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Animal Health, Company News, World

The joint venture will combine the specific strengths of both partners, including Vland’s market access, regulatory capabilities in China as well and its fast innovation cycles

Evonik China Co., Ltd and Shandong Vland Biotech Co., Ltd agreed to build a joint venture to expand their presence in gut health solutions products for farm animals globally. Evonik will be the majority shareholder in this joint venture with 55 per cent of the shares. The joint venture, called Evonik Vland Biotech (Shandong) Co., Ltd. will have its headquarters in Binzhou, China, and is planned to enter the market in Q1/2024.

The joint venture will combine the specific strengths of both partners, including Vland’s market access, regulatory capabilities in China as well and its fast innovation cycles. In addition, the joint venture will benefit from Evonik’s global sales force and market access, R&D and global regulatory capabilities. Sales of the new joint venture are expected to be in the low double-digit million euro range.

Evonik announced earlier this year that it is developing its speciality nutrition business with system solutions and specialities for poultry, swine and ruminants. The partnership with Vland on gut health solutions is an essential element towards Evonik’s strategy to offer system solutions for its customers in the animal feed industry.

Customised system solutions consisting of products, services and know-how delivering sustainability benefits are part of the strategic core of Evonik’s life science division Nutrition & Care, which includes the Animal Nutrition business line. Biosolutions such as probiotics for animal gut health will strengthen the division’s biotechnology platform.

Evonik Vland Biotech (Shandong) Co., Ltd. will also engage in creating new gut health products. As part of the agreement, Evonik will distribute the joint venture’s portfolio outside of the Greater China Region. The joint venture allows Evonik to expand its gut health solutions by adding broader formulation elements to its global product portfolio.

The joint venture will combine the specific

Company News, India, Oilseeds, Sustainability

The company has already acquired 75 acres of land in Nallajerla Mandal for setting up its greenfield integrated Oil Palm Processing complex.

3F Oil Palm, one of India’s leading oil palm companies, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Andhra Pradesh (AP) for the sustainable development of farmers in the state with a significant investment of Rs 550 Crores in Oil Palm cultivation. The MoU was signed by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, and Sanjay Goenka, Managing Director and CEO, of 3F Oil Palm.

This landmark investment reaffirms 3F Oil Palm’s commitment to fostering economic growth, empowering local communities, and promoting environmentally responsible agricultural practices in the Oil Palm industry.

During the MoU signing, Kakani Govardhan Reddy, State Agriculture Minister, and Gudivada Amarnath, Minister for Industries, Infrastructure, Investment, and Information Technology, were also present.

3F Oil Palm was the first company to commence operations in the state and has since developed more than 25,000 hectares of plantations, bringing together more than 50,000 farming families. 

The strategic partnership is expected to contribute significantly to the development of the region as it will help empower existing Oil Palm farmers as well as bring in new prospective farmers into the fold of Oil Palm cultivation. 3F Oil Palm will invest in nursery activities, area expansion, crop maintenance, farmer services, fresh fruit bunches (FFB) collection and handling, R&D facilities, and a green field integrated palm oil processing complex in Ayyavaram village, Nallajerla Mandal, East Godavari.

Due to 3F Oil Palm’s continued investment in the Oil Palm plantation space, the company has been allotted an additional 24 zones in the five districts of Tirupati, Chittoor, Guntur, Nandyal and Krishna with a potential area of over 1,00,000 Ha.

A senior state government official, said: “Palm oil cultivation in Andhra Pradesh stands as a beacon of economic empowerment, contributing over 85 per cent of India’s production. It is a vital engine of growth, helps in reducing import dependency, creating jobs, and fostering prosperity in rural communities. This sector not only fuels GDP but also elevates the lives of farmers by way of increased farmer income. We are positive that this groundbreaking project will revolutionise the oil palm cultivation landscape of the state.”

Sanjay Goenka, Managing Director and CEO, 3F Oil Palm, said, “We are enthusiastic to embark on this transformative journey with the farmers of Andhra Pradesh. Our milestone investment of Rs. 550 crore not only signifies our confidence in the potential of the region but also our commitment to sustainable and inclusive development. Together, we aim to create a thriving ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders. We are particularly elated as this MoU reaffirms the state government’s trust in our ability to deliver on our promise, to empower our farmers to make India self-reliant in Edible Oils.”

3F Oil Palm currently operates in the states of Karnataka, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh, other than Andhra Pradesh, with a cultivation area spread over more than 55,000 hectares and five processing units.

The company has already acquired 75 acres

Agrotech, Company News, R&D, World

Dole incorporates Pelican Spray to advance smart farming and sustainability goals

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

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

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

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

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

Dole incorporates Pelican Spray to advance smart

Agrotech, Biostimulants, Company News, R&D, World

Through this partnership, Exacta will use Ginkgo’s fermentation and formulation optimisation services to reduce the cost of goods to make its FitoRoot technology more competitive

Exacta Bioscience, a biotech company and Ginkgo Bioworks, which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity announced that Exacta is leveraging Ginkgo’s end-to-end agricultural R&D services to run a fermentation optimisation and scale-up program to enhance one of its crop protection products, FitoRoot, paving the way for large-scale commercialisation.

FitoRoot, a biostimulant product composed of three Bacillus strains, is designed to help crops better absorb water and nutrients and strengthen their defences against abiotic stress. This can lead to overall better crop health, improved yield and increased resistance to stress conditions such as drought or extreme temperatures. Through this partnership, Exacta will use Ginkgo’s fermentation and formulation optimisation services to reduce the cost of goods to make its FitoRoot technology more competitive. Accordingly, FitoRoot is currently marketed in Chile and is expected to expand to other Latin American markets, with a planned launch in 2023 by Adama Chile, which is driving biological adoption in the region. Adama Ltd. is one of the world’s leading crop protection companies.

“We chose Ginkgo because their deep expertise in agricultural product development and optimisation positions us to make one of our key crop protection products, FitoRoot, more accessible,” said José Bustos, CEO at Exacta Bioscience. “We’re proud of the progress Exacta has made, and this partnership marks a vital step toward accelerating our efforts to assure the quality and availability of one of our products and creating a stable and safer ecosystem.”

“Exacta Bioscience’s emphasis on microbial solutions in crop health brings more sustainable and differentiated solutions to farmers throughout the Americas,” said Magalie Guilhabert, Head of Ag Biologicals, Ginkgo Bioworks. “Together, we can continue to push the boundaries of agricultural innovation through biotechnological solutions that promote a more sustainable future for our food systems.”

Through this partnership, Exacta will use Ginkgo's fermentation

Agrotech, Horticulture, India, R&D, Uncategorized

Initial planting to begin with 40 acres of land and will go up to 100 acres by 2023

IG International, one of India’s leading fresh fruit importers, has joined hands with Special New Fruit Licensing, SNFL Group, one of the world’s leading table grape R&D companies, to plant world-class grape varieties in India. This new project will establish IG International as one of the prime grape growers in India. The partnership will focus on bringing top cultivars to Indian consumers in Nasik, which is set to be the home for the production of new varieties of grapes. The initial planting will begin with 40 acre of land and will go up to 100 acres by 2023.

For over 20 years, SNFL Group has been breeding and developing new table grape varieties and licensing their production around the world. They are driven to propel the next generation of sustainable and healthy table grape varieties to better serve the success of growers, retailers, and consumers around the globe.

Acclaimed as the leading fresh fruit importer in India, IG International is entrenched with a renowned reputation for more than 50 years in this market segment. The company’s organized and strategic sourcing system, augmented by a seamless supply chain with a well-connected overseas procurement network, enables them to bring top varieties of grapes from SNFL which are currently not grown in India.

Speaking about this collaboration, Aman Anand, CEO of IG Grapes, said, “SNFL. Grapes are one of the best-selling commodities in the fresh fruit industry as they are universally liked by many consumers. SNFL will provide first-grade varieties of grapes in India through IG Grapes’ vast network. With this partnership, we are looking forward to making sure that we have scalable production, expertise, and a steady supply of delicious grapes of unmatched quality.”

On this occasion, Josep Estiarte, CEO of SNFL stated, “Grapes are one of the most diverse and devoured fruits in India and with the establishment of this collaboration between our two leading companies, we will be able to deliver quality and freshness for all grape lovers in India. NFL’s project in India started two years ago with the planting of its first protected varieties in the Indian market and we are committed to supporting the development of a premium table grape industry that will deliver better varieties to consumers.”

Initial planting to begin with 40 acres

India, R&D

The new facility will come up on 1.25 acre land at total cost of about Rs 5 Cr

Dr T R Sharma, Deputy Director General (Crop Science), ICAR lays the foundation stone of the new building of ICAR-IISR, Lucknow Biological Control Centre at Pravaranagar (Maharashtra). 

The proposed building and facilities of Biological Control Centre is constructed on about 1.25 acre land with the total cost of about Rs 5 crore, which is sanctioned by the Government of Maharashtra under RKVY scheme.

A Discussion on the ongoing research projects and experiments in the sugarcane fields and the research work and outreach activities of the centre for the benefit of sugarcane farmers of the Maharashtra also took place. 

Dr T R Sharma said that in view of the increasing demand for sugar and ethanol in the country, sugarcane farmers need to obtain high production of sugarcane by using modern technology developed and advocated by the ICAR-Indian Sugarcane Research Institute. Dr Sharma also advocated the use of bio agents for the management of pests and diseases in sugarcane.

The new facility will come up on

India, R&D

CropLife India, an association of 16 R&D driven crop science companies, and the leading voice of the plant science industry in India, recently held a farmers’ education drive on Chili Thrips Management in Andhra Pradesh. The inauguration ceremony was held in Guntur; Dr Sujatha, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Government of Andhra Pradesh, being the Chief Guest. Present on the occasion are officials and entomologists of Dr YSR Horticulture University of Andhra Pradesh, Scientists of Krishi Vigyan Kendra and Extension Officers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), distributors, retailers, member companies and other officials.

Dr  Sujatha, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Government of Andhra Pradesh spoke, “CropLife India will receive the full support of our State and District administrations in outreach to farmers on various aspects of the campaign. The campaign will explore all the possible avenues of outreach to farmers and spray-men through Field Training, cultural events, School Programmes, etc.; which will induce peer-to-peer learning among farmers and their families.”

The programme covers a wide range of topics such as transportation and secure storage of Crop Protection products, understanding the label, judicious and responsible use of Crop Protection products, personal health and hygiene, use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), correct spraying techniques, maintaining sprayers and nozzles and triple rinsing of used empty containers.

CropLife India, an association of 16 R&D

Agro Universities, Animal Health, India, Live Stock, R&D

Improvised gas collection device detects the leakage and blockage of halters and canisters and monitored in real time gas collection.

The ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru commercialized a patent applied technology ‘An Improved Device for Collection and Measurement of Enteric Methane Emission in Ruminants’ to InayatUllah Engineering Works (IEW), Bengaluru on 28th July 2022.

 Dr Raghavendra Bhatta, Director, ICAR-NIANP, Bengaluru and InyatUllah Shariff, CEO M/s InayatUllah Engineering Works (IEW) signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on behalf of their respective Organizations for the licensing to manufacture and sell the improvised gas collection device.

SF6 technique consider the exhale of methane and sulfur hexafluoride gases from the rumen with an identical probability of interception by a breath sampler located near the nasal cavity. One of those two gases is purposeful tracer SF6, which has a known release rate; while the release of other gas (methane) is under investigation. Thus, the concentration ratio of those gases in breath sample, accumulated over a feeding cycle can be equated to the ratio of their release rates. The SF6 assembly include gas collection vessel, halters, and gas chromatography.

 Gas collection vessel is one of the important and integral components used for the collection and accumulation of 24 hr breath gas sample. The minimum duration of gas collection in SF6 is 5-6 days; however, practically it takes about 12-15 days for the collection of minimum 5-6 successful samples. Therefore, only 40-50% of the gas collection is successful and remaining 50-60% unsuccessful collection is attributed to the leakage and blockage of halter components, breakage, leakage, and blockage of canisters. This uncertainty leads to the huge time loss, manpower wastage, prolonging of the study duration, gas losses etc.

 Keeping the above demerits of the existing assembly in view, ICAR-NIANP has developed the improvised gas collection device which detect the leakage and blockage of halters and canisters and monitored in real time gas collection. The advantages of using the improvised gas collection device are a) 100% successful gas collection, b) No breakage of the gas collection canisters, c) Detect immediate gas leakage and blockage from the assembly, d) Monitor real time gas collection, e) Avoid the unnecessary prolonging of animal experimentation, f) Save manpower, feed cost and additional gaseous in GC and g) Ensures uniform N2 dilution.

Improvised gas collection device detects the leakage

R&D

The acquisition adds biologically produced state-of-the-art pheromone insect control technology to FMC’s product portfolio and R&D pipeline

FMC Corporation, an agricultural sciences company, has announced a definitive agreement to acquire BioPhero ApS, a Denmark-based pheromone research and production company. The acquisition adds biologically produced state-of-the-art pheromone insect control technology to FMC’s product portfolio and R&D pipeline, underscoring FMC’s role as a leader in delivering innovative and sustainable crop protection solutions.

BioPhero has pioneered a highly efficient yeast fermentation process for manufacturing pheromones at significantly lower costs and with fewer production steps compared to competitors’ traditional chemical synthesis methods. Lower costs expand the pheromone addressable market from today’s focus on specialty fruit and vegetables to now include the large row crop market. FMC expects pheromones and pheromone-based products to contribute approximately $1 billion in revenue at above company-average EBITDA margin by 2030.

Mark Douglas, FMC president and chief executive officer, said, “BioPhero is a pioneer in the production of pheromones through a unique, highly efficient bio processing method—a game-changer in pheromone manufacturing technology. FMC’s broad market access, leadership position in the high-value insecticide market, formulation know-how and application expertise provide significant opportunities to bring sustainably advantaged pheromone technology to more agricultural markets around the world. We look forward to adding an extensive pheromone platform to our biologicals business and welcoming the BioPhero team to FMC.”

Pheromones can be used in an integrated pest management program to control the buildup of insect populations in farmers’ fields by disrupting the insect mating process, reducing overall egg-laying by adults and decreasing the next generation of the target insect population.

The acquisition adds biologically produced state-of-the-art pheromone

Start ups

The Kalpa Agri-Business Incubator, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, Kerala in collaboration with Kerala start-up has jointly organised the RIBC 2.0

The Kalpa Agri-Business Incubator, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, Kerala in collaboration with Kerala start-up has jointly organised the “Rural India Business Conclave – 2022 (RIBC 2.0)” from June, 9to 13, 2022. The Chief Guest, Rajmohan Unnithan, Member of Parliament, Kasaragod, Kerala inaugurated the Conclave.

Dr Anitha Karun, Director, ICAR-CPCRI, Kasargod briefed about the main objective of the Conclave. Dr Karun stated that the programme could network the Knowledge Partners, Entrepreneurs and Financial Institutions for the inclusive Agri-business development.

The Conclave witnessed a wide array of activities like Rural-Agri Tech Hackathon, Funder’s Talks, Expert’s Talks, Panel Discussions, Startup Pitch, Interdisciplinary Workspace for Innovative Research, Investors Meet and Dream Big Kalpa, etc.

The Institute also signed two Memorandums of Understanding during the occasion.

The Kalpa Agri-Business Incubator, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops

Agro Universities, Sustainability

The MoU aims to facilitate research and development in mutually agreed areas and jointly work in the area of product stewardship by providing safe use trainings

UPL Limited, a global provider of sustainable agriculture products and solutions, has recently announced collaboration with GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology for developing sustainable solutions for the farmers. Keeping ‘Farmer First’ approach, UPL signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the University to develop sustainable solutions for farmers.

The MoU aims to facilitate research and development in mutually agreed areas and jointly work in the area of product stewardship by providing safe use trainings. UPL will collaborate with the university on developing drone technologies and will also bestow scholarship to university students. GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, the first Agricultural University of India has championed work in the field of biologicals.

Dr Nain from GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology said, “We are ecstatic that the two organizations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. We believe that the relationship will benefit farmers immensely by providing newer technologies and solutions. We also like to express our gratitude for UPL’s interest to provide stewardship training and support students with scholarship.”

The MoU aims to facilitate research and

Dairy

Bovalta BMR hybrids help deliver new levels of performance, agronomics and profit for producers

Corteva Agriscience has announced the introduction of Bovalta BMR (brown mid rib) corn silage, its newest silage product designed to meet the highest standards for yield and milk production.

Corteva’s new Bovalta BMR hybrids provide the highest levels of fiber digestibility and increased starch content compared to non-BMR corn silage hybrids – helping farmers reduce supplemental feed costs and improve dry matter intake. Developed with Corteva’s industry-leading corn genetics and breeding programs, Bovalta BMR hybrids help deliver new levels of performance, agronomics and profit for producers.

“The launch of Bovalta BMR hybrids reflect Corteva’s commitment to serving dairy producers with the innovative products they need to effectively and efficiently feed their herds and help grow their operations,” said Judd O’Connor, President, US Commercial, Corteva Agriscience. “Drawing on Corteva’s leading R&D, these new hybrids offer a combination of outstanding genetics and agronomics from Corteva as expected from leaders in the high value corn silage market.”

New Bovalta BMR hybrids are available for the 2023 growing season.

Bovalta BMR hybrids help deliver new levels

Supply Chain

Superplum employs science and technology to increase the shelf life of litchis through a proprietary multi-faceted approach

Superplum, an Indian Agritech company, has built the country’s first modern supply chain to deliver fresh litchis from farms in Muzzafarpur to all over the country. For the first time in India, litchis are being chilled, trimmed, cleaned and packed at the farm level to retain freshness. They are then transported using Superplum’s Fresherator, a proprietary IoT-based transport system that keeps the fruits fresh in an environment that can be remotely monitored and controlled.   

In the past, some litchis would go through a sulphitation process to increase their shelf life but this process made the fruit unfit to consume, due to which it has been banned in several countries. With a promise to deliver safe-to-eat fruits, Superplum employs science and technology to increase the shelf life of litchis through a proprietary multi-faceted approach. 

While these Muzzafarpur Litchis are currently being delivered to stores and homes in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Bengaluru, the company plans to expand their delivery across the country and the world.

Superplum employs science and technology to increase