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AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, India, SAARC

The aim of this festival is to raise awareness and create a market for millets and millets-based products among the ASEAN Member states

The Indian Mission to ASEAN in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare is organising the ASEAN-India Millet Festival 2023, in Indonesia. The inaugural session of the festival took place in the Kota Kasablanka Mall, a prominent shopping destination in South Jakarta, Indonesia. A Millet-centric exhibition is being held as part of the festival featuring participation from Millet-based FPOs, start-ups and Indian chefs.

Aligned with the International Year of Millets (IYM) celebrations, an aim of this festival is to raise awareness and create a market for millets and millets-based products among the ASEAN Member states i.e. Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. During the festival, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare is leading a delegation from India, representing a diverse set of professionals engaged in the Indian millet ecosystem, including chefs, start-ups, representatives from Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), industry leaders, state officials and more.

Additional Secretary at DA&FW and Head of the Indian Delegation Dr Maninder Kaur Dwivedi provided valuable insights into millet cultivation, processing and the business potential of these ancient grains. Joint Secretary (Crops) at DA&FW Shubha Thakur showcased India’s leading role in celebrating the International Year of Millets 2023 and the Indian government’s initiatives to encourage the adoption of millets through a captivating video, setting the stage for insightful panel discussions. Additionally, Deputy Head of BPN Dr Andriko Noto Susanto further highlighted the remarkable prospects of millet cultivation and its role in diversifying the South Asian food basket.

The exhibition aims to foster collaboration between ASEAN countries, celebrate cultural and culinary diversity and promote sustainable millet practices for a healthier future. The exhibition will also feature five Indian FPOs, namely Citi Block FPC, Jewargi Taluka Millets FPC, Bhumitrajalalpur, Vaam Agro, and Lambasingi Tribal Products FPC, and two start-ups namely Taru Naturals and Sattva Millets and Food Products (Mibbles) exhibiting unique millet-added products such as millet cookies, namkeen, khakhra, cakes, and more.

The aim of this festival is to

Company News, People, World

With Zacka’s appointment, the Board has expanded from 11 to 12 members, five of whom are independent

Nouryon, a global speciality chemicals leader, announced the appointment of Michael Zacka to the Company’s Board of Directors, effective October 23, 2023. With  Zacka’s appointment, the Board has expanded from 11 to 12 members, five of whom are independent.

“We are pleased to welcome a highly experienced global executive of Michael’s calibre to our Board,” said Charlie Shaver, Nouryon Chairman and CEO. “His appointment reflects our commitment to bringing the right mix of skills and expertise to our Board to guide Nouryon’s long-term strategy and drive growth.”

Michael Zacka is President, of Flexibles Europe, Middle East & Africa for Amcor plc, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions. Zacka joined Amcor in July 2017 as Chief Commercial Officer, and from November 2017 to July 2019, he assumed additional responsibility as President of Amcor’s Flexible Packaging business in Asia Pacific. Prior to Amcor, he was a member of the Tetra Pak Global Leadership Team and was the President of Asia based in Singapore. He was also the President of their North American business, and had senior assignments including Global Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Product Management, and led the Tetra Pak businesses across Greater China, Vietnam, and Australia.

Zacka’s appointment to the Nouryon Board as an independent Director follows that of Melanie Steiner, Julie Aslaksen and Curtis Espeland in 2021, and Noelle Walsh in 2020. 

With Zacka’s appointment, the Board has expanded

Logistics, Supply Chain, Sustainability, Transportation

Thai shipping line Regional Container Lines (RCL) has decided to enhance its service and connect major ports in Southeast Asia, India and Gulf countries

India’s maritime connectivity is set to receive a significant boost, as the Thai shipping line Regional Container Lines (RCL) has decided to enhance its service and connect major ports in Southeast Asia, India, and Gulf countries. The RCL route will now include Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Port, starting from Cai Mep Port in Vietnam with stops at Laem Chabang in Thailand, Port Klang in Malaysia, Nhava Sheva in Mumbai, Jebel Ali near Dubai, and Sohar in Oman, in addition to the Saudi port.

The service will be extended from the current 35-day period to a 42-day period.

Although RCL currently deploys one vessel in this cargo service, it is possible that more vessels could be added to this route in the future, according to an analyst.

The new shipping route will greatly benefit India as it seeks to strengthen its ties with Southeast Asian and Gulf nations. This route will connect India with both regions and help boost trade in the post-Covid era.

Towards the end of this year, the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) plans to launch a liner service that will connect Mundra and Nhava Sheva in India with Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Islamic Port. This move is likely to result in a significant increase in economic transactions between India and the Gulf nations.

Following the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India and the UAE, New Delhi is now eager to proceed with the proposed free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as soon as possible. Additionally, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are set to become members of the BRICS bloc next year. India is already working to enhance trade with these nations using its own currency, the rupee.

India has maritime borders with several countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. As a result, it is important for New Delhi to improve its maritime transport capabilities. Increasing cargo handling capacity by 300 per cent at ports by 2047 is a goal for India, and connecting with important hubs will help achieve this.

Thai shipping line Regional Container Lines (RCL)

Agrotech, Company News, India, R&D

Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) plans to procure 2,500 drones for spraying its products, nano urea and nano DAP (Diammonium Phosphate).

IoTechWorld Avigation Pvt Ltd announced that it has emerged as a leader in the IFFCO drone project and secured a large contract from major cooperative IFFCO to supply 500 drones, which will be primarily used to spray nano liquid urea and DAP.

Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) plans to procure 2,500 drones for spraying its products, nano urea and nano DAP (Diammonium Phosphate). IFFCO also plans to create 5,000 rural entrepreneurs, who would be trained for spraying via drones.

Gurugram-headquartered IoTechWorld, the manufacturer of India’s first DGCA-type certified drone ‘AGRIBOT’, has been Co-Founded by Deepak Bhardwaj and Anoop Upadhyay. IoTechWorld Avigation is also backed by leading agritech company Dhanuka Agritech Ltd.

“We are indeed privileged to receive the single biggest order for the purchase of Krishi-drones from IFFCO. The company will deliver 500 drones to IFFCO by December 2023,” said Upadhyay.

He further said that since IoTechWorld’s inception, the endeavour has been to promote technological innovation in the field of agriculture, and the company is the pioneer of Krishi-drones in the country.

Elaborating on the large supply order from IFFCO, Co-founder Bhardwaj said the drone market is rapidly growing, and there has been tremendous demand from various companies, including fertiliser and pesticides companies as well as from rural entrepreneurs, including farmers.

“Our AGRIBOT (Krishi drone) has been specially designed and programmed for fertilisers. The order from IFFCO is a testament to our strength in the agri-drone segment. We aim to help farmers and Agri Entrepreneurs in the Implementation of made-in-India Nano Urea and Nano DAP newly launched by IFFCO,” he said.

Besides IFFCO, IoTechWorld Avigation has partnered with agrochemical company Syngenta and has undertaken 17,000 KM of drone yatra in various parts of the country.

“We are expecting 5-6 times more demand in the current fiscal compared to last year, with a target of selling more than 3,000 drones in this fiscal year. We are also exploring opportunities for exports. The Government’s recent decision to liberalise the export policy for drones opens up a gamut of opportunity, and there is a huge demand in overseas markets,” Upadhyay added.

The company is also in discussion for exporting drones in regions like SAARC, South East Asia, Latin America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Oman, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Philippines, Nepal, and Africa, which are the focus countries of IoTech export sales.

The company is also extensively focusing on creating awareness about the benefits of using drones in agriculture. IoTech has also set up several small pilot training organisations where people are trained to fly drones.

Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) plans

Acquaculture, India, Supply Chain, Trade

India’s shrimp exports to China are likely to cross $ 1.2 billion this fiscal compared to $ 0.8 billion in the previous financial year

The shrimp sector will see revenue growth of 5 per cent year-on-year in fiscal 2024, driven by increasing demand from China, which will shore up exports to a near-lifetime high of $ 5.3 billion seen in fiscal 2022. This growth will largely be volume-driven, allowing the operating margin to bounce back to 7.5 per cent as costs soften, according to CRISIL Ratings.

Debt is likely to contract and part-funding such as capex and incremental working capital requirements will be comfortably absorbed by the strong balance sheets of the players, it added.

India, Ecuador and Vietnam are the top three suppliers of shrimp, while the US, EU and China are the top three consumers. India supplies 70 per cent of its produce to these three regions.

In the year 2023, Indian shrimp players were impacted due to extreme heat waves affecting production, shortage of containers and higher logistics costs to the US and EU and exports to China were muted amid continued lockdowns there. This has led to Ecuador, one of India’s major competitors, seizing the lead in shrimp exports.

In 2023-24, however, good produce backed by normal weather patterns and steady demand from China is expected to drive revenue for the Indian players.

India’s shrimp exports to China are likely to cross $ 1.2 billion this fiscal compared to $ 0.8 billion in the previous financial year. With logistics costs normalising, demand from the US and Europe should revive from the lull last season.

“Buyers from the US and Europe prefer shrimps processed in India because of better quality- and disease-control measures. With supply chains getting restored, Indian exporters can replace Ecuadorian suppliers and regain their lost market share.

“Revival in the Chinese economy will also aid growth in shrimp exports from India. Revenue will grow 5 per cent in fiscal 2024 on the back of volume growth of 8-10 per cent despite the reduction in realisations,” Himank Sharma, Crisil Ratings Director said.

However, the report said, with the drop in input costs being steeper than that in realisations, the margin may inch up to the erstwhile level of 7.5 per cent.

Meanwhile, in anticipation of higher demand, shrimp players are expanding capacities and will add close to 20 per cent of their existing gross block this fiscal.

“The shrimp sector has displayed financial prudence for quite some time now. Hence, despite moderate debt addition over the medium term, credit profiles will remain strong.

“Total outside liabilities to tangible net worth and interest coverage ratios will remain comfortably 0.5 times as on March 31, 2024, and 8 times in fiscal 2024, respectively,” Nagarjuna Alaparthi, Crisil Ratings Associate Director said.

India's shrimp exports to China are likely

Acquaculture, Animal Health, India, Sustainability

The Mangrol facility has three production lines with a production capacity of 50,000 metric tonnes per annum

Skretting – Nutreco’s global aquafeed division- has opened a state-of-the-art production facility for shrimp and fish feed in Mangrol, Surat. The newly set up high-end facility is part of Skretting’s commitment towards the Indian aquaculture sector and its strategy to further develop in Asia.

The facility was inaugurated by Dr Sanjeev Balyan, Minister of State of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. Michiel van Erkel, Agriculture Counsellor for India and Sri Lanka, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands was also present at the opening. Spread over an area of 20,000 sq mt and built with an investment of EUR 18.5 million, the facility will cater to both shrimp and fish cultures. The shrimp cultures will include white tiger and black tiger, while fish cultures will include Indian major carps, and high-value fish like snakehead and seabass, among others.

The Mangrol facility has three production lines with a production capacity of 50,000 metric tonnes per annum. It can produce both extruded/floating and pelleted/sinking feed as per the requirement of the species and customers. There is also adequate land and infrastructure available to increase production capacity in the future.

“We have been meeting the needs of shrimp hatcheries, nurseries, and farmers since 2018 in India, and supporting customers across feed-farm-health with our high-quality feed and services. The new facility enables us to contribute our bit to the prestigious Atmanirbhar Bharat – Make in India initiative, while simultaneously improving the efficiencies for a closer connection with our customers.  We will cater to the domestic market and also customers in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and The Middle East,” said Dr Saurabh Shekhar, General Manager – Nutreco South Asia.

“The factory is key to achieving our purpose of Feeding the Future in growth territories of Asia and India.  We already have plants in Vietnam, Japan, China, and Indonesia to strengthen our presence in Asia and establishing a state-of-the-art production facility at Mangrol, Surat reinforces our commitment to South Asia and Indian markets.  Construction of the factory started in September 2020, and the work was completed in just over two years despite the various challenges posed by the Covid pandemic. The facility has also generated local employment opportunities with 120 employees. This is just the beginning in our journey to gain a stronger foothold here,” said, Jurriën Zandbergen, Managing Director, Nutreco Asia.

The Mangrol facility has three production lines