By: ICN Bureau
Last updated : February 15, 2024 7:52 pm
International Crop Science Conference & Exhibition 2024 (ICSCE 2024) in Dubai witnessed the participation of 1,200+ agrochem professionals
The 18th edition of the Pesticides Manufacturers & Formulators Association of India’s (PMFAI) “International Crop Science Conference & Exhibition 2024 (ICSCE 2024)” received overwhelming response from the agrochemical industry of India and overseas countries.
Held in JW Marriott Marquis Hotel, Dubai on February 8-9, 2024, ICSCE 2024 witnessed the participation of 1200+ registered delegates and 2500+ footfalls. The events also saw 91 companies showcasing their products to a global audience.
According to organiser, delegates from countries all over the world including – Argentina, Australia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Belgium, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Guinea, Ghana, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malwai, Morocco, Myanmar, Nigeria, Netherlands, Oman, Poland, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Turkiye, Tanzania, Tunisia, USA, UAE, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and Zambia attended the event.
Welcoming the delegates, Pradip Dave, President, PMFAI, highlighted the journey of the event since its inception in 1997 in Mumbai. “ICSCE is an international trade platform for Agrochemicals, Agri Biological and allied products industry, to develop strategic and sourcing relationships with international companies and to get updated on current trends of the market. The objective of the event is to improve the health of Generic Pesticide Industry and to bring the researchers in the field of agriculture, pesticide manufacturers, agrochemical traders, agricultural biological industries and allied industries under one roof.”
Elaborating further, Dave said ICSCE has today emerged as a Premier Agri Inputs event connecting the entire spectrum of agrochemicals, agri biological and agriculture sector. “In 1997, when PMFAI organised the first ICSCE, the export of agrochemicals from India was Rs.270 crore, which now reached Rs. 45,000+ crore. ICSCE provided opportunity for business expansion by way of joint ventures, bilateral trade, sub-contracting/contract manufacturing and distribution and networking opportunities for buyers and sellers to benefit mutually.”
Extending the vote of thanks at the end of the inaugural session, Deepak Shah, Vice President, PMFAI & Chairman, Crop Care Federation of India thanked all sponsors, exhibitors, speakers and all participants for their active participation and support to the event.
The two days’ event hosted renowned Pesticide scientists, Biological products and industry experts, who gave presentations on various important topics, brief details of which are as given below:
Seed and Crop Nutrition is need of the time: R.K. Goyal, Managing Director (South Asia, South East Asia, Australia & NZ), Verdesian Life Sciences & Cytozyme Labs Inc. USA highlighted the importance of seed and crop nutrition to cope with the future demand of quality foods. Goyal’s presentation focused on Developing seed coating segment as Biologicals in India for Cytozyme Seed+ product, enhancing seedling vigor and maximizing crop yield and Integrated Nutritional Management.
Future Development of Crop Protection Market in Middle East and Africa: Dr. Derek Oliphant, Partner, AgbioIncvestor delved deep into the important insight into future development of crop protection market in Middle East and Africa through a presentation. He also talked about future market drivers and the role of changing dietary habits affecting the demand of various Agri Farming inputs.
Harnessing Indian Manufacturing to address Tectonic shifts in Global Manufacturing for Synergy & Collaboration towards China Plus One policy: Jitendra Mohan, Chief Operating Officer, Willowood Chemicals Ltd. talked about harnessing Indian manufacturing to address tectonic shifts in global manufacturing and strategy for Indian industries to take advantage of China plus one policy.
Registration Procedure of Biologicals in India: Dr. Athreya Devanur, Executive Director, AgriLife India Pvt. Ltd made a presentation on Registration procedures of Biologicals in India and the recent developments relating to the Bio-stimulants through Central Bio-stimulants Committee.
Climate Smart Agriculture with the help of Biostimulants: Reza Jivani, Director, Vikas Crop Care discussed how to overcome climate changes and generate maximum yield using biostimulants as agri inputs which is a boon to the agriculture industry.
Biological Crop Protection – Addressing Food Safety, Crop Protection & Quality: Komal Shah Bukhanwala, Director R&D and IP, SML Limited talked about various aspects of Biological Crop Protection.
Status of Indian Crop Protection Industry & Global Situation: Atul Churiwal, Managing Director, Krishi Rasayan Exports Pvt. Ltd. updated the audience on the status of Indian Crop Protection Industry and global scenario. He opined that India is in a better position to provide crop protection products globally as compared to China. Churiwal also talked about the threat from climate change which is adversely affecting grain production.
Latest Technologies from Indian in crop/balanced nutrition: Rahul Mirchandani, President, Indian Micro-Fertilizer Manufacturers Association (IMMA) & Chairman, Aried Agro Crop Science highlighted the latest technologies from India in balanced crop nutrition and also emphasized on the importance of chelation technology. He also gave a brief about IMMA, an association representing Indian Micro Fertilisers Manufacturers, existing for the last 4 decades.
Compatibility of Co-Formulants with Gram-Negative Bacteria and Fungi Strains: Jan Chrominski, Senior Technical Service and Development Specialist, Dow explained about developing compatibility between microorganism and Co-Formulants and critical challenge linked to biological formulation besides performance criteria (wetting, dispersing).
Precision Agriculture – The Integration of AI and IoT: Cmdr. Dr. Reji Kurien Thomas spoke on integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). This cutting edge approach empowers farmers with data-driven insights, enabling informed decision-making for optimizing crop yields, conserving resources and curtailing environmental footprints. AI serves as the brain, analyzing copious data from IoT sensors scattered through the farming landscape – monitoring soil, moisture, crop health and meteorological patterns to facilitate real-time adjustments and predictions.
Present and Future Scenarios of Biofertilizers: Dr. Aman Sharma, Director, Agrella Crop Science Pvt. Ltd. deliberated extensively on the role of biofertilizers, their requirement, differentiation of biofertilizers with other alternatives. He gave an insight into the Indian Bio-fertilizer market and emphasized on the significant role of biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture.