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HomePosts Tagged "Public & Industry Affairs"
Agro Universities, Agrotech, Bee keeping, Company News, India

To encourage women farmers towards entrepreneurship and generate sustainable income through bee keeping.

To enhance the ecosystem of beekeeping in Uttarakhand, FMC India, a leading global agricultural sciences company, in collaboration with GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology (GBPUAT) organized a day long workshop to observe World Bee Day. The initiative was part of FMC’s flagship program, Project Madhushakti which was launched in 2022. The objective is to encourage women farmers towards entrepreneurship, generate sustainable income and raise the living standards of the rural families in Uttarakhand, while simultaneously support biodiversity and higher crop productivity.

The workshop was hosted by Department of Entomology and Honeybee Research & Training Centre of the university. It witnessed participation from bee rearing agents across the state of Uttarakhand, followed by their felicitation along with students and department research heads. Scientists and industry experts addressed students to help them inculcate knowledge and skill around apiculture. The collaborative workshop hosted at the university was attended by dignitaries like Dr Manmohan Singh Chauhan, Vice Chancellor, GBPUAT, Raju Kapoor, Director, Public & Industry Affairs, FMC India, Dr AS Nain, Director of Research, GBPUAT, Dr. Renu and Dr. Pramod Mall, Head, Department of Entomology, GBPUAT.

Project Madhushakti is a first-of-its-kind innovative sustainable development initiative in India. Spanning three years, the project is planned for the rural areas of Uttarakhand, located in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountain range, with abundant source of natural herbs and flora useful for honey production. The project, now in its second year, will train 750 women farmers as beekeepers. More than 8,000 people from over 20 villages are expected to directly benefit via an increase of up to 30 per cent productivity in various fruits and other crops through good pollination.

The day-long program was inaugurated by Vice-Chancellor of the University Dr Manmohan Singh Chauhan, an academic-management leader and a world-renowned scientist in the field of animal biotechnology. Dr Singh underlined the importance of honeybee not only for providing valuable natural super food honey but also products such as propolis, royal jelly, venom and wax. He also informed the audiences that honeybees can support enhancing crop productivity of different cross-pollinated crops ranging from 15 to 200 per cent.

Dr AS Nain, Director for Research, GBPUAT said, “We take pride in our association with FMC India. In a biodiversity rich state like Uttarakhand, the potential of beekeeping remains untapped which is developing with Project Madhushakti. Scientific beekeeping will harness the potential of Uttarakhand hills and generate employment and additional income for poor farmers. We will continue to provide training and learning opportunities in collaboration with FMC to establish bee keeping as a lucrative field for women entrepreneurs.”

Speaking at the occasion, Raju Kapoor, Director, Public & Industry Affairs, FMC India said, “Bee rearing is at the cusp of change in our country with India’s National Beekeeping and Honey Mission. FMC is grateful to be contributing through a project with the scalability and impact of Madhushakti. We will continue to work towards the enhancement of women’s skills. The lecture sessions through our partnership with GB Pant University delivered by highly experienced scientists and bee fostering agents will impart immersive knowledge and training to the women farmers that can be passed within their community. We look forward to expanding our reach and benefiting more farmers through these offerings.”

To encourage women farmers towards entrepreneurship and

Agro chems – Chemicals, India, Opinions

 By Raju Kapoor, Director, Public & Industry Affairs, FMC India

India’s agrochemical industry has consistently clocked a double-digit CAGR of 16 per cent over the last five years against the global CAGR of 3 per cent. 2022 was a fruitful year too, clipping a 23 per cent growth, despite the hot summer and delayed monsoons. Factors such as increased crop production, healthy reservoir levels and an improvement in farm income all contributed to industry growth. With farmers learning more about improving their yields exponentially through agrochemicals, the market is set to continue its double-digit growth into 2023. Research firm Crisil predicts a growth rate of 15-17 per cent this year, as the sector is poised to solve two behemoth challenges – food and nutritional security to alleviate hunger and restoration of ecological balance in our lands. Let’s look at some of the factors sustaining the momentum.

Supply chain disruptions

The import/export game is changing tides in the sector. The Chinese government’s environmental clampdown has led to the closure of approximately 35 per cent small agrochemical manufacturing industries. When coupled with the US-China trade war, countries are adopting a ‘de-risk China’ strategy where India emerges as an   alternate and viable global sourcing point for agrochemicals. We can expect exports to remain one of the key contributors with a share of over 50 per cent in the industry’s total revenue in 2023.

Roll out of new crops 

While we are one of the largest producers of agrochemicals in the world, our farmlands use only 340 gms of pesticide per hectare, resulting in a crop loss of Rs 2 lakh crore per annum because of pest attacks. For example, Phalaris minor (gehunsa), a dangerous rabi weed that attacks wheat crops, can lead to 15-40 per cent crop loss if left unattended. With weeds consistently building better resistance against crop solutions, farmers will find it increasingly harder to produce good yields. Often, it’s the financial constraints that restrain our farmers from using pesticides. However, as food prices peak globally, farmers are expected to benefit from the surplus and spend on this heretofore low priority area.

Another aspect that will augur good growth of the sector is the government’s thrust for crop diversification. According to the Economic Survey 2022, our existing cropping pattern is skewed towards growing sugarcane, paddy, or wheat, which has resulted in the depletion of groundwater resources at an alarming rate in many parts of the country. Today, the regions that grow these crops face high to extremely high-water stress levels. With agriculture using 90 per cent of the groundwater table, the water crisis that we face is ushering in the cultivation of new crops. To promote sustainable agriculture, replenish the diminishing groundwater table, reduce import dependency, and help farmers get higher incomes, the government has increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of pulses, oilseeds, horticulture crops, and millets.

To read more click on: https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

 By Raju Kapoor, Director, Public & Industry