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Business Standard
09-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Khetika bets big on clean-label food chain, looks to expand to 40 cities
The company has raised $18 million to expand tech-enabled farming platform that connects smallholders directly to consumers seeking chemical-free staples Peerzada Abrar Bengaluru Listen to This Article In the arid fields of Jhinjhinyali, a village on the edge of Rajasthan's Thar Desert, a group of farmers gathers under a shelter, eyes fixed on a screen displaying soil test results of their cumin plots. A Khetika field officer explains how shifting to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) could earn them 15 per cent more per harvest — without relying on harmful pesticides. Just two years earlier, barely 5 per cent of farmers here used IPM. Today, that number has quadrupled. This transformation is part of Khetika's broader strategy to build a tech-enabled, transparent supply chain in India's staple foods
GMA Network
09-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Chemrez's cocolisap pesticide gets PCA nod
Chemicals giant D&L Industries' agri-solutions unit Chemrez Technologies Inc. has secured the approval of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) for its locally developed organic pesticide against the devastating coconut scale insect (Cocolisap). In a news release on Wednesday, Chemrez announced the PCA gave the thumbs up for CropGuard, which was integrated into the agency's official Integrated Pest Management (IPM) framework. The company said that CropGuard is a non-invasive, residue-free alternative that facilitates farmers' compliance with organic standards while safeguarding both their crops and communities. Before using organic spray oils like CropGuard, farmers used to inject systemic insecticides, especially neonicotinoids, to deal with serious pest problems. While effective in the short term, Chemrez said trunk injection entails significant risks, including long-term tree damage, disruption of beneficial insects, and potential chemical residues in coconut products. The company said over 3.5 million Filipinos rely on coconut farming as their primary source of livelihood. With the PCA's approval of CropGuard as a primary treatment option for early-stage infestations, Chemrez said it 'can effectively prevent the spread of cocolisap prior to the necessity of severe interventions.' —VBL, GMA Integrated News
CBC
14-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Keeping Dutch elm disease in check
In August, 2024, Dutch elm disease was found in Edmonton for the first time. Since its introduction from Europe to North America in the 1930s, the disase has destroyed millions of elm trees. Mike Jenkins tells what plans the city has for managing the pest this summer. He is a senior scientist in the city's Integrated Pest Management Lab.
Irish Examiner
12-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Teagasc to demonstrate field vegetable crop establishment and band-spraying at Crops Open Day
A live field vegetable crop establishment and band-spraying demonstration will take place in Teagasc Oak Park on Wednesday, June 25, as part of the Crops Open Day 2025. The Teagasc Horticulture Development Department are hosting the event and have invited growers and industry to attend. The demonstrations will take place at the Teagasc Crops Research Centre in Oak Park on June 25, running from 9am to 11am. Some of the latest developments and commercial machinery for planting/drilling brassicas, root crops, alliums and cucurbits suitable for various farm scales will be demonstrated live. The aim of the event is to demonstrate commercial and innovative equipment for establishing quality crops as quickly and as labour efficiently as possible. This will be increasingly important in attempting to establish crops between adverse weather events, particularly in the spring. Speaking ahead of the demonstration, Head of the Teagasc Horticulture Development Department, Dr Michael Gaffney, commented: 'Labour costs in the field vegetable sector increased by 7.7% in 2024 and make up approximately 40% of the cost of production, while labour availability also continues to be a challenge. 'Continued adoption of innovative technology that requires less labour input and/or improves quality, and output is key for the sustainability of the field vegetable sector," he explained. Band-spraying demonstration In addition to the crop establishment demonstration, a band-spraying demonstration will also take place to show how growers can meet the requirements of the new label of root crop fungicide SL567A. The use of a band-sprayer is now required when applying this product and this demonstration will inform growers of the correct approach to applying this fungicide. Specialised Vegetable Advisor with Teagasc, Eoin Sweetman, said: 'Various technologies are available to achieve banded spraying, including very specialised equipment but it is also possible to modify existing sprayers to achieve a banded spray, which will be demonstrated on the day. 'Apart from band-spraying to meet label requirements, targeted applications of SL567A or other products such as liquid fertilisers reduces product usage, improving efficiency and sustainability.' The Teagasc Horticulture Development Department will also present poster boards of some ongoing research in the areas of sustainability metrics for the horticultural sector, measuring Integrated Pest Management adoption and microbiological food safety. This is the second field vegetable demonstration at the Crops Open Day following the mechanical weeding demonstrations at the Crops Open Day in 2023 and is an event not to be missed for growers and industry.
Business Recorder
05-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Punjab seeks tax relief for cotton industry
LAHORE: Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani disclosed on Wednesday that talks are underway with the federal government and the prime minister to remove income and sales tax from the cotton industry. He hoped that these taxes will be removed in the 2025-26 budget with the aim to make cotton farming more profitable for growers. The Minister was addressing a delegation of the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association which called on him at the Agriculture House. Sharing the strategy adopted by the Punjab government this year to enhance sowing of cotton, the Minister informed the delegation that one million acres of land previously used for rice have been shifted to cotton this year. The Minister also threw light on Cotton Campaign 2025–26, early sowing, early operation of ginning factories, cotton pricing, taxation on local cotton, and the enforcement of the Cotton Control Act. During the meeting, the Cotton Ginners Association shared the challenges currently facing the industry. Member of Provincial Assembly Rana Saleem and Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo were also present. Speaking on the occasion, Minister Kirmani said that cotton is Pakistan's main cash crop. Following the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the Agriculture Department has introduced effective measures across the province, especially in South Punjab, to revive and stabilize cotton production. As a result, cotton cultivation has improved significantly, and the area under cultivation has increased. He declared this year as the 'year of cotton revival.' To promote cotton farming, the Agriculture Department launched a strong awareness campaign. Between February 15 and March 31, an ambitious goal of sowing cotton on one million acres was set and successfully achieved - a milestone not reached in the last 10 years. So far, cotton has been cultivated on 3.3 million out of the targeted 3.5 million acres, and efforts continue to reach four million acres. The department conducts third-party verification to ensure transparency in meeting targets. The Minister urged ginners to adopt modern technology, noting that many factories still use outdated methods that reduce the international demand for Pakistani cotton. He stressed the need to upgrade ginning processes and assured full government support for introducing new technology in the sector. Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said that this year, demonstration plots were established in South Punjab where Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques were fully implemented. He also noted that the private sector took responsibility for supporting cotton farming at the tehsil level, setting a positive example. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
