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AgroPolicy

The objective of this conclave was to give thrust to increase the area, production and productivity, marketing, branding of Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) and also to enhance the farmer’s income

Under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, National Conclave on Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) has been organised on July 7, 2022. The objective of this conclave was to give thrust to increase the area, production and productivity, marketing, branding of Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) and also to enhance the farmer’s income. A Technical Session was also conducted to address the issues related to planting material, cultivation practices, post-harvest & marketing and research on Kamlam (Dragon Fruit). Progressive farmers of States namely Haryana, Karnataka, Gujarat and Nagaland shared their experiences during the workshop.

Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, DA&FW, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, GoI as Chief Guest shared his views and highlighted that there is need to promote and develop a plan for increasing the area of Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) as the fruit is having specific nutritional value and global demand.

He suggested to prepare an Annual Action Plan (AAP) of 5 years in consultation with States to promote overall development in respect to cultivation, post-harvest management, marketing processing and Value addition.

Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, mentioned in his speech that there should be potential market of this fruit so that growers can develop their own branding. There is also need to develop a 5-year strategy to increase the area of Kamlam upto 50,000 ha.

The objective of this conclave was to

Agrotech

The company recently announced the expansion of its SmartFresh Inbox in California with CDPR approval for a range of new crops

AgroFresh Solutions, Inc, a global agtech innovator that provides produce freshness solutions, and digital technologies that enhance the quality and extend the shelf life of fresh produce, recently announced the expansion of its SmartFresh Inbox in California with the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s (CDPR) approval for a range of new crops. SmartFresh InBox offers powerful protection in a small, portable sachet, expanding the availability of SmartFresh technology for growers, packers and retailers who either don’t have an airtight room or require a more convenient option.

SmartFresh InBox, now registered in California on pome fruits (apples and pears), stone fruits (peaches and plums), kiwi and avocados, utilises AgroFresh’s industry leading SmartFresh (1-MCP) ethylene management technology to delay the ripening process and helps maintain post-harvest produce quality and freshness. SmartFresh InBox sachets are easy to apply and handle, offering effective protection against internal and external threats to freshness, resulting in increased shelf life and reduced levels of food loss and waste.

“California is the largest and most diverse fruit growing region in the US and our customers there need more flexible application methods and products to help preserve and protect the crops they oversee,” said Sarah Enescu, Commercial Business Director for AgroFresh.

The company recently announced the expansion of

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, Finance

Insta-Release aims to empower farmers with quick access to their farm produce for value optimisation upon repayment of loans

Arya.ag, India’s largest and fastest-growing integrated grain commerce platform, has recently announced another industry-first, Arya’s Insta-Release – One Click Loan Repayment and Commodity Discharge. Leveraging its technology stack, Arya.ag has been able to optimise its release process to happen within seconds – which otherwise by current industry standards takes over 24 hours to a week.

Agricultural market prices are quite dynamic. The platform’s Price Intelligence mechanism combined with immediate access to the farmers’ stocks – loaned and otherwise, enables them to make prompt & informed decisions on commodity sales. With Arya’s marketplace search engine that connects sellers to buyers across the country and its embedded logistics service, users can now seamlessly reach buyers in no time.

The launch of innovative Insta-Release services aims to empower farmers to immediately optimise their farm produce upon repayment of loans. Insta Release leverages Arya.ag’s pioneering integrated digital platform and allows the farmer to gain complete control of her farm produce immediately upon repayment of loans – all this at just click of a button. Apart from convenience, the Insta-Release offering drives home transparency, efficiency and ease of Arya.ag’s integrated service offerings to farmers.

To release stocks, registered customers can log on to their dashboard, choose how many bags of funded or non-funded bags they wish to release. Once they select the quantity, the platform instantly generates details of the rent and loan outstanding accrued against those bags. A user can pay instantly on the platform to receive the Release Order in a matter of seconds.

Anand Chandra, Arya.ag’s co-founder, said, “Our endeavour at Arya.ag is to align the supply and demand in a secure yet mutually beneficial proposition. We recognise that reduced turn-around-time and lower transaction costs benefits all stakeholders; however immediate payments benefit small-hold farmers, and immediate delivery of stocks is critical for buyers”.

 Arya.ag’s Insta-Release leverages AI, ML, IoT to deliver an enriching experience to end-users. Instant loans, online payments and instant release of commodities ensures that agri-commodity becomes a powerful tool in the hands of the producer.

Insta-Release aims to empower farmers with quick

AgroPolicy

The meeting followed directions from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry to scale up shipments in order to alleviate any global supply chain disruptions in view of the geopolitical situation

Amidst a record surge in wheat exports in the current fiscal, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) recently organised a meeting of key stakeholders in the value chain for promoting exports to those countries which have a huge shipment potential.

The meeting, held on March 17, 2022, followed directions from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry to scale up shipments in order to alleviate any global supply chain disruptions in view of the geopolitical situation.

The meeting was chaired by APEDA chairman Dr M Angamuthu and had participation of key stakeholders such as traders, exporters, port officials, policy influencers from the Ministries of Food & Consumer Affairs, Railways and officials from various State Governments.

The export of wheat recorded a huge surge at $1742 million during April-January 2021-22, growing 387 per cent over the corresponding period in 2020-21 when it touched $340.17 million.

India has reported a wheat export worth of $2352.22 million in the last three years, including the first ten months of current fiscal 2021-22. In 2019-20, the wheat export was worth $61.84 million which rose to $549.67 million in 2020-21.

India is in final talks to start wheat export to Egypt, while discussions are going on with countries like Turkey, China, Bosnia, Sudan, Nigeria, Iran, etc to start wheat export.

The meeting followed directions from the Ministry

Agrotech, R&D

The key objective of the tripartite MoU signed by the Ministry of Ayush, ICAR and CSIR is to draw cognizance to the traditional agricultural practices of India

Ministry of Ayush has signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding with Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for Inter-Ministerial co-operation for the promotion and facilitation of research and development, validation, and deployment of agri-technologies related to medicinal plants and their value-added products of benefit to humans, plants and animals. The MoU was signed by Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Director General, ICAR and Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education, and Dr Shekhar C Mande, Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR in the presence of senior officials from the three organizations in New Delhi.

The key objective of the tripartite MoU signed by the Ministry of Ayush, ICAR and CSIR is to draw cognizance to the traditional agricultural practices of India, and take up joint R&D pursuits for validating and deploying these interventions for facilitating socio-economic growth in the country.

On this occasion, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush drew attention to valuable traditional knowledge in the form of Vrikshayurved, Mrigayurved, etc., stating that the cooperation will be instrumental in validating these traditional sciences and practices towards integrative agriculture for the benefit of not only humans, but also plants and animals.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Director General, ICAR and Secretary, DARE stated that the cooperation being signed by ICAR, Ayush and CSIR is a historical milestone towards reaffirming the mandates of the three organisations to the national goals on food & agriculture. The effort will focus on specific joint activities by the three Parties in the said areas to make a significant impact to the lives of Indians.

The key objective of the tripartite MoU

Interaction

At the India Pavilion, the theme of ‘Food, Agriculture and Livelihood’ was represented by celebrating the diversity of Indian Agriculture under four major sub-sectors

The ‘Food, Agriculture and Livelihood fortnight’ at the Indian Pavilion in EXPO2020 Dubai concluded on March 2, 2022, highlighted India’s investment-friendly policies, growth opportunities and showcased country’s core strengths across different areas of Agriculture and allied sectors to the global investors.

At the India Pavilion, the theme of ‘Food, Agriculture and Livelihood’ was represented by celebrating the diversity of Indian Agriculture under four major sub-sectors: Millets, Horticulture, Organic and Food Basket of the World (dairy, poultry & fisheries). The stories shared through the sub-sectors also covered Food Processing & Cooperation, which are also pillars for future growth.

Starting on February 17, 2022, the fortnight was inaugurated by Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare along with Shubha Thakur, Joint Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The inaugural ceremony also included the opening of the Millets Food Festival along with introductory conversations amongst the Government & Private sector.

In line with the recent declaration of the year 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets’ by the United Nations General Assembly, India’s advantage as a major Millet producer was highlighted during the expo. A seminar on Millets was conducted to highlight India’s potential and tremendous opportunities of this sub-sector, for stakeholders across the Millets value chain including processing & export.

The seminar organised on the subject ‘Indian Organic and Horticulture Sector–Moving Up the Value Chain’, further emphasised on the progress made in these sub-sectors to improve quality and access high-value markets.

At the India Pavilion, the theme of

Agrotech

FamERP is known to help manage farms and farmlands seamlessly and efficiently

FarmERP is a future-ready Enterprise-Resource Management software platform designed by the co-founders of Shivrai Technologies. It is known to help manage farms and farmlands seamlessly and efficiently.

Data Capturing and Data Management both are advantageous practices that every industry requires. FarmERP facilitates the provision of every service that is required by an agri-business in the full circle from start to end. From accounting for the most minute expenses to executing the largest orders, all the data are recorded and organised in a very systematic form for the ultimate calculations to be accurate.

Having a well-organised record of all activity facilitates the farmers to produce a better-quality yield. A well-managed and an organised structure can influence the right decisions to be taken at every step of the way, making certain that every arrow pulled has a relatively greater chance of capturing the bull’s eye. This is where FarmERP comes into frame to try and aid the smoother functioning of farms by helping farmers resolve their farming problems effectively, efficiently, and seamlessly.

Additionally, many farmers face hurdles in the financial aspect of business and as the yield quality keeps fluctuating; it also affects the money it makes. With the inculcation of an Enterprise-Resource Planning software like FarmERP, the chance of fluctuation in the quality is minimized as per practical possibilities, hence, stabilising the income of farmers.

Loans and transactions are also problems that FarmERP helps farmers to resolve. This aspect of the software makes sure to eliminate the possibility of exploitation of the farming families.

FarmERP’s enhanced software holds in place the existence of an intelligent layer that not only records business information, but also processes it.

Enterprise-Resource Planning does not only pertain to large-scale businesses, in fact, it is required by all businesses at all scales. The software offers options that are most suitable to particular needs and deliver expected efficiency.

Hence, FarmERP can be the strongest weapon that the Agriculture Industry can deploy to evolve at the highest level of optimisation.

FamERP is known to help manage farms

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

Inputs

The new YM3 series is fully tailored as per Indian farmer requirements and robustly designed for Indian conditions

One of leading tractors manufacturers in India, International Tractors Limited has widened its footprint under the Solis Yanmar brand portfolio with the launch of its new YM3 tractor series. Also known as Global 4W Drive experts, Solis Yanmar has introduced two new tractors – YM 342A and YM 348A that are fully tuned to deliver higher productivity and unmatchable performance. Built with 110-year-old diesel engine expertise of Yanmar, the new YM3 series is fully tailored as per Indian farmer requirements and robustly designed for Indian conditions. The YM3 tractor range fully sealed tractors with premium features like world class engine, fully synchromesh gear, push button operated PTO and carries optimum weight to address both farming as well as special application needs of farmers.

Even before being launched in India, the YM3 tractor range has already been globally successful while being exported to Thailand, South East Asian countries, Europe, Brazil as well as US markets. The Yanmar YM3 series features aerodynamic hornet design with ergonomically designed 4-way adjustable seat and power steering for farmer comfort. At the heart of tractor lies the legendary Japanese Engine Technology that has been refined to offer best performance. The tractor powerhouse is a 4-cylinder engine with Monoplunger FIP and feather touch 8F + 8R shuttle shift transmission, coupled with balancer shafts to eliminate noise and vibration for superior performance.

Sharing his vision during the new launch, Raman Mittal, Joint Managing Director – ITL, said, “The tractors are optimally designed with world’s best Supernova engine by Yanmar, the 110 year old Japanese diesel engine giants. Also, the YM3 series tractors are fully designed with top end features to offer extraordinary performance and safety without compromising farmer’s comfort. Our engineers have made sure that the YM series tractors deliver zero noise & zero vibration so as to allow long, fatigue-free working hours under diverse operations. Solis Yanmar will continue to offer new tractor range to address every application specific need of farmers.”

Solis, in collaboration with Yanmar, has developed wide tractor range that is optimised for significant productivity increase but reduce water consumption during agriculture.

The new YM3 series is fully tailored

R&D

The study has demonstrated that the crop water use model MOPECO can be adapted to many different scenarios

In a collaborative work between the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Soil and Water Management Research, the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) in Spain, West Texas A&M University, and Texas A&M AgriLife, researchers have adapted a crop model for use in the Texas High Plains to simulate crop water use and corn yield to help producers adjust center-pivot irrigation strategies and maximise profitability with limited water.

Crop producers in this semi-arid region of the Texas High Plains largely depend on groundwater irrigation. Each season, crop producers in the region evaluate how much land area could be irrigated under the pivot with limited water. Addressing this is not straightforward because producers must consider reducing irrigated areas, which influences grain yield, input costs, and the timing of the irrigation applications.

To help producers with these decisions, researchers completed a study that uses 25 years of climatic data to simulate corn production using a range of irrigation capacities, the maximum amount of water that can be delivered to an irrigated acre in a day, to evaluate water allocation strategies that could increase profitability and improve the efficient use of water. 

The model showed that for irrigation capacities representative of the region and a growing season with average rainfall, maximum profitability was achieved by irrigating about 75 per cent of entire pivot area with the remaining area in fallow or dryland cotton. Concentrating water generated greater net returns because of lower seed and fertiliser costs and greater corn yields that compensated for lack of production in fallow areas. In years with seasonal drought, the irrigated area would need to be further constrained to avoid crop failure and maximise profits.

“This study has demonstrated that the crop water use model MOPECO can be adapted to many different scenarios and is a useful tool for improving the environmental and economic sustainability of agricultural systems where water is limiting,” said Alfonso Domínguez researcher of the Centro Regional de Estudios del Agua (CREA) of UCLM.

The study has demonstrated that the crop

Environment

The deadline to apply for this grant cycle is March 30, 2022, at 5 pm EDT

The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF), a private foundation with the vision to prevent and relieve hunger through sustainable agricultural development, has announced the launch of its new grant application cycle on the theme of “Climate Action Within the Context of Agriculture” for non-profit organisations with grant proposals between $20,000 – $300,000 and located anywhere across the globe.

In alignment with the United Nation Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13) on “Climate Action” and AGCO’s purpose to deliver “farmer-focused solutions to sustainably feed our world,” the Foundation is accepting grant applications on climate action in agriculture. The AAF grant application platform, through its community investment software partner, Benevity, is running the application cycle from February 21 to March 30. This programme strengthens AAF commitment to its strategic focus areas and AGCO’s Farmer-First strategy while addressing global trends on climate change adaptation and mitigation.

The Foundation’s first grant application cycle for 2022 seeks new project proposals from non-profits that combine various sustainable methods to tackle the specific climate change-related challenges of today’s farming communities. 

Grant eligible non-profit organisations must focus on climate action in the agricultural context that also aligns with any of the AAF thematic focus areas such as Nutrition & Sustainable Food Systems, Agricultural Education, Research and Innovation, and Farmer Community Development. The aim is to implement projects that promote sustainable climate solutions for farmers and the agricultural sector to benefit economies while also strengthening community development. 

The deadline to apply for this grant cycle is March 30, 2022, at 5 pm EDT. 

The deadline to apply for this grant

Start ups

Dr Abhilaksh Likhi has invited the start-ups and FPOs to submit their proposals

As part of India’s efforts to showcase the country’s investment-friendly policies and growth opportunities in agriculture and allied sectors at EXPO2020 Dubai, Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, has invited the start-ups and FPOs (Farmer Producer Organisations) to submit their proposals to the ministry, and assured them that they would be considered for providing equity grants, management costs, and other available support measures. Dr Likhi suggested this at the inauguration of ‘Food, Agriculture and livelihood’ fortnight at the India Pavilion in EXPO2020 Dubai.

Shubha Thakur, Joint Secretary (Crops & Oil Seeds), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, T R Kesavan Group President (Corporate Relations & Alliances) Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd (TAFE), Srinivas Kuchibhotla, Partner, KPMG, among other officials from the ministry also attended the event.

The ‘Food, Agriculture and Livelihood’ fortnight (February 17th – March 2nd) will comprise various sessions which will be presided over by representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Cooperation.

On the theme for the first week of the fortnight, that is, millets, Shubha Thakur said, “Millets is an important area for us, and we would like to utilise this global platform to learn about the health and nutritional aspects of millets and bring back the glory of millets.”

India produces all the nine commonly known millets and is the largest producer and second-largest exporter of millets globally.

During the launch of the ‘Millet’ theme as part of the ‘Food, Agriculture and Livelihood’ fortnight at the sector floor at the India Pavilion, the delegation led by Dr Likhi unveiled the Millet Book comprising nutritious and delightful recipes made using millets. The delegation also launched the first ‘Millet food festival’, during which the visitors will get to relish the healthy and nutritious delicacies prepared using the millets.

Dr Abhilaksh Likhi has invited the start-ups

Agrotech, Start ups

The company aims to nurture innovation by blending start-up ingenuity with our expertise to deliver transformative solutions in the food and agri space

YES Bank, one of the fastest growing banks in India has announced the launch of an annual start-up enabler programme ‘Yes Bank Agri Infinity’ on February 14, 2022. The programme seeks to co-develop digital financial solutions for the food and agriculture ecosystem by mentoring entrepreneurial ventures in the sector. Starting from February 14, 2022 to March 31, 2022, the programme will last up to six months.

Yes Bank Agri Infinity is an Agri-Fin-tech enabler programme, tailor-made for co-evolving and accelerating innovative, tech enabled, digital financial solutions in the Indian food and agri domain.

Through this programme, the company aims to nurture innovation by blending start-up ingenuity with our expertise to deliver transformative solutions in the food and agri space.

Programme highlights:

  • Access to YES BANK’s digital banking infrastructure and robust customer network
  • Mentoring by senior banking professionals on credit scoring models, risk assessment and risk mitigation
  • Opportunity to work with Bankers to design and prototype innovative digital financial solutions
  • Project Partnership for piloting new innovative solutions
  • Strategic Support in investment pitch and fund-raising advisory
  • Analysis of start-up’s current digital financial solutions/cash & transaction management and Hands-on advice on implementation of financial solutions from a banking perspective
  • Equity infusion in select start-ups with matching value propositions

“As part of the Agri-Fin-tech enabler programme, early as well as growth-stage start-ups interested in exploring tech-enabled financial innovations in the Agri space are invited to apply with their proposals,” Yes Bank said in a statement.

The company aims to nurture innovation by