water Conservation & “More Crop Per Drop”

Agro chems – Fertilizers

Nanotechnology is the frontier area of R&D and its application in agriculture will help to double the farmers’ income

The ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT), Mumbai and Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the “Development of Nano-formulations for fertilizer Applications”.

Chhabilendra Roul, I.A.S., Secretary (Fertilizers), Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India said that the collaboration between the two elite Institutions will lead to increase in the crop yield using the less quantity of fertilizers. This initiative will revolutionize the agricultural scenario. He stated that the Nanotechnology is the frontier area of R&D and its application in agriculture will help to double the farmers’ income.

Dr. P.G. Patil, Director, ICAR-CIRCOT and U.V. Dhatrak, CMD, RCF signed the MoU on the behalf of their respective organizations.

Dr. P.G. Patil highlighted the benefits of using nano-zinc oxide in the fertilizer formulation. He emphasized that this technology will be transferred to the RCF for commercialization. He highlighted about the different nanotechnology R&D activities that are being carried out. Dr. Patil also outlined the establishment of nation’s first nano-cellulose pilot plant at ICAR-CIRCOT, Mumbai.

U.V. Dhatrak stated about the benefits both the organizations will get from such collaboration. He mentioned that the new fertilizer formulations will be brought in the market for improving the crop yield.

Nanotechnology is the frontier area of R&D

Agrotech

The ag-tech solution from Israel with proven track record in advanced agriculture markets, now will be launched in India and help farmers improve their water use efficiency

Rivulis Irrigation India has announced the launch of “Manna”, a satellite-based software solution to help growers use Rivulis technology efficiently and improve their irrigation and water management. Water management and water conservation bundled with cost of operation have been serious concerns for the Indian farmers.

“How much to irrigate” and “when to irrigate” is the challenge faced by every farmer daily. Manna has been successfully providing site-specific irrigation solutions across advanced agrarian markets of USA, Mexico, Europe, Australia and Brazil, and is now being launched in India to help farmers improve their irrigation and water management efficiencies.

Kaushal Jaiswal, MD RIVULIS INDIA said, “Water is becoming a very precious resource for India and all efforts are going on to increase efficient utilization of every drop of water and increase Water Use Efficiency. Indian farmers are mainly dependent on gut feel when it comes to irrigating their crops. This usually leads to over-irrigation or under irrigation and irrigation-led losses. Till now there has not been a scientific approach towards irrigation and there has been skepticism towards requirement of right amount of water and exact time of irrigation. Manna will help the farmers by accurately forecasting their irrigation requirements and help them reduce irrigation losses, save cost and improve yield.”

To address the issue of “Precise Irrigation”, Rivulis has launched an innovative Manna Irrigation Intelligence Software. Farmers in India who used this software have received excellent results of better yields (quantity and quality) and have given excellent reviews.       

Manna Irrigation Software leverages three types of data—

  • Multi-spectral satellite imagery
  • Hyper-local, virtual-station weather service
  • Crop models (For crop phenology stages)

Using the above three, Manna Irrigation Software provides growers with the following functionality:

  • Crop and site-specific Irrigation Recommendations i.e. the amount of water to be applied for that week;
  • Historical, current and forecasted weather conditions at the field level, on a daily basis which includes: Maximum & Minimum Temperature, Rainfall, ETO – Reference Evapotranspiration and more, as well as extreme weather alerts delivered to their phones;
  • Real time Crop Monitoring Maps /Tools on weekly basis based on Satellite Images which include

For Indian farmers this software is available in mobile App (Both Android and IOS) and web based application is also available. RIVULIS intends to price the app subscription very affordably, so the maximum number of farmers can take advantage of this state-of-the-art technology.

Sudhir Mehta, Director Rivulis India and Israel said, “Agriculture is one sector that has witnessed least innovation and availability of new-age technology. Despite our nation being known as a large agrarian country in the world, we have not been able to attract investment in the sector. Most Indian farmers, due to limitation of land size, have not been adopting and investing in technology and rely majorly on their gutfeel, especially in areas of irrigation and water management. Manna will help the farmers reduce their water and power losses accruing due to over-irrigation and help them improve their yields, thereby resulting in better water efficiency and profitability. The web and mobile based application is available in both IoS as well as Andriod platforms and to ensure that this solution benefits maximum farmers, we have also made SMS facility available for those farmers who are using feature phones.”

“The Company has already approached the Union Ministry of Agriculture and we are eager to collaborate with various State Governments to assist them in monitoring of water usage and conservation. Rivulis and Manna are committed to improving water management and profitability for the farmers and believe that this is an effective step towards the Government’s vision of More Crop Per Drop and Doubling Farmers Income”, he added.

Currently, RIVULIS will focus on markets of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, UP and parts of Tamil Nadu, before extending its reach in other leading agrarian markets of the country. It will initially focus on crops like cotton/sugarcane/ pomegranate/grapes and tomatoes and will further expand its crop portfolio to other crops in coming months.

 

The ag-tech solution from Israel with proven

Agro Universities

There is a serious problem of managing paddy straw in the states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

Fortum India, a Finnish clean energy company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar with the objective to establish collaboration in research about paddy and paddy straw.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Prof. K.P. Singh, Vice Chancellor, CCS Haryana Agricultural University by Sanjay Aggarwal, Managing Director, Fortum India Pvt Ltd. and Dr. S.K. Sehrawat, Director of Research, CCS Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar.

Prof. K.P. Singh, Vice Chancellor, HAU, while expressing his thoughts over the MoU, said, “This will give more thrust to the university’s crop residue management program. The university is striving not only for the proper management of crop residues but also for the fair value of everything coming out of the farm.”

“At the university, we are establishing an Innovation Centre for Agri waste Management (ICAWM). ICAWM aims to identify, synergistically develop and propagate circular economy based innovative technologies for conversion of crop residue into eco- friendly, technically efficient and economically viable Bio-waste value added products. We hope together we can find holistic solutions which will help in uplifting the farmer’s lives.” he added.

There is a serious problem of managing paddy straw in the states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Some farmers burn crop residues and destroy them, causing environmental pollution. To protect the environment and to provide simple and economical options for the farmers to manage paddy straw, Haryana Agricultural University is working seriously under the guidance of Prof. K.P. Singh.

Commenting on the same, Sanjay Aggarwal said, “We are proud to collaborate with Haryana Agricultural University, one of the leading universities of the country to solve the problem of paddy straw in Haryana. Burning of crop residues on a large scale in the fields emits greenhouse gas which has huge side effects on the environment. In three states in the Delhi region, 50 million tonnes of agrobiomass is burned every year. We intend to convert this agricultural waste into valuable products, provide solutions to reduce pollution, which will help local communities to become self-sufficient and raise their standard of living.”

“We will work with the university to make textile fiber from paddy straw, as well as other valuable chemicals which are used in many industries, to make bioplastics and to establish bio refinery in the future”, he further added.

Faizur Rahman, Head, Bio2X & Legal, Fortum India Private Limited, said, “Fortum has established a joint venture together with Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) for building and operating a biorefinery in Assam, India with an investment of INR 1260 crore wherein, bioethanol, furfural, acidic acid and electricity are produced from Bamboo.”

On this occasion, the Registrar, OSD, Directors, officers and all the founders of the university were also present.

There is a serious problem of managing

AgroPolicy

Parshottam Rupala appreciates farmers for adopting crop residue management technologies

Thanking the farmers for bringing down the Stubble burning incidents, Parshottam Rupala Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare requested further support and ideas from the farmers to ensure zero burning in all the villages. Inaugurating the National Conference on Crop Residue Management for the farmers from the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh & Delhi the Minister said that success stories from these States should be shared with all farmers.

The Minister expressed his immense pleasure after listening to the good experiences shared by farmers and requested them to sensitize other farmers about learning from the Conference. Several farmers shared experiences and suggestions during the Conference, more than 1000 farmers attended from the 4 states.

Earlier, to support the efforts of the Governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi to address air pollution and to subsidize machinery required for in-situ management of crop residue through agriculture mechanization, a Central Sector Scheme for the period 2018-19 to 2019-20 has been implemented by Ministry in these States with a total outgo of Central funds Rs.1151.80 crores.

During the year 2018-19, total funds of Rs. 584.33 crores were released to the State Governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and ICAR. All three State Governments have distributed 32,570 machines to the farmers on individual ownership basis and established 7,960 Custom Hiring Centres.

This conference was organized in collaboration with ICAR in order to address concerns of farmers and State Governments. The straw burning events in 2018 have reduced by 15% and 41% as compared to that in 2017 and 2016 respectively, as per the report of the High Power Committee Chaired by Dr. Nagesh Singh.

During the Conference, 20 farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh were honoured for their valuable contribution in management of crop residue by using identified agricultural machinery, as well motivating other farmers of their village for in-situ management of crop residue to stop the straw burning. The Minister also launched a multilingual Mobile App “CHC Farm Machinery” for the farmers to avail the custom hiring services of CHCs located in the radius of 50 Kms. This app connects the farmers with Custom Hiring Service Centres in their area. This app can be downloaded on any android phone from Google Play Store.

Parshottam Rupala appreciates farmers for adopting crop

Agrotech

The funds raised will enable Terramera to scale its technology and transform agriculture while positively impacting the environment and the well-being of people worldwide

Terramera®, an emerging cleantech leader with revolutionary technologies to transform how we grow food, has raised US$45 million in equity funding to advance its Actigate™ Targeted Performance technology. The close of this Series B round was led by new investor Ospraie Ag Science and previous investor Seed2Growth (“S2G”) Ventures.

The funds raised will enable Terramera to scale its technology and transform agriculture while positively impacting the environment and the well-being of people worldwide. Additionally, the company announced the appointment of accomplished executive Jeff Booth as Board Chair and Ospraie Ag Science lead investor and Ag industry veteran Carl Casale to its Board of Directors.

“We are on the path to reduce global synthetic chemical loads in agriculture by 80% by 2030 with Actigate,” said Karn Manhas, Terramera Founder and CEO. “We are grateful for the support of Ospraie Ag Science and S2G Ventures, as they will be instrumental to fulfilling our mission of using technology to unlock the intelligence in nature, ensuring an earth that thrives and provides for everyone.”

Terramera’s Actigate technology significantly improves the performance of active ingredients used in crop protection products, dramatically reducing the amount required. Actigate improves performance of both natural and conventional active ingredients. The result is higher-performing organic biopesticides and less synthetic chemicals in farming. This lowers costs across the system, improves farm productivity and profitability, reduces waste and minimizes environmental impact.

“Terramera has the people, purpose and now the capital in place to transform the industry as a whole and truly impact the world,” said Carl Casale of Ospraie Ag Science. “Terramera’s Actigate platform shifts the paradigm, making biopesticides more effective and competitive. There is also a huge opportunity to create value and reinvent conventional inputs to have greater impact, while reducing cost, waste and effects on the environment.”

“Terramera’s technology fuses AI, science and nature to create game-changing solutions for agriculture and pest control that will better our lives and ensure the sustainable future of our planet,” added Manhas. “We can’t do it alone. We want to work with others who share our vision to accomplish our 2030 goals and accelerate the impact we can have on our earth.”

The funds raised will enable Terramera to

Agrotech

Funded by AMERRA Capital Management, funding round helps advance the capabilities and reach of regenerative farming & slow-growth poultry genetics nationwide

Cooks Venture, a next generation Ag Tech company committed to regenerative agriculture and a truly transparent supply chain, announced the closing of $12 million senior secured financing provided by AMERRA Capital Management, LLC, a private, alternative asset management firm with a focus in agri-business and aquaculture operating companies.

Cooks Venture is establishing regenerative agriculture systems through crop science and genetic IP to build a superior, transparent food system for the future as well as redefining Ag Tech for monogastric animals. The company’s first offerings are pasture-raised, slow-growth, heirloom chickens, the result of a nine-figure investment which has taken over a decade to come to fruition.

In order to increase the use of regenerative farming and further develop crop science, Cooks Venture will use the funding to expand their processing capabilities, lead farmers in the transition to regenerative processes, and work with leading agroecologists to improve and innovate industry practices.

Cooks Venture is now the only independent genetics company of scale in the world. The sole purpose of the business has been to develop the best, slow-growth, heirloom chickens available nationwide with a focus on better animal welfare and regenerative agricultural systems. This is supported through propriety poultry genetics and crop science technology developed by Cooks Venture and its acquisitions.  

Cooks Venture was founded on the scientific principle that sequestering 1% more carbon into the soil on agricultural lands could help reverse climate change. The company operates on four pillars of regenerative agriculture: better soil health, increased biodiversity, the use of integrated pest management, and better energy use. Following these tenants reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers that harm ecosystems and destroy soil fertility which, in turn, lowers energy consumption and decreases carbon emissions.

“Our goal is to use crop science and state-of-the-art technology to build regenerative processes and change our current food system while mitigating climate change. We’re starting with the most impactful and prolifically eaten food in the world – poultry,” said Matthew Wadiak, founder and CEO of Cooks Venture. “AMERRA was an ideal partner for us and their provided financing will help us achieve our near-term growth objectives and allow us to expand our capacity to serve B2B and direct consumers nationally.  Our financial adviser, Ivan Saval, also played an important role in sourcing and structuring this financing transaction.” 

“We strongly support Cooks Venture and its dedication to improving the agriculture ecosystem through scientifically proven regenerative practices and innovation,” said Chris Chapman, Managing Director at AMERRA. “Matthew’s impressive background in the food and technology industries, combined with his drive to create lasting change in the agriculture space, will surely solidify Cooks Venture as a household name.”

As a result of this funding round, the company has opened a completely renovated, start-of-the art, air-chilled processing facility, officially allowing Cooks Venture to be able to produce up to 700,000 slow-growth, heirloom chickens per week.

Mr. Wadiak continued, “Most importantly, this financing will give us the opportunity to further shape how regenerative farming is used within the larger agriculture space and help farmers who are looking to get more involved, all while providing consumers with responsible food choices driven by our proprietary systems.”

Cooks Venture’s mission seeks to improve and bring innovation to the American food system. They are redefining how agriculture technology and genetics for monogastric animals interact in developing better practices to create economies of scale for farmers which in turn provide profitable returns for farmers and private business.

National Securities Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of National Holdings Corporation, acted as financial advisor to Cooks Venture, Inc. in connection with the financing. 

Funded by AMERRA Capital Management, funding round