Today's Agriculture Pulse
Corn‑based biopolymer ‘plantymer’ promises sustainable plastic alternative
Scientists from China and the Netherlands have created a corn‑protein biopolymer called “plantymer” using a spider‑silk‑inspired process. The material, derived from the protein zein, offers silk‑like rigidity and strong moisture and oxygen barriers, and it degrades up to 80% within a month in simulated soil.
Also developing:
New £50m Fund to Bring AI and Robotics to UK Farms
UK's government and private investors are committing roughly $62.5 million to accelerate AI, robotics, and biological innovations on farms. The Investor Partnerships initiative will co‑fund up to 12 tools, with $10 million public money matched by $50 million private capital. Projects include FA Bio's living biopesticide for wheat and oilseed rape and Rhizocore's native‑fungus program to boost tree resilience and carbon capture. A further $6.3 million springboard fund will be launched in 2026 to help high‑potential agritech firms scale.
Is Cultivated Meat Better for the Planet? This New Study Confirms Climate Impact
A new peer‑reviewed life‑cycle assessment by Czech startup Bene Meat Technologies and the Czech Technical University shows cultivated meat can emit as little as 3.3 kg CO₂e per kilogram, with a baseline of 5.3 kg CO₂e/kg—far lower than conventional beef (≈98.6 kg) and...
Water Troughs Could Become Frontline Defence in Early Disease Detection
A new study by Charles Darwin University’s Research Institute for Northern Agriculture shows that environmental nucleic acid (eNA) testing of cattle water troughs can detect bacterial and viral signatures linked to livestock disease. The research compared four sampling methods—syringe, cartridge,...
Happy Plant Protein to Build $7M Facility in Latvia to Deploy Extrustion Tech at Industrial Scale
Finnish food‑tech startup Happy Plant Protein is investing €6 million ($7 million) to build Europe’s first dry‑extrusion plant in Latvia. The greenfield facility will process locally sourced legumes and cereals into up to 5,000 tonnes of high‑value textured vegetable protein each year, with...
China's Food Security Policy Fuels Global Fertilizer Scarcity
China is prioritizing food security over producer profitability That keeps fertilizer cheap at home while exporting scarcity to global markets. China has a strategy The US hauls Bessent into a WH press conference to make false promises about $3 gas by September
Urea Outlook Brightens with 250,000t From Indonesia
Incitec Pivot Fertilisers has signed a deal with Indonesia’s PT Pupuk Indonesia to import about 250,000 tonnes of agricultural‑grade urea into Australia for the May‑December cropping window. The shipment represents roughly 20 % of the nation’s remaining fertilizer requirement for the current season, helping offset...
Strait of Hormuz Crisis Should Catalyze African Biofertilizer Production (Commentary)
Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted synthetic fertilizer shipments, exposing Africa’s reliance on imports that account for up to half of its supply. In response, the Dangote Group is set to triple its output to 9 million metric tons...
GROWMARK Agronomists Embracing AI
GROWMARK has partnered with Intelinair to embed an AI agent within its myFS Agronomy app, allowing agronomists to process massive data sets in minutes. The AI-driven tool promises better seed placement, in‑season risk management, and tailored product guides. By automating...
World Bank Forecasts 2026 Commodity Lows as Fertilizer Prices Surge 26%
The World Bank’s April 2026 Commodity Markets Outlook projects aggregate commodity prices to hit six‑year lows by year‑end, even as fertilizer costs surge 26.2% in March. An oil surplus of 1.2 million barrels per day drives the broader decline, while geopolitical...
Another Week of Increases for Broiler Sets, Placements
The USDA reported that 255.581 million broiler‑type eggs were set this week, a 3.011 million increase and a 2% rise year‑over‑year, with hatchability holding at 79.4%. Placements rose to 197.431 million chicks, up 492,000 from the prior week and 3% above the same...
Relay Cropping Boosts Corn Yield and Soil Health
Same field behind my house. Last year 75 bu wheat with 25% seeding rate and 75 bushel soybeans. This year going to 104 day corn… to set it back up for next year. If you do the math 75/75...
Economist Says Many 2027 Fertilizer Decisions Will Be Made Soon
CoBank farm‑supply economist Jacqui Fatka warns that U.S. fertilizer buying decisions for the 2027 season will be locked in this summer. The timing is driven by heightened uncertainty from the ongoing U.S.–Iran conflict and the upcoming USMCA renegotiations that could...
Pig Stunning Options Raise Welfare and Processing Tradeoffs
The EU‑funded PigStun project compared carbon dioxide, argon and helium for stunning pigs at commercial speeds. While all gases caused aversion, CO₂ produced the quickest loss of posture, whereas argon and helium extended both loss‑posture and excitation times. Argon and...
Science Enables Viable Alternative to Inefficient Meat Production
For 12,000 years, we've been cycling crops through animals to make meat. It's one of the least efficient production systems on Earth, and also one of the most consequential: climate, deforestation, antibiotic resistance, pandemic risk. @BruceGFriedrich has spent a decade building the...
Vietnam‑China Agricultural Trade Hits $20.9 Bn, Spurring Cold‑chain Logistics Investment
Bilateral agricultural trade between Vietnam and China rose to $20.94 bn in 2025, driven by a 41.1% jump in Vietnam’s exports to China. The surge follows 33 signed agreements, new protocols on product standards, and a joint push to expand cold‑chain...
‘Forest 500’ Report Tracks Coffee Industry Deforestation Commitments
The 2026 Forest 500 report, compiled by Global Canopy, finds the coffee sector lagging behind most commodities on deforestation metrics despite modest gains in public commitments. Only 47% of evaluated firms disclosed a coffee‑deforestation‑free pledge, and merely 5% reported that over...
Interplanting Dual Crops Boosts Yield and Margins
What is the phi philosophy? Plant sequencing is the understanding of plant phenotyping (expressions) created with lower plant densities overlayed with the equity of interplanting. Together 2 different crops create more margin through dual revenues and the synergies created. Eliminating the...
French Corn Acreage May Drop 10‑15% Amid Cost Surge
🇫🇷Corn area in France could fall 10-15% on the year amid high fertilizer and energy costs. France's annual corn plantings are only about 4% of what the USA plants, but it plays an important role regionally, accounting for around one-fifth of...
Forecast Performance of RMA Expected Yields: Comparison of Yield Projection Methods
The study comparing four county‑yield projection methods for 2015‑2024 finds the Risk Management Agency’s (RMA) own projections are the least accurate across corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton and rice. A 5‑year moving average that excludes the minimum yield delivers the smallest...
US Soy Crush Hits 2nd Highest March
🇺🇸NOPA U.S. crush, March 2026: ▪️226.161 mln bu of soybeans ▪️2nd highest for any month; +16% YOY ▪️Below avg trade est (229.978M) ▪️Soyoil stocks 2.039 bln lbs ▪️Below all trade estimates (avg 2.173B) ▪️Stocks at 13yr high for March https://t.co/eWZRN9BEi2
CF Industries Prioritizes US Farmers Over Profitable Exports
One of the big US fertilizer companies, CF Industries, has said it's "foregoing" more profitable exports, in favor of keeping nitrogen at home for US farmers this spring: https://t.co/Ch3Nd83bNR https://t.co/JwPgaISLb6
Verdant Robotics Expands Into Grass Seed and Sod, “Where the Weeds and the Crop Can Look Nearly Identical’
Verdant Robotics has extended its SharpShooter precision‑application system to grass seed and sod production, sectors where weeds closely resemble the crop. The tractor‑mounted platform uses high‑resolution cameras and machine‑learning‑driven 3D modeling to spray herbicide on weeds as small as 2 mm...
Agrizy Elevates Markish Arun As Cofounder And CTO
Agrizy, the Omnivore‑backed agritech CRDMO, has promoted its head of engineering, Markish Arun, to co‑founder and chief technology officer. Arun, who joined in 2022 after serving as Zoomcar CTO, will now lead the startup’s AI and tech roadmap, including its...
ITC Becomes First in India to Get FSA 3.0 Certification for Wheat and Paddy
ITC Ltd has become the first Indian company to secure the globally recognised Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA 3.0) certification for its wheat and paddy operations. The certification spans more than 22,000 acres across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, engaging roughly 3,500 farmers...
How AI Is Changing Food Supply Chains
The pandemic disrupted food supply chains, making logistics resilience critical. Because food is perishable, companies like CookUnity must guarantee precise, temperature‑controlled deliveries. AI platforms such as Blue Yonder now act as a “copilot,” boosting demand forecasts from 50‑60% to 80‑90%...
FranceAgriMer Keeps Soft Wheat Export Forecast Unchanged
JUST IN: FranceAgriMer maintains its forecast for soft wheat exports outside the EU without adjustments.
Mondelēz Creates Chocolate Bars Using Celleste’s Cell-Cultured Cocoa Butter
Mondelēz International produced a dozen milk‑chocolate bars using cocoa butter cultivated in a lab by Israeli startup Celleste Bio. The partnership proves Celleste’s cell‑cultured cocoa butter can match traditional cocoa butter in texture and melt, and positions the startup to...
USDA Relies on Century‑Old Metal Tube to Forecast Drought in Pacific Northwest
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service hydrologist Toby Rodgers used the historic Church Sampler metal tube in Washington’s Cascade Mountains to gauge snowpack and project summer water supplies. The low‑tech device, invented over a century ago, continues to underpin drought‑forecasting efforts...
Smart Rice Factories Revolutionize Farming in Ganzhou
Smart Rice Factories Transform Farming in Ganzhou by @XueJia24682 #AgriTech #TechForGood #Innovation #Tech #Technology https://t.co/kVD17Swpkp
AI System Funghii Helps Mushroom Growers with Crop Monitoring and Harvest Prediction
Heliovision, a Belgian machine‑vision specialist, launched Funghii, an AI‑driven system that equips mushroom growing cells with four cameras each to monitor growth metrics and predict harvest timing. The platform measures cap diameter, growth rate and mushroom count over the typical...
UK: Cavolo Nero Kale Sales up 12% as Demand Continues to Build
A.H. Worth reported a 12% increase in cavolo nero kale sales value and a 17% rise in volume year‑on‑year across UK retail. The growth is driven by rising consumer interest in fibre‑rich, scratch‑cooked meals and globally inspired dishes. The company’s...
Walmart Joins U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol in Sustainability Push
Walmart has become a member of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, a voluntary, science‑based program that tracks sustainability and traceability for American cotton. The protocol aggregates field‑level data across six metrics—land use, soil health, water management, greenhouse‑gas emissions, energy use...
India: Saffron Research Lab Inaugurated in Telangana
Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University has opened an aeroponic saffron research laboratory in Mojerla village, Wanaparthy district, with funding from NABARD. The facility will study cost structures, yields and technology interventions for saffron grown in a soil‑free, mist‑nutrient system....
"Let's Just Build the Farm Inside the Container"
Jason Brown pivoted from a stalled container housing project to launch FarmBox Foods in 2017, converting pre‑insulated shipping containers into fully automated vertical farms. By designing custom hydroponic systems and low‑energy electrical layouts, each unit runs on roughly 190 kWh per...
NABARD Includes Vertical Farming in Delhi's First State Credit Plan as Part of Urban Agriculture Push
India's National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) hosted Delhi's first State Credit Seminar, unveiling the capital’s maiden State Focus Paper (SFP) for 2026‑27. The SFP spotlights urban agriculture models such as vertical, rooftop and organic farming, and introduces...
"We're Excited to Bring the Farm Closer to Our Customers"
Swegreen’s Saga in‑store farming system will be installed at ICA Kvantum Brunnshög in Lund, opening in the first half of 2026. The vertical farm will grow fresh herbs and leafy greens on‑site, delivering pesticide‑free produce year‑round. By producing directly in...
Bangladesh: Bepza Hydroponic Facility Expected to Create 3,000 New Jobs
Green Pure Houseware (BD) is investing $30.47 million to build a hydroponic tent manufacturing plant in the Bepza Economic Zone, Mirsarai. The 22,000 sq m facility, allocated across six plots, will create about 3,000 jobs and begin production in March 2025. It will...
Chilean Kiwifruit Industry to Delay Harvest, Prioritize Quality
Chile's kiwifruit growers are postponing the harvest to late April, aiming for larger, sweeter fruit with a target Brix of 6.5. The delay follows unusually humid weather that has boosted berry weight and reduced the share of small‑size fruit. Harvest...
Can Digital Credit Unlock Investment in Smallholder Farms?
A randomized controlled trial in Ghana tested Farmerline’s digital input‑loan model for smallholder cocoa growers. The loan, capped at GHS 350 (~$75) and delivered digitally, raised input spending by about 11 % but did not increase yields or profits because many inputs...
US (IO): Graduate Student’s Research Aims to Provide Solutions for Organic Vegetable Growers
Graduate student Smriti Chaudhary at Iowa State University earned the 2026 Graduate Program Research Excellence Award for her work on organic vegetable production. Her research evaluated nylon‑mesh mesotunnels as insect‑exclusion structures and compared them with organic insecticide programs, showing reduced...
India Aims for Cocoa Self-Sufficiency by 2040 Under New Roadmap
India unveiled a 2026‑2040 roadmap to achieve cocoa self‑sufficiency by 2040‑41, aiming to cut annual imports of over $866 million. The plan calls for a National Mission on Cocoa, a Centre of Excellence, and the creation of 250 hectares of seed...
Drones Get Smarter for Large Farm Holdings
Singapore’s DroneDash Technologies and GEODNET have created a joint venture, GEODASH Aerosystems, to launch an AI‑driven agricultural spraying drone. The platform combines DroneDash’s computer‑vision system with GEODNET’s centimetre‑level positioning, eliminating the need for pre‑flight field mapping and enabling real‑time altitude...
Nearly 60% of U.S. Farmers Say Their Finances Are Getting Worse as Fertilizer, Fuel Costs Rise: Survey
A new American Farm Bureau Federation survey shows 58% of U.S. farmers say their finances are worsening as fertilizer and fuel costs surge due to Middle East shipping disruptions. Fertilizer prices jumped from $139 to $217 per acre, a 56%...
EU Deforestation Rule Spurs Corporate Supply‑Chain Overhaul, 68 Firms Cite EUDR
A Global Canopy report finds 68 of the world’s most influential commodity firms now reference the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) in their deforestation commitments, prompting wider traceability adoption. Yet only 19 companies meet the bar for comprehensive action, highlighting a...
India Gets Fertilizer Offers Near $1,000 as War Stokes Costs
India’s latest urea tender, the world’s largest nitrogen‑fertilizer buyer, received bids hovering around $1,000 per metric ton. More than two dozen suppliers, including Aramco Trading Co. and Ameropa Asia, submitted offers as the conflict in Iran pushes global fertilizer costs...
Regen Cotton Farmers Surge in India, Tanzania
The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) reports that more than 42,000 smallholder farmers in India and Tanzania now meet its Regenerative Cotton Standard (RCS) after independent third‑party verification. Approximately 5,000 farmers in Maharashtra, India, and 37,000 in Tanzania earned certification,...
SpinCo Executive Leadership Team Announced for Corteva’s Planned Q4 2026 Separation
Corteva Inc. unveiled the executive team for SpinCo, the advanced seed and genetics entity slated for a Q4 2026 spin‑off. Current Corteva CEO Chuck Magro will become SpinCo’s CEO, supported by six senior leaders including CFO David Johnson and CTO Sam Eathington....
Genvor Signs Strategic Partnership with Canlab International for Peptide Development and Manufacturing
Genvor, an AI‑driven peptide biotech, signed a non‑binding MOU with Canlab International to co‑develop and manufacture novel peptide therapies for weight management, anti‑aging and other wellness markets. The collaboration will launch about five candidates in 2026, with the option to...
Nordic Aqua Partners Increased Revenue in FY 2025 as Company Anticipates Full Run-Rate by H2 2026
Nordic Aqua Partners reported FY 2025 revenue of €12.9 million ($15.2 million), more than double the $7.6 million earned in FY 2024, as the land‑based salmon farm in Ningbo, China, moved past a geosmin‑related disruption. The company harvested 2,026 metric tons of Atlantic salmon and is...
Toast-Time Trade-Off Eases as Gene-Edited Wheat Cuts Acrylamide Risk by 93%
Scientists at Rothamsted Research used CRISPR to edit wheat genes, slashing free asparagine levels by up to 93% and thereby reducing acrylamide formation in baked and fried foods. Field trials over two years showed the edited lines retained normal grain...