South African Citrus Shipments Challenge Geopolitical Disruptions in the Middle East
South Africa’s citrus season is now delivering fruit to the Middle East, which represents 19% of its seasonal exports. Exporters face longer transit times and higher freight costs due to rerouted shipping after the Strait of Hormuz closure. The Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa says quality remains high and there is no shift of volume to other regions. The industry continues to prioritize Middle Eastern customers while monitoring logistics and geopolitical developments.
"The Industry Has Moved on From 'Is This Possible?' To 'Does This Actually Pay?'"
The CEA and Indoor Farming (CEAIF) 2026 conference kicks off on May 1, offering two full days of sessions on May 8 and May 22. Over 30 talks will cover energy management, lighting, water use, food safety, autonomous monitoring and scaling strategies for indoor...
US (NE): Omaha Restaurant Using Hydroponics to Grow Ingredients
A restaurant in Omaha has installed a LED‑lit hydroponic system to grow leafy greens and herbs directly on its premises. The move is part of a broader surge in vertical‑farm adoption, highlighted by industry announcements such as Premier Tech’s Controlled...
"We Row in the Same Direction to Support the Growth of the Biochar Industry in North America"
The American Biochar Institute (ABI) and the US Biochar Coalition (USBC) will co‑host the 2026 North American Biochar Conference in New Orleans from November 16‑18. The partnership ends years of tension, assigning ABI to standards and market development while USBC focuses on...
"Why Can't We Replicate What Happens in a Lake Exactly Where We Need It?"
Vertical Lake, a Kenyan startup, operates a solar‑powered, vertically stacked aquaculture system that recycles 98% of its water, saving an estimated 6.4 million litres per module each year. The 100 m² units produce tilapia comparable to 15 traditional ponds while also generating...
US (MI): Partnership Brings Hydroponic Vegetables to Families Across County
Community Link, a Saginaw‑based nonprofit serving Tarrant County, launched Fresh Link Farms in 2025 using freight‑container hydroponic farms. The vertical farms produced 21,000 plants—lettuce, kale, collard greens, bok choy—within months, delivering fresh produce directly to families facing food insecurity. By growing...
Growers and Innovators Urged to Step Into the Spotlight as Fresh Awards 26 Deadline Nears
The Fresh Awards 26, a national horticultural competition, closes entries on 22 May 2026. Participation is free and open to growers, innovators and agritech firms across categories such as Agritech Excellence and UK Grower of the Year. Judges seek evidence of impact, ambition...
IGC Pares Global Grain Output Projections for 2026-27 by 3 Million Tonnes
The International Grains Council lowered its 2026‑27 global grain output forecast by 3 million tonnes to 2.414 billion tonnes, citing fertilizer affordability concerns tied to the West Asia war. The cut applies across major crops, including wheat and maize, and reduces the...
Hershey Leans on Cocoa Sourcing Resilience to Blunt Price Shocks
Hershey is strengthening its cocoa supply chain by diversifying origins beyond the Ivory Coast and Ghana to include Ecuador and Brazil. The company is using sophisticated hedging contracts and a commodities‑governance framework to lock in prices amid recent cocoa price...
India’s IPL Issues Tender to Buy 1.6mn T of DAP/TSP
Indian fertilizer trader IPL has launched a tender for 1.2 million tonnes of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and 400,000 tonnes of granular triple superphosphate (TSP). The bid closes on 4 May, with offers required to remain valid until 8 May, and cargoes must be...
Chaberton Energy Seeks Farmers for Agrivoltaic Projects in Maryland
Community solar developer Chaberton Energy is seeking Maryland farmers to co‑locate agricultural activities on two new agrivoltaic sites in Montgomery County. The company issued RFPs for 27 acres across the 5.23 MW Sugarloaf project and the 3.88 MW Ramiere project, offering free...
5 Key Investor Lessons on Blended Capital for Agrifood
Blended finance—public or philanthropic capital paired with private funds—is being touted as a way to bridge the $276 billion financing gap for smallholder farmers and agrifood SMEs in developing markets. A new FAO Investment Centre report warns that blended deals still...
The Hydrogen Stream: Atome Builds $665 Million Green Hydrogen-Based Fertilizer Plant in Paraguay
Atome PLC announced a Final Investment Decision for a $665 million green‑hydrogen fertilizer plant in Villeta, Paraguay. The facility will produce 260,000 tonnes per year of low‑carbon fertilizer using green hydrogen, with construction to start soon and full output expected by...
The “Plum Club” Seeking to Revolutionize the Stone Fruit Market
Chile’s Hortifrut Genetics has launched the BabyPlum Club, a premium stone‑fruit breeding program that brings together eight leading producer‑exporters. The initiative introduces 16 new varieties engineered for high sweetness, crisp texture and long‑distance transport, placing consumer taste preferences at the...
Chinese Greenhouse Manufacturer Expands International Reach
Aurlant, a Chinese greenhouse and controlled‑environment agriculture manufacturer, is scaling its global footprint by offering fully customised growing solutions to commercial farms, individual growers, and government projects. Leveraging a 13‑year track record and an integrated plant in Taizhou, the firm...
Thanet Earth Implements 3,000 SchermNed Insect Netting Filters in Existing Greenhouse
Thanet Earth, a UK greenhouse partnership between Fresca and A&A Growers, installed over 3,000 SchermNed insect‑netting filters in a six‑hectare cucumber greenhouse during Q1. The system required no alterations to the existing ventilation infrastructure, preserving airflow while blocking moths, caterpillars,...
Autonomous Growing Brings Peace of Mind and Clarity for French Grower
French greenhouse operator SCEA la Plaine, run by Benoît Musset, adopted Blue Radix’s Crop Controller in May 2025 to automate climate and irrigation decisions across its 5.5‑hectare facility. The system calculates setpoints every five minutes, forecasts three days ahead, and has cut...
New Strategies for the Effective Biological Control of Thrips Parvispinus
At Expo Levante 2026, Koppert Biological System presented a technical update on managing the horticultural pest Thrips parvispinus. The briefing, led by Technical Director Julián Giner, outlined a four‑phase biological‑control protocol that stresses early‑season interventions and the use of reservoir plants....
Coffee Industry Coalition Launched to Map Deforestation Across All Growing Regions
A coalition of the world’s largest coffee producers has unveiled an industry‑first initiative to create a comprehensive, satellite‑based map of coffee farms worldwide. The program will pinpoint areas where coffee cultivation has caused forest loss and will partner with national...
Green Gold Is Getting More Precious in Wartime
A war‑related export blockade in Iran has left millions of pounds of pistachios stranded in warehouses, creating a sharp supply shock for global food manufacturers. Prices for shelled pistachios have jumped roughly 30% since the conflict escalated, squeezing margins for...
My Sprinklers Got This Smart Upgrade, and Yours Should Too
CNET’s Tyler Lacoma reviews the Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller Gen 3, priced at $141, highlighting its sleek design, Wi‑Fi‑enabled app, and advanced water‑management features such as weather‑based adjustments and heat‑wave boosting. Installation is a straightforward DIY swap for existing wired controllers,...
No Change in Bt Cottonseed MRP for 2026-27
The Union Agriculture Ministry kept the maximum retail price (MRP) of Bt cottonseed unchanged for the 2026‑27 kharif season, holding Bolgard II at ₹900 (≈$11) and Bolgard I at ₹635 (≈$7.6) per 450‑g packet. This follows a 4% hike last year and...
Malaysia: Fostering Sustainable, Data-Driven Plantation Management
Curtin University Malaysia has partnered with a leading Sarawak plantation group to blend academic research with large‑scale palm‑oil operations. The collaboration targets data‑driven resource optimisation, environmental stewardship and the development of digital tools aligned with Malaysia’s Fourth Industrial Revolution agenda....
Sweet Protein: Pentasweet Breaks Ground on $76m Precision Fermentation Facility for Brazzein
Lithuanian biotech startup Pentasweet has broken ground on a €65 million ($76 million) precision‑fermentation facility in Vilnius that will produce commercial quantities of brazzein, a natural sweet protein up to 2,000 times sweeter than sugar. Phase I will establish core production capacity by early 2027,...
Robotic Fish Prototype Cuts Aquaculture Stress While Inspecting Nets and Water
The Centre for Research in Robotics and Underwater Technologies (CIRTESU) at Universitat Jaume I has unveiled UJIFISH, a modular, bio‑inspired robotic fish designed for aquaculture inspection and sensor deployment. By using undulatory propulsion instead of propellers and avoiding high‑intensity lighting, the...
Interko Is Accelerating the Ripening of Digitalization
Interko, the Dutch leader in fresh‑fruit ripening rooms, has upgraded its RipePilot control system with advanced data processing and plans to embed artificial intelligence across its next‑generation solutions. The enhanced platform aggregates sensor data on temperature, CO₂, ethylene and humidity,...
You’ll Spill Your Juice When You Learn How Many of Florida’s Orange Trees This Incurable Bacteria Has Already Infected
Florida’s orange industry faces a catastrophic collapse as citrus greening disease has infected every orange tree in the state, according to a recent Slate investigation. Production is projected to plunge from 242 million 90‑pound boxes in 2023 to just 12 million boxes...
Tiny, Knotted Robots Jump, Fly and Plant Seeds
Researchers at Penn Engineering have created millimeter‑scale soft robots that store elastic energy in a Kevlar‑core, liquid‑crystal‑elastomer fiber and release it by heating. When the knot in the fiber unties at 60‑90 °C, the robot can leap up to two meters,...
Mechanization Enhances Wheat Yield and Technical Efficiency: Evidence From Smallholder Farmers in the Arsi Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
A new study of 409 wheat‑growing smallholders in Ethiopia’s Arsi Zone finds that mechanization markedly improves technical efficiency and yields. Farmers using both tractors and combine harvesters achieve the highest efficiency score of 0.95, while fertilizer applications of DAP and...
Differential Responses of Soil Bacterial Community and Respiration to Plastic Film and Straw Mulching in a Maize Field
A three‑year maize field trial compared no mulching, plastic film mulching (PM) and straw mulching (SM). PM raised bacterial alpha diversity early in the season but suppressed it later, while SM consistently increased diversity. PM shifted the community toward oligotrophs...
Norway’s Farmed Cod Prices Double Since the Beginning of April; Wild-Caught Prices Fall in Scotland
Norwegian farmed cod prices have nearly doubled since early April, climbing to NOK 136.75 per kilogram (about $14.40). The surge follows a sharp production drop, with shipments falling from 8.26 million kg in March to 4.78 million kg in April – a 42% reduction. Lower...
The Next Matcha? Ube Surges in Popularity
Ube, the purple Filipino yam, is gaining global traction as a color‑driven food trend, echoing matcha’s rise. Social‑media buzz and a sharp increase in Google searches since February have pushed the ingredient onto beverage and dessert menus worldwide. Market research...
How Saudi Arabia Is Cultivating a New Era in Sustainable Agriculture
Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s most water‑stressed nations, is confronting escalating scarcity intensified by record‑hot 2024 temperatures and a growing population exceeding 35 million. To meet Vision 2030’s goal of boosting domestic food production, the kingdom is investing in controlled‑environment agriculture...
Cultivators, Vertify and World Horti Center Continue ‘Cultivation for Compounds’
Netherlands‑based Cultivators, Vertify and World Horti Center have launched the second phase of their international research consortium, “Cultivation for Compounds.” The new phase, beginning next month at Vertify’s Honselersdijk facility, shifts focus to practical, data‑driven studies of cannabis active compounds....
Tractor Supply’s Delivery Volume Jumps as Final-Mile Plan Advances
Tractor Supply reported a double‑digit rise in Q1 delivery volume as it expands its final‑mile network. The retailer built about 200 hubs last year and will add 176 more in 2026, shifting large‑item deliveries to its own drivers. This strategy...
Fable: The Man Who Saved A Billion Lives
A pioneering agronomist created high‑yield wheat strains that doubled output in Pakistan and India, effectively saving hundreds of millions of lives. His breakthrough earned him the Nobel Peace Prize, the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal....
Use the WTO to Address Global Fertilizer Supply Constraints Related to the Iran War
The war in Iran has crippled the global fertilizer supply chain, affecting roughly 30% of worldwide trade that passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Export bans by China, Russia and Turkey have pushed fertilizer prices higher and sparked fears of...
45% Less Plastic and a Stronger Brand: How Looye Switched to Paper Banding
Looye Kwekers replaced plastic bands with narrow paper banding for its fresh‑produce range, cutting plastic use by roughly 45% while reinforcing its premium brand image. The paper bands keep the fruit visible, lower overall package weight, and are largely recyclable,...
From Satellite Images to Seed Advice: Experience Data Brings AI to the Fresh Produce Sector
Experience Data, a Dutch AI specialist, is rolling out affordable, custom AI solutions for the fresh‑produce sector, including an onion‑variety recommendation tool and a satellite‑imagery buyer‑identification model. Projects start at roughly €10,000 (about $10,800), dramatically lowering the cost barrier for...
The Decrease in Moroccan Courgette Exports to the EU Benefited Almeria's Producers
Morocco’s courgette exports to the EU fell 27.4% year‑over‑year, ending the season on 12 April after shipping 25,507 tons. The drop eased foreign pressure on Almería growers, who saw early‑year prices spike to about €3 (~$3.30) per kilogram before sliding to under €0.40 (~$0.44)...
Join Food Tank at London Climate Action Week
Food Tank, Google Cloud, and the U.N. Environment Programme are co‑hosting the third annual Food Tank London Climate Action Week Summit on June 25 at Google’s London campus. The event will convene more than 180 senior leaders—CEOs, CSOs, founders and...
University of Florida Research Aims to Cut $130M Cost of Strawberry Runners
University of Florida researchers are tackling the $130 million annual cost U.S. strawberry growers incur to remove vegetative runners. Doctoral candidate Kaitlyn Vondracek is mapping genetic markers that control runner formation, aiming to breed low‑runner varieties for commercial fields while preserving...
China and Chile Set up a Fully Digital Phytosanitary Certification System for Exports
Starting April 20, 2026 Chile began using a fully electronic phytosanitary certification system for all agricultural and forestry exports to China, marking the first time the Asian giant has adopted a completely digital inspection process with a trade partner. The platform was...
Opinion: As Fertilizer Volatility Persists, Efficiency Offers a Near-Term Policy Solution
Fertilizer price volatility is straining U.S. farms, yet Washington’s policy focus remains on boosting supply rather than immediate farmer decisions. About 70% of growers say they cannot afford needed fertilizer, prompting rapid changes in rates, timing, and nutrient mixes. Enhanced‑efficiency...
Iran War Pushing More than 30 Million Back Into Poverty, UN Development Chief Says
U.N. development chief Alexander De Croo warned that the Iran‑U.S. conflict will push more than 30 million people back into poverty. Disruptions to fuel and fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are already lowering agricultural productivity, threatening crop yields later this...
Co-Op Renews Pledge to Exclusively Sell British-Grown Strawberries
Co‑op has renewed its pledge to sell 100% British‑grown strawberries throughout the year, extending the season beyond the traditional May‑September window. The retailer is using heated polytunnels, biomass boilers, heat‑exchange pumps and anaerobic digestion to keep crops viable in colder...
Phase 1 of 139th Canton Fair Introduces New Dedicated Product Zones as Emerging Technologies Take Center Stage
Phase 1 of the 139th Canton Fair added nine dedicated product zones, spotlighting emerging technologies such as consumer and agricultural drones, display tech, smart wearables, and service robots. The new drone zones attracted buyers from over 30 countries, generating more...
UK Looked at Ways to ‘Open Doors’ to US Chlorinated Chicken, FoI Request Shows
British officials quietly examined how UK food law could be altered to permit chlorine‑washed chicken imports from the United States, a practice banned in the EU since 1997. The documents, released to campaign group 38 Degrees via a freedom‑of‑information request, show...
Aldi Commits £1.1bn to British Egg Suppliers in Five-Year Farming Push
Aldi announced a £1.1 billion (≈$1.4 billion) investment in British egg production over the next five years, backed by long‑term contracts with suppliers through 2030. The retailer currently sells more than 1,500 tonnes of UK eggs each week, roughly 2.5 million packs, and is...
RFK Jr Says Cultivated Meat Will ‘Have to Get Through A Lot of Scepticism’ From FDA
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. voiced amplified concern that cultivated‑meat products will face rigorous FDA scrutiny, warning they must overcome significant safety scepticism. The comment came during a Senate Appropriations hearing, where he echoed long‑standing criticism of lab‑grown proteins. 2025 marked...