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Company News, India, Sustainability

Deliberations during the National Conference focused on the theme “India – An Emerging Global Food Hub: Role of Sustainable Crop Protection Solutions

CropLife India; the association of leading domestic and Multinational R&D-driven crop science companies; organised a National Conference on the occasion of its 43rd AGM. The conference witnessed the congregation of two Agriculture Ministers from the key States of Andhra Pradesh and Haryana; senior Government officials, experts, academia and industry leaders. YES BANK was the Knowledge Partner for the event.

CropLife India believes that the State Governments will play an imminent role in paving a “Public-Private Pathway” for capacity building and awareness creation

India now stands as the 2nd largest exporter of agrochemicals globally, after China, making it a key participant in the global crop protection industry.

Deliberations during the National Conference focused on the theme “India – An Emerging Global Food Hub: Role of Sustainable Crop Protection Solutions”. The focus of the Inaugural Session was “The Rise of Indian Agriculture – World’s Emerging Food Basket & the Role of States”. Plenary Session I focussed on “Women driving the growth of Indian Agriculture” and Plenary Session II dwelled on “Innovations for the New-Age Farmers.” The Valedictory Session deliberated on “Role of Agrochemicals in the growth of Indian Agriculture.”

During his inaugural address Kakani Govardhan Reddy, Minister of Agriculture Government of Andhra Pradesh shared that, “The State Government is committed towards Farmers’ education for enhanced use of new technology in agriculture; which has led to multiple novel initiatives viz. ‘E-KYC Know Your Crop’ aims to provide farmers with essential digital resources. The State is considering implementing the State Minimum Support Price Act to further bolster inclusive agricultural practices.”

J. P. Dalal, Minister of Agriculture Government of Haryana said, “Farmers of Haryana are being encouraged to take up crop diversification and produce as per the market demands. Asia’s largest market, spanning over 550 acres, is under construction in Ganaur in Haryana and will be better than the markets in developed countries like Spain and France. The market would provide farmers with facilities for grading, packaging and sorting at the block and tehsil levels, thus helping in export quality products to the international market.”

Dr. K. C. Ravi, Chairman, of CropLife India said, “As India emerges as a Global Food hub, the need for a predictable, stable and science-based policy and regulatory regime for the proper growth of the crop protection sector is imperative. This would promote innovation and new product introduction to address the current and upcoming challenges faced by farmers; while paving the way with introduction of cutting-edge technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Drones.”

The crop protection industry has been making an immense contribution to Indian Agriculture in the last 77 years and is committed to continuing the same. CropLife India members are not only committed to bringing the latest and safer innovations but are equally committed to educating farmers on their safe and responsible use. CropLife and its member companies would like to continue to contribute to creating a science-based, pragmatic and stable regulatory environment.

CropLife members continue to work closely with farmers, the scientific community and policymakers to address current as well as future challenges. However, the cost of research has gone up and it is estimated that the cost of discovery and development of a new active ingredient is around INR 2000 crores. If Indian agriculture must flourish, be more competitive, quality quality-driven and reduce wastages as well as losses to enable our farmers to be more successful, it is absolutely essential that a progressive policy environment is in place that fosters innovations.

Deliberations during the National Conference focused on

Agrotech, Company News, R&D, World

Dole incorporates Pelican Spray to advance smart farming and sustainability goals

Pyka, maker of autonomous electric aircraft for crop protection and cargo transport announces the successful completion of the first trial phase with Pyka’s Pelican Spray aircraft.

Upon receiving delivery of the aircraft in late 2022 in Dole Fresh Fruit’s operation in Honduras, combined personnel from both companies began flight operations and spray efficacy testing at Dole’s Isletas Farm. Pyka’s autonomous electric aircraft performed with excellence, demonstrating ease of operation and effective crop protection.

As a next step, the use of Pelican Spray will be extended to larger areas of Dole’s banana plantations and supplement Dole’s existing fleet of agricultural spray planes. Subsequently, the partners will expand the Pelican Spray service to additional operations in Latin America. This autonomous electric aviation technology is a tremendous opportunity to optimise spray operations, reduce chemical usage through greater spray precision, minimise environmental impact, and contribute to Dole’s sustainability goals.

“Dole is an internationally highly respected brand whose farming practices set industry standards for fruit and vegetable production across the globe,” says Volker Fabian, Chief Commercial Officer of Pyka. “With their commercial operations spanning multiple geographical locations, Dole will demonstrate the value of Pyka’s product on an even larger scale than we have seen to date.”

“We are excited to partner with Pyka in order to be on the forefront of technological advancement for the aerial application industry,” says Patricio Gutierrez Carvajal, Regional Director of Innovation, R&D at Dole Tropical Products. “This product addresses a market-wide need for a safer, cleaner, and more precise method of spraying crops by air. As a company, Pyka embodies the values of quality, innovation and environmental focus that align with Dole’s corporate mission.”

Dole incorporates Pelican Spray to advance smart

Company News, North America, Sustainability

Truterra’s 2022 carbon program will result in more than $4.5 million in payments to participating farmers for nearly 237,000 tonnes of carbon stored in soils.

Truterra, LLC, the sustainability business of Land O’Lakes, Inc., one of America’s largest farmer-owned cooperatives, announced the launch of Truterra™ sustainability services, a comprehensive suite of agronomic and financial resources designed to meet farmers where they are at every stage of their sustainability journey. This launch is part of Truterra’s broader effort to work with more farmers to encourage adoption of regenerative farming practices by working to remove one of the biggest barriers to practice change – fear of lost profitability and productivity of their acres – and develop new offerings that best fit farmers’ needs and support their transitions to more sustainable practices.

Truterra sustainability services focuses on working with farmers to plan, make and maintain sustainability practice changes, including:

Making a plan: The Truterra™ soil health assessment and plan sets quantifiable soil health baselines and provides custom recommendations to improve overall soil health and resiliency. The soil health assessment brings much-needed locally relevant context to soil health measures for farmers to understand more about their soil health status, potential for improvement and to help create a roadmap toward improved soil health. After a successful 2022 pilot across several states including Iowa, Kansas and Missouri, Truterra is expanding the soil health assessment to Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The soil health assessment offering builds on the robust conservation agronomy support already being delivered through Truterra and Winfield United networks of trusted local ag retail advisors and its farmer support team.

Creating a pathway to make change: Truterra’s market access program is an on-ramp for eligible farmers considering adopting new regenerative practices on their fields. Farmers can potentially receive $2/acre to begin building the baseline data required to participate in future carbon program opportunities. In addition, farmers have the opportunity to participate in the WinField United Advanced Acre® Rx prescription plan1 – a component of which provides a warranty to offset part of the risk of this practice change implementation.

Being rewarded for transition: For fields that have made eligible practice changes within the last four years, qualified farmers can potentially earn between $15-$30 per tonne of new carbon stored through Truterra’s 2023 carbon program which is now open for enrolment through February 28. Truterra offers farmers earning potential by paying based on results – carbon stored – rather than a set payment per acre.

Truterra is also working to develop additional opportunities for farmers to be rewarded for their stewardship, such as the USDA-funded Climate SMART (Scaling Mechanisms for Agriculture’s Regenerative Transformation) project to scale production and demand for climate-smart corn, soybean, wheat, cotton and milk production. 

“A journey to sustainability is never a straight line. Working through the farmer cooperative system enables us to take a comprehensive view and deploy targeted support to directly address what farmers and retailers need to best manage risk and maximise natural resources to generate a potential return on investment,” said Tom Ryan, president, Truterra. “Through the launch of our sustainability services approach, Truterra is excited to continue working with ag retailers and farmers in an effort to address cost, risk and knowledge barriers to regenerative agriculture practice adoption. In turn, we can help position them as leaders in emerging market opportunities for carbon removals, climate-smart commodities and other ways to be rewarded for their stewardship while future-proofing their businesses for the long-term.”

Truterra’s 2022 carbon program is expected to pay farmers more than $4.5 million total in cash payments for nearly 237,000 tonnes of carbon stored in soils. The program delivered 220 participating farmers an average payment per participating farmer of $24,842. Full results for the 2022 program will be released in the coming months once all payments have been finalised.

Truterra’s sustainability services are rooted in the Land O’Lakes cooperative network, which touches about 50 percent of all U.S. harvested acres, and work through its agricultural retailer network of trusted advisors to provide farmers better agronomic insights to continuously improve their operations. With Truterra’s work in supporting farmers transition to sustainable practices, WinField United’s scientific approach to crop management and the expertise of local ag retailers, the Land O’Lakes cooperative system is working to help mitigate the risk associated with converting to more climate-smart practices.

Interested farmers can learn more and find the program that is right for them at Truterraag.com/enroll or contact their local Truterra retail partner.

Agreement is required and conditions, restrictions and service fees apply. Percentage goals for the crops’ Approved Yield range from 95–105 percent for corn and 95–100 percent for soybeans. Only available to corn and soybean farmers who enrol a minimum of 250 acres of an individual crop in the program.

Truterra's 2022 carbon program will result in

India, Oilseeds, Seeds, Webinar

For the first time in the country in the current season, experts at the Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC) webinar closely examined the progress of southwest monsoon, planted area and crop status. Forecast of the harvest size of major Kharif crops – covering rice, pulses, coarse cereals, oilseeds, cotton and sugarcane – was presented. The production of major crops is likely to be slightly below last year’s level and well below the season’s target set by the government. This was stated during a webinar organised by IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with NCDEX IPFT. 

Looking at lower area coverage and lack of precipitation in key growing states in eastern India (UP, Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal, and Jharkhand) rice production is expected to decline from last year’s 111.8 million tonne to 100-102 million tonne in the current season. 

Pulses to fall to 8.4 million tonnes from 10.5million tonnes, Oilseeds to fall to 21.5 – 22.5 million tonnes from 23.9 million tonnes. 

Overall, the harvest size of major crops is set to be smaller than last year’s, except cotton. Which is in the target range of 335 to 345 lakh bales, the target was set for 370 lakh bales. 

For the first time in the country

Supply Chain

Cargill RegenConnect regeneratively-sourced cotton programme works to build a regenerative, traceable supply chain for growers and buyers

Beginning next month, Cargill will start enrolling US cotton growers in its Cargill RegenConnect regeneratively-sourced cotton programme, rewarding cotton growers for the positive soil health practices they are already using. This new addition to the Cargill RegenConnect portfolio furthers Cargill’s role in giving farmers access to emerging market opportunities within sustainable, traceable supply chains, opening doors to Cargill’s downstream customers looking to achieve their sustainable sourcing goals.   

William Barksdale, president of Cargill’s cotton business and chairman of the American Cotton Shippers Association said, “Cargill is committed to playing its role in advancing sustainable cotton production practices around the world. Through the Cargill RegenConnect regeneratively-sourced cotton programme, we are connecting market demand to the growers actively engaged in supporting environmental stewardship through regenerative agriculture practices.”

Cargill will offer one-year contracts to growers who have implemented cover crops and reduced-till or no-till practices since the Fall of 2021. Cotton growers can earn a premium for each pound of regeneratively-grown cotton contracted, produced and delivered to Cargill.  Cargill has partnered with Regrow to make it easy for farmers to securely enter data to verify their use of regenerative agriculture practices through the Regrow MRV platform.

Cargill RegenConnect regeneratively-sourced cotton programme works to

Organic

The global organic fertilisers market is expected to reach $19.88 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 11.6 per cent during the forecast period 2022–2029

According to a new market research report titled, ‘Organic Fertilizers Market by Source (Animal, Plant, Mineral), Form (Dry, Liquid), Application Method (Broadcasting, Fertigation, Foliar Application), Crop Type (Cereals & Grains, Fruits & Vegetables), and Geography – Global Forecast to 2029’, the global organic fertilisers market is expected to reach $19.88 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 11.6 per cent during the forecast period 2022–2029. Also, in terms of volume, the global organic fertilisers market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.7 per cent during the forecast period to reach 38,570.5 KT by 2029.

The demand for organic fertilisers is growing across the globe. Organic agriculture serves multiple functions. It is an important tool to achieve ‘green productivity’ in agriculture. It also mitigates the negative impact of conventional input-intensive agriculture by excluding agrochemical inputs from the production system, minimising environmental pollution, promoting the reuse & recycling of organic farm waste and crop residues, improving biodiversity, and enhancing soil productivity.

Furthermore, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the organic fertilisers market have been noticed since early 2020 in China, one of the world’s largest producers and consumers. The shutdown of production plants in China and restrictions on the export and import of organic fertilisers & raw materials, particularly animal waste to and from China’s restricted areas, affected the supply chain. This scenario impacted the production, sales, and operations of this industry. The pandemic affected the organic fertilisers market in many countries, including the US, India, Australia, Brazil, and the EU-5 countries. In India, many fertiliser plants have shut down or are operating at reduced capacity due to the countrywide lockdown leading to substantial losses in the domestic organic fertiliser production.

The global organic fertilisers market is expected

Company News

The company will be participating in the BMO Global Farm to Market Conference to be held on May 18-19, 2022

Local Bounti Corporation, a breakthrough US indoor agriculture company combining the best aspects of vertical and greenhouse growing technologies, has announced that it will be participating in the BMO Global Farm to Market Conference to be held on May 18-19, 2022.

Craig Hurlbert, co-CEO, Travis Joyner, co-CEO, and Kathleen Valiasek, CFO, will host a presentation on Wednesday, May 18, at 1:15 pm ET. Additionally, members of the management team will host meetings with investors. A live audio webcast of the panel will be available to all interested parties through the Company’s Investor Relations website.

Local Bounti is redefining indoor farming with an innovative method – its proprietary Stack & Flow Technology – that significantly improves crop turns, increases output and improves unit economics.

The company will be participating in the

Agro chems – Chemicals

The pioneering solution is powered by BASF’s new active ingredient, Broflanilide in a specialised formulation

BASF has announced the launch of Exponus insecticide for farmers in India to protect their crops and boost productivity. The pioneering solution is powered by BASF’s new active ingredient, Broflanilide in a specialised formulation.

Offering a new mode of action for the control of key insect pests, Exponus gives farmers a powerful, quick & versatile tool for controlling variety of insect pests and overcome resistance to prevailing chemistries, as part of integrated pest management program. Exponus is registered for use on various largely cultivated crops under Oil seeds, Pulses & Vegetables segment to control critical insect pests such as Caterpillars & Thrips.

“Farmers in India will now benefit from our latest innovation in crop protection” said Narayan Krishnamohan, Managing Director, BASF India Limited. “Farming is the biggest job on earth. At BASF, we are dedicated to listening and working alongside farmers to understand their needs, so that we apply our expertise to help them successfully face the enormous challenge of protecting crops from pests and boosting productivity.”

With its unique mode of action, Exponus insecticide is among the first compounds in the market introduced under the new IRAC group 30 which represents a totally new class of insecticides which has no known cross-resistance with existing products in the market, making it a superior insecticide resistance management tool.

 “This innovation reaffirms BASF’s commitment to help farmers across boundaries in managing a variety of existing & emerging pests with the lowest use rates compared to current standards. Using Exponus will help Indian farmers for effective & long duration protection against insect pests in wide variety of crops.” said Rajendra Velagala, Business Director, Agricultural Solutions, South Asia, BASF.

The pioneering solution is powered by BASF’s

Agrotech, R&D

Mitsui will work with the management team and staff of the merged company to strengthen its management foundation

Tokyo based Mitsui & Co, has recently merged two European crop protection distribution business: Certis Europe B V, and Belchim Crop Protection NV/SA, both affiliates of Mitsui’s wholly owned subsidiary, Mitsui AgriScience International SA/NV.

The two companies will merge their operations to form a business with significant presence primarily in the European market. Upon completion of the required formalities, the new company’s name will be changed to Certis Belchim B V in order to capitalise on the brands of both companies.

Both companies have achieved growth as crop protection distribution platforms for the European and North American markets by working with the Mitsui & Co group through strategic alliances with leading Japanese R&D-focused crop protection manufacturers.

Mitsui will work with the management team and staff of the merged company to strengthen its management foundation, achieve the improvement of crop productivity and quality while pursuing environmental protection in agriculture by combining original high added-value products developed by Japanese R&D focused crop protection manufacturers and environment-friendly bio-pesticides and seed treatment preparations, which are strengths of both companies, to create an attractive crop protection distribution platform that will generate new value.

Mitsui will work with the management team

Live Stock

The company is expanding its product line to include a unique platform for cell-cultured collagen production

Aleph Farms, the first company to grow cultivated beef steaks, has announced it is expanding its product line to include a unique platform for cell-cultured collagen production. The company’s highly differentiated, integrated strategy to develop a complete alternative to animals in intensive animal farming is a testament to its inclusive vision to supplement sustainable, but less productive, livestock agriculture practices.

Didier Toubia, co-founder and CEO of Aleph Farms commented, “Focusing on single categories of animal products does not account for the complexity of the animal agriculture ecosystem. The protein transition should rely on a systems-based approach to successfully contribute to a comprehensive, just and inclusive transition for animal agriculture.”

Conventional collagen is produced by boiling and processing cow’s hides and bones, and is widely used in a range of industries. Aleph Farms’ cultivated collagen offers attributes of natural animal-based collagen that are unmatched by plant or fermented recombinant-based alternatives.

As the first product to emerge from the company’s newly revealed incubator, and following 18 months of research by an expert team in stealth mode, Aleph’s collagen is now moving to full product development stage and should launch in 2024. This announcement follows the company’s expansion to its new cultured-beef steaks pilot production plant. Both platforms largely share similar inputs and equipment and present operational and cost-reduction synergies.

The company is expanding its product line

Start ups

AgFarm aims to revolutionise the agricultural world digitally by allowing the buyers to access and buy agro-inputs with just a few clicks

Vaman Alawadhi, a young entrepreneur with a passion to craft his own niche in the agro inputs sector, along with his partner Sandeep Chauhan has launched a Dubai based agrochemical start-up ‘AgFarm’.

AgFarm aims to revolutionise the agricultural world digitally by allowing the buyers to access and buy agro-inputs with just a few clicks. Following their vision of producing and providing high-quality agro-based products to Indian consumers the newly launched company has now opened its offices in India as well.

AgFarm will be the first agrochemical company whose products, which includes herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, and plant growth regulators, will only be available on e-commerce platforms like nurture.retail, DeHaat, AgroStar, FAARMS etc at never-before attractive prices. At these platforms AgFarm will unlock the digital connections between manufacturers, retailers and dealers and will also allow them to buy the products at affordable prices with best quality assurance. Other than getting the delivery of AgFarm products at their doorstep the buyers will also get additional discounts by using digital payment modes.

Vaman Alawadhi, the Director of AgFarm, said, “It is high time to modernise the agriculture sector in India in every possible way to ensure food quality, food safety, and cost competitiveness. Today, when we are on the verge of adopting modern technologies such as IoT, AI/ML and agri-drones in farming, we should also adopt and promote digital buying and selling of agro inputs to break the vicious circle of mediators and give the dealers, retailers and farmers direct access to manufacturers, leading to fair prices and authentic products for them.”

AgFarm aims to revolutionise the agricultural world

Agro chems – Chemicals, Inputs

Corprima will provide tomato and okra farmers across the country with superior crop protection against fruit borers

FMC India, an agricultural sciences company, has announced that it has launched a new insecticide Corprima.

Powered by FMC’s world’s leading Rynaxypyr insect control technology, Corprima will provide tomato and okra farmers across the country with superior crop protection against fruit borers.

The innovative insecticide Corprima has been proven to deliver better returns on investment to farmers by having a longer duration pest control as well as enhanced flower and fruit retention leading to larger harvests of better quality.

According to the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, tomato farmers across the country lose up to 65 per cent of their yields to fruit borers every year. The infestation of this pest leads to flower dropping and poor plant health resulting in poor quality fruiting, thus adversely impacting crop yields.

Corprima, powered by Rynaxypyr active, promises to provide a superior and long-lasting protection from fruit borer pests which saves farmers’ time, costs and effort to protect their crops.

FMC India President, Ravi Annavarapu said, “The past year saw a record horticultural crop production in the country. However, every year, tomato and okra farmers incur heavy losses due to fruit borer pests, diseases and post-harvest losses amongst other factors. At FMC, we use innovation to solve the challenges faced by farmers by introducing sustainable products and solutions. The introduction of Corprima is a testimony to FMC’s commitment to bring novel solutions to meet farmers’ crop protection needs. I’m confident that Corprim will help tomato and okra farmers improve their incomes through higher yields of better quality.”

Introduced in 6gm, 17gm and 34gm packs, Corprima will meet the crop protection needs of small, marginal and big farmers.

Corprima will provide tomato and okra farmers

Uncategorized

Istem was launched in the UK market in 2021 and has already been awarded a 3-star Superior Taste Award by the Brussels International Taste Institute

Syngenta Vegetable Seeds has been nominated for a prestigious Fruit Logistica Innovation Award for the second consecutive edition of the industry’s premier event, spotlighting the company’s leadership and innovation in high-demand segments, from tomato to water melon, sweet pepper to sweet corn. Syngenta’s unique Istem cauliflower is shortlisted – two years after YOOM tomato won the gold award.

Istem is high-yielding and appeals to consumers with its sweet, nutty curds individually held on top of tender, succulent stems. Eaten whole there is no food waste. It is quick to prepare, and can be eaten raw or cooked, from baking to barbecuing, steaming to stir-frying. It’s also a healthy choice – high in fiber and immune-boosting vitamin C.

Istem was launched in the UK market in 2021 and has already been awarded a 3-star Superior Taste Award by the Brussels International Taste Institute.

Lotfi Bani, Istem project manager in Europe commented, “We have the capability to use agile, science-based agronomic solutions to create sustainable crops, while anticipating consumer preferences and market trends. The Istem exemplifies this. It not only cuts food waste, it also offers consumers a great-tasting, healthy, convenient choice.” 

Istem has a bright future. Extensive trials are planned in 2022 across Europe, Africa, Middle East, North America and Australasia, preparing for it to launch in new markets very soon.

When growers were coming under pressure from the devastating new Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV), Syngenta fast-tracked its research to respond to this threat. Its teams’ speed and precision brought growers disease-resistant varieties such as Lansor and Barosor. Both varieties allow farmers to maximise marketable produce, even when ToBRFV is present. Syngenta has also bred spinach varieties to resist foliar disease Stemphylium.

Istem was launched in the UK market

Agro Universities, Interaction

The need for developing the climate-smart and high-quality fodder varieties was highlighted by the Chief Guest, Dr DK Yadava, ICAR

The ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh has recently virtually organised the “Forage Scientists & Seed Producers’ Interface Meeting of Kharif Fodder Crops”.

The Chief Guest, Dr DK Yadava, ADG (Seeds), ICAR emphasised that the sensitisation and showcasing of the varieties will help in increasing the breeder seed indent of the new varieties. The need for developing the climate-smart and high-quality fodder varieties was highlighted by Dr Yadava.

Dr Amaresh Chandra, Director, ICAR-IGFRI, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh stressed on apprising the stakeholders about the new varieties and their potential/specialities to suit the various niches.

About 75 participants from ICAR-IGFRI, Jhansi; State Agricultural Universities, NGOs, Private Companies, Regional Fodder Stations, DADF and NDDB, etc., attended the meeting.

The need for developing the climate-smart and high-quality