Shorter Easter Week Prompts Tighter Supply
A shorter Easter processing week has sharply reduced sheep and lamb yardings across most Australian states, tightening national supply. In New South Wales, sheep yardings fell from 71% to 38% and lamb yardings dropped from 58% to 40% between the February‑March and March‑April periods. Prices responded, with heavy lamb up 32 c to about 1,134 c/kg (≈US$7.5/kg) and light lamb up 24 c to 1,163 c/kg (≈US$7.7/kg). Queensland was an outlier, with yardings rising, but overall market strength reflects a structural tightening beyond the holiday effect.
Sheepmeat Export Update March 2026
Australian sheep‑meat exports slipped 24% year‑on‑year in March 2026 to 42,656 tonnes, falling below the five‑year average. The United States emerged as the strongest market, posting a 21% increase and accounting for about 18% of total shipments. Exports to China fell...
We Need Diverse Farms, and Genebanks Can Help
A new Nature Communications meta‑analysis of 184 prior studies covering 120 years finds that farm diversification—through intercropping, organic practices and other agrobiodiversity strategies—significantly raises financial profitability, biodiversity, pollination, soil quality and carbon sequestration over a 20‑year horizon, without any measurable...
Gulf Food Security Needs Execution, Not Just Ambition
Supply chain shocks in the Gulf have reignited concerns over the region’s heavy reliance on food imports, a vulnerability first highlighted during the COVID‑19 pandemic. Giovanni Angiolini of Dutch Greenhouse Delta stresses that food security must shift from short‑term profit...
Drought Engulfs 60% Of U.S. As Farmers Begin Spring Planting
A NOAA report shows that 60% of the contiguous United States is in drought as the 2026 growing season begins. The southern belt faces severe to exceptional dryness, threatening sugarcane, rice, peanuts and fruit trees, while the Great Plains wheat...
Nestlé Partners with Soil Capital for Four-Year European Regenerative Agriculture Initiative
Nestlé has signed a four‑year agreement with Soil Capital to roll out regenerative agriculture practices across France, Belgium and the United Kingdom. The program will reach roughly 230 farmers managing about 13,000 ha of wheat, corn, barley and sugar beet. Soil...
DMEGC Solar Launches Enhanced Greenhouse Module Range with G12RT Cell Technology
DMEGC Solar, a Tier 1 solar module maker, unveiled its new Greenhouse module line built on G12RT cell technology, replacing the earlier M10RT platform. The G12RT series delivers a wide transparency range of 2 % to 50 %, letting growers balance crop lighting...
Gotham Greens Names Craig Stevenson as New CEO, Founder Viraj Puri Becomes Executive Chairman
Gotham Greens announced a leadership overhaul as founder Viraj Puri shifts from CEO to Executive Chairman and veteran Craig Stevenson assumes the chief executive role. Stevenson arrives from Lundberg Family Farms and brings senior CPG experience from Procter & Gamble,...
Across Africa, Farmers Are Adopting Regenerative Agricultural Practices that Support Food Sovereignty Amid Global Instability
Geopolitical tensions have driven up fertilizer costs, prompting African farmers to seek alternatives that bolster food sovereignty. Across Kenya, Burkina Faso and Mali, family producers are adopting regenerative agriculture, especially green‑manure cover crops, to restore soil health and cut input expenses....
Europe Is on the Cusp of Approving Gene Editing of Crops. Many Other Countries May Follow Soon.
European Parliament is set to vote in spring 2024 on allowing gene‑edited crops in the EU, ending three decades of stringent opposition to crop biotechnology. Industry leaders, such as Cibus CEO Peter Beetham, say regulators now view the technology’s risks...
Jon Trask on How Dimitra Is Bridging the Gap Between AI and Smallholder Farming
Jon Trask, CEO of Dimitra, says the company’s mobile‑first platform, AI engine, and blockchain tools are delivering plot‑level agronomic advice to smallholder farms across Africa, Latin America and Asia. The solution works offline and leverages cooperative‑led “digital champions” to onboard...
‘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...
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...
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...
Coffee Crops Are Dying From a Fungus with Species-Jumping Genes
A fungus called Fusarium xylarioides is killing coffee plants worldwide through coffee wilt disease. Researchers reconstructed historical strains and sequenced genomes, discovering that the pathogen acquired virulence genes via horizontal gene transfer from Fusarium oxysporum, including mobile “Starship” elements. These...
McGill Opens State-of-the-Art Greenhouse and Research Platform at Macdonald Campus
McGill University has inaugurated a $23.8 million (≈$17.4 million USD) state‑of‑the‑art teaching greenhouse and plant phenotyping platform at its Macdonald Campus. The facility features controlled growing bays, tissue‑culture labs, and classroom space to give students hands‑on experience with climate‑smart agriculture. In partnership...
XFarm Technologies Partners with Banco Santander to Digitise Spanish Agriculture
xFarm Technologies and Banco Santander have formed a partnership to deliver the xFarm digital farm management platform to selected Spanish farmers. The collaboration gives eligible Santander clients access to satellite monitoring, agrometeorology data, and integrated farm‑management tools at no disclosed...
Auburn University & USDA Launch Collaborative Drone and AI Research Initiative
Assistant Professor Andre da Silva at Auburn University is leading a multi‑disciplinary effort to grow hops in Alabama’s challenging climate. The project combines greenhouse trials, field experiments, mulching techniques, and genetic analysis to pinpoint cultivars that thrive locally. Partnerships with...
Boehringer Ingelheim Launches LENZELTA Mastitis Vaccine for Dairy Cattle in European Union
Boehringer Ingelheim has secured an FDA Emergency Use Authorization for its IVOMEC® 1% ivermectin injection, allowing it to prevent New World screwworm infestations in cattle at key intervention points. The EUA permits treatment within 24 hours of birth, at castration,...
Happy Plant Protein to Deploy Dry Extrusion Technology at New Latvia Facility
Finnish startup Happy Plant Protein has raised €1.8 million (about $2 million) in pre‑seed funding, led by Nordic Foodtech VC and supported by a Business Finland grant. The capital will fund deployment of its dry extrusion technology at a new facility in...
Brainfood: Diversification Edition
A growing body of research underscores agrobiodiversity as a low‑risk strategy for climate‑resilient agriculture, linking greater crop variety to stable yields, natural pest regulation, and improved nutrition. Studies show that expanding undervalued crops can cut greenhouse‑gas emissions while boosting farmer...
USDA Launches National Proving Grounds Network to Validate AgTech
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the National Proving Grounds Network for AgTech (NPG‑Ag), a coordinated program that will field‑test agricultural technologies on real farms and ranches across the country. Led by the Agricultural Research Service with Grand Farm as...
Beef Export Update March 2026
Australia’s beef exports surged in March 2026, reaching 149,973 tonnes – a 33% increase year‑on‑year and 58% above the five‑year average. The United States remained the top destination with 42,043 tonnes, up 30% YoY and more than double the five‑year norm. China...
CEA Works: Training Program to Upskill Growers
Cornell University’s GLASE Consortium is launching CEA Works, a self‑paced online training platform for controlled environment agriculture (CEA) professionals, with enrollment opening on June 1, 2025. Backed by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and developed with SUNY Broome, Ohio...
Precision Agriculture: What Is It, Current State & Key Technologies
Precision agriculture is reshaping crop production by integrating GPS, IoT sensors, AI analytics and autonomous equipment to apply inputs at the field‑level. In 2025, $668 M was raised across 37 funding rounds, with autonomous weeding robots drawing the fastest‑growing investment. John...
The Iran Conflict and Fertilizer Markets: Why Brazil Faces Greater Near-Term Risk than the U.S.
The escalation between the United States, Israel and Iran has forced the Strait of Hormuz to close intermittently, tightening the global fertilizer supply chain and pushing prices to multi‑year highs. Brazil, which imports roughly 99% of its nitrogen, phosphate and...
Weekend Reading: More on Alternative Meats
Alternative‑protein companies are navigating a shifting landscape as the European Union bans the use of the term “meaty” for plant‑ and cell‑based foods, while U.S. investors grow impatient for clearer paths to profitability. The ban, which still allows words like...
The Role of SpaceAg in the Emerging Lunar Economy
Artemis II marks humanity’s return to the Moon, shifting focus from pure exploration to a sustained presence that will underpin a burgeoning lunar economy. The World Economic Forum forecasts the overall space market to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035, while the lunar...
How Interoperability Won on the Farm
John Deere agreed to a $99 million settlement that resolves a class‑action antitrust suit over its right‑to‑repair practices. The deal obligates Deere to make its full‑function diagnostic and repair software available to farmers and independent shops for a decade, replacing the...
Steve Mantle’s Harvest Replay: How Innov8.ag Is Reshaping Agricultural Economics Through Farm Data
Innov8.ag has unveiled Harvest Replay, an operational intelligence platform that delivers real‑time labor tracking tied to environmental, agronomic and market variables. The service leverages payroll‑grade data, which the company argues is more precise than satellite or weather models. Labor can...
Iran Ceasefire Won’t Provide Immediate Fertilizer Relief
A two‑week cease‑fire between the U.S. and Iran includes a pledge to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but analysts say the limited window won’t instantly normalize fertilizer shipments. Prices for major fertilizers, especially urea, have surged—Urea up 34% month‑over‑month—keeping retail...
SAS Partners with NC Universities on Agricultural Sensor Project to Combat Flooding and Soil Salinity
SAS has teamed up with North Carolina State University, the NC State Plant Sciences Initiative, and East Carolina University to launch a pilot sensor network in Hyde County. The affordable devices monitor water depth, soil moisture and salinity, sending real‑time...
UNS Farms Opens 10,000 Sqm Tomato Facility in Al Ain
UNS Farms, a subsidiary of the UAE‑based Speedex Group, has launched a 10,000‑square‑metre high‑tech tomato farm in Al Ain. The facility targets an annual production of about 150,000 kg of non‑GMO, pesticide‑free tomatoes using hydroponics combined with IoT, AI and data‑driven controls....
NCGA Survey Reveals Growing Fertilizer Cost and Supply Concerns Among U.S. Corn Farmers
The National Corn Growers Association’s March 2026 surveys reveal U.S. corn farmers are facing unprecedented fertilizer affordability challenges. Farmers now require 185 bushels of corn to buy a ton of urea, the highest ratio on record, while concerns about 2027...
WCR Leads Nearly $1 Million Project to Strengthen Ugandan Coffee Sector
World Coffee Research (WCR) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) are launching a €850,000 (about $994,000) project to expand disease‑resistant coffee planting in Uganda. Backed by the Lavazza Foundation, J.M. Smucker and JDE Peet’s, the initiative will create robusta...
Acumen Backs Uganda’s Mountain Harvest
Acumen has committed patient capital to Mountain Harvest, a Ugandan specialty coffee producer that works with more than 1,000 smallholder farmers. The investment will fund a temperature‑controlled warehouse, a dry mill and a colour‑sorting line, as well as land acquisition...
How Schools Fund Container Farms: Grants, Budgets, and Alternative Funding Models
Schools are turning to container farms to boost STEM agriculture and food‑literacy programs, but financing remains the chief hurdle. Grants—federal, state, and county—provide a primary entry point, yet many districts now rely on capital‑budget allocations and hybrid funding models. The...
Spire Global Expands Agriculture Intelligence With Integrated Soil Moisture and Weather Forecasting
Spire Global announced an expanded agriculture intelligence suite that now incorporates near‑real‑time soil moisture mapping and up to 45‑day weather forecasts. The service leverages the company’s proprietary GNSS radio occultation and reflectometry data, delivering a continuous past‑present‑future analytics framework via...
Syngenta Launches VIRESTINA™, First New Selective Herbicide for Resistant Grass Weeds in Nearly 40 Years
Syngenta has launched VIRESTINA™, the first selective herbicide in nearly four decades that tackles grass‑weed resistance in soybean and cotton. The product, featuring the novel active ingredient metproxybicyclone, received its inaugural approval in Argentina, with registrations slated for Brazil, Australia,...
Foray Bioscience and Z’s Nutty Ridge Partner to Scale Hazelnut Trees With Fabricated Seed Technology
Foray Bioscience has entered a three‑year partnership with New York‑based Z's Nutty Ridge to develop fabricated seeds for the nursery’s proprietary hybrid hazelnut varieties. The deal includes a multi‑million‑dollar forward purchase agreement that aims to accelerate the rollout of cold‑hardy,...
GreenSTEM Technology Introduces BioProspector™ Fertilizer and Seeks Field Trial Participants
GreenSTEM Technology Corp has launched BioProspector™ (BioPro), a fungi‑based fertilizer aimed at enhancing plant resilience to abiotic stresses such as drought, extreme heat, salinity and nutrient deficits. The company is inviting farmers to join free field trials, covering product costs...
Entomol Partners with Purdue University on $2 Million USDA-Funded Avian Influenza Research
Entomol Products LLC has joined Purdue University and 1,4Group in a USDA‑funded, $2 million research effort to test hydrogenated catmint oil (HCO) as an antiviral fog for poultry facilities. The project, led by Purdue’s Dr. Ekramy Sayedahmed, will evaluate HCO’s ability...
The Tanzanian Businesswoman Seeing Millions in Fish Feed
Tanzanian entrepreneur Diana Orembe’s NovFeed expects to surpass $1 million in sales after doubling 2024 revenue, driven by a new factory that can produce over 20 tonnes of fish feed daily. The company, which converts market food waste into affordable feed and...
Ask a Wine Pro: Do Grape Clones Really Matter?
Winemaker Brett Stone explains that most Pinot Noir wines are blends of several grape clones, so the average consumer rarely notices a difference. However, specific clones can alter yield, ripeness, sugar development, disease resistance, and ultimately flavor, aromatics, and tannin...
Crop Genomics Leadership 2026: The Rise of the Scale-Up CEO
Crop genomics firms are swapping scientific founders for seasoned scale‑up CEOs, a shift dubbed the ‘Founder Flip.’ The pattern is evident at ALORA, where Adam Helms takes the CEO role while founder Luke Young moves to CTO. Hiring priorities now...
Fertilizer 101
Synthetic fertilizers underpin roughly half of global crop output, anchoring a $200‑230 billion market that supports a $5 trillion farm economy and a multi‑trillion‑dollar food system. The industry relies on nitrogen from ammonia, phosphate rock, potash and sulfuric acid, with natural gas...
Biotalys Achieves First Research Milestone in Syngenta Partnership for Novel Bioinsecticide Development
Biotalys announced the first research milestone in its Syngenta partnership, confirming promising in‑vitro results for a novel bioinsecticide built on its AGROBODY™ platform. The achievement moves the collaboration into the next phase of in‑vivo testing on living organisms. The milestone...
FMC Receives EU Regulatory Approval for Isoflex Active Herbicide
FMC Corporation announced that the Herbicide Resistance Action Committee (HRAC) has granted rimisoxafen, marketed as Isoflex, a historic dual‑mode‑of‑action classification, placing it in Groups 12 and 32. The herbicide uniquely blocks both phytoene desaturase (PDS) and solanesyl diphosphate synthase (SDPS), a first...
AGRO-AI Completes Technical Integration with WiseConn API
AGRO‑AI announced the completion of a technical integration with the WiseConn API, extending its irrigation intelligence engine to WiseConn‑controlled farms. The integration pulls farm, zone, telemetry, weather, and irrigation data, feeding it into AGRO‑AI’s recommendation, reporting, and execution‑assurance workflow. By...