Latest news with #AgricultureToday
Business Standard
10-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
ATGC Biotech Recognised with Innovation Leadership Award 2025 for Transforming Crop Protection through Deep-Tech Innovation
VMPL New Delhi [India], July 10: In a defining moment for Indian agri-innovation, ATGC Biotech Pvt. Ltd. was awarded the Innovation Leadership Award 2025 by Shri Piyush Goyal, Hon'ble Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, during the prestigious 16th Agriculture Leadership Conclave organized by Agriculture Today in New Delhi today. The Agriculture Leadership Award 2025 was presented to ATGC Biotech for Innovation Leadership in sustainable pest management with cutting edge pheromone technologies. The award was selected by the National Awards Committee, under the Chairmanship of Former Chief Justice of India, Justice P. Sathasivam, recognizing ATGC's pioneering role in IP-led, BioE3-aligned biomanufacturing--a transformative leap toward ultra-low-dose, waterless, and residue-free crop protection powered by synthetic biology and material science. With 26 patents, and 50+ commercial-stage products ATGC is driving India's emergence as a global biotechnology powerhouse and a BioE3-compliant leader in climate-resilient agriculture. With strategic R & D support from BIRAC and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), ATGC is powering India's transition from volume-based agrochemicals to precision, carbon-smart crop protection. On receiving the award, Dr. Markandeya Gorantla, Chairman & Managing Director, and Dr. V.B. Reddy, Executive Director, of ATGC Biotech said, "This award is a celebration of Indian science and its capacity to lead with purpose. We thank Agriculture Today for honoring deep-tech innovation, and express our sincere gratitude to BIRAC, DBT, and DST for enabling our platform to go from bench to field, from grams to global." They further added, "This recognition reinforces the critical role of agri-innovation in advancing India's strategic priorities--where food security, climate resilience, and global competitiveness converge through science and sustainability." For over a century, agriculture has leaned on chemical-based solutions to secure food systems. Today, ATGC adds a new layer of intelligence--shifting from reaction to prevention, from control to communication. ATGC has developed innovative solutions like CREMIT PBW and Akarsh ME, deployed across 200,000+ acres, cutting down chemical sprays and water use while decarbonizing the agri-supply chain. CREMIT PBW empowers cotton farmers with a sustainable, pesticide-free approach to managing pink bollworm, while Akarsh ME offers fruit growers an eco-friendly, highly effective solution for fruit fly control ensuring maggot-free harvests and residue-free fruits. ATGC's core promise is to safeguard crops using just grams of active ingredient per acre per month, with no water and minimal application. It's a new paradigm. A smarter, scalable solution for a climate-conscious world. In 2024, the World Economic Forum highlighted ATGC as a global case study for scaling pheromone tech in row crops like rice and cotton. The company is the only non-US supplier to USDA's "Slow the Spread" program, with 44 new molecules under registration across 20+ countries. About ATGC Pvt Ltd. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Genome Valley, Hyderabad, ATGC is India's only commercial-scale manufacturer of pheromone biosimilars. With a mission to create a greener, healthier planet, ATGC offers high-quality insect pheromones, semiochemicals, and advanced IPM technologies that effectively manage pest populations while minimizing the use of harmful chemical pesticides. ATGC's flagship product, CREMIT PBW, Akarsh ME has been deployed across more than 200,000 acres of cotton and horticulture crops in India, enabling residue-free, export-compliant farming and reducing dependency on conventional spray cycles At ATGC, we are committed to supporting farmers with the latest pheromone-based applications and groundbreaking solutions that drive the future of agriculture. Our innovations are designed to protect crops, improve yields, and promote eco-friendly farming practices, ensuring both the well-being of farmers and the environment For more information:
Scoop
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Legislation Introduced To Restrict Farm-To-Forest Conversions
Press Release – New Zealand Government The Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme – Forestry Conversions) Amendment Bill will restrict wholesale conversions of farmland to exotic forestry by stopping LUC 1-5 land from entering the ETS and capping new ETS registrations on LUC 6 land. Minister of Agriculture Today Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay introduced long awaited legislation that will put a stop to large-scale farm-to-forestry conversions – delivering on a key election promise to protect the future of New Zealand food production. 'For too long, productive sheep and beef farms have been replaced by pine trees in the race for carbon credits. That ends under this Government,' Mr McClay says. 'The Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme – Forestry Conversions) Amendment Bill will restrict wholesale conversions of farmland to exotic forestry by stopping LUC 1-5 land from entering the ETS and capping new ETS registrations on LUC 6 land. 'It will also protect farmers' ability to diversify – allowing up to 25 per cent of a farm to go into trees, while stopping the kind of blanket ETS planting that's been gutting rural communities in places like the East Coast, Wairarapa, the King Country, and Southland.' As previously announced the new restrictions will take effect from 4 December 2024. The law will: Restrict farm conversions to exotic ETS forests on high-to-medium versatility farmland (LUC classes 1-6) A limit of 15,000 hectares per year for exotic conversions on medium versality farmland (LUC class 6) The annual limit of 15,000 hectares for LUC 6 farmland will be allocated by a ballot process, including a reserved quota for small block holders, with the first ballot proposed to be held in mid-2026. Allow for up to 25 per cent of a farm's LUC 1-6 land to still be planted in exotic forestry for the ETS, ensuring farmers retain flexibility and choice. Protect specific categories of Māori-owned land, in line with Treaty obligations The Bill proposes time-limited transitional exemptions in rare cases for people who were in the process of afforestation prior to these changes originally being announced on 4 December 2024. To be eligible for a transitional exemption, applicants need to show sufficient evidence that they made a qualifying forestry investment between 1 January 2021 and 4 December 2024. Transactions that commenced after this date will not be eligible to register in the ETS. The applicant will need to demonstrate that the investment relates to the specific Land Use Capability (LUC) class 1–6 land they are applying to register in the ETS. Registry of 25 per cent of LUC 1-6 land will be registered against the properties title to restrict further planting as a result of subdivision. 'Labour's careless ETS settings turbocharged the sell-off of our farming base. They let speculators put short-term profits ahead of long-term food production. That was careless – and it ends now,' Mr McClay says. 'This Government is backing farmers, restoring balance, and making sure the ETS doesn't come at the cost of New Zealand's rural economy. 'This policy is pro-farming, pro-food production, pro-commercial forestry and pro-rural New Zealand.' The legislation is now before Parliament and is to come into force October 2025.
Scoop
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Legislation Introduced To Restrict Farm-To-Forest Conversions
Press Release – New Zealand Government The Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme – Forestry Conversions) Amendment Bill will restrict wholesale conversions of farmland to exotic forestry by stopping LUC 1-5 land from entering the ETS and capping new ETS registrations on LUC 6 land. Minister of Agriculture Today Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay introduced long awaited legislation that will put a stop to large-scale farm-to-forestry conversions – delivering on a key election promise to protect the future of New Zealand food production. 'For too long, productive sheep and beef farms have been replaced by pine trees in the race for carbon credits. That ends under this Government,' Mr McClay says. 'The Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme – Forestry Conversions) Amendment Bill will restrict wholesale conversions of farmland to exotic forestry by stopping LUC 1-5 land from entering the ETS and capping new ETS registrations on LUC 6 land. 'It will also protect farmers' ability to diversify – allowing up to 25 per cent of a farm to go into trees, while stopping the kind of blanket ETS planting that's been gutting rural communities in places like the East Coast, Wairarapa, the King Country, and Southland.' As previously announced the new restrictions will take effect from 4 December 2024. The law will: Restrict farm conversions to exotic ETS forests on high-to-medium versatility farmland (LUC classes 1-6) A limit of 15,000 hectares per year for exotic conversions on medium versality farmland (LUC class 6) The annual limit of 15,000 hectares for LUC 6 farmland will be allocated by a ballot process, including a reserved quota for small block holders, with the first ballot proposed to be held in mid-2026. Allow for up to 25 per cent of a farm's LUC 1-6 land to still be planted in exotic forestry for the ETS, ensuring farmers retain flexibility and choice. Protect specific categories of Māori-owned land, in line with Treaty obligations The Bill proposes time-limited transitional exemptions in rare cases for people who were in the process of afforestation prior to these changes originally being announced on 4 December 2024. To be eligible for a transitional exemption, applicants need to show sufficient evidence that they made a qualifying forestry investment between 1 January 2021 and 4 December 2024. Transactions that commenced after this date will not be eligible to register in the ETS. The applicant will need to demonstrate that the investment relates to the specific Land Use Capability (LUC) class 1–6 land they are applying to register in the ETS. Registry of 25 per cent of LUC 1-6 land will be registered against the properties title to restrict further planting as a result of subdivision. 'Labour's careless ETS settings turbocharged the sell-off of our farming base. They let speculators put short-term profits ahead of long-term food production. That was careless – and it ends now,' Mr McClay says. 'This Government is backing farmers, restoring balance, and making sure the ETS doesn't come at the cost of New Zealand's rural economy. 'This policy is pro-farming, pro-food production, pro-commercial forestry and pro-rural New Zealand.' The legislation is now before Parliament and is to come into force October 2025.
