ICAR-NRCP's "A-Z of Pig Farming" Wins MANAGE's 'Best Book Award'

The book titled \"A-Z of Pig Farming\" authored by scientists from ICAR-National Research Centre on Pig, has been honoured with the \"First Prize' in the 'Best Book in Agricultural Extension' category by the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad.

FMC India, GB Pant University jointly conduct bee keeping workshop in Uttarakhand

FMC India, a global agricultural sciences company, joined hands with GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology (GBPUAT) to organise a one-day workshop on World Bee Day.

ICRISAT, GSDA partner to revolutionise agri water conservation in Maharashtra

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), and the Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency (GSDA), in collaboration with the Water Supply and Sanitation Department of the Government of Maharashtra, have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to spearhead an initiative for groundwater augmentation across seven districts of Maharashtra.

ISC, ICAR-CCRI launch the website of Asian Citrus Congress-2023

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, inaugurated the website of the Asian Citrus Congress-2023 (ACC-2023) in Nagpur.

ICAR and Amazon Kisan join forces to empower farmers

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), based in New Delhi has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Amazon Kisan to collaborate and leverage their respective expertise to guide farmers in scientific crop cultivation for optimal yield and income.

How competitive gas sourcing through Exchanges can boost India's fertiliser industry

Gas Exchanges provide an alternate avenue for buyers from the fertiliser sector and sellers to meet their natural gas demand and facilitate transparent price discovery. This inherent quality of Gas Exchanges has led to consistently lower price discovery as gas accounts for 70-80 per cent of the cost of fertiliser production.

Backward integration: Empowering Indian agrochemical companies to control their supply chain

The Indian agrochemical industry is witnessing remarkable growth, driven by a number of factors including increasing population, rising food demand, export opportunities, and technological advancements. With a substantial labour force and lower production costs compared to many other countries, Indian manufacturers have the advantage of producing agrochemicals at competitive prices relative to their foreign counterparts. India has emerged as a major player in the global agrochemical market, driven by a growing demand for crop protection products.

Genomics-Assisted Breeding: A new era in crop development

Food shortages arise more frequently owing to unpredictable crop yield losses caused by biotic and abiotic stresses. With advances in molecular biology and marker technology, a new era of molecular breeding has emerged that has greatly accelerated the pace of plant breeding. High-throughput genotyping technology and phenotyping platforms have enabled large-scale marker-trait association analysis, such as genome-wide association studies, to precisely dissect the genetic architecture of plant traits. Large-scale mapping of agronomically important quantitative trait loci, gene cloning and characterisation, mining of elite alleles/haplotypes, exploitation of natural variations, and genomic selection have paved the way towards genomics-assisted breeding GAB). With the availability of more and more informative genomic datasets, GAB would become a promising technique to expedite the breeding cycle for crop improvement.

How biotechnology can transform poultry farming

Global meat consumption is growing exponentially because of rapid urbanisation and population growth. This surge is driven not only by increasing numbers but also by changing lifestyles, particularly in developing countries. Poultry birds known for their white meat, contribute significantly to the overall meat supply. To meet the escalating demand for meat and its products, the advent of the biotechnology revolution presents a multitude of opportunities in the poultry industry. Biotechnology is no longer limited to merely enhancing farming practices; it now encompasses a broad range of transformative impacts on poultry production and the food systems that support it.

"Capital infusion from both the government and private investors will definitely boost the horticulture sector"

Founded in 2010, Sahyadri Farms Post Harvest Care Limited, based in Nashik, has emerged as the largest exporter of grapes in India. Remarkably, Sahyadri accounts for nearly 17 per cent of all grapes exported from the country. In 2022, the company clocked a revenue of nearly Rs 800 crore. To further strengthen its operations, it recently raised Rs 310 crore in growth capital from a group of impact-focused investors including Incofin, Korys, FMO and Proparco. Besides, Sahyadri Farms, India’s largest integrated value chain owned by small and marginal farmers, announced the introduction of Employee Stock Ownership Plans ESOPs) worth Rs 45 crore for its employees in 2023. This forms part of the total ESOPs pool amounting to Rs 70 crore. Vilas Shinde, Chairman and Managing Director of Sahyadri Farms Post Harvest Care Limited expressed his insights on the horticulture value chain in India during an interview with AgroSpectrum. Edited excerpts;

Largest Grain Storage Plan: Strengthening India's Food Security

The government of India has recently given its approval to the World's Largest Grain Storage plan, aimed at addressing the shortage of food grain, particularly at the local level, and enhancing the country’s food security. However, implementing the plan presents its own set of challenges. The government must consider the possibility of creating these warehouses for public usage, which requires careful planning. It is crucial for the government to also consider reintroducing The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce Promotion and Facilitation) Act. By integrating these warehouses with the eNAM National Agriculture Market) platform, depositors would have the freedom to sell their produce at their preferred time and location, providing them with greater flexibility and market access.

Govt's decision to hike MSP for Kharif crops is a master stroke: Experts

The Indian government’s recent announcement of increasing the minimum support prices (MSP) for Kharif crops for the marketing season 2023–24 has been hailed as a masterstroke by experts. Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), has approved the MSP hikes for various crops.

Future-proofing with REGENERATIVE Agriculture

In a significant development for the regenerative agriculture sector, IITM Pravartak and WayCool Foods have joined forces to create the Regenerative Agriculture tech stack. This collaboration, which brings together the expertise of IITM Pravartak and the deep industry knowledge of WayCool Foods, aims to revolutionise farming practices in India and establish a robust ecosystem for regenerative agriculture. By leveraging innovative solutions and advanced technologies, the partnership seeks to drive the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices among Indian farmers, contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.

Climate-resilient agri solutions discussed at AgroSpectrum Asia portal launch

Dr C D Mayee, former Chairman of the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (in the centre) launched the AgroSpectrum Asia portal in presence of dignitaries (from L-R) Ravindra Boratkar, Publisher and Managing Editor of AgroSpectrum, Dr Ashok Dalwai, CEO of the National Rainfed Area Authority, Dr Smita Sirohi, Joint Secretary - G20/ BRICS & SCO, Pawan Agarwal, CEO of the Food Future Foundation and Milind Kokje, Chief Editor of AgroSpectrum on June 5 in New Delhi.

Arya.ag crosses Rs 1000 Cr loan disbursal milestone on Aryadhan

Arya.ag, India's leading and highly profitable agritech platform, has achieved a significant milestone by surpassing Rs 1000 crore in loan disbursals in a single year through its fintech platform, Aryadhan

Nichino India inaugurates new manufacturing plant in Karnataka

Nichino India, a prominent agrochemical company, has recently inaugurated a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant at Humnabad in Karnataka

ICAR-CIFRI signs deal with Glaucus Agrochem for "Cagegrow" floating feed

ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI), Barrackpore has entered into a Technology License Agreement with Glaucus Agrochem Pvt Ltd for the \"CIFRI Cagegrow\" floating fish feed

ICAR-NBFGR, CST encourage schoolgoers to innovate for startups

National Technology Day was celebrated by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) in Lucknow, in collaboration with the Council of Science and Technology, Uttar Pradesh

IRRI Director Dr Ajay Kohli joins SAB of Ignite Life Science Foundation

Dr Ajay Kohli, a highly experienced and accomplished researcher in the agricultural sector, has joined Ignite Life Science Foundation as a new member of their Scientific Advisory Board (SAB)

Telangana receives Rs 7218 Cr investments in agri-food industry

The Food Conclave 2023

India Bolsters Horticulture Sector to Boost Export

The horticulture sector, which contributes approximately 33 per cent of the gross value of agricultural GDP, is emerging as a key driver of economic growth and transitioning into an organised industry encompassing seed trading, value addition, and exports. India holds the second position globally in fruits and vegetable production, following China, as per data from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)

UK-India science MoU to help aquaculture

The UK and India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement focused on science, research and innovation

Animpet launches India's first integrated animal economy e-marketplace

Animpet Ecomm has launched Animstok.com, India's first Hybrid E-Marketplace, following successful trial runs with over 25,000 vendors offering 150,000 products and services

Telangana to establish the world's largest aqua hub in Sircilla

The Telangana Government has unveiled plans to establish the world's largest integrated freshwater aqua hub at Mid Manair Dam in Rajanna Sircilla

Two Brothers Organic Farms raises 14.5 Cr in Pre-series A funding round

Two Brothers Organic Farms (TBOF), a producer of natural and organic farming products, has announced the successful completion of its preSeries A funding round, raising Rs 14.5 crore

Leads Connect, ICRISAT partner for sustainable agri solutions

Leads Connect Services, the premier agritech data, risk management, and financial services company based in Noida, has partnered with the Agribusiness and Innovation Platform-International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (AIPICRISAT) to organise a sensitisation programme on marketing strategies for Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in Hyderabad

Sahyadri Farms announces ESOPs worth Rs 70 Cr

Sahyadri Farms, India's largest integrated value chain owned by small and marginal farmers and based in Nashik, has announced an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) for the year 2023, worth Rs 45 crore, allocated to its employees from a total ESOP pool of Rs 70 crore

WRMS to close the $160B underinsurance gap with SecuRisk

Weather Risk Management Services (WRMS), an agriculture and climate risk management company based in New Delhi, has introduced SecuRisk, a groundbreaking solution aimed at addressing the $160 billion global protection gap

Centre launches Seed Traceability portal and mobile app

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the SATHI (Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic Inventory) Portal and Mobile App

Punjab allocates Rs 4.07 Cr to boost horticulture

The Punjab government has allocated Rs 4.07 crore to bolster the horticulture sector in Sangrur and Malerkotla districts