British to study how pests, diseases are spread through seed

The increasing global population continues to put pressure on food supplies. Combined with the impacts of climate change and global trade, which have increased the spread of plant pests and disease, this raises concerns about global food security.

Seed is the basic unit of crop production and therefore, food production. Seed-borne pathogens may cause disease or death of plants resulting in yield reduction. In addition, seed is produced and traded across the globe and can carry and spread pests and diseases very efficiently to key production areas.

Fera scientists are leading a major EU-funded project (TESTA) which will look at how and what pests and diseases are transmitted by seed, together with the reliable detection and disinfection of contaminated seed, thereby helping to boost yields.

One of the partners in the project is Prof. Terry Aveling, the chair of the Seed Health Committee for the International Seed Testing Association(ISTA). The Association’s involvement will ensure that results of the project are focussed on global needs and are available for use by seed testing laboratories around the world.

Source: Agropages

OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2013-2022

This is an executive summary of the Report. There are interesting projections for the agriculture sector and we are happy to share this. It is interesting to see that developing countries are being projected to be on an upswing and ride on the export tide. The rising per capita consumption in developing countries including in Asia is likely to fuel all-round growth

Rising demand favours developing countries: For decades, global agriculture was characterised by policy-induced production surpluses in industrialised countries and stagnating growth in developing countries. Policy reforms and economic growth across the globe have been changing demand and supply fundamentals, transforming agriculture into a more market-driven sector which provides investment opportunities. Developing countries are expected to increase their share of global production and capture most of the export growth. 

Slower production growth: Global agricultural production for commodities covered in this Outlook is projected to grow at 1.5% annually, on average, compared to 2.1% in the previous decade. This slower growth is expected to be exhibited by all crop sectors and livestock production. These trends reflect rising costs, growing resource constraints, and increasing environmental pressures, which are anticipated to inhibit supply response in virtually all regions.

Food price inflation has eased: The link between commodity prices and what consumers actually pay for their food is usually not straightforward. So, even though commodity prices remain high, there is some evidence that consumer food price inflation is abating. Nevertheless, with food expenditures accounting for 20-50% or more of household budgets in many developing countries, food affordability remains a concern. 

Markets reflect split in global economy: Although relatively resilient to economic downturns, agricultural markets continue to reflect the impact of a two-speed global economy with weak recovery in developed countries and vibrant growth in many developing countries. Rising oil prices are an important but unpredictable factor in price projections. A depreciating US dollar is expected to reduce the relative competitiveness of other exporters while increasing the purchasing power of many importers. 

Prices will rise over medium term: Commodity prices are currently high by historical levels. In the near term, crop prices should fall as production rebounds, while low inventories keep meat prices high. Longer term prices for both crop and livestock products are set to rise with meat, fish and biofuel prices projected to rise more strongly. 

Inflation adjusted prices remain high: Average real prices for the 2013-22 period are projected well above the 2003-12 average for most of the commodities covered in this Outlook. However, average real prices over the next decade should be lower than the peaks experienced in recent years. 

Consumption to grow: Consumption of all products covered in this Outlook will increase in developing countries, albeit at a slower pace, driven by growing populations, higher incomes, urbanisation and changing diets. Per capita consumption is projected to expand most rapidly in Eastern Europe, and Central Asia followed by Latin America and other Asia.

Agriculture trade continues to increase: Emerging economies will capture much of the trade growth, accounting for the majority of exports of coarse grains, rice, oilseeds, vegetable oil, sugar, beef, poultry and fish. The OECD area share of trade will continue to decline while remaining the major exporters of wheat, cotton, pig and sheep meat and most dairy products.

Outlook uncertainties: Production shortfalls, price volatility and trade interruptions remain a threat to global food security, especially in light of low stocks. A widespread drought like that experienced in 2012 in the United States and CIS countries, on top of low stocks, could raise crop prices by 15-40%. Energy prices add another source of uncertainty, affecting both biofuel markets and input costs. World trade is even more sensitive than production to yield variability and macroeconomic drivers.

Focus on China: This edition of the Outlook takes a special look at China, which has a rapidly expanding agri-food sector. Faced with production constraints and rising demand, China is likely to import more of its food in future but, overall, but is projected to remain self-sufficient in the main food crops. It is projected that China’s consumption growth will slightly outpace its production growth by some 0.3% per year, similar to the trend of the previous decade. As a result, a further but modest opening of China’s agricultural sector is 

anticipated although these prospects vary by commodity.

China has made food security and self-sufficiency in rice and wheat a top policy priority. Agricultural output grew almost fivefold between 1978 and 2011. However, in recent years food prices have been rising, and output is set to slow under rising resource and labour constraints. 

Increased availability of food and higher incomes have improved food security significantly with the number of undernourished falling by almost 100 million since 1990, despite adding 200 million people to its population. Reducing the number of persons undernourished remains a major challenge.

From 2001 to 2012, China’s agricultural imports and exports increased from USD 27.9 billion to USD 155.7 billion. Import dependence doubled from 6.2% to 12.9% with China’s net trade deficit in agriculture and food stood at USD 31 billion in 2012. 

Key uncertainties for China include the ongoing sustainability of high levels of economic growth, increasing resource constraints on production and the potential for increased production variability amid rising climate unpredictability.

Global commodity projections to 2022

Cereals: Production is expected to increase 1.4% per year with 57% of total growth coming from developing countries. Thailand is projected to be the leading exporter of rice followed closely by VietNam while the United States is expected to remain the dominant exporter of wheat and coarse grains.

Oilseed: Production is set to increase even faster than cereals. Palm oil should maintain a stable 34% share of total vegetable oil production. 

Sugar: Production is expected to increase by almost 2% a year with Brazil and India the leading producers. Developing countries will continue to dominate world sugar use. 

Cotton: Man-made fibres will take an ever-larger market share. India’s cotton production is projected to rise 25%, making it the world’s leading producer. 

Ethanol: Production is expected to increase almost 70%, with biodiesel increasing even faster but from a smaller base. By 2022, biofuel production is projected to consume 28% of total world production of sugar cane, 15% of vegetable oils and 12% of coarse grains.

Meat: Developing countries are expected to account for 80% of the growth in global production. Per capita meat consumption growth will slow as major developing economies approach the levels of developed countries. 

Developing countries are expected to generate 74% of global milk production gains. Still, consumption in developing countries is projected to grow faster than production, with higher exports from the United States, the European Union, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina.

Fisheries: Capture output is projected to rise only 5% but aquaculture to increase by 35%. By 2015, aquaculture should surpass capture fisheries as main source of fish for human consumption. 

Source: FAO, http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3333e/i3333e.pdf

Seeds Industry to grow at a faster rate in next three years

The future of seeds industry in India seems to be very bright and it is expected that by 2015 it is likely to reach Rs 10,700 crore mark from the current level of about Rs 7,000 crore. A recent ASSOCHAM analysis says that the production levels of seeds in India are likely to grow from the current level of about 40 million quintals to about 63 million quintals by 2015.

The share of organised sector is just over half of the total seed industry at about Rs 3,250 crore while the unorganised sector accounts for the remaining as the marginal farmers comprise over 60 per cent of land owners in India and hence opt for cheaper seeds considering the cost of quality seeds is relatively higher.

Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are leading commercial seeds producing states in India. Limited availability of agricultural land, diverse use of agricultural crops leading to rising food crop prices, subsidies by the government to use high-yielding varieties to increase productivity and other multiple factors are driving the growth of Indian seed industry.

The seed companies are required to convince farmers to abandon conventional seeds in favour of high-yielding hybrid seeds as the switch can help the farmers get high yields, fetch better prices for their produce and almost triple their income.

The global industry for seeds is likely to cross $71 billion by 2015 from the current level of about $60 billion. The ASSOCHAM analysis reveals that farmers were gradually shedding the inhibitions about hybrids and shifting to the same as yields from varietal seeds were falling significantly but many were still reluctant as hybrids were not only expensive but also couldn’t be reused.

Cotton, corn, pearl millets, mustard and rapeseed, rice, sorghum, sunflower and vegetable hybrid seeds are gaining acceptance and this trend is being borne out of the variation in revenue composition of private sector seed companies. With about 20 per cent share, cotton is the biggest component in the hybrid seed market followed by rice (15 per cent), wheat and vegetables (over 10 per cent each).

While there are a handful of state seed corporations and Seed Farm Corporation of India, engaged in production, distribution and marketing of high volume low value public varieties, there are about 350 private sector producers and distributors and about 300 trading firms.

Seasonality factors and risks arising out of dependence on monsoon are certain key challenges faced by the seed companies which can surely be dealt with through strong research and development and products for both kharif and rabi seasons. Besides, there is also need to use proper technology to develop products suiting evolving disease profiles and climatic conditions.

A robust distribution network providing information on seed performance and improvements is required to gain greater acceptability. Besides, a proper inventory must be maintained to meet the future demand and crop-rotation must be done to retain the customers.

Need for Rural Youth in Agriculture

Rural youth are the future of the agricultural sector.  With a growing world population and a decreasing agricultural productivity in combination with a rural exodus, sustainable food production and supply are threatened. Young farmers play an important role in ensuring food security for future generations but they face many challenges.

The world population is projected to 9.3 billion in 2050 and to reach 10.1 billion by 2100.  According to the World Bank, the size of rural population is expected to continue to grow until 2020. This population growth has resulted in the ongoing sub-division of land and in highly fragmented parcels.   Therefore, youth (especially those with many siblings) end up inheriting just a very small piece.

There is a need to create more vocational training centres for the youth to revive agriculture whose contribution has come down to nearly 15% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the country.

Technological upgrading as well as social engineering will be essential for improving the productivity, profitability and sustainability of small farms. Educated youth can provide demand-driven services such as farm health monitoring and enhancement, production and marketing of the biological software essential for sustainable agriculture, climate risk management, organisation of bioparks, food parks, bio-villages, bioindustrial watersheds, and improved post-harvest technology.

For youth to be persuaded to take to farming, agriculture must be economically rewarding and intellectually stimulating. The development of the services sector in rural India will increase income and improve the efficiency of farming. Once a large number of educated youth settle in villages, much of the IT services work can be outsourced from urban to rural areas. This will help in maintaining our global leadership in this area by making such assignments very cost-effective.

Governments should promote policies and programmes that result in real improvements in the quality of agricultural jobs, especially through adoption of modern technology. They should also ensure that mechanisms, institutions and support networks are in place so young people can advance in these jobs. Because young people’s situations vary from region to region, approaches must be flexible and sensitive to local socio-economic realities.

As a responsible company working for the benefit of the farming community, Crystal Group is committed to encourage youth and support government’s policy for the need of youth in Indian agriculture.

Training programs essential to groom farmers

Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy and is the principal means of livelihood for over 60 percent of India's population. With the increasing population which is going to touch the 1.7 billion mark by 2050, there is a need to adopt modern technologies to increase crop production and reduce crop losses. The corporate sector can play an important role in generation and diffusion of technology in the years to come. This can be a major driver of change in Indian agriculture.

While we develop various technologies, we as a corporate have a huge responsibility to educate and create awareness among the farmers about the new technologies. There is an urgent need to groom the farmers and inform them about agro-chemicals usage and their application in terms of its quantity depending upon the nature of crops. It is the responsibility of every company working in this sector to disseminate right information which can help farmers in crop protection and increasing their crop productivity

Crystal Group believes that we as a corporate can benefit the farming community by involving and engaging them in training programs on a regular basis. As a part of the CSR activity, we organized 108 training programs across the nation to sensitize farmers on the basic philosophy of agricultural practices of ‘Right Chemical, Right Dosage, Right Time and Right Method of Application’.  The farmers were imparted with extensive training on the safe use of pesticides, nutrient management, spray technology and soil fertility/farm management.

These programs act as an excellent platforms for farmers to interact in person with agricultural experts getting first-hand experience. It also ensures that farmers are provided with the latest information regarding scientific techniques for crop cultivation. These sessions enable farmers to clarify any queries they may have regarding any technique.

Thousands of farmers participated in the training sessions which gave them an opportunity to put their queries before the experts and get the solutions. Several eminent scientists from the agriculture space also attended the programs to express their views on the use of modern technologies to enhance crop productivity. We can be successful in our efforts only when we as a responsible corporate engage more and more in such kind of activities which can benefit the farmers and the nation at large. 

Judicious Use of Pesticides a Must

The excessive, indiscriminate and unregulated use of pesticides has led to new problems and has resulted in the presence of pesticide residues in the food chain and environment. It is not only the responsibility of the government but also the manufacturers to advise the farming community to make safe and judicious use of pesticides. Pesticides should be used when necessary and farmers should always adhere to the set of guidelines recommended by the scientists and the experts.

There have been groups who have an agenda to nail the manufacturers by misleading the farming community.  Although various methods were used to control pests in different pest management systems, pesticides continue to be the major component of most of the pest control programme and will probably remain so in the near future. If crops are required to develop in a healthy manner, it is very necessary that undesirable and destructive micro-organism and plants are eliminated.

Today pesticides (insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, rodenticides, nematicides etc) are extensively used all over the world to save crops in the field and in the storage. Evidence suggests that not only are chemical pesticides used in increasing quantities but they are sometimes used and handled in an irresponsible way. There is a huge misconception that use of pesticides has led to the problems affecting human health and environment.

In developed countries the usage of pesticides is 20 times more than India; their crop yields are much higher than ours. For this we must take steps to spread awareness on the judicious use of pesticides by organising educational programmes, seminars, publicity campaigns, radio and TV talk and kisan melas from time to time.

We must realise that pesticides are as important as any other ingredient for the crop production in this country. Pesticides like drugs are beneficial to man when properly used: if misused they may be extremely dangerous. It is entirely possible for a user to handle pesticides safely for many years with no obvious ill-effects to himself or his environment. The ill effects are preventable. Safe handling of pesticides by the user may be dealt with under the following precautionary measures:

Pesticide Selection

- Before making a selection, the pest problem should be identified.

- Select a pesticide that would control the pest with minimum danger to other organisms.

- The pesticide should be one approved, registered and recommended.

- Buy only the required quantity of pesticide and avoid storage.

Despite the fact that judicious use of pesticides can prevent crop losses and provide economic benefits to the farmers, pesticide consumption in India is limited to about 25% of the arable land. Pesticides are the last input in the agricultural process but are important for the sustainable development of agriculture and food security.

Engaging employees for CSR activity is important

We at Crystal have always believed in immense contribution for the sustainable development of the society. We have been taking up activities for last several years which helps in the overall growth of the society at large. It is not only important for organizations to formulate CSR strategies but also important to make them to be adapted by their employees. The success of implementation of corporate social responsibility relies upon the participation of employees in it.

The recent painting competition organized for the specially abled children in association with the NGO Deepalaya was an enriching experience for all our employees. We are glad that we managed to pull off a successful event with the help of our team which contributed in a big way by planning the activity and making the arrangements accordingly.

Interacting with the specially abled kids at the spot and help them understand the theme of the competition was altogether a different experience for each one of us who volunteered to be a part of this activity. There were children who could not hear, speak, walk etc. as well as those who were mentally challenged. It was a touching experience for all of us to mix with these kids and bring smile on their faces through this activity.

 Each and every kid at the spot tried to do something innovative and paint his mind on the canvas. It was amazing to see these bright and young talents who had the ability to become a successful artist someday in future if they are encouraged and motivated on a regular basis through these activities. This is one workforce where we must focus on and as a responsible citizen of the country must work on to bring them in the mainstream. As a corporate entity, we must take a step forward and pledge to make a difference in the society by contributing through such activities.

Changing the values and beliefs that some people have with regard to people with disabilities is very important. One of our responsibilities is to encourage humanitarian activities that would contribute to the development of our society. As much as each one of us harbour a dream, so do people with special needs.