Global Agri, Food & Health Updates - 1stJuly'15 !

1. Frozen raw breaded chicken products contaminated with Salmonella have sickened 44 people in Canada.

2. An EFSA panel has called for more data on the impact of processing on chlorate residues in food but said total daily intake at the highest estimated amount is unlikely to exceed safe levels.

3. The health risk from climate change is so great that it could reverse 50 years of advances in health and nutrition, according to a major Lancet Commission report.

4. El Niño 2015 is underway and set to hit wheat, coffee and sugar cane production leading to volatile prices, warns a Rabobank report.

5. A diet rich in fat and sugar could cause changes in the make up of our gut bacteria, which in turn lead to losses of cognitive functions, suggest researchers.

6. Nestlé has lost its appeal against a Spanish ruling that it cannot promote its partially evaporated milk as having ‘half the fat of cream’.

7. One year on from the ‘Taco Bell affair’ and Cargill is continuing to see growth in demand for its Trehalose additive, but the biggest challenge continues to be limited awareness of ingredient’s numerous functional properties.

8. Growth for spirits lies in export markets such as China, India, Brazil and South East Asia as EU consumption slumps, says trade association spiritsEUROPE.

9. A diagnostic tool and dataset for identifying Salmonella has been developed by a veterinary medical officer with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

10. Consumption of sugary drinks may lead to an estimated 184,000 adult deaths each year worldwide, according to research, which warns of an urgent need for strong global prevention programs.

11. Irish police have seized products containing the toxic fat burner dinitrophenol (DNP), the Irish Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) has said.

12. Increasing potassium intake via whole food or fortification reduces blood pressure in hypertensive patients not on drugs, Nestlé scientists have concluded in a 15-paper meta-analysis.

India Agriculture & Food Updates - 1stJuly'15 !

1. Indian Climate & Meteorology department mentioned that 16% more rain has been observed in the month of 2015 than expected.

2. Yamagata University Researchers in Japan has created a high quality rice flour with an intention to solve the food & nutrition problems of the world.

3. As a part of 12th planning commission, The central govt has planned to produce 30 Thousand metric tonnes of Silk in the country.

4. After several farmers’ organisations, it is now the turn of agricultural scientists, representing various research institutions, to criticise the Land Acquisition Bill, citing that that reducing cultivable land can pose a serious threat to the food security of the country.

5. Mumbai-based Indian Agricultural Company, StarAgri Warehousing and Collateral Management Limited has set up offices in Singapore and Myanmar to expand its global Agri trade and links with the Indian market.

6. Central Government considers imposing 10% import duty on wheat.

7. Onions get cheaper with rise in minimum export price.

8. Nestlé India has been allowed to export Maggi noodles by the Bombay High Court but the product will remain off shelves in India.

A.P State Agriculture & Food Updates - 1stJuly'15 !

1. For the Water-Tree (Neeru-Chettu) programme launched by A.P. Govt an estimated Rs.87.61 crores have been allocated for 1611 works in Chittoor District.

2. As a part of A.P. State's Water-Tree (Neeru-Chettu) programme, sand excavation activity is being pursued in close to 71,828 lakes in the state.

3. To analyze the capacity of Palm-Oil processing units and the expenses being incurred for them, a committe has been appointed by the Garden Crops Department.

4. To meet the Annual Agricultural loans the A.P. State govt has allocated 7813 crores, in an overall budget Farm budget of Rs.65,272 crores.

5. In, A.P for cultivation carried out by Drip & Sprinkler irrigation methods, the farmer's contribution has been reduced from 50% to 30%, with the Govt bearing the rest 70% costs.

6. Enhancing the prospects of Paddy farming in coastal areas (Salty Ocean areas), two types of rice varieties MCM100 & 101 have been developed by a Researcher from A.P.

India & Global Agriculture, Food & Health Updates - 29thJune'15 !

1. Prices in Tomato Town (Madanapalle, A.P) are keeping the farmers happy, with quality tomatoes fetching a per kilogram price anywhere between Rs.16 to Rs.26. The prevailing prices of various tomato grades in the market are Rs. 19-24 for A-Grade, Rs.14-17.50 for B-Grade, Rs.8-13 for C-Grade.

2. In an attempt to bring down the cost of daily consumer goods, the Central govt. plans to import around Rs.5000 tonnes of Urad Dal from overseas markets.

3. To study & analyze various aspects of rice crop, The International Rice Research Institute (IRI) has started research centres in 13 countries globally, using European Space Agency's (ESA) Sentinnel-1 sattelite.

4. The central Govt. is with an intention to formalize Swach Bharath abhiyaan, to prevent open spitting, loitering, garbage disposal giving the municipal corporations the necessary authority to punish and penalize the offenders.

5. In the Asia level famous Raavulapalem (A.P) plantations market (Banana's), the farmers are in a grave situation with surplus production and not demand. An investemnt of Rs.1.5 lakhs is not even fetching Rs.40 K.

6. At a Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) godown in Prakasam district in A.P, fire accident resulted in a total loss of Rs.10 crores, including 5000 bales of cotton.

7. Private insurer Bajaj Allianz has launched a weather-based crop insurance scheme for orange crop.

8. The Prime Minister of India called for a 2nd Green revolution to start from North Eastern states of India. He also asked farmers to enhance pulses production to help India become self-sufficient and reduce imports by using one-fifth of their farming land to cultivate lentils.

9.  Kenneth Zuckerberg, Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory executive director, talks about the role of big data in agriculture in the below video.

http://www.farms.com/expertscommentary/video-the-role-of-big-data-in-agriculture-93469.aspx

10. AgriSolve website: http://www.agrisolve.in

Global Agriculture, Food & Health updates - 28June'15 !

1. Racova Group, one of Romania's largest agribusinesses run by an ex-footballer Adrian Porumboiu, operates over 46,000 hectares of farmland in that country.

2. Family-run Nicaraguan cocoa business targets expansion with $60m fundraise.

3. The Nordic Council of Ministers (Norden) has published a guidance document on metals and alloys used in food contact materials (FCMs).

4. Tetra Pak claims it is the first company to use electron beams (eBeams) to replace hydrogen peroxide H₂O₂, in its carton filling machines

5. Forty-eight million people are sickened and 3,000 killed by foodborne pathogens yearly in the US - one in six, per the CDC.

6. Whole grain foods should be promoted for health – but the term needs a standard definition to encourage innovation among food companies, say nutrition researchers.

7. Giving people money to encourage healthier lifestyles only works in the longer term when designed to stop negative behaviour rather than promote positive choices, suggests research from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

8. The health risk from climate change is so great that it could reverse 50 years of advances in health and nutrition, according to a major Lancet Commission report.

9. Members of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) have committed to halving food waste over the next ten years at an event in New York this week.

10. The revised EU Circular Economy Package, which will be released at the end of the year, will focus on waste management, higher recycling targets, product design and innovation & research, according to Commissioner for Environment & Maritime Affairs.

11. Malaysia’s baby food market closes in on half-billion value.

12. Indonesia increases its food safety surveillance for Ramadan.

13. Ancient grains and seeds such as chia, flax and quinoa have been steadily infiltrating the US cereal, bakery and snacks aisles in recent years, but are now starting to generate a lot of excitement in the dairy category as well, says Glanbia Nutritionals.

India Agriculture & Food updates - 27June'15 !

1. Government today increased sharply the minimum export price (MEP) of onion by USD 175 per tonne to USD 425 per tonne to ensure adequate domestic supply and contain price rise.

2. Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) has indicated that rice production may go up to 105-106 million tonnes if monsoon continues in the current pace.

3. Cafe Coffee Day to raise ₹1,150 crore via IPO.

4. This years Monsoon which arrived late but surged through entire country, expands Kharif crop area by 82%.

5. Tea production in Bengal and Assam hit by heavy rain; June production may decline 20-25 per cent.

6. Prime Minister of India will lay the foundation stone of the 1,000-acre Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) in Jharkhand on 28thJune'15.

7. Kentuky Fried Chicken (KFC) denied the claims that food items sold at their Hyderbad outlets contains Solmonella and E.Coli bacteria.

8. NABARD is in the process of recovering the livestock loans issued in 2011 under the Kaamadhenu scheme, so as to re-issue the loans afresh to the needy and deserved.

Global Agri, Food & Health updates - 26June'2015!

1. US coffee traders are considering importing robusta beans from European warehouses, potentially exploiting cheaper shipping costs, as stocks there build even as farmers in top-grower Vietnam hoard supplies in hopes of higher prices.

2. The World Bank's political risk insurance arm has issued a $48.8m guarantee to help the bamboo plantations manager expand its Nicaraguan operations.

3. The Trussbridge-led Middle East consortium has bought a majority stake in gluten-free producer La Maison Cannelle, entering into North American Food sector.

4. The U.S. department of energy (ARPA-E) awarded $55m to fund 18 projects to accelerate technologies for efficient residental combined heat and power generation and bioenergy crop development.

5. Supper Annuation funds NZ Super, First State Super discuss fees, direct investing, gap between family agribusiness and institutional capital.

6. Liquid breakfasts are not truly catching on with consumers as an alternative to cereal-based breakfast options, says Euromonitor International.

7. Industry must work to minimize levels of inorganic arsenic in rice and rice-based snacks as high levels pose a health risk to consumers, warns Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR).

8. Latin America (Brazil), the Middle East (Iran) and Africa (Kenya) are hot on the heels of the US and Europe in packaged cheese, and growth is set to stir up plenty of future M&A activity, says Euromonitor International.

9. British meat has been found to contain MRSA and consumers are concerned.

10. Nestlé has developed coffee machines with more interactive interfaces that can also be adjusted remotely, enabling better control on tailored drinks for food service.

11. The US fruit pouch category could be worth $1bn in next 3-4 years, predicts the firm behind GoGo SqueeZ.

12. Fructose may lead to overeating by creating fewer reward signals in the brain, suggests a small pilot study published in PLOS ONE.

13. In U.S. upplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) spendt $18.8 million to make purchases at roadside farm stands, farmers markets and directly from local farmers than ever before.

14. Grain companies are working with Denver-based MycoTechnology to explore how mushrooms’ filament-like roots or ‘mycelium’ could help create new value-added opportunities in the cereals market by transforming the nutritional profile of wheat and other grains.

15. BASF is backing a student-led research project that aims to examine how food crops can be grown on the international space station (ISS).

16. Growth for spirits lies in export markets such as China, India, Brazil and South East Asia as EU consumption slumps, says trade association spiritsEUROPE.

17. Hershey has earmarked China’s thriving e-commerce channel as a future growth driver despite setbacks in the country’s overall confectionery market.

18. US agribusiness giant, Cargill, has opened an animal nutrition technology application center (TAC) in Hebei, China, which it said incurred an investment of $6.2 million.

India Agriculture & Food updates - 26June'2015 !

1. The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) has made a pitch for encouraging water use efficiency. As part of its non-price policy recommendations for kharif 2015-16, the body has suggested that States fix quantitative ceilings on per hectare use of  water and electricity.

2. It's been a month Kharif season has started in A.P state and the agricultural works are in a hopeful and prospective state.

3. Recognizing the Economic contribution of Garden and Fruit crops in the A.P state, the govt has paid special emphasis on this sector. Accordingly 2 service centers in every district are being implemented, which would provide tools on a rental basis.

4. An Aquapark is being envisaged by A.P state Govt in Godavari districts at an estimated cost of Rs.300 Crores.

5. Fruit traders in West Bengal have called for removal of inconsistencies in the export policy that grants subsidy on air and maritime export of fresh fruits but not on road freight.

6. In preperation for the upcoming rainy season and to prevent crop produce from rain drenching, Water proof  Tarpaulin sheets would be sold by Agriculture department at subsidized rates i.e. at 40% discount for  Big Faramers and 75% for Small Farmers while the original cost is Rs.2500.

7. Following up on its guarantee of providing ₹6,000-crore assistance to the beleaguered sugar industry, the Food Ministry released the notification of the scheme on Thursday.

India Agriculture & Food updates - 25June'15 !

1. Hindus have lashed out at the name of India’s first single malt whisky, according to one self-styled “statesman”, who branded Amrut—which, as amrta, is also the sacred nectar of immortality—“highly inappropriate”.

2. As widespread and torrential monsoon rains drenched large parts of Gujarat during the last 24 hours so far as sowing picks up.

3. The monsoon is expected to cover the entire country in the next two days, an India Meteorological Department update said on Wednesday evening.

4. Normal monsoon can lead to interest rate cut, states the RBI Governor.

5. Maharashtra Govt plans to insure more than 1 crore farmers and also asked NABARD to refinance loans to tune of Rs.2000 Crore.

6. The Punjab government extended the 50 per cent subsidy scheme on fish farming to all districts besides releasing Rs 3 crore for areas affected by water clogging.

7. Brewing for many years, India's agrarian crisis is now reaching its tipping point due to "vague" government policies, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) today said and warned if predictions on El Nino turns out to be true the economic damages will be severe.

Global Agriculture, Food & Health updates - 25June'15 !

1. Ancient grains and seeds such as chia, flax and quinoa have been steadily infiltrating the US cereal, bakery and snacks aisles in recent years, but are now starting to generate a lot of excitement in the dairy category as well.

2. Popcorn manufacturers are pumping too much salt into their products, while leading consumers to believe they are a healthy snack, campaigners have claimed.

3. High-protein bread and pasta firm Dr Zak’s is now in 150 retailers throughout the UK and set to boost its presence further with the launch of its bagels.

4. Eight manufacturers (Huhtamäki, Nespak, Vitembal, Silver Plastics, Coopbox, Magic Pack, Sirap-Gema and Linpac) and two distributors (Ovarpack and Propack) of retail food packaging trays have been fined more than €115m for taking part in at least one of five separate cartels all over Europe.

5. Russia has confirmed it plans to extend a ban on Western food imports until early 2016 and may add new products to the list of banned goods.

6. Industry must work to minimize levels of inorganic arsenic in rice and rice-based snacks as high levels pose a health risk to consumers, warns Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR).

7. More than half of consumers (56%) have not changed their eating habits despite media coverage of high sugar content in many foods and drinks, according to a market research report.

8. Fortifying flour with micronutrients is effective in decreasing national prevalence of anaemia, say researchers who looked at 32 different countries.

9. Millions of pounds worth of food is being wasted and the whole UK supply chain threatened by the migrant crisis is Calais – which has become like a “warzone” – warns the Freight Transport Association (FTA).

10. US agribusiness giant, Cargill, has opened an animal nutrition technology application center (TAC) in Hebei, China, which it said incurred an investment of $6.2 million.

Global & India Agriculture, Food updates - 24June'2015 !

1. North Eastern Indian state of Nagaland has placed restrictions on the availability of junk food in and around its schools and colleges as raising cases of obesity, hypertension and diabetes among school childeren have been observed.

2. Staying with regulation the FSSAI has asked all states to keep strict watch on dairy products as well as packaged drinking water and edible oils. The directive comes after detergent was allegdly found in Mother dairy milk samples in Agra.

3. ITC has been given 15days notice to clarify the nutritional claims its authors on the labels of its sunfeast Yippee noodles line after Uttarakhand officials tested samples from a store in Haridwar. The notice directs ITC to provide nutrients profile and lab reports to back their claims of energy, protein, carbohydrate, sugar and calcium.

4. Cumin prices have increased by almost one third in 2015 after a surge of 6% last month, with production forecast down by 20%.

5. Several federal agencies including USDA announced actions and investments of more than $110 million to support workers, farmers and rural communities suffering from drought and to combat wildfires.

6. The proposed regional milk grid in South Asia will benefit dairy farmers in the region by linking milk surplus countries with the deficit ones, they said. New Delhi will also push for tariff reduction to less than 5% under the South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement to facilitate the grid. The move is expected to benefit South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, which import milk from outside the region to meet their demand.

7.Indian flour millers and global trading companies have sewn up deals to import 500,000 tonnes of wheat.

India Agriculture & Food updates - 23June'15!

1. Indian flour millers and the local units of global trading giants have sewn up deals to import 500,000 tonnes of premium Australian wheat since March, trade sources said, the biggest such purchases in over a decade, despite surplus stocks at home.  Attractive prices then prompted traders such as Cargill , Louis Dreyfus and Glencore to follow, said three sources directly involved in the deals.

2. India's coffee output seen rising 9 per cent to record. The prospect of higher production may add to downward pressure on global markets.

3. Indian soybean production is likely to jump just over 10% in 2015 from a year ago to more than 10 mn tonnes.

4. India’s food watchdog will set up a working group to regulate the levels of sugar, salt and fat found in foods following one state’s crackdown on child nutrition.

Global Agri, Food & Helath Upddates - 23June'15!

1. Crop protection biotech, food and agri focused VC company Cultivian raises $3m in Series A.

2. The UK development finance institution's free online ESG guidance tool for fund managers includes a specific agriculture and aquaculture profile.

3. Innovation Endeavors, the VC fund launched by Google chairman Eric Schmidt, invested in the round alongside other heavy-hitting VC players and a crowd-funding platform.

4. Farm2050 collective raises $9m for Israeli Irrigation Company.

5. The EU’s ban on prebiotics and probiotics as marketing tools has cost the market €500m and will cost a further €1bn by 2020 according to Euromonitor International data.

6. Growth has slowed in the Polish food supplemets market as prices have risen following years of solid growth but forecaster PMR expects growth to spike again in 2017.

7. A majority of UK shoppers aged 16-34 think that organic products are important (54%), compared to under a third (30%) of over-55s, according to a market research report.

8. Ferrero has struck a £112M deal to buy 30% of the UK chocolatier Thorntons, after several shareholders sold their stakes in the business.

9. Johnson & Johnson’s Nectresse monk-fruit-based sweeteners were discontinued late last year owing to disappointing sales. However, a lawsuit challenging the products’ claims to be ‘100% natural’ is still very much alive.

10. Popcorn manufacturers are pumping too much salt into their products, while leading consumers to believe they are a healthy snack, campaigners have claimed the health claims as misleading.

11. Legislation banning food businesses from throwing away fit-for-purpose surplus food would be as accepted as policy surrounding seatbelts, according to the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

12. USDA announced the availability of $17.5 million in financial and technical assistance to help eligible conservation partners voluntarily protect, restore and enhance critical wetlands on private and tribal agricultural lands.

13. ew research showing organic agriculture is significantly more profitable than conventional should reassure farmers who are considering switching to organic but are nervous about financial loss during the three year transition in which they will have lower yields but cannot charge premium prices for their crops.

14. Some US$20m is urgently needed to support farmers in earthquake-hit Nepal and stave off the threat of prolonged food insecurity facing an estimated one million people, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations has warned.

15. Global demand for food processing machinery will rise by 7.6% per annum to $73bn in 2019, according to The Freedonia Group industry research firm.

16. The Nordic Council of Ministers (Norden) has published a guidance document on metals and alloys used in food contact materials (FCMs).

17. Pope Francis has weighed into the debate over GM crops, arguing that while he doesn’t believe there is any “conclusive proof that GM cereals are harmful to human beings”, he worries about their effects on the ecosystem, and argues that they have resulted in more agricultural land being "concentrated in the hands of a few owners”.

18. Horses for export into Europe may have been treated with illegal substances in Canada within the last 180 days before slaughter, according to a Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) report.

19. Despite UK milk prices falling significantly in recent years, consumers are willing to pay more for their milk, according to new research.

20. IFC invests $20m in Zambian business to support Africa's $30million expansion programme including the modernization of existing grain production operations.

India Agriculture & Food updates - 22June'15 !

1. Indian soybean production is likely to jump just over 10% in 2015 from a year ago to more than 10 mn tonnes due to timely monsoon rains.

2. India will ask the US for 15 months time to implement the World Trade Organisation (WTO) decision against its ban on poultry products from that country.

3. The National Food security Mission helped rice production to rise from 2060 kg per hectare in 2011-12 to 2240 kg per hectare in 2014-15.

4. Under Centre's Vision-2030, there is a proposal to set up mandis/auction centers in various zones to benefit the farmers.Cold storages, collection centers, refrigerated vans are proposed along with construction of market sheds, way-side marketing amenities.

5. A pioneering Solar Farming project in Gujarat has led to farmers harvesting what could become the country’s most climate-smart cash crop yet — sunshine.

6. IWMI (International Water Management Institute) estimates that around 11 million farmers across India currently connected to the electricity grid could install solar-powered water pumps and sell the extra energy produced.

7. Amid a supply crunch, retail prices of many pulses have crossed Rs 100 per kg mark in major cities across the country, but the government agencies are yet to float the tender for their import to check the price.

8. The Coalition for GM Free India warned the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), under the Environment Ministry, against the commercialisation of a genetically-modified (GM) mustard strain named DMH-11 (Dhara Mustard Hybrid 11), stating that it won't raise yields.

Global Agri, Food & Health updates - 21June'15 !

1. ASURO Group a China linked agri investment firm, co-founded by Robert Talevski and Summer Yan, will raise funds to invest at various points along the food chain and is targeting between A$50m and A$100m.

2. DomaCom, an australian property platform has recently started offering agricultural property investments on its real estate platform for as little as A$20,000.

3. AGRICULTUREINFORMATION.COM is India's premier agriculture website in existence for 15 years, with 200,000+ buyers, sellers and experts in Indian Agriculture.

4. Turkey is an attractive destination for European food exports with niche opportunities in dairy, bakery, health and wellness, say market analysts.

5. The Mediterranean diet has been held up as a model of healthy eating around the world, but the region itself is seeing a shift away from traditional diets, threatening health and the environment, says the FAO.

6. The European Environment and Agriculture committees backed a draft law to ban meat and milk from cloned animals and their descendants on Wednesday, citing animal welfare and ethical concerns.

7. DuPont Nutrition and Gelita have filed health claim applications for bowel and joint health.

8. Cargill has opened a European chiller plant in Hereford, UK, enhancing its quality and food safety and says it is the first processor in the UK to introduce Robotics packing, which can process up to 240 breast fillets per minute.

9. Saputo is recalling almost a tonne of French Roquefort cheese in Canada over concerns it contains the toxin produced by Staphylococcus bacteria.

10. Food authenticity analysis is being increasingly used in industry as companies face more sophisticated frauds issues, according to Eurofins.

11. As widely expected, the FDA has finalized plans to revoke the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in a bid to eradicate artificial trans fats from the US food supply.

12. Euromonitor International expects more chocolate makers will take vertical control of their supply chains by acquiring commodity suppliers as prices continue to climb.

13. Johnson & Johnson’s Nectresse monk-fruit-based sweeteners were discontinued late last year owing to disappointing sales. However, a lawsuit challenging the products’ claims to be ‘100% natural’ is still very much alive.

India Agri & Food updates - 21June'15 !

1. In an attempt to provide hassle free agricultural loans to farmers, the Andhra Pradesh state govt is in the process of simplifying the task with just Aadhaar identification proof, as survey numbers have been maintained in "Mee Bhoomi" website - http://meebhoomi.ap.gov.in/.

2. Along with rain from the sky, fishes were seen falling from above in certain parts of Krishna district in A.P. State due to tornadoes caused by the movement of Cumulounimbus clouds.

3. Telengana Govt has given notices to ITC, HUL along with Nestle as Knorr, SunFeast and Maggie products were found to have contained Mono Sodium Glutemate (MSG).

4. The central govt is taking drastic steps towards arriving at a scientific decision on GM Crops in the country based on recommendations by Neethi Ayog.

5. Odisha to setup 150 new cold storages in 4 years.

6. Through an Organic policy, the Arunachal state government plans to extensively exploit the rich aromatic and medicinal plants potential for economic sustainability.

7. The size of the Indian feed industry – currently at $15 billion – must double to $30 billion in the next five years to cater to growing protein requirements, a report published by Yes Bank says.

India Food, Agriculture & Health News - 19June'2015!

1. Nestlé India is destroying Maggi noodles worth an estimated Rs 320 crore (US$50m, €45m) which is stock withdrawn from the market.

2.  India’s diabetes rate has jumped 123% since 1990, the biggest increase was in Type-2 diabetes.

3. Food giant Nestlé is set to lose more than £127M and suffer brand damage worth billions of US dollars, after India banned its Maggi noodles on food safety fears, warns a brands consultancy.

4. Agriculture in India is no more aggrieved: Planting gathers pace, water level in reservoirs 39% higher than 10 year average.

5. Agriculture minister launched an insurance portal for farmers (www.farmer.gov.in/insurance) that will help with queries and getting cover.  Under the current provisions, farmers can insure their crops under three programmes — the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS), Modified National Insurance Scheme (MNAIS) and Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS). Besides this, the Coconut Palm Insurance Scheme (CPIS) is applicable in some parts of the country.

6. Spices Board has embarked on launching a clutch of signature shops i.e. Spice India showrooms,  that showcase choicest spices and their value-added products, including lifestyle and personal care, under one roof.

7. Bombay HC rejects seed traders plea against slashing of BT cotton seed price.

8. West Bengal tea plantation employees Welfare Fund bill passed and  the bill will will provide interest subvention and matching grants to the employers of tea gardens.

9. The government approved a proposal for inclusion of Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh in dairy development programme while extending the National Dairy Plan-1 for two more years.

10. The price for the good quality small onion (shallot) will decline marginally to prevail around Rs 28 to Rs 30 per kg during August-September.

11. CCEA (Commission for Agriculture Costs & Prices) hikes paddy minimum support price by Rs 50 to Rs 1,410 per quintal for 2015-16.

12. No consensus emerged amongst key World Trade Organisation (WTO) members such as India, the US and EU on the formula for reducing tariffs on farm products at the agriculture committee meeting early this week in Geneva.

13. India has noted a 123% in diabetes since 1990, type-2 diabetes being the most contributing.

Global Agri, Food & Health Roundup - 19June'15 !

1. Chinese government to invest Rmb4.93bn in domestic agriculture.

2. Growth Farms Australia Fund I, the Australian sheep and cropping farmland fund, has acquired a farm aggregation in northern New South Wales for $10m.

3. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) and geographic mapping clearly improves source tracking and surveillance of foodborne outbreaks, according to researchers.

4. Growth has slowed in the Polish food supplemets market as prices have risen following years of solid growth but forecaster PMR expects growth to spike again in 2017.

5.The top causes of food waste in homes include buying too much, preparing in abundance, unwillingness to consume leftovers, and improper food storage, say researchers from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab.

6. Brazilian coffee growers will collect just 44.28m sacks (60kg) of coffee in 2015, the second lackluster harvest in a row for the world’s largest coffee producer and exporter.

7. Global demand for food processing machinery will rise by 7.6% per annum to $73bn in 2019, according to The Freedonia Group industry research firm.

8. The University of Lincoln is developing a fully automated robotic harvesting system for broccoli using a 3D camera, thanks to a £70m grant from Agri-Tech Catalyst.

9. Scientists have found an ‘optimal point’ at which switching to sustainable palm oil production methods actually becomes profitable.

10. Turkey is an attractive destination for European food exports with niche opportunities in dairy, bakery, health and wellness, say market analysts.

11. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is celebrating National Pollinator Week, June 15-21, 2015, by hosting the 6th Annual Pollinator Festival from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, June 19, 2015, in conjunction with the weekly USDA Farmers Market.

12. America's biobased industry contributed four million jobs and $369 billion to the New Economy.

13. The Portuguese Association of Nutritionists (APN) and Nestlé joined forces this month to unveil a new e-book promoting the benefits of cereal-based beverages in Portugal.

14.  Chinese police have detained 17 people after they foiled a gang that had been smuggling beef from Japan.

15. The validity of safety tests for commercial pesticides and genetically modified foods has been called into question, after French researchers found control diets and historical diet data contained GM materials and possible carcinogens.

16. The European Environment and Agriculture committees backed a draft law to ban meat and milk from cloned animals and their descendants on Wednesday, citing animal welfare and ethical concerns.

17. Israeli ingredients firm Frutarom has acquired New Zealand-based fruit ingredients company Taura Natural Ingredients Holding Ltd for about US$70m.

18. The EU’s ban on prebiotics and probiotics as marketing tools has cost the market €500m and will cost a further €1bn by 2020 according to Euromonitor International data.

India Agriculture & Food Updates - 16June'15 !

1. India’s food regulator will test all brands of instant noodles, pasta and macaroni that contain Tastemaker masala in the wake of Maggi issue, that has been labelled by observers as the highest profile case they have ever had to tackle.

2. Nestlé India has filed a court case to challenge the country’s food safety authority demand to recall Maggi noodles.The case has been heard on 12th June (Friday) with the next hearing set for the end of the month.

3. The Indian consumers behind claims insect larvae were found in a pack of NAN PRO-3 follow-on formula “declined” to provide the product for analysis, says Nestlé India.

4. Indian spices exports touched ₹14,899.68 crore in FY15 against ₹13,735.39 crore in the previous year.

5. Good rainfall has so far been recorded over southern peninsula, central, east and north-east India this summer with over 13 per cent above the normal limit, the Met department today said.

6.  India has been facing a growing shortfall in pulses, with annual output running perpetually short of demand.

7. Vegetable oil imports have touched a record high of 13.71 lakh tonnes in May compared to 10.33 lakh tonnes registered in the same period last year due to sops offered by the exporting countries.

8.  The weakening of cyclone ‘Ashobaa’ off Oman on Friday saw the monsoon make fresh surge along the West Coast to enter Mumbai and parts of Madhya Maharashtra.

9.Basmati exports to Iran will pickup after October.Teheran policy requiring Indian mills, exporters to register causing delay in shipments.

10. Despite the forecast of a deficient monsoon, coupled with its poor start, farmers are trying to maximise their returns, by sowing crops that offer high market prices like pulses, groundnut, chillies, onions.

Global Agri, Food & Health updates - 16June'15 !

1. The Clean Energy Finance Corporation will supply small- and large-scale loans of up to $5m, for projects including more efficient irrigation, waste-to-energy plants and solar installations for Australian Agri-Business.

2. Family owned Perdue AgriBusiness has acquired the US business of Technology Crops International to expand its speciality crops business.

3. The packaging industry will see a 20-30% growth rate for bio plastic producers by 2020, driven by the likes of the Coca-Cola plant bottle, according to Innovia Films.

4. The UK government should seriously consider taxing unhealthy foods and drinks to reduce their consumption, a paper from the Food Research Collaboration (FRC) has urged.

5. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will affect every European food company – for better or worse – according to a trade law expert at DWF LLP.

6. Kellogg invested in impressive sustainability initiatives last year and communicated efforts well, helping it secure the top spot in the consumer reputation charts, says a research expert.

7. The FAO Global Food Price Index fell to its lowest value since 2009 on as projections for cereal harvests are upgraded causing prices to stall. The decline was driven by a 3.8% monthly drop in cereal price index, 2.9%fall in dairy price index and 1%drop in the meat price index.

8. Supplements of flaxseed may effectively management blood pressure, says a new meta-analysis of 15 clinical trials.

9. Vietnam registered 42 serious food poisoning cases (1900 affected, 10 dead) so far this year, a 17% increase over the same period last year. The country also detected 16,100 foot and mouth disease patients so far.

10. DuPont kicked off its partner event on Food Security in collaboration with the theme ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life’ at Expo Milano 2015, in Italy (June 10-11).

11. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed an agreement with Ukraine to provide financial support to its agri-food sector and help it benefit from the EU free trade area.

12. Coca-Cola Enterprises is positioning itself as ‘part of the solution to obesity,’ as it pledges to reduce calories by 10% per litre across its beverage portfolio in the next five years.

13. Nestle has moved to strengthen its Chinese ice cream business with investments totalling RMB100m (US$16m) at plants in Tianjin and Guangzhou.

14. Finnish food-agriculture giant Raisio has launched its cholesterol-lowering, plant stanol-based Benecol brand in China in a powder form via mostly medical channels in China’s big coastal cities.

15. Low-income families need to spend at least one third of their weekly income on food if they want to eat healthily, a Food Standards Agency survey has found.

India Agriculture & Food updates - 15June'2015 !

1. Over 40,000 tonnes of grain damaged in FCI godowns in last 2 years, owing to reasons of natural calamities, poor storage facilities, pilferage and transit loss.

2. India exported 10.86 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of onions during 2014-15 as against 13.58 lakh MT during the previous financial year, a 9 year low with 20% decline.

3. Weak monsoon at the start of the season affecting agriculture; crop planting 9 per cent lower than last year.

4. According to the Agriculture Ministry data, paddy sowing was 4.71 lakh hectares as against 4.52 lakh hectares in the same period last year.

5. Prices of cooking oil, a main ingredient in the country’s food basket, have also gone up in the past month by 8-9% globally.

6. Cultivation of green tea is growing in the northeast. The green tea market in India is expanding at about 50% annually and is estimated to be worth around Rs 400 crore.

7. Global prices of pulses have gone up by about 30 per cent to 40 per cent during last two to three months due to fear of drought in India.

8. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs okays Rs 6,000 crore interest-free loan to sugar mills.

9. The West Bengal Government has decided to take over the Bengal unit of Mother Dairy and re-brand it as Bengal Dairy.

Global Agri, Food & Health Business Snapshot - 15June'2015 !

1. TIAA-CREF and its subsidiary, GreenWood Resources, have launched $667m Global Timber Resources. Investors include Swedish pension AP2 and the Greater Manchester Pension Fund.

2. Australian sugar and guar cropping, meat processing and aquaculture project Integrated Food and Energy Development(IFED) has signed an MOU for $2M with the Queensland government to access unallocated water in the Gilbert River.

3. Over 200 companies within the Grow Africa Partnership committed $10bn in investment to agriculture in 12 African countries in 2014, representing a 40% increase on 2013 levels.

4. First Guardian Agriculture's Australian Agriculture Fund is now targeting A$800m and will invest across commodities and parts of the value chain.

5. IFC (International Finanace Corporation) invested $3.8m into Nepalese poultry feed producer Probiotech Industries alongside the Private Sector Window of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program.

6. The Department of Agriculture will help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners interested in growing new crops for biomass, with a support of $11.5m.

7. Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), has issued a $50m loan to the Government of Montenegro to support agricultural development in the country.

8. The $14.7bn New Mexico Public Employees Retirement Association is actively exploring agriculture investment opportunities after making its first foray into the sector last year.

9. With the help from IFC, the Singapore subsidiary of 'New Hope' (Chinese Agribusiness giant) plans to create more than 1,500 new jobs in ten countries in South and South-East Asia.

10. Stafford Capital Partners closes its $484m timberland fund of funds at the end of May.

11. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged €689m to help tackle malnutrition as the European Commission announced €23.5m for a new nutrition initiative and €3.5bn by 2020.

12. The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) has urged the European commissioner for health and food safety to practice caution when making ‘adjustments’ to health claim and botanical rules.

13. The CEO of Nestlé has said he is confident Maggi Noodles will return “very soon” after they were withdrawn from the Indian market due to lead level concerns.

14. Microbiological contamination was the most common incident category in 2014, according to a report from the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA).

15. India's food safety watchdog has ordered all variants of Nestlé’s Maggi noodles to be withdrawn from sale and further production and exports to be stopped.

16. According to Nielsen data, 85% of new consumer packaged goods fail within two years, and big firms are no better - and often far worse - at picking winners than smaller ones, despite their deep pockets.

17. China donates US$50m to help developing & emerging countries build sustainable food supply chains, UN's FAO announced during the weekend in Rome.

India Agri & Food updates - 08June'15 !

1.According to the data released by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday, the total area under Kharif crops stands at 61.27 lakh hectares (lh) – about 5.4 per cent lower than during the corresponding period the previous year when it touched 64.75 lh.

2.Cotton inventory, estimated at around 70 lakh bales at the close of 2014-15 season is expected to be the highest ever cotton stock carried by India after 2008-09. This huge volume of carry forward cotton stock would place the country in a comfortable position, the Chairman of The southern India Mills’ Association said.

3.After the Maggi row, the Government also wants to stop the sale of Nestle’s (Cerelac & Nestum) and Johnson & Johnson’s food and cosmetics products (baby powder & baby soap) in medical shops. 

4.Spot pepper prices continued to remain steady while the futures have shown an uptrend on Friday. Likely overseas demand in the coming days is attributed to the uptrend in the futures.

5.The Indian poultry industry is unfazed over the World Trade Organisation’s ruling against the Government’s ban against import of the US chicken. The industry, which sells about 20 crore live birds a month or 40 crore kilograms of meat a month, says Indian love fresh chicken.

6.Australia is looking into exporting pulses and oilseeds to India. Australian High Commissioner to India told BusinessLine.

7. Officials in the department of food and supplies in Delhi government said traders face a jail term of seven years if they were convicted for hoarding. They said all major mandis and markets in the state were being monitored to prevent hoarding of essential commodities.

8.Indian central Agriculture Minister will represent India at the 39th session of FAO, to be held at Rome in Italy and would conclude on June 9. FAO has 194 member nations.The main function of the conference is to determine the policy and approve the budget of the organisation.

9. An agri-business investors camp would be held here on June 12 to be hosted by International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). Agribusiness innovators and budding entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to present their ideas/ prototypes for individual advice.

Global Agri, Food & Health roundup - 08June'15 !

1. First Guardian Agriculture's Australian Agriculture Fund is now targeting A$800m and will invest across commodities and parts of the value chain.

2. The USDA and Farm Credit System-backed (Advantage Capital) PE fund has invested $5m into Hortau, a California-based precision irrigation company.

3. IFC invested $3.8m into Nepalese poultry feed producer Probiotech Industries alongside the Private Sector Window of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program.

4. The advice from BDO’s executive director of international business comes ahead of an expected free trade agreement between Australia and India next year.

5. Energy shots are a big market in the US, but the potential in Europe is yet to be realized, says America’s Naturals.

6. Many fruit snacks aimed at children contain more sugar than confectionery – but could be misconstrued as ‘healthy’ because of their association with real fruit, according to pressure group Action on Sugar.

7. The European halal market is booming and set to grow – but manufacturers must appeal to Muslims without alienating traditional consumers if they want to maximise sales , say experts.

8. The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) has urged the European commissioner for health and food safety to practice caution when making ‘adjustments’ to health claim and botanical rules.

9. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) has asked its scientific committee to assess the safety of 'other substances' found on the Norwegian market - something it says is "largely unregulated" at EU level.

10. Teenagers and younger adults in the UK are falling far short of international targets for whole grain consumption – with 15% of teenagers consuming no whole grain foods at all, according to a study in the British Journal of Nutrition.

11. The Swedish National Food Agency (NFA) has begun an investigation into levels of nutrients and ‘undesirable substances’ present in common foods on the Swedish market.

12. The FAO Global Food Price Index fell to its lowest value since 2009 on as projections for cereal harvests are upgraded causing prices to stall.

13. The CEO of Nestlé has said he is confident Maggi Noodles will return “very soon” after they were withdrawn from the Indian market due to lead level concerns.

14. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged €689m to help tackle malnutrition as the European Commission announced €23.5m for a new nutrition initiative and €3.5bn by 2020.

15. Obvious Ventures raises $123m fund to invest in sustainable systems. The fund will focus on investing in technologies across the agri value chain that specialise in healthy living and climate change adaptation.

Global Agri, Food & Health Industry news - 05June'15 !

1. Food and drink manufacturers are increasingly exploiting premiumisation by focusing on niche products in a bid to insulate their businesses from the low prices arising from the supermarket price war, reveals a new report.

2. Israeli insect start-up, Steak TzarTzar, aims to target the western sports nutrition market with its grasshopper protein powder - competitively priced thanks to grasshopper sales in Africa.

3. 38 ‘developed’ nations delivered 54% of functional food and supplement and other health & wellness product sales in 2014, but these same nations will account for only 14% of growth between now and 2019.

4. A European push toward segregated certified sustainable palm oil may inadvertently exclude smaller producers from the supply chain.

5. The number of hungry people in the world has fallen again this year to 795 million – 10m fewer than last year and 216m fewer than in 1990-92 – according to FAO figures.

6. Absolutdata, whose clients include SABMiller and Perfetti, Italian confectionery and gum manufacturer, has launched a NAVIK line of automated marketing analytics tools for business managers at major global brands in CPG.

7. Greater use of food irradiation across the EU would help to prevent many avoidable cases of food poisoning from bacteria such as salmonella, campylobacter and E.coli, a leading food safety consultant has argued.

8. The UK's National Health Service (NHS) CEO says failing to reformulate products to reduce added sugars would be like slow food poisoning of the nation.

9. Crowdfunding bosses have slammed criticism that this growing source of finance is backing food and drink products that are potentially harmful to consumers, resulting in food safety concerns.

10. Bread is one of the biggest casualties of the supermarket price war, as retailers keep dropping its price to rock bottom levels in a bid to entice shoppers.

11. Malaysian halal firms opening up new markets in China; Vietnam should be wary about new raft of FTAs; Food poisoning on the up in Vietnam.

India Agri & Food updates - 05June'15 !

1. A study conducted by Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII), indicates that is Global Warming affecting rubber output.

2. India loses poultry imports case against US at World Trade Organization.

3. The central government is preparing on war footing to implement the contingency plans that prescribe alternative varieties/crops to farmers in case of a delayed or deficient monsoon.

4. India pips Germany to emerge as the biggest importer of California almonds.

5. Ignoring the IMD (Indian Meteorology Department) forecast, the bookies of Satta Bazaar (illegal betting market) are bet in 92-95% range on normal monsoon.

6. India the world’s second largest sugar producer, have produced 279.57 lakh tonnes (lt) of the sweetener between 1stOctober'14 and 31stMay'15.

7. Pitching for GM crops for combating challenges of climate change, Confederation of NGOs of Rural India (CNRI) today demanded that the government act fast on allowing genetically engineering (GE) technology in crops other than cotton.

India Agri & Food News - 04June'15 !

1. A group of American students from Michigan University led by an Indian has developed a low-cost way to improve the yield of agricultural produce for the farmers and reduce the use of fertilizers in Telangana through desilting of ponds, thus reducing the use of fertilizers by 36 per cent and increases the crop yield by nearly 50 per cent.

2. During the past two months, bullish speculators earned 10-36% returns on farm commodity futures like chana, coriander, mustard and castor on speculation of a poor monsoon.

3. India's sugar production is estimated to touch all time high of 28.3 MT in ongoing marketing year, 2014-15.

4. Madhya Pradesh government to continue loans to farmers at zero per cent via co-operatives.

5. The Agriculture Ministry is likely to announce the minimum support price (MSP) for key crops over the next two weeks, while it has sufficient stocks of pulses and willing to import more to quell prices that have risen nearly 64 per cent since last year.

6. The foodgrain bowl across the northwest region – Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh – is likely to be hit hardest according to the Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) second long range forecast of deficient rain during the four-month monsoon.

7. Nestle India faced the heat from all corners on Wednesday with its two-minute noodle brand ‘Maggi’ banned for 15 days in Delhi and the Centre moving the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

Global Agri, Food & Helath Summary - 04June'15!

1. The Agri Investor Australia Forum 2015 at Melbourne's Crown Promenade on 11 June2015 will showcase the latest trends and developments shaping the asset class around the world.

2. Social impact investor AgDevCo has established $15m Lending for Africa Farming Company with the German development bank and debt provider Root Capital to provide sub-Saharan African farming enterprises with reliable access to finance.

3. Greensoil Investments is raising a third fund worth $70m to invest in food and agriculture technology companies in Israel and the Netherlands.

4. Soft drinks firms have increased the value of their brands globally over the past year, despite consumer health concerns about sugar and artificial sweeteners.

5. UK businesses play a crucial role in Europe’s economy and any decision to leave the union would be grave for EU economies as well as the UK’s.

6. A £3M food innovation centre has been opened in Northern Ireland, designed to help especially smaller businesses and artisans develop new products for consumers.

7. The animal health industry’s role in securing sustainable world food supplies is the focus of a conference staged in Brussels next month by the International Federation for Animal Health – Europe (IFAH).

8. Norwegian dairy TINE has warned that exporting Jarlsberg cheese could become unprofitable if the country's government phases out export subsidies.

9. OAL Group has entered the African market winning a deal with Trade Kings, Zambia, to hydrate maize flour and other grains to make Maheu, a maize-based yoghurt drink sold in the country.

10. More than 20 health bodies have resigned from the EU Alcohol and Health Forum, saying the European Commission is ignoring calls to develop a new EU Alcohol Strategy.

11. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and commercial partner Ikea of Sweden will work together to promote forest certification schemes to develop more sustainable plantations in Vietnam

India Agri & Food updates - 03June'15 !

1. Tea Board is targeting replantation of ageing bushes in about 40,000 hectares for the 12th Plan ending 2016-17 to boost productivity, even as the Government recently approved an outlay of Rs.1,425 crore for the Plan period, almost double that of the previous plan.

2. Increase in prices of pulses may register highest growth this year due to untimely rains which have severely affected 2.28 million tonnes (MT) of Rabi crop and widened the gap between demand and supply to the extent of 6 MT, says an Assocham study.

3. Aspada Investment Company, a venture capital firm that provides early-stage risk capital, has made a commitment of Rs 20 crore ($3.3 million) to Delhi-based EM3 AgriServices Pvt Ltd. EM3 provides pay-per-use agricultural machines and services for small-hold farmers.

4. Monsoon forecast at 88% poses challenge, which is lower than the 93 per cent forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in April.

5. Maharashtra government has appealed to seed companies to reduce prices of Bt seeds by Rs 100 per bag due to rural distress .

Global Agri, Food & Health News - 03 June'15 !

1. Soros' Aspada, the social venture capital investment firm has invested in India's EM3 Agri Services, a provider of farm operations services aimed at increasing smallholder farmer productivity by 20%.

2. After Syngenta rejected Monsanto's $44.5bn takeover offer last month, Monsanto has said it will keep pursuing the deal.

3. According to International Food Policy Research Institute, Middle East, North Africa spending on agri R&D must increase to reach UN standards.

4. Brookside Dairy - East Africa's largest processor - has acquired Ugandan dairy Sameer Agriculture and Livestock Limited (SALL), according to reports from the region.

5. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) has received a USDA food safety grant to enhance low-moisture food safety by improving pasteurization technologies.

6. The number of hungry people in the world has fallen again this year to 795 million – 10m fewer than last year and 216m fewer than in 1990-92 – according to FAO figures.

7. The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) has urged the European commissioner for health and food safety to practice caution when making ‘adjustments’ to health claim and botanical rules.

8. Canadian dairy giant Saputo will refuse milk from farms that fail to treat cows humanely under a new animal welfare policy.

9. A lack of dietary variety is creating nutritional imbalances in a large number of young children in urban China, a Nestlé-sponsored study suggests.


10. Nestlé Middle East has lost around US$220m in the last three years due to regional conflicts, but insists it will not withdraw from troubled markets.

11. Consumption of a green tea extract has been suggested to reduce rates of cancer in certain indiviuals while reducing levels of the cancer biomarker prostate-specific antigen (PSA), say researchers.

India Agri & Food Events'2015 from CII !

India Agri & Food Events'2015 from CII:

 http://www.cii.in/Result_Summary.aspx?enc=m9LtaU9cwJGa8+knjhqIPY73gPwQI9xN/a+TeSt6/psu+W54O2BduWywKIhkn6kjioztp0ElzB0I+gNUbwEQNQ==


1. Foodpro2015

- FOODPRO2015 – 11th Edition of Premier Food Processing Technology Show.
- Exhibition on Food Processing Sector covering Technology, Food products, packaging, ingredients.
- Start Date: Aug 28, 2015, End Date: Aug 30, 2015
- Venue: Chennai Trade Centre, Hall 1, 2 & 3, Nandambakkam, Mount Poonamali Road,, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India Free Car Parking

Phone : 91-44-42444555
Fax :91 44 42444510
Email : sanndeep.v@cii.in

Phone : 91-44-42444555
Fax :91 44 42444510
Email : kazhal.vendhan@cii.in

2. AP-TEC 2015: Technologies for Modern Agriculture

- Start Date: Jun 05, 2015, End Date: Jun 07, 2015
- Venue: CENTRAL TOBACCO RESEARCH INSTITUTE, OLD CAMPUS, NEAR AP PAPER MILLS, BHASKARNAGAR, RAJAHMUNDRY, ANDHRA PRADESH, India

Phone : 91-40-27765837
Fax :91 40 27765836
Email : macha.dinesh@cii.in

3. FOODBIZ INDIA 2015:Sustainable Technologies and Opportunities for Food and Allied Industries

Start Date: Aug 18, 2015, End Date: Aug 19, 2015
Venue: Fortune Murali Park, Vijayawada, ANDHRA PRADESH, India

Phone : 91-40-27765837
Fax :91 40 27765836
Email : macha.dinesh@cii.in

India Agri & Food updates - 02June'15 !

1. Delayed Southwest Monsoon leaves farmers worried in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka & Kerala.

2. Punjab government sought wheat MSP of Rs 1,950 per quintal for the Rabi season 2015-16 in accordance with prevalent input cost.

3. Exports of cashew kernels in April declined consequent to various unfavourable factors affecting the industry. Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI), said that the closing down of 70 per cent of the factories in the organised sector from April 1, following a substantial hike in the wages by the State government; reduction in incentives for export of cashew in the new foreign trade policy; and high raw nut prices were the main factors that squeezed shipments of cashew.

4. Global black tea production so far this calendar has fallen by 11.12 per cent.

5. The popular golden yellow Banganapalli mango, known for its typical taste and aroma, has now got its first brand called Omang. It will also be the first branded mango variety grown in Telangana to hit the market this summer.   eFresh Portal, supported by Nabard, has sourced the variety grown in orchards of Jagtiyal of Karimnagar district on a pilot basis.

Global Agri-business roundup - 02June'15 !

1. DJI and Accel Partners have launched the $10m SkyFund to invest in drone start-ups and more broadly across robotics.

2. Major brand companies are aware of the threat posed by deliberate contamination and are taking mitigating food defense steps ahead of regulation but the risk is greater from smaller companies, according to Tyco Integrated Security.

3. Nestlé Middle East has lost around US$220m in the last three years due to regional conflicts, but insists it will not withdraw from troubled markets.

4. U.S. chocolate manufacturers would forgo buying cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire if a case against three major cocoa processors succeeds, warns a dissenting judge.

5. The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) has risen its cocoa deficit forecast for the 2014/15 season due in part to unfavorable weather in Ghana.

6. Brookside Dairy - East Africa's largest processor - has acquired Ugandan dairy Sameer Agriculture and Livestock Limited (SALL), according to reports from the region.

7. The European halal market is booming and set to grow – but manufacturers must appeal to Muslims without alienating traditional consumers if they want to maximise sales , say experts.

India Agri & Food News - 25'May - 1stJune'15!

1. Kenya’s tea output shortfall would be an added advantage for Indian market.

2. Food Corporation of India to sell wheat in open market in Punjab & Haryana from June.

3. In a bid to promote organic farming in the state, the Chhattisgarh government plans to prepare a roadmap by the end of this year.

4. Hit by unseasonal rains in the past few months, king of fruits mango is selling at about Rs 100 per kilogram.

5. Government's wheat procurement has increased by nearly 2 per cent to 26.7 million tonnes (MT) so far in 2015-16 marketing year.

6. Chicken prices in India soared to a record high after a heat wave killed more than 17 million birds in May, as temperatures regularly above 40 degrees Celsius led to mounting casualties among livestock.

7. The total sown area under kharif crops stands at 59.56 lakh hectares (lh), a tad up than 59.47 lh sown during the corresponding period last year.

8. BASF India has invested Rs. 64 crore to set up a new global agriculture research centre at Lonikand near Pune. The focus will be on global research on herbicides, pesticides and insecticides and also on solutions beyond classical crop protection.

Global Agri & Dairy news - 1stJune'15!

1. French legislation voted in yesterday will require supermarkets to donate all unsold, edible food to charity in a bid to cut food waste.

2. Fish, seafood and China drove Scottish food export growth over the past year, according to figures just released by the Scottish government.

3.Nestlé’s decision to change the name of its Kit Kat brand to YouTube Break has been described as “nonsense” and “stupid” by vast readers and consumers worldwide.

4. The US dairy sector can overcome its geographical disadvantage in Algeria, Morocco and Egypt by boosting its "standing in the minds of North African end-users," says the US Dairy Export Council (USDEC).

5. Supplements of salmon oil may reduce markers of oxidative stress, with no effects from additional multivitamins, says a new study from Australia.

6. Now with one in every four people in the country being overweight, China has placed second in the list of countries with the highest obesity rates.

7. The Swedish National Food Agency (NFA) has proposed an extension of the products subject to mandatory vitamin D fortification.

8. Fonterra has cut its farm gate milk price (FGMP) forecast for the 2014/15 season to NZ$4.40 - the fifth such reduction since its May 2014 opener of NZ$7.00.

9. The Swedish National Food Agency (NFA) has proposed an extension of the products subject to mandatory vitamin D fortification.

10. Sales of snacks account for a whopping 40% of the $370 billion U.S. packaged food market and are set to grow 2% annually through 2019.

11.USDA announced that an additional 800,000 acres of highly environmentally sensitive land may be enrolled in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) under certain wetland and wildlife initiatives that provide multiple benefits on the same land.

Global AgriBusiness updates - 25May to 1stJune'15 !

1. Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation has approved a $400m allocation to infrastructure for the upcoming fiscal year and is set to add agri and timber assets to its portfolio for the first time.

2. Google Ventures invested into a farmer networking tool called Farmer Business Network (FBN). The VC arm of the technology giant invested alongside venture capital heavyweight Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, which last year told Agri Investor of its intention to invest more in agtech.

3. With the increasing level of activity in Agriculture space – online fundraising platform AgFunder recorded over $1 billion raised during the first quarter of this year compared to over $2.3 billion in 2014 overall.

4. The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems projects that the drone industry could be worth as much as $140 billion over the next decade, with most of the growth coming from precision ag.

5. The Agri Investor Australia Forum 2015 on 11 June in Melbourne will bring together active institutional investors, family offices, fund managers and government advisors for a comprehensive and candid discussion on the growth of agri investment around the world.
  
    Book your place online, via email or contact our customer service teams in:
    Hong Kong: +852 2153 3844 | New York: +1 212 633 1073 | London: +44 (0)20 7566 5445

6. GreenSoil Investments is raising its third food and agriculture technology agtech fund for $70m to invest in Israel and the Netherlands.

7. Farmers Edge gains backing from Mitsui, eyes Russian expansion.The precision agri management tool provider will use the funding to expand its operations in Russia, Brazil, Australia and the US.