Author: Hithaishi CB

Strategic joint venture aims to fast track development and De-Risk Scale-Up Primient, a leader in plant-based, renewable ingredients, and Synonym, a biomanufacturing infrastructure developer, have entered a strategic partnership to accelerate bioproduct innovation and commercialization, furthering the U.S.’ competitive advantage in the race to bring new, functional and affordable biomaterials to market. Primient and Synonym will begin work on their first project based at Primient’s Decatur, IL facility. The initial scope of work will focus on re-commissioning and upgrading existing fermentation assets at the site, as well as expanding current capacity and significantly expanding the downstream processing unit. Once completed,…

Signs MoU to make potatoes as a source of carbohydrate and an alternative to rice, Philippines Department of Agriculture (DA) signed a the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Universal Robina Corporation (URC) on July 29, 2024 to harness the potential of potatoes as a source of carbohydrate and an alternative to rice, making it a valuable crop for addressing food needs of the Filipinos. “I am very hopeful that this will continue, because we need an alternative to rice, and potato is one of the best solutions available to us today. There are many things you can do with potatoes,…

Researchers uncover the crucial role of OpgD enzyme in enhancing Xanthomonas pathogenicity Plant diseases pose significant challenges to agricultural productivity, presenting formidable hurdles that require urgent attention. Left unchecked, these diseases can spread rapidly, inflicting widespread damage on crops and leading to reduced yields and substantial economic losses. Therefore, accurately identifying the pathogens responsible for these diseases is crucial. This identification allows for targeted interventions that minimize risks and effectively mitigate the agricultural impacts. Xanthomonas species are notorious plant pathogens that affect a broad spectrum of hosts, including key crops like rice, wheat, and tomatoes. These pathogens augment their pathogenicity by…

China continued to be the largest export market for Vietnamese fruits and vegetables Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports reached $477 million in July, an increase of 18% over the same period last year, reports Vietnamese Investment and Trade Promotion Center. A strong demand from export markets led to this increase in export turnover, according to experts. Increased exports of durians, dragon fruits, and bananas contributed to the increase in export value. A high growth rate was recorded by Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports to major markets. In particular, China continued to be the largest export market for Vietnamese fruits and…

A genetic sequencing project involving 1,500 alpacas aims to refine the quality and fineness of their fiber through molecular marker identification within their genomesIn Peru, alpaca fiber has become a flagship product driving the fashion industry. Highly valued for its exceptional softness, quality, strength, and authenticity, this raw material is covered in the world’s most exclusive stores. According to national reports, nearly $200 million worth of products made from alpaca fiber, including fabrics, garments, and other derivatives, are exported each year to the United States, Europe, and Asia. In their effort to advance the Peruvian textile industry, MGI Tech Co.,…

Disbursement of the funds is contingent upon the approval and registration of the vaccines by the Food and Drug Administration Philippines Department of Agriculture (DA) has allocated P350 million for the procurement of vaccines to combat African Swine Fever (ASF), a persistent endemic virus that has severely undermined hog production and food security since 2019. Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the disbursement of the funds is contingent upon the approval and registration of the vaccines by the Food and Drug Administration, an agency under the Department of Health. The vaccines, including those from Vietnam, will soon undergo…

The facility to produce corn fermented protein, a high-quality protein ingredient in animal feed, pet, aquaculture feed markets Fluid Quip Technologies (FQT) has initiated commissioning of the world’s largest MSC™ System to date at Tharaldson Ethanol’s 175 million-gallon biorefinery in Casselton, North Dakota. This marks the twelfth FQT MSC™ system installed world-wide and expands the production of corn fermented protein, a high-quality protein ingredient in animal feed, providing superior nutrition solutions for pet, aquaculture and other animal feed markets which has up to a 40% lower carbon-intensity than competing products. “Our MSC™ Technology is critical to not only creating a…

Encapsulated the insecticide molecule thiamethoxam in nanometric structures can be much more effective compared to existing conventional pesticides A more effective and sustainable insecticide has been developed by Embrapa Meio Ambiente (SP) in partnership with the Chemistry Institute of the State University of Campinas ( Unicamp ) in Brazil. The researchers have developed a controlled release system for the insecticide thiamethoxam. The encapsulation was carried out in polymeric nanomicelles, structures smaller than one billionth of a meter, or more than 80 thousand times smaller than the thickness of a strand of hair. Studies indicate that nanopesticides are more effective than…

 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has slightly raised its economic growth forecast for developing Asia and the Pacific this year to 5.0% from 4.9% previously projected, as regional exports continue to grow, complementing robust domestic demand. It maintained its growth forecast for next year at 4.9%. While inflation in the region as a whole is slowing to pre-pandemic levels, price pressures remain elevated in a number of countries. Food inflation remains elevated in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, partly due to adverse weather conditions and food export restrictions in some countries. The growth forecast for the People’s Republic…

An innovative, new $35 million, five-year investment to accelerate the adoption of machine automation and digital, intelligence technologies by Australian grain growers has been launched by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). GRDC Managing Director Nigel Hart launched the Grain Automate initiative last night (Thursday, 25 July) at the Innovation Generation 2024 conference on Queensland’s Gold Coast. This GRDC future-focused initiative will include a portfolio of up to 30 new research, development and extension (RD&E) investments complementing GRDC’s dynamic research in ag tech, precision agriculture, digital agronomy and advanced analytics. The decision by GRDC to invest in this progressive…