The Agriculture Ministry and the Israel Innovation Authority have announced a joint program to assist in the development of advanced technologies to improve Israel's food security.
For the program's pilot, 8.6 million shekels ($2.7 million) in grants will be awarded to six Israeli agro-tech startups. A second call for proposals was released on Tuesday and is open until March 20.
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"Agro-tech is an important field and has a real impact on the future of the world through a variety of cross-sectors, such as climate, food security, and sustainable agriculture that allows less use of pesticides and high nutritional values," CEO of IIA Dror Bin said.
"The purpose of the program is twofold: to provide an opportunity for the first implementation of advanced technologies for Israeli startups and to allow Israeli citizens to enjoy the innovation developed locally," he added.
Among the six companies selected for the pilot are BioFishency, which is developing an automated system for the treatment of industrial fishing ponds; Agrint Sensing Solutions, which is using seismic sensors for early detection of caterpillar infestations in fruit trees; ALTA, a drone company that is working on a solution for precise spraying of plant products; and Salicrop, which is treating seed to make them more resistant to extreme weather conditions.
"We are investing in this project while thinking about our future, and through agro-tech, we will be able to overcome the challenges of tomorrow," Agriculture Ministry Director-General Naama Kaufman-Pess said. "Food security is our responsibility."
Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.
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