Agritech India, Karnataka Agribusiness, Way2Agritech, Way2Agribusiness India Pvt Ltd

Agritech India

Technology based agriculture is need of the day. Emerging trend in agri-tech in India and other countries, adoption of technology by the farmers, agri-tech products knowledge, developments across different product categories and agri-tech products awareness creation through workshops and farmers’ meet etc. are the factors to be considered for betterment of the agriculture sector in India. Farm mechanization and agri-tech products adoption at different levels has to happen in a big way to address the issue of farm labour shortage and also improve the efficiency of crop cultivation activities.Some of the recent development of Indian

agri-tech system are: adoption of Information Technology (IT), GPS technology, irrigation systems, breeding, tissue culture, Nano-technology and shifting towards organic plant growth promoters and protection products etc. Today’s agriculture needs not only high tech products but also use of quality inputs, conservation of soil, water, environment and marketing facilities. Further, there is an urgent need for facilitation of sourcing and adoption of right agri-tech products and also farmers’ awareness creation on better agricultural practices for better agriculture in India.

Government Policies & Notifications

Farmers seek abolition of GST on farm-related machinery

APRIL 22, 2022
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/farmers-seek-abolition-of-gst-on-farm-related-machinery/article65344902.ece
Farmers have sought abolition of GST on agriculture-related implements including fertilizers to help reduce the input cost besides appointment of agriculture officer for each Gram Panchayat. The issue came up during the visit of B.C. Patil, Minister for Agriculture, to Thaluru village in Mysuru district on Friday to participate in a ‘’day with a progressive farmer’’ initiative in vogue since the last few months. The concept entails the Minister accompanied by officials from the department of agriculture, district administration and zilla panchayat, interacting with the farmers and learn about the issues plaguing them besides imbibing a few good practices that are being followed and could be propagated for emulation by other farmers. Members of Karnataka State Sugarcane Cultivators Association met the Minister and apprised him of various issues plaguing the agricultural sector. They also wanted an intervention to resolve the ‘’artificial scarcity’’ allegedly being created by fertilizer dealers and subsequently selling it at a higher rate in the black market. The dealers were refusing to sell fertilizers unless the farmers purchased micronutrients, as a result of which farmers were forced to pay despite their dire financial straits, according to the association members. The Minister issued directives to the officials to resolve the matter. Farmers also urged the Minister to take steps to include sugarcane for crop insurance. At present, commercial crops like sugarcane and tobacco are not covered by crop insurance. The Minister said he would take any step required at the State level and told the officials to explore such a possibility. The demand for abolition of GST on agriculture-related equipment also evoked a similar response from the Minister.
The farmers wanted the government to appoint an agricultural officer at each Gram Panchayat who could act as an interface between the government and the farmers. The Minister said the government intends to recruit a few diploma holders in agriculture in due course, according to the farmers’ association. Mr. Patil, who addressed the gathering of farmers at Thaluru village, said the objective of the ongoing programme was a step in the efforts to make agriculture profitable and infuse confidence among farmers so as to prevent their shift to non-agricultural occupations. The Minister said the Government has taken many initiatives to infuse pride in agriculture among the new generation. By spending a day with farmers it is intended to resolve any issues impeding agriculture, at the local level. The government had launched Vidyanidhi programme through which scholarships were being accorded to children of farmers The subsidy due to the farmers was being credited to their savings bank account directly without the involvement of middlemen. Mr. Patil said emphasis was on micro irrigation and mechanisation of agriculture and the sector was being accorded top priority by the government. District in-charge Minister S.T. Somashekar, senior officials from the department of agriculture and others were present.
Google collaborates with Indian agri-tech platform to provide technology-led agri solutions

Date: APRIL 22, 2022
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/real-estate/haryana-govt-to-take-over-assets-of-gurugram-realty-developers-if-completion-certificate-not-taken-cm-khattar-8434381.html
Agri-tech platform nurture.farm announced that it has entered into a research collaboration with US tech major Google to identify scalable and cost-effective solutions for soil quality measurement across farmlands in India. The deal aims to enable farmers with informed decisions, which improve their yield and profitability across seasons, nurture.farm said in a statement. Combining Google’s artificial intelligence (AI), imaging technologies and cloud infrastructure, and nurture.farm's direct on-ground reach and engagement with millions of farmers in India, the two companies have outlined several areas of research collaboration that will accelerate the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices across the country.
Objectives of Google-nurture. farm collaboration: The collaboration is aimed at establishing a low-cost method to measure soil health, covering soil organic carbon and other key nutrients in soil. It will focus on the use of hyperspectral image analysis combined with other remote sensing and data collection methods, to accurately measure the nutrients in soil across a range of soil types and characteristics that comprise the landscape of agricultural practices in India. This method of soil testing, once established in a scalable manner, will help extend soil testing services at affordable costs to farmers across India, and guide them towards ways to improve soil health, select suitable crops, input products and operating practices, resulting in higher yields and income. "Our objective is to bring advanced and innovative technology-led solutions to ease the decision-making process and improve outcomes for farmers, with a focus on smallholder farmers of India," said Pranav Tiwari, Chief Technology Officer, nurture.farm.
What is the need? Soil health is well understood to be a primary indicator of crop yield and productivity. Soil quality testing is primarily done using chemical-based analysis, where soil samples are collected and analysed in a laboratory. Due to limited testing facilities, lower awareness among farmers, and the logistical and operational overhead introduced by collecting and transporting samples to testing facilities, this lab-based soil-testing approach has been challenging to scale across India. "We look forward to our collaboration with nurture.farm, utilizing Google's suite of AI and imaging technologies, Cloud, and advanced geo-spatial analysis and machine learning expertise to help unearth long-term solutions for sustainable agriculture," said Google's Research Director Manish Gupta.
How this Bengaluru-based agritech startup is automating farming

April 26, 2022
https://yourstory.com/2022/04/cultyvate-bengaluru-based-agritech-startup-automating-farming/amp
CultYvate is an agri-tech platform by Farm2Fork Technologies Pvt Ltd. It develops smart irrigation systems that automate and simplify irrigation for farmers. Mallesh T grew up in an agrarian household in Karnataka’s Mandya district. Despite being a paddy-growing district – one of India’s most profitable crops – he could sense that the farmers in Mandya were in despair. “The farmers in Mandya complained about poor irrigation despite having almost five rivers, including the Kaveri, flowing through it. The district also records the highest rates of farmer suicides in the state. This was confusing because the nearby district of Kolar had a dearth of groundwater but was still flourishing by growing commercial crops,” Mallesh tells YourStory. Mallesh says he realised that the problem was not the lack of water resources but the lack of proper irrigation techniques. He saw the scope for automation in this situation, an idea that eventually resulted in the foundation of CultYvate, an agritech platform that aims to enhance agriculture productivity for marginal farmers.
Established in 2016, CultYvate is run by Farm2Fork Technologies Pvt Ltd. The startup implements various concepts, tools, and methods to irrigate crops efficiently. It integrates IoT (Internet of Things), artificial intelligence (AI), satellite, machine learning (ML) and various crop models to develop the products. Apart from smart irrigation systems, CultYvate also develops smart fertigation systems – the injection of fertilizers, used for soil amendments, water amendments and other water-soluble products into an irrigation system and greenhouse automation techniques. It works closely with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institute of Technology, Indian Council of Agricultural Research and various state governments.
Here's how India can unlock the power of agricultural technology through PPP

29 Mar 2022
https://www.agribusinessglobal.com/agtech/heres-how-india-can-unlock-the-power-of-agricultural-technology-through-public-private-partnerships/
India's plan to deliver agricultural technology services to farmers through public private partnerships is likely to boost the country's farming sector and address the challenges of sustainability, efficiency and inclusivity. The country expects to unlock an economic value of $50-65 billion through digital agriculture by 2025, according to a report. Leveraging technology will be critical to mitigating the impacts of climate change and ensuring farmers are financially resilient. Public and private bodies should work together to pool resources and funds to leverage agricultural technology. The Indian Government’s proposal to deliver hi-tech services to farmers through public private partnerships (PPPs), recently presented in its annual budget, is likely to offer critical support for the agricultural sector at a time when it is greatly needed. The COVID pandemic and the war in Ukraine has massively disrupted the global food system, putting huge pressure on agriculture-focussed countries like India to provide more sustainable options. This is where agricultural technology could prove key. India has potential economic value of $50-65 billion through digital agriculture by 2025 translating to 23% addition to the current value of agricultural produce, according to a report by the country’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and McKinsey & Company.
Know, how innovative agriculture is empowering farmers & raising their income

April 30, 2022
https://newsonair.com/2022/04/27/know-how-innovative-agriculture-is-empowering-farmers-raising-their-income/
With farmers being on the top of the priority list of the government, innovative agriculture is fast acquiring greater space in public talk. The way robots and drones are replacing traditional farm operations such as picking fruits, killing weeds, spraying water and fertilizer on crops, with imagery from drones and satellites coupled with GPS technology providing a high-resolution and location-specific view of the field, the definition of agriculture is getting new meaning and dimensions. This is what innovative agriculture is. Thanks to the innovative technical interventions pushed in by the government in recent years, India has become one of the most prominent countries in the field of agriculture globally. It is also a major producer of paddy, wheat, pulses and other agricultural produces. It ranks second in paddy and wheat production and 1st in pulses production in the world. To give a big boost to innovative agriculture, India has developed one of the world’s largest Agricultural Research System like- National Agricultural Research System (NARS) including ICAR institutes and State Agriculture Universities (SAUs). The NARS has contributed immensely to make India self-sufficient in food production and serves the agricultural technology and information needs of the country.
The government has been implementing a programme called Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY-RAFTAAR) since 2018-19 with an objective to promote innovation and agri-entrepreneurship by providing financial and technical support for nurturing agri startups including agritech startups using digital techniques. Five Knowledge Partners (KPs) as Center of Excellence and twenty four RKVY-RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubators (R-ABIs) have been appointed from across the country for implementation of this programme. Under the Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development programme, a total of 799 start-ups in the field of agriculture and allied sectors including agritech startups have been provided technical and financial support. Besides, the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has been supporting Agri-based startups including agritech startups using digital techniques under the project called National Agriculture Innovation Fund (NAIF) initiated in the year 2016-2017. It has two components – I. Innovation Fund and 2 Incubation Fund and National Coordinating Unit (NCU). ICAR Agribusiness Incubators (ABIs) provide technical backstopping and other incubation services to startups /entrepreneurs including agritech startups. ICAR through its ABIs in 50 institutes has supported a total of 818 startups including agritech startups. Under the Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship programme of RKVY, funds are released to KPs and R-ABIs and not state-wise. One R-ABI has been established in Chaudhary Charan Singh University (CCSU), Hisar for supporting startups in agriculture & allied sector in Haryana.

Selected agritech startups using digital techniques may take technical and financial support at the incubation centre established in CCSU, Hisar, Haryana under the programme for benefitting farmers including from Karnal. Under NAIF programme of ICAR, one Agri-Business Incubation (ABI) Center has been established in National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal. Selected agritech startups using digital techniques in Karnal may take technical support at the above incubation centre. These startups benefit farmers by solving problems related to the farm economy and enhance profitability & efficiency of the farm sector. 173 women startups/entrepreneurs have been supported under the “Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” programme. As per the Census 2011 conducted by the Registrar General of India, the total number of women farmers as cultivators are 3.60 crore and agricultural labourers are 6.15 crore in the country. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched a component called “Innovation and AgriEntrepreneurship Development” under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY-RAFTAAR) in 2018-19 with an objective to promote innovation and agri-entrepreneurship by providing financial support and nurturing the incubation ecosystem. Giving this reformative process a further impetus, NITI Aayog, as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, organized a National Level Workshop on “Innovative Agriculture” in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, where top brains discussed the innovative agriculture in details and suggested various ways and means for its strengthening.
NITI Aayog cited the need to understand the science, fundamentals, and processes behind the practice of natural farming also, hoping that the knowledge, research experience, and expertise of the international experts attending the workshop will aid in building capacities of the Indian scientists, researchers, policymakers towards promotion of natural farming in the country. NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, during his address, said “Natural farming is the need of the hour and it is important to identify scientific ways so farmers can be assured direct benefits from natural farming and higher incomes.” Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog said “We can give a chance to such alternatives because there is no serious threat to food security since we are food surplus.” However, he called for step wise adoption of natural farming.

Agritech News & Events

News

Mysuru MP wants GST on bio-fertilizers cut to 5% from 12%

How the changing dynamics of agriculture in India is paving the way for a new futuristic model

How agri-tech is booming in 2022 and transforming agri sector

Five states plan to roll out drones for fertiliser usage in next 2-3 months

Agritech boost to fuel farmers' aspirations

Mysuru MP wants GST on bio-fertilizers cut to 5% from 12%

March 29, 2022
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/agritech-sector-will-remain-in-the-green-in-2022/
In his meeting with Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje, Pratap Simha argues that cut in GST may trigger organic farming in a big way and ease burden on farmers. Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha on Tuesday met Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Shobha Karandlaje and urged her to bring down the GST on bio-fertilizers and other organic inputs from 12 per cent to 5 per cent. The MP, who submitted a memorandum to the Minister, said India is positively looking at the year 2022 with great hopes after a catastrophic year-and-a-half due to pandemic and the tax structure is an integral plan of the revival plan.
“Agriculture contributes 18 per cent to our country’s GDP. Such being the case, bio-fertilizers, biocontrol agents and bio-pesticides are important agri inputs that help in curbing pests and diseases on plants and play a major role in increasing agricultural production. Bio-fertilizers are completely organic in nature with zero chemical residues and they go a long way in promoting sustainable soil health which is the need of the hour,” Mr. Simha told the Minister. However, several such bio-fertilizers are being levied with 12 per cent GST which is like a direct taxation on the farmers’ pocket. Bringing down the slab to 5 per cent will help promote organic farming on a larger scale and also ease the financial burden on the farmer, the MP felt. Mr. Simha also urged the Minister to reduce the GST on biocontrol agents to 5 per cent so as to benefit the farmers and to increase the agricultural production in the country. The list of bio-pesticides that are under the 12 per cent GST bracket such as bacillus thuringiensis; bacillus sphaericus; and trichoderma viride were mentioned in the memorandum by the Minister.
How the changing dynamics of agriculture in India is paving the way for a new futuristic model

April 12, 2022,
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/agritech-sector-will-remain-in-the-green-in-2022/
The dichotomy of Indian agriculture is unique. India ranks second in terms of global food production and, at the same time, is home to the world’s largest undernourished population. Agriculture provides livelihood to more than 50% of the population, yet contributes less than 20% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Even after seven decades since independence, Indian farmers continue to battle low productivity and profitability. Considering the complexity of Indian agriculture, a single policy or technology cannot reform the agricultural sector. However, consistent digital transformation efforts along with government incentives and intervention can strengthen the agricultural model in India. In the past few years, the agriculture landscape in India has witnessed a spike in innovative inventions, use of technology and improved farming models. An influx of investments, AgriTech startups and innovation are bent on changing the dynamics of Indian agriculture and paving the way for a futuristic model.
Farm diversification for supplementing income: The state of small and marginal farmers in India has been dismal, struggling with inadequate farmlands, low incomes and mounting debts. As per the stats – 100 million farmers out of 140 million own less than an acre of land, while many others own less than 2 acres. These farmers depend on mono-crop culture, wavering weather, informal lenders and fluctuating output prices. And farmers who seek to venture into aquaculture or animal husbandry don’t have appropriate investments, marketing channels and knowledge. But with the advent of AgriTech startups and digital tools, many Indian farmers are supplementing their income with farm diversification. These startups are empowering farmers to integrate livestock rearing and aquaculture into their existing operations with micro-farm installation requiring minimum space and labour. Non-crop diversification is helping farmers increase and earn round-the-year income, improve productivity and profitability and adopt sustainable farming systems.
Improving digital & market connectivity: Before the internet and smartphones, farmers could only access their local or closest markets, often suffering low returns for their produce. Moreover, due to a lack of storage infrastructure, farmers were forced to sell their produce at the first price offered. However, with ever-increasing internet and smartphone penetration, digital connectivity is reaching Indian villages. As a result, farmers can access a slew of information about farming inputs, climate conditions and market prices. It has further improved the market linkage of farmers, who can now sell their produce at higher prices. Many AgriTech startups are increasing awareness among the farming communities and connecting them to a network of traders, retailers and exporters willing to buy their produce at higher prices.
Availability of affordable & innovative farming inputs: Currently, the market for farming inputs in India is highly unorganized and a majority of farmers have to deal with middlemen to procure materials. Thus, they end up paying premium prices or borrowing money for farming inputs. However, technological improvements and competition among private companies have led to a surge in the supply of quality and affordable farming inputs. Consequently, farmers can order innovative inputs, better seeds and fertilizers, customized farm machinery and feed for animals online at cost-effective prices. Technological advances in supply chain platforms have also resulted in the supply of high-quality live input materials to farmers engaged in livestock rearing and aquaculture.
The road to digital agriculture: The initiation of the Digital Agriculture Mission by the government is set to pave the way for a new and futuristic farming model in India. The use of technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), remote sensing, drones and robots can improve agriculture production, profitability and sustainability. A unified AgriStack platform will provide farmers with end-to-end services and timely technological and data interventions. A robust digital infrastructure can help revolutionize India’s agricultural landscape. By arming farmers with information and technology, India can achieve twin benefits of profitability and sustainability.
Wrapping Up: With a burgeoning population, climate change and a looming food security crisis, the need for Indian agriculture to transition from the traditional industrial model into a new futuristic and sustainable model has never been more pressing. Small but consistent changes in the agricultural sector can propel India’s farming community to the next level. Greater support for AgriTech firms, digital infrastructure and innovative technologies can usher in a digital and green agricultural model.
How agri-tech is booming in 2022 and transforming agri sector

23 April, 2022
http://www.fnbnews.com/Top-News/how-agritech-is-booming-in-2022-and-transforming-agri-sector-67940
India's agriculture sector is transforming and evolving due to the boom of agri-tech start-ups. According to estimates, India's agri-tech industry can reach $24 bn in revenue by the year 2025 and hold immense potential for the future of Indian agriculture. There is a revolution happening in Indian agriculture as we speak. Indian agriculture has come a long way from ensuring food security in the nation to becoming one of the major producers in the world. India is still largely an agrarian economy with 58% of the population dependent on agriculture. At present, agriculture and allied industries contribute to about 17–18% of the country's GDP. The potential for growth in the agriculture and allied industry is huge. Today the new buzzword in Indian agriculture sector is agri-tech. According to data by Inc42, there are 1000 agri-tech start-ups in India as of 2020 with $400 million+ funding raised by agri-tech start-ups from the period between 2014 and 2020. According to the same research, India's agri-tech industry has the potential to reach about $24 billion in revenue by the year 2025. The current penetration of agri-tech in India is only about 1%. Thus, the scope and market potential is huge. The agri-tech start-ups and D2C companies in this space are disrupting the sector and ushering in a new era of Indian agriculture. It will also play a crucial role in transforming the agricultural sector and providing food security to the growing India's population which is estimated to reach 1.6 billion by 2050.
The Agri-Tech Boom: Agri-tech blends agriculture and technology. It refers to the use of technology and innovations in agriculture to increase yield, quality, efficiency, and profitability. In recent times, the agri-tech revolution is led by advancements in robotics, big data, AI, and other methods. The Indian agri-tech industry is booming and solving the need-gaps, problems and never-ending challenges of the Indian agriculture sector. Agri-tech start-ups are also solving problems related to animal husbandry, livestock management, poultry farming and dairy farming. Innovations in the space are solving various issues in the sector like finances, supply chain, farming challenges in extreme weather conditions and supply & demand gap. Start-ups in the agriculture eco-system today are successfully harnessing modern tech advancements like artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things [IoT], machine learning, big data, and even block chain to solve various problems, challenges related to need-gaps in the market and transforming the sector by enabling higher productivity, superior quality, better yield, traceability and increasing profits for farmers.
How is agri-tech transforming Indian agriculture? India's agri-tech revolution is here. Buoyed by a host of new and cutting-edge technologies, the agri-tech sector is transforming India's farming landscape. The agri-tech start-ups can be sub-divided into various sub sectors like: market linkages, farm inputs, precision agriculture, FaaS and financial services. Below we look at how each of the sub sectors are disrupting the faming landscape in recent times.
How is agri-tech transforming Indian agriculture? India's agri-tech revolution is here. Buoyed by a host of new and cutting-edge technologies, the agri-tech sector is transforming India's farming landscape. The agri-tech start-ups can be sub-divided into various sub sectors like: market linkages, farm inputs, precision agriculture, FaaS and financial services. Below we look at how each of the sub sectors are disrupting the faming landscape in recent times.
Farm inputs: Here various data points are helping farmer to produce better yield and increase productivity. Internet of Things (IoT) enabled smart farming sensors are helping farmers to gather data on soil quality, temperature, humidity, ammonia concentration and other variables. It can help them in real time soil monitoring and provides data on moisture, temperature, electric conductivity, ph of the soil and organic matter content. It is also instrumental in animal husbandry space to keep track of the kind of microenvironment which is available for the livestock.
Precision farming: India's agricultural productivity has traditionally been below global benchmarks due to poor agricultural practices. Now it is all changing due to precision farming. From understanding soil topography, weather forecasts to automated irrigation, precision farming is approaching agriculture through innovation and adopting various smart technologies. It provides farmers with farm-specific data about soil, topography, changing weather conditions, pests, and others by using IoT sensors or geospatial technology and combining analytics to provide timely insights. It is making farming a more scientific and systematic and helps to manage farming systems, often in real time.
Farming-as-a-Service: Farming-as-a-Service offers services like on-demand machinery rental, field levelling, and pesticide spraying. It is the use of innovative, professional-grade solutions for agricultural and allied services using the pay-per-use or subscription model. Some solutions are organised, efficient reinventions of existing practices, while others are tech-driven innovations…
Challenges and The Road Ahead: India has been pursuing agricultural self-sufficiency since its Independence. While achieving food sufficiency in production, India still faces concerns of resource-intensive agriculture and low farmer productivity resulting in poverty and undernourishment. Other challenges that plague the sectors are lack of infrastructure, supply chain inefficiencies, the unorganised and fragmented nature of Indian agriculture and low digital adoption which are impeding the growth of the sector and inhibiting it to perform to its full potential. To combat the challenges and to harness the full potential of the sector we need a three-point framework of: infrastructure, innovation and investment. In terms of infrastructure, we need to modernise our farm practices, adopt new technologies and make the future of farming digital ready. We need a better financial model so that farmers have better access to capital and resources and to make farming more organised. Innovation is the backbone of agri-tech boom in India today. The need of the hour is innovative business models, disruptive business solutions that provide viable solutions to farmers. A policy level incentive to harness research and development in the agricultural space will help to provide innovative solutions to modern day challenges. There is a growing interest among investors in the agri-tech domain. Apart from micro lending to farmers at the grassroots level, more investment in agri-tech will boost farming. Besides, a policy level intervention to support agri-tech start-ups and successful ground level implementation of various schemes for farmers will go a long way to boost the sector.
Five states plan to roll out drones for fertiliser usage in next 2-3 months

APRIL 27, 2022
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/five-states-plan-to-roll-out-drones-for-fertiliser-usage-in-next-2-3-months-sources-8420641.html

State governments Karnataka, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh are working with drone manufacturing companies, farmer producers organisations and state agriculture universities to roll out drones that can be used for fertilizer spraying in the next two-three months, said multiple sources close to the development. “State governments are looking to take advantage of the 100 percent subsidy offered by the central government for the purchase of drones for agricultural utilisations and are looking to improve efficiency and output by using drones,” said a senior government official. The testing of drones to be used for spraying fertilisers in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana has already been completed and farmer producer organisations in these states are expected to start using the drones very soon, he added. “Multiple models are being considered for the rollout of drones to be used for farmers, and state government are working with state universities as well to help familiarise farmers with the use of drones,” said another government official. He said that drones will be bought by either state agriculture universities or Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes across the country, who will then work with farmers to use drones on their fields for a fee. Government officials, quoting initial estimates, also said that farmers will be able to rent out drones that have capacity to carry a 10-kg payload for as little as Rs 350-450 per acre. “The calculation is based on the assumption that a drone equipped with multiple batteries will be utilised for at least six hours a day, covering about 30 acres of farmland,” said the second government official. The central government in January had announced a 100 percent grant up to the cost of Rs 10 lakh to Agricultural Institutes for the purchase of drones for farming and its allied activities. s part of the Union Budget for 2022-23, the government had also announced that ‘Kisan’ drones will be used for crop assessment, digitisation of land records and spraying of insecticides and nutrients.
Drone industry expects move to boost market in India: Smit Shah, President, Drone Federation of India, said that the decision to give interim approval to the knapsack registered pesticides shall boost the utilization of Kisan Drones. Shah added that the move is not only expected to boost the drone market in India but will help increase efficiencies on the ground level as well. In ground spraying, around 100-120 litres of water mixed with 10 litres of pesticides for an acre of land and takes around 2-2.5 hours, said Shah. However, when using a drone only 10-12 litres of water is needed with five litres of pesticides and process is likely to take around 10-15 minutes. Shah also said that drones that can be used for fertiliser spraying are likely to cost between Rs 6-12 lakh in the current market. Similarly, Abhishek Burman, co-Founder and CEO at General Aeronautics, said that the use of drones will eliminate overuse of chemicals and can be much more efficient than a traditional sprinkler or manual sprinkling of chemicals. He added that a drone could reduce pesticide usage of a farmer by as much as 80 percent and water usage by 95 percent. Chennai-based Garuda Aerospace is already working on service model where they sell drones to village level entrepreneurs or pesticide and fertilisers retailers. “We are also setting up service centres in collaboration with the Indian Council for Agricultural Research. We have also tied up with 300 farmer associations. There are 22 crore acres of orders which we have secured which would need spraying for the next three years,” the company’s founder Agnishwar Jayaprakash said.
Agritech boost to fuel farmers' aspirations

Feb 1, 2022
https://www.fortuneindia.com/macro/budget-2022-agritech-boost-to-fuel-farmers-aspirations/106972
Union Budget 2022-23’s agriculture-related policies could certainly be a game-changer for the agriculture sector if implemented well.Promoting chemical-free farming, especially for farmers whose lands are close to the river Ganga, delivery of hi-tech digital services to farmers, use of drones to aid farmers, and last but not least, the impetus to agritech startups — Union Budget 2022-23’s agri-related policies could certainly be a game-changer for the agriculture sector if implemented in the right spirits. The step towards digitising land records, according to experts, could significantly help in linking farmers to a lot of businesses, which would mean additional incomes.Farm technology and mechanisation aren’t really new to Indian farmers. Visit any moderately well-to-do farmer in rural India, he is quite aware of of agritech platforms. Be it weather-related information, knowledge on pesticides or soil testing, thanks to the inroads of internet, Indian farmers have started embracing technology.Offering them these services are not only a host of agri start-ups such as Gramophone, AgNext or Krishi Network, even large corporates such as Mahindra, Godrej, Cisco and Microsoft have made inroads into it. The government’s intent to boost agri-related technology would give further impetus to the industry, say its stakeholders.
The Union Budget says that the country’s agriculture universities would be revising their curriculum to incorporate courses that would focus on sustainable agriculture, low-cost farming and organic farming.“The decision to revise syllabi of agricultural universities, and use of Kisan drones for crop assessment, digitisation of land records, spraying of insect pesticides is a step in the right direction to modernise the agriculture sector,” says BalramYadav, MD, Godrej Agrovet.“Agriculture can be transformed with the use of technology and by using sustainable agricultural practices. It will improve farmer income and reduce inefficiencies,” adds Anjali Bansal, Founder, Avana Capital.
How could a drone help an Indian farmer assess his crop? “A specialised drone for a small farm will be able to exactly tell the farmer the areas of his farm which require more pesticide. This information is valuable as the farmer needn’t spray pesticide on the entire crop. This will help the farmer reduce inefficiencies as well as costs,” explains SiddhantBhomia, co-founder and chief business officer, Krishi Network.

Events

AgriTech India 2022, Fri, 26 – Sun, 28 Aug, at BIEC, Bengaluru

Krishi Mela Dharwad 2022, 27 – 29, May 2022, at UAS, Dharwad

EIMA Agrimach INDIA, Thu, 1 – Sat, 3 Sept, at UAS, Bengaluru

Asia-Pacific Conference on Sustainable Agriculture, Wed, 18 – Fri, 20 May, The Capitol Hotel, Bengaluru

Natural Products Expo India, ri, 6 May - Sun, 8 May, at UAS, Bengaluru

Agritech Gallery

Agritech Knowledge Centre & Blog

Agriculture technology

Today’s agriculture needs not only high technology but also use of quality inputs, conservation of soil, water, environment and marketing facilities

Food Processing

There has been a heavy wastage of perishable food products in India post-harvest period. It is estimated that wastage is as high as 30-35% in selected crops.

Greenhouse or poly house

Greenhouse cultivation of vegetables, flowers, exotic vegetables, medicinal herbs etc. not only enhance yield and quality but also reduce the use of water, pesticides and nutrients. Further it is also possible to grow off-season crops as we control the temperature,

Urban Agriculture

Urban agriculture, also known as urban farming, terrace gardening, kitchen garden, home gardening etc. is to promote the urbanites to produce suitable crops including vegetables,

Agritech Videos

As a part our services and knowledge transformation initiative, we share live demo videos, exposure videos, success stories, feedback from farmers/ customers and training videos. Our farmers/ customers can expect frequent updation of this section.

Dr Soil Health

Dr. Soil Health is an innovation in Biotechnology, a unique product formulated by the Research and development wing of Samarth Bio Tech ltd. Dr. Soil Health is manufactured using plant extracts which supplements energy source for higher yield and harvest and is composed of natural earthworm exudates, seaweeds extract, amino acids, vitamins, Fulvic acids, humic acids, chelated micro and macro nutrients, all of them derived from natural plant origin. Dr. Soil Health will result in development of roots & shoots and stimulates the cell division, improves the crop size and increasing the beneficial micro-organisms.