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A British farm robot firm fights for survival after a major investor pulls out and highlights the difficulties of raising investment in the agritech sector to expand a business.
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AgriTech Bridge powered by Barclays Eagle Labs funded by UK Government
In collaboration with CodeBase, we have developed a new programme, AgriTech Bridge, that brings together some of the UK’s leading corporations and most promising startups. This programme allows some of UK’s biggest firms to share experiences and connect and learn both with peers and startups working in the industry.
Whether it’s farm gate solutions, supplier forecasting, waste management, or sustainable packaging – data and digitisation are key to understanding and securing the food supply chain.
In today’s fast and sometimes volatile food supply chain, disruptive innovation is necessary from field to fork in order to help the industry to survive.
How is the programme delivered?
The programme is delivered via a combination of virtual and in-person sessions once a month over a 10-month period through a series of themed meetups that brings together business and industry experts as well as leaders from established food supply or agriculture companies and startups to work towards a sustainable food supply chain.
Each of the ten modules is designed to expose food supply chain businesses and the AgriTech start-ups to core strategic thinking and best practices and will cover relevant topics that ensure a valuable exchange about innovation.
Technology can help redefine food production systems, however we understand how hard it is for larger food supply chain companies and startups to work together to help tackle some of the challenges the industry faces. Through the Eagle Labs AgriTech Bridge programme, we help surface these challenges to collectively come up with new solutions to age-old problems.
Who’s it for?
The programme is aimed at corporates and startups involved at any stage of the food supply chain, from field to fork.
Through monthly physical & virtual meetings in a safe, innovative space we’re able to share ideas and combine expertise around specific shared challenges to work towards a sustainable solution.
Startups
Food supply or AgriTech startups or startups whose products, services or innovations can be applied to the food supply chain will be able to build deeper domain expertise and meet larger businesses from the industry to expand their network and potentially provide solutions or proofs-of-concept for larger businesses.
Established businesses
Incumbent businesses are introduced to new technologies, practices, skills and cultures to help transform and accelerate innovation in their business.
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A UK-ETHIOPIA collaborative project aims to deliver a game changing solution to improve energy access and food security in a rural and off-grid region in Ethiopia through the use of satellite data.
The project, funded through Innovate UK Energy Catalyst Round 9, involves a cross-sector consortium including Crop Health & Protection (CHAP), LENKÉ: Space & Water Solutions, Arba Minch University and CABI.
In Ethiopia, rural communities make up 70% of the population yet currently have less than 20% energy access compared to urban areas. The need is accentuated by the current energy crisis, with increasing fossil fuel costs crippling the use of stand-alone diesel generators for irrigation. This, coupled with extreme drought, has made it near impossible for many farmers to grow and harvest crops, resulting in significant food insecurity across many parts of Ethiopia.
One of the challenges of providing electricity to rural communities is estimating the energy demand for the likes of irrigation. For mini-grid developers and renewable energy providers, having access to accurate demand forecasting technology is critical to avoiding under or over investments.
This project therefore focuses on estimating energy demand for small-scale hydro, wind and solar mini-grids that would power irrigation systems in rural areas by utilising LENKÉ: Space & Water Solutions’ state-of-the-art technology, SWIFT (Soil Water Index Forecast Technology). SWIFT is developed by modelling a combination of satellite, climate and statical data to predict soil moisture concentration at different soil depths.
CEO of LENKÉ, Dr Lensa Jotte, said: “The objective of this project is to provide a decision support tool for the application of renewable, affordable, and sustainable energy sources to off-grid, marginalised communities in Ethiopia.”
“We will use earth observation data to identify, plan and monitor mini-grid installation. The upscaled SWIFT will act as a powerful tool within the growing Ethiopian energy market in order to de-risk mini-grid investment in communities.”
Senior International Business Development Manager for UK Agri-TechE Centre CHAP, Dr Jenna Ross OBE, said: “I am proud to be leading a fantastic international multidisciplinary team to deliver this game changing solution that will improve energy and food security in Ethiopia.
“The project will be targeted towards Garda Marta, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region, a community based 140km from Arba Minch town. Historically, farmers in the area have used diesel pumps to drive irrigation, however, due to the current energy challenges and extreme droughts, have been unable to afford this. The impact of this is significant, with many farmers unable to harvest their crops for the last six seasons leading to sever food insecurity.”
An associate researcher at Renewable Energy Technology Research Center at Arba Minch University, Eng. Beyene Feye, said: ‘‘The project will contribute a significant role in response to the sustainable development goal of zero hunger and access to affordable energy. The adoption of renewable energy sources such as small/mini-hydro, wind and solar are identified as eco-friendly energy sources, and optimal utilization of these resources can minimize environmental impacts.
“The proper design and optimisation of energy sources by using on-ground truth data can be validated via the application of cutting-edge technology of SWIFT. I am delighted to be a part of this fanciful international team with diverse education background working on the same goals to solve the problems of rural communities.”
Research Scientist and Programmes Manager with CABI, Dr Negussie Efa, said: “The project aligns very well with the government’s aspiration and plan to mitigate challenges related to reliance of the agricultural sector on rainfall, as well as complements the green economy development efforts of the country. The project will be piloted among a farming community who have been experiencing frequent crop failure due to shortage of rain and are in dire need of interventions that promote affordable energy sources and irrigation technologies.
“It is my sincere belief that bringing together international and local teams of experts will undoubtedly lead the project to success. The lessons and experiences from the pilot area have great potential to be scaled up and out to other regions or the country.”
To find out more about this project, contact CHAP at enquiries@chap-solutions.co.uk or visit www.chap-solutions.co.uk
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Ground sensing technology TuberScan – developed by agri-tech business B-hive Innovations and partners – is entering its final phase of testing both overseas and now in the UK following the start of this year’s weather-delayed potato growing season.
In its current iteration, the TuberScan system comprises of a bespoke ground penetrating radar (GPR) system, GPS units and in-field and remote sensors, backed up by computer vision and AI, which provide detailed information on potato crop growth characteristics and performance.
The system also detects where each potato has been planted, to go beyond traditional sampling methods conducted by growers.
The four-year research and development project has been funded by Innovate UK across two different research programmes. B-hive has collaborated with nationwide potato supplier Branston Ltd, The University of Manchester and Harper Adams University to create demonstration units.
Effie Warwick-John, project manager on TuberScan at B-hive Innovations, is confident that the project is on track for a successful final season, which has commenced with field trials in Mallorca and Lincolnshire.
“The trials in Spain enable us to check that our equipment is working accurately, with enough hardware stocked ahead of the UK growing season to allow for damage to prototypes during testing. It allows us to determine which hardware choices are best suited to the start or end of the season as conditions change and foliage develops.”
“We are experimenting with ground-penetrating radar systems (GPR) that can operate to a high accuracy despite having a relatively large air gap between the sensor and the soil, providing a great balance between ease of mounting and quality of data.”
In the UK, trialling has been in three fields owned by David Armstrong Farms in Lincolnshire to collect additional testing data.
David Armstrong said: “As a grower, I would like to learn as much about my produce as possible. Ensuring its quality, variety and yield size is crucial to help me make informed decisions around the growing process and understand the marketable yield.
“It’s exciting to see how modern methods of monitoring root crop performance could soon become the norm and it’s imperative that we keep waste to a minimum. From first-hand experience we believe that TuberScan can be a key component to achieving this.”
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The recruitment of a Plant Biologist and Synthetic Organic Chemist comes at a key time for SugaROx. Enabled by recent success with its Seed Round and two grant applications, the new appointments to the R&D Team will be based in Harpenden and Oxford for access to cutting-edge research facilities.
‘The addition of Dr Soheila Bayat to our team increases our capacity to expand our wheat field trials to international markets and launch work on four additional crops’, explains Dr Cara Griffiths, SugaROx CTO. ‘After a few years developing my knowledge and skills in academia, I was looking for an opportunity to turn science to impact’, says Soheila. ‘The chance to make a real difference to farming practice is one of the key things that attracted me to this role with SugaROx’.
‘Dr Rob Jenkins will work on the refining and upscaling of the synthesis process for our active ingredient (AI) and test new AI concepts in our pipeline’, complements Cara. Since completing his PhD, Rob worked for 4 years in pharma designing key building blocks and developing and scaling up synthesis routes for active ingredients. ‘The challenge of ensuring sustainable world food production is a monumental one, and I am excited to apply my knowledge and skills to help solve that’, says Rob.
‘On the more commercial front, our new board members bring additional experience and connections to augment and complement our team’s capabilities’, says Bianca Forte, SugaROx Business Development Director. For Mark Robbins, SugaROx CEO, the combined experience in science-based and agri-tech ventures of the new board members is also invaluable for fund raising.
Paul Rous, Founder and Managing Director of Regenerate Ventures, has founded four VC funds launching, scaling, and exiting tens of companies. He is also actively involved in his family’s 4000-acre arable farm in Suffolk. ‘Biostimulants have a key role to play in helping farmers increase crop productivity and resilience, and I know from my farming activities how important that is’, says Paul. ‘SugaROx has a team with the commitment and experience to make a real difference in this space’.
Dr Andrew Muir, Fund Principal for the £100M UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund, is a chemistry alumnus from the University of Oxford. Andy started his career in research and business development in industry then pivoted into the venture capital space where he specialised in launching and scaling spin-outs from academia. ‘I am excited to work with a technology that span-out of my home university to deliver global impact on food security and climate change’, says Andy.
Rob Hill, Director of Innovation and Commercialisation at Rothamsted Research, manages the commercial activities of the Institute and its interest in SHAKE Climate Change, the UK’s research-led seed investment programme for agri-tech start-ups with a positive impact on climate change. Before joining Rothamsted four years ago, Rob worked in the private equity and venture investment sectors. ‘Having closely followed SugaROx, both as a Rothamsted spin-out and a SHAKE portfolio company, I am delighted to join the board at such an exciting stage of development’, says Rob.
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The fear was that genuinely innovative businesses would be punished for offences committed by others. To some extent, those concerns have been acknowledged in the Spring Budget 2023.
In the Budget Statement, the Chancellor announced that for expenditure from 1 April this year, loss-making SMEs with a minimum R&D intensity of 40% will be eligible for an enhanced payable credit of 27p for every £1 spent on eligible R&D. This is a big increase over 18.6% net benefit rate for other loss-making SMEs.
In this instance, the 40% benchmark for R&D intensity will be calculated as the ratio of the company’s qualifying R&D expenditure set against its non-Corporation Tax deductible total expenditure over the same period.*
The qualifying R&D expenditure is defined as expenditure that is eligible under the existing R&D tax schemes.
Once the legislation is in place, eligible SMEs will be able to claim the credit at this higher rate through their CT return but the legislation may not be voted into law until Summer 2023. In the meantime, however, claimants will have to initially claim the payable credit under the lower 10% rate and amend the claim at a later date or delay submission of their claim until the Finance Bill is enacted.
This new measure equates to a 27% net benefit that will have a positive impact on some of the UK’s most innovative businesses. MMP warmly supports this move, but remains disappointed that genuinely innovative SMEs continue to remain unprotected from the slashing of the R&D Tax Credit announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, ostensibly to reduce fraud and abuse.
The large scale abuse of the R&D tax scheme is a significant problem that requires addressing but to continue to do so at the expense of those who are compliant is not only short-sighted, it is unnecessary. There are far more effective tools the government has at its disposal for targeting fraudulent claimants and MMP will continue to seek for their consideration and inclusion.
*Total expenditure for this purpose will be calculated from the total expenses figure in the profit and loss (P&L) account, adjusted by adding any amount of expenditure used under s1308 Corporation Tax Act (CTA) 2009 and by subtracting any amount not deductible for CT purposes.
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Visitors to Morley and people who live locally are noticing a new arrival in one of our fields. Dr Georgina Barrett, the research scientist from BBRO overseeing the project hosted and funded by TMAF, describes what’s going on, why, and how.
“The UK government has set a Net Zero target for 2050. Net Zero is when the amount of greenhouse gas emitted is equal to that captured. Agriculture has a key role to play in reaching this target as plants and soil can capture and store large amounts of carbon.
Measurements Matter
Measuring emissions in agriculture is important to understand how close to Net Zero we are and what can be done to reduce emissions and increase carbon capture. Some aspects are straightforward such as using more efficient tractors and less fertiliser. But understanding the emissions from crops and soil is much more challenging. This is because the emissions are on a field scale and can be heavily influenced by the weather and soil properties. At a small scale, chambers the size of a lunchbox can be used to measure emissions. But this doesn’t really capture the scale and variability of a whole field.
To measure emissions at field scale we use flux towers. These look like a met office weather station but have more sensors. In addition to standard weather sensors measuring rain, temperature, humidity and windspeed, the flux towers measure a range of soil parameters including soil temperature and wetness as well as the light intercepted by the crop.
Most crucial is the gas analyser which measures the amount of CO2 in the air and coupled with the rest of the sensors, and using some complex calculations, can give a measure of the CO2 being emitted or taken up across a whole field.
This is all remotely recorded and uploaded via a phone network so data can be analysed and checked regularly. The large number of sensors means that the system requires a lot of power, and this must be generated on site as the towers are not in a location that enables access to mains power. For this reason, a large solar panel is required to ensure the system has the power it needs to reliably run.
A typical crop cycle will see CO2 being emitted from the bare soil before the crop emerges. This then declines as the plants grow and take up CO2 for photosynthesis. This uptake increases further as the crop grows and produces more biomass.
This baseline measure of CO2 will be used to understand emissions from different crops as there is data lacking on crop emissions on a field scale. In addition to this there is another flux tower in a neighbouring field at Morley which will be used to compare emissions from different management practices. To start with, ploughing and a cover crop (a crop grown purely to enhance soil health) will be compared. In addition to this the sugar beet crop will be monitored to ensure it remains healthy and yields well.
The towers will be in place for 18 months to capture emissions from the sugar beet crop and into the following wheat crop. They will then be relocated to capture another sugar beet crop, with this process happening 3 times in a 6-year period. By the end of the project the data will be used to guide best practice with regards to greenhouse gas emissions on farm and help direct future agricultural policy concerned with Net Zero and soil health.”
Find out more about TMAF’s Carbon Monitoring in Sugar Beet.
This story has been submitted by an Agri-TechE member.
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The integration of aeroponics into large-scale controlled environment agriculture (CEA) spaces is a step closer to commercialisation, following the first stage of a feasibility study funded by Defra and UKRI.
The 21-month project is led by LettUs Grow Ltd, supported by Agri-TechE Innovation Centre, Crop Health and Protection (CHAP), and focuses on the design and prototype of a fully functioning advanced Aeroponic Rolling BenchTM system.
The aim is to finesse the technology to enable growers to install it into existing automated growing set-ups, such as hectare-scale greenhouses and indoor farms.
Initial work suggests a promising future for the bench system – functionality has been proven across various crops, and constructive feedback received from industry experts for future design iterations.
Temi Odanye, Lead Project Engineer for LettUs Grow, led the installation for part one of the study at CHAP’s Vertical Farming Development Centre at Stockbridge Technology Centre. She said: “The journey to creating a new product is always a steep learning curve. These trials provided us with a rare opportunity to test the first prototype’s integration and performance within an existing vertical farming facility.
“We were pleased with the simplicity of the installation process and have already collaboratively identified areas for further improvement in the design. The preliminary growth cycles across four different crops and two different growing media have now provided us with initial design assurance, proven functionality and produced some encouraging indicative growth results.”
LettUs Grow’s unique ultrasonic aeroponic technology is a method of growing plants without soil, where roots are suspended in air and irrigated using a nutrient-dense mist. Aeroponic technology was previously only available in containerised farming systems, restricting its impact for commercial scale UK food producers.
For the study, the bench system was run alongside hydroponic versions within CHAP’s vertical farm. An exclusive showcase event was then organised to gather feedback from UK industry experts including glasshouse growers, construction experts and vertical farmers.
Dr Harry Langford, Innovation Lead at CHAP, said: “In the wake of rising commodity prices and a pressing need to meet Net Zero targets, horticultural growers across the country are keen to explore novel solutions that can help them to achieve continuous improvement in their operational and environmental efficiencies.
“Our existing hydroponic rolling benches represent commercial best-practice, so it has been a pleasure to work with LettUs Grow to install their benches within our farm and conduct a series of validation trials across four microgreen crops to demonstrate comparative performance.
“Stakeholders have been impressed by their performance so far and we are excited to test further design iterations over the coming months.”
Part two of the study will demonstrate the commercial viability and value at scale, and help to reinforce the benefits of aeroponics, which include bed-level control, reduced water consumption and minimised pest and disease pressure.
For more information about this project, contact CHAP at enquiries@chap-solutions.co.uk or visit www.chap-solutions.co.uk
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Today is the launch of the Agri Procurement Alliance. It is a ground-breaking collaboration between the UK’s three largest agricultural buying groups; AF Group Ltd, Fram Farmers Ltd and Woldmarsh Producers Ltd, all with equal interests, focused on delivering better value, service, and expertise for our members.
By working together, the new alliance will be a powerful influence in the rural supply chain for our 6,000 Members.
We have all felt the recent shifts and uncertainty in supply chains. Adjustments and consolidation in, for example, the fertiliser supply chain continue and these are affecting manufacture and distribution.
APA has been established in response to these developments and to better meet the needs of Members of AF Group, Fram Farmers and Woldmarsh.
To start with, APA will focus on fertiliser and share the benefit of procurement as three buying groups.
You can discuss your fertiliser requirements and give us your forward/early orders in the usual way. We will aggregate your order with those of others and secure product and delivery to get what you need ready for when you need it.
Read our answers to our Members’ and suppliers’ Frequently Asked Questions about APA.
The establishment of APA in no way dilutes the independence, identity or distinct propositions of the three buying groups. The boards of the three founders of APA – AF Group, Fram Farmers and Woldmarsh – are very clear of our very distinct memberships, served and supported in different ways.
With AF, and through APA, we are sure you will see that for fertiliser procurement we are now in an even stronger position to serve you with expert independent advice and best value crop nutrition for the seasons to come.
David Horton-Fawkes AF Chief Executive
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As an indoor microgreen grower, you understand the importance of maximising your crop’s productivity while minimising the use of harmful agri-chemicals. That’s why we are excited to introduce you to our revolutionary seed treatment technology, powered by cold plasma.
Cold plasma technology has been proven to improve germination rates, promote healthier plant growth, and shorten crop cycles. Our seed treatment technology delivers these benefits to indoor farm growers, helping you to achieve higher yields and more profits.
What’s even more impressive is that our technology achieves these results without the use of any agri-chemicals. That’s right, zero chemicals. This means that your microgreen crops will not only be healthier and more productive, but also safer and more sustainable for the environment and your customers.
Here are a few more benefits of our cold plasma seed treatment technology:
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The economics of the food chain are broken and farmers pay the price. Farmers buy high, sell low, and the empty produce shelves we saw at the turn of the year show that the situation is unsustainable. In February 2023, FutureFarm launched its newest innovation, Collective Deals, a reverse auction for the agtech industry. In the latest podcast episode, CEO Florian Ritzmann dissects the game-changing early findings, and what the data says about farmers’ online buying behaviours in the digital age.
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Harvest AI are thrilled to announce that they have recently joined PwC’s Scale | AgriFoodTech programme led by PwC Belgium as one of ten scale-ups. Over the next few months, we will be collaborating closely with PwC and other enterprises in the Agri & Food industry in a 10 week programme of masterclasses, pitching events and much more.
This is a fantastic opportunity for us to connect with fellow scale-ups, share ideas, and work together towards a more sustainable future.
We can’t wait to be inspired, make new connections, and establish partnerships within the European Agri & Food business community.
Stay tuned on LinkedIn for more updates on our progress!
Small Robot Company
Barclays Eagle Labs
UK Agri-Tech Centre Ltd
B-hive Innovations Ltd
SugaROx
MMP TAX LTD
British Beet Research Organisation
AF Group Limited
Zayndu Ltd
Future Farm
Harvest AI GmbH