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HomePosts Tagged "farmers" (Page 2)
Agrotech, India, Sustainability

The orientation programme was organised as a part of collaboration between IRRI & the ‘Jeetega Kisan’ project

IRRI South Asia Regional Center (ISARC), Varanasi conducted a one-day capacity development orientation programme for farmers and extension workers of Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh as a part of collaboration between IRRI and the ‘Jeetega Kisan’ project.

The aim of the programme was to help stakeholders adopt best management practices for the rice-wheat based system and introduce them to IRRI’s digital tools that can help escalate the sustainable rice production systems.

This programme, which includes a mix of in-class session, lab tour and field demonstration, gave farmers and extension workers a platform to hone their skills on managing soil health in rice ecosystems, agronomic management for rice-wheat based system under conservation agriculture systems, low-cost insect and pest management options in rice-wheat based cropping systems, and site-specific nutrient management. It also gave them an opportunity to familiarise themselves on how to effectively employ the Rice Crop Manager (RCM) application for getting customised on-farm recommendations.

As part of the program, the participants were encouraged to speak on their on-field concerns, sharing farm insights from the region of Sonbhadra and getting them addressed by subject matter experts. Moreover, the visit to the ISARC lab, farms and fields got the participants interest piqued in rice-value addition, solar bubble dryer, IRRI Super Bag & the cost-effective post – harvest management practices/techniques. To ensure the sustainability of the program, IRRI will continue providing support to these stakeholders through pursuing more capacity development activities that centre around digital tools and sustainable rice production.

The opening ceremony was attended by notable guests including Vikram Patil, Scientist-ISARC, Ajay Kumar Mishra, Associate Scientist -Soil Science, ISARC and Gaurav Jaiswal, Ed Tech Specialist, IRRI Education, ISARC.

The program was implemented by IRRI Education, the capacity development, knowledge dissemination unit of ISARC. It has been playing a pivotal role in bolstering the rice based agri-food systems by developing the capacities of the ecosystem stakeholders through education, capacity development & knowledge dissemination activities. The unit regularly collaborates with institutes seeking interventions in the areas of capacity development on climate resilient practices, climate change mitigation, climate adaption & sustainable agri-practices.

With its strategic position in Varanasi, in close vicinity of institutes like Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), these customised programs provide a nurturing environment where knowledge is shared and participation is encouraged.

DCM Shriram Foundation’s Flagship program “Jeetega Kisaan” focuses on the confluence of Water Conservation and Agri- Skilling.  It was launched to help farming communities get  “More Crop Per crop” from the conserved water. The program is layered on water conservation and aims at an  increase in irrigated area, cultivable area, and adoption of advanced agriculture.This program strives to achieve the targets of SGD2 – Zero Hunger. It aims to help small & marginal farmers increase their productivity and income by providing them training on better packages of practices. A Sustainable Paddy/Wheat Program under Jeetega Kisaan program was launched in 2021 for 2000 farmers in 46 villages of Chopan & Robertsganj block of Sonbhadra District of Uttar Pradesh with International Finance Corporation (IFC) & IRRI as the knowledge partners and Indian Society of agribusiness professionals (ISAP) as the implementation partner.

The orientation programme was organised as a

Agrotech, Company News, Supply Chain

Funding round to enable Eion continue building out distribution partnerships and expand availability of its patented CarbonLock™

Eion, a permanent carbon removal technology company, today announced the close of a Series A funding round exceeding $12 million. The round was co-led by AgFunder and Ridgeline, along with participation from a broad coalition of strategic climate, ag tech, financial and impact investors, as well as upstream mineral supplier Sibelco. New and returning investors also include Carbon Removal Partners, Mercator Partners, Orion, Overture, SLVC and Trailhead Capital.

This funding round will enable Eion to continue to build out its distribution partnerships and expand availability of its patented CarbonLock™, a nature-based soil amendment that removes atmospheric carbon dioxide, permanently and verifiably, through enhanced rock weathering on agricultural soils. The company will also use the funds to attract high-impact talent to build out its financial, commercial and science teams.

“Eion’s technology enables permanent carbon removal on agricultural soils, but our vision is so much broader. Eion seeks to leverage carbon removal as a tool to diversify agriculture and sustain land productivity, improve margins for farmers, support the bedrock American businesses in our supply chain, and boost rural vitality,” said Adam Wolf, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Eion. “It takes a broad tent to face challenges of this magnitude. We’re grateful to be engaged with a coalition of investors and partners who recognise the potential and opportunity for our carbon removal technology to leverage American capabilities to decarbonise our economy while bringing new opportunities to rural areas.”

In addition to offering a permanent carbon removal solution, CarbonLock™ fits seamlessly into current farming practices. CarbonLock™ is processed to achieve a fast carbon absorption rate, allowing it to efficiently sequester carbon. CarbonLock™ can be applied using existing aglime spreading equipment at a prescribed agronomic rate to maximise carbon capture. The product removes about one ton of CO2 per ton of rock applied. Eion measures the carbon captured through its patented mineral fingerprinting approach, verifying and monitoring the application of rock, as well as the weathering rate, to determine the final amount of carbon removed. For farmers, this process simply entails collecting and sharing soil samples, a familiar part of almost any agronomic approach.

Since its founding in 2020, Eion has achieved several key milestones including:

– Creating an upstream supply chain that provides immediate access to mineral resources representing millions of tons of annual CO2 removal.

– Establishing commercial relationships with distribution partners across the South, Mid-South and Midwest that provide access to millions of U.S. acres under management.

– CarbonLock™ is comparable to the cost of aglime. In addition to the carbon removal benefits, current data suggest that Eion’s technology may increase yield as well as nitrogen utilisation and efficiency. Once applied and weathered, farms using CarbonLock™ will receive audited proof of permanent carbon removal, which can be used to generate high-quality, verifiable carbon credits that add value to the acre and revenue for the farmer.

– In 2021, Stripe Climate entered into a Carbon Removal Purchase Agreement with Eion, noting CarbonLock™ as a new technology with “high potential to scale.”

– Alongside the company’s aglime substitute development, Eion has conducted extensive field trials to validate its approach for verification of mineral weathering rates and carbon removal, complemented by mechanistic lab and greenhouse studies with partner universities and governmental agencies.

– Eion continues to build a team of professionals from a wide range of backgrounds including agronomy, soil geochemistry, plant science, carbon capture and removal, mineral processing, and operations, finance and policy. Eion Founder and CEO Adam Wolf is a serial entrepreneur, having previously founded leading field intelligence company Arable Labs, and holds a PhD in Biology from Stanford University.

“Eion’s CarbonLock™ solution offers farmers a low-disruption way to help reduce carbon in the atmosphere,” said Tom Shields, Partner at AgFunder. “We are excited to work with Eion to accelerate the use of carbon removal as a crucial part of addressing climate change.”

“Public corporations and governments will increasingly seek permanent, scalable carbon removal to meet their ESG goals and mandates,” said Brandon Harris, Principal at Ridgeline. “Eion’s rare combination of strong agricultural co-benefits for farmers and high capacity for verifiable carbon removal positions the company to be a leader in carbon markets going forward.”

“As a material solutions company, environmental responsibility and long-term resource management are central to Sibelco’s day-to-day business. Our investment in Eion aligns well with our ambitious global sustainability and biodiversity targets,” said Ian Sedgman, Chief Strategy & Business Development Officer at Sibelco, an upstream partner to Eion. “We are excited to support Eion and its talented team as they continue to expand low-cost enhanced rock weathering to more farmers across the U.S. and enable additional permanent carbon removal at scale.”

“Reaching the scale of carbon removal necessary to hit our climate targets requires new, innovative technologies like Eion’s,” said Joanna Klitzke, Procurement and Ecosystem Strategy lead at Frontier Climate, the carbon removal consortium funded by Stripe, Alphabet, Shopify, Meta, McKinsey and tens of thousands of businesses using Stripe Climate, which purchased carbon removals from Eion in 2021. “We’re excited about the potential of Eion’s solution to be deployed quickly, at low cost and high volumes.” 

“CarbonLock™’s unique market fit as an aglime replacement means participation isn’t disruptive to current fertility practices. The product allows many farmers who are already being good environmental stewards to capitalise on the opportunity to permanently remove carbon in a sustainable way with rock solid assurance,” said Cam Smith, CEO at AGRIgate, an agricultural channel partner to Eion. “Eion’s simple apply, remove and calculate approach is one of a kind. AGRIgate is excited to partner and scale this amazing technology with Eion.”  

Funding round to enable Eion continue building

Machinery - Pre-harvesting, Oilseeds, Seeds, World

Based on geography, in 2022, North America is expected to account for the largest share of the autonomous tractors market.

According to a new market research report titled, ‘Autonomous Tractors Marketby Type (Fully Autonomous, Semi-Autonomous Tractors), Component (LiDAR, Radar, Ultrasonic Sensors, GPS), Power Output (Up to 30 HP, 31–100 HP, 101 HP & Above), Application (Tillage, Seed Sowing, Harvesting) – Forecast to 2029,’ the autonomous tractors market is expected to reach $5.38 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 22.4 percent during the forecast period 2022–2029.

An autonomous tractor is a self-driving farm vehicle that performs its duties without an operator sitting in the cab. These tractors are equipped with GPS, sensors, and other technologies, such as vision systems, making them capable of operating with minimal manual intervention. Autonomous automobiles are touted as the next big thing in the farm equipment industry. These tractors offer several benefits, such as safety, fuel efficacy, and high productivity. Furthermore, fully autonomous farm tractors can till and plant seeds with pinpoint accuracy, resulting in better farming precision, which leads to greater yields.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Autonomous Tractors Market

The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected the global economy. The lockdowns and quarantines imposed to curb the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus negatively impacted many sectors, including the agricultural sector. In the initial days of the pandemic, disrupted logistics and transportation impacted the movement of agricultural commodities. Hence, the autonomous tractors market registered a decline in sales in 2020.

In addition to the interruptions in the industry’s value chain from raw materials supply to manufacturing, packaging, and distribution, the COVID-19 pandemic also led to restrictions on the movement of workers, a decline in demand from farmers, and the closure of equipment manufacturing facilities. The industry suffered severe labor shortages due to repeated lockdowns, affecting machinery production. The decline in revenues during the initial months of 2020, coupled with reductions in demand from major markets, impacted the profitability of autonomous tractor manufacturers and vendors. Therefore, disruptions in transportation & logistics impacted production and adversely affected the autonomous tractors market in terms of sales volumes during the initial phase of the pandemic in 2020.

However, government bodies gradually eased restrictions on transportation, making it easier for autonomous tractor providers to meet the demand from farmers across most countries. In 2021, strong growth was witnessed in the autonomous tractors market due to the growing demand for agricultural commodities. In addition, the increasing number of government subsidiaries for purchasing autonomous tractors contributed to the market’s growth.

The autonomous tractors market is segmented based on type, component, power output, application, crop type, and geography. The study also evaluates industry competitors and analyses the market at the regional and country levels.

Based on component, the autonomous tractors market is segmented into camera/vision systems, LiDAR, hand-held devices, radar, ultrasonic sensors, and GPS. In 2022, the radar segment is expected to account for the largest share of the autonomous tractors market. Radar sensors can determine the range, velocity, and angle of moving objects and operate in almost all weather conditions. Furthermore, they are much more cost-effective than LiDAR systems making them a better option than other detection systems for incorporation in autonomous tractors.

Based on power output, the autonomous tractors market is segmented into up to 30 HP, 31–100 HP, and 101 HP & above. In 2022, the 31–100 HP segment is expected to account for the largest share of the autonomous tractors market. The large market share of this segment is primarily attributed to the high demand for tractors with 31–100 HP to perform various farm operations such as planting, sowing, harvesting, and tilling. These tractors offer high durability and loading capacity, making them ideal for transportation. In addition, 31–100 HP range tractors are very versatile and provide excellent work efficiency in clay soil as well. These factors drive the demand for 31–100 HP tractors.

Based on application, the autonomous tractors market is segmented into tillage (primary & secondary tillage), seed sowing, harvesting, and other applications (spraying and fertilising). In 2022, the tillage segment is expected to account for the largest share of the autonomous tractors market. The large market share of this segment is attributed to advancements in technology and several research & development activities by agronomists. Furthermore, as manual tillage activities are more time-consuming and expensive, there is an increasing need for automation of tillage on medium and large farms for row crops worldwide.

Based on crop type, the autonomous tractors market is segmented into cereals & grains, oilseeds & pulses, and fruits & vegetables. In 2022, the fruits & vegetables segment is expected to account for the largest share of the autonomous tractors market. The large market share of this segment is attributed to the rising demand for fruits & vegetables with the rise in the global population. Weeding and harvesting fruits & vegetables are labor intensive. As a result, there is an increase in the demand for new technologies, such as autonomous tractors, to carry out labor-intensive farming.

Based on geography, in 2022, North America is expected to account for the largest share of the autonomous tractors market. North America’s major market share is attributed to the high adoption rate of advanced technologies due to the large sizes of farms. Farmers from developed countries such as the U.S. face labor shortage challenges. Thus, farmers in these countries adopt advanced agricultural equipment, such as autonomous tractors, to overcome these challenges, driving the market’s growth. However, the market in Asia-Pacific is slated to register the fastest growth rate during the forecast period of 2022–2029. The growth of this regional market is attributed to the increasing agricultural activities and the rising disposable incomes of farmers in developing economies such as India and China.

Some of the key players operating in the autonomous tractors market are AGCO Corporation (U.S.), AgJunction Inc. (U.S.), Autonomous Solutions Inc (U.S), CNH Industrial N.V. (U.K), Deere & Company (U.S.), Kubota Corporation (Japan), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (India), Raven Industries (U.S.), TRIMBLE INC (U.S.), YANMAR CO., LTD. (Japan), and Zimeno Inc. (DBA Monarch Tractor) (U.S.).

Based on geography, in 2022, North America

Agrotech, India

Dilip Ghosh, Director, ICAR-CCRI, urges farmers, stakeholders, beneficiaries to take maximum benefit of all technologies developed by the Institute.

ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute, Nagpur participated in the 13th Edition of AGROVISION – 2022, Central India’s largest Agri-summit held in Nagpur recently.

Inaugurating the Agri Exhibition, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh stresses the need for innovation and viable technologies in Agriculture to enhance the farmer’s income. The Government and Investors should work hand-in-hand for the prosperity of the farmers, he adds.

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Chief patron of the Mega event, puts emphasis that the farmers should adopt science and technology based solutions to their problems and also take the initiative in the production of bio-fuels and turn themselves from food suppliers to energy providers.

During the special workshop on citrus, Dilip Ghosh, Director, ICAR-CCRI, urged the farmers, stakeholders, beneficiaries to take maximum benefit of all the technologies developed by the Institute.

Citrus technologies, fruit samples and extension publications were exhibited and displayed in ICAR-CCRI stall. The exhibition witnessed a massive gathering of farmers, entrepreneurs, students etc. across the country who appreciated the Institutes exhibits and their displays. The exhibition gave a wider platform for commercialisation of the technologies and services and communicating to the key customers.

Dilip Ghosh, Director, ICAR-CCRI, urges farmers, stakeholders,

Acts & Schemes – Centre, India

Government focused on promoting women farmers in the country

Melinda French Gates, the Co-Chairperson of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, held a meeting with the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, in New Delhi. During the meeting, Tomar inaugurated the creation of an integrated “Agriculture Investment Portal” by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. In the meeting, Tomar said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has full focus on promoting women farmers in the country.

In the meeting, Tomar said that there are many challenges in the agriculture sector, to solve which the Government of India is continuously working efficiently under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. He said that the number of small farmers is more in the country, the government believes that if their strength increases, then the agriculture sector will improve and production will also increase, the government is working in this direction. Tomar said that traditional farming methods used to run in the agriculture sector in India, now in the current perspective there is a need for investment in the agriculture sector, in view of which the government has initiated many reforms, incorporated technology in agriculture and to ensure the eligible farmers are provided aid with transparency, the Digital Agriculture Mission has also been started in the country. Tomar told that with the aim of further increasing investment in agriculture, the Government of India has allocated a special package of over Rs 1.5 lakh crore for agriculture and allied sectors under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. Work on these provisions has started, including the Rs 1 lakh crore Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. Once these are implemented, the Indian agriculture sector will be rejuvenated.

Tomar said that a large number of women are also working in the agriculture sector in India. To increase their number and for their continuous progress, the Union Ministry of Rural Development is also running a scheme for the empowerment of women farmers, in which the Ministry of Agriculture is partnering. At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture spends a certain part of its budget for the upliftment of women farmers. Tomar said that the “Krishi Nivesh Portal” (Agriculture Investment Portal) will prove to be a milestone in terms of investment in the agriculture sector, which will be a centralised one stop portal for agri-investors to avail benefits of various government schemes implemented by various departments related to agriculture and allied sectors. He said that this portal would prove to be handy for the investors, they would get a lot of help from it. Appreciating the work being done by the Gates Foundation in various fields in India, Tomar hoped that working in the agriculture sector in India by the Foundation would prove to be a good experience.

Melinda Gates said she would be happy to work with the Ministry of Agriculture. She wants that there should be maximum involvement of women farmers. She said that the Foundation is working in many countries and has a good experience in India. Melinda Gates expressed happiness over India getting the presidency of G-20 and expressed her desire to always work together. Union Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja and Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Himanshu Pathak also gave their views in the meeting. Joint Secretary Praveen Samuel gave a presentation. Other officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and representatives of the India office of Gates Foundation were present on the occasion.


Government focused on promoting women farmers in

India, Schemes - NABARD

Project to benefit Goan farmers, agriculture and landscape

P S Sreedharan Pillai, Governor of Goa, has launched a research project for Rejuvenation of Khazan lands (coastal saline soils) of Goa being implemented by ICAR-CCARI, Goa. The programme was organised by the Agriculture and Food Processing Committee of Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).

In his address, the Governor congratulated the ICAR-CCARI team for initiating the project and NABARD for funding the project and also pointed out that if the project is successfully implemented in the Khazan lands, then a government policy can be made for using the Khazan lands by adopting models best suitable for the state of Goa.

After the launch of the project, Dr Parveen Kumar, Director, ICAR-CCARI briefed the Chief Guest about the benefits of the project to Goan farmers and Goan agriculture and landscape.

On this occasion, Governor also released a book “The Khazans of Goa” authored by Sandeep T Nadkarni, Ex-Chief Engineer, Water Resource Department, Goa.

Orlando Rodrigues, Chairman, Agriculture and Food Processing Committee, GCCI stressed upon the need for the implementation of the project to convert the Khazan lands of Goa into more productive lands with viable interventions and improve the livelihood of the Khazan land farmers.

Project to benefit Goan farmers, agriculture and

Agro chems – Pesticides, Agro Universities, Agrotech, India

1000+ farmers participated in demonstration programmes

ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack held a series of demonstrations on Drone Technology in different villages of Cuttack district covering 108 acres of rice crop area in 9 villages belonging to 4 blocks of Cuttack district, Odisha. More than 1000 farmers participated in demonstration programmes and farmers were briefed on usefulness and mechanism operation of drone technology especially in crops like rice considering its wetland nature and amount of pesticides being applied.

Department of Agriculture and Farmers welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India has sanctioned central assistance to ICAR for demonstrating Drone Technology for implementation of Component number 1 under Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM). 

Under this mission, it has been directed to conduct large scale demonstrations to promote use of Drone Technology in agriculture.

1000+ farmers participated in demonstration programmesICAR-National Rice

India

Thousands of farmers participate in the Krishi Mela turning it into a milestone for Chambal-Gwalior region

A 3-day mega agricultural fair, exhibition and training programme, organised by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, at Morena, Madhya Pradesh concludes today. On the third and final day also thousands of farmers participated in it.

On this occasion, Tomar said that this Krishi Mela proved to be a milestone for the Chambal-Gwalior region in terms of improved agriculture, and that small farmers are benefiting from the schemes of the government, as they are moving ahead.

Union Minister Tomar thanked the scientists associated with agricultural institutions across the country including the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for guiding thousands of farmers by training them in this agriculture fair. He also lauded the contribution of the MP state government and district administration and officials of the Union Ministry of Agriculture in organising the event. The Union Minister also complimented various agricultural institutions and companies for setting up the stalls.

On the last day of the fair, farmers were trained on subjects like natural farming, crop diversification and soil testing, dairy entrepreneurship, organic fertilisers, mushroom production, fish production, goat rearing, animal nutrients, water conservation, millet production and processing and floriculture. On this occasion, newly constructed seed buildings of KVK were also inaugurated. Many public representatives and office bearers of the region were also present in the programme.

Thousands of farmers participate in the Krishi

Acts & Schemes – Centre, Foodgrains, India

Millets market set to grow from its current market value of more than $9 billion to over $12 billion by 2025

To promote shipment of nutri-cereals, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry through its apex agricultural export promotion body, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has prepared a comprehensive strategy to promote Indian millets exports across the globe commencing December 2022.

The millets export promotion programme comes at the backdrop of the proposal of India that was supported by 72 countries which lead to the United Nations’ General Assembly (UNGA) declaring 2023 as International Year of Millets (IYoM). The government is currently organising IYoM-2023 at domestic and international level to popularise Indian millets as well as its value-added products across the world and make it a peoples’ movement.

For exports of Indian millets’ promotion, centre has planned to facilitate participation of exporters, farmers and traders in 16 international trade expos and Buyer Seller Meets (BSMs). As per the government’s robust strategy to promote millets, Indian missions abroad would be roped in branding and publicity of Indian millets, identification of international chefs as well as potential buyers such as departmental stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets for organising B2B meetings and direct tie-ups.

APEDA has planned to organise millet promotional activities in South Africa, Dubai, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Sydney, Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom and United States of America by facilitating participation of different stakeholders from India in some of the significant food shows, Buyer Seller Meets and Road Shows.

As part of the promotion of Indian millets, APEDA has planned to showcase millets and its value added product at various global platforms such as Gulfood 2023, Foodex, Seoul Food & Hotel Show, Saudi Agro Food, Fine Food Show in Sydney (Australia), Belgium’s Food & Beverages Show, Germany’s BioFach and Anuga Food Fair, San Francisco’s Winter Fancy Food Show, etc.

India’s top 5 millet producing states are Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, while the share of export of millets is nearly 1 per cent of the total millet production. Exports of millets from India include mainly whole grain and the export of value-added products of millets from India is negligible. However, it is estimated that the millets market is set to grow from its current market value of more than $9 billion to over $12 billion by 2025. India’s major millet exporting countries are U.A.E, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Oman, Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, the UK and the USA. The varieties of millets exported by India include Bajra, Ragi, Canary, Jawar, and Buckwheat.

Millets market set to grow from

Agro Universities, India, Pulses

16 beneficiaries awarded an ‘Authorised User Certificate’ of GI-tagged Gulbarga Tur Dal 

At a recent training programme hosted by the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Raichur and ICRISAT, 16 beneficiaries were awarded an ‘Authorised User Certificate’ of GI-tagged Gulbarga Tur Dal as granted by the Geographical Indications Registry, Government of India.

The programme enlightened the authorised users on ways to discover and flag counterfeit tur dal being sold as GI-tagged Gulbarga Tur Dal in the market. The importance of using the GI logo as an identification mark on the packaging for originality and quality assurance was explained to the authorised users.

“The GI protection offers benefits to both consumers and producers, leading to the overall economic prosperity of rural communities. An exclusive logo distinguishes the original from the counterfeit products, thus guaranteeing quality to the consumer,” said Dr Surya Mani Tripathi, Head, Legal Services, ICRISAT, who was instrumental in facilitating the GI tag for the Gulbarga Tur Dal.

The program was attended by farmers and millers, members from the Pulse Board, UAS Raichur and the IPFC team at Agribusiness and Innovation Platform (AIP)-ICRISAT. Throughout the discussion, it was emphasised that post GI registration, the focus should be on quality control and implementation of business frameworks to maximise the commercial value of GI-tagged Gulbarga Tur Dal.

16 beneficiaries awarded an 'Authorised User Certificate'

Agro chems – Fertilizers, India, Schemes - Govt

Subsidy approved will be Rs 51,875 Cr

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal of the Department of Fertilisers for per Kilogram rates of Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) for various Nutrients that is Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potash (K) and Sulphur (S) for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilisers for Rabi Season – 2022-23.

Subsidy approved by Cabinet for the NBS Rabi-2022 (from 01.10.2022 to 31.03.2023) will be Rs 51,875 crore including support for indigenous fertiliser (SSP) through freight subsidy. 

This will enable smooth availability of all P&K fertilisers to the farmers during Rabi 2022-23 at the subsidised / affordable prices of fertilisers and support the agriculture sector. 

The variation of trading prices in the international market of fertilisers and raw materials has been primarily absorbed by the Union Government.

Subsidy approved will be Rs 51,875 CrThe

Company News, India

Kissandhan aims to impact the livelihood of small farm holders and their families

Kissandhan, India’s leading Multi Asset Agri Finance NBFC and a subsidiary of the SLCM Group, on-boards more than 9600+ women loan beneficiaries through its Business Correspondent (BC) Partnership Lending Programme and disbursed more than Rs 413.40 Million of loan to them.

Sandeep Sabharwal, CEO, SLCM Groupsaid, “Throughout our journey, we have always felt the scarcity and need for women in agriculture. Kissandhan aims to impact the livelihood of small farm holders and their families. The loan benefits to women is our next step in the process. We feel delighted and proud that our programme has crossed the mark of 9,600 women loan beneficiaries, and we wish to double this number in the coming year.”

“Kissandhan is an initiative that intends to minimise this disparity and recognise women and their significant role in livelihood generation and thus give them the desired access to capital to improve their social and economic standing”. Till date, Kissandhan has disbursed loan of Rs 25 billion and impacted about half a million farmers, Agri traders, Agri Processors etc.

Kissandhan aims to impact the livelihood of

Agrotech, Company News, Finance, India, Institutions

Farm Pass serves over 600,000 farmers in India and two million globally, providing a standard interface for farmers and buyers

To economically empower smallholder farmers in rural India, Bayer, Rabo Partnerships and MasterCard have entered into a partnership to launch a scalable programme to advance the digitisation of the country’s agricultural finance ecosystem. This collaboration brings together the decades of expertise of the three companies in digital and agri finance and payments technology to bear upon the task of expanding access to agronomic knowledge, products, services, and partnerships. Over five years, the program aims to benefit 10 million smallholder farmers in India by enabling them to gain easier access to formal financial services.

Smallholder farmers account for 86 per cent of India’s agrarian economy but have difficulty sourcing quality farm products and are often at the mercy of middlemen when it comes to pricing. MasterCard’s Farm Pass is a digital ecosystem platform that works offline, even with feature phones, connecting buyers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and other agriculture ecosystem players with farmers digitally, and helping them get the best value for their produce. The solution, which serves over 600,000 farmers in India and two million globally, creates a standard interface for farmers and buyers that facilitates greater efficiency in the agriculture value chain.

The program is part of Bayer’s commitment to reach 100 million smallholder farmers worldwide by 2030 with much-needed inputs, digital tools and financial services. Bayer’s FarmRise provides various digital advisory services to smallholders today and through MasterCard’s Farm Pass digital platform, farmers will gain access to new marketplaces and a much wider pool of potential buyers, enabling them to improve their livelihoods in a commercially sustainable way. Rabo Partnerships will enable access to financial services over the platform by the Indian financial sector, by enabling data-driven credit scoring, credit analytics and product development within the partner financial institutions.

D Narain, President, of Bayer South Asia and Global Head of Smallholder Farming said, “Bayer has been working with farmers to increase their income and productivity by enabling access to best-in-class products, the latest technology, and low-cost finance. Its initiatives like Better Life Farming, food value chain partnerships, etc. are already transforming the lives of millions of farmers in India. We are delighted to now join hands with Rabo Partnerships and MasterCard to build a digital ecosystem, which will further help smallholders in India. Through this partnership, smallholder farmers will not only gain easier access to agricultural advisory services and direct market linkages, but also build their credit profiles and lower their input costs through access to institutional credit, allowing them to increase efficiency, improve crop yields, and grow their profits significantly.”

Nikhil Sahni, Division President, South Asia, MasterCardsaid, “As part of MasterCard’s pledge to connect one billion people to the digital economy, the company has been actively working with farmers in several countries to bring them onto a digital platform that directly connects them with buyers, empowering them to negotiate the best price for their produce. This is in line with the Indian government’s efforts towards inclusive growth by leveraging technology. The collaboration with Bayer and Rabo Partnerships is helping build a very effective model of agricultural digitisation that can serve as a global example.”

David Gerbrands, Global Head Advisory & Inclusive Ventures, Rabo Partnerships said: “Rabo Partnerships aims to contribute to the improvement of farmer livelihoods worldwide. Achieving this requires sustainable partnerships, which is why Rabo Partnerships is excited to partner with Bayer and Mastercard to establish a scalable digital ecosystem, enabling farmers and as well as other agricultural value chain partners with a wide array of services, including agro advisory, inputs procurement, marketing, and access to formal financial services.”

Farm Pass serves over 600,000 farmers in

Agrotech, Company News, India

Best Launch of the Year (Implement) award for the New Holland Roll-Bar 125 Round Baler

New Holland Agriculture, a brand of CNH Industrial, has been awarded with Best Tractor in 31-40 HPcategory for the New Holland 3037 TX 4WD tractor at the fourth Farm Power Awards. The New Holland Roll-Bar 125 Round Baler also won the Best Launch of the Year (Implement)at the awards.

Honoured by the recognition, Gagan Pal- Director Agriculture Brand India, CNH Industrial,said “At New Holland Agriculture, we are committed to offering world-class quality products for the Indian farmers that are also technologically advanced. Beyond the existing products, the brand is also dedicated to investing resources to develop sustainable solutions for the industry. We are delighted to have received this award and are further invigorated to continue providing best-in-class machines and help develop the sector in India.”

New Holland Agriculture aims to support the farmers in their journey to a more productive, efficient and effective way of farming with its products backed by superior technology and performance.

Organised annually, the Farm Power Awards honours the efforts of the OEMs and institutions that has led to significant contributions in the industry and have impacted the lives of farmers.

Best Launch of the Year (Implement) award