Government of India has announced the Padma Awards 2022. The Padma Shree award will be given to Sosamma Iype from Kerala for animal husbandry, Amai Mahalinga Naik from Karnakata and Seth Pal Singh from Uttar Pradesh for agriculture. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.
The awards are announced on the occasion
The Company was first recognised for this achievement in 2019.
The International Fertiliser Association (IFA) has confirmed PhosAgro’s status as an Industry Stewardship Champion for its responsible and sustainable approach to production. The Company was first recognised for this achievement in 2019.
The IFA’s Industry Stewardship Champion label is granted to companies that are IFA Protect & Sustain certified and actively participate in all IFA benchmarks on Safety Performance, Environmental Performance, and Energy Efficiency & CO2 Emissions. This Award highlights their commitment to continuous improvement, transparency, and the use of the best available techniques in the areas of energy efficiency and resource conservation, occupational health and safety, and environmental protection, and it attests to the fact that industry champions have best corporate policies in place in these areas.
“Ensuring industrial safety, safeguarding occupational health and creating comfortable working conditions for our employees remain priorities for the Company,” said Andrey Guryev, CEO of PhosAgro, commenting on the IFA decision.
The Company was first recognised for this
NBHM has the aim to create a network of honey testing labs covering all parts of the country and for this 100 FPOs of beekeepers will be proved as the centre.
National Bee Board (NBB) has organised a National Conference on Beekeeping Sector in collaboration with National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED), Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) & National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) on January 24, 2022. More than 600 participants from Government as well as the private sector, State Agricultural Universities (SAUs)/Central Agricultural Universities (CAUs), Beekeepers and other stakeholders involved in beekeeping occupation, etc attended the conference.
During the conference Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India spoke on National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM), a central sector scheme launched by Government of India for overall promotion & development of scientific beekeeping in the country.
Likhi expressed that NBHM will help in filling gaps in infrastructural facilities for honey and linking marginal beekeepers in an organised way for dealing with adulteration in honey. NBHM has the aim to create a network of honey testing labs covering all parts of the country and for this 100 FPOs of beekeepers will be proved as the centre. He suggested including honey FPO beekeeping society/cooperative/firms for better sustainability in the honey sector.
NBHM has the aim to create a
USA Dry Pea Lentil Council hopes for improved talks on India tariffs to continue the pulse trade with India.
USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council (USADPLC), the highest quality producer of lentils, dry peas, and chickpeas for national and international markets, has exuberantly laid out a vision for a healthy and viable 2022. As per the USADPLC, the year 2022 glances over sustainable development goals, including good health and well-being. In addition to the objective of a sustainable year, USA Dry Pea Lentil Council hopes for improved talks on India tariffs to continue the pulse trade with India.
Speaking about the prospects for 2022, Sachin Khurana, India Representative, USADPLC, said, “India is an extremely crucial market for our exporters. We remain hopeful that the trade barriers will be resolved in 2022, and the pulses trade relation between India and the US will return to normalcy. Also, in 2022, we will continue to strengthen our sustainability story and educate Indian importers, traders, and consumers about the benefits of sustainable commodity – Pulses.”
Khurana added, “In 2022, USADPLC is also aiming to focus on ‘Standard for Quality’ – an initiative to highlight the quality and premium standard of US Pulses. Through this campaign, we aim to engage with retailers and spread awareness amongst consumers about the superior quality of US Pulses.”
USA Dry Pea Lentil Council hopes for
The record-breaking growth was achieved in normal earthen ponds by applying SISTA360 protocols developed by the R&D wing of the Kings Infra
Kings Infra Venture, a technology-driven sustainable aquaculture company, has set a world record in the growth of pond-based aquaculture of L Vannamei shrimps by harvesting shrimps weighing 80 gms (210 mm). L Vannamei commonly known as the white leg shrimp are native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, from the Mexican state of Sonora to as far south as northern Peru. The record-breaking growth was achieved in normal earthen ponds by applying SISTA360 protocols developed by the R&D wing of the Kings Infra.
“The information available with us shows that there is no record of L Vannamei shrimps weighing 80 gm per piece have been grown in an aquafarm anywhere in the world. The SISTA360 protocol farming practice, a proprietary system developed by our R&D team, has enabled us to achieve such a record,” said Shaji Baby John, CCMD, Kings Infra.
“SISTA360 is an integrated system based on symbiotic technology using principles adopted from BIOFLOC, Aquamimicry, and IMTA methods of aquaculture and adapted to Indian conditions. The achievement gains further significance as the farm used only antibiotic-free feed, probiotics, and natural supplements, Ingredients such as curd, jaggery, turmeric, moringa leaves, garlic, tamarind, and other ingredients were used regularly under this protocol to improve immunity and disease resistance as well as improve growth rates,” he added.
The successful harvesting of jumbo-sized shrimp is expected to bring a major positive impact on the top-line and bottom-line growth of Kings Infra in the next year. As against the average farm gate price of $5 per kg for farmed shrimp the present initiative would help in realising $15 per kg from the same pond.
The record-breaking growth was achieved in normal
The National Startup Awards 2021 was recently held where 46 startups were felicitated. During the ceremony, the results of the National Startup Awards (NSA) 2021 were declared. The award was presented by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles.
The second edition of the awards invited applications across 15 sectors and 49 sub-sectors. The sectors included agriculture, animal husbandry, drinking water, education and skill development, energy, enterprise technology, environment, fintech, food processing, health and wellness, industry 4.0, security, space and transport and travel.
Six special categories were also introduced to recognise exceptional startups contributing to the good of society. The 2021 edition of the awards also recognised exceptional startups innovating solutions to promote Indic languages and to complement national efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
A total of 2177 applications were received from startups across the 49 sub-sectors along with applications from 53 incubators and six accelerators for the ecosystem enablers categories. These applicants included 863 women-led, 414 innovations for combatting COVID-19 and 253 startups working in rural areas.
All applicants were evaluated against six broad parameters namely innovation, scalability, economic impact, social impact, environmental impact, and inclusiveness and diversity.
The felicitation ceremony was accompanied by the release of an e-Report on National Startup Awards 2021 highlighting the year-round handholding support provided to the finalists of the first edition of the National Startup Awards and the journey of NSA 2021.
The ‘Blockchain-enabled verification for DPIIT tax incentive certificates’, ‘Digilocker enabled DPIIT Startup recognition certificate’ and the second edition of the ‘Startup Champions’ programme on Doordarshan was also launched during the event.
The following startups bagged recognition in agri sector:
Shapos Services for Farmer Engagement & Education
Agrirain Agro Industries India for irrigation
Zentron Labs for post harvest
Athreya Global Solutions for productivity
Vesatogo Innovations for post harvest
In animal husbandry, Stellapps Technologies received an award for productivity, in the environment category and Revy Environmental Solutions bagged the award under industrial biotechnology.
The second edition of the awards invited
Sonalika has sold 1,05,250 tractors in April-December 2021.
Carrying forward the strong momentum built throughout FY’21, Sonalika Tractors has breached past 1 lakh tractor sales mark in just 9 months (April-Dec’21) of FY’22, thereby charting the path to a new paradigm in 2022. Meanwhile, Sonalika has also entered the coveted club of 25,000+ export tractor sales in 9 months, a unique feat which remains a distant dream for many companies globally. Sonalika has further extended its lead in exports with 3,432 tractor sales and 31.2 per cent market share in December 2021.
Cumulatively, Sonalika has sold 1,05,250 tractors in Apr-Dec 2021. Year after year, Sonalika Tractors has been fast forwarding its sales performance of crossing 1 lakh tractors mark. The company has been manoeuvring through toughest of COVID-19 waves while addressing farmer’s critical requirements with superior technology powered tractors and implements. This also includes the recently launched Sonalika Tiger DI 75 4W CRDs tractor that delivers twin benefits in one tractor – the power of 75 HP tractor and fuel economy of 65 HP tractor.
Sharing his viewpoint on the remarkable achievement, Raman Mittal, Executive Director, Sonalika Tractors, said, “It gives me great pleasure to announce that we have created a new record sales performance to breach the 1 lakh tractor sales mark in just 9 months of FY’22. Month after month, our strong focus on our mission and persistent approach of closely working with farmers while addressing their diverse needs, has enabled us to clock the extraordinary record 1,05,250 overall tractor sales within 9 months of FY’22 (April-Dec’21).
Sonalika has sold 1,05,250 tractors in April-December
This programme represents a comprehensive solution designed specifically to combat nematodes
Netafim USA, a subsidiary of Netafim Limited has announced its partnership with Bayer to create the Precise Defense programme. This programme represents a comprehensive solution designed specifically to combat nematodes, an invisible but devastating threat to the health and productivity of almond trees. Precise Defense delivers a powerful one-two punch by utilising Netafim’s precision drip irrigation technology to deliver VelumÒ One Nematicide and other crop protection products directly to the root zone. This delivery method maximises residual efficacy through uniform application rates and significantly reduces the amount of water used to irrigate almond trees.
Growers who purchase a complete Netafim Dual Line Drip Irrigation System from an authorised dealer and purchase two annual applications of Velum One from an authorised dealer are qualified to earn a $40 per acre rebate. Over a three-year trial, Velum One treated trees returned an average yield increase of 18.1 per cent, or 292 pounds per acre.
“Netafim’s cutting edge drip irrigation systems improve irrigation uniformity and have the ability to reduce the amount of water needed to grow a pound of almonds by 20 per cent. In addition, our systems provide an efficient and effective delivery solution for Velum One and other crop protection chemicals,” said Mike Hemman, President and CEO, Netafim USA.
“The Precise Defense programme is a best-of-both-worlds partnership that addresses today’s almond growers’ most pressing concerns and now incentivises them to voluntarily adopt better solutions to combat climate change. By participating in the Precise Defense rebate program and investing in a drip irrigation system, growers can feel confident they have the tools to mitigate nematode damage, maintain, and use water more efficiently.” said Chuck Bates, Vice President of Products and Agronomy, Netafim USA.
This programme represents a comprehensive solution designed
This investment is part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)
The US Department of Agriculture has announced a $9 million investment in new Cooperative Extension and USDA Climate Hubs partnerships to bolster climate research and connect and share climate-smart solutions directly with the agricultural community.
“The Cooperative Extension system and the USDA Climate Hubs have unmatched capacity to reach agricultural, Tribal and undeserved communities, as well as educators and students, and our nation’s farmers directly,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
This investment is part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), the nation’s leading competitive grants programme for agricultural sciences. This new AFRI program area provides effective, translatable and scalable approaches to address climate change through regional partnerships, including the USDA Climate Hubs, and further extends outreach through organisations such as the Cooperative Extension Service.
“These new NIFA-funded projects will work toward net-zero emissions in agriculture, working lands and communities adapted to climate change, training a diverse workforce that can communicate and incorporate climate considerations into management and climate justice that is appropriate for unique US agronomic conditions,” said NIFA Director Dr Carrie Castille.
The initial six funded projects include:
This investment is part of the National
Galleon and Birdoo are the latest innovative solutions to help maximise animal health and flock performance
Cargill is assembling a portfolio of AI-driven innovations through proprietary development and strategic partnerships to go beyond nutrition and help customers optimise their operations with actionable insights. Cargill has added two new products to its portfolio of AI-driven innovations- Galleon and Birdoo which offers poultry producers actionable insights.
Cargill’s patent-pending Galleon tool enables broiler producers to decide how changes such as in raw materials, diet, additives, vaccine programs, and farm management practices influence the microbiome of their flock.
Galleon can help producers improve the flock’s performance for economic benefit by means including but not limited to switching feed and additives or improving management practices. It further, pinpoint reasons why different farms with the same inputs, like feed management and antibiotic regimens, have different performance results.
“An animal’s gut microbiome influences its health in so many ways,” said Cargill’s principal microbiome researcher, Dr Briana Kozlowicz. “We’ve accumulated an industry-leading volume of microbiome data that we can now tap into to provide actionable insights to our customers to improve the performance of their flocks.”
To help producers better track broiler performance, Cargill has teamed up with digital technology enablement firm, Knex, to develop ‘Birdoo’, a first-of-its-kind technology that leverages proprietary computer visioning and artificial intelligence that combines hands-free, real-time flock insights with predictive modelling data. This helps producers make informed decisions quicker while supporting their bottom lines through better animal health and well-being, increased uniformity and improved performance of their flocks.
Birdoo will help Cargill producers:
Galleon and Birdoo are the latest innovative
StoreHippo’s agritech solutions are powered by MACH architecture which gives the agro-based brands freedom to experiment and implement hybrid business models.
Agritech is a booming sector and India alone is home to 1000+ Agro-based startups. However, the sector has its own challenges. StoreHippo, the next-generation e-commerce platform is offering agritech brands build next-gen solutions for their unique business requirements and move ahead of their competition.
StoreHippo’s agritech solutions are powered by MACH (Micro services, API-first, Cloud-native, and Headless) architecture which gives the agro-based brands complete freedom to experiment and implement hybrid business models.
Some of StoreHippo’s exclusive offerings that facilitate agritech brands are:
According to Rajiv Kumar Aggarwal, Founder & CEO, StoreHippo, “The next agricultural revolution is happening in the digital space. Agriculture which contributes 20 per cent to Indian GDP needs a major facelift to align with the changing market and customer demands. Innovative agritech solutions are bringing data-driven insights to farmers for better yield, crop protection, sustainability and growth. The agriculture sector also needs easy and quick access to the market to help agri-producers and sellers get better ROI for their hard work. To connect the various tools and technologies for better agro-production, distribution and sale the agriculture sector needs uniquely designed cutting edge agritech solutions. StoreHippo offers broad-spectrum agritech solutions that can modernise and streamline agriculture as a profitable business for all stakeholders. The agile and flexible StoreHippo platform can be easily modified at the front-end and the back-end to accommodate the unique requirements of agriculture.”
StoreHippo’s agritech solutions are powered by MACH
Agrovision plays a major role in farming and in bringing together all the stakeholders under one roof.
With a mega impact of 11 years, Agrovision binds together the leaders, agripreneurs, and lakhs of farmers together for the grand event. This year, in the 12th edition of Agrovision, India’s Premier Agri Summit, scheduled from December 24-27, at Reshimbagh Ground, Nagpur, farmers from in and around Vidarbha and adjoining states will be participating in the event.
Agrovision plays a major role in farming and in bringing together all the stakeholders under one roof.
Impact of Agrovision in last 12 years:
· Dry land farming shifting to horticulture
· Farmers taking up new avenues like dairy, poultry and fisheries
· Increasing demand for new technologies by the agri-community.
· Market of farm-mechanisation expanded
· Agri-businesses witnessing considerable contribution from women entrepreneurs.
· Crop diversification is gaining momentum.
Furthermore, conferences on current issues in agriculture and allied agri sectors will be held this year. Around 400 exhibitors are likely to participate in the event.
The exclusive media partner is Agro Spectrum India along with BioSpectrum India and NuFFooDS Spectrum India. MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications is the organiser of the event.
Agrovision plays a major role in farming
Experts will guide on ways to enhance the productivity of traditional rain-fed oilseed crops in the workshop
The 12th AGROVISION, India’s Premier Agri Summit, scheduled from December 24-27, at Reshimbagh Ground, Nagpur, will initiate a free workshop on “Enhancing productivity of Traditional rainfed oilseed crops”.
India is the 5th largest oilseed crop producing country in the world yet we are one of the top importers of vegetable oil. Witness how you can enhance the productivity of oilseed crops at Agrovision2021.
Agrovision was conceived in the year 2007 to create a common platform for the farmers, industry, and government and bring together every important entity in agriculture to create a better future for the farmers. The vision of Agrovision is to create a more knowledgeable, practical and a smart famer.
Farmers from in and around Vidarbha and adjoining states will be participating in the event this year. Apart from this, there will be free interactive workshops for farmers. Conferences on current issues in agriculture and allied agri sectors will be held. Around 400 exhibitors are likely to participate in the event.
The exclusive media partner is Agro Spectrum India along with BioSpectrum India and Nufoods Spectrum India. MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications is the organiser of the event.
Experts will guide on ways to enhance
Retailers can now plan, forecast, and monitor profit margins, while improving customer retention with one platform
GROWERS, a North Carolina-based agriculture technology company, has announced that after a year of testing, its flagship product GROWERS Rally is available for commercial use. GROWERS Rally was created to help ag retail stay relevant in today’s competitive sales environment. Sellers can access a single view of the customer, forecast future sales, organise farm and product information, and make informed, meaningful recommendations.
“GROWERS Rally is built around the needs of agriculture retailers and their farmer customers. The need for close collaboration between farmers and ag retailers has never been more important. Based on our experience in this market, we found that most existing solutions only partially address those needs or are too cumbersome,” said Steven Valencsin, CEO, GROWERS.
GROWERS Rally is for every level of the Ag retail organisation. Front line sellers get helpful information such as universal pricing and product lists, view historical sales, easily apply manufacturer rebate programs, and the ability to quickly and easily send product and price quotes directly to customers via text message or email.
Andi D’Agostino, VP of Product, GROWERS said, “The goal of the GROWERS Rally team is to accommodate but decrease the complexity our users navigate every day as frontline sellers, managers, and retail support staff. If we really understand their needs, we can remove busy-work and create insights so that they can focus on what only they can do, build a strong business.”
Retailers can now plan, forecast, and monitor