Connect with:
Friday / March 29. 2024
HomePosts Tagged "Godrej Agrovet"

The panel discussions delved into the challenges women face in the agri-food sector, focusing on skill gaps and the potential for collaboration between education and industry to address these issues.

Godrej Agrovet Limited (GAVL) organised the inaugural ‘Women in Agriculture’ summit on Tuesday, March 5, at Godrej One in Mumbai. The primary objective of the summit was to celebrate and acknowledge the invaluable contributions of women in the agriculture sector.

Contrary to common misconceptions that agriculture is predominantly a male-dominated field, data from our country reveals a different reality. In India, a staggering 86.1 million women, constituting 60 per cent of all female workers, are engaged in agriculture. In rural India, this figure rises to 84 per cent, emphasising the significant role women play in this sector. However, the disparity persists in agri-businesses, where men continue to outnumber women across various positions. The summit aimed to illuminate the crucial yet often overlooked role of women in Indian agriculture.

The panel discussions delved into the challenges women face in the agri-food sector, focusing on skill gaps and the potential for collaboration between education and industry to address these issues. Another panel explored avenues for developing and advancing women in leadership roles, facilitating the exchange of ideas while underscoring the need to empower women in the industry.

Balram Singh Yadav, Managing Director of GAVL, commented on the summit, stating, “Despite their significant presence and immense contributions, our women farmers lack essential resources. To feed a billion-plus people in our country, we must create an ecosystem that promotes women not only on the farm fields but also in agri-businesses. Equipping them with the necessary knowledge, infrastructure, and support will undoubtedly enhance the overall agricultural output of the country.”

Yadav further emphasised, “As India moves towards a future of sustainable development, empowering women across the value chain and recognizing their significant contributions becomes non-negotiable. Therefore, through partnerships with the Agriculture Skill Council of India (ASCI), the Future Agriculture Leaders of India (FALI), and Godrej Good & Green, we aim to nurture 1 lakh women in the sector for better employment opportunities and economic upliftment.”

The Agriculture Skill Council of India (ASCI) focuses on capacity building, bridging gaps, and upgrading skills of individuals engaged in organised/unorganised segments of Agriculture & Allied Sectors. The Future of Agriculture Leaders in India (FALI), supported by leading agribusiness entities, works with rural students, providing them with the technical, business, and leadership skills required for success in modern, sustainable agriculture and agro enterprise.

Mallika Mutreja, Head of Human Resources at GAVL, highlighted the importance of women’s empowerment, stating, “At GAVL, the empowerment of women is at the heart of every action we undertake. We firmly believe that feminization in agriculture will help us adapt best practices and address structural inequalities crucial for our industry to realize the potential of women farmers. While this inaugural summit with the Agriculture Skill Council of India signifies a crucial moment, as an entity focused on helping feed our nation, we look forward to more such collaborations in the coming years.”

The summit garnered participation from industry leaders and academic experts, including Nadir Godrej, Chairman and Managing Director of Godrej Industries Limited (GIL) and Chairman of GAVL, Nisaba Godrej, Executive Chairperson, Godrej Consumer Products Limited, Burjis Godrej, Executive Director & COO – Crop Protection Business, GAVL, Ahana Gautam, CEO, Open Secret, Angshuman Bhattacharya, Partner, EY, Geetika Mehta, Managing Director of Nivea, Ireena Vittal, Advisor & Expert (Indian Agriculture & Urban Change) & Independent Director, Shilpa Divekar Nirula, Venture Partner, Omnivore, Prof. Vidya Vemireddy, Chair of the Gender Centre at IIM Ahmedabad and Dr Satendra Arya, CEO of the Agriculture Skill Council of India.

The ‘Women in Agriculture’ summit stands as a testament to GAVL’s commitment to recognising and empowering women in the agricultural sector. By fostering a platform for dialogue and collaboration, the summit paves the way for a future where women are acknowledged as equal partners in driving sustainable agricultural growth in India.

                                                                                                       By Abhitash Singh

                                                                                                abhitash.singh@agrospectrumindia.com

The panel discussions delved into the challenges

New packaging launched to protect farmers from counterfeits.

Godrej Agrovet Limited’s (GAVL) Crop Protection Business announced that its biostimulant, Combine, has completed 25 years of enabling Indian grape farmers grow better-quality grapes.

Commenting on 25 years of Combine, Balram Singh Yadav, Managing Director, GAVL, said “In a tropical country like India, Combine has been instrumental in aiding farmers get better yield and quality for their grapes. We serve 90K farming families who grow grapes in close to 1.5 Lakh acres of land every year.  We are happy to have contributed towards putting India on the global grapes map and bringing prosperity to grape growing farmers.”

Aligned with the guidelines set by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), ‘Combine’ has been a critical instrument in elevating grape quality. With the right application, grape growers are able to achieve premium parameters such as a bunch weight of 400-500 g, berry diameter of 18 mm and above, uniform berry colour, and improved shelf life. These attributes, in tandem with an ability to reduce impact of disease spreading pests like powdery mildew and downy mildew.

Burjis Godrej, Executive Director & COO, Crop Protection Business, GAVL affirmed, “Grapes stand as a significant contributor to India’s export prowess, holding immense potential to bolster our agricultural economy. At Godrej Agrovet, we take pride in our role as enablers, and our product ‘Combine’ emerges as a key to realizing this potential. By enabling grape farmers to grow their harvest aligned to the global quality standards, ‘Combine’ empowers them to attain exceptional grape quality.”

Considering that the grape is an important fruit with high export potential, it is imperative to have a robust system in place to tackle pests as around 50-80 per cent of the yield is lost due to pest attack. As an integral component of the Integrated Disease Management approach, Combine offers solutions that not only target specific pests but also address potential disease issues in grape cultivation.

The company also launched a celebratory pack marking 25 years of Combine and its commitment to better farming in addition to protecting farmers from counterfeit products. Combine’s new pack is user-friendly and comes in a safe packaging bottle. It has a tamper-evident seal which blasts open and falls when anyone tries to open the bottle. The label has complex watermarks to avoid duplication and the bottle also has a hologram – a unique 9-digit code on each and every bottle to ensure authenticity. While the hologram also has smartly embedded letter ‘G’ to assure the customer that the product is genuine, ‘Braille’ marking on the neck reading danger has also been added for the visually impaired.

Commenting on the same, Rajavelu N.K, CEO, Crop Protection Business, GAVL said, ‘As pests and diseases threaten grape yields, there is a need to popularize Integrated Disease Management in farming community by imparting training to farmers at grass root level”.

New packaging launched to protect farmers from

State Governments along with Oil Palm processing companies are participating in Mega Plantation Drive for Oil Palm Cultivation to cover an area of roughly 7750 hectares

To increase the oil palm production area to 10 lakh hectares and boost the Crude Palm Oil production to 11.20 lakh tonnes by 2025-26, the Government of India launched National Mission for Edible Oils- Oil Palm in August 2021. In addition to the marked growth in the production of edible oils, the Mission is also successfully leading India towards an ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ by reducing the import burden. Under the Mission, the State Governments along with Oil Palm processing companies have initiated a Mega Oil Palm Plantation drive from 25th July 2023 to further increase oil palm cultivation in the country. Three major oil palm processing companies, namely, Patanjali Food Pvt. Ltd., Godrej Agrovet, and 3F are actively promoting and participating with the farmers in their respective states for record area expansion.

The Mega plantation drive commenced on 25th July 2023 and will continue till 12th August 2023. The major oil palm growing states, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, Goa, Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh will be participating in this initiative.

The drive started on the 25th of July 2023 in the Rest of India (RoI) states i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamilnadu, Odisha, Goa and Karnataka, and will continue till the 08th of August and will cover an area of almost 7000 hectares area out of which more than 6500 hectares is targeted to be covered by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

State Governments along with Oil Palm processing

The company has launched a celebratory pack marking 25 years of Double with the label that has complex watermarks to avoid duplication.

Godrej Agrovet Limited’s (GAVL) Crop Protection Business announced that its bio stimulant, Double, has completed 25 years of enabling better yield for Indian farmers. Double has treated 3 Crore acres of Indian farmland and brought prosperity to the lives of 2 Crore farming families over the last 25 years. The company also launched a celebratory pack marking 25 years of Double and its commitment to better farming in addition to protecting farmers from counterfeit products.

Double’s new pack is user-friendly and comes in a safe packaging bottle. It has a tamper-evident seal which blasts open and falls when anyone tries to open the bottle. The label has complex watermarks to avoid duplication and the bottle also has a hologram – a unique 9-digit code on each and every bottle to ensure authenticity. While the hologram also has smartly embedded letter ‘G’ to assure the customer that the product is genuine, ‘Braille’ marking on the neck reading danger has also been added for the visually impaired.

Commenting on 25 years of Double, Balram Singh Yadav, Managing Director, GAVL said, “Double was launched with an objective to help farmers increase yield of their crops. Since its inception, we have touched the lives of 2 Crore Indian farmers and have witnessed an average 18 per cent increase in yield and hence income of our Indian farmers. We are confident that a product like Double, if used in proper quantity and at right time, would aid farmers to further enhance their yield and income in addition to ensuring food security of our nation.”

Burjis Godrej, Executive Director, GAVL highlighting the importance of biostimulants said, “70 per cent of yield gap globally is dictated by climate change. In India too, soaring temperature and erratic rainfall continue to impact crop yield and favor weed & pest proliferation. It is under such unfavourable conditions that biostimulants aid in enhancing the yield of the crops. The global and Indian biostimulant market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.8 per cent and 12.5% respectively by 2031. Hence, as the world’s largest producer of HBR, we at GAVL will continue serving Indian farmers by offering different biostimulants as per their crop requirement.”

GAVL started working extensively on Homobrassinolide (HBR), a raw material for Double, in 1992. Witnessing its role in improving cell division and cell elongation in crops, the company launched Double in 1998, enabling farmers to leverage its benefits. In addition to reducing flower drop and fruit shedding, a biostimulant like Double also aids in enhancing a crop’s ability to withstand biotic and abiotic stresses.

The company has launched a celebratory pack

To enable farmers, develop and maintain, their oil palm garden during gestation period of first 5 years.

Godrej Agrovet’s Oil Palm Business announced the launch of first-of-its-kind finance offering for oil palm farmers in partnership the State Bank of India (SBI). A product jointly developed by the company and country’s leading public sector bank will enable farmers avail loan for setting up micro irrigation facility, set up fencing arrangement to protect from cattle grazing and improvement of tube well at their oil palm farms. Introduced with an objective of aiding oil palm growth by improving Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) productivity, it will act as a catalyst to maintain juvenile gardens during the gestation period of first 5 years.

Sougata Niyogi, CEO, Oil Palm Business, Godrej Agrovet said, “The partnership with SBI is a testament of our company’s efforts to improve farmer’s confidence in sustainable oil palm farming. With no income visibility during the long gestation period, this partnership will aid bridge the gap for their finance needs during the initial years.”

“The implementation of National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) has generated a new sense of excitement and momentum in the oil palm industry since its launch in August 2021. Being a leading player, we will continue to provide solution for industry’s expansion and prosperity,” he further added.

Launched initially for the oil palm farmers of Telangana state, Godrej Agrovet farmers from the states of Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Assam, Manipur and Tripura can now easily avail loan with the ticket-size of Rs 1 Lac to Rs 50 Crore.

Commenting on first-of-its kind Horticulture Loan, K.V.L.N. Murthy, A.G.M. ABU Hyderabad, SBI, said, “We’re happy to partner with Godrej Agrovet in nation’s quest to reduce import of oil palm. With no security needed for a loan up to Rs 1.6 Lacs, the product is ideal for farmers venturing into oil palm farming for the first time. With the entire process being facilitated by Godrej Agrovet, a farmer can easily understand product integrities and apply for the same at Samadhan centers of the company. We’re confident of extending this product to more oil palm farmers of our country in the coming months.”

Godrej Agrovet is the largest oil palm processor in India and works directly with the farmers for the entire lifecycle of their crop. With 65,000 hectares of palm oil under cultivation across the country, the company plans to increase cultivation by 1 Lac hectares by 2027. Through its Samadhan centres, a one stop solution centre, it provides a comprehensive package of knowledge, tools, services, and solutions to oil palm farmers. Each Samadhan centre intends to support the planting of 2,000 hectares of oil palm and help farmers achieve a sustained productivity in mature gardens through the use of modern agricultural technologies and expert advice. The partnership with the SBI is another step to boost income and productivity of oil palm farmers.

To enable farmers, develop and maintain, their

PYNA brand to have a range of weed management options from seed sowing to active flowering stage.

Godrej Agrovet Limited’s (GAVL) Crop Protection Business announced the launch of PYNA, an umbrella brand for sustainable cotton production. A pioneer in establishing the concept of selective cotton herbicides in different markets, GAVL will be selling three of its cotton weed management products Hitweed, Hitweed Maxx, and Maxxcott under PYNA brand.

The cotton crops grow at a slow pace during the early stages. Additionally, due to wider spacing between the crops, weeds impact the cotton yield up to 45-50 per cent. With PYNA brands providing a broad window of weed management options from seed sowing to active flowering stage of crop stage, farmers can now get longer duration of weed-free crop. PYNA brands minimizes the crop – weed competition and helps to establish the cotton crop in the early stages, which directly has a positive impact on the yield.

GAVL also announced that it will be extending PYNA brand logo to co-marketers like Bayer CropScience, Rallis India, Dhanuka Agritech, PI Industries and Indofil Industries etc. are promoting and helping the farmers grow cotton sustainably through on PYNA brands which is a symbol of Trust and Quality.  Easy and safe to use, PYNA brand products aid farmers reduce dependency on manual and mechanical methods of weed control too.

Rajavelu N.K, CEO, Crop Protection Business, GAVL said, “Globally, India has largest area under cotton cultivation. However, with only 10 per cent of total cotton acreage area treated properly, it has not only impacted the productivity but also farmers profitability. Hence in order to enable sustainable cotton production, we are happy to bring our 3-marquee offerings under PYNA brand.”

“In order to ensure quality supply to farmers every time, we are excited to partner with co-marketers to leverage PYNA brand. The same will allow them to leverage the trust that Godrej brand has earned amongst the farmers in the last 36 years and collectively tap 90 per cent untapped cotton acreage,” he further added.

GAVL was the first company to introduce post-emergent selective cotton herbicide, Hitweed, in 2007. Enabling cotton plants to get more space, light, and air for robust growth without impacting the soil, it was developed for usage 20-25 Days After Sowing (DAS).  Witnessing the need to protect cotton crop during early post-emergent phase viz. 7-15 DAS, it launched Hitweed Maxx in 2019 which enabled farmers get superior crop safety and better efficacy. In 2023, the company launched Maxxcott – a pre-emergent herbicide to be used 0-3 DAS – which eliminates growth of major weeds in cotton, ensures good growth of cotton seedlings, and reduces further spread of major weeds.

PYNA brand to have a range of

Each Samadhan center intends to support the planting of 2,000 hectares of oil palm and help farmers achieve a sustained productivity in mature gardens.

Godrej Agrovet’s Oil Palm business has introduced a ground-breaking initiative called Samadhan, a one stop solution centre that would provide a comprehensive package of knowledge, tools, services and solutions to oil palm farmers. ‘Samadhan’ aims to be a critical enabler in Palm Oil industry and assist oil palm farmers in optimising their yields by adopting latest agricultural techniques and boosting their productivity. With the focus to provide knowledge and access to contemporary technologies, ’Samadhan’ will enable famers to make informed decisions about venturing into oil palm cultivation thereby enabling sustained growth in their income.

Since the launch of National Mission on Edible Oil – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), in August 2021, Godrej Agrovet Ltd., a diversified agri-business company and a pioneer in the Oil Palm sector in India, had established a goal to add 60,000 hectares of additional oil palm plantations over the course of the next five years to support the long-term sustainable development of oil palm in India. The company has developed Samadhan in order to achieve this goal.

Each Samadhan center intends to support the planting of 2,000 hectares of oil palm and help farmers achieve a sustained productivity in mature gardens through the use of modern agricultural technologies and expert advice. Through this initiative, Godrej Agrovet Ltd. plans to share global best practices with the Indian oil palm farmers and help the farmers to adopt these practices across geographies. It will also help to support farmers to avail developmental finance, Government subsidies/schemes & other benefits. Speaking about the initiative Balram Singh Yadav, Managing Director, Godrej Agrovet Limited said, “With more than thirty years of experience in the oil palm business, we have been working with and educating farmers on sustainable palm oil plantation processes. With the help of Samadhan, we hope to provide solution for industry’s expansion and prosperity. We are aiming to provide a variety of resources, services, professional guidance and latest technologies to these palm oil farmers. We have recently opened two centers each in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and by March 2023, we intend to expand it. By 2027, we plan to establish 50 more centers similar to

Each Samadhan center intends to support the

 The company receives Verification Certification in recognition of the sustainable practices adopted by its oil palm business

Godrej Agrovet Ltd. has become the first company in the country to be awarded a verification Certification under the Indian Palm Oil Sustainability (IPOS) Framework, issued by an independent international certification body, in recognition of the sustainable practices adopted by its oil palm business. The certification was presented to the Chief Executive Officer of Godrej Agrovet’s Oil Palm Plantation business Sougata Niyogi.

India, the world’s largest consumer of palm oil, is pushing ahead with its own ambitious plans to boost its production of the commodity.

The IPOS Framework, established by the Solvent Extractors Association of India with assistance from Solidaridad, the Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research, and SOPOPRAD, has been created for the Indian industry and lays down a set of environment friendly, economically viable and socially beneficial practices and guidelines.

It is aimed at facilitating the well-being of farmers while ensuring that the growth is sustainable from environmental & social perspectives.

Godrej Agrovet’s CEO, Oil Palm Plantation, Sougata Niyogi said “With more than thirty years of experience in the oil palm business, Godrej Agrovet is the largest developer and producer of Crude Palm Oil in India. The business plays a vital role in driving sustainability agenda in the production of Oil Palm and has therefore strived towards educating farmers on sustainable palm oil cultivation practices on a continuous basis. This certification is a result of our commitment in supporting farmers to enhance their farm management skills that lead to improved productivity. We are grateful to the Indian Palm Oil Sustainability Framework (IPOS) for recognizing our efforts and look forward to achieving greater milestones in the near future”

Over the years, Godrej Agrovet has developed plantations across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Maharashtra, Odisha, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram. Recently, Godrej Agrovet, has signed MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) with Assam, Manipur and Tripura State governments for development and promotion of oil palm cultivation in the region under the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) scheme. The MoUs signed are in line with the company’s long-term strategy to be the catalyst of India’s edible oil mission through sustainable growth of oil palm production and doubling of farmers’ income.

 The company receives Verification Certification in recognition

The collaboration will bring new opportunities and growth in building oil palm plantation in Assam, Manipur and Tripura.

Godrej Agrovet, one of India’s largest diversified agribusiness companies, today announced that it has signed three MoUs (Memorandum of Understand) with Assam Manipur and Tripura state governments for development and promotion of oil palm cultivation in the region under the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) scheme.

In August 2021, Government of India had launched the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEOOP) with planned outlay of Rs 11,040 Crore. Under this mission, Government has envisaged to raise area under cultivation of oil palm to 10 Lakh hectares by 2025-26 and 16.7 Lakh hectares by 2029-30 with special focus on the North East region and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

As part of the MoU signed, Godrej Agrovet will be allotted land across the three states for promotion and development of sustainable palm oil plantations in the region. The collaboration will bring new opportunities and growth in building oil palm plantation in these three states and would help to provide the required support to the farmers.

Balram Singh Yadav, Managing Director, Godrej Agrovet Limited, said, “With more than thirty years of experience in oil palm business, Godrej Agrovet has been working and educating farmers from North East on sustainable palm oil plantation processes. Currently, we have around 65,000 hectares under palm oil cultivation across the country, which we plan to increase to 1 lakh hectares in the next few years. We are confident that the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) along with active participation of responsible organisations such as Godrej Agrovet will lead to bridging the gap in India’s oil mission.”

Sougata Niyogi, CEO – Oil Palm, Godrej Agrovet Limited, added, “We have been invested in promoting and developing north east as a growth market for palm oil cultivation for over a decade. According to industry estimates, these states have utilised less than 1% of its potential. These states promise huge opportunity for growth and improving income of the farming household. With our processing plant in Mizoram, we are prepared to sustainably serve the demand of the north east markets. With active support of the state governments, we can develop 15000 hectares in four North Eastern states in the next five years.”

The collaboration will bring new opportunities and

Sstudents participated in business plan and technology innovation contests

The Future Agriculture Leaders of India (FALI) Program recently concluded its 8th Convention at Jain Hills in Jalgaon. In its eighth year, FALI has established itself as a unique, high impact programme that makes agriculture attractive for the next generation by providing interactive learning, field visits, business plan contests, and exposure to cutting-edge agriculture and agribusiness. In the last academic year, FALI provided its programme to over 11,000 (eighth and ninth standard) students across 135 government-aided rural schools in Maharashtra and Gujarat. The number of FALI alums today totals 25,000, most pursuing higher education in science and agriculture and positioned to be future leaders of Indian agriculture.

In its first eight years, FALI has received strong support from several leading agribusinesses in India: Godrej Agrovet, Jain Irrigation, UPL, Bayer and StarAgri. At the FALI Convention, these companies participated along with leaders of over ten other agribusinesses and banks interested in supporting FALI 9 and beyond. These companies concur that the results of FALI have shifted the attitudes of students and their parents, who before saw subsistence farming as an unattractive career for their children. FALI students have taken home modern agriculture practices and with FALI, parents see modern, sustainable agriculture and agro-enterprise as a promising path for their children.

Over the next ten years, FALI is expected to increase the number of students and schools by 25 per cent a year in Maharashtra and Gujarat, adding Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. At this rate, FALI would have backed the creation of over 2,50,000 future leaders of Indian agriculture in the next few years. The Board in its recent AGM also agreed on programmes for FALI alums, internships, scholarships and seed funding for FALI alumni ventures.

Commenting on the Board’s decision to expand the initiative’s reach, Nadir B Godrej, Chairman, Godrej Agrovet, and Chair of the Association for FALI, said, “Despite registering impressive growth by the sector, agriculture in India is losing its sheen with the next generation. We need to overcome economic, social, and psychological barriers jointly. FALI’s efforts have steered over 11,000 students towards modern and sustainable agriculture in the last eight years. Today, as the Chair of the Association for FALI, I am delighted to announce our plans to expand the footprint of this innovative programme to three more states of India. It aligns with our commitment to promote sustainable agriculture and agro-entrepreneurship among the next generation.”

At the FALI 8 Convention over 800 of the top FALI students participated in business plan and technology innovation contests which were judged by senior managers of companies which do or plan to support FALI.

Sstudents participated in business plan and technology

Developed by Japan’s Nisan Chemical Corporation, the compound exhibits excellent control of chewing and sucking pests such as larva, caterpillars, and thrips on farms

Godrej Agrovet has launched Gracia (Fluxametamide, an isoxazoline compound) in the Indian market. Gracia is patented chemistry discovered and developed by Japan’s Nisan Chemical Corporation and will be introduced in India through collaboration with Godrej Agrovet.

The solution exhibits excellent control of chewing and sucking pests such as larva, caterpillars, and thrips in farms producing a variety of pulses, hot pepper, cole crops, tomatoes, brinjal and okra. It allosterically inhibits GABA gated chloride channel in the insect’s nervous system.

Gracia aims to provide more extended duration and effectiveness in controlling pests and excellent rain fastness.

Developed by Japan’s Nisan Chemical Corporation, the