Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

AALP Class 14 International Study Tour - Saturday, February 23, 2013

AALP Class 14 had an early start to our day as we made our way to the city of Pune. Pune is a growing city of over 5 million people. (http://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/mtdc/HTML/MaharashtraTourism/D...) Compared to Mumbai, it looks like a small town.  This city has many universities and towns as well as motorcycles.

After what seemed like ages, we finally reached our first destination, Semex. Semex has been in India for less than a year and has formed a joint venture with Provet Genetics. The dream of this joint venture is to increase local milk production per cow to levels near that of Canadian production.  The parent company for Provet is Baramati Agro Ltd. This company works on many portfolios such as poultry, sugar, and commodity trading. Though the Indian government regulates many aspects of agriculture, this company is very positive in its long term growth.

After a good discussion with Semex-Provet we were treated to pizza India style - that is to say vegetarian including corn niblets, not a pepperoni to be seen. 

Our tour then took us out of Pune and to a dairy that is working closely with Semex-Provet to improve its herd's genetics. The farmer who was formally trained as an engineer "saw the light" and focused on farming, specifically on dairy production.

The land in this area certainly looked more fertile than the area that we visited yesterday. For instance we saw fields of sugarcane, bananas, wheat, and a variety of horticultural crops. The scope of agriculture is truly amazing considering that most farms are 2.5 Ha (5 acres) in size.

 

Todd Austin, Kim McCaw, Teresa Wilbur – AALP Class 14 bloggers

Views: 554

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by OntAG Admin on February 24, 2013 at 5:54pm

Comment by Roadrunner on February 24, 2013 at 5:52pm

Thanks for sharing the pictures and tweets.

I am enjoying learning about India and how the farmers there operate.

Comment by Moe Agostino on February 24, 2013 at 10:08am

I am wondering if anyone asked about the prices the farmers get for milk, grain etc and how that compares to North American prices?

Thanks,

Moe

Comment by Joe Dales on February 24, 2013 at 9:06am

Comment by Joe Dales on February 24, 2013 at 9:05am

Comment by Joe Dales on February 24, 2013 at 7:06am

Check out the photos from the AALP India Study Tour.

http://ontag.farms.com/photo

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

UFA Expands Crop Services with Ponoka Acquisition

UFA has acquired Ponoka Fertilizer to expand crop services, strengthen local expertise, improve product access, and provide greater support to agricultural producers across the region.

FMC Launches New Harvest Dry Down Herbicide

FMC Canada has registered PrecisionPac® FH 20 herbicide, offering growers a new solution for improved crop dry down, easier harvesting, better weed control, and cleaner fields.

Canola Growers Urged to Scout Blackleg

Blackleg is a serious canola disease. Using crop rotation, resistant varieties, field scouting, and proper monitoring can help protect yield, quality, and farm profitability.

K-State plans three meetings to outline winter canola management

Kansas and Oklahoma canola growers will have three opportunities in early August to learn how the crop fits into profitable, sustainable cropping systems across the Great Plains. Kansas State University Extension canola breeder Mike Stamm will present on a variety of performance factors while others will share the latest information on winter canola management and marketing opportunities. The schedule includes: Aug. 4 – Enid, Oklahoma. 9:30 a.m., Chisholm Trail EXPO Center, RSVP to jrsholar@aol.com. Aug. 5 – Cimmaron, Kansas. 10 a.m., Gray County K-State Extension, RSVP to canola@scoular.com. Aug. 6 – Kingman, Kansas. 10 a.m., Kingman Expo Center, RSVP to canola@scoular.com. The Kansas meetings are sponsored by Scoular, which in 2023 recommissioned a grain processing facility in Goodland, Kansas to crush canola and soybean seeds. Stamm said winter canola continues to play an important role in Kansas and the region as a rotation crop with wheat and other small grains, helping farm

K-State watershed specialists, livestock experts emphasize importance of water sources

Water is likely the most important nutrient in raising livestock, and yet Kansas State University Extension cow-calf specialist Jason Warner says it is often the most overlooked. “A big reason why many of our pastures and rangelands go underutilized is simply due to a lack of access to high-quality, abundant water resources,” Warner said. Warner said many beef operations in Kansas and similar regions do not have abundant groundwater or access to rural water systems. Instead, they rely heavily on surface water sources to supply their cow-calf herds, stocker cattle and replacement heifers. Springs, ponds and other natural sources such as creeks and streams are a critical part of the ranch’s bottom line and long-term sustainability. “If we think about a ranch or an operating unit that has underdeveloped water resources versus one that has developed and high quality and abundant watering resources, that can certainly add a tremendous amount of value to that operation just in and of itse

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service