Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur (CSAUAT), and Nuziveedu Seeds Limited (NSL) have formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to embark on a collaborative journey towards the joint development of plant varieties and hybrids. The agreement was signed on 23rd April 2024 by representatives of both organizations at CSAUAT’s headquarters in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
CSAUAT, a renowned research and educational institution established by an act of the state legislature, has been at the forefront of agricultural research, development, and extension activities since its inception in 1958. NSL, a leading seed company in India, brings to the table its expertise in developing superior plant varieties, seed production, processing, marketing, and distribution.
The collaboration between CSAUAT and NSL aims to enhance the profitability of farmers by introducing new varieties and hybrids tailored to the specific agro-climatic conditions of Uttar Pradesh and similar regions across the country. Both parties are committed to leveraging their strengths in research and development to deliver innovative solutions for sustainable agriculture.
This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the journey towards sustainable agriculture and underscores the commitment of CSAUAT and NSL to empower farmers with innovative solutions for enhanced productivity and profitability.
Source: Nuziveeduseeds

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We at Sakata Seed India Private Limited are thrilled to inform that Sakata seed India has been awarded the prestigious title of “Vegetable Seed Company of the Year 2024.” at ABSA- Agri Award 2024 in presence of Sri. Thummala Nageswara Rao, Hon Agriculture Minister of Telangana, Dr P K Singh, Commissioner of Agri Agriculture, Govt of India. This recognition is a testament to our unwavering commitment to innovation, quality, and sustainability in the agricultural industry.
SAKATA SEEDS INDIA has demonstrated exceptional leadership in developing high-yielding, disease-resistant vegetable varieties that meet the evolving needs of farmers worldwide. Their dedication to research and development has resulted in groundbreaking advancements that enhance crop productivity while minimizing environmental impact.
Through collaborative partnerships and community outreach programs, SAKATA SEEDS INDIA has empowered farmers with the knowledge and resources needed to achieve sustainable agricultural practices. The efforts have not only contributed to the success of individual growers but also to the resilience of global food systems.

This award is a well-deserved recognition of SAKATA SEED’s outstanding contributions under dynamic and emphatic leadership of Dr Jai Singh to the vegetable seed industry and their commitment to shaping a more sustainable future for agriculture. Congratulations to all the team members of Sakata seeds on this achievement and looking forward to witnessing your continued impact in the years to come.
Ultimately this achievement is the testimony of collaborative efforts of One Passionate Team Sakata Seed India.
Source: kishor.gaikwad@sakata.in

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Madhya Pradesh ranks second in the country in wheat production, the main crop of Rabi season. With time, due to new varieties and new technologies, farmers are producing abundantly. But even now the influence of the Lok-1 variety remains intact in the state. Most of the farmers in the state are adopting this variety and are getting good production. After this, wheat varieties GW-322, Pusa Tejas HI 8759 and GW-273 are the favorite varieties among farmers.
In the rabi season 2023-24, wheat has been sown in about 92 lakh 10 thousand hectares in the state, out of which the high-yielding varieties Lok-1, GW-322 and GW-273 have been planted in more than 75 lakh hectare area, while the remaining 17 lakh hectares are under durum, Sharbati and other varieties. Sharbati wheat of the state is famous for exports, yet the main reason for the decrease in its area is the decrease in production. Due to better minimum support prices, farmers prefer to plant high-yielding varieties.
For Rabi season 2023-24, the area under wheat has been reported at 92.10 lakh hectares and the production is estimated at 329.72 lakh tonnes. The main reason decline in production from the last 3 consecutive years is believed to be untimely rains and hailstorms as well as emphasis on increasing the production of pulses and oilseeds. Apart from this, there is also a decreasing inclination of farmers to sow Sharbati wheat.
While Lok-1 yields 50 to 55 quintals per hectare, GW 322 yields 55 to 60 quintals, Pusa Tejas HI 8759 is about 60 to 70 quintals per hectare. Whereas the production of Sharbati C 306, Sujata 617, etc. has remained at around 25 to 30 quintals per hectare.
Given these circumstances, according to agricultural officials of various districts, in the last Rabi, more than 5 lakh quintals of Lok-1 seeds were distributed, while about 3 lakh quintals of GW-322 and about 2 lakh quintals of Pusa Tejas seeds were distributed among the farmers.
Bhopal’s Joint Director – Agriculture, Mr. B.L. Bilaiya said that Pusa Tejas and Sharbati 1544 varieties have been planted in large quantities in the division because districts like Raisen, Vidisha, Sehore, etc. are famous for Sharbati wheat. Many farmers have also planted Lok-1 because it gives more production.
Gwalior’s Joint Director – Agriculture, Mr. DL Kori said that Lok-1 and GW-322 have been sown in the area. At the same time, Dr. Rajsingh Kushwaha, a scientist of KVK Gwalior and Dr. A P S Tomar, a scientist of KVK Bhind also informed about planting Lok-1 variety in large acreage.
Opinion Of Agricultural Scientists
Dr. S.S. Dhakad, a scientist of Shajapur KVK and Dr. AK Badaya, a scientist of Dewas KVK said that farmers have planted Pusa Tejas variety of wheat in abundance in the district, along with it Lok-1. Betul KVK scientist Dr. Vijay Verma said that HI 1544 and GW 322 have been planted in the district and according to Panna KVK scientist Dr. PN Tripathi, GW 322 variety has been planted in the district. Sheopur Kala’s Deputy Director Agriculture P Gujre said that the Raj 4035 variety was planted in the district which is a 120-day crop. Deputy Director in-charge of Jabalpur, Ravi Amravanshi said that GW 322, 273 and HI-1544 varieties have been planted in the district, whose average production is about 50 quintals per hectare.
Disillusionment with Sharbati
Overall, the Lok-1 variety of wheat is still leading in the state, leaving behind Sharbati varieties of wheat. Whereas the 306 variety of Sharbati wheat, famous for its gold-like shine and special taste in the country and abroad, may disappear from the market. In the last few years, 85 percent of the farmers have moved away from this variety. Instead, farmers are taking 1544, 322 and Harshita varieties. These three varieties look like Sharbati. Farmers are becoming disillusioned with the Sharbati 306 variety because its yield is low. While other varieties are available at double the cost, the prices are also good.
Source: krishakjagat

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With the 2024-25 kharif cotton plantings set to begin in North India, stakeholders see a dip in acreages as weak prices for the fibre crop coupled with severe infestation of pink bollworm (PBW) witnessed last season and rising labour costs may prompt farmers to look at safer bets like paddy, maize and guar.
Source: Thehindubusinessline

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According to sources cited by CNBC-TV18 on April 4th, UPL Ltd, a provider of sustainable agriculture products and solutions, is considering launching an initial public offering (IPO) for its seeds business, Advanta Enterprises, in early FY25. The report states that BofA Securities, Morgan Stanley, and JM Financial will act as bankers for the Advanta IPO. UPL aims to divest approximately 10-12 percent of its stake in the subsidiary.
The IPO proceeds from Advanta Enterprises are expected to be used by UPL for deleveraging, with a target valuation of $4 billion. In addition to the IPO plans, UPL had previously announced a rights issue worth over Rs 4,000 crore. In a filing to the exchange on March 26th, UPL mentioned that it is in the process of completing the necessary formalities and compliances for the rights issue.
At present, UPL holds an 86.7 percent stake in Advanta Ent, while private equity firm KKR owns a 13.3 percent stake. KKR had acquired its stake for $300 million in September 2023.
On April 4th, UPL shares were trading 2.61 percent higher at Rs 489.40 apiece on the BSE during late trading hours. However, UPL reported a consolidated loss of Rs 1,217 crore during the December 2023 quarter (Q3FY24). In the same quarter of the previous financial year, the company had a net profit of Rs 1,087 crores. The company’s revenue from operations also declined by 27.72 percent to Rs 9,887 crore in the quarter under review, compared to Rs 13,679 crore in the corresponding period last year.
Source: krishakjagat

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China’s moves since October 2023 to approve several genetically modified (GM) strains of maize and soybean have shined a spotlight on India’s own GM journey and how lengthy legal tangles and government moratoriums have condemned Indian agriculture to low yields and output levels.
After decades of shared hesitation with India over GM crops, China has broken away and joined the likes of the US, Canada, and several South American and African nations in embracing GM technology to boost crop yields.
China’s break from its past hesitation has come not only in the form of extensive research and development of GM seed varieties, and a strengthening of its regulations, but also as more direct action in the form of espionage and theft from the US of its proprietary GM intellectual property.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had in 2016 convicted Chinese nationals for stealing GM corn seeds in the state of Iowa. More recently, in 2020, FBI Director Christopher Wray spoke about how the FBI had caught non-state actors “working on behalf of the Chinese government, basically digging up seeds into the cover of night to steal them”.
The Chinese media has reported that its government, in October 2023, approved 37 GM maize varieties and 14 GM soybean varieties. More recently, in March 2024, it approved a second batch of 27 additional maize and three soybean varieties.
China, India on diverging GM paths
China’s moves come when India continues to ban the use of most high-yield GM varieties of crops. The only genetically modified crop India has so far allowed is Bt cotton, so named because the genetic modification allows the plant to produce a toxin, Bacillus thuringiensis, which can act as an in-built pesticide.
According to agricultural economists, India needs to urgently move forward with much of the rest of the world and develop other GM crops to improve yields and become competitive in world markets.
China’s GM journey began in 1993 and includes long years of research, development, strengthening of regulations, and now, even alleged espionage and theft.
Contrast this with India’s journey. At the moment, India’s foray into GM mustard remains mired in the Supreme Court, more than 20 years after hearings first began in the case.
Bt brinjal, another GM crop India had initially given approval to, was in 2010 placed under an indefinite moratorium pending appropriate tests being conducted. That process is still underway, while even India’s neighbour Bangladesh has adopted the use of Bt brinjal.
According to veteran agricultural economist Ashok Gulati, India should take inspiration from the success of Bt cotton, which was approved by the Vajpayee government in 2002, and has since seen a huge increase in crop yields.
According to Deepak Pental, a distinguished genetic scientist who developed India’s first variety of GM seeds in the form of Bt mustard, another way India is losing out is that the bulk of the scientific community has stopped working in the field of genetic engineering of seeds due to there not being any progress in the area for decades.
“The scientific community stands deskilled in these technologies, because if you don’t release anything and it becomes so cumbersome to get anything released, naturally scientists will avoid going into that area,” Pental told ThePrint. “And if you don’t learn an art or practise an art, you forget it.”
Source: Theprint

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The introduction of two genetically modified traits, herbicide tolerance and insect resistance, into corn and soybeans in the 1980s and 1990s led to an oligopoly of three multinational companies dominating the seed industry in the USA, and some other countries. This raises concern and prompts us to alert policymakers of the risk to food security and the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers if the same rules and practices are enacted by them in the developing countries.
The application of heterosis (hybrid vigor) in plant breeding to develop hybrid seeds marked the beginning of an organized seed industry in the US. Hybrid corn was the engine around which the seed industry evolved and is still evolving. The success of hybrid corn stimulated the application of heterosis breeding in other crops wherever hybrid technology has been applicable on a commercial scale. Since hybrid corn constitutes the bulk of the seed sales and profits of the seed industry, this article will primarily focus on the hybrid corn industry.

The hybrid corn industry in the US has gone through three phases.
The first phase began in the 1930s when approximately 150 companies were formed. Most depended on products developed in public institutions and focused on the production and marketing of hybrid seed. Some of those companies added in-house research and breeding programs and developed superior proprietary products. They became the major players in the market.
In the 1970s, the second phase began with the enactment of the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA). During this period, multinational companies (MNCs) acquired more than fifty companies. This was the beginning of the consolidation of the seed industry. By 1989, seven major companies led the corn seed market, and quite a few medium or small family-owned regional companies were left.
The third phase was triggered when biotechnology enabled the introduction of genetically modified (GM) traits. The MNCs realized that they needed the seed system as a vehicle to deliver GM traits. This triggered the mass acquisition of seed businesses. Between 1980 and 2014, Monsanto (now Bayer) alone bought sixty independent seed and biotech companies. Overall, more than 200 seed companies were either acquired or went out of business during the 1990s and 2000s. At the same time, over a third of public plant-breeding programs were shut down or saw their funding decimated. The consolidation of the industry went to such an extreme that it resulted in the demise of most small seed businesses.
The key acquisition in this period was that of Holden’s Foundation Seed Company in 1997 by Monsanto for $1.2 billion. Holden’s hybrids covered approximately 35–40 percent of the corn acreage before Monsanto acquired it. Holden’s supplied foundation seed increased from public, independent private breeders and from its own breeding program to hundreds of small and midsize companies that produced and marketed the commercial hybrids under their own brands. As a result, the market was fiercely competitive and the pricing for the farmer became quite reasonable.
As of 2024, just three firms—Bayer, Corteva and ChemChina’s Syngenta Group—dominate the corn seed market. Corteva and Bayer account for about 72 percent of US corn seed sales as per industry estimates, and the seed pricing to the farmer has doubled or gone even higher. The same has happened in South Africa where 80–85 percent of the formal seed market is held by the MNCs, and prices are higher for the farmer.
GM crops have been grown in the US, Canada, South-Africa, and Argentina starting the mid-1990s and were since gradually introduced in some other countries. The commercialization of genetically engineered traits for herbicide tolerance and resistance to some insect pests has significantly reduced pesticide use and boosted crop yields. The Bt cotton in India is a typical example, and many other examples exist where GM crops are grown.
GM seed sales currently account for half the value of all seed sales, while they are grown on about one fifth of the global crop acreage. The seed sales of just four MNCs are more than half of the total global seed market of all seeds.
The questions one may rightly ask is: will the Indian seed industry face the same fate as in the US and later also South Africa with the introduction of genetically engineered traits in corn?
How then is it possible to get the engineered traits to the smallholder farmers in the developing countries without creating MNC monopolies?
Would the enormous development in global agriculture have been possible if heterosis breeding or the use of dwarfing genes to breed high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice, were patented by MNCs?
Patents as a driver for consolidation
Patent protection is crucial to the industry to undertake long term, risky and expensive research, and innovation. The number of these patents in plant biotechnology grew dramatically in the 1980s and 1990s. To develop a GM trait, one needed freedom to operate for the patented intellectual property used to develop the product. While many of the patent holders were MNCs, they strengthened their portfolio by the acquisition of biotech companies that held patents on enabling technologies and traits. Hence, patented intellectual property and restrictive licensing have been used by the MNCs to maintain tight control over GM traits and the seed products that carry them.
When patents expire after twenty years, the invention falls into the public domain. Many of the early GM events, such as the glyphosate tolerant soybean event GTS 40-3-2 or the insect resistant maize event MON 810, are no longer patent protected. However, plant breeders have not gained access to off-patent biotechnology traits, contrary to off patent maize inbred lines. One must ask, why?
Regulatory hurdles
Guided by the precautionary principle, stringent regulations govern GMOs to safeguard their safety and mitigate potential risks. National frameworks have been established and are further implemented requiring a pre-market risk assessment, in most cases leading to conditional approval.
Most importantly, the regulatory submissions and data for each trait event are the proprietary regulatory property (PRP) of the data holders. The PRP data holders can maintain regulatory approval in the countries in which GM traits for cultivation are released, as well as in countries where GM crop-derived products are exported. They ensure compliance with all the regulatory requirements and assume the liabilities. The lack of access to the regulatory data is a major barrier for new entrants who might want to access off-patent events.
The regulatory burden and the risk of potential liabilities are key reasons so very few new traits are released, and why only few GM crop species have been introduced. It is not only the upfront cost; it is the risk of huge and long-lasting liabilities. For example, Aventis did R&D field trials with the Liberty Link (LL) trait in rice in the USA. One of the experimental events, that was not licensed for commercial growing, showed up in grain samples in the southern US states where rice is grown. Since the detection of such a regulated event is a non-compliance, liabilities from LL rice remain an issue as of 2024. Similarly, Syngenta faced huge liabilities when its GM Viptera corn was detected in grain shipments to China, without being cleared in that country.
If a biotech trait event, after decades of safe commercialization in a crop, is not declared a “part of the crop’s genome,” this hurdle will continue. Policy makers must consider that consequently, the market opportunities for GM crops are reduced to only a few companies holding PRP on crop/trait combinations. Any attempt by a second party to develop a market for off-patent GM events requires collaboration with the PRP holders or equivalent investments.
TELA maize project and the biotech traits
TELA Maize Project is a public-private partnership led by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) with six partner countries from the Africa. Its objective is to make drought-tolerant and insect-protected maize varieties available to the farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. CIMMYT (The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) from Mexico is the lead breeder and contributes germplasm; Bayer Crop Science contributes biotech traits for drought tolerance and insect protection and related information, royalty free. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID primarily provide the funding. The project partners support the establishment of legal frameworks to regulate the commercial use of GM crops and pursue regulatory approvals of the GM events in the target countries.
Once a regulatory framework is in place, AATF, as the lead partner, grants seed companies of the partner countries and their national research systems the right to produce and sell hybrids containing the traits under their own seed brand. The Project involves a Foundation Seed Company, Qualibasic Seed, which is patterned after the US foundation seed company like Holden’s. The licensees must access a transgenic line from Qualibasic or one of its designated basic seed companies. No multiplication of the line or further breeding in the line is allowed by the partners.
Since the seed industry in AATF countries, except South Africa, is in the early stages of development, the partner country agricultural research systems and regulatory bodies are the key beneficiaries in this model.
Once the regulatory framework is in place, nothing stops MNCs from introducing their proprietary hybrids with superior stacked biotech traits supported by PRP data packages up to a standard that local initiatives will find hard to meet. The risk is that a well-intentioned project to bring GM benefits to small African farmers paves the way for the MNC domination in a GM market that has been opened through the national agricultural research systems. Whether the benefits outweigh the consequences of reduced competition and higher prices for the farmers is something for the policy makers to consider.
Is the TELA model applicable to India?
India has a robust private sector seed industry that has flourished since deregulation in the 1990s. Except for Bt cotton, no other crop with a biotech trait has been deregulated so far even though these have perfect safety record for years in other countries A model somewhat like TELA offers an opportunity to introduce crops like Bt corn in India that have been deregulated elsewhere and have proven safety record. If considered, then, it must be amended by provisions to prevent monopolies, ensure active participation of established seed companies with proprietary germplasm, and eliminate constraints on trait incorporation and parental line sourcing.
The future of GM crops hinges on the accessibility of regulatory data packages and the deregulation of GM traits with a proven track record of safety. Until then, policymakers must weigh the trade-offs between nurturing a vibrant seed industry and mitigating the risks of monopolistic control associated with GM crops.
Authored by Suri Sehgal and Jan Leemans, board members, Hytech Seed India Pvt Ltd
Source: hytechseed@hytechseed.in

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The Central Seed Committee, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India, has recently announced the notification of four new Indian Mustard varieties. These varieties have been approved for cultivation and are poised to contribute to the growth and productivity of the mustard sector in the country.
The newly approved Indian Mustard varieties are as follows:
1.BPM 11 (Bharatpur Mustard 11) (DRMR 2018-19): Developed by the Directorate of Rapeseed-Mustard Research (DRMR), Bharatpur Mustard 11 offers promising traits suitable for cultivation in specific agro-climatic conditions. This variety is expected to provide farmers with improved yields and enhanced resistance to prevalent diseases and pests.
2.Pusa Double Zero Mustard 35 (PDZ 14): Developed by the esteemed Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa Double Zero Mustard 35 showcases exceptional characteristics that make it a valuable addition to the mustard varieties available to farmers. With its high productivity potential and adaptability, PDZ 14 is expected to contribute significantly to the mustard cultivation landscape.
3.Pusa Double Zero Mustard 36 (PDZ 15): Another creation of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa Double Zero Mustard 36 is anticipated to be a game-changer in the mustard sector. This variety possesses desirable agronomic traits, including high oil content and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, making it a preferred choice for farmers seeking improved yields and resilience.
4.Gujarat Mustard 7 (Banas Anmol) (SKM 1746): Developed by the State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Gujarat, Banas Anmol is set to make a mark in the mustard industry. This variety exhibits excellent adaptability to diverse climatic conditions and offers enhanced oil content, disease resistance, and improved crop duration, making it a promising choice for farmers in Gujarat and beyond.
The introduction of these new mustard varieties is expected to provide farmers with a wider range of options to suit their specific farming requirements and geographical conditions. The varieties have undergone rigorous testing and evaluation to ensure their conformity to quality standards, productivity potential, and suitability for different regions across the country.
The Central Seed Committee’s approval of these Indian Mustard varieties is a significant step towards promoting agricultural innovation, enhancing crop productivity, and ensuring food security. By expanding the genetic diversity and availability of improved mustard varieties, the government aims to support farmers in achieving higher yields, better crop quality, and increased profitability.
Farmers and stakeholders in the agricultural sector are encouraged to familiarize themselves with these newly approved mustard varieties and explore their potential for cultivation. The government, along with research institutions, will continue to facilitate knowledge dissemination and provide necessary support to ensure successful adoption and utilization of these varieties.
Source: Krishakjagat

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Vibaantta Global Private Limited, a prominent player in the rice production and sales sector, has announced its acquisition of BGE Global Distribution Inc, a Florida-based company specializing in the distribution of food-based commodities, particularly Refined Sugar sourced from Brazil and other South American countries.
BGE Global Distribution Inc has distinguished itself as a key player in the food distribution industry, known for its expertise in sourcing high-quality Refined Sugar from Brazil and other regions in South America. With a strong emphasis on quality assurance and reliable supply chains, BGE Global Distribution Inc has earned a reputation for excellence in the food commodity market.
The acquisition by Vibaantta Global Pvt Ltd marks a strategic move aimed at strengthening its position in the global market. By integrating BGE Global Distribution Inc into its operations, Vibaantta aims to enhance its capabilities in sourcing and supplying sugar to its clients, particularly in Africa where there is a growing demand for food commodities.
Commenting on the acquisition, Paras Sachdev, Director of Vibaantta Global Pvt Ltd, expressed enthusiasm about the potential synergies between the two companies. “We are excited about the acquisition of BGE Global Distribution Inc, as it aligns perfectly with our strategic objectives of expanding our product offerings and diversifying our market reach. With their expertise in sugar sourcing and distribution, we believe that this partnership will enable us to better serve our clients and further strengthen our position in the global market.”
Moreover, the acquisition opens up new avenues for Vibaantta Global Pvt Ltd to penetrate the highly competitive US and Canada markets. Leveraging BGE Global Distribution Inc’s established network and market presence in the US, Vibaantta aims to introduce its rice products to consumers in North America.
“This partnership not only allows us to enhance our sugar supply chain capabilities but also provides us with a gateway to enter the lucrative US and Canada markets for our rice products,” Paras Sachdev added. “We are confident that the combined strengths of Vibaantta Global Pvt Ltd and BGE Global Distribution Inc will drive growth and create value for our customers and stakeholders.”
Vibaantta Global Pvt Ltd embarks on this new phase of expansion and growth, the acquisition of BGE Global Distribution Inc underscores its commitment to innovation, strategic partnerships, and delivering value to its customers in the global food market.
With the integration process underway, both companies are optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead and are committed to delivering excellence in product quality, service, and customer satisfaction.
Source: Agrospectrumindia

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