'Nari Shakti' in Limelight

Women have taken remarkable strides in agriculture in India, ranging from agritech startups, agribusinesses, and R&D to academia.

Is SMART Farming A Smart Bet for India?

In the dynamic landscape of Indian agriculture, the dawn of smart farming technologies heralds a new era of innovation and efficiency. Recently, significant strides have been made in this sector, exemplified by Arya.ag’s, strategic partnership with Crystal Crop Protection Limited. This collaboration introduces a nationwide crop monitoring initiative powered by Arya.ag’s cutting-edge satellite crop monitoring tool, Prakshep”. Such initiatives underscore India’s commitment to advancing agricultural practices towards greater productivity and sustainability, a commitment further reinforced in India’s Interim Budget 2024. Let's look into more aspects related to the smart agriculture market in India.

IFFCO - Tetra Pak tie-up for sustainable production and packaging in Saudi Arabia

In a strategic move aligning with its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG-based) plans in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, International Foodstuffs Co. (IFFCO Group) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tetra Pak, the globally acclaimed food processing and packaging solutions company.

Aarti Industries inks supply contract of agrochemical intermediate with global giant

Aarti Industries Limited (AIL), a prominent global speciality chemicals company, has announced the signing of a 9-year long-term supply contract for a crucial agrochemical intermediate with a leading global agrochemical products and solutions company.

eFishery completes pilot project in India, eyes global expansion

Southeast Asia’s leading aquaculture company, eFishery, has achieved a significant milestone by completing its commercial pilot project in India.

BioPrime launches King Farmers Cohort Programme

BioPrime AgriSolutions, a leading biotechnology company specialising in developing cutting-edge agri-biologicals, has introduced the “King Farmers Cohort” programme, a revolutionary initiative aimed at empowering farmers with crop-specific, region-specific knowledge and skills.

How Lucrative is Shrimp Sector Despite Challenges?

India has demonstrated consistent and robust growth in shrimp exports over the last decade, supported by government focus and organic growth, and has established a dominant position in the global value chain.

Can AI Help Build a Secure Food System?

The incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (Al) in food production is likely to spark a debate about ethics and governance across the entire supply chain.

Blockchain and its Impact on the Agri Value Chain

The supply chain is always a complex task to manage the integrity, accountability, traceability, and quality of the products.

Booming HPAI-free Poultry Exports

India's poultry industry is poised for a significant boost as the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) recently approved the country's self-declaration of freedom from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in specific poultry compartments. This approval is expected to have a substantial impact on India's poultry exports.

"We are seeing marketplaces move to a phygital model"

Established in 2013, AgroStar stands as a pioneering AgTech startup in India, dedicated to the mission of \"Helping Farmers Win.\"

Phygital Farming Takes Root in India

In the heart of India's agricultural landscape, a transformation is underway, powered by the rapid growth of e-commerce platforms. Online platforms are becoming the bridge that connects farmers directly with buyers, eliminating the traditional intermediaries and ensuring fair prices. This shift holds the promise of addressing long-standing challenges and propelling the sector into a new era of efficiency and sustainability.

India extendsS250M loan to Kenya for agri modernisation

During a joint press conference with Kenyan President William Ruto, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India will provide Kenya with a $250 million line of credit to modernise its agricultural sector.

How Agri Analytics Influence Agricultural Resilience

The amount of data in the agriculture sector is increasing at an exponential rate. Smart tractors, drones, and other linked farm equipment are examples of connected equipment (IoT) gadgets that are starting to accumulate data. Growers and leaders in agriculture are realising that big data holds the key to unlocking discoveries that could accelerate the development of new technologies and improve soil health, plant genomics, animal management, and other areas. With embedded Al, agriculture analytics may extract useful insights that can improve agricultural production, animal and plant health, sustainable practices, and more.

Emerging Trends in Biological Solutions

Driven by factors such as increasing demand for organic and natural products, rising concerns about food safety and security, and a growing focus on sustainable agriculture practices, the growth prospects for biological solutions in the agri-industry look promising in 2024 as well.

Advancing towards Tech-driven, Resilient Agriculture

India’s agricultural sector today is said to be on the verge of a breakthrough technological transformation. The new farm management approach uses Geo Positioning Systems GPS) and Artificial Intelligence-enabled software for precise mapping of farmlands, ensuring that individual fields or crops get precisely the inputs they need for optimum productivity. The technologies such as the Internet of Things loT), Big data, Artificial Intelligence Al), Machine Learning ML) and agribots are helping the farming community by providing granular data on rainfall patterns, water cycles, fertiliser requirements, improving crop production and real-time monitoring, harvesting, processing, and marketing. Despite the array of technology solutions available for farmers and investment flows, the road to transforming agriculture through technology is not without bottlenecks. Agritech solution providers need to consider several actions like training, awareness campaigns, demonstrations of new technologies in 2024 when looking to move toward a more sustainable production and to enhance efficiencies and increase farmers’ income by adopting them.

Agrovision attracts few lakhs of farmers of Central India to increase farmers' income

Ravindra Boratkar, Organising Secretary, Agrovision, and Publisher of AgroSpectrum welcoming the guests including Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Minister Tage Taki, Union Minister and Chief Patron of Agrovision Nitin Gadkari and other dignitaries at the valedictory function of 14th edition of Agrovision held in Nagpur on November 27, 2023.

"Farmers are increasingly becoming interested in hydroponics, vertical farming and drone technology"

A distinguished plant protection scientist and epidemiologist, Dr C D Mayee currently holds the esteemed positions of President at the South Asia Biotechnology Centre SABC) in Jodhpur, Vice President at the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences NAAS) in New Delhi and Advisor to the Agrovision Foundation in Nagpur. In addition to these roles, he serves as the chairman of AFC India Ltd. At the age of 77, Dr Mayee continues his relentless efforts in developing disease prediction models and identifying disease hotspots, particularly for crops grown in semi-arid regions. At the recently held 14th Agrovision, Dr Mayee spoke at length with AgroSpectrum and delved into the profound impact Agrovision has had over the past 13 years within the farming community. He also shed light on Agrovision’s significant role in uniting all stakeholders of the agricultural industry on a single platform, fostering profitability and sustainability in farming. Edited excerpts:

"Educate, Empower and Encourage Farmers, that's our mission"

Ravindra Boratkar is not only the Publisher of AgroSpectrum and Organising Secretary of Agrovision, but also a practising agriculturist who has been experimenting with new methods on his farm on the outskirts of Nagpur. Since its inception, Agrovision has been run by him as its main organiser. In this interview, he talks about the fundamental concept behind Agrovision, the transformation it has brought about among farmers in the Vidarbha region, and more. Edited excerpts:

"With farmers' engagement in energy generation, we'll be able to produce energy worth Rs 10 lakh crore"

At the 14th Agrovision Summit, India’s Premier Agri Mega Event, held between November 24 and 27, 2023 at Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) Ground, Dabha, Nagpur, AgroSpectrum had the opportunity to interact with the stalwart politician and Chief Patron of Agrovision, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways. Gadkari shared his views and ideas to further the aspirations of India’s farmers and citizens alike. His zeal for the empowerment of farmers, focusing on innovations that can benefit the farmers and the agriculture sector at large has, as always, been profound. Edited excerpts:

Reshaping Agriculture With AI, Drones & Biologicals

The global sustainable agriculture market is on a trajectory to reach over 31.35 billion by 2031, exhibiting a robust compound annual growth rate CAGR) of 10.17 per cent from 2023 to 2031. India has a major role in this transformative journey, where sustainable farming is emerging not just as a necessity but as an economically viable, socially supportive, and ecologically sound approach to crop cultivation. This transformation has been enabled over the past year by a synergy between government support, the complementary development of cutting-edge technologies by industry and a proactive push from the corporate sector. To explore the milestones in the growth of the sustainable agriculture market in India, the theme of the AgroSpectrum cover story is Sustainable Agriculture, which is consistent with the outline set by 14th Agrovision i.e. Sustainable Farming through Skilling and Technology”. In our special Dec 23 issue, AgroSpectrum delves deep into the realm of growing sustainable farming technologies through a series of analytical and informative articles on advancements in sustainable agriculture.

India & Brazil should enhance value addition and control post-harvest losses: Rupala

Ravindra Boratkar, Publisher Managing Editor, AgroSpectrum is seen presenting nuFFOODS Spectrum and AgroSpectrum magazines to Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying on the sidelines at a seminar on Perspectives and the Future of India-Brazil Relations in the Agribusiness Sector’ in Delhi on November 2.

FROM "SHIP TO MOUTH" TO "SHIP TO THE WORLD"

September 28 is a significant date in history, marked by the demise of Rao Tularam Singh, one of the leaders of the Indian rebellion of 1857 against British rule in India.

Insect Protein in Aquaculture- A Gamechanger for Sustainable Fish Farming

Though the cost of producing and processing insect protein is now higher than that of more conventional sources, such as fishmeal, the business is expected to grow and economies of scale could eventually result in lower costs. Efforts are being made to address potential obstacles and hurdles in order to optimize the use of insect protein in aquaculture feeds.

How Hyperspectral Technology is Revolutionising Sustainable Farming

To sustainably boost the country's economic prowess, agriculture in India is undergoing a profound transformation, and at the heart of this revolution is hyperspectral technology. Hyperspectral imaging has rapidly become an indispensable tool for modern farming, offering a powerful and precise means to harness data beyond the visible spectrum. This extraordinary capability allows farmers to make data-driven decisions, contributing to sustainable and effective agricultural practices. In this article, we explore the various ways in which hyperspectral technology is reshaping agriculture and promoting sustainability.

"There is a need for an integrated approach for the development of food processing in Vidarbha"

Nitin Gadkari, Chief Patron, Agrovision lighting the lamp to inaugurate a conference on Food Processing on the 2nd day of the 14th Agrovision along with L-R) Ravindra Boratkar, Publisher of AgroSpectrum, Harshdeep Kamble, Industry Secretary, Government of Maharashtra, Dr Dipen Agrawal, President, Chamber of Associations of Maharashtra Industry and Trade and Dr C D Mayee, Chairman, Advisory committee, Agrovision.

New Mother Dairy Milk Processing Plant in Nagpur to benefit 50k Farmers

Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Maharashtra Minister for Dairy Development and Animal Husbandry, Nitin Gadkari, Chief Patron of Agrovision and Union Minister, Dr Meenesh Shah, CMD, NDDB pressing a button to mark laying foundation stone of Mother Dairy's Mega Milk Processing Plant to be set up in Butibori area of Nagpur on November 24. Also seen in picture on left are Dr Nitin Patil, Vice Chancellor, Maharashtra Animal Sciences and Fishery Sciences University, Nagpur and on right Dr Sharad Gadakh, Vice Chancellor, Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth Agriculture University), Nagpur.

Natural farming can be the best solution for farmers and our economy: Acharya Devvrat

Dignitaries present at the inaugural function of the 14th Agrovision Left to Right) Ramesh Mankar, Organising Secretary, Agrovision; Ravindra Boratkar, Organising Secretary, Agrovision and Publisher of AgroSpectrum, Rajnikant Shroff, Chairman, UPL, Dr C D Mayee, Chairman, Advisory committee, Agrovision, Acharya Dewvrat, Governor of Gujarat, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways and Chief Patron, Agrovision, Shrikant Vaidya, Chairman, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd IOCL) and Dr Meenesh Shah, Chairman Managing Director CMD), National Dairy Development Board NDDB).

Sustainability in the Fertiliser Industry

Effective resource utilisation is essential for ensuring food security, conserving natural resources, and mitigating the environmental impact of agriculture. Therefore, sustainable agriculture is the need of the hour as it strikes a harmonious balance between agricultural productivity and the responsible use of natural resources. This can motivate farmers to adopt more nutrient-responsible approaches, ultimately leading to a more sustainable and efficient agricultural future.

IBCCI seeks govt intervention for import of buffalo meat from India

The India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) has requested the government to allow buffalo meat import from India to meet the growing demand of the country.