Agriculture industrial survey

3 - Vol. 22, Issue 8 - 2012 - Agriculture & Industry Survey

C o n t e n t s

CONSULTANCY....................................................12Wanted / Offered

LAND.............................................................13Wanted / For Sale

NEWS....................................................43

PUBLISHERS NOTE...................................46

EDITORIALS.............................................47

PERSONAL VIEW......................................49

VIEW FROM THE VILLAGE........................50

4

2 0Special Issue on Farm Equipments

M A R K E TP L A C E

BUY AND SELLBUY AND SELLBUY AND SELLBUY AND SELLBUY AND SELLBusiness inquiries

received forbuying & selling

agriculture productsrecently.

R E G U L A R SR E G U L A R SR E G U L A R SR E G U L A R SR E G U L A R S

JOBS `WANTED’&

JOBS `AVAILABLE’LISTINGS

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Other Highlights:

EMU FARMING....................30Is Emu Farming a realbusiness or a scam?A recent article titled “Investment scam:Cases of circular trading of Aussie birdemus rising in Tamil Nadu” publishedin ET, has equated emu farming to ponzischemes. We talked with members ofAgricultureinformation.com website tofind out more about their feedback onemu farming. Here is a detailed report!

AGRI TALK...........................38PomegranateRamdas J Patil - expert in pome-granate cultivation participatesin Agricultureinformation.comdiscussion forum

ENTREPRENEURS/AGRI PRO-FESSIONALS.......................41

* Shree Vinayak Enterprise

* M.J. Exports

* Tejasvi Publications

* Sri Pumps

COMMODITY TRADING........42Bio Care TechnologyMarkets various species of plantsand medicinal seeds. Based inDindigul, Tamil Nadu

Useful agricultureProducts & Services

� SDF India

� Swastik Enterprises

� KGVK Agro

� Arjun Agri Industries

� Peekay Farm

� Duron Energy

� Petkus India

� Lubing India

� Shanghai Domiya Power

� Lemken India Agro

14

AGROMAXXtractor fromSDF INDIA

BUY MEDICINALPLANTS ONLINE

Visit www.vmgmart.com

Coming soon!

Agriculture & Industry Survey - Vol. 22, Issue 8 - 2012 - 4

Buy & Sell

To buy and sell agriculture products call 080-41698240 (Kavitha) or email : [email protected]

� Amla Plants WantedWe want good quality of Amalaplants which are 2-3 years old. Thedelivery will have to be made atHyderabad. We can be reached at –

Bobby Reddy, [email protected]

� Melia Dubia Saplings WantedWe are looking for Melia Dubia Sap-lings for our Agro Farm in the outskirts of Visakhapatnam. Prospectivesuppliers may leave their terms andconditions with contact details at –

Nalluri Murthy , [email protected]

� Turmeric Powder MachineryWantedI am looking for turmeric powdermanufacturing machinery. If any-body has any information regardingits pricing and capacity, please in-form me at –

Manash Baruah, [email protected]

� Hydroponics Fertilizer WantedI want to buy hydroponic fertilizersor hydroponic nutrients. Interestedsellers can give the quote along withpricing, delivery & quality details at–

Amit Sharma, [email protected]

� Malai Vembu Saplings WantedIf anyone has saplings for malaivembu and is interested to sell,please send me the details at –

Prakash [email protected]

� Saiwal Cow WantedWe need Saiwal Cows urgently. Thenumber required is 20. If anyonedealing in these cows please contactus as soon as possible at –

Sunil Sharma, [email protected]

� Wanted Neem PlantsI am looking for Neem plant 1.5 feet -500 Nos. Please email me the pricing,delivery and other details at–

Kannan S, [email protected]

�Wanted Different PlantsWe are planning to plant differenttypes of plants-as flowers, fruits, deco-rative plants and if any new plantsavailable. We need price rates of dif-ferent type of plants which are easilyavailable in Karnataka,Maharashatra and Goa with your sup-port we create GREEN land and de-creases global warming with high sat-isfaction. Contact us at –

Anush Pol, [email protected]

� Wanted Strawberry SeedingsWe are an Agri Company from Kosovoand we need 100,000 strawberry seed-ling delivered in Kosovo. For more in-formation contact us at –

Burim Morina, 0037745516191

[email protected]

� Wanted Fresh Cow andVermicompostI am in urgent need of vermiform postand fresh cow dong. Please contact meas soon as possible at –

Prakash,9841787425

[email protected]

� Wanted HF BullWe are in the lookout for a HF bull agearound 2-3 years for breeding pur-poses. We are located in Mandya nearMysore and would prefer to buy in andaround Bangalore, Mysore and neigh-boring area's. Please contact us withcomplete details at-

Dayanand Gowda,09663327227

[email protected]

� Wanted Seeds of SitaphalWe require sitaphal seeds in hugequantity. People having these seedscan contact us at –

Vidhan Sharma, [email protected]

� Wanted Satawar SeedsWe urgently require satawar seedsin bulk of white and Indian yellowspecies. Interested sellers pleasecontact us at –

Dhananjay Singh09956800888, 09936880000

[email protected]

��Wanted Paddy StrawWe are located at Mandaya,Karnataka. Any dealers who can sup-ply us paddy straw in bulk quantityat regular intervals can reach us at –

Neha [email protected]

9945862500

� Wanted Gerbera and AnthuriumTissue Culture PlantWe are a Pakistani company engagedin Floriculture. We are interested inpurchasing Gerbera and Anthuriumtissue culture plant cultivars andwould appreciate if supply let usknow more details with regard pleasecontact us at –

Malik [email protected]

0923454030043

� Wanted Coir FiberWe need Coir Fibre. Following are therequirements - moisture max -18%,impurity -max-3%, dust -max -3%, fi-ber length - 5 to 25cm, packing -120kgs per bale with plastic strape,quantity - 40 tons, order - weekly.People who can comply with thesedetails can contact us at –

Mahesh [email protected]

04632 232072


Buy & Sell


� Wanted Green VegetablesWe require Green House Cucumberin Delhi on regular basis. We alsorequire cherry tomato and other ex-otic vegetables regularly. If you area grower and can supply good qual-ity vegetables on regular basis thenplease contact us immediately.

[email protected]

09871952587

� Wanted Greenhouse nearBangaloreI need a greenhouse with electricityand water near Bangalore (~50-60KM). If anyone is interested in sell-ing please contact me at –

Punit [email protected]

9663375500

� Wanted Bellary Red OnionWe need bellary red onion size - 60-85mm,weekly - 50 MT. It is an urgentrequirement. Interested sellersplease contact us at –

Mahesh [email protected]

04632 232072

� Wanted Bio-Gas PlantBio-gas plant (food, organic waste)wanted for a farm house(4 persons)in Thirupattur. Pls send cost of plant,installation charges, transportationcharges, etc., We can be reached at –

Murali Manoharan [email protected]

9444211844

��Wanted Pomegranate PlantI need 200 pomegranate plant vari-ety mirdula,bagwa,ganesha andhybirid lemon plant also, am fromerode, please send the price andother details at –

Kathirvel [email protected]

Chennai

�� Wanted to Import Advanced Agri-culture Equipment or TechnologyOur company would like to importadvanced agriculture equipment ortechnology from USA, Canada, Austra-lia or other countries with developedagriculture. The equipment shouldhave not been used in China market,we want to be the sole agent in China,so the company will be welcome to talkwith us. We can be reached at –

Nancy Liu , China,86-10-13269117579

[email protected]

�� Wanted Aloe VeraI need to buy aloe vera, sellers cancontact me with details on price perkg, quantity and other details.

Chandra Kanth , [email protected]

�� Wanted Distributor for NaturalJuicesACI Agro Solution has launched a newrange of the Natural juices. All the newproduct has launched under the Brandname of ACI. Very soon all the prod-ucts will be available on all the lead-ing Ayurveda Medicine shop, Retailchains, Medical Shop, DepartmentalStores, General Stores, health care cen-ters through different marketing chan-nels. All the products are launched incontext to export. There is huge demandof the natural; juices in the foreigncountries but due to quality param-eter they don,t make any visible pres-ence. We are exacting 70 % export oftotal sale volume. The newly launchedproducts are totally new product. Theproducts are 100 % pure 100% organicand 100 % natural. Interested parties/firms/ distributors are invited for thedistributorship. There is very goodbusiness opportunity.

Ganesh [email protected]

+91-141-2339608

�� Wanted Noni SeedsI need fresh good quality NONI seedsabout 20 kgs. Please contact us withcomplete information with respect toprice, quality, delivery and quantity.We can be reached at –

Murugesan [email protected]

04327 259264

�� Wanted Osmanbadi GoatsI am Nikhil from Raigad Dist. & goingto start the stall fed Goat Farm. I re-quired 25+2 Female/male goats ofthe Osmanbadi breed. Suppliers nearPune or Raigad who will be interestedto supply these goats contact –

Nikhil, [email protected]

�� Wanted Guar Seed (Product)We are in Guar (Guargum) Cultiva-tion and Marketing of the Seed. Werequire these seeds in bulk quantity.Those who are in cultivation of thiscrop or planning to cultivate, we re-quest them to contact us at –

Pacific Herbs094228 81280, 097301 [email protected],

[email protected]

�� Wanted Farm Fresh VegetablesWe require vegetables daily 16mt fordomestic market. Any suppliers orcultivation farmer please contact &give your best price.

Annai Suraksha Agro Product96980-76610, [email protected],

[email protected]

�� Wanted Agri LoanWe need refinancing loan of Rs. 20Cr.We are leading exporter having or-der more than 200Cr. We are lookingfor finance partner or Loan up to 20Cr. Kindly contact more details at –

Agri Returns, Sms- [email protected]


Buy & Sell


�� Salvia Sclarea Seeds for saleThe below mentioned seeds andplanting materials are available fordistribution/purchase for Researchinstitutions, universities, associa-tions and NGOs. Best quality.Open-pollinated.Untreated.No GMO's.Salvia officinalis, Salvia sclarea,Saussurea costus, Silybum marinum,Solanum nigrum, Valeriana,Verbascum thapsus, Viola odorata,Origanum vulgare, Nigella sativa,Lupinus polyphyllus, Lyciumbarbarum, Lavandula officinalis,Phytolacca acinosa, Plantago majoretc seeds are available for researchpurpose only. Interested buyers/in-stitutions can contact us at -

Sheikh GULZAAR, Pulwama (J&K)Ph: 9858986794

e-mail: [email protected]

�� Rubber Plantation for saleI am looking for buyers for rubberplantation with yielding trees. Thetrees are ready for immediate sale.For further discussion please emailme at –

Vijay Kumar09313889930

[email protected]

�� Emu Farm for SaleEmu farm is up for sale. The area is 1acre 4 gunta land 33 birds 7 years,70 birds 3 years, 190 chicks 7months,with fencing, 2 generators,3 rooms, price 35 lakhs with hatch-ery machine, near yadagirguttatemple. People interested in the dealcan contact –

[email protected]

+918688310777

�� Areca Leaf Plates for SaleWe have a manufacturing unit insalem to produce Areca Leaf Plates -Disposal plates in round shapewhich is available in 12",10", 8", 6".

It is Bio-degradable & environmentalfriendly natural product. Substitutefor thermocol and plastic plates. Com-pletely eco-friendly chemical free andnon-toxic Natural and attractiveappearence Sturdy and light whichmake it possible to use in buffet par-ties can hold liquids Micro wave oven& refrigeration safe Hygenicallypacked in 25 nos /50 Nos covered withpolythene sheets. STOP polluting earth.Use natural plates and cups made upof Areca leaves and its 100% naturalfriendly and biodegradable. Interestedbuyers can contact us at –

Senthil Kumar9894239614

[email protected]

�� Organic Vegetable for SaleWe are supplying organic vegetablesand food products from our farm land.Quality and price is assured. Al thebuyers interested to make the purchasecan contact us at –

Arun B, [email protected]

�� Alfalfa Seeds for SaleWe are India's One of the Largest Sup-plier of Lucerne Seed(Alfalfa Seed).High Grade & weed free (cuscuta seedFree) is the USP of Our Alfalfa Seed.Kindly Contact us for more details at –

Jaimin [email protected]

09924290884

�� Poultry Feed for SaleWe are Producing Panchakavya anOrganic Feed for Poultry. The great-ness of Panchakavya can be found inmost of our Indian Books. The usageof Panchakavya in Poultry is recom-mended by Tamil Nadu AgricultureUniversity. They have given the de-tailed recommendation regarding theusage of Panchakavya for Poultry,Cattles etc.,. The process time taken byus for producing this is around 52

days.We are producing Panchakavya us-ing only Indian Breed of Cows. OurBreeds are Kangrej, Vechur andOmbalacheri. We are using the saleproceeds towards the developmentof Ghosala and it is not as a busi-ness we are doing this. The purchasealso helps us in running a Ghosala.Panchakavya produced by IndianBreeds are giving better results com-pared to Panchakavya produced byusing Non Indian Breeds of Cow. Thecost of Panchakavya (Concentrated)per litre will be Rs.150/-. For Poultryone ml is recommended per day perchicken.This is as per the guidelines of Agri-culture University of Tamil Nadu. Thegrowth of the Poultry and their eggsize improves when compared toother chemical feeds.

V Sudhindranath,+91 99450 66699

[email protected]

�� Thalassery Goat for SaleWe offer pure breed thalassery, boer,sirohi and other breeds for sale atreasonable price. Interested buyerscan reach us at -

Ragupathy Raguvel9843503143,9047006111

[email protected]

�� Fully Functional Shade House forSaleFully functional ISRALEI importedshade net house 2.5 ACRES with gal-vanized Iron structure, 50,000 growbags with cocopeat and fully auto-mated drip irrigation, sprinkler(spinnet ) foggers systems and 25KVAGenerator less than 50 hours runtime - Excellent for Floriculture &Horticulture. Interested buyers cancontact us at –

Lalit Palaparthy+919885006543

[email protected]


Buy & Sell


��Stevia White Extract for SaleWe are leading technology providerfor the Stevia cultivation and theproduct development In India. Weare doing a lot of efforts towardspopularizing the Stevia in India. Weare providing technology to the smallgrower at a minimal cost who areinterested in Stevia cultivation. Weregularly conducting training sea-son for the Stevia cultivation. Thepopularization of product is veryessential in India to give the buybackand financial benefit to the growers.Currently, we are providing steviabulk white extract product on prod-uct production cost. The person orfirm who are interested in steviamarketing can contact us at –

Ganesh Prajapat+91-141-2339608

[email protected]

�� Liquid Organic Manure for SaleProgro is a liquid organic ALL in ONEproduct, which can be used in alltypes of crop / plant like paddy, veg-etables, mango, tea garden, horticul-ture, medicinal plants, flowers,wheat, betel etc. Progro works in 3ways:1.Substantially increases the cropyield through proper plant nutrition.2.Improves plant immunity againstdiseases.3.Powerful Pest repellentProgro is a natural and easy substi-tute for chemical fertilizers andpesticides.It makes organic farmingeasy and profitable. It helps in re-ducing the cost of cultivation and im-prove the profits. Having receivedseveral requests for providing a trialpack, we have made special arrange-ments to send TRIAL PACK of one litrebottle @ 600/- including couriercharges. For details please write tous at –

Lalit Agrawal, [email protected]

� Grass Cutter/Brush Cutter/PaddyCutter for SaleGrass Cutter/Brush Cutter/Paddy Cut-ters are available in low cost in Andhrapradesh. This Grass Cutting Machineis very use full for dairy forms easycutting system. It is the multipurposeused brush cutter with low mainte-nance, involves only single person toget 10 labor output equivalent work ina day. It can be used for cutting alltypes of crops like paddy and wetcrops with low cost. For more detailscontact –

B.N.Murthy Raju, [email protected]

� Cashews for SaleOrganically grown, good gradecashew nuts offered for sale. Availablein 3 varieties: [1] Natural (raw) [2]Roasted with salt [3] Roasted with salt& spices. Orders can be given at –

Jose Cherian, [email protected]

� Goat Farm Management Softwarefor SaleSuccessful Goat Farming needs com-plete record keeping. To do this in pro-fessional way and for better utiliza-tion of records for improvement of thefarm we need a computerized software.Using Software for Goat Farm Manage-ment * Tracks complete record of allthe events of goats individually, suchas Birth, Death, Crossing, Deworming,Vaccination etc., * Generates essentialreports, monthly/weekly for Troubleshooting and Treatment Planning. *Executes specific tasks as per Reportsfor improvement of the Goat farm. *Shows us exact profit/Loss status ofthe Farm. We provide this software tonew farms and running farms. To knowmore about the software please con-tact us at –

K.Venkatesh 08903471006,09843071006, 04146-230218

[email protected]

�� Anthurium,Carnation and GerberaPlants for SaleWe are taking fresh orders for Anthu-rium, Carnation and Gerbera Plants.All those who are having requirementof these flowers can contact us at –

Anukool Nagi, [email protected]

� Agarwood Saplings for SaleI have 15 Thousand agarwood sap-lings for sale in wholesale price. In-terested buyers can contact me formore information or giving orders at–

Bhaskar Arasinagod, [email protected]

� Plant Growth Promoter for SaleD.I. Grow is a foliar fertilizer withmacronutrients such as Nitrogen,Phosphorous, Potasium and Magne-sium plus micronutrients such asItron, Manganese, Copper, Zinc, Bo-ron, Molybdenum and Humic Acid. Itis safe effective and environmentfriendly. It is formulated from richmacro and micro nutrients, trace nu-trients and humic acid. Helps thegrowth of various vegetables, fruitsand flowers while improving the qual-ity of soil. Available in two varieties.

Vedam Naidu, [email protected]

� Organic Turmeric for SaleWe are cultivating turmeric in ourland. The cost is very nominal and weare providing organic turmeric only,

Gayathri Raghavan, [email protected]

� Livestock Feed for SaleWe sell the best Feed supplement forLivestock. Power milk is a uniqueblend of minerals, vitamins and plantextract, a feed supplement for cow,buffalo, sheep, goat, poultry, dog,horse, pig, fish, rabbit, and mule.

Live Stock Trade, [email protected]


JOBSFarm Manager for Organic certified FarmJob Description : Overall Management of Organiccertified farm including cultivation, soil management,crop management, pre harvesting and post harvestmanagement, records keeping and maintaining theoverall farm in tip top condition.Desired Candidate Profile: Preferably an Ex ser-viceman with overall 5 years exp in organic farm man-agementCompany Profile: Manas Krushi Farm is over 200acres farm growing horticulture crops like Mangoes,Cashewnuts, Son Champa and vegetable crops forsale and is certified organic since 2001-02. For fur-ther info see url: www.manasorganic.org &www.manasorganicfood. ComContact Details: Rajeev AnikhindiEmail: [email protected]: 09223318885 / 022 25333299 / 25333197.

ASSISTANT MANAGER / SR. OFFICER -HORTICULTURE

Job Description : The ideal candidate should be a BSc in Agriculture. Experience more than 4 years, hav-ing worked for large developments and done land-scaping, gardening etc in reputed organizations /projects.Candidate Profile : Education: (UG - B.Sc - Agricul-ture) AND (PG - Any PG Course - Any Specialization,Post Graduation Not Required)Salary: INR 4,00,000 - 8,50,000 P.A Key skills: 5 to 8yrs. of experience in the relevant field Any Graduateor Post Graduate in Agriculture will be preferred.Company Profile : Welspun Corp Ltd.Contact Details Recruiter Name: Dharmesh ShahEmail : [email protected]

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT / AGRI LOANSALES IN NBFC, AGRICULTURE LOANS

Job Description: Candidate should be able to readand speak Marathi language.Responsible for the development and performance ofall loan sanctions disbursements and recovery activi-ties in assigned market. Staffs and directs a salesteam and provides leadership towards the achieve-ment of maximum profitability and growth in line withcompany vision and values. Establishes plans and strat-egies to expand the customer base in the marketingarea• Develops a business plan and sales strategy for themarket that ensures attainment of company salesgoals and profitability.• Prepares action plans by individuals as well as byteam for effective search of sales leads and pros-pects.• Initiates and coordinates development of action plansto penetrate new markets.• Provides timely feedback to senior management re-garding performance.• Maintains accurate records of all pricings, sales, andactivity reports.• Responsible for Recovery from customers• Adheres to all company policies, procedures and

To publish your `job vacancies’ or ‘jobs wanted’ listing email : [email protected]

business ethics codes and ensures that they are com-municated and implemented within the team.• Responsible for all administrative matters at Branch• Interact and liaise with government officials in theagricultural and horticultural department of the Stategovernment• Interact and develop good relationship with localbanks to facilitate opening of farmers’ accounts andtransactions related to recoveryFunctional Area: Sales, Retail, Business DevelopmentRole Category: Senior ManagementRole: Head/ VP/ GM/ National Manager -SalesKey Skills: Business Development, Marketing, AgriLoansDesired Candidate Profile : Education: (UG - B.Sc- Agriculture) AND (PG - MBA/PGDM - Any Specializa-tion, Finance, Marketing) Experience: 15-25 yearsCompany Profile : Sustainable Agro-Commercial Fi-nance Ltd - Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd. (JISL) has amulti product industrial profile aimed at the farmercommunity spread largely in the rural and semi-urbanareas all over India. The major and substantive por-tion of the business relates to Micro Irrigation Sys-tems (MIS) and plastic Pipes. Other business include

Looking for Agri Job in Marketing and Sales inGujarat State

Presently I am working as Executive -Area sales manager withAmul at Indore,MP. I have done MBA(Marketing) from Som LalitInstitute of Management Studies- Ahmedabad, Diploma in In-ternational Marketing from AMA and B.E.(Biotechnology). I amlooking for change in Agri business, Biotechnology and FMCGsales and marketing. I can be reached at –Amitkumar V. BhimaniMb:- +9198798 73712Email: [email protected]

food processing, onion dehydration, tissue culture,solar appliances and a large training centre devotedto farmer training. JISL is the largest company in Asiain the field of drip irrigation and second largest in theworld.During the last 26 years of JISL’s operations and deal-ing closely on a day to day basis with the farmer com-munity, one of the key learning has been the abun-dant scope for extending finance to farmers with aquick turnaround time and without procedural hassles.Consequently, it follows that the small farmer segmentcan achieve much higher productivity and profitabil-ity, if aided with a package of financial services to-gether with products of JISL.In this context, JISL has decided to promote a NBFCwith the overall objective of serving the small farmerand rural constituencies in a comprehensive manner.The proposed NBFC will leverage JISL’s customerknowledge and expertiseThe NBFC has been incorporated in the name of ‘Sus-tainable Agro-commercial Finance Ltd. (SAFL)’. IFCWashington (an arm of the World Bank) will also be ashareholder. Some private commercial banks are alsokeen to take a stake and discussions are ongoing withthem. The NBFC will aim at meeting the financing


JOBS


needs of existing customer base but not limited onlyto purchase of MIS systems and small agri projectfinancing. It will gradually and in a calibrated mannercater to new customers and new geographies. Pres-ently, JISL gives credit to the farmer to the extent ofsubsidy from the Government.Gradually, in a phased manner, as SAFL commencesits operations, it will finance this subsidy portion inrespect of new MIS systems sold by JISL. SAFL willleverage on the existing JISL’s pan India network ofover 3000 Dealers for identifying and originating qual-ity business and also aid in recovery process. Financ-ing farmers who are members of Sugar Factoriesthrough a guarantee mechanism from the Factory,project advisory services, corporate and plantationprojects, farm mechanization, small businesses in ru-ral areas and such others will be additional financingproducts for the NBFC.SAFL will be headquartered in Mumbai and is target-ing at opening 40 offices across Maharashtra in itsfirst year. Gradually, SAFL will open 150 offices all overIndia during next 3 years.Contact Details: Recruiter Name: Ankita AgarwalContact Company: Sustainable Agro-Commercial Fi-nance Ltd Email Address: [email protected]

QC MANAGER - MILK DAIRY INDUSTRYJob Description: Having Experience in ISO /HACCP/GMP/GHP and all other related practices of quality test-ing technologies, especially in any Dairy industry orFMCG.Functional Area: Production, Manufacturing, Main-tenanceRole Category: Production/ Manufacturing/ Mainte-nanceRole: Quality Assurance/ Quality Control ManagerKey Skills: Having Experience in ISO /HACCP / GMP /GHP and all other related practices of quality testingtechnologiesDesired Candidate Profile:Education: (UG - B.Sc - Chemistry, Microbiology) AND(PG - M.Sc - Chemistry, Microbiology) B.Sc/M.SC(Chemistry/ Microboilogy)Experience: 8-15 yearsCompany Profile: Suvera Technologies, a leadingmilk dairy industry.Contact Details: Recruiter Name: Mr.K.Sudheer BabuEmail Address: [email protected]

LAB TECHNICIANJob Description : (Modified Adv No. AAU/FA/ABT/02(3/42)–2011/147-151 dt.13.6.12) No of post: 10Funding Agency: Department of Biotechnology, Govt.of India, New Delhi Name of the Programmes:Bioinput services (Biopesticide), DBT-AAU CentreBioinput services (Biofertilizer), DBT-AAU CentreWALK-IN INTERVIEW: Department of AgriculturalBiotechnology, AAU, Jorhat on 5th July at 10.00 am.For more details: http://www.aau.ac.in/classified/DBT_AAU5.htmlLast Apply Date: 04 Jul 2012Candidate Profile : Salary: Rs 8000.00 (Fixed)Company Profile : Assam Agricultural University inJorhat

Contact Details :Address: Assam Agricultural University, Departmentof Agricultural Biotechnology, Jorhat - 785013Reference Id: http://www.aau.ac.inNote : *Other terms and conditions will be as per theDBT, Govt of India guidelines.* Applicants need to go to the venue mentioned or callon the number provided above.

VP / SVP - RISK ANALYST(AGRI BUSINESS)

Job Description: Responsibilities :*Strong domain knowledge in Agri. Business credit/working capital assessment* Underwriting credits to customers in Food and Agrivalue chain business.* Assessing the credit risk basis geography, commod-ity, security offered, references and financials as wellas facility structure.* A key activity will be to work closely with the Rela-tionship Managers & Agribusiness Managers, whoseportfolios comprise a mix of Commercial andAgribusiness customers, to develop new business andinfluence acceptable risk/reward outcomes* Proactively developing enterprise-wide risk manage-ment strategies and practices for various agri prod-ucts* Solid grounding in risk assessment and managementas well as regulatory experience and industry bestpractices* Understanding on various operational, legal, marketand segmental risk pertaining to agribusinessAssist in formulating and reviewing the Product pro-grams , bench marking with peer banks in the agrilending space.* Conduct process audits and checks to ensure smoothfunctioning of programs. Review and recommend ex-ceptions and deferrals.* Maintenance of portfolio quality through data analy-sis* MIS generation on the portfolio* Delinquency management along with business.Functional Area: Financial Services, Banking, Invest-ments, InsuranceRole Category: Senior ManagementRole: Head/ VP/ GM-Credit RiskKey Skills: working capital assessment, agri risk, agriloans, agricultural loan, agri credit, agri businessDesired Candidate Profile:Education: (UG - Any Graduate - Any Specialization,Graduation Not Required) AND (PG - Any PG Course -Any Specialization, MBA/PGDM - Any Specialization)Experience: 8-15 YearsCompany Profile : YES BANK has been conceived inthe spirit of professional entrepreneurship, with anunstinted commitment to establish a high quality, tech-nology driven, state-of-the-art private Indian Bankcatering to 'Emerging India'. Our commitment extendsfurther, from our customers, investors, stakeholdersand employees to society at large. By focusing onsustainability and corporate social responsibility, weaspire to be a role model institution in ResponsibleBanking.Indeed, at YES BANK, we look to partner the growth of


JOBS


our clients, while they gain from leveraging our finan-cial expertise, thereby enabling us to accomplish ourmission of " Creating and Sharing Value ". At YES BANK,we " Say YES ".Contact Details Recruiter Name: Mr Rajat GroverContact Company: Yes Bank Ltd

GM/AGM–QA -MILK DAIRY INDUSTRYJob Description - QA experience in milk dairy in-dustry preferable, QA experience in milk dairy indus-try preferable, production experience in milk dairy in-dustry preferable.Functional Area: Production, Manufacturing, Mainte-nanceRole Category: Senior ManagementRole: Head/ VP/ GM-Quality Assurance/ Quality Con-trolKey Skills: QA experience in milk dairy industry pref-erableDesired Candidate Profile :Education: (UG - B.Sc - Dairy Technology, B.Tech/B.E.)AND (PG - M.Sc - Dairy Technology) B.E/BSC/MSC-DAIRY TECHANOLOGYExperience: 15-20 YearsCompany Profile : Suvera Technologies, a leadingsouth India milk dairy industry.Contact Details :Recruiter Name: Mr.K.Sudheer BabuEmail Address: [email protected]: 040-64588904

SENIOR MANAGER-NEW PRODUCTDEVELOPMENT, TRACTOR

Job Description:--To look after design, development, endurance parts.--Responsible for all the activites of projects at everylevel.--Serving as acting as project manager.--To develop new product / Process to meet customerrequirement.--Testing of product as per product specification--To improve product / process by new technology -Performance improvement/ Cost reduction.--BenchmarkingIndustry Type: Automobile, Auto Anciliary, Auto Com-ponentsRole: Product Development ManagerFunctional Area: Engineering Design, R&DDesired Candidate Profile:--Candidate should be B.E/B.Tech with atleast 10-12years of relevant experience.--Candidate from tractor industry will be preffered.--Should be well versed with field testingpractices,drawing study and prepare feasibility reports.--Should be well versed with benchmarking of differ-ent products.Education: UG - B.Tech/B.E., Diploma, PG - M.TechExperience: 8 - 12 YearsCompany Profile: : Sonalika is a leading automobilegroup engaged in the manufacturing of Tractors, SUVs,Agricultural machinery, Auto Components, Engines,Forgings, etc.Contact Details: Contact Person: Tina Ugale

Telephone: 91-1882-9855503047Website: http://www.sonalika.com

SR MGR, DIV MGR, AGM (PROCUREMENT)Job Description:1. Plan and arranging the spare parts to meet the an-nual sales target fixed, and ensuring the order fill inas against monthly targets.2. Follow-up with the critical parts suppliers and en-suring the delivery of the same as per the plan, anddeveloping additional or alternate sources for all criti-cal suppliers to bridge the gap to ensure delivery ofparts to meet the targets.3. Ensuring the timely settlement of pricing and up-dating the same in SPA of all new and existing parts toenable accounts team to update and revise the salesprice of the parts.Salary: INR 12,00,000 - 18,00,000 P.AFunctional Area: Supply Chain, Logistics, Purchase, Ma-terialsRole Category: Purchase/ Material ManagementRole: Purchase/ Vendor Development ManagerKey Skills: Spares Procurement, PurchaseDesired Candidate Profile: Education: (UG - B.Tech/B.E. - Any Specialization, Automobile, Mechanical, Pro-duction/Industrial) AND (PG - Any PG Course - AnySpecialization, Post Graduation Not Required)Experience: 15-20 YearsCompany Profile : Tractors and Farm Equipment Lim-ited (TAFE) is a part of the Chennai based Amalgam-ations group , a US$ 1 Billion light engineering groupwith diverse interests in Tractors and their aggregates,Diesel Engine, Automobile Components, EngineeringTools, Paints, Plantations etc. TAFE produces tractorsin the 25 to 90 HP range in a variety of models. TAFEacquired Eicher Tractor business in June 2005 througha wholly owned subsidiary, viz., TAFE Motors and Trac-tors Limited (TMTL).Contact Details : Contact Company: Tractors AndFarm Equipment Limited

REGIONAL HEAD - POULTRYJob Description: - Profit centre head. - Member ofthe top management team, in designing and develop-ing corporate business plan & budgets. - Align the re-gion with the organizational business goals. - Drivesthe organization to achieve regional operational & fi-nancial performance. - Derive the business plan andget it approved from the management. - Organize nec-essary associated inputs & resources for deliveringthe necessary regional output. - To achieve opera-tional and financial performance of all the divisions ofthe region. - Assign the goals, monitor and review theperformance of the personnel working in the region.- To achieve trader, farmer and industry satisfactionthro a survey after identifying the factors that satis-fies them. - Customer handling and customer satis-faction. - Implement the corporate directives.- Ensure compliance of QMS and ISO processes.- Ensure smooth working environment and improvingthe morale of the employee's thro' employee engage-ment survey. - Introducing innovative initiatives inoperations. - Specific assignment on Regional projectimplementation. - Escalate issues to the management


JOBS


which require management attention.Desired Candidate Profile: - Graduate / post gradu-ate in any discipline. - 15 + years of post qualificationexperience of which at least 5+ years as Operations'head / profit center head in a multi location FMCG or-ganization handling perishable / price sensitive prod-ucts. - Should possess experience in managing mul-tiple processes which has sensible value addition tothe end product. - Able to handle high volume trans-actions. - Should possess excellent man managementskills to mentor around 500 employees. - ExcellentCommunication - Excellent Interpersonal relationship- Excellent negotiation skills - Moderate Financial skills- Advanced Human relation skills - Advanced market-ing skills.Company Profile: Suguna Poultry Farm Limited -Over a period of 25 years, Suguna has gone fromstrength to strength and has become a Rs. 4000+ crorecompany that makes it India's No. 1 broiler producer.Along the way, Suguna's pioneering efforts in contractfarming helped create thousands of rural entrepre-neurs who share the growth successfully. 'Poultry In-tegration' introduced and pioneered by Suguna in thecountry has energized the livelihoods of farmers inrural India. Suguna ranks among the top ten poultrycompanies worldwide. With operations in 11 statesacross India, it offers a range of poultry products andservices.Contact Details: Contact Person - K. BhupeshEmail - [email protected] - https://www.sugunapoultry.com

DESIGN LEAD / MANAGER / SR. MANAGER- DESIGN (SOLAR FARM / EPC)

Job Description :*Evaluating design & implementation of Solar System*Drawing, designing, site evaluation, interconnections*Development of infrastructure facilities,prepare,specify, evaluate, the various proposal, basic & de-tailed Engineering, Plant Layouts.Functional Area: Engineering Design, R&DRole Category: Engineering DesignRole: Senior Design EngineerKey Skills: PV solar plant, solar panel, SwitchyardEquipment, HT & LT parcels, , photo voltaic, Solar Sys-tem, DC cabling, Mounting Structures, , solar power,solar energy, renewableDesired Candidate Profile: Education: (UG - B.Tech/B.E. - Any Specialization, Electrical, Mechanical) OR(PG - Post Graduation Not Required) sound knowledgeof one of these-Electrical, Mechanical & Civil*For designing of Electrical & Civil Mounting Structures*Should have adequate knowledge of Solar System,PV panels, SCADA systems, DC Cabling & SwitchyardEquipment, HT & LT parcelsExperience: 5-10 yearsCompany Profile : Waaree Energies: company isinto EPC, PV Module, Pumps, Solar Thermal Businesshaving turnover of 200 crs.Contact Details :Recruiter Name: Urvi MajumderContact Company: Waaree Energies India Pvt LtdEmail Address: [email protected]: https://www.waaree.com

PROJECT MANAGERJob Description: Managerial - Developing projectbaselines; monitoring and controlling projects with re-spect to cost, resource deployment, time over-runsand quality compliance to ensure satisfactory execu-tion of projects. Supervising the construction processfrom the conceptual development stage through finalconstruction, making sure that the project gets doneon time and within budget. Overseeing entire project,scheduling & coordinating all design / construction pro-cesses, including the selection, hiring and oversight ofcontractors. Leading a team of professionals; ensur-ing suitable deployment and timely availability of man-power (designers & engineers). Overseeing the selec-tion of contractors, consultants to complete specificpieces of the project. Developing the Vendor Base tocater New Design , Concept initiated for Cost Optimi-zation of Project to suit the company expansion planTechnical - Evaluating & determining appropriate con-struction delivery systems and the most cost-effectiveplan and schedule for completing the project. Anchor-ing on-site construction activities to ensure comple-tion of project within the time & cost parameters andeffective resource utilisation to maximise the output.Inspecting field sites to observe and evaluate condi-tion and operability of facilities and structures, and tocollect field survey data and measurements. Design-ing and implementing stringent systems and qualityplans / manuals to ensure high quality standards dur-ing all the stages of project. Managing and Sharing ofDesigns, Drawings as per the CCOE Rules. Designingthe Store Concept, External Faade, Fit out, Electrical,RCP Layouts in AutoCAD for Cheil India.Techno-Commercial - Preparing project estimate &tender, finalising contractors, checking the bills withestimated quantities and purchasing the materials forthe site. Managing bidding process from floating of bidsto awarding of contracts; coordinating with bidders withregard to negotiations. Liaising with consultants, con-tractors, sub contractors & external agencies for de-termining technical specifications, approvals and ob-taining statutory clearances.Functional Area: Site Engineering, Project Manage-ment Role Category: Site Engineering Role: Mainte-nance Engineer Key Skills: Civil EngineeringDesired Candidate Profile : Education: (UG - Di-ploma - Any Specialization, Civil) AND (PG - Any PGCourse - Any Specialization, Post Graduation Not Re-quired) Experience: 7-11 YearsCompany Profile : Organic Gardens Private Limited- Organic Garden's Pvt Ltd is India's first chain ofStores offering a range of Certified Organic productswhich includes Oils, Grains, Pulses, Spices, dairy andother farm Fresh produce. All our produce is 100%organic made without the use of any synthetic chemi-cals which are used in fertilizers and pesticides. Cur-rently the company has 12 Stores in Mumbai whichwill expand to 100 Stores all over the country in thenext 12 months.Contact Details :Recruiter Name: Deepa Saini

Contact Company: Organic Garden Private LimitedEmail Address: [email protected]: http://www.organicgarden.co.in


Consultancy ServicesConsultancy ServicesConsultancy ServicesConsultancy ServicesConsultancy Services

WANTED

OFFERED

Wanted Consultants forLivestock Farm

We need consultancy for setting up a full-fledged mixed farm, including moringa,corn, subabul, sheep, country chicken, andfisheries. He should be able to work on planning,implementation and development phases.And he must have experience of handlingbig projects.Experienced consultants of verifiable reputearound Mysore are preferred. We can bereached at –Rehman [email protected]

Wanted Consultants forSetting-up Warehouse

I want to open a warehouse of 5000 MT. Todo so I am looking for a consultant.Please contact at the below given detailswith related information –Rohit [email protected]

Consultancy Services Offered forTeak PlantationConsultancy id offered on the cultivation ofTeak Tree Plantations which is very profit-able & 100% safe business.Plant:1000 saplings (plants)are planted in1 acre. Per plant will give 20 to 30 cu ftwood after 5 years. and will give 60 cu ftafter 12 years.Income: By selling 5oo plants x 20 x =10000 cu ft of teak wood after 5 years -10000 x Rs.300/- =Rs.3000000 and Byselling rest of 5oo plants x 60 x = 30000 cuft x Rs. 500 =Rs.15000000/- after 12years. It is suitable everywhere. For moredetails contact me at –Harjeet Singh Dang (0354) [email protected]

Consultancy Services Offered forJuteBusiness Planning & Development Unit atNIRJAFT is a type of Technology Business In-cubation centre on Jute Technologies. In astep forward to implement this, NIRJAFT hascome out with the idea of incubation in jutesector for entrepreneurs interested to investin this sector.We provide complete consultancy in Jute.All those who seek the guidance in Jute cancontact us at –Dr. Debasis Nag (033) [email protected]

Warehouse EstablishingConsultancyThe objective of rural godown scheme is toprovide the farming community with facili-ties for scientific storage so that wastage andproduce deterioration are avoided and alsoto enable it to meet its credit requirementwithout being compelled to sell the produceat a time when the prices are low (distresssale). You can avail our holistic services forsetting up and operating rural godown.• Assistance for formation of firm• Assistance for obtaining license to operategodown• Architectural layout plan & elevations asper norms• Civil construction cost estimate as per norms• Civil construction guidelines & schedule ineasy language• Assistance for NWRS• Bankable project report• Assistance for bank loan sanction & ap-

proval of subsidyInterested entrepreneurs can write to us withcomplete land detail. We solicit seriousquery. Our contact details are –Das Consultant [email protected]

Banana Cultivation ConsultancyWe offer Tissue Culture High Density BananaCultivation Consultancy at Rs 1000 perproject. Check the handbook and project re-port topics offered by us. We also do on sitevisit and consultancy for Tissue Culture HighDensity Banana Cultivation.Reach us at –P Ponsivaram [email protected]

Jatropha Plantation ConsultancyWe provide complete solution for the Jatro-pha plantation from the supply of the Jatro-pha seed, Jatropha planting material,consultancy for the farm management andthe hundred percent buyback.Please contact us for your complete queryregarding Jatropha and the Jatropha plan-tation at –Ganesh Prajapat [email protected]

Dairy Farm ManagementConsultancyWe are helping dairy farmers come over theproblem of infertility and have good dairymanagement practices. If anyone requiresfurther assistance on this do mail me at –Heramb Gupte [email protected]

Cold Storage ConsultancyI am dealing in cold storage finance, setup,subsidy, etc., in Uttar Pradesh. I am dealingin cold storage since 1999 when CentralGovernment started subsidy through nhb andnabard. Earlier the subsidy was 25% ofproject cost or Rupees. 50.00 lacs which-ever is less. Later it was enhanced to1.20crore. People interested in setting upthe cold storage can contact me atCa Manoj Singh, [email protected]

Labour Recruitment ConsultancyWe are mainly emerging the manpower toAgriculture Sector and we’ve more than 75Labours family from Tamil Nadu.We are specially focusing on1.Agro Farms&Nursery , 2.Landscaping ,3.Floriculture, 4.Mushroom Units,5.Poultry&EMU 6.Dairy, 7.Coffee Plantations,8.Tea Estates, 9.All other Agro Industries andrelated activities .Feel free to contact us at -Sijish Nambiar9003828077 /[email protected] / [email protected]

Jute Business ConsultancyBusiness Planning & Development Unit atNIRJAFT is a type of Technology Business In-cubation centre on Jute Technologies. In astep forward to implement this, NIRJAFT hascome out with the idea of incubation in jutesector for entrepreneurs interested to investin this sector. At present we are offeringproject report on the following technologies:(1) Mechanical Extraction of Bast Fibre(2) Particle Board from Jute Stick(3) Decorative, Fancy and Utility Fabric fromJute(4) Handmade paper from Jute Residue(5) Jute based Composite Products](6) Geo Textiles from Jute(7) Agro Textile from Jute(8) Fibre Testing InstrumentsInterested Entrepreneurs please contact us atDebasis [email protected]


Wanted Land in ChennaiI am looking for about 10 acers within 50km from Chennai on ECR. Please email meall details at –Savera Farms 94450 [email protected],

Wanted Land between Kompallyand MedchalWe require Agricultural Land betweenKompally and Medchal near Hyderabad.Price no bar. Kindly respond as soon aspossible at –Sham Dayal [email protected]

Land near KodaikanalI am looking for land in Tamil Nadu. Myprice range is 20,000 to 50,000 per acre.I require 50 to 100 acres with good watersource, electricity, road access and cleartitle. Ideal if the land is available in Theni,Madhurai, near Kodaikanal etc. The soilshould be red and ideal for cultivation.Please do contact me with details at –Sethunath P [email protected]

Wanted agricultural land in TheniWe require around 50+ acres of agriculturalland in theni, preferably in cumbum valley.Land characteristics are as follows -1. Red Soil2. Suitable for cultivation of banana (G9),horticulture crops, fruits & coconuts3. Availability of reasonable water sourcesin and around the property4. Electric connection would be an addedadvantageThe intention is to build a full-fledgedorganic farm from a scratch, thereforeundeveloped land which meets the abovecriteria are an advantage. Maximum pricewe are ready to pay is INR 60,000 peracre. Please contact us if interested in thedeal –Brijesh Pillai [email protected]

Wanted Agri-Land in Panchgani& MahableshwarI am interested in buying agricultural landin and around the vicinty of Panchgani &Mahableshwar.Dharmu Jashnani [email protected]

Farm LandFarm LandFarm LandFarm LandFarm Land

WANTED

AVAILABLELand in Madhya PradeshWe are into Land Investment business in thestate of Madhya Pradesh. Presently we havebig agricultural Land belts of 100 Acres,500 Acres , 1000 Acres , 2000 Acres andmore in Madhya Pradesh .. Good forplantation and investment purpose. The singleLand belt ranges from Rs. 60,000/Acresand above as per location, soil type etc. Allclear title and arrangements done andchecked with the local authorities. Contactus for more details at –Hiteshwar singh [email protected]

Land in RatnagiriI have few locations for farm land in Ratnagiribelt. The expected price is Rs. 3.00 lac peracre. If Anyone is interested to buy theproposed land then contact me at –Chirag Gajjar 9998732033,9426065076 [email protected]

Land in MunnarWe have 2.25 acres of land available forsale. It also has a cottage which is alsoavailable for sale. The location of site isnear Munnar. For more details contact us at -John Johnson 00353 [email protected]

Land in Nashik1000 acres of agricultural forest land isavailable for sale near Nashik. As of nowevery acre shall be available at the sellingoffice at approximately 2 lacs/acre. As theland is huge it is ideal for Investment, farming,township etc. Please do contact at –Rakesh Aggrawal [email protected]

Agriland for Sale at ZaheerabadAgricultural land 13 Acres suitable foragriculture or industrial purpose is offeredfor sale. It is located in ZaheerabadMuncipality on mumbai highway(adjacent).For more details contact at -Ramakanth Kulkarni [email protected]

Land for Sale at NeyveliI have 21.02 acres land in Neyveli which isup for sale now. This land can use ascommercial / agricultural. It has red soil andwater level is 210 ft. Good road facility isaccessible. If approached from Chennai, itis located at Bye-Pass NH-32/NH-36. Ifanyone interested contact me at –Suresh Kumar [email protected]

Agricultural Land for Sale inTirunelveli1 Acre, 2 Acres, 4 Acres, 6 Acres, 8 Acresand 10 Acres land sales at Sankarankovil(Echanda) –Tamil Nadu. fertile red soil landwith ground water source, sl no plot size totalcost of the plot (Including Registration andPatta change)1. 1 Acres 2.75 Lakhs 2. 2 Acres 5.25 Lakhs3. 4 Acres 10 Lakhs 4. 6 Acres 14.5 Lakhs5. 8 Acres 19 Lakhs 6. 10 Acres 22.5 LakhsThe farm land site measuring 100 Acres andabove is situated just 12 Km away fromSankarankovil. The said Sankarnkovil is only40 KM -away from Tirunelveli and 5 KMfrom NH 209 ( Kollam-Madurai). This site isfull of fertile red soil and sweet ground watersources at depth of 20 ft. This site issurrounded by coconut and banana farms.This farm land is suitable for plantation likefruits, vegetables, flowers. Mango, Coconut, teak etc. Cheap labour is also available inthis area. Above all this site is located in avery peaceful and pollution free area. AllDocuments are ready for registration. ifinterested to buy please contact -Sivakumar+91 94444 [email protected]

Wanted Agriculture Land nearHassanI am looking for farmland @ 1 lakh peracre in the state of Karnataka, preferablynear Hassan, interior not at all a problem asthe sole purpose is to raise silver oaks andteak wood. Initially looking for 30 acresand then to expand gradually. Peopleinterested to sell their property near Hassancan reach us at –Kishaloy Bhowmick [email protected]

Wanted Land in Tamil NaduWe are looking for land purely foragricultural purpose in around delta districtswith following conditions :1.Water availability is very must/goodrainfall/river irrigated land2. Soil very suitable for fertile agriculturemust (rice/manjal/karumbu/vaalai/etc)3. With electricity4.decent access(road/access )5.land budget:2.5 lakhs max/acre upto 30.Interested sellers can contact me at-Agro Users [email protected]


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Agriculture & Industry SuveyCopies available at :

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Established on the 20th of June2002, SDF India deals inagricultural equipment such astractors and diesel engines.The company’s state-of-the-

art manufacturing facilities are located inRanipet. For the smooth operation andmanufacturing of DEUTZ-FAHR tractors,the company employs almost 400 highlyqualified specialists. Globally, the SDFGroup has close to 3000 employees.Keeping an eye on SDF India Ltd is itsManaging Director and CEO, Mr. BhanuSharma. Mr. Bhanu is a proud BusinessTechnology graduate in Agri Engineering andhas also attained an MBA from a top-notchuniversity.With over three decades of experience intractors and agri-mechanization, Mr. Bhanuis more than qualified to oversee theoperations of the company.Products and ServicesKnowing the importance of reliableequipment in the agricultural sector, SDFIndia gives all of their effort to supplycustomers around the world with farmequipment, diesel engines and, their mostpopular product, agricultural tractors.Perhaps the most appealing aspect of SDFIndia’s products, however, is the after salesservices that their clients are entitled to.The company makes sure to keep in touchwith all of their customers as they regularlyhave doorstep customer contacts, localmechanic training seminars and a mobilevan service support group.Mr. Bhanu shared, “Our each and everycustomer is very important to us. Ourendeavor is to be nearest to our farthestcustomer.In order to achieve this goal, we haveestablished an extensive network of dealers,after sales and spare parts outlets and spareparts distributors.” In addition, SDF alsoprovides their clients with two yearswarranty on all purchases as well as sevenfree repairs or checkups on any DEUTZ-FAHR products.

MarketingSeeking to establish the company as a leaderin technology and as a reliable figure in themarket, SDF India has invested time andeffort to establish the company’s productsthrough distribution and BTL activities.Through these efforts alone, the companyhas already successfully secured a double-digit market share in the key applicationsegment. Mr. Bhanu explained, “We are aniche, reliable and technologically advancedplayer in the Indian market and we operatein a market segment as a major contributorof Indian tractors.”DealersPlaying a huge part in the company’smarketing is their dealers. The companycurrently enjoys partnerships with over100 dealers in India, all of which arestrategically located in regions with highmarket potentials. Mr. Bhanu expressed,“We look for business people are ourdistributor partners, [people] whounderstand technology and have a true desireto grow with us.” SDF also provides theirdealers with benefits such as assured long-term business associations, which securesthem a viable part in advanced agri-mechanization market.ChallengesAs with any other company, SDF Indiawas not without its own set of growing

pains when it was first established. Justlike any foreign company entering the Indianmarket, the company had to first deal withdealer viability. Mr. Bhanu explained, “Thechallenges are similar to what any newinternational player faces. Intensity ofchallenges may vary. For example, inmarketing we had a product range in theupper premium segment of the industrywhereas a majority of the Indian marketlies below this segment.”Overcoming the ProblemsThe first step that the company took todeal with its initial challenges, was topromote their products for what they were:high quality agricultural pieces ofequipment. Because of the product rangeand exemplary services offered by thecompany, SDF India soon overcame theirproblems.In fact, SDF India’s shares with the SDFGroup continue to grow and they are nowemerging as an irreplaceable contributor tothe SDF Group’s business. Newequipment has also been slated for releasein the coming years as Mr. Bhanu said, “Weare surely working on new products andproduct ranges, which will be announcedin due course of time.”CompetitorsDue to their huge presence in the Indianmarket, SDF India has been faced withstrong competition from both local andinternational companies, each trying tostake a claim in the agricultural equipmentmarket. To edge out the competition, SDFIndia employs various strategies, all ofwhich are proving to be quite beneficial.The first thing the company did was tostart on a rather aggressive marketingstrategy that revolves around theexpansions of its sales and after salesnetworks. The network expansion wascrucial in widening the company’s reach to

SDF IndiaDeals in agriculturalequipment such astractors and diesel engines.Located in Ranipet, TamilNadu

Special Issue on Farm Equipments

Bhanu Sharma


other potential clients. The second part ofthe company’s strategy was simply to havefaith in the products they offered.“DEUTZ-FAHR tractors offer an excellentcombination of power, performance,reliability and exceptional value for moneyand now the new AGROMAXX Seriestractor launch is very well addressing themajority customer segment in India,” Mr.Bhanu said.Future PlansWith an edge over international and localcompetition as well as a strong two-digitstake in the Indian market, SDF India isnow looking to the future. The companyhas declared that they will now focus onpenetrating deep into the domestic marketfor 2012.When asked about this, Mr. Bhanu said,“We have redefined the markets byanalyzing markets on HP segments and anew network distribution strategy is inplace. Now it will be an alignment of marketdemands and our product offerings on thesame platform.”The company has already set itself a five-year goal to reach to secure SDF India’slongevity. Mr. Bhanu shared, “Our five yearbusiness plan is targeted to acquiring a placeamongst the top players in the Indianmarket, not only numbers but also as asignificant and technologically advancedreliable tractor player.”

Our CorrespondentFor more information,contact :Mr. Bhanu Sharma,Managing Director & CEO, SDF India,SDF INDIA (P) Ltd.72, SIPCOT INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX(PLOT. 72M) RANIPETTAMIL NADU – INDIA 632403Phone: 04172-247156-63Web: www.samedeutz-fahr.comEmail : [email protected]


Swastik Enterprises was established in 2005. The company isengaged in the manufacturing ofdairy equipment, and specializing in milking machines. Swastik

sells its milking systems under the brandname Milkwell. The company was estab-lished by Mr. Ajay Panchal, director, in2004. It is based in Karnal, Haryana.“We are now providing complete milkingsolutions to the dairy owners with varioustypes of automations in milking related ser-vices. We are producing and supplying spe-cialized milking machines, pipe line milkingsystems, milking parlor, dairy shed coolingsystems, and help in identification of ani-mals and stall works,” says Mr. Panchal.He adds, “Today we have four offices inIndia and have presence across India. Wehave our South India office in Hyderabadand distributors across India.”The company has faced a lot of productionproblems initially. “The main challenge facedby us was in marketing,” maintains Mr.Panchal. Further speaking about the initialresearch done by the company, he says, “Wefirst researched the need of industry andthen conducted area-wise research across thecountry to understand specific require-ments.”He avers, “Today the latest technology inmilking systems in India is milking parlorswith electronic services which give data andreports. As far as dairy owners’ benefits areconcerned, the farmer can run his dairy withmore profitability and confidence.”Product RangeThe range of products offered by the com-pany for the dairy industry includes:• Bucket Milking Machine• Goat Milking Machine• Portable & Trolley Milking Machine• Milking Parlors• Pipe Line Milking Systems

• Bulk Milk Coolers• Milk Claw• Milking System Spares• Dung Collector• Animal Ear Tags• Cow MatsProduct SpecialitySpeaking about their product speciality, Mr.Panchal says, “Quality, prompt aftersalesservice, and commitment to our customersmake our products better than the productsof our rivals. “All the products are manu-factured in-house and we follow stringentquality control measures at every stage ofthe production. We have high-tech lab facil-ity,” he adds.Swastik offers a standard range of equip-ment and also customizes the products asper client’s requirements. The products havestrong base in Haryana and Punjab. “Ourmarket share is about 70%,” maintains Mr.Panchal. The company also exports to Eu-rope and Africa.The company is also planning new prod-ucts. “We are developing cow comfortequipment which we will launch soon,” saysMr. Panchal. There are 5 people working inthe company. “We distribute a whole rangeof our products through our distributorswith our technical help,” says Mr. Paschal.Suggesting changes for the growth of theindustry, Mr. Panchal says, “The farmermust be educated for use of equipments.The government should also run educationprogram.” Mr. Panchal is a B.Tech in me-chanical engineering and has 11 years of ex-perience in the industry.

Our CorrespondentFor more information, contact :Mr. Ajay Panchal, Director,Swastik Enterprises, Plot No. 78, Street-3B, R.K. Puram, Kunjpura Road,Karnal - 132001, Haryana, IndiaPhone: 0184-2268326Mobile: 094160 03826/98963 33556Phone: -2273919Email: [email protected] /skype: milkwell Web: www.milkwell.in http://swastikenterp.tradeindia.com

Swastik EnterprisesEngaged in themanufacturing of dairyequipment, andspecializing in milkingmachines.Based in Karnal, Haryana



K rishi Gram Vikas Kendra(KGVK) Agro Limited is aprovider of high quality agricultural equipments such asweeders. Previously known as

Usha Martin Agro Limited, the companywas founded in November 2006. Estab-lished as the corporate social responsibility(CSR) sector of the Usha Martin Groupand founded in 1972, KGVK Agro Ltdworks with farmers and local entrepreneursin the agricultural sector to ensure that farm-ers get good quality farming equipment atlow costs. Mr. Mohit Kumar is the execu-tive director of KGVK Agro Ltd. Thoughhe started his career in the corporate sector,Mr. Mohit gained the opportunity to workwith PRADAN, a non-profit organization.During his 9-year stay at PRADAN, he wasable to complete his MBA from Symbiosis,Pune. It was on deputation from PRADANthat Mr. Mohit joined the KGVK.ProductsKGVK Agro Ltd provides various farmingequipments at affordable prices to the farm-ing community and is confident that theirproducts are at the top of the food chain.Users and experts have deemed thecompany’s products to be quite advancedand preferable over several other leadingmanufacturers. Their most popular prod-uct, by far, is the Krishi Usha Weeder.“We are the largest supplier of the weederin Bihar and Jharkhand. Almost 48,000pieces of the weeder are sold in a season andwe have the capacity to manufacture 1,000weeders in a day,” Mr. Mohit said. KGVKattributes the success of their products to astate of the art system. “A computer based

KGVK AgroProvides agricultural equipments like weeders. Located inRanchi, Jharkhand

CNC machine is used for uniformity andstrict adherence of production specificationand standards,” Mr. Mohit shared. “Thematerial we are using is of international stan-dard. All the manufactured components aremade to undergo special phosphate basedchemical treatments for rust-proofing, anti-corrosive treatment and painting.”Ensuring QualityThe advanced system of production guaran-tees a long lasting and durable product. How-ever, KGVK takes quality testing to a wholenew level in their quest to ensure flawlessproducts. Mr. Mohit detailed, “At the timeof manufacturing the product, the meticu-lous use of gauges at different stages ensuresthat all the components always conform tospecifications that are of superior quality. “Specially designed fixtures are used to makesure that all the separate pieces of a productstay in place before welding begins. Thisresults in accurate and uniform productionof a particular piece of equipment. At thispoint, demonstrators conduct trials. Thequality inspection team of the KGVK certi-fies final judgment on the quality of each

product.Target Customers, Marketingand CompetitionKGVK targets smallholder farmers, suchas small and marginal farmers, as the maincustomer base. In such a young market,KGVK enjoys its status as “the single larg-est organized farm equipment manufactur-ing entity in Eastern India.” Mr. Mohitstates, “We command up to 65% of themarket share of the implements in selectcategories in Jharkhand and Bihar.”Even though the company enjoys a largecommand of the market, competition forKGVK Agro Ltd does exist in the form oflocal fabricators. However, Mr. Mohit ex-presses confidence in the superiority ofKGVK as he said, “In terms of technologyand the quality, our products cannot becompared with theirs. While we are involvedin continuous research and developmentbased on client feedback, as per my knowl-edge, very few of the competitors are en-gaged in research and innovation.”Apart from continuous improvements onproducts, much attention is also paid tomarketing their products properly. Dem-onstration is a big part of the company’smarketing strategies. The company sees thisthrough by visits to farmers during plant-ing season so that farmers become aware ofadvanced and organized agriculture throughthe products. Mr. Mohit said, “Events,demos and workshops are organized onregular intervals. B2B marketing is also amajor source in providing our products abetter edge over others.”ChallengesAccording to Mr. Mohit, “The game hasjust begun.” There are a lot of changes to beexpected in the Indian agri-equipment in-dustry in the next few years, especially witha projected increase of participation insmallholdings by Indian multinationals.Though this change is good for the survivalof the company, there are certainly chal-lenges to be faced by agri-equipment com-panies. For KGVK, financial bidding is oneof them. “At many places we are facingdifficulty in financial bidding. To ensurequality revolution in farm mechanization,technical capacity should be given prefer-ence and more weight. Subsidy for farmequipments should be transferred to thefarmer’s account directly so that they canpurchase the equipment of their choice,”Mr. Mohit explained.SuccessOne of KGVK Agro’s missions is to bringchange to the farmer’s life. It is a broad vi-sion, but the company has successfully setgoals in place so that they keep workingMohit Kumar


Special Issue on Farm Equipmentstowards the completion of their mantra. Tothis date, the company has already success-fully accomplished various goals and reachednew milestones since its founding.“Milestones achieved by KGVK are to beseen more in terms of impact and implica-tion and less by quantitative parameters,”Mr. Mohit said. “We are a household namein the Eastern Indian states of Jharkhand,Bihar and West Bengal. The agri implementsare commercially tested and certified fromthe best institutions (OUAT, Orissa,FMT&TI, Assam).”Additionally, the product line of the com-pany has grown from one, the weeder, tofour different product lines and also newinitiatives for dairy and medical plants. Per-haps the most notable success of the com-pany can be attributed to the weeders. Thecompany has already reached more than150,000 different homes with the weeders.This number is far greater than the six weed-ers sold to one village in 2006.Future PlansMr. Mohit said that KGVK “doesn’t justsell equipments but also invests in thefarmer’s capacity to see and build his fu-ture. For them, our commitment is what-ever it takes.” Hence, it only makes sensefor the company to further pursue the real-ization of their goals and mantras for thefuture. Given the current success of thecompany and with over 350 villages alreadyunder the core area of the KGVK’s area ofoperation, it would seem that the companywill be able to accomplish their goals in theforeseeable future. Mr. Mohit said, “KGVKAgro Ltd is looking forward to change theworld of small and marginal farmers and tomake their remarkable contribution feltacross the globe.”

Our CorrespondentFor more information, contact :Mr. Mohit Kumar,Executive Director, KGVK Agro Ltd.Formerly Usha Martin Agro LtdVillage Garhi, Cheshair Home Road,Bariatu, Ranchi - 834 001, Jharkhand,India Phone: 93347 26481 /06512541693Email: [email protected]

Located in Salem, Tamilnadu,Arjun Agri Industries was established in 1989 and has become a major manufacturer anddistributor of various tarpau-

lins. The company is run by its founder,Mr. R. R. Arjun Mohan, an MBA holderfrom the Madurai Kamaraj University, whohas 22 years of experience in the agricul-tural equipment industry.Products : Arjun Agri Industries carriesvarious types of tarps to suit the needs ofdifferent clients. Some examples of theirproducts include cotton canvas tarpaulins,lightweight polyester and woven cotton tar-paulins, synthetic tarpaulins, HDPE/LDPEtarpaulins. Mr. Arjun said, “HDPE tarpau-lins are the most popular as they are UVinhibited and are made from pure virgin rawmaterials. They also have a wide variety ofapplications.” The company imports theseworld-class tarpaulins, which can be usedfor fish and prawn pond lining, the makingof vermicompost beds and fumigation amongother things.Making the Tarpaulins : To ensurethat each customer gets the exact tarpaulinneeded, the company customizes all of theirproducts. Explaining the raw materials usedfor the tarpaulin making, Mr. Arjun said,“Cotton fabric, which is processed and madewaterproof, can be used in transport ve-hicles.”He continued, “For synthetic tarpaulins, wehave HDPE fabric laminated with LDPEsheets which are used for agricultural pur-poses.” Despite the same raw material be-ing used for all of the tarpaulins the com-pany makes, there are several different rangesand combinations of the raw materials thatcan be employed according to the needs ofthe consumer.Tarpaulin Uses : Rather than usingcoconut leaves for the roof of the poultry

Arjun Agri IndustriesSupplies various types of tarpaulins for agriculture relateduses. Located in Salem, Tamil Nadu

sheds, which will eventually need to be re-placed after three years, using tarpaulin willcreate a dramatic decrease in cost as it islong lasting and weather resistant. Tarpau-lin can also facilitate the maintenance ofbiogas. Mr. Arjun supports the use of biogassaying, “I could supply a biogas plant forRs.7000 which would run for more than 7years with the dung of two cows. From thisyou could get full gas for your entire fam-ily.”Customers : Arjun Agri Industries hasidentified all farmers and large agriculturistsas their target customers. To reach them,the company maintains frequent advertise-ments in newspapers as well as local chan-nels. However, the company has also lookedto exportation to help bring in more rev-enue. Mr. Arjun shared, “People give im-portance to quality and international buy-ers are very quality conscious, preferring tobuy from companies that are reputable andmaintain high quality and service.” Today,the company enjoys a high demand of biogasholders and vermicompost beds from inter-national clients.Future Plans : As an agri equipmentsupplier, the company has certainly had itsfair share of hardships. According to Mr.Arjun, frequent power cuts, dollar fluctua-tions and the shortage of skilled laborers arethe company’s main challenges at the mo-ment. Despite the challenges faced, how-ever, the company still has high hopes fortheir future and growth. “By 2017, we planto make this enterprise into a Rs. 500 crorescompany,” Mr. Arjun concluded hopefully.

Our CorrespondentFor more information, contact :Mr. R. R. Arjun Mohan., M.B.A, C.E.O,Arjun Agri Industries, NO.47, Arjun Tow-ers, Rajaji Road, Salem 636007 TamilnaduPhone: 0427-2417121/9443375577Email: [email protected]

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R. R. Arjun Mohan


Peekay Farm Equipments wasestablished in 1996 by Mr.Pramod Sehgal. The companyoffers a range of farm equipments. It has a distributor net-

work all over India. Peekay has its head of-fice in Delhi, a branch office in Mumbai,and a warehouse in Faridabad. There arearound 40 people working in this company.“We have catered to the domestic marketright from the very grassroot level to theesteemed buyers, re-defining the way bywhich India’s food processing industry hasbeen functioning over the years,” says Ms.Nonita Sehgl, who handles the marketing ofthe company.Challenges FacedSpeaking about the challenges faced by thecompany, Ms. Sehgl says, “Firstly, it takestime to make the end consumer aware ofeach product and the benefit they can de-rive out of them. Secondly, making the prod-uct customized to the Indian environmentis yet another challenge. Thirdly, we have awide range of equipment in the field of agri-culture and gardening like tillers, fogging ma-chines, misting system, gardening tools, andmini tillers."She further says, “The biggest challenge islack of infrastructure and high custom du-ties. Hence it is difficult to bring in new

Peekay FarmEquipmentsSupplies various types ofagriculture equipment.Located in Delhi

food processing technology in thecountry.”Quality Control“We take a lot of care to offer qual-ity products. There might bepeople who feel that our productsare relatively more expensive thanthe local brands. For example ourpest control equipment range isW.H.O certified and our powersprayers are C.E. certified, Alsoour company is ISO 9000:2008certified,” maintains Ms. Nonita.She adds, “We give equal impor-tance to products and services. Wehave a team of well experienced,quality control personnel, and en-gineers who inspect the ordersright from the inception to prod-uct installations, field work, andcustomized services. Over theyears we have gained excellent re-

pute and respect in our field due to our con-sistent quality and services to our custom-ers. Our after-sales service is our uniqueselling proposition.”Energy Efficient DryersWith energy getting more expensive, thecompany has introduced biomass series inits grain dryers. In this equipment insteadof using fossil fuel, one can use agriculturalwaste like husk to run the dryer or even agrain drying centre consisting of series ofdryers. Biomass furnace uses no fuel, butuses rice husk, corn cobs, coconut shell,wood chips or coffee hull as thermal pro-vider. Indirect hot air has no tar and will notcontaminate grains.“First, our rice husk furnace dryer systemannually saves energy that corresponds toabout 74,000 liter diesel (25 harvesting daysfor single-cropping a year). Second, it is themost economic way to dry grain. Impor-tance of drying also comes from the afla-toxin that is produced in the grain due tountimely drying. Grain-dryers solves theproblems of aflatoxin which is a type offungus known to cause cancer in humansand animals developed from wet grain,”maintains Ms. Sehgl.Future PlansIn future the company wants to enter theretail sector. “Also we want to establishcooperative drying centers in the countryto empower the Indian farmer,” says Ms.Sehgl. The company has strong presence inNorth India, Gujarat, Maharashtra andKarnataka. “We plan to target NortheastIndia because that part of the country has alot of scope in the field of agriculture,” sheadds. It faces competition from local manu-facturers. Peekay is also planning to launch

new products. “We plan to enter into thefield of exclusive gardening equipment andgarden décor this year,” she maintains.Online Training CenterThe company has an online training centre.“Internet usage is increasing in the country.Though farmers have less access to it, a largepercentage of our customers are presentonline. So we decided to offer online train-ing to our consumer and distributors ontroubleshooting and other queries. Thisstrengthens our after sale services,” main-tains Ms. Sehgl.Suggesting changes for the growth of theindustry, Ms. Sehgl says, “Firstly, reduc-tion of custom duties will help in growth.For example the custom duty on food pro-cessing machines is about 30%, which is thehighest in the world. It should not be morethan 5%. Secondly, establishment of graindrying centers will help to reduce the wast-age in crop due to lack of storage facilityand untimely rains in the country. If we havecooperative drying centres then the farmerscan come and dry their produce at minimalcost and store their produce for a long pe-riod of time.” Ms. Sehgl has done B.Com

(Hons) and MBA in finance. She also didagriculture input marketing from IIMAhmedabad and a diploma in Chinese lan-guage from Taiwan.“Personally being a woman entrepreneurwas the biggest challenge in the field of agri-culture, like at IIMA I was the first andonly female participant. However, under theable guidance of my father, Mr PramodSehgal, managing director, I have been ableto overcome this challenge successfully,” sheadds.

Our CorrespondentFor more information, contact : Ms.NonitaSehgl, Marketing, Peekay Farm Equipments(I) Pvt Ltd (ISO 9000: 2008 Certified)D-10/2 Okhla Industrial Phase-1New Delhi -110020 Phone : 011-26811996 /26811610 Mobile : 08130671799Website : www.peekayfarmequipments.com

Nonita Sehgl




Duron Energy was set up in2008 within Idealab, an incubator of technology companies based in Pasadena,California. Duron moved its

headquarters to Bangalore, India in 2009.The company supplies solar energy prod-ucts. “About 403 million households in In-dia are without electricity, with the major-ity of them in rural India. As 47% of theIndian rural population has either no elec-tricity or partial electricity, they need alter-nate source of energy. Presently these con-sumers depend on kerosene lamps for light-ing needs. This is harmful for their healthand also not a complete solution for lightingthe home,” says Mr. Vernie Sannoo, vice-president retail sales.He adds, “To cater to the needs of suchconsumers solar home lighting productswere launched. With this children are ableto study, small shops can operate for longertime, and cooking can be done in a saferenvironment. This contributes to increasedincome, upgraded life and it contributes tooverall wellbeing of people.”Challenges faced : The companyfaced challenges in building distribution net-work to reach the villages. Educating peopleabout the benefits of solar energy and pro-viding easy finance options to facilitate pur-chase of products were other challenges thecompany faced.Mr. Sannoo says, “People are used to CFL

Duron EnergySupplies solar energyproducts. Based inBangalore

lighting which consumes 75%more power than LED. We haveto carry demo kits to prove thebrightness of light. But most of theconsumers appreciate the qualityof our LEDs as we offer 5 years ofwarranty. Some LEDs are waterproof and are used extensively byfisherman community while goingto deep sea.”He adds, “The challenge in ruralIndia is affordability. In somestates we have various banking ormicro finance tie-up for providingoptions to purchase products ininstallments. But, still most of thesales take place on cash down.However, our products are reason-ably priced.”Products : Duron offers all-inone portable solar photovoltaic(PV) power systems that provide

solution for home lighting, mobile chargingand a fan. Speaking about the specialty ofthe product, Mr. Sannoo says, “The prod-uct is compact, made of poly carbonate rustproof, shock proof, and easy to clean longlasting casing. It has a battery within thecasing, and plug & play LED power savinglights, fans and a mobile charger. The acces-sories along with panel are shipped to thecustomer in a box, who can assemble themeasily. The products are safe to carry withdry batteries. The lights have 5 years war-ranty and solar panel comes with 10 yearswarranty.” The solar products are chargedwith solar panels. “It has micro controllerbased system, which cuts off the batterycharging once the charge is complete. Thebattery life is 500 charge discharge cycles.Duron has a tie up with leading batterymanufactures where batteries can be pur-chased by rural customers easily. The charg-ing system is reliable and self-regulating,”he maintains. Further speaking about thespecialty of the products, he says, “Ourproducts are durable due to rust proof, shockproof casing.We provide quality LED lights with 5 yearswarranty, and solar panels with 10 yearswarranty. They are also easy to carry andportable in nature. We also provide effec-tive after sales service.” He adds, “We areunique in our approach and product cat-egory. In terms of competition we havemostly unorganized players competing withus.”Marketing Strategy : Regarding theirmarketing strategy, Mr. Sannoo says, “Wehave distributors who are closer to the mar-ket. We are also building service points withthese distributors. We appoint advisors in

rural area, to whom we offer handsome com-missions to promote our products and alsoin turn offer earning opportunity. Productsare available with our dealers. We also havetie ups with some leading organizationsthrough whose distribution network theproducts are distributed. These distributionpoints are supported by our own companyemployees.”He adds, “Our systems are designed to of-fer complete home lighting solutions andthus have 2-3 LED lights; some are accom-panied by torch. Rural consumers have tobe upgraded from that concept to solar lan-tern to home lighting due to which we main-tain a demo-based sales process. But once2-3 lights are installed in a village, we findthat consumers’ demand starts increasing.”Future Plans : Mr. Sannoo is upbeatabout the future of solar energy products.“Solar is the only alternate sources of en-ergy. In India sunlight is available 300 daysin a year. Being renewable energy and cleanenergy, this is the best alternate for our en-ergy needs,” he adds. Speaking about their

achievements, Mr. Sannoo says, “We havelighted over 20,000 households in Indiareaching out to approximately 2500 villages.Our goal is to reach out to 4 lac villages inIndia in the next five years,” adding, “Initialphase was tough when we had to sell 2-3lights in a village. Then onwards people havestarted understanding the benefits. For ex-ample in one village in Jaunpur district ofUP, we have lighted more than 100 houses.”Mr. Sannoo is a science graduate with MDPfrom IIM. He has 22 years of work experi-ence.

Our CorrespondentFor more information, contact :Mr. Vernie Sannoo, Vice-President RetailSales, Duron Energy, 3rd floor, No. 50,Zatakia Center, Above Reliance Footprint100 ft Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore, – 038Tel : +91 80 4347 9393 Mob: 09900064290Email: [email protected]/[email protected]: www.duronenergy.com

Vernie Sannoo



Petkus Germany is a closelyheld company, founded in1852. Mr. Mark Scholze isthe managing director andchairman of Petkus Germany.

Mr. Mark Scholze and Mr. S.K Venkatesanare the directors of Petkus India Pvt Ltd.The company manufactures mechanical seedsorting equipment. It supplies a range ofseed and grain handling, and processing tech-nologies as well as feed plants. The com-pany handles technological development ofcomplete turn-key systems.Petkus India is headquartered in Gurgaon,Haryana. “Petkus was present in India be-fore we started our India operations. Beinga well-known and recognized companyworldwide, we had some existing plant run-

ning in India. Petkus machinery used to beimported by the government sector sincethe eighties,” avers Mr. Vinod Rajput, gen-eral manager sales. “We have a wide rangeof products catering to industries like seed,grain, feed mills, and flour mills, besides oth-ers. We take up complete seed processingplant, silo storage plants, feed mills, flourmills along with silo storage systems. Petkusbecomes involved from preliminary plan-ning and execution until turnkey commis-sioning of the plant. PETKUS trains thetechnicians of the customer in their owntraining centre or directly at the plant.PETKUS offers long term, customer-orien-tated after-sales service,” he adds.The key areas of expertise ofPetkus include: • Corn seed process-ing and drying • Sugar beet seed processing• Fine seed cleaning • Cotton delinting • Seedtreating, coating, pilling • Grain drying, dry-ing and storage • Oil seed storage and pro-

Petkus IndiaManufactures mechanical seed sorting equipment.Headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana

cessing • Mixed feed processing • Pre-mixplantsChallenges : Speaking about the chal-lenges faced by the company, Mr. Rajputsays, “The challenge faced by the companyat the moment is the lack of awareness ofquality products. Many a times people landup comparing high end technology with theone which is outdated or cheap copies ofthe original machines. One of the biggestchallenges that we face is to educate the us-ers about the high end machines and the waythe technology pays in the long run.”Product Specialty : Mr. Rajput main-tains that the company updated its entirerange of machines in 2009. “We are usinglatest technology. We have high precisionpre-cleaners, graders, gravity separators,

seed treaters and other an-cillary equipment to buildmodern seed processingplant. Our range of equip-ment is reliable, rigid, du-rable and user friendly.German engineeringmakes our productunique,” he maintains,adding, “All quality pa-rameters are as per theguidelines of Europeanstandards.”When asked about themost popular productsfrom the Petkus India

stable, Mr. Rajput says, “For grain we havehigh capacity pre-cleaners which can handleup to 150 tons per hour. Add to it the han-dling equipment of the similar / higher ca-pacity. Grain dryers with silo storage sys-tem forms part of all industry catered byPetkus. For seeds we have seed treaters(batch type/ continuous type) as one of theprime products. Similarly with feed and flourwe have some distinct equipments to of-fer.”Market Presence : At present Petkushas the strongest presence in AndhraPradesh in the seeds industry. “Other stateswhere we have our presence are Tamil Nadu,West Bengal, Maharashtra, and UttarPradesh. Some individual machines arepresent in the other agricultural states,”maintains Mr. Rajput.The India unit does not export as yet. “Butwe have customers outside India who areserviced by the Indian team. At present we

have a sales and service team operating fromour Gurgaon office. However, we also takehelp of our other interlinked offices in China,Thailand, Malaysia, Germany, and Austra-lia,” he maintains.Further speaking about competition, Mr.Rajput says, “Our competitors are Cimbria,Buhler, and Fowler Westrup to name a few.”Grain Storage in India : Comment-ing on reports that food worth US$ 12 bil-lion which can feed 80 million people for anentire year is being wasted in India everyyear due to poor grain storage facilities, Mr.Rajput says, “Sometimes back it was theGovernment/ FCI who took decision to cre-ate state of the art grain storage facility forIndia. At that time about 2 lac ton storagewas created in North India with additionalstorages in different parts of the country.That was a good beginning. With a little morefocus on grain storage the government canbring about a vast change to what the worldthinks about our grain management skills.”He adds, “The agricultural industry as suchis facing a big problem as compared to theother industries. It is the unpredictable na-ture of the climate, the policy changes ofthe government that makes or breaks thisindustry. If the crop is good but the indus-try is not allowed to export, the surplusrots on the street.”Speaking about the achievements of Petkus,Mr. Rajput says, “We have to build the seedsindustry so that good seeds are producedby the seeds companies with good seed treat-ment techniques. This will in turn bring goodproduce for the farmers. When the crop isin abundance then we have the processingand storage techniques for the industry andultimately the whole industry benefits.” Mr.Rajput is a graduate engineer with MBA inmarketing.

Our CorrespondentFor more information, contact : Mr. VinodRajput. General Manager Sales, Petkus In-dia Private Limited, 16-17 German Centre,Building 9 B, DLF Cyber City Phase III,Gurgaon, Haryana Phone: 01244635826M: 09811805303 E: [email protected]: www.petkus.de

Vinod Rajput



Lubing Machinenfabrik GmbH &C. KG was established in 1949.The company offers drinking,conveyor and climate controlsystem for livestock. Lubing set

up the India office in 1996. It is headquar-tered in Pune, Maharashtra, with branchoffices at Assand and Namakkal. Lubing Indiacaters to the technological needs of the poul-try industry in all stages of the productioncycle including feeding, drinking, broodingand environment control applications.“The latest technologies offered by Lubinginclude automated egg collection and eggconveyors. They help in reducing manpowerrequirement and fast egg collection,” saysMr. Surinder Gadoo, managing director. Oneof the most popular products of Lubing in

India is their nipple drinking system.“Lubing India has sold more than 20 millionnipples in India,” maintains Mr. Gadoo.Egg Conveyor SystemEgg conveyor systems eliminate intensivelabor, automating the process of egg collec-tion. Speaking about the benefits of egg con-veyor system, Mr. Gadoo says, “As aver-age farm size is increasing in India, the eggconveyor has become a necessity as it notonly saves labor, but also time. The eggs arecollected at egg go-down and these can beeasily distributed from there.”He informs, “We are currently working withRadha Sakku group for 3 million bird projectin Orissa. The equipment has been testedsuccessfully worldwide for last manyyears.”Lubing Top Climate SystemLubing top climate system is a fogging sys-tem which helps in reduction of tempera-ture by way of evaporative cooling. It is

Lubing IndiaOffers drinking, conveyor and climate control system forlivestock. Headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra

also used for increasing humidity if requiredand for disinfecting the poultry houses.“The climate system creates very fine mistas water is pumped through misting nozzlesat 70 bar pressure. The fine mist cools theatmosphere and hence reduces the tempera-ture. The only problem we sometime face isbad quality of water at farms,” says Mr.Gadoo.Drinking SystemsRegarding the speciality of drinking systemsfor birds, Mr. Gadoo says, “These, onceinstalled, do not need replacement for years,thus saving lot of cost for poultry ownersover the years unlike the other locally madesystems.”Customer SatisfactionMr. Gadoo maintains all the product lines

offered are cus-tomized as per therequirement ofeach farmer. “Asthe farm layoutand poultry shedssizes change at thefarm, the productsoffered are cus-tomized,” he says,adding, “As wehave service engi-neers at local level,in case of anyproblem, our engi-neers are at the

site in no time.” The company also pro-vides onsite training for using these poultrysystems to their customers.“To reach to the remotest parts of India wehave 7 sales offices in different states witharound 20 sales people who make farmersunderstand our system in local language be-fore they take a buy call,” says Mr. Gadoo.CompetitionMr. Gadoo maintains that they face compe-tition mainly from international companies.“Our products are superior in quality asthey are manufactured in Germany understringent quality control. Secondly, Lubingis a world leader in all the systems we dealin. Lubing, Germany was established in1949. So we have a vast experience behindus,” he says.Further speaking about new innovations,Mr. Gadoo says, “Recently we have intro-duced new nipple called combi matter andtwin clean line. Both the products were in-

troduced after feedback from farmers acrossthe globe.”Challenges FacedThe main challenge faced by the companywas convincing the poultry farmers to useautomated poultry applications and sys-tems. Mr. Gadoo says, “The challenge wealways face is price comparison with cheapmanufacturers.” He further adds, “Thetoughest part was the period when bird fluwas declared in India for the first time. Thetimes were tougher for farmers but still weasked our sales people to be in touch withour customers.”Future PlansThe company plans to popularize the useof conveyor system and fast introductionof innovation done in Germany in future.“We feel that now India is ready for auto-mations at all levels,” adds Mr. Gadoo.Mr. Gadoo is a computer graduate and anMBA in finance. There are around 75 peopleworking in the company. “At productionand installation level, we hire engineers. Atsales level, we hire people with relevantqualification,” he informs.Suggesting changes for the growth of theindustry, Mr. Gadoo says, “As such thereis no government support for export of poul-try products. An increase in export will helpthe industry to grow faster. Governmentshould encourage farmers for further pro-cessing of poultry product and the sameshould be exported. We should learn fromBrazil.”

Our CorrespondentFor more information, contact :Mr. Surinder Gadoo, Managing Director.Lubing India Pvt Ltd. Sr. No. 271/P/B,Ingawale Patil Estate, Bhugaon, ViaPirangut, Paud Raod, Tal. Mulshi, Dist.Pune – 411 042. Maharashtra, INDIAPhone: 020 - 22952403/04/05Mobile: 09890996030Email: [email protected] /[email protected] /[email protected]: www.lubingindia.com

Surinder Gadoo



Shanghai Domiya Power Equipment Co., Ltd. was founded byMr. Aimin Wang in 2003. Thecompany is based in FengxianDistrict, Shanghai, China. It has

one manufacturing factory and two interna-tional trade departments. It is an export ori-ented manufacturing company specializingin small generator sets from 1KVA to 8KVA,water pumps, and pressure washers.The company sells its products under thebrand name Domiya. “It has been a famoustrademark in the market, and won lots ofpublic praises,” says Mr. Edgar Gu, over-seas marketing manager. The range of prod-ucts offered by the company includes gen-erator sets, dual-use generator, gasoline wa-ter pump, pressure washer, and gasolinepower engine. Mr. Gu maintains that theinitial challenges faced by the company wasthe cost of manufacturing and marketing,and the market slowdown caused by theglobal financial crisis.Distribution NetworkShanghai Domiya has a wide dealer networkin the domestic market as well as interna-tional capital cities. “In China, we havemany sales agents all over the country. Andoutside China, we are enlarging overseasmarket on internet and through fairs,” saysMr. Gu.ExportsThe company sells almost 50% of its prod-ucts in the domestic market of China andthe other half is sold in the overseas mar-kets. “Our equipment are priced in the me-dium to high range,” says Mr. Gu. The com-pany exports to overseas markets like South-east Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe andNorth America. “Our biggest customer isfrom Indonesia,” he maintains. In the inter-

Shanghai Domiya Power EquipmentSpecializing in small generator sets from 1KVA to 8KVA,water pumps, and pressure washers. Based in FengxianDistrict, Shanghai, China

national market Shanghai Domiya has strongpresence in Indonesia and Vietnam. “Wereach out to our target customers by internetand friends introduction and also throughfairs,” informs Mr. Gu.He adds, “We also have a large number ofagents in Nigeria. Our products are mainlyexported to developing countries. Not somany products were exported to USA andEurope. We want to enlarge our market inSouth America.” In the overseas market Mr.Gu maintains Southeast Asia is the easiestto deal with in terms of copyright issues,exports procedures, and delivery system,while America and Europe are most diffi-cult markets.CertificationThe company has ISO 9001 certification ofinternational quality system. “We can offerall products the certificate CE, some attestedby EU, EPA and CARB. With a solid tech-nological team, we provide top-quality prod-ucts,” says Mr. Gu.CompetitionRegarding competition, Mr. Gu says, “Wehave too many competitors in China. Theirproducts are also exported to other coun-

tries. Outside China also there are too manysuppliers.”Product SpecialityThe products are available for both homeusage and industrial usage. In the field ofagriculture, the generators are used to oper-ate pumps and for irrigation. “We have highquality products and wonderful after salesservice.We can supply 100% spare parts for ourcustomers,” maintains Mr. Gu regarding theirproduct speciality. He adds, “Our special-ity lies in our generator and outlook shapedesign.”India MarketThe company also has presence in India.“Our sales volume in India is not large. Wedo not have any sales agents in India butreach out to customers through internet andfair,” says Mr. Gu. He believes that Indianmarket has good future potential. It is intro-ducing new products like DC arc weldinggenerators and high pressure washers andpumps in the Indian market and also otheroverseas market.Future PlansSpeaking about the company’s goals andobjectives, Mr. Gu says, “We want to en-large the marketing sales, to be one of themost successful generator supplier. Our nextfive year plan is to hit the goal of 300 mil-lion RMB sales volume. Our present an-nual turnover is 100 million RMB.”The company has more than 100 employ-ees. Mr. Gu has a bachelor’s degree in inter-national trade and 2 years of trading experi-ence.

Our CorrespondentFor more information, contact :http://sh-dongming.en.alibaba.com/

Agriculture &Industry Suvey

Copies available at :Patna :

Mr.Ajay DhubeyTel : 0-9470610429

Khanpur :Vidhi News AgencyTel : 0-9998361692

Ahmedabad :Mr.Pinesh Tel : 0-9727525414

Mumbai :Dasarath Patankar Tel : 0-22814789

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Tel : 0771-225851


L emken India Agro EquipmentPvt. Ltd. is a 100% subsidiaryof Lemken Gmbh, Germany, incorporated in 2010. It enteredthe Indian market in 1999

through joint venture with one of the Indianpartners. In 2009 Lemken established itsfirst in-house production plant in India. Thecompany manufactures machinery for soilcultivation, sowing and plant protection.Lemken India is headquartered in Nagpur,Maharashtra. “Lemken Gmbh & Co. KG.have been in business since last 230 years.The company is a leader in Europe in agroequipments. The company specializes inpre-harvesting agro equipments which aremade of the latest technology,” maintainsMr. Arvind Kumar, CEO and MD.Product Specialty : Speaking aboutthe specialty of the products offered byLemken, Mr. Arvind says, “Some of thebenefits include high precision in tillage,easy adjustments of implements for betterresults, suitability to various land condi-tions, long implement life, low maintenancecosts, and more work in less time. All thesecontribute to the successful harvest of ourcustomer’s crop and helping him increasehis income.”Lemken also offers customized products.“Customization can be made possible basedon tractor size, soil conditions, implementdesign, the crop to be cultivated, techno-logical requirements and precision of culti-vation, all contributing to the successful har-vest for the farmer. It usually takes 2-12weeks depending on the level ofcustomization required,” says Mr. Arvind.The hydraulic reversible ploughs introducedby Lemken in the Indian market is a popu-lar product in that segment. “When Indianfarmers think about purchasing hydraulic

Lemken India Agro EquipmentManufactures machinery for soil cultivation, sowing andplant protection. Headquartered in Nagpur, Maharashtra

reversible plough the first choice is Lemken,”he maintains.The mould board plough offered by Lemkenis used to uproot the residues and turn thesoil which results to increase the porositylevel in the field for better retention of wa-ter. “Lemken ploughs have been successfulwith all Indian crops,” says Mr. Arvind.Market Share : When asked about theirmarket share, Mr. Arvind says, “Lemkenstarted its operations in India by marketingits products in Maharashtra and northKarnataka. Technologically wise Lemkendoes not have any competitor in India. Themarket segments for our ploughs are differ-ent than the Indian manufacturers. We are inthe process of expanding our network in allover India as well as for export.”Production and Marketing Chal-lenges : Mr. Arvind says, “The mainchallenges faced by the company are avail-ability of the raw material; skilled labour;and selling technology to Indian farmers asthe initial cost of acquiring is expensivethough ownership cost is much more ben-eficial.”He adds, “The Indian farmers are not wellaware about the technological productsavailable worldwide. They only depend onthe local manufacturers in their area, whichresults in high maintenance cost and morefuel consumption rather than the advancedtechnological products. So we think Lemkencan bring the evolution in the agriculturefields by providing the latest technologicalproducts to the farmers for better yield pro-duction.”The total strength of Lemken India is 20.“Our employee is expected to grow to 55 incoming months,” says Mr. Arvind.Challenges Faced by FarmingCommunity : Speaking about the chal-

lenges faced by the farming community In-dia, Mr. Arvind points out, “The agricul-ture industry faces a lot of challenges, whichstifle its growth in matters from seed, wa-ter, labour and finance sourcing to post har-vest crop storage and consistent crop pro-curement prices. Every step contributes tothe escalating issue of the farmer not beingable to earn to his and the farm’s full poten-tial.”He adds, “The agriculture implement sectoris unorganized which needs to be organized.There are so many local players in Indiawhich are not in the record yet. If anybodyis having 2-3 machines he started his ownproduction without any technology involve-ment. So we think farmers need to changetheir perceptions about the local manufac-turers and should go for the technologicalproducts as the farmers are using in othercountries. That’s the reason why the yield/hectare of other countries is better than In-dia.”Quality Assurance : Assuring supe-rior quality products, Mr. Arvind maintains,“Lemken implements goes through rigorousquality checks starting from the raw mate-rial used, processes involved in manufac-ture and final calibration of the implementfor best results.”He adds, “Quality being a major driver ofour entire business operation, we ensure thatwe conform to highest standards of interna-tional quality in all our product offerings.We ensure the quality of the products byusing advanced technological machineries inour production process. Careful and strictquality control, throughout from thegrassroots level (raw material) to finishedmachines, to ensure technically perfect ma-chines for the end user. We use the specialsteel with heat treatment and hardened,which is exclusively developed for Lemkenand this result in a particularly high wearresistance of our components, so that youwon’t have to replace them so often as otherlocal parts. Lemken parts have extraordi-nary fitting accuracy and simple, efficientand safe installation.”He further adds, “Lemken products focuson increasing the farmer’s income by pro-viding technologically-advanced productsthat reduce the farmer’s cultivation time andlabour expenses compared to other Indianmanufactured ploughs.”

Our CorrespondentFor more information, contact : Mr. ArvindKumar, CEO & MD. LEMKEN India AgroEquipment Pvt. Ltd. D59 MIDC,Butibori,Nagpur, Maharashtra, India 441108 E :[email protected] W: www.lemken.comContact number - Nilesh Waghode, Man-ager - Sales Cell: - +91-95451 92229E-mail: - [email protected]

ArvindKumar



Is Emu Farming a real business or a scam?A recent article titled “Investment scam: Cases of circular trading of Aussie bird emusrising in Tamil Nadu” published in ET, has equated emu farming to ponzi schemes.

We talked with members of Agricultureinformation.com website to find out more abouttheir feedback on emu farming. Here is a detailed report!

The Report

In Tamil Nadu, a highly literate andindustrialised state with a propensityto fall for ponzi schemes, one moreinvestment scam seems to be brewing. This time it centres around the

emu, a large, flightless bird native to Austra-lia and reputed to have as many uses as thewonder drug aspirin.Across the southern state, indications arethat there is a steady build-up of what isessentially circular trading of emus, some-thing that is usually a precursor to an even-tual collapse. Advertisements on television,Internet and pamphlets are touting the birdas the ultimate in investment.Across Tamil Nadu indications are that thereis a steady build-up of what is essentiallycircular trading of emus, something that isusually a precursor to an eventual collapse.Advertisements on television, internet andpamphlets are touting the bird as the ulti-mate in investment.Among those who fell for the spiel is Arjun,a 30-year-old software engineer fromChennai who bought 10 pairs of chicks in-vesting Rs 2 lakh. He got his money back intwo years, but now says there is somethingfishy about the whole scheme. “If everyoneis selling the bird not to the end consumerbut to people who are getting into farming,it doesn’t sound good,” he says.Investment schemes for emus look remark-ably similar to the ponzi rackets that haveoperated in the past. For an initial invest-ment of, say, Rs 2 lakh for 20 pairs of chicks,an investor is promised total income of Rs6.5 lakh in five years-essentially a tripleyour-money scheme. All an inve stor is sup-

posed to do is return the 20 pairs to thecompany promoting the scheme every yearand take a new set.Emu farming is supposed to have debutedin India in the mid-1990s after emu slaugh-

tering was banned in its home in Australia.Now, those in the business say there are3,000 farms in the country, largely in TamilNadu, Punjab, Maharashtra, Kerala and

Gujarat. It is in the past two years that thehype has grown. A farm owner near the hillstation of Kodaikanal boasted that he hassold over 1.5 lakh emus so far. No orderbelow 25 pairs of chicks is worth his whileand payment has to be upfront.

Doubts over Mkt’s Existence

Among those contributing to the buzz isSusi Emu Farms in Perundurai, near

Erode, which calls itself one of the largestemu farms in India. Its sales pitch is that “itfulfills dreams of people who are in searchof projects providing quick profits on in-vestments in this competitive world”.For Senthil, who relishes quick profits, emusare just what he was looking for. Recently,he paid Rs 1.2 lakh for five pairs of chicksfrom a farm just outside Chennai. In twoyears, he believes, each emu will be worthRs 45,000.Emus can grow to be as tall as humans andweigh up to 60 kg. Related to ostriches, theycan live for 40 years and are fertile for halfthat period. Those peddling emus say it is agolden goose-its meat, eggs, feathers, toe-nails, skin and even oil are all valuable.While software engineers and farmers alikeare being lured to emu schemes, they are notasking if there is a real market for emu prod-ucts. Such concerns have arisen once in awhile but formal complaints have not beenmade. VK Shanmugam, the collector ofErode district, says the emu business is amatter of “serious concern” but since thereare no complaints, no action can be taken.Shanmugam says he is also intrigued by thefact that he doesn’t see any of the birdsthough people seem to be investing in them.

Emu Farming

Emu Farming, aEmu Farming, aEmu Farming, aEmu Farming, aEmu Farming, a

profitable businessprofitable businessprofitable businessprofitable businessprofitable businessWith promised returns from

emu farming, more and more

people are joining the fray. We

talk with emu farmers in India

to find out whether emu

farming is a proven profitable

business opportunity.


“I hear that people are depositing moneybut are not able to get receipts for that,” hesays. The administration recently had ameeting with top police officials about theemu problem. Tamil Nadu has a rich his-tory of ponzi schemes. Among the morenotable ones is the collapse in 1998 of theAnubhav group which duped investors whoput money in a teak plantation scheme ofaround Rs 400 crore. Last year, a PTI re-port said the Maharashtra government or-dered a CID inquiry into a likely Rs 200-crore emu farming scam in Nashik district.The controversial scheme, run by a privatecompany, involved a promise to triple in-vestment in 45 days. Farm owners in TamilNadu estimate the number of emus in thestate at around five lakh, or one bird forevery 130 people in Tamil Nadu. Scepticssuch as Shanmugam, however, don’t buythat number.V Rajapandi, the general secretary of theTamil Nadu Emu Association, said to beregistered under the Societies Act and hav-ing 300 members, defends his business.He says emu farming is a genuine business“if you do it in the right manner.” “It has ahuge market. Just because a handful ofpeople say so, you cannot say the businessis a ponzi scheme,” he adds.Mr. Vidyasankar. N of Abhivirthi Emu Firmsays, “The information in the article is to-tally vague. It deals with outlook of an indi-vidual and not on economic prospects ofthe industry. Why don’t the one person whopublished the details discuss the real eco-nomic importance and the value hidden inthe industry. Why no information was pro-cured from the experts in the industry whowere appointed by the government to guidethe people.”Mr. Aarvind Shetty of ARK Farms says,“We had started emu farming 5 years backwith 30 emu chicks. Though I recoveredmy investment over the years by sellingemu eggs and chicks, I am still searching forthe real market for emu i.e. meat, feathers,

skin, and oil. People in AP are putting theirhope on processing of emu meat but themarket in India for emu meat is not large.People who were earlier into emu farmingmade money through selling of chicks tofarmers who wanted to start emu farm. Itwent on like a networking business. But thereal question in every emu farmers mind is,Where is the market? Where do I sell it? Iwould like government to intervene and helpemu farmers find the market in India/abroadby exports and protect many marginal emufarmers who have invested lakhs of rupees

into it.” Member Bharat says, “Businesssuch as poultry, dairy, goat raring often suf-fer due to various reason such as spread ofinfectious and contagious diseases whichresults in sudden fall in production. Emu isnormally safe from all these adversities;hence Emu farming is recommended all overthe world these days.In the first place this is a very fast growingbusiness in the USA and now in India witha very high percentage of profit on invest-ment. Emu can live in any kind of environ-ment and adversities. This is a non-aggres-

Agritalk - Emu Farming

Haryana Emu FarmsBased in Jagadhri, Haryana. There are 7 people working in the company, who were

trained in-house. The client base of the company comprises poultry farmers

Haryana Emu Farms is based in Jagadhri, Haryana. The company was set up by Mr. InderPal Singh. He did a lot of research on emu farming by visiting various farms in different

areas. They also went through the required training for choosingand rearing the genetically strong emu birds. There are 7 peopleworking in the company, who were trained in-house. The clientbase of the company comprises poultry farmers. “To reach thedesired set of customers, we try to participate in events andexhibitions. We have our own website, where anyone can reachout to us and put in their enquiries. We reply to them by tele-phonically or by sending related e-mails,” says Mr. Singh.The company is mainly targeting emu chicks, emu birds, emu meatand emu eggs. “There is a huge demand for emu chicks in thenorth. The company is focusing on emu meat market and we arevery confident about the same in the region as the demand forred meat is huge up here,” says Mr. Singh. He maintains that though emu is disease resistant,it requires care and effective sanitization. “Water is not a big problem in our region. We get24 hours water supply from the bore well. To store the water, we have special arrangementsof plastic tanks in our farm and we do sanitize the same by adding chlorine or bleachingpowder in it,” informs Mr. Singh. In future the company is targeting the Indian Army where alot of red meat is consumed daily. “We believe, if only defense forces start consuming emumeat, it will be a huge success for emu industry. This would be even better for the defense tostart emu meat for its great properties: 98% fat free, and enriched with high protein redmeat. As soon as the big numbers of emu birds are being slaughtered for meat purpose, thenwe will think of marketing emu oil,” says Mr. Singh.Mr. Singh is a commerce graduate from Kurukshetra University and has been into sales andmarketing since 1998. His family has been into poultry farming for three generations.For more information, contact : Mr.Inder Pal Singh/ Gagandeep Singh, Haryana Emu FarmsPaonta Sahib Road, Jagadhri, Yamuna Nagar, Email - [email protected] Tel : 89505-00078 / 99967-00023

Inder Pal Singh


sive bird so it is easy to look after. The birdsdo not need special structures for their stayneither do they need large chunk of land. Inone acre of area 100 to 150 emu can bequickly covered. It’s an ecofriendly andhighly effective business.”Mr. Nakkala Laxma Reddy, managing direc-tor, Golden Emu Farms, Hyderabad, says,“Due to growing awareness about the ben-efits of eating emu meat, which is healthy,its demand is increasing. Also, with the in-creasing acceptability of alternate medicine,emu oil (removed from the fat depositedbelow the surface of the skin) containingthe pain-relieving oleic acid, and believed tobe good for arthritis, has huge commercialpotential. Emus can grow to be as tall ashumans and weigh up to 60 kg. Related toostriches, they can live for 40 years and arefertile for half that period.”He adds, “Emu is a golden goose-its meat,eggs, skin and even oil are all valuable. Emumeat is 98% fat free red meat rich in proteinand iron, yet low in cholesterol. The fat is43% monounsaturated, which helps lowerthe ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol in the humanbody. Emu oil finds application in differentindustries and the resulting properties ofcompounds formulated with the oil. Tradi-tionally emu oil has been used for treatmentof muscle and joint pains, and also using incosmetic products. Emu skin has been usedin all leather products. Emu skin is very

soft and smooth, hence it has a great de-mand in international leather industry forproducing new fashionable goods. A varietyof goods can be produced from emu-skin.Emu farming is fast growing because of itsuses. And it also gives good profit for thebusiness. Emu farming is a big venture witha huge growth potential.”

Early Adopters

Mr. Ganesh Prajapat, executive director, ACI Agro Solution, says, “People

rush towards every new venture. The crowdof investors comes and they quickly give astamp of failure or success. These are earlyadopters.These people flock to a venture seeing theprofit. In agriculture a lot of hidden costs

are involved. In agriculture complete suc-cess means 100% success and even 1% fail-ure is complete failure. These types ofpeople fail and stamp the entire venture asfailure instead of questioning their activityor attention. So don’t pay attention to thecomments of these people.“Secondly a crowd of service provider orconsultant comes and they loot the moneyand stamp the venture as loss making. Thesepeople have zero knowledge, cheat inves-tors of money by promising future profits.Eventually the investors run into loss. Thesepeople are very problematic for the agricul-ture extension point of view. These peopleblock the way of the right technology, rightextension workers and the right subject mat-ter specialists.“Beware of these types of the people. Al-ways check the education and experience ofyour service provider. Always keep yourcontact with the real buyer or actual buyerof your product instead of commission agentor middle man. Before going for any venturecheck the opportunity cost of the existingventure,” he warns.

Other Reports

Mr. Prajapat quotes a news article inThe Times of India, which says,

“Thousands of farmers, lured by privatefirms, have been queuing up to invest inemu farms in Salem and Erode in the hope


Golden Emu Farms was set up in 1998. Itis based in Kuknoorpally village in

Medak district, Andhra Pradesh and has itshead office in Hyderabad. The company wasfounded by Mr. Nakkala Laxma Reddy, Mr.Bommena Bhoopathi Rao, Mr. Md. MuzaffarAli, and Mr. Md. Usman. The annual turnoverof the company was Rs. 3 crores.The main problem faced by the companywas finding veterinary doctors specializingin emus. “The main issue at that time was legbending in emus,” says Mr. Reddy, managingdirector.There are 40 employees working in the com-pany. “We trained some of our staff at ANGRAgricultural University of Hyderabad poul-

Golden Emu FarmsBased in Kuknoorpally village in Medak district, Andhra Pradesh. The annualturnover of the company was Rs. 3 crores

try division which has a research farm of gov-ernment of Andhra Pradesh,” informs Mr.Reddy.Target CustomersThe company mainly targets meat customerslike restaurants, caterers, and metro Cash andCarry Hyderabad, India.The products most in demand are emu meatand emu oil. “Presently we are selling around200 kgs emu meat daily under the brandname Golden EMU in Andhra Pradesh andnearly 1200 liters of emu oil every month inBangalore. We are having our own brandunder the name of Golden EMU Oil. We sellpure EMU oil in 50 ml. bottles. We are sell-ing the oil through local rural medical practi-tioners (R.M.P) in Andhra Pradesh,” says Mr.Reddy.Maintenance of BirdsThe major challenges faced by the companyis chicks production and survivability; reduc-ing the feed cost; and marketing of meat andoil. Though emus are disease resistant, they

need a lot of care when they are chicks. “Sani-tization is recommended in only the farmswho are maintaining the hatchery units withinthe farm to prevent the diseases carryingfrom outside and to secure the delicate chicksfrom day old to about 2 months age fromdiseases,” says Mr. Reddy.The company maintains 200 birds in everypen. “For these birds we need about 600 to800 liters of water. We have constructed amini ground level water tank of 1000 literscapacity in each pen. We have put a waterpurifier at the bore well itself to purify thewater,” says Mr. Reddy.

Our CorrespondentFor more information, contact : Mr. NakkalaLaxma Reddy, Managing Director, Golden EmuFarms, Head Office: Flat No. 501, Sai SatyaResidency, Alwal, Hyderabad - 500 010.Telephone : 98492 00209http://www.goldenemufarms.com/[email protected] /[email protected]

Nakkala Laxma Reddy


of making a quick buck, investing life sav-ings or borrowing money to start a busi-ness. But the first signs of a bubble burstwere evident at a grievance redressal meet-ing held in the city on Friday, when farmerscomplained they were suffering losses andwere being cheated.Mr. Prjapat quotes another article titled“Senior cop advices caution against invest-ing in emu business.” The article says, Po-lice have warned the public not to be takenin by advertisements that make tall claimsregarding emu farming in the region. “Inves-tors should be cautious before entering intoemu rearing business. They should not bemisguided by advertisement campaign,” saidAsra Garg, superintendent of police,Tirupur, on Tuesday.

Low Infrastructure Cost

Mr. Reddy of Golden Emu Farms however says, “Those interested in in-

vesting in livestock farming are choosing emufarming as the best option because it doesnot require infrastructure like sheds and all.Just plain land with fencing is enough. Busi-nesses such as poultry, dairy, sheep or goatrearing or animal husbandry often suffer dueto various factors such as eruption andspread of infectious and contagious diseases,resulting in sudden fall in production, cli-matic charges, excessive heat and scarcityof water. Emu is naturally immune to allthese adversities hence emu farming is pre-ferred all over the world today. Emu farm-ing as a supplement to agriculture is goingto be the most profitable business in thenear future. Emu is a sober bird, living ongrains, cereals, pulses and grass, its immunesystem is so strong that it hardly suffersfrom any disease. It survives in any type ofclimate. Each and every part of emu’s bodyis commercially valuable. Hence in India,emu farming is taking its roots.”

Process to be followed

Mr. Prajapat also says. “In agriculturethere is no guarantee of profit. Any-

thing can happen.Before going for any new venture one mustresearch well and hire a consultant. The roleof consultant should not be that of a deci-

sion maker. His role must be of an informa-tion provider. Never hand over the task tohim. Always complete the task yourself.One can follow the following process be-fore going into any agriculture venture:1. Can you dedicate you time to the ventureas desired.2. First study the detail about the cultiva-tion or farming process. Find if there is anydifference between the natural habitat andyour proposed condition.3. Then study the uses of the particular com-modity and find out if such type of the in-dustry, product in available freely in themarket.4. Try to find out if from where they sourcethe material what are their requirement. Canyou produce as per their quality specifica-tion?


EMU India Agro Pvt Ltd was established in2007 in Mumbai. Mr. K. Suresh Kumar is

the managing director of the company.The company started with 25 pairs of emubirds in 1 farm. Right now it has grown into12 hatchery centres with production of morethan 40000 chicks per year with more than100 farmers.Speaking about pros and cos of emu farm-ing, Mr. Suresh says, “This is a new businesswith good profit and export opportunity. Thedisadvantage is the awareness of emu farm-ing and emu products in India which helpssome bogus companies give bogus promisesto the farmers with extraordinary profit whichis impossible in any business. We requestfarmers to check the background, marketingcapacity, and genuineness of the company inwhich they are investing.”Emu India’s target customers are farmers whoare interested in emu farming. “We alreadyhelp hundreds of farmers to setup emu farmin different states of India. We have openedour branch in 8 states to give all servicesregarding emu farming to these farmers,” saysMr. Suresh.Apart from rearing emu birds, the company

Emu India Agro“It is a real business just like poultry. NABARD gives subsidy for emufarming and many government banks are funding these projects andalso the birds are insured by the government insurance company,”says Mr. Sureshis also into exporting emu meat and emu oilproducts. “We have introduced 6 emu oilproducts: pure emu oil, medicated emu oil,emu oil soap, emu oil cream, emu oil sham-poo, and emu hair oil with FDA approval, inthe local market,” says Mr. Suresh.Suggesting people considering emu farming,Mr. Suresh says, “We request all farmers tobuy emu birds from companies having their

own licensed slaughter house and a soundfinancial background. We are also request-ing farmers not to invest money in any invest-ment scheme in emu farming, rather the farm-ers should themselves set up their own emufarms and sell the emu birds to the compa-nies having slaughter setup. We sell emubirds to the farmers, give free training withcomplete consultancy and buy back the birdsfrom them. We are ready to help farmers inadvanced technology to start their ownslaughter house and market their product.”

Our CorrespondentFor more information, contact : Mr. K. SureshKumar, MD, EMU India Agro Pvt Ltd, OfficeNo. 5, Ground Floor, Markendaya Bldg., 60Feet Road, M.L. Camp, Matunga, Mumbai,Maharashtra, India, Pin Code - 40001909769944822, 09222123489http://www.emufarmindia.com/[email protected]


5. Find out if the natural buyers are traders,industry, manufacturer or processing house.6. Study the economics. Find out with thehelp of specialist that if there is any hiddencost.7. What are the possible losses, disease andproblems?8. Can you stabilize the product, especiallyif the products are perishable by nature. Orcan you supply for processing with the timeframe.9. What is the difference between the exist-ing opportunity and the return in new ven-ture?10. Never depend on buyback, search thebuyer at your end.11. Find out what quality specification theyneed.12. Source the best farm input after check-ing the quality.13. Check out from the nearest university ifthe climatic condition of the particular loca-tion suits your proposed venture.Mr. K. Suresh Kumar, MD, Emu India AgroPvt Ltd reiterates, “Emu farming is a realbusiness same like poultry. It is a genuinebusiness for which NABARD gives sub-sidy and many government banks are fund-ing these projects and also the birds are in-sured by the government insurance com-pany.”

Government Intervention

Mr. Prajapat further says, “We can’t expect everything from the government.

It makes rules/regulation after the problembecomes severe. It is the investor or farmerwho has to decide his action. Governmentencourages every new venture by providingsubsidy. If emu farming is real business weneed not worry. These financial frauds arepart of the growth and development. Someunsocial agents come and create the prob-lem. The government must ask the bank togive the feedback about the investment inemu farming, and then put the scheme inmore systematic way. If there is opportu-nity in the export of emu products then thatmust be explored. None of the agriculturebusiness is loss making if you are running itin a systematic way, then it will give youreturn. NABARD should also take feedbackfrom their beneficiary regarding the successratio of emu farming. Government must takethe leading role. If it is loss making, put theimmediate ban. The farmer has to take deci-sion at their level. They have to think wherethey are investing the money.”Mr. Reddy reiterates, “Emu farming is agrowing industry. Government has to pro-mote emu farming, R&D should be done todevelop a breed of emu birds in India. Agriuniversities should include emu birds in vet-erinary studies. There should be a dedicatedslaughter house for emu birds. Trainingshould be made available for emu farmersand emu hatcheries, machinery to extract oilout of emu fat should be subsidized, andbest quality emu feed should be made avail-able. Government has to encourage the emufarmers by providing interest free loans onemu farming, and subsidies on emu feed in-gredients and electricity.”

Haryana Emu Farm

Mr. Inder Pal Singh joined the emu farming industry with his venture Haryana

Emu Farm, a new addition to his familybusiness of poultry farming. Haryana EmuFarm is based in Mukarbpur village inYamuna Nagar District, Haryana. Beforesetting up the farm, Mr. Singh visited emufarms in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh tolearn about emu farming. He also underwentrequired training for choosing and rearinggenetically strong emu birds.The company supplies emu chicks, emubirds, emu meat and emu eggs. It mainlytargets poultry farmers and consumers ofred meat. “There is a huge demand for emuchicks in northern India. Most buyers buyfrom us to rear emu for breeding purposeonly. We are also focusing on emu meatmarket,” says Mr. Singh. There are sevenemployees working on the farm. The com-pany trains its staff in-house.The company participates in agri fairs andevents held by sugar mills, co-op banks,agricultural universities or veterinary doc-tors’ meets, to promote emu farming.

Investment and Returns onInvestment and Returns onInvestment and Returns onInvestment and Returns onInvestment and Returns on

Emu FarmEmu FarmEmu FarmEmu FarmEmu FarmAnother member Harish wants to know if it

is a good idea to start emu farming with 50

birds. He also wants to know the investment

required for 50 birds farm and the profits to

be expected in future.

Mr. Singh replies, “The number of pairs has to

be decided on the total investment you want

to do in this very business. As you have to feed

your birds from day one and the return on

your investment will come as soon as the birds

will start laying eggs. So be careful about the

numbers, as there are many other expenses,

too, like feed, medicines, and labor.”

He explains, “Investment on 25 pairs depend

on what age of birds you are opting to start

with like 3 month old pair will cost you any-

where between Rs.7000-8000 and older

birds will cost you somewhere around

Rs.18000-24000 per pair. In first laying an

emu can lay about 10 eggs, in second laying

15-20 eggs, and third laying onward 25-35

eggs. Total return on your investment de-

pends on the price of the eggs sold less feed-

ing and other expenses.”



The initial problem faced by Mr. Singh wasgetting the special emu feed for the differentage group, to get the desired medical helpfrom the local vets and marketing the emueggs. “Marketing of emu product such aseggs and meat are the main challenges fornew farmers as there is no ready market inIndia. I always advice people to study thebusiness and its market first then ask themto step into this business,” he says.He recommends several measures to thegovernment to promote emu farming, “R&Dshould be done to develop a breed of emubirds in India, agri universities should in-clude emu birds in veterinary studies, thereshould be a dedicated slaughter house foremu birds, training should be made availablefor emu farmers and emu hatcheries, ma-chinery to extract oil out of emu fat shouldbe subsidized, and best quality emu feedshould be made available.” Mr. Singh rec-ommends emu farming as emu birds arehighly disease resistant. Also emu meat is98% fat free.Speaking about the company’s future plans,Mr. Singh says, “There would be huge de-mand for emu breeders and emu meat in com-ing years and for that, we have to increaseour production to meet the demand. In fu-ture we plan to set up a mini slaughter house

Facts on Emu FarmingFacts on Emu FarmingFacts on Emu FarmingFacts on Emu FarmingFacts on Emu FarmingAnswering a junior member’s query, senior

member Ashwini states the example of a

model emu farm:

InvestmentsInvestmentsInvestmentsInvestmentsInvestments

• Buying 10 pairs of 3 months old emu birds

• Cost Rs. 2,00,000(INR)

• Cost of Fencing Rs. 70,000 (one time)

• Feed cost per year for 10 pairs of emu birds

Rs.90,000

IncomeIncomeIncomeIncomeIncome

• Emu birds start laying eggs after 18 months

• First time 10 pairs of emu will give 100 egss

• Second time 10 pairs of emu brids will give

200 eggs

• third time 10 pairs of emu brids will give 300

eggs + plus

Emu bird lays eggs only between October

to March every year. As per this model

project the total investment is Rs.3,60,00

INR (one time investment). Income from this

model project will be Rs 3.00,000 INR for

every year (today’s market value per egg is

Rs.1000 so (300 eggs X Rs.1000 =

Rs.3,00,000 INR ). This income will continue

for 30 years as emu will lay eggs for more

than 30 years.

for domestic meat supply and thereafterestablish an international standard slaugh-ter house equipped with latest cutting andpackaging machines for export purposes.”In future, the company also plans to extractand sell emu oil, which has healing and mois-turizing properties and can be used to manu-facture skin products.Speaking about competition, Mr. Singh says,“Competition has always been healthy forany business, I always encourage my com-petitors as we want emu Industry to growwith time. We need to educate and train pro-spective farmers first, then supply themhealthy birds feed, and last but not the leastbuy back their eggs to help their businessgrow.” Mr. Singh is a commerce graduateand has been in the field of sales and mar-keting since 1998.

Benefits of Emu Farming

Member Dgawale wants to start livestock management and is considering

emu farming as a secondary option. He asksabout the pros and cons of emu farming. Heexpresses his concern,“Even if everything is ok with emu farmingthe main concern about this is the market.Where do we sell our emu birds, meat, feath-ers and other byproducts because in Indiapeople are not yet aware of emu. Also howcan we capture the international market forit.” Mr. Singh replies, “Emu farming is basi-cally divided into two types: First it is tosource eggs from a breeding farm, and thesecond is to raise emu for various products/meat market.The best and easy way is to go with thefirst option, where you keep quality emubirds at your farm, take very good care ofthem and get quality fertile eggs. Sell theseeggs to the local hatchery.Generally your emu birds suppliers willbuyback those eggs. You will get good profitby selling those eggs, as good fertile eggscan be easily sold for anywhere betweenRs.1000-1500. Else you can always startselling emu chicks by putting up an in-house

emu hatchery too.These days there is huge demand for emuchicks in various states. So before purchas-ing the birds always ask your supplier aboutthe buyback agreement of eggs or check withthe local hatcheries, if they are having de-mand for the same.”The second option is also good, but it reallydepends whether you have any emu slaugh-ter house nearby or not, as they will buyyour live bird ageing about 12-18 monthsand weighing more than 35Kg. As I haveheard, they pay something ranging betweenRs.250-300 per kg of your livestock. So faras the other emu byproducts are concerned,only a slaughter house can sell them as theyhave the required quantity of each productlike feather, leather and nails.

Financial Assistance

Another member Eswar Reddy is interested in starting an emu farm with 50

pairs of 3 months old emu chicks. He wantsto know, “How much investment is requireduntil the first laying including other expenseslike hatchery machine, farm developmentcost, fencing and room generator, where wecan sell emu chicks or eggs. Is emu farminggoing to be a profitable business in future?Would any bank provide loan as well as sub-sidiary for emu farming this financial year2012-2013 I discussed with NABARD dis-trict employees and was told that now nosubsidiary is available.”Mr. Singh replies, “Investment in emu farm-ing depends on the total number of pairsyou bought, feeding cost till laying starts,labor and other expenses. Price of 3 month



old emu chicks could be anywhere betweenRs. 7000 – 10,000 per pair. Feeding cost tillthey start laying will be about Rs.8000 perpair.Hatchery machines come with different ca-pacity ranging from 180 eggs to 2400 eggsand the cost of the same is ranging betweenRs.60 000 – 6,00,000. Generator of 7.5 to15 KVA is required for power back up. Youneed to make your own space in the emumarket in your respective state. There areso many banks here in our state who arelending for emu farming and of courseNABARD is providing subsidy of 25%-33% on the same.”

Preventing Diseases

Another member skvengali asks aboutthe possibility of loss and asks about

the precautions to be taken. Senior memberAshwini replies, “The only problem youmight face is the lack of space since 5 pairsof emus need at least 3000 square feet ofarea as they have a tendency to kick theirfeet and get aggressive with the other birds.The other factor you need to take care is thebirds should not get affected by any pest ordiseases.”Mr. Vidyasankar of Abhivirthi Emu Firmsuggests methods to prevent diseases inemu:• Isolate the sick and injured birds, for ex-

amination and treatment.• Provide stress free environment to the iso-lated birds.• See they eat and drink, if off feed-forcefeed and give water 3 to 4 times a day toprevent dehydration and death.• Use antibiotics for the bacterial infectionsand infected wounds after cleaning and dis-infections.• Vaccinate the birds to protect from certaindiseases.• Dispose off dead birds properly.

Emu Farming in VariousRegions

Mr. Ramu from Bangalore also wants tostart emu farming with 30 pairs of

emu chicks in Kolar. He also wants to know,“Is it good business for future; what is thecost for 30 pairs of emu birds including costfor storage, feed per year, and transport; isany bank providing loans for this inKarnataka; where can I sell emu eggs, meatand other byproducts; which company pro-vides emu birds (3 months), feed, and otherinfrastructural requirement; he also wantsdetailed project report on emu farming.”Mr. Singh maintains emu farming is goodbusiness. “Cost of birds depends on theirage, so be very specific about the age of thebirds as chicks will start laying after 15-18months or else you can opt fully grown birdswhich will lay eggs this year too. On anaverage, adult pair of emu consumes feed ofabout Rs.8000-10,000 per year.”He adds, “I have no idea about the banks inKarnataka who are providing such loans,but can discuss it with any nationalizedbank. Market for eggs is the main concernof the business, so check it with your localemu suppliers and ask them about buy backagreement of eggs if they have any. For 3month old emu chicks always prefer a reli-able and your nearest emu hatchery so thatthey can guide you in rearing chicks and canbuy back the emu eggs.”Another member wanted information aboutstarting emu farming in Andhra Pradesh.Member G. A. Rao says, “Emu farming inAndhra Pradesh is gaining more popularity.Emu farming proposals are covered underongoing venture capital fund scheme forpoultry sponsored by NABARD. The to-tal unit cost is Rs.30 lakhs for 50 pairs.Subsidy amount of Rs.7.50 lakhs will begiven by the NABARD. The applicant willbe charged interest on Rs.19.50 lakhs onlyout of Rs.27.00 lakhs of initial loan sanc-tioned to him.The capital cost and recurring costs for 50pairs emu birds will be around Rs. 30 lakhs.Out of which recurring expenditure will beRs. 8.62 – 16.95 lakhs in the years to come(including interest portion included in theexpenditure).Shed, fencing, pen area like structures costsabout Rs.5.95 lakhs, cost of machinery willbe Rs.3.55 lakhs and cost of 3 months oldhicks will be Rs.7.50 lakhs. An amount ofRs. 13 lakhs is ear marked for feeding thebirds. The party is capable of meeting theexpenditure of maintenance of birds overand above the project cost. The surplus in-come on the farm is estimated at the pre-

Abhivirthi Emu Firm

Abhivirthi Emu Firm is located in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu. Mr. Vidyasankar N is theproprietor of the company. “I was working as

senior engineer in an MNC abroad. I was caught amidstthe global crisis in between 2007 – 2009. One of myfriends who had a farm abroad guided me throughprofit and loss in emu business,” informs Mr.Vidyasankar.Speaking about the initial research done before set-ting up the company, Mr. Vidyasankar says, “Lots ofgroundwork had to be done. I got the books regard-ing emu farming and memorized all the facts and vis-ited a number of farms all over India and met higherofficials in NABARD and then prepared a project re-port with the help of an auditor and the officials. I gota loan from the bank for this project. It took me eight months to start my business. Now I amdoing this full time.” The company sells emu meat and emu oil. Emu is highly disease resistantbut Mr. Vidyasankar warns, “All living organisms are susceptible to some kind of disease.Emu is no exception. Cleanliness and inadequate care towards the birds make them ill.”The major challenges faced by the company included lack of qualified veterinary doctorsspecializing in emu, and lack of government support to spread awareness about emu meat.He suggests people considering taking up emu farming to research well. “Do not invest unlessyou are confident you can sustain for three years without any income from emu,” he warns.Mr. Vidyasankar has done master of science in civil engineering and bachelor of engineeringin computer science.For more information, contact : Mr. Vidyasankar N, Proprietor, 113, Kaliamman Kovil Street,Shanarpatti(P.O), Dindigul Dt, Tamilnadu, India 624304, Phone: 097870 01872Email: [email protected]



vailing rates will be Rs.12.91 lakhs from thirdyear onwards and increases up to Rs.29.46lakhs.”He adds, “Currently the demand for emuchicks is very high which is over the supplyat present. Therefore there is a great de-mand for chicks in the market. This situa-tion will possibly remain over a period of 6– 10 years. After this period marketing willbe for raising of birds for oil and meat i.e.,fattening of birds for meat purpose whichhas equal sales realization, as seen in sale ofchicks to farmers.Presently eggs are sold at Rs.2000 each andchicks are being sold at Rs. 7500 to Rs. 8000per chick. The 6 months old bird will costabout Rs. 10,000-12,000. The adult birdafter two years will be costing aroundRs.25000 – Rs.30000 for breeding purpose.The emu birds will survive 25 to 30 yearsand generate income to the farmers continu-ously over a long period. Already one largefarm at Siddipeta is marketing meat and emuoil in Hyderabad.”He avers, “Emu processing units are com-ing up at Nujiveedu are planning to pur-chase live birds at the cost of Rs.400 Kg.Even farmers can fatten the birds and cansell the birds for meat purpose in the com-ing two years.The cost of raising an emu bird for 2 years

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AGRICULTURE

Industry Survey

will be around Rs.8000. The bird weighsabout 35 to 40 Kgs. Each bird will fetchabout Rs.12000 to 13000. Hence, farmerswill not incur any losses if they rear underfattening scheme also and in maintenance ofemu hatchery in future. Surplus income onthe Emu farm will be about Rs. 12.00 to29.00 lakhs in the coming years and farmersare capable of repaying the loan installmentsout of the income on the farm in the subse-quent years.”Member Raangs who started emu farmingwith 50 pairs of 3 months old emu birdsspeaks from his experience, “Emu farming/

industry is in the developing stage right now.And the market is not established for emuproducts rather emu farmers trying to mar-ket the emu products in India. You may notfind a buyer immediately, for sale of chicks(around 3m old) as I think in AP it’s some-what saturated. But may gain the demandbased on the success of upcoming process-ing units.He adds, “Getting bank loans is not easy. Iwent to several banks but didn’t get posi-tive response from any of them. Feed costsare increasing and this affects the margins.Also, not all the females lay eggs and alsothe number of eggs per pair varies from oneseason to another. Emu oil is the main prod-uct and meat is the by product. Emu indus-try will have future if emu oil has the mar-ket.Also there is no continuous supply of emumeat in some selected cities/towns. You canbuy the meat but I think continuous supplyis not there. There are some upcoming emuprocessing units, which will start function-ing in this year.”He cautions, “We need to wait and watchfor their sales and business. If one thinksemu industry is going in the right directionthen go ahead and invest otherwise wait for1 or 2 years and watch the trend.”

Our Correspondent



Agritalk - Pomegranate

R B Herbal Agro specializes inpomegranate cultivation inIndia. Led by Mr. Ramdas J.Patil, CEO, R B Herbal Agro,in association with Mahatma

Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri(Maharashtra) is working on the solutionfor the deadly disease, bacterial blight ofpomegranate. Mr. Patil, an expert in pome-granate cultivation, answers questions re-lated to pomegranate farm’s diseases, agri-cultural practices, climatic conditions, farm-ing feasibility in specific areas, improvingthe yield and so on. Members on theAgricultureInformation.com forum com-ment and enquire about pomegranate culti-vation practices and methods to control thedisease.

Bacterial Blight of Pomegranate

In 2000 a bacterial epidemic spread haddevastating effect on pomegranate crops.

Till this day about 80 percent of pomegran-ate cultivation in Maharashtra, Karnataka,Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat are still gettingaffected. Mr. Patil informs, “Pomegranateis a fruit that is expensive even when it is inseason. This is mainly because the fruit hasmany medicinal properties. Due to its healthbenefits the demand for pomegranate con-tinues to increase.” He adds, “It is useful incontrolling prostate gland cancer. It also con-tains a high amount of antioxidants, whichreduces heart problems and aging. It alsohas the ability to produce estrogen inwomen,” Mr. Patil said about pomegranate.

Cause of the Disease

At first, identifying the cause of the disease was difficult. Mr. Patil explains,

“The anatomy of the pomegranate madebacteria an unlikely problem initially. Pome-granate rind is rich with tannins, which areantibacterial in nature.”According to Mr. Patil the disease was later

PomegranateRamdas J Patil - expert in pomegranate cultivationparticipates in Agricultureinformation.com discussion forum

identified as a bacterium known asXanthomonasOxanopodpvPunicea. “Thisbacterium can infect fruits, leaves and stems.Initially it appears as oily spots on leavesor fruits. It grows very fast, within 48 to 78hours.”R.B. Herbal Agro also conducted studies todetermine when the disease was most com-mon. Weather plays a large part in the oc-currence of epidemics. The incidences of thedisease are less common in the winter sea-son but increase during the rainy season.The most favorable condition for the growthof these bacteria is high humidity – morethan 65 % RH and a temperature range of28 to 320C. It grows slowly at tempera-tures below 150C. It appears more in therainy season when the temperature is 320C– 350C. These bacteria rarely breed in thewinter season.When the disease has progressed, there arevarious ways to identify it. One simple wayto detect the disease is when a Y shapedcrack appears on the fruit. Black spots and

decaying leaves are also other symptoms.On the stem, it appears as a black spot withan oozing type wound leading to a dead arm.

Controlling the Disease

Mr. Shankar Reddy of Raichur is a pomegranate farmer having more than 3000

trees in his orchard, which is 7 years old. Hehas been fighting bacterial blight from past4 years. He wanted more information to con-trol the disease.After extensive research and studies, R.B.Herbal Agro along with M.P.K.V. Rahuri hasdeveloped a solution for the disease. It iscalled Char Sutri Karyakram or the “FourPoint Program,” which helps prevent thespread of the disease. The four points are:1. Cleanliness – helps to reduce inoculums2. Horticultural practices – involves deter-mining when to start seasons and determin-ing how many fruits will grow on a plant.3. Fertilization – keeps the pomegranatehealthy through organic manure.4. Scheduled sprays for disease control –helps control the growth of the bacteria. Mr.Patil recommends the following spray:• Prophyalexin 3 Ml + Cop-E 0.4 Gm – Perlitre of water• R. B. Bordo 2.5 Gm + Sulfer 2 Gm – Perlitre of water• Prophyalexin 3 Ml + PMBS 2.5 Gm – Perlitre of water• Xanthonashak 0.5 Gm + R. B. Bordo 2.5Gm – Per litre of water• Pseudo-FL 5 2 Ml + 5 Litres of Milk – Perlitre of waterMr. Patil explained additional research forbetter yield saying, “We have studied andgathered data on the role of potassium and



nitrogen on Bacterial Blight. We also foundthat biofertilizer is a useful tool to controlbacterial blight. Optimum levels of ‘N’ &‘K’ are required in the plant tissue to fightagainst bacterial blight.” Mr. Patil recom-mends a suitable INM programme to have ahigher yield without any incidence of thedisease. When pointed out that in Chilepomegranate is treated with methyl bromideto protect the fruit from certain invasivepests, Mr. Patil says, “Methyl bromide is abanned chemical since it is harmful for re-ducing ozone layer one should not use it forany purpose.”Member Mr. Hiren Pancholi appreciates allthe information on controlling bacterial blightof pomegranate. He says, “We have recentlypromoted a product called anthium dioxcidefrom DuPont, which is a biocide, kills bac-teria, spores, virus, fungus and algae. It wastried out at a half acre pomegranate farm inSolapur area and results were very good.Fruits were not bursting after using anthiumdioxcide and only thing was that there wasonly oily spot at the bottom of the fruits. Iam interested to carry out some professionaltrial to further continue with the positiveresult received at Solapur.” Mr. Patil recom-mends giving the material for trials toMPKV Rahuri. “Dr Raghuvanshi is a per-son working on this problem,” he informs.

Training and Advice for Farmers

R.B. Herbal Agro conducts training programs at their training center and also

at the field level to educate farmers. Heproudly claims, “We have conducted about300 training programs so far,” maintains Mr.Patil.He adds, “We advise people to choose ascientific approach starting from soil analy-sis to selecting the soil for the plantation.Also, we give more attention to root andsoil health rather than only on pest controlthrough the use of chemicals.” According toMr. Patil, there are thousands of successstories of farmers who have employed theirmethods. Farmers using the Four Point Pro-gram and correct bio-fertilizers are now en-joying good quality pomegranate.R B Herbal Agro provides training programfor farmers in local language. “One is beingconducted at Vaijapur Dist, Aurangabad on22/06/2012 at 10 am. Anybody can attendthe programe. There are no charges,” Mr.Patil informs.

Best Practices for PomegranateCultivation

Mr. Swamy comments that commercialcultivation of pomegranate brings

good income for farmers. “It is good for thefarmers, if they choose a scientific approachstarting from soil analysis to selecting thesoil for the plantation. Also farmers are fedup with the use of chemicals and fertilizersto control either root or any other disease.”He adds, “Farmers are facing huge losseswith the production cost of pomegranategoing sky high and low market value fortheir produce. In order to address such heavylosses, it is necessary to improve soil healthalong with plant health with locally avail-able techniques and ingredients to controlany problem either in the soil or in the plant.This kind of practice not only increases soil

and environment health, but also reducesproduction cost along with pest and diseasecontrol.” A senior member wanted to knowif it is possible to have brahmi or stevia asintercrop for pomegranate farming. Mr. Patiladvices, “We do not recommend intercrop-ping in pomegranate field except marigoldand onion, during first six months of planta-tion.”Mr. Gaurav Deshpande is planning to growa pomegranate farm. He says, “My farm isnear Akola, Maharashtra. I want to knowabout the best variety of saplings, wherewill I get the best of the saplings, and howto identify the saplings. I want to growBhagva (or any other better variety as peryour recommendation) in my 5 acre land.”Mr. Patil replies, “Bhagva is the best vari-ety but in your area rainfall is more, there-fore short duration variety Mrudula is sug-gested for you.”Another member Mr. Vijai Grewal enquires,“I am interested in pomegranate farming inSri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. I want to knowif it is commercially feasible to grow pome-granate in Rajasthan; what variety should Iplant; the agronomic practices for suchplants; any other info which will help me toanalyze the pro and cons of such venture;and any other profitable horticulture alter-native.” Mr. Patil replies, “Pomegranate can

Ramdas J. Patil

Mr. Ramdas J. Patil is the CEO and R & D Chief at R. B. Herbal Agro. He is also amember of Board of Studies in Plant Pathology and Microbiology at Mahatma Phule

Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV), Rahuri, Maharashtra. He has over 15 years of experience asa senior scientist in private sector. He worked as a technical director to PomegranateGrowers Association.R. B. Herbal Agro manufactures biofertilizers and biocontrolagents. It is also conducting extensive research on bacterialblight of pomegranate.R. B. Herbal Agro in association with M.P.K.V Rahuri is workingon the solution for the deadly disease affecting pomegranatecrops since 2000. This bacterial blight of pomegranate hasafflicted about 80% area in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra,and Gujarat. Mr. Patil, along with M.P.K.V. Rahuri, has workedextensively on this project and come out with solution to controlthis disease with an integrated approach called Char SutriKaryakram i.e. Four Point Program, which involves cleanliness,horticulture practices, fertilization, and spray schedule to control disease.“We had started in 1999 with a very small unit. We were among the first to start liquidtechnology for biofertilizers. We offer many different kinds of biofertilizers likeazotobactor , acitobactor, rhizobium, potash solubizing bacteria, phosphate solubilingbacteria, silica soluniling bacteria, and acetobactor,” says Mr. Patil. The company mainlytargets horticulture growing farmers and organic base produces for biofertilizers andbiocontrol agents.Mr. Patil has done M.Sc., a course on mass production of bio-pesticides at NCIM NewDelhi and MKV Parbhani, a course on mycorhizal technology at Mumbai, and a course onMethyl Bromide alternatives at Israel.For more information contact : Mr.Ramdas Patil, R. B. Herbal Agro, 'Herbal House' 120,Savarkar Nagar, Satana-423301 Nasik (Maharashtra) India. Tel.: 91-2555-225206,225204 Email - [email protected], [email protected]



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be commercially cultivated in Rajasthan.Bhagva would be a good variety to grow. Ifyou provide us average rainfall and tempdata of at least one year, we would suggestyou the rest.”Member JP is planning to grow Pomegran-ate on 14 acres in his farm in AnantapurDistrict, Andhra Pradesh. He wants to knowhow to prepare the land and how to test thesoil health as per best practices.Mr. Patil recommends, “Pomegranates arecultivated in Anantapur District. Beforeplanting the saplings you are required totest soil for all parameters, like pH, EC,water holding capacity, lime, Na and all nu-trients.You can test the soil sample at Shet JameenMeemansa Prayogshala, Herbal House,Savarkar Nagar Satana Dist – Nasik- 423301,which is dedicated to pomegranate. Theywill suggest suitability as well as distancebetween plants, variety and all suggestionsfor its growth.”Mr. Gaurav Deshpande also owns a landpiece near Guwahati, Assam. He wants toknow if it is feasible to grow Pomegranatein this area. Mr. Patil replies, “Guwahatihas heavy rainfall, therefore it would be dif-ficult to grow pomegranate, but if you pro-vide meteorological data I would suggest itsfeasibility.”Mr. Yogesh Telawne has 23 acres of land inChiplun Taluka, close to Vashishta river inthe Konkan belt. He asks for advice regard-ing pomegranate cultivation, “I want toknow whether pomegranate can be plantedin my region and also let me know whichwould be the best variety that can be grown.”Mr. Patil advises, “Kokan’s climatic condi-tion is not suitable for pomegranate cultiva-tion. You can still plant pomegranate on asmall plot with Mrudula variety for experi-mentation.”Member, Mr. Jalindar R Adsul says, “I have

800 plants of Bhagva Pomo near Barshi of15 months age. I decided to harvest the fruitsthis time, currently flowers, and small pomostarted growing. Please advise if this rainyseason is suitable for harvesting. Our areacovers 560 mm rain in season.”Mr. Patil instructs, “It is not advisable totake fruits on 15 month old crop. Let it com-plete 2 years. I will be sending pomo book-let to your address.”

Pomegranate Fruition

A member wants to know on an averagehow long it takes for pomegranate trees

to give fruits, to which Mr. Patil replies,“Generally it takes two years for a youngpomegranate tree to start give fruits.”

Gaurav Deshpande who has recently grownpomegranate trees in his farms wanted toknow, “Basically nowadays, everything isdriven by the demand in the market. Pome-granate has a very demand in the market.And we want to diversify ourselves in dif-ferent types of fruits. I would want to know,is there is any particular technique to growbest quality of pomegranate”Mr. Patil maintains that his company pro-vides a special treatment/method for grow-ing good quality pomegranate.

Organic Cultivation ofPomegranate

Another member Feroz, who has 200pomegranate plants aged about 3 years

under organic farming wanted to know or-ganic methods to grow pomegranate. Mr.Patil volunteers to share organic methods tocultivate pomegranate. "We can definitelygrow and cultivate pomegranate organically.There are special methods for organic NIMand IPM,” he adds. Member Narender wanted to know if any-one conducted experiment by usingpanchagavya spray to maintain resistanceto bacterial blight. Mr. Patil informs, “Veryseldom people use panchagavya to controlbacterial blight. But we do not have anydata to support it. Also to my opinion, ascientific study is required for its usage andalone this may not be sufficient.”

Our Correspondent


Entrepreneurs / Agri Professionals

Shree Vinayak EnterpriseShree Vinayak Enterprise is engaged in the production of alfalfa seedssince 2009. It is headquartered in Patan, Gujarat. Mr. Jaimin Patel ispartner in Shree Vinayak. He also handles marketing for the company.Mr. Patel has done MBA in finance and B. Com. He has been working inthe field of agriculture since 2008.

Alfalfa SeedsAlfalfa seed is a grass seed, popularly known aslucerne seed in India. It is mainly used for cattlefeed cultivation. It is highly preferred by buffalo, cow, goat,sheep, and horse, besides other cattle.Alfalfa seeds produce a cool season, perenniallegume that is high in minerals, vitamins andprotein. The seeds are also used as a herbalmedicine. The sprouted seeds of alfalfa are a

rich source of antioxidants.Customer BaseThe company has a loyal client base. “Word of mouth publicity ishelping us develop our market,” says Mr. Patel. Shree Vinayak’s clientbase comprises dairy farm, cattle farm, hay cultivator, stud farm, andsmall farm is our target market.The company cultivates alfalfa seeds under contract farming.“Sometimes we face external problems like atmosphere that impactsour production,” avers Mr. Patel. Cuscuta is the biggest problem inalfalfa. “We supply cuscuta free alfalfa seed,” says Mr. Patel. Alfalfaseeds are cultivated in all the states of India.For more information, contact : Mr. Jaimin Patel, Partner, Shree VinayakEnterprise, A - 4, No. 107, Harsh Plaza, Near Telephone ExchangePatan - 384 265, Gujarat , India [email protected] Mobile : +(91)-9924290884 Website - http://www.indiamart.com/shree-vinayak-enterprise/

M.J. ExportsEstablished in August 2003 by Mr. Shailesh Patel, M. J. Exports is amanufacturing company that makes completely organic products withthe exception of their crop sulf. The company works out of Gujaratwith Mr. Shailesh, a B.Sc Agri graduate, overseeing the daily operations.Included in the company’s management team isMr. Suhag Patel as well as Ms. Tara Patel.Getting Star ted and Products : Beforeestablishing the company, Mr. Shailesh spent 13years working under Dr. Chakravarty as anAgriculture Researcher. Using the experienceand knowledge he gained during this time, Mr.Shaileshfounded M. J. Exports with an investmentof Rs. 10 lakhs. Included in the lengthy productline of the company are its most successful products, Armour 1 and 2,Bio-phoenix, Bio spreader, and organic fertilizer.Growth Potential : Despite the many competitors both locally andinternationally, the company is enjoying a steady growth thanks totheir Bio-spreader, a parasitic and organic product that is used forsalamis crops. The company has also proven its worth with high qualityproducts that farmers have benefited from and, as such, often returnto purchase.Future Plans : Much thought has gone into the future plans of thecompany as it continues to mature. However, in addition to continuallysatisfy customers for better results and benefit, the company has alsoset its sights on widening its reach in the international market. Mr.Shailesh shared, “Besides Italy, our [other] targeted [markets] are theMiddle East, East India and South East Asia.”For more information, contact : Mr. Shailesh Patel , M J EXPORTS, G - 2,B- Block, Jalaram Chamber, Behind Pooja Estate, Vitthal Udhyognagar,G. I. D. C. Anand, Gujarat - 388 121, el: + (91)-(2692)-234292 M:9426005656 W: www.mjexports.net E: [email protected]

Tejasvi PublicationsWith poultry farming becoming one of the fastest growing businessesin India, Tejasvi Publications was founded in 2005 in Nallakunta toproduce a magazine that was dedicated to the poultry niche. Editorand publisher, Mr. B V Shiv Shankar, a Commerce graduate with 25years of poultry, agriculture and dairy farming experience, managesTejasvi Publications.

Getting Started : As the potential of poultryfarming in India grew, Mr. Shankar looked for away to help the many inexperienced farmersentering the industry. Deciding on a magazineto be the most efficient way, Mr. Shankar fillsthe magazine with important information likevarious technological advancements and newefforts made by prominent poultry associations.Special Features : The publication firmlybelieves that the potential of the Indian poultryindustry lies in the hands of rural farmers.

Ironically, it’s the rural farmers that have little access to poultry exposheld in the big cities. To reach these particular farmers, the magazineannually holds the India Poultry Expo in rural communities to educatefarmers about new innovations in the industry. Technical seminars withspecial guest speakers are also periodically conducted.Difficulties and Future Plans : Despite a large demand for themagazine, there were no major subscriptions, hindering the publicationfrom operating smoothly. Despite incurring huge costs, Mr. Shankarshowed his commitment to the poultry community by sending out themagazines for free. Mr. Shankar plans to further his cause by establishinga consultancy service, providing financial assistance from variousinstitutions and technical guidance.For more information, contact : 2-1-444/16, 1st Floor, Osmania UniversityRoad, Nallakunta, Hyderabad – 500 044. T : 040-27610027, F : 040-27610027 M: +91 9849368003 E:[email protected] - http://www.poultryline.com/index.php

Sri PumpsOperating under the all-round manufacturing conglomerate SSEngineers and Consultants, the Sri Pumps Group has been a steadfastpresence in the processes industries as providers of sanitary valves,pipes and pipe-fittings. Under the watchful eye of its CEO, Mrs. RinkuKothari the company now has over280 employees and fourmanufacturing units located inRajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh.Getting Star ted : With themanufacturing industry experiencinga healthy boom in recent years, thestandards of the products beingfarmed or manufactured has also increased. For companies dealing infood and agro products in particular, high quality and hygienic productsare of top priority. Recognizing the huge demand for cleaning andhygiene maintaining equipment, especially in the dairy industry, theSri Pumps Group sought to help meet the demands on various clients.Products : Streamlining their operations, Sri Pumps mainly providesequipment to the dairy sector. To date, the group provides semiautomated or automated cow dung removal systems, milking stallsand machines, solar powered milk chillers. Additionally, the companyalso provides centrifugal, CIP, self-priming and mobile pumps that areideal for avoiding bacteria or contamination of farmed products.Competition : Many other entrepreneurs have also identified thecurrent demands for hygienic practices in dairy farming. As such, SriPumps is facing its own fair share of competition, mainly from majorplayers like Alfa Laval or Tetra Pak as well as small companies withlocalized presences. Despite this, Sri Pumps too has its own competitiveedge through their high quality and international standard equipment.For more information, contact : Sri Pumps/ S. S. Engineers & Consultants,D. No. 11-49/2, Morumpudi Junction, Rajahmundry 533103, A. P,INDIA. Ph: +91 883 2426845, 46, 47 3256663,4,7,8E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.ssdairyequipment.com


Commodity Trading

B io Care Technology, acompany in the agri-commodity industry, dealingin agricultural exports andsupplies was established in

November of 2010 in the Dindigul districtof Tamil Nadu. With the advice ofNABARD and wasteland developmentschemes, Bio Care Technology marketsvarious species of plants and medicinalseeds. The company now operates underthe watchful eye of its managing director,Mr. Suriya Praganantham, a Managementof Science BBA graduate with six years ofexperience as an agricultural marketing fieldAdviser.Products and AcquisitionsDealing in the export of fresh vegetablesand fruits while also supplying horticulturalplants, medicinal plants and seeds, thecompany has now expanded to taking careof contract farming of horticultural,medicinal and forestry plants.Among the many items exported by thecompany is the banana g9 while one of thehorticultural items manufactured by thecompany is an organic mixer that entailsthe use of bio concepts. All of thecompany’s products are sold under thename Queen Brand.In the growing of their various plant species,the company purchases seeds fromaccredited and praised seed companies aswell as the best seed collection agents in allof India. From time to time, the companyalso sources their seeds from thegovernment sector. When asked about theirannual turnover, Mr. Suriya shared, “Ourannual turnover is Rs. Ten lacs only.”Quality ControlAs a company that supplies and exportsto various locations, quality control is oneof the most important parts of thecompany’s daily routines. For example,with bananas being one of the main exportgoods of Bio Care Technology, a lot of caregoes into ensuring that customers onlyreceive the best of their products.“We need to take care of the size and weightof fruits, packing materials, and [the waythe products are packed”, Mr. Suriyashared. Even ripening periods, frozenshipment containers and housekeepinghave to be well managed on a daily basis tomake sure that the fruits meet the standardsfor export.

Bio Care TechnologyMarkets various species of plants and medicinal seeds.Based in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu

Because export standards are so high, it isdifficult for the company accept outsidesuppliers. For example, if a spice powdermaker wishes to supply to Bio CareTechnology, the company will send aninitial inquiry.The company will also require samples andquality certificates. Only after a detailedsearch of the supplier’s information and avisit to the supplier’s area of operation willa decision be made.Target Market and CompetitionBio Care Technology looks to big importersas their main market and though they havenot yet received finalized ordersinternationally, countries such as Iran andSouth Africa have already shown interestin the company’s products. To properlymeet the demands of the domestic andinternational market, the company goesthrough e-mail inquiries and also surveysthe prices of products and percentages.Identifying companies such asMahalakshmi Exports and Stone ColorExports as some of their main competitors,Mr. Suriya still maintains that theirproducts have an edge over the competingbrands. He said, “Our products are numberone in the industry because we maintainthe quality of our products [and] ourgrowers are qualified [people].”ChallengesAs it continues to engage in the agriculturalexports industry, Bio Care Technology hasfaced its fair share of challenges. Withregard to the toughest problem faced by

the company so far, Mr. Suriya identifiedpayments as its main challenge. “Most ofthe payment problems come fromcustomers. We think that [honest]customers are [hard to find] and we aresearching [for them continuously],” saidMr. Suriya.Another issue is the lack of properwarehouse facilities in India. This issue isprevalent nation wide and has even beenaddressed in the news. Mr. Suriyaacknowledged this problem saying,“Warehouses must be available for all agroproducts and agri products. Growingproduce is God’s gift and we should savethe product and [be able to properlysupply these products] when demanded orwhen natural calamities occur.”Advice and Future PlansWith the company operating smoothly, Mr.Suriya described the future plans of BioCare Technology rather succinctly as hesaid, “Our company should hold the numberone position for supply of products.”Seeing as the company has already donevery well thus far, becoming widelyacknowledged as a trusted distributor ofagricultural products, it would seem thatthe company has a very bright future aheadof them.The company, however, has shown awillingness to help other companies thrivein the industry and Mr. Suriya willinglyshared a few pieces of advice. “Customersare the most important part of thebusiness,” Mr. Suriya shared, “Technicalpeople should be trained to get more ideasfrom other leading countries.”

Our CorrespondentFor more information, contact :Mr. Suriya Praganantham S, ManagingDirector, BIO CARE TECHNOLOGY45/1, Spencer Compound ThiruvalluvarSalai, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India 624003Phone: 451-2428550 Mobile: 09489657554 Email: [email protected] /[email protected]: http://www.thebiocaretec.com

Suriya Praganantham


NEWS IN BRIEF - Latest news and developments

Obama criticises!Indian economicreforms!Election eve pressures?US own economic slow down?Obama is US President and theworld’s peaceful politician. Assuch, he has openly spokenabout India’s slow economicdecisions making.Of course, world economy isalso in a slow-down mode!So, we have to take the US criti-cism in the right spirit and act.

Noting that India has prohibited foreign investments in

too many sectors such as retail,U.S. President Barack Obamacited concerns over the deterio-rating investment climate in thatcountry to endorse another“wave” of economic reforms.Still sounding positive about theIndian economy, “which contin-ues to grow at an impressive

rate,” he said that to someextent, India’s slowergrowth was a reflection ofthe larger slowdown in theglobal economy.In an interview to PTI inWashington, Mr. Obamawas careful not to be di-rectly critical of the nega-tive investment climate inIndia but cited the con-

cerns of the American businesscommunity to make his point.

Food Security Bill?Will it get passed?Or, acted upon? Not until 2014election?

The government has in principle decided to expand the

coverage of population under theproposed Food Security Bill toinclude almost 70 per cent of In-dians, who will have the legalright to cheap food, against theearlier proposal of 64 per centof the same.It will also end the below andabove poverty line (BPL andAPL) demarcation, prevailing inthe current public distributionsystem (PDS). However, en-titlements under the AntyodayaAnna Yojana (for the poorest ofthe poor) would continue as inthe current structure.

The proposed changes havebeen strongly opposed by a sec-tion of civil society on thegrounds that it makes the Bill‘minimalist and unacceptable’.The enhanced coverage wouldalso include almost 90 per centof the population in 250 identi-fied poor districts in the coun-try. “We have in-principle agreedto expand the coverage of theproposed Bill and would nowsubmit the same to the standing

New PPP project implementation?

“Half-hearted’, say private sector leaders!

India’s important Cabinet decision, on an oversight mecha-

nism for monitoring public-pri-vate-partnership (PPP)projects, has been termed a half-baked solution by industry.They’ve welcomed the initiativebut fear this would just turn outto be another drag on their op-erations, besides that of a probeby the Comptroller and Audi-tor General’s office.The announcement comes at atime when problems in theDelhi Airport Metro Expressline have got mired in a blamegame, with operator RelianceInfrastructure putting the en-tire onus on state-owned DelhiMetro Rail Corporation for de-fects in the structure because

of which the services had to besuspended.“The oversight mechanismcleared by the Cabinet is just ashort-term fix,” says VinayakChatterjee, chairman of Feed-back Infrastructure Services.

Prime Minister actsfast?

Infrastructure projects tobe cleared faster?

The government announced asingle-window mechanism

under the Cabinet secretary forreview and issue of clearancesassociated with majorprojects.After putting in place a prob-lem-resolution mechanism forinfrastructure projects and an in-vestment tracking system for

projects over Rs 1,000 croredirectly under the PrimeMinister’s Office (PMO),the government has decidedto set up a project clearanceboard, on the lines of theForeign Investment Promo-tion Board (FIPB), chairedby the Cabinet secretary, forreview and issue of one-timeclearances, including secu-rity clearance.

committee of Parliament, whichis vetting an earlier draft,” a se-nior food ministry official says.

Basmati rice exports!India is unbeatablesuper quality specialityrice!Now, India exports Basmati riceto record 3.21 m.t. in 2011-12!There are predominant rice-based economies, mostly inAsia. From Japan to India andthe Asian rates. Japanese rice,Thailand rice are sold widelyin outside markets. While In-dia is to go a long way!

Basmati exports surged 45per cent to touch a record

3.21 million tonnes in 2011-12on robust demand from the tra-ditional markets in West Asia.In the previous year, exportsstood at 2.18 million tonnes(mt).In value terms, exports were up46 per cent at Rs 15,450 crore

Agriculture will do well?

Major crop output to fall 0.5% in 2012-13: CMIE

Even though the overall agriculture sector is expected to do wellin 2012-13, the major crop production is projected to fall by

0.5 per cent, the economic think-tank Centre for Monitoring IndianEconomy (CMIE) said. “Major crop production is projected todecline in 2012-13 by 0.5 per cent, owing to a fall in output of non-food crops like soyabean, cotton and rapeseed,” the CMIE said inits monthly report.Cotton production is expected to fall 7.8 per cent to 32.2 millionbales in 2012-13 even though the acreage rose over 12 per cent to29.3 lakh hectares by June. “We expect the cultivation to slowdown and settle at a level lower than last year. Hence, a fall inacreage is expected to limit production in 2012-13,” it added.The city-based research agency said that a projected growth inoutput of livestock, forestry and fisheries, along with a modest 4per cent rise in production of minor crops, is expected to lift growthof the agriculture sector to 2.4 per cent in 2012-13.The kharif cultivation of foodgrains and oilseeds has been sluggishdue to delayed rains. To boost the cultivation of these crops, theCentre had announced a steep increase in their minimum supportprice (MSP) last month.



against Rs 10,578 crore in 2010-11. In dollar terms, the exportgrowth was 29 per cent at $3.22billion against $2.49 billion lastyear, said Mr A. K. Gupta, Ad-visor, Agriculture and ProcessedFoods Exports DevelopmentAuthority (Apeda). The lowergrowth in dollar is due to a weakrupee.In the current financial year, too,exporters hope to sustain thegrowth momentum on robustdemand. “At present, exportsare around 3,00,000 tonnes amonth,” said Mr Anil Mittal,Chairman and Managing Direc-tor of KRBL, the country’s larg-est exporter, which owns theIndia Gate brand.Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UnitedArab Emirates were the threelarge export markets during2011-12, Mr Gupta said.Non-basmati exports have alsokept the same pace as the aro-matic rice. Their shipments haveexceeded 5 million tonnes so far.Total rice shipments, includingboth basmati and non-basmati,were 7.3 mt in 2011-12, makingIndia the largest rice exporter,said Mr Vijay Setia, formerPresident of All-India Rice Ex-porters Association.The truant monsoon has slowedplanting of non-basmati variet-ies in North India as the sowingperiod is almost over, said Mr

Farm productionneeds to rise 60% by

2050: UN agency

World farm productionmust rise 60 percent by

2050 to meet the needs of agrowing population but this hasto happen in "a more sustain-able way," the UN food agencyFAO and the OECD said."It's mostly going to be aboutproductivity," Angel Gurria,head of the Organisation for Eco-nomic Cooperation and Devel-opment (OECD), said at a pressconference in Rome, explainingthat farmland area would increaseonly slightly.World farm production hasgrown at 2.0 percent a year inrecent decades but the rate isexpected to slow to 1.7 percenta year, the joint report said.Despite the slowdown, the rateis to exceed expected demo-graphic growth, meaning thatfarm output per inhabitant willgrow by 0.7 percent a year.

Setia. He expected farmers toswitch to basmati as the plant-ing goes on till August 10. Also,better returns from basmati mayaid the trend as prices have shotup by almost 60 per cent overlast year, Mr Setia said.Last year, basmati rice wasplanted on about 15.5 lakh hect-ares in Punjab, Haryana andUttar Pradesh.

Clove : This is an internation-ally traded spice!Colombo the centre ofthe trade!Cloves market crashes onsupply glut!“In India, there are no buyersof cloves, all are sellers; so,many investors have cargo withthem now. Hence, India is un-likely to import cloves for atleast 5 months. In fact, big In-dian and Indonesian buyers areout of the market,” they said.

The cloves market continuedits fall as supply out-

stripped demand with Colombocloves sellers offering Rs 525 akg, while it was Rs 501 a kg in

Delhi. There are said to be onlysellers, according to the trade.In the producing countries, theprices reported to “havedropped to $7,500 a tonne whichmeans the landed cost will cometo Rs 475 – Rs 500 a kg,”upcountry market sources say.If the current trend is any indi-cation, the prices are likely todrop to Rs 350 a kg very soon,they claimed. Sellers overseas are“waiting for India to buy, but itwill not happen as many areholding stocks bought earlier athigh prices”, they said.The Indonesian crop this yearis estimated to be at around90,000 tonnes and the crop isexpected to arrive in the mar-kets next month. The priceshave now dropped to $7,500 atonne and that is likely to gradu-ally fall to $6,000 a tonne. TheCigar companies are said to bewaiting for prices to drop tosuch levels, they said.Indonesian government is re-ported to have banned importsof cloves, to safeguard the localfarmers and so that the cigarcompanies would buy fromfarmers. “This step will be a bigblow to international clovestrader farmers, as the biggestbuyer will be out of the mar-kets”, they pointed out.India is estimated to have a stockof over 3,000 tonnes. The In-dian output last season was ataround 1,400 tonnes, accordingto growers in Nagercoil regionof Tamil Nadu. The growers inTamil Nadu and Kerala have

Vietnam is a big riceexporting country!

Prices edge up; Thairice eases!

Vietnamese rice prices edgedhigher this week, despite a

rise in supply, supported by agovernment stockpiling plan,while Thai rice prices slippedbecause of thin demand, traderssaid. Vietnamese exportersstarted buying summer-autumnpaddy under an industry stock-piling scheme, but the exportmarket remained largely lifeless,traders said.

claimed that the current pricesare not remunerative given thehigh cost of production.Indian consumption is estimatedat 12,000 – 15,000 tonnes andthe country is a major consumerof cloves and as the normal in-digenous production is esti-mated at somewhere between1,500 – 2,000 tonnes. India con-tinues to remain a net importer.

World farm meet inSingapore!Brings together corpo-rate sector involved infood!

The two-day World Sustainable Agriculture Congress

got under way in Singapore.The conference is designed tobring together the global corpo-rate sector involved in the foodvalue chain, includingagribusiness, academics, andpolicymakers to discuss the so-lutions needed to achieve sus-tainable agriculture for futurefood security, according to theorganisers.Among the speakers, some haveIndia as their research and work-ing base. Mr Partha R. DasGupta, Principal Advisor,Agronomy, Syngenta Founda-tion for Sustainable Agricultureof India, has been working in thecountry for a long time.Since 2005, he has been runninga number of projects aimed atstrengthening the livelihood se-curity of small farmers throughthe transfer of appropriate tech-nologies. Several of the modelsand approaches first tried outwith the projects in India werelater adopted by other SyngentaFoundation projects in Africaand Asia. He is active in agricul-tural research and extension to



US major agri crop!

CornThe crop may fall prey to ̀ worst US drought’! US worried!

The worst U.S. drought sinceRonald Reagan was president

is withering the world’s largestcorn crop, and the speed of thedamage may spur the governmentto make a record cut in its Julyestimate for domestic invento-ries.Tumbling yields will combine withthe greatest-ever global demandto leave U.S. stockpiles on Sept.1, 2013, at 1.216 billion bushels(30.89 million metric tons), ac-cording to the average of 31 ana-lyst estimates compiled byBloomberg. That’s 35 percentbelow the U.S. Department ofAgriculture’s June 12 forecast,implying the biggest reductionsince at least 1973. The USDAupdates its harvest and inventoryestimates July 11.“The drought is much worse thanlast year and approaching the1988 disaster,” said John Cory,the chief executive officer ofRochester, Indiana-based grainprocessor Prairie Mills ProductsLLC. Corn rallied 18 percent inthe month through July 6 on theChicago Board of Trade to $6.93,trailing only wheat among 24commodities tracked by the Stan-

dard & Poor’s GSCI Spot Index,which rose 2 percent. The MSCIAll-Country World Index of eq-uities advanced 4 percent, and thedollar gained 1.3 percent againsta basket of six currencies in theperiod.Treasuries returned 0.5 percent,a Bank of America Corp. indexshows. Corn for December deliv-ery in Chicago extended the rallytoday, jumping 5.3 percent tosettle at $7.30.About 53 percent of the Midwest,where farmers harvested 60 per-cent of last year’s U.S. crop, hadmoderate to extreme droughtconditions as of July 3, the high-est since the government-funded

U.S. Drought Monitor in Lincoln,Nebraska, began tracking the datain 2000. In the seven days endedJuly 6, temperatures in the regionaveraged as much as 15 degreesFahrenheit above normal. Soilmoisture in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,Missouri and Kentucky is so lowthat it ranks in the 10th percen-tile among all other years since1895. Fields are parched just ascorn plants began to pollinate, acritical period for determiningkernel development and finalyields. About 48 percent of thecrop in the U.S., the world’s larg-est grower and exporter, was ingood or excellent condition as ofJuly 1, the lowest for that datesince 1988 and down from 77percent on May 18, governmentdata show.“Corn yields were falling five bush-els a day during the past week” inthe driest parts of the Midwest,said Fred Below, a plant biologistat the University of Illinois inUrbana.

ago-biotech regulatory policy,biodiversity and IPR.Dr Etienne Duveiller, currentlythe Principal Scientist atCIMMYT of Mexico, is sched-uled to return to India later thisyear in order to lead the researchactivities at the newly estab-lished Borlaug Institute forSouth Asia (BISA).

Indo-Japan CooperationJapan keen on DMIC-like corridor in SouthIndia!

After its $4.5 billion towardsseed capital for the Delhi

Mumbai Industrial Corridor(DMIC), the Japanese Govern-ment is now keen on developinga similar corridor in south India.Simultaneously, talks are on atthe official level to develop aneastern corridor and connect itto Dadri in Uttar Pradesh as ameeting point with the DMIC.Mr Amitabh Kant, Chief Execu-tive Officer and Managing Di-rector, DMIC DevelopmentCorporation Ltd, said that theDetailed Project Report of theproposed southern corridor isbeing undertaken by Japan andshould be ready before the meet-ing of the Prime Ministers ofboth the countries in December.“There is a huge Japanese inter-est in the southern corridor. Thisis because India has become thecentre for compact car manufac-

turing. The Japanese are inter-ested that the cars made in Indiabe exported,” he said.However, he said the proposedsouthern corridor has severalgaps, the main one being goodsgetting held up in Chennai andEnnore ports. Importantly,there needs to be smooth move-ment of goods produced inKarnataka to ports in the South.Official level talks have come tothe conclusion that there is littlescope to develop a dedicatedfreight corridor or a high-speedcontainer train lane in the Southlike in the case of DMIC or evenin the proposed eastern corri-dor.Therefore, the aim now is to re-duce logistics costs in the regionby moving goods fast throughan 8-10 lane highway from dif-ferent parts, includingKarnataka, to ports in TamilNadu. Meanwhile, the develop-ment of an eastern corridor isbeing considered mainly keep-ing in mind the farm belt.

Campco : Cocoa farming andcocoa processingHigh water contentdrags wet cocoa beanprices!

High water content in wet cocoa beans has made Cen-

tral Arecanut and Cocoa Mar-keting and Processing Coopera-tive Ltd (Campco) to lower itsprice to Rs 33 a kg.Mr M. Suresh Bhandary, Man-aging Director of Campco, saidthat due to the high water con-tent, the cooperative has fixedRs 33 a kg for wet cocoa beans.Earlier, the price was Rs 40 a kg.He said water content is more inwet cocoa beans after the rainsstarted. (This means 100 kg ofwet cocoa beans, which yielded33 kg of dry beans in summer,yielded 24-25 kg of dry beansduring the rainy months.)Stating that the cooperative triedto maintain the price of Rs 40 akg, he said in recent days it gotseveral lots of wet cocoa beans

whose yield was below 25 percent. “Proportionately webrought down the price by Rs 7a kg,” he said, adding: “We havenot reduced the rates of drybeans. If the growers supply usthe dry beans, we give them theprice of Rs 135-140 a kg.”

World’s top oilseed prices fall!Global soya outputforecast cut! Why?

World soyabean productionmay climb 13 per cent in

the 2012-13 crop year on biggerharvests in Brazil and Argentina,less than predicted last monthafter US crop conditions dete-riorated, industry reseacher OilWorld said.Prices for the oilseed will prob-ably fall in the November-to-February period on prospectsfor rising South American pro-duction, if weather is favourableduring planting and growing, theHamburg-based company saidin an email report.


AGRICULTUREIndustry Survey

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Publisher's NotePublisher's NotePublisher's NotePublisher's NotePublisher's NoteIndian agriculture is changing!

New challenges! Next stages what?Shrinking share in GDP, rising share in international trade a realityAlso, the other challenges, climate change, drought, slowdown of the economy andmuch more new realities agriculture sector, farmers, policy makers have to face and copewith.

Yet, one more challenge, this time a happy and positive change, we at the VadamalaiMedia, is working on the new IT revolution. Readers must have noticed in the last

few months a reshuffling of our pages; we have brought to the front the once-back pages!Why?We have had this change coming for quite some time.Our online entry, with our agri website (www.agricultureinformation.com) is now morethan a decade long and it had reached a critical mass. We now have visitors population thatexceeds one lakh and odd, to be exact one lakh and ten thousands.Readers/visitors are very much welcome to browse though our website and see whatchanges have come about in the last decade, what interest agriculture and agri-relatedproducts and services hold interest for the visitors.Now, there is a whole new world of demands, products and services and even issues in theagriculture sector that draw such a steady crowd, so to say.Agriculture in India is no more a playground for woolly policy makers, and more so forpolicy talkers. In the name of agriculture reforms, we have held the poor and almost largeill-informed farmers distributed over wide different geography of this great country, aboutturning them almost a new generation of serfs. A new generation of food production robots.Indian farmers are on an average all uniform debtors. This debtor class is even now nothaving any real future.Anyway, the persisting plight of debt-ridden farmers, the suicide-prone agriculture poli-cies and practices is evidence enough what we see is not very exciting.So, in this current context of changing Indian agriculture scenario, yes, there is a risingproduction of foodgrains, rising export demand for Indian agri products, mainly wheat andrice, what we need to do is to put agriculture on a need-based rising curve.Let us now see what the people want.The Vadamalai Media online activities, in which the agri website is now the growth enginereaders can have a clear idea what the people, distributed across the globe really want. Ourwebsite is a barometer of sorts to know what the agri sector can deliver and how we can addvalue-added services to the agri sector.There are vast opportunities for everyone, yes, really for everyone engaged in agricultureor everyone who has a piece of landed property can now think of new opportunities in thiscritical sector.No, other commodities boom is also opening up new opportunities.But for so long agriculture sector is a closed shop.It was a playground of the rhetoric!Even the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council can turn its attention from suchregressive legislation like Food Security Bill that got stuck in Parliament now for the rightreasons. Why universalise right to food. The right to food, to life, education and a corrup-tion free government are all now legitimate rights of the citizens.What is new about the right to food?It is sheer populism. It is irresponsible populism that had hit the government finances sobadly that now Indian faces an economic slowdown.Can anyone in the NAC give a solution to the slowdown?So, we have to be a bit realistic, stand on the ground and not talk too much about woollypieces of legislation that could get the government stuck in the mud, as it has already nowdone. The PDS are working fairly well in most states and let us improve it. Let us focuson problem areas and problems pockets, malnutrition etc.As for the future, one path is clear and sure.That is the e-commerce as an emerging business and economic and entrepreneurial world.It is better to stand by private initiatives, private sector investments and let the marketoperate, let there be an open and free market environment. Let us pull back our evangelistsfor some time!


Agriculture: the big picture!

EditorialEconomy slowdown: who denies, who acknowledges?

Bring in the best talents!

From outside, from the corporate worldThe corporate captains of sorts!

So that there can be some action, more investments, more confidence and more trust in what the government does.

There are any number of credible names. One K.V.Kamath, oneDeepak Parekh who are all speaking out their minds on issues thatare also weighing on the minds of the common man.If you read the Indian newspapers or see the TV channels the newsis all about small matters, day to day newsbreaks. Monsoon fail-ures and such things don’t make for news in India, not in themainstream newspapers. Or, if it is, it is relegated to inside pages.At best, it is all about technical details, El Nino from the Pacificoceans and here too the robustness of telling the true state of affairsis qualified for line after line. The only best piece of news or newscommentary came from Ashok Gulati, who heads the Commissionfor Agricultural costs and Prices.At least we hear this year's monsoon could be a repeat of the 2002,the IMD forecast normal long range weather (by 101% but thereality turned to be a rude shock, The same for another droughtyear: 2009.This year too, from all accounts, that is accounts thatare not even reported widely let alone discussed, nor we hear anyconcern from the high and mighty in Delhi, the current droughtcould be a repeat of the past such events.Not from the PM nor from his deputy at the planning commission.Two ministers now left: their gaffes!So, all we have left are the two ministers, Salman Kurshid andP.Chidambaram. The duo were in Bangalore, we don’t know onwhat mission but both helped to spill the beans so to say. Kurshidat least spoke his mind out, though in an indiscreet manner! In amanner of speaking he reflected the mood of the people. The PMdoubling up as the FM is not going to cause any miracles! For the

most simple reason, those who are going to implement the PM-cum_FM's thoughts, not to say they are in what ways any well-thought out new policies?Back to Salman Kurshid. The law minister also spilled the otherbeans. He said the PM couldn’t show the direction nor might notbe so efficient this time. So let us bring in the star, Rahul Gandhiwho, Kurshid said candidly so far played a cameo role. Small roles,now and then.So, we have to wait for the star, Rahul, till he is ready to take over.Came the reactions from the Opposition immediately.

The BJP spokesperson, Ravi Shankar Prasad, said the ruling partyat last acknowledged the fact that Rahul is nowhere now and he isin no mood to assume the leadership of the party or the govern-ment. But came the reactions of other parties, with some ideologi-cal backgrounds like the SP. The SP spokesperson, Shahid Siddiquisaid that Rahul has no leadership qualities, nor has he any ideologi-cal moorings. What does that mean? It means a lot of things.Even Kurshid almost said the Congress party has no ideologicalfocus. The party doesn’t have any core belief system.It must have an ideology, after all.This, the party now lost out to various forces that are anything butcore belief systems. Of course, the Congress party immediatelytried to rebut the Opposition attack but it was very muted.To be frank, the very Congress party itself is now depleted of anytalents. What it is left with are all opportunists or at worst syco-phants.

World food production is growing 2 percent per year!Global food production would rise and in a sustainablemanner! UN agencies predict!

The two global agencies, one UN agency, one FAO and theother, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Develop-

ment (OECD) have come out with new perspectives on the worldscenario and the food needs of a world population.FAO head, JosenGraziano, OECD head, Angel Gurria said in Romethe other day that by 2050 world would be needing something like605 more food production to sustain the population and growth ofthe world economy.They are all hopeful that this goal can be achieved. How? World farm production has been growing at two per cent per year!In recent decades this seems to be the more optimistic big picturestory! But at the same time, the rate is now expected to slow tosomething like 1.7 per cent a year. But despite the slowdown thefarm production rate is expected to be ahead of the demographicgrowth rate. Then, there is, as the agencies say, vast spaces of landin Latin America and Carribean and sub-Saharan Africa to raise theproductivity of agricultural lands. Why, even in India the scope forraising farm productivity is immense.Unfortunately, so far in India agriculture sector production is onlyour focus, productivity is not year a focus, to say the least. See thewasteful ways, the wasteful uses of water, land, why even energy,

free electricity supply to farms is more politics than economics.As pointed by new observers, from the world banking industry inseveral countries of the world, especially the new emerging so-called "breakaway" nations, there is no commitment to time, prom-ise or time or even financial integrity.Why so much large scale corruption in India?So suddenly and so vast where even the key ministers are involved?There must be some deeper analysis.That is one more reason why our peoples’ standard of living is stillway behind such countries like China, Malaysia and other Asiannations. Our per capita income is 1,500 dollars. In China it is al-ready 5,000 dollars. So, where we underperform?We not only underperform, we also pretend a lot. We don’t openlytalk about our own underperformance. We reset to denial!So, as far as farm productivity is concerned there is vast scope evenin India. So, the global challenges on the food front can be met andmet with some little efforts here and there. Our farm productivityoutlook must change. India is a farm scenario where large scalesmall farmers are the reality. So, more greenhouse farming technol-ogy, high value crops, of course modern food supply chains, FDI inmodern retail chain would only improve farm efficiency, only wouldensure timely payment etc. What we have done so far is simplynot enough. One reason is the lack of awareness among the averageIndian farmers. Why farmers must undertake to take their produceto the urban markets?No need at all. Farm gate collection and even instant payments can

Yes, we have sufficient food stocks, so the availabilityand the prices could be managed, inflation could bekept under tight leash?There is no such deep reflections from the ministers,bureaucrats nor from the party headquarters.So, who is talking of these weighty matters?


Sharad Pawar's Revolt!

Editorialbe integrated into any modernsupply chain technologies.This is the age of mobile tech-nology applications! So why notfarmers be the best informedpersons in the country?What new ideas and innovationsfrom our farm universities.We mean by way of modern agrimanagement practices?Every agri university must have an agri management course andthere is lots of room for field level hands on experience for manag-ers from the farm sector. As it is we are only talking about big,overblown big, and too big to be of any social impact, privateconglomarates, ITC, Godrej and others in the farm sectors.

They don’t innovate, they don’tshare their profits.Those days are gone.Green house farming is the fu-ture for a variety of crops and anew series of farm services, forfarmers who can’t manage thefarms themselves open up newemployment opportunities forfarm youth, highly educated andseeking modern life style.

Indian farming has great potential. So, we can imagine how muchmore potential is there for the global food needs.Africa and Latin America the Caribbean are still virgin soil.So, let us end with so much optimism for the farm front!

We need modern Western European type farmer-friendly production structures. Be it floriculture as inNetherlands or Denmark or France or as in the USAwhere farmers are highly patronised by the govern-ment. Of course, agriculture subsidy is a big issue.Here too the government is stuck in an old mindset.

Only about food subsidies and fertilizer subsidiesand power subsidies.

What about price support, insurance backed newinvestments in new technologies.

The next two years!

Till the next General Elections in 2014!Critical for very many big projects to take-off!Labour unrest, big infrastructure projects likeDelhi Metro Express PPP model, Chennai-Bangalore IndustrialCorridor etc.,

FDI, India-China, India-Japan and South Korean industrial ventures all need to be tackled on a war footing!

Is there the will-power? The political vision and the leadership?In fact, there is only 19 months for the next General Elections inIndia. Already there are tensions of a basic natures are building upin the Indian polity. For one thing, Pranab Mukerjee has beenelected as the President. So, there is a depletion of talents in thegovernment and the Cabinet in particular.Sharad Pawar, the agriculture minister and also a heavyweight leaderin his own right in Maharashtra as well as at the national level hasrevolted against the Congress and the government. He had pro-tested for the way he is treated and had, as reports say, sent in hisresignation from the Cabinet. So too his other colleague, anothermember of the Cabinet, Praful Patil from the Nationalist Congressparty(NCP)the key ally in the UPA.Now, the way things are happening in the Congress there is everypossibility that Rahul Gandhi might be elevated as the party presi-dent or vice-president as well as a member of the Cabinet.Before the euphoria of the son rising is celebrated, Pawar had struck.This has dampened the mood in the Congress party.Now, whether this government would last out the rest of the termis a big question. There are many contenders for the Prime Minister'sjob. Yes, the top job had been reduced to the street fight for theobvious reason that Manmohan Singh had devalued the high office.His government would go down as the most corrupt of the entireIndependent India's history. Now, for Sonia Gandhi to act as if sheis still the leader of the party andthe government seems a bit comi-cal. So, as Pawar had complainedin his letters to Gandhi and Singh,that the Congress doesn’t con-sult its allies, all key appoint-ments, be it Governors or nomi-nations for the Rajya Sabha havebecome the playthings for SoniaGandhi.

She acts, with no majority, she needs some one hundred and oddmore MPs for her to survive in politics, and she is behaving as ifshe is a sort of the infamous French Queen! So, what to make ofSingh's own unconcern or own dream-like existence to say that thenext stage of economic reforms would be on the way!It is very unlikely. The man is so office-grabbing conscious; hedoesn’t speedily assign the finance minister's portfolio to a newcomer. He is continuing to hold on to this job also!So, what we saw when Pawar sent in his resignation?Pawar's letter reaches Sonia at 5.30 PM on July 19(2012).Around6.10,that is hardly after 40 minutes Sonia rushes her adviser, AhmedPatel to Pawar’s residence to plan with him.This is the first time Sonia has acted so fast!As Pawar was unrelenting, both Sonia and Singh started acting stillfaster! Sonia wanted to meet Pawar the very same evening. TheMaratha strong man was unwilling. So, the next day he went to seeSonia who pleaded with him to stay on in the job.How Pawar can is by far the most senior and the most politicallypowerful. His junior, Sushil Kumar Shinde, a Sonia favourite but anobody in the faction-ridden Maharashtra politics, is now to be-come the leader of the Lok Sabha.Pawar is also now faced with the prospect of taking orders fromRahul, a greenhorn, even at his age of 42 and this only might haveprovoked Pawar to act. Another event, rather the trigger, was thatin the Cabinet the second slot so far occupied by Pranab, was takenover by A.K.Antony. Though a very honest man, Antony, com-pared with Pawar is a lightweight as well, even in his own Kerala.So, simply being a hatchet man of Sonia Gandhi is no more a factorthat would play in favour of any ministers.It is all now over. From now onwards, it is pure and simple blatantpower politics that would decide things.Even Mulayam Singh Yadav seems to have started making noisesfor an early election to the Lok Sabha. He wants to cash in his ownrecent triumphs on the national scene.

So too, Mamata Banerjee whohas now threatened the Congressby saying she would go it alonein the next elections. The pointis that political stability an alsopolitical legitimacy are critical forthe Indian government to surviveand also to deliver on the manypromises Singh is making as if itis a routine job!

Let the Prime Minister, if he reads these lines, at leastknow that in India there are others who really want

India to get inspired by China, Japan and SouthKorea before we aspire for our American Dreams!

Indians need to learn much from the Chinese,Japanese and South Korean companies, in so many

new technologies, be it infrastructure projects,railroads, highways, speedy rail technologies,

tunnel drilling or such other large-scale housingprojects etc.


Personal View

America, an open democracy?

India, a closed democracy?Democracy demands legitimacy and genuine talents!Current political scenario doesn’t point to what is urgently needed to strengthenand stabilise the democratic values!

The latest issue of Time magazine has exposed what Indians orrather those tied to the establishment had thought as the bestkept secret. Dr.Manmohan Singh is best suited to be thePrime Minister. Learned, dutiful and of course very reliableand competent. All these virtues he might claim to be his

own. But what the Time did is to raise some legitimate doubts. Heis after all an underachiever, observes the criticism of the IndianPrime Minister.But now in America you can say all these things even about theAmerican President. But somehow in India you don’t say thesethings; of course you don’t say this about the Prime Minister. Andof course also not about Sonia Gandhi.Somehow we in India have learnt to be, not just overtly polite butsomewhat diplomatic, that is we keep a safe diplomatic silencewhen it comes to be about our rulers. Oh, we in India has had a longhistory of putting up with rulersof various sorts an hues, from thegood old days of the Mughals tothe mighty British, that was ofcourse long ago of course but some-how the old memories and old hab-its die hard.What we inherited from the Brit-ish, to bow and salute the rulerscontinues to this day. That is longafter great men and women likePandit Nehru and Indira Gandhiare all gone for long. Of course,Indira Gandhi is put in the sameleague as her father.Now, what is the position?"Gentlemen, we don’t have money, so let us start thinking of ideas,new ideas" was the tone with which the Luce book opens.It rang a bell in me! Wasn’t that sort of tone we needed today, inIndia?In India everything seems to be a closed world. We after all, after allthe last 8 years or so of Singh's rule, do we know anything moreabout him, his background or his thinking at least? Likewise do weknow anything about Sonia Gandhi, her background, her thoughts?No, not at all!Or for that matter about many others who are almost part of thepicture? Of the government and the party?No, not at all. But in America? In UK for that matter?Yes, we seem to know everything, we seem to know much morethan what we needed in India!The Obama Administration, yes, they like that, not like here, asObama's government! Nor like David Cameron's government ei-ther. So many of Obama's key members of his government had lefthim, even Lawrence Summers, one of America's brilliant economicbrains left Obama so soon. Here? No one leaves the governmentonce they come in. Even after they retire, re-retire, like PM's keyaides in the PMO get reappointed in some capacity or other. Noone questions the PM's wisdom!

That is how he, the PM, has now landed intoone more controversial appointment. He appointed P.Chidamabram,the Home Minister as head of the EGOM.Is this right or legiti-mate?The PM doesn’t seem to care for observing even some basic normsof governance. Of course, all this must not be new to foreign admir-ers of Singh whom Obama called once as "guru" to the rest of theworld. The point is that things have lately become rather moredifficult for Singh, the economy is faltering, Pranab Mukerjee, thetrouble shooter is out and also, the new challenges, price-fixing forthe new telecom policy, the 2G scam etc have led to a depletion oftalent in the government, so many ministerial vacancies are keptunattended to and also the political fixation for the Prime Ministeras to how he should deal with Sonia Gandhi with her own mindelsewhere, whether her son, Rahul Gandhi might take over or not,

the PM is really a confused manat the moment.So to dub him as an underachieverby the Time magazine is really abig snub.But then what is poltics? It is ahighly difficult field and what isreally surprising is that in Indiaboth Sonia Gandhi and ManmohanSingh got the prices hiked.The average politician is also notvery much interested in his or herown past. Most politicians comefrom rural areas; almost all of themmust have some piece of land hold-

ings. And yet, poor souls, these policy makers don’t have a clue toagriculture future. So, the field is wide open for bureaucrats and agriscientists and others to talk and do whatever they think right.The Prime Minister is his typical academic way talked of the "ani-mal spirits". Actually, what we need today is to unleash the trueentrepreneurial spirits of the young and others engaged in the agri-cultural sector.Any entrepreneurial activities we have now in the agri sector is bythe big corporates. No, this needn’t be anymore.So much populism is now crowding the sector.Oh, there is any number of NGOs and others, most of them thriveon government handouts, in terms of grants and prizes and foreigntravel, to earth summit and gene campaign, much green activistsand others.This needn’t be anymore being the true legitimate area for agricul-ture prosperity.Too much talk of poverty, too much talk of hunger and what haveyou. The online revolution, the power of the Internet, the mobilerevolution...all can be deployed to reach the needy and the poorand the enterprising in the agri sector.

V.IsvarmurtiFounder & Chairman,

Agriculture & Industry Survey

Let us learn lesson!Just now I read the latest biography of Barack Obama, yes,

I only rushed through the pages but I got an idea how long

and how varied was his background. I am sure many might

have read more about Obama. I also laid my hand on the

very interest latest book on America, America’s relative

decline by Edward Luce (Time to Start Thinking.

America and the Specter of Decline, 2012)

and that made a deep impression.


View from the VillageView from the VillageView from the VillageView from the VillageView from the Village

How this decade would run out?

The demographic dividend will help India?India and China compared!

India's rural/urban populations transform themselves in the next10-15 years?

H ow the demographic dividend, the benefits of a youngpopulation would impactthe economy and society?

Slowing down of the majoreconomies! There is this worry everywhere,in the USA, in Eurozone countries, in theIndian situation and now China too facesthis challenge. In this situation how Indianscene does play out? How this decade hasbegun? The demographic dividend: has thetransition begun well? For the young Indi-ans? For the older Indians?There is often too much talk about the so-called demographic dividend. India is oftentouted as the young country with morepeople in the younger age group. More thanhalf the population is said to be below theage of 25. More than 65% of the populationis below the age of 35.But then what have this demographicadvantages brought about? For thegreater good of the country and soci-ety?According to demographic experts,more than 400 million young Indianwill enter the labour, working agegroup in the next 16 years. Writesone keen observer of the scenario: inspite of the advantage India has overothers, including China, where alreadythere is evidence that there is a labourshortage, there is a rise in wages, thereis a rise in demand for more urbanhousing and the average age of the popula-tion is showing signs of an ageing popula-tion. There is much coverage on these top-ics about China.Now, there is also the new concern about aslowing down of the Chinese economy.In a new book by Ruchir Sharma, an econo-mist working with the international investbank, Morgan Stanley InvestmentManagement,(Breakout Nations,2012) it isdetailed about changes in the emerging mar-kets of Asia and elsewhere, notably in thenew markets like Russia and Mexico, not tospeak of India and China.The key point detailed is about how theeconomies of the two countries, India andChina, are comparable and also distinct.In one or two critical observations, the riseof the rich billionaires in India and China,much that we witness today is the rise oflarge scale corruption, political and corpo-rate corruption in India goes untackled, sofar. While in China it is tackled with a stronghand if the billionaires list goes up or theirindividual accumulation of wealth crossesceiling.Also, the political scenario is also very dif-ferent in the two major emerging markets.

In China two recent high profile expulsionsfrom the Communist party is an indicationthat though China might be a party dicta-torship there is no tolerance of corruptionon a large scale.While in India we allow or have long al-lowed political bigwigs, may be ruling partybigwigs as well as the bigwigs of the alliancepartners in the ruling coalition, to such an

extent that corruption goes unpunished inIndia while it is punished in a ruthless man-ner in China. This applies to both politicsand corporate sectors. While in India exceptfor the recent high profile and large scale 2-G corruption scandal where many bigcorporates and the high profile ministers andparty MPs were thrown into jail for longtime.How the polity and the economy wouldtransform themselves into one of opportu-nities for the younger generation?There seems to be no clear answer.An observer notes that our current leader-ship, mostly drawn from the older agegroups are unwilling to learn any lessonsfrom the contemporary world, namely fromthe contemporary economies and societies.As on date there is a concern about theworldwide slowdown.Is the recession over?No one has pronounced any clearer answer.India is supposed to have one of the largesteconomist’s elite and the Prime Minister isreputed to be a very competent economist.Yet, we are not told how the next say,10-15years, the period in which the current 25age group would attain a very active work-

ing population and that would swell oururban, working middle class population toalmost as much as from the current 400 mil-lion to nearly 80 million.What we can be sure is that what had hap-pened in China, to its urban migration, itscurrent labour shortage, its current real es-tate bubble like scenario etc might follow inIndia as well.

The current per capita income inChina is now 5,000 dollars whileIndia's is 1,400 dollars. So, India isrelatively still a poor country com-pared with China. Also, China's repu-tation as the fastest growing economyis now fading. It is currently aneconomy which is described byRuchir Sharma as a "middle incometerritory".In October, 2010, The Economist car-ried a cover story titled "How India'sgrowth will outpace China's"...Now,India's growth has been on the de-cline, right? In Asia, it is pointed out

by many that Indonesia and Philippinesgrew at a faster pace, in the first half of thisyear. The point is that India in the next 10-15 year period would have to grow at a ratethat no one in India can ensure, would beanything at 8/9 per cent. May be we have toassume a lower rate.Also, considering how the Indian sociologi-cal environment is conspiring against theyouth brigade.The old refuse to give way to the young.A PM is at 80 still at the helms, a Presidentat near 80 holds forth, also others, ministersnot knowing what he reads out at the UNmeant for his Portuguese counterpart halfway through!A Home Minister gives to Pakistan a wronglist of terrorists! And now the telecom scamsfrom which when we would recover.Corruption reigns high, most youth poli-tics, MPs and others seem to be family heirs.Is this a democratic society? Will the youthpower, dormant still today, rest content withits future and destiny or will India see anArab-type Youth Spring? May be!

V.IsvarmurtiFounder & Chairman,

Agriculture & Industry Survey

Agriculture industrial survey

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