Taiwan Sugar, U.S. Group Ink MOU on Biofuel Cooperation
Taiwan Sugar Corp. signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Grains & Bioproducts Council to deepen bioethanol cooperation. The agreement tasks Taiwan Sugar with completing a feedstock assessment by the second quarter of 2027, laying groundwork for expanded production. The partnership supports Taiwan’s goal of achieving at least 5% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blending on international flights by 2030 and aims to diversify raw materials beyond sugarcane. USGBC highlights bioethanol’s versatility across land, sea and air transport, positioning the deal as a step toward greater energy resilience.
How LocalDutch's Urban Farm Shops Cut Food Miles and Carbon
LocalDutch has launched a network of urban farm shops that bring fresh produce directly into city neighborhoods, dramatically shortening the distance between farm and plate. By situating growing facilities within a few kilometres of consumers, the company reduces average food‑miles...
Here’s How We’re Helping Belgium's Farmers Save Water with AI.
Google is partnering with Belgium’s Agua Segura and Agrow Analytics to roll out an AI‑driven precision‑agriculture system across more than 1,000 hectares in the Scheldt Basin. The platform fuses satellite, thermal, climate and soil data to generate exact irrigation and...
GWAS Uncovers SUBER GENE1 Role in Suberization
A genome‑wide association study of 284 Arabidopsis accessions identified a previously unknown gene, SUBER GENE1 (SBG1), as a central regulator of suberin deposition in the root endodermis. SBG1 encodes a 129‑amino‑acid protein that binds type‑one protein phosphatases (TOPPs) via conserved...
Avocado Farming Rises as Citrus-Making Japan City Eyes Global Warming
Matsuyama, a city famed for citrus, is rapidly expanding avocado cultivation as rising temperatures make traditional fruit harder to grow. Avocado output surged from roughly 600 kg in FY2015 to about 7,300 kg in FY2024, a more than 12‑fold increase, with fruit...
GME Advances Manufacturing Capability with New Agricultural Communication System
GME has launched the XRS-375CTR Tractor Pack, a UHF CB radio system engineered and built in Australia for the agricultural sector. The pack pairs the XRS-375C radio with a flexible AE4202 antenna and includes mounting adapters for tractors, utility vehicles,...
How the Middle East Crisis Is Expanding China’s Agrochemical Influence
Amid the escalating Middle East conflict, global farmers face uncertainty over fertilizer and pesticide supplies. China, which already accounts for roughly a third of worldwide fertilizer production and 70% of the raw materials for chemical pesticides, is poised to fill...
'Help Cattle Producers Hold Onto Their Land and Livelihoods': This First-of-Its-Kind Solar Ranch in Tennessee Uses Ingenious Sensors to Shelter...
Silicon Ranch launched a 40‑acre solar ranch in Christiana, Tennessee, where panels tilt horizontally to let a small herd of cattle graze beneath them. The system produces roughly 5 MW of electricity for a rural cooperative while preserving pasture, and the...
Have Your Say on the WWF’s Ambitious Attempt to Overhaul Global Food Systems
WWF’s Markets Institute has released the Codex Planetarius, a draft set of minimum environmental standards for globally traded food, and opened a public comment period. The plan targets the least efficient 10‑20% of producers, who generate 60‑80% of agricultural impacts,...
Yellow Croaker Project in China Drawing on Norwegian Aquaculture Expertise to Achieve Sustainable Growth
China’s offshore aquaculture sector has surpassed 100 platforms, with yellow croaker production hitting roughly 300,000 tons a year. Through a UN‑IDO partnership, Norwegian Institute for Water Research engineer Huang Zhitao is guiding a project to import Norway’s ecosystem‑based regulatory tools...
Europe Revisits Deforestation Rule without Recommending Further Simplification
The European Commission decided not to propose any further amendments to the core text of the EU deforestation rule, while narrowing its scope to exclude leather and retreaded tires and adding products such as soluble coffee and palm‑oil derivatives. Implementation...
Another Solid Week for Corn Export Inspections
U.S. corn export inspections surged to 2.03 million tons for the week ending April 30, up 411,136 tons from a year earlier, pushing season‑long totals to 55.48 million tons—well ahead of the 2024/25 pace. Wheat inspections also climbed, reaching 434,204 tons and a year‑to‑date...
Bipartisan Bill Would Use Tax Credits to Build US Plant-Based Materials Sector
Two bipartisan congresswomen introduced the Biobased Materials Investment and Production Act, offering a 30% investment tax credit for new or retrofitted biomanufacturing facilities and a production credit of $0.10 per pound of renewable material, capped at $10 million annually. The legislation...
Private Sector Response to Food Inflation (Part 3)
The article outlines how private‑sector players in the Philippines are tackling rising food prices by expanding seed availability, promoting urban gardening, and investing in agribusiness training and large‑scale poultry production. Companies such as East‑West Seed, Harbest and Pilipinas Kaneko dominate...
TerraBlaster Aims for Late 2026 Launch with Real-Time NPK Soil Mapping at Tractor Speed
TerraBlaster, founded by former Trimble and Blue River exec Jorge Heraud, has moved its Mars‑rover‑derived LIBS sensor from concept to a field‑validated prototype that maps nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and pH in real time as a tractor pulls it through soil....
Mercosur FTA Enters Force Eight Months Before the EUDR Roll Out
The EU‑Mercosur free‑trade agreement entered provisional force after more than two decades of talks, allowing Brazilian soy, beef, coffee, cocoa and forest products to flow into Europe. This activation occurs eight months before the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) takes effect...
Corteva's Seed and Genetics Business Gets a Name
Corteva announced that its seed and genetics unit will operate under the new name Vylor, replacing the SpinCo placeholder as the company prepares a formal split into two independent businesses. The rebrand highlights a portfolio backed by more than 4,000...
California Citrus Program Secures $2 Million in Annual Federal Funding
The House Committee on Appropriations added $500,000 to the California citrus program, raising its annual federal funding to $2 million after a prior $1.5 million allocation and Citrus Research Board contributions. Based in Parlier and partnered with UC Riverside, the program will...
US Army Issues Call to Manufacture Plant-Based Meat for Military Meals in Combat Zones
The U.S. Army has issued a Sources Sought notice inviting industry and academic partners to develop precision‑fermentation and other biomanufacturing methods for plant‑based proteins that can be produced in combat zones. The effort supports the upcoming 2027 rollout of fully...
High-Tech Mushroom Cultivation with Japanese Technology
Long Khanh Kinoko I.E Co., Ltd. has poured roughly $800,000 into a new, large‑scale enoki and king oyster mushroom farm in Dong Nai, Vietnam, employing advanced Japanese cultivation methods. The facility relies heavily on robotic systems that replace most human...
InvertiGro Positions Climate-Proof Agriculture as the Future of Food Production
InvertiGro, a South African agri‑tech firm, is championing "climate‑proof agriculture" through modular controlled‑environment farms that deliver year‑round, high‑quality produce regardless of weather. Its systems combine precise lighting, water and nutrient management with proprietary software, enabling growers to scale profitably and...
Simulating a Vertical Farm Collapse Due to Water Overload
A vertical farm installed in a residential attic collapsed after irrigation water and saturated plant biomass exceeded the rack system's structural capacity. Engineers reconstructed the failure using a forensic pipeline that moved from Revit BIM models to Rhino‑Grasshopper parametrics, then...
"A Light Plan Is More than Just a Simulation"
Mechatronix released a practical guide for growers to objectively compare LED lighting proposals for greenhouses. The guide highlights five critical parameters—crop distance, simulation settings, calculation area, grid density, and uniformity metrics—that must be aligned before evaluating plans. By scrutinizing these...
"The Pendulum Has Swung so Far that People Don't Know What Real Food Looks Like"
Local Leaf Farm opened in a former Chipotle space in Highland Park, Illinois, turning the retail site into a year‑round indoor hydroponic operation. The farm grows 30 microgreen varieties, 13 lettuce types and edible flowers using deep‑water‑culture towers and Agrowtek’s precision...
FarMart Turns EBITDA Profitable in Q4 FY26; Hits Rs 3,600 Crore Run Rate
FarMart, the Gurugram‑based agrifood platform, posted a $400 million (≈Rs 3,600 crore) revenue run‑rate in Q4 FY26 and recorded EBITDA profitability for the first time. Gross order value jumped 50% YoY to over Rs 2,800 crore, driven by deeper wallet share among 300 enterprise customers...
Why Wine Can’t Keep Leaning on Tradition Alone
Wine industry’s digital push is limited to sensors, says Timofey Golovin, co‑founder of Winno. While traditional segments like Burgundy cling to heritage, climate‑driven losses force even legacy producers to consider new tech. Small family estates face steep capex, with a...
Kubota Tests UV-C Machines as an Alternative to Crop Protection Products
Kubota is piloting UV‑C machines that emit pulsed ultraviolet light to strengthen crops' natural defenses, aiming to cut reliance on chemical fungicides. The technology damages microbial DNA and raises salicylic acid levels, improving resistance to fungal disease, frost, and drought....
JumpLights Rounds Out Product Lineup with the Vert, an LED Series Built Specifically for Vertical Racking
JumpLights unveiled the Vert series, a four‑model LED lineup built specifically for vertical cannabis racking. The range spans 420 W to 900 W fixtures, with the Vert 830 delivering roughly 1,000 PPFD and the top‑end Vert 900 adding UV and far‑red channels for custom light...
US (OH): Locals Thrilled at Aquaponic Lettuce
Sweet Melissa’s, a regional salad chain founded in Boardman, Ohio, has partnered with WestWinn Urban Ag to source its lettuce from an indoor aquaponic farm in Sharon. The farm uses a recirculating system that combines tilapia and koi with hydroponic...
"Collaboration with Suppliers and Customers Is the only Way to Meaningfully Reduce Impact"
Best Fresh Group, a Dutch fresh‑produce trader, found that only 4% of its carbon footprint originates from its own operations, while 96% comes from the broader supply chain. The company quantified emissions across purchased products (40%), transport (30%) and processing/packaging...
US (MT): Growing for the Community with a Geothermal Greenhouse
In Baker, Montana, the sixth‑generation Barkley Ranch built a 16‑by‑120‑foot geothermal greenhouse in 2021, opening it in 2022 to mark the farm’s centennial. The air‑to‑air geothermal system keeps the interior above freezing year‑round, enabling the family to grow traditional vegetables...
Climate-Smart & Cocoa-Free: Mars Makes Moves to Decarbonise Chocolate Portfolio
Mars is testing a cocoa‑free chocolate trail mix under its Balisto brand in Germany, using Planet A Foods' ChoViva ingredient. The bean‑free product, sold at REWE until October, offers a high‑protein snack and demonstrates a 1:1 chocolate replacement. Simultaneously, Mars...
Novel Wheat Hybrids Increase Resistance to Major Fungal Disease by up to 70%
Researchers have transferred a novel resistance locus from the wild weed Elymus repens into wheat, creating hybrids that slash Fusarium head blight (FHB) infection by up to 70%. The new locus, named Fhb.Er‑1StL, showed a 69% reduction in diseased spikelets...
1,821 Farmers to Benefit From Hibulangan Dam in Leyte
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inaugurated the Hibulangan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project in Villaba, Leyte, on April 30. The P1.12 billion (≈ $20 million) dam will irrigate 2,750 hectares, providing year‑round water to 1,821 farmers across three municipalities. Featuring a 25‑meter‑high earth‑fill dam, a 9.01‑million‑cubic‑meter reservoir, and...
DA Eyes Expanded MAV for Pork, Corn
The Philippine Department of Agriculture is set to approve an expanded Minimum Access Volume (MAV) for imported pork and corn under the MAV Plus scheme within the month. The expansion adds roughly 250,000 metric tons of corn to the existing quota...
80% of Africa’s Fertiliser Is Imported: How Food Systems Can Adapt to the Iran Shock
The Iran‑Gulf conflict has sharply reduced urea exports, with Strait of Hormuz traffic down 95%, disrupting the global fertilizer supply chain. Sub‑Saharan Africa, which imports roughly 80% of its fertilizer from Gulf states, faces soaring prices and potential shortages. Past...
From Stubble to Strategy: How Agricultural Waste Can Power India’s Energy Transition
India generates roughly 350 million tonnes of agricultural residue each year, much of which is burned, worsening air quality and wasting a renewable resource. Government schemes such as GOBARdhan and the National Bioenergy Programme have spurred the development of 979 biogas...
Identification of Wheat AP2 Gene Family, Cloning of TaAP2-34, and Patterns Analysis by Overexpression in Arabidopsis
Researchers identified 46 wheat AP2 genes, mapped them across all 21 chromosomes, and found most proteins to be weakly acidic, hydrophilic, and highly conserved. The gene TaAP2-34 showed distinct expression peaks under drought (6 h in leaves, 12 h in tiller nodes)...
FG Adopts 10 Year Veterinary Roadmap to Boost Livestock Health, Food Security
The Nigerian Federal Government has approved a ten‑year National Roadmap for Veterinary Services (2026‑2036) to revamp the country’s animal health system. The plan targets weak disease surveillance, under‑resourced labs, and uneven veterinary manpower, while promoting digital traceability and public‑private partnerships....
Cows at Tennessee's 'Silicon Ranch' Graze Under Solar Panels
Silicon Ranch in Christiana, Tennessee has launched a 5‑megawatt agrivoltaic system that lets cattle graze beneath solar panels. The company engineered raised, motorized mounts and custom software so panels can be tilted or lifted to create safe pathways for the...
From Fields to Forecasts: The New Age of Farm Data Platforms
Farm data platforms are evolving from simple sensor collections to decision‑intelligence systems that connect farmers, input suppliers, processors, and financiers. By providing real‑time, geo‑tagged, verified data, these platforms enable supply‑chain compliance, sustainability reporting, and carbon accounting across the entire agri‑value...
The Missing Link in Agri-Tech: Why Semiconductor Startups Will Decide India’s Farming Future
India’s agriculture, supporting up to 45% of the workforce, is being reshaped by AI, drones and data platforms that promise higher yields and climate resilience. The sector could gain $1.7 trillion by 2035, while the domestic drone market is forecast to...
EPA Releases Fungicide Strategy to Address Impacts on Endangered Species
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a draft strategy to curb fungicide damage to species protected under the Endangered Species Act. The plan, mirroring earlier herbicide and insecticide blueprints, will guide registration reviews and may require label‑level mitigation measures...
WiscoNet Weather Data Is Popular Before Planting
Wisconsin’s WiscoNet network now runs 80 automated weather stations that record temperature, humidity, rainfall, solar radiation, wind and soil conditions every fifteen minutes. The free data portal sees a surge in farmer traffic as planting season approaches, with users seeking...
Michigan Bean Commission Says Solving Logistical Limitations Would Open New Avenues
Michigan Bean Commission Executive Director Joe Cramer highlighted logistics as a major long‑term constraint for the state’s bean growers. A deteriorating short‑line railroad in the Thumb limits speed, forcing most exports to travel by boxcar and bulk copper cars for...
House Bill Pushes SAF Into Federal Biofuels Policy
The U.S. House approved H.R. 7567, part of the 2026 Farm, Food, and National Security Act, to expand federal biofuel policy to include sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced from renewable agricultural feedstocks. Sponsored by Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson, the measure...
John Deere Introduces Updated Sprayer Technology Delivering Advanced Precision, Mobility Improvements and Expanded Crop Coverage
John Deere unveiled its Model Year 2027 sprayer lineup, highlighted by See & Spray Gen 2, which adds variable‑rate dosing, night‑time lighting and dual‑tank flexibility. The updated platform expands targeted application to wheat, barley and canola and integrates a front‑frame camera for cleaner detection. Four‑wheel...
Pakistan University Holds Training on Mushroom Cultivation
The University of Agriculture, Peshawar’s Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization partnered with the Plant Pathology Department and Al Furriyaat to host a day‑long workshop and expo titled “Fungi Fiesta, Mushroom & By‑product Expo 2026.” The event featured technical sessions on mushroom...
“We Want to Localize the Way Our City Feeds Itself"
Civic Greens has converted a 3,700‑sq‑ft underground parking space in Toronto into a hydroponic farm that yields about 12,000 heads of lettuce each month. The LED‑lit facility supplies high‑end restaurants, food banks and will soon serve a farmer’s market, offering...
India: Brio Hydroponics Launches High-Yield Model for Large Scale Growers
Brio Hydroponics has introduced a Franchise‑Owned, Company‑operated (FOCO) model that lets high‑net‑worth individuals and institutions invest in large‑scale hydroponic farms. The scheme requires a minimum of 30 acres and roughly ₹5 crore (about $600,000) in capital. Brio handles all agronomy, logistics...