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

Doubling farm income needs fresh thinking - Centrum report

Jul 6, 2022
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/doubling-farm-income-needs-fresh-thinking-centrum-report/articleshow/92691850.cms
Rising food inflation remains a cause of worry and a drop in the procurement of grains by the government in May remains a key concern for farmers, according to a Centrum Broking report. The broader worry, however, remains on ignoring declining farmers’ income and initiatives in incentivizing them to produce more to avoid a situation where India needs to import food grains from outside as was seen earlier in 2007 and 2016. "FMCG industry deliver strong growth only when the poor people have more money in their hand to spend. When this happens, as a result, the demand becomes huge and the economics of the company does not need any kind of boosters," said Centrum after discussions with Devinder Sharma, a trained agriculture scientist. The government has taken various initiatives such as providing subsidies in fertilizers, deciding minimum support prices (MSPs) for crops (reviewing before every season) and E‐Nam procurement benefits, yet the farmers in the country are facing severe distress. Sharma suggested a few recommendations - more focus on farm mechanization, price assurance to further increase production, and assured income in the hands of farmers which in turn may benefit the economy by large. "The country’s supply chain is production push driven. There are multiple startups working in the right spirit to enable farmers with crop education and monitoring. The change in the mindset has to be brought to the secondary side of the supply chain where the market has to be pushed to be more demand-driven," said Udit Sangwan, co-founder, Agrigator, an agricultural supply chain platform. "This will bridge the information gap and give better visibility on consumer expectations resulting in better planning of crops at the farmer's end and in turn giving better returns." According to the report, improving agriculture contribution and output could become a growth engine for the Indian economy if the entire ecosystem is thought afresh as traditional systems have had a limited role in doubling farmer income.
Centre receives Rs 23,000 crore proposals under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund

Jul 15, 2022
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/centre-receives-rs-23000-crore-proposals-under-agriculture-infrastructure-fund/articleshow/92900927.cms
The Centre has received proposals envisaging an investment of Rs 23,000 crore under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said on Friday. The AIF set up in 2020 aims at providing a medium-long term debt financial facility till 2025-26 for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and financial support. AIF with a corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore will be disbursed through loan by 2025-26, ministry officials had said earlier. "So far, we have received proposals worth Rs 23,000 crore, of which the proposals worth Rs 13,000 crore is under consideration,” Tomar said while briefing about the outcome of the two-day National Conference of State Agriculture and Horticulture Ministers. He said this fund will be given as a loan to the interested people with "impressive proposals". Union Minister for State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje said the loan will be given at a minimal interest rate of three per cent.
Average farm income soars 1.3-1.7 times in FY22 from FY18: SBI Research

Jul 17, 2022
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/average-farm-income-soars-1-3-1-7-times-in-fy22-from-fy18-sbi-research/articleshow/92938121.cms
The income of farmers has grown in the range of 1.3-1.7 times in FY22 from the FY18 levels on average while grain exports soared to over USD 50 billion, says an SBI Research report. For certain crops in some states (like soyabean in Maharashtra and cotton in Karnataka) farmers' income more than doubled in FY22 from FY18 levels, while in all other cases it rose in the range of 1.3-1.7 times. The increase in the income of farmers engaged in cash crops has been more prominent compared to farmers growing non-cash crops, SBI chief economist Soumyakanti Ghosh said in an elaborate report on Sunday. This also has led to an increase in the share of agriculture in the GDP to 18.8 per cent from 14.2 per cent, the report said. This rise was also due to the shrinkage of the industrial and services contribution to the economy due to the deadly second wave of the pandemic. But the report is silent on the massive fall in the prices of spices like black pepper, cardamom, clove, and cinnamon among others as also natural rubber. Also, the report, based on key farming states like Maharashtra, Rajasthan, MP, UP, Karnataka, and Gujarat among others, notes that allied/non-farm income showed a significant increase of 1.4-1.8 times in the majority of states in tandem with farm income during this period, substantiating the trend in the 77th National Sample Survey that said source of farmers income has become increasingly diverse apart from crops. Significantly, this also ensured that there have been no yawning gaps in income inequalities in the hinterland during this period. The report also urges the government to launch a livelihood credit card by targeting at least 1 million farmers every year and an omnibus credit guarantee fund for a Rs 5 lakh crore agri credit push. The agrarian economy has undergone some tectonic shifts of late, emerging as the anchor for the broader economy during the tumultuous days of the pandemic, says the report, adding while the economy contracted the highest at 6.7 per cent in FY21, the farm sector grew and the trend continued in FY22 too. This has, in turn, led to a higher share of agriculture in the country's GDP since March 2019. Similarly, agri exports zoomed upwards of USD 50 billion in FY22…
IPGA urges government to reinstate exemption of GST levied on pre-packed and pre-labelled agri products

Jul 16, 2022
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/ipga-urges-government-to-reinstate-exemption-of-gst-levied-on-pre-packed-and-pre-labelled-agri-products/articleshow/92922866.cms
India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), the apex body for the pulses trade and industry in India has urged the government to reinstate the exemption of GST levied on pre-packed and pre-labelled agri products. IPGA has also raised concerns about the apprehension among traders and the unfavourable impact on farmers’ and consumers interest. IPGA is of the opinion that levying GST will further increase the domestic prices of pulses. Mr. Bimal Kothari, chairman, IPGA said, “With regards to the levy of 5% GST on pre-packaged and pre-labelled agri products on basis of the recommendations given by the GST Council, IPGA is not in concurrence with the government on this specific policy. This notification issued by the Ministry of Finance is not in favour of both the farmers and end consumers. It will hurt the interest of domestic trade which is already severely impacted by the pandemic and other market conditions. We would like to draw the attention of the Government towards the effect on the trade which is hesitant now to operate in the domestic market. India is inching toward becoming self-reliant in pulses and such policies will act as speed breakers in the road of growth and progress. This is defeating the very purpose of the Government’s goals of doubling farmers’ income and self-sufficiency in agriculture.”
Met department expects monsoon at 103% of average this year

Jul 01, 2022
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/met-department-expects-monsoon-at-103-of-average-this-year/articleshow/91926553.cms
Rainfall during the southwest monsoon will be normal this year at 103% of the longperiod average, the IMD said on Tuesday. The long-period average (LPA) — currently the average of rains during 1971-2020 — for the June September monsoon season is 87 cm. The second stage long-range forecast has a model error of plus or minus 4%, the weather bureau said. “Rainfall will be spatially well-distributed over most regions including Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, northern areas of northeast India during June to September season,” IMD director-general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.
The southwest monsoon contributes 74.9% to India’s annual rainfall and has a bearing on the rural demand for consumer goods, gold, cars, motorcycles, tractors, farm equipment, and inputs such as pesticides, fertilisers and seeds. Good monsoon rains have helped the agriculture sector record steady growth while the rest of the economy has suffered due to the pandemic. The agriculture, forestry and fishing sector grew 3.3% each in FY21 and FY22 as against a 6.6% contraction in the overall economy in FY21 and an 8.9% rise in FY22.
The rainfall over the monsoon core zone, which consists of most of the rainfed agriculture regions, is most likely to be above normal at 106% of the LPA. Rainfall is likely to be below normal over Kerala, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Southern Assam, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Gangetic West Bengal and pockets of Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the IMD chief said.
Prevailing La Niña conditions are likely to continue over the equatorial Pacific Ocean and there is a possibility of the development of negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions over the Indian Ocean during the monsoon season. La Niña and IOD are seen as beneficial for Indian monsoon. This is the seventh consecutive year when the country would receive normal rainfall during the June to September months.

Agritech News & Events

News

Govt sees need for small & marginal farmers to have easy access to advanced machinery & tech

Jharkhand: Block chain-based Seed distribution

Japan- IMD partnership on Climate Change

Agritech investors: Not for the faint hearted

Drones are becoming the Indian farmer's new best friend

Inside our 2022 agri-tech special

Nano urea fast-tracked for approval despite incomplete trials

Nurture.farm Launches Its Incubation Program Catalyst for Startups in the Agri-Tech Space

PMBJP will cut fertilizers’ logistics subsidy cost

Govt sees need for small & marginal farmers to have easy access to advanced machinery & tech

Saturday, 03 September
http://www.fnbnews.com/Top-News/govt-sees-need-for-small--marginal-farmers-to-have-easy-access-to-advanced-machinery--tech-70080
The Union government sees that small and marginal farmers need affordable machineries and technologies. This will help them to come out with value-added products with export potential. In her address at the 7th International Exhibition and Conference EIMA Agrimach India 2022 in Bengaluru, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje, pointed out that last year India produced 314 million metric tonne of cereals and 334 mmt of fruits and vegetables. What the country needs now is affordable and quality food processing, agro marketing and agro export avenues. “We should not restrict ourselves on how to increase production.” Calling upon equipment manufacturers and technology developers, both from within the country and outside, she urged them to manufacture affordable machinery for food processing. She pointed out that much of agri & horticulture produce goes waste for challenges in value addition or market access. Instead of food going waste, we should think of exporting to countries with limited food production, she said…
Jharkhand: Block chain-based Seed distribution

August 20, 2022
https://www.gktoday.in/topic/japan-imd-partnership-on-climate-change/
What is Block Chain System? Block chain system has been started by the Agriculture Department to give the benefits of the schemes to the farmers of the state in the right way. In this technique middlemen can never come between the department and the farmer. In this system a chain has been made between the seed company and the farmers. In this, when the seed company sends seeds to the farmers of the state, then there is an online entry. Along with this, when and in what way the seed released from the company has reached which farmer, its tracking is done. All the information remains online until the seed reaches the Lampas or Pox. Along with this, even when the seeds are distributed to the farmers, it is also tracked. Advantage of Block Chain System are: Block chain system is better because through this, the complete information of the farmer who is taking benefit is with the department. Through this, the department can know that if the farmer has been given the benefit of the scheme, then which variety seeds have been given to him. Farmers have also got information in this regard that they will get the benefit of that scheme. Through this technology, monitoring of distribution of seeds has become easy.
Japan- IMD partnership on Climate Change

August 13, 2022
https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/in-a-first-iim-ahmedabad-brings-out-agriculture-land-price-index-122060300056_1.html
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has partnered with Government of Japan, and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Climate Change. They have launched an initiative to hasten climate action across 10 states and Union Territories in India. This initiative will extend support to Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs), in a bid to achieve net-zero emissions. It will also ensure climate-resilient development. Initiative will be launched in association with IMD at the Ministry of Earth Sciences and Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE). Its launch is followed by cabinet approval of India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) that will be forwarded to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. As a part of the initiative, UNDP will work in collaboration with IMD to promote climate resilience and MNRE for promoting climate mitigation. They will promote climate mitigation by placing clean energy infrastructure and low-emission technologies in important sectors like Health; Transport; Micro, Small, & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and Agriculture. Initiative will also manifest resilient climate planning at grassroot level via climate information flow systems across 30 Gram Panchayats. It is aimed at promoting green jobs and green entrepreneurship in sectors such as Renewable Energy by providing skilling and training to over 2000 people. For this project, Japan has provided USD 5.16 million climate grant to UNDP India.
Agritech investors: Not for the faint hearted

SEP 1, 2022 01:46:19 PM IST
https://www.forbesindia.com/article/agritech-special-2022/agritech-investors-not-for-the-faint-hearted/79437/1

“With agriculture contributing a fifth of India’s GDP, about 40 percent to total employment and growing at nearly 20 percent CAGR in recent years, one would think private equity investors and venture capitalists would have—like in ecommerce and fintech start-ups in earlier years—been lining up to make rapid investments into agriculture technology (agritech) start-ups, as payment gateways and logistics started to get built. But this sector is yet to announce a unicorn. “There are two changes that are driving growth: The macroeconomic, domestic consumption move and increasing integration of technology across sectors. Agritech is one of the pieces which is seeing this,” says Rahul Taneja, partner at venture capital firm Light speed. “For the longest time, there was no tech in agritech, we only had platforms addressing inefficiencies without leveraging technology,” he adds. All this has changed in the last five to 10 years, where the enablers of the agri economy—payments and logistics—are being built. The Indian agriculture market is large, which makes it attractive but also “complex”, Taneja further says. The complexities range from seasonality, regional crop diversity and a maze of players including financiers, agri-input providers, buyers, middlemen/brokers, mandis/ FPOs/APMCs and wholesalers/ retailers in cities. “The large market size is seductive but it is important to keep in mind the complexity, which means this is a multi-year problem to solve.” It has, however, also meant longer investment cycles for investors, compared to those in the payments business.
Drones are becoming the Indian farmer's new best friend

Sep 2, 2022 03:44:19 PM IST
https://www.forbesindia.com/article/agritech-special-2022/drones-are-becoming-the-indian-farmers-new-best-friend/79479/1

Kerala’s Kuttanad—a region covering Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts—is one of the few places in the world where farming takes place below sea level, with paddy fields 1.2 m to 3 m below sea level. In 2016, the Kerala government appointed drone manufacturer Throttle Aerospace Systems (TAS) to analyse 25 acres of paddy fields in Kuttanad, where water salinity is extremely high. The objective, recalls Nagendran Kandasamy, founder and CEO of TAS, was, “to create a detailed field health report, along with a georeferenced map of the entire field, via our drones”. Various parameters—such as altitude, weather, wind and area to be covered—were entered into the drone. After about four hours of flying time, the drones produced near-infrared (NIR) images that mapped the field based on the health of the crop—ranging from ‘unhealthy crop’, ‘stressed crop’ to ‘healthy crop’ and ‘exposed soil’. “This [NIR] data allows one to precisely quantify the coverage, which is tough to accurately gauge with visible-range information,” adds Kandasamy. This field information and analysis provided by TAS helped farmers estimate crop yields a lot faster, optimise plant inputs, understand water flow and quantity, and a lot more. “Manually covering this land, especially below sea level, would take a lot of time and labour, with potentially not very accurate results. With the data we’ve provided to the farmers, they can focus on the area marked in red, which needs the most attention,” he explains…
Inside our 2022 agri-tech special

AUG 29, 2022 12:50:11 PM IST
https://www.forbesindia.com/article/column/inside-our-2022-agritech-special/79341/1

If there’s one sector that’s been crying out for technology and digital intervention, it’s agriculture. Consider: India’s agri sector accounts for just under 16 percent of the economy and almost half of its employment. Reasons for the low productivity range from inadequate market infrastructure and post-harvest wastage to volatile prices and poor crop planning. The government is doing its bit to bolster agri productivity; a year ago, it flagged off the ‘Digital Agriculture Mission 2021-24’, with the aim of using technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain and drones.
Nano urea fast-tracked for approval despite incomplete trials

September 03, 2022
https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/nano-urea-fast-tracked-for-approval-despite-incomplete-trials/article65844419.ece?homepage=true

Nano-urea, a product developed by the Indian Farmers and Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) and heavily advertised by government as panacea to reduce farmer dependence on packaged urea is yet to be fully tested despite having been fast tracked for commercial application. Normally, three seasons of independent assessment by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is required for approving a new fertiliser, but in the case of nano urea this was reduced to two. Moreover scientists are still unclear if the product can on its own cut farmers’ dependence on urea. Nano urea is a patented and indigenously made liquid that contains nanoparticles of urea, the most crucial chemical fertiliser for farmers in India. A single half-litre bottle of the liquid can compensate for a 45kg sack of urea that farmers traditionally rely on, it is claimed. The standard practice when sowing crops such as wheat, rice, mustard is to use at least two 45-kg sacks of urea, an inorganic compound and the crops’ main source of nitrogen. The first is applied during the early sowing or transplantation stage of the crop. The second stage application is done when the plant has sprouted a canopy of leaves, and is approaching the reproductive phase of plant growth.

However, a crucial point omitted in government communication around nano urea is that the traditional, packaged urea is still necessary during the initial stage, as basal nitrogen, of crop development. The nano urea could be useful once the plant grew after which the product could be sprayed on its leaves. IFFCO has said farmer field trials were done over four seasons on 94 crops across 21 states since 2019. Trials were continued during Kharif 2021-22 too in all the agro-climatic regions of India. Various combinations of nitrogen that were made available to plants were evaluated and the resulting yield compared. Overall yields from applying nano urea increased average yield by 7% compared to traditional practices deployed by farmers. When tested in fields that employed organic farming practices (no chemical fertilisers, save the nano urea) the yields jumped 11%. A 45-kg bag of urea costs around ₹3,000 though it is made available to the farmer at ₹242. A half-litre bottle of nano urea, cost the same, at ₹240 and is good for an acre of crop. Based on a year (two seasons) of experiments in its affiliated labs, in 2019-2020, ICAR reported results of field trials on crops that benefitted from nano-urea, to the Central Fertiliser Committee, which decides on whether to approve a chemical fertiliser for commercial use in India. The approval for nano-urea came through, in February 2021, during Dr. Mohapatra’s tenure.
Nurture.farm Launches Its Incubation Program Catalyst for Startups in the Agri-Tech Space

04 Sep 2022
http://www.ptinews.com/pressrelease/56956_press-subnurture-farm-Launches-Its-Incubation-Program-Catalyst-for-Startups-in-the-Agri-Tech-Space

The Ag-tech industry has grown leaps and bounds in a short period, with several startups venturing into the space. However, they require guidance, mentorship, and access to resources to build a viable business. Against this backdrop, nurture.farm, India’s largest and leading ag-tech company is on a quest to build a resilient and sustainable farming ecosystem through tech-led solutions, and has launched its incubation program - Catalyst - to help agri-tech startups sustain themselves and expand further. nurture.Farm Catalyst will help agri-tech startups collaborate with key stakeholders across the agricultural ecosystem, gain capital for sustenance, test their products or solutions at scale, and gain access to infrastructural, knowledge and human resources. The program will offer its incubatees a wide spectrum of support to enable them and accelerate their growth journey. This incubation program focuses on nurturing the growth stage, pre-revenue, seed-funded, or angel-funded startups. It intends to support, collaborate and champion these startups as they break new grounds.
PMBJP will cut fertilizers’ logistics subsidy cost

New Delhi August 27, 2022
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pmbjp-will-cut-fertilizers-logistics-subsidy-cost-mandaviya/article65819257.ece

After the Opposition’s criticism that the Centre’s decision to introduce “One Nation One Fertilizer” by branding it as the Pradhanmantri Bharatiya Janurvarak Pariyojna (PMBJP) is for self-promotion, Union Minister for Fertilizers and Chemicals Mansukh Mandaviya said the scheme is aimed at reducing logistics cost involved in the transportation of fertilizers. Mr. Mandaviya said “One Nation One Fertilizer” would stop the crisscross movement of fertilizers for longer distances. “It will reduce logistics costs and also ensure the availability of fertilizers to the farmers throughout the year. This concept will strengthen to monitor real-time movement, availability and sales of fertilizers in a State,” he said. The Minister added that the production and distribution process will be redrawn as the companies will not have to transport their products beyond 500 kilometres on average. On the criticism that prices of essential fertilizers such as Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP), Muriate of Potash (MoP) and Single Super Phosphate (SSP) are high, he said the prices are decontrolled as per the nutrient-based subsidy policy from 2010. “Prices are fixed by Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizer companies as per market dynamics. “Due to the rise in international prices of fertilizers and raw materials due to the pandemic, supply chain disruptions and the present geopolitical situation, the Centre increased substantial amount of subsidy on fertilizers to subsume rise in prices,” he added. He said the specifications of fertilizers are the same across the nation despite their brand. “After the introduction of the ‘Bharat’ brand under One Nation One Fertilizer, farmers would not be confused to choose the brand. It will also encourage capturing the local market by selling fertilizers by companies and would lead to timely availability of fertilizers to the farmers,” he said adding that there is no compromise in the quality of fertilizers under the single brand ‘Bharat’.

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

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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.