Author: Hithaishi CB

M220-AV uilds on the efficiencies of the 22-foot-wide M220 manned mower enabling Turf Farms to achieve optimal productivity FireFly Automatix, Inc. has announced initial customer implementation of the M220-AV, the company’s first fully autonomous field mower, which has been in development since 2018. The new AV (Autonomous Vehicle) version of the popular 22-foot M220 for turfgrass production is premiering as a hybrid diesel-electric vehicle that takes the company’s proven features to an entirely new level of automation. FireFly has selected a limited number of turf farms for eligibility of its first commercially available M220-AV’s. The program has officially commenced with…

Australia exported 955,751 tonnes of barley and 60,604t of sorghum in February, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Of the 41,896t of malting barley shipped in February, Mexico with 63,000t was the destination for almost half, with Vietnam on 4762t the second-biggest market and Singapore on 3370t the third. Australia shipped 913,855t of feed barley in February, with 277,500t of it bound for Saudi Arabia, and Japan on 150,305t the second-biggest market, followed by Thailand on 129,379t. China on sorghum was the largest market for February-shipped sorghum with 56,549t, with Taiwan on 2790t the second-biggest…

Raises $10.5 million with ADM to advance R&D of natural herbicide portfolio and herbicide-tolerant row crop systems Harpe Bioherbicide Solutions, Inc., an agricultural technology company focused on providing natural and sustainable herbicide solutions, has announced a $10.5 million round of fundraising, led by ADM. Follow-on investments in the oversubscribed round included iSelect Fund Management and Alexandria Investment Ventures as well as company leadership and private agricultural industry investors. The financing provides North Carolina-based Harpe Bioherbicide Solutions the resources to further advance research and development of its portfolio of natural, non-selective herbicide formulations, which use a series of active ingredient compounds found in plant…

Advanced drone technology can address agricultural inputs and labor shortages, especially among fruit farmers. Farmers in Vietnam are adopting a novel XAG P100 Agricultural Drone to cut costs and reap higher benefits in the cultivation of high-value crops, like bananas and durians. With the fully autonomous and precise operation, XAG drones thrive in Vietnam’s agricultural drone market. Advanced drone technology can address agricultural inputs and labor shortages, especially among fruit farmers. XAG, the leading agri-tech company, has highlighted aims to support Vietnam’s fruit industry amid the shrinking agricultural workforce. Vietnam’s economy relies heavily on tropical fruit exports, particularly durian, and banana. Durian…

Ginkgo’s cell programming capabilities to support Syngenta’s ongoing seeds R&D pipeline efforts Syngenta Seeds (Syngenta), global agri-tech company and Ginkgo Bioworks have partnered to screen a targeted genetic library for novel trait discovery. The results of this research are intended to inform future seed trait development so that farmers can grow healthier and more resilient crops. Ginkgo Bioworks is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, Syngenta will leverage Ginkgo’s extensive protein engineering capabilities and proprietary ultra high-throughput screening technologies to complement and accelerate Syngenta’s efforts to design and develop innovative plant traits. Ginkgo will leverage proprietary ultra high-throughput single-cell…

The Department of Agriculture (DA) starts implementation of MV2C-TCP The Department of Agriculture (DA) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) officials conducted the Kick-off Meeting and First Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) Meeting for the Implementation Phase of the Technical Cooperation Project on “Market-Driven Enhancement of Vegetable Value Chain” (MV2C-TCP) on April 17, 2023. The MV2C-TCP was the result of the signed Records of Discussion between the Philippine government and JICA in October 2021. The initiative intends to strengthen the vegetable value chain by implementing inclusive business models, hence increasing farmer income. “The Market-Driven Enhancement of the Vegetable Value Chain in the…

Launches a document “100 startups with a track record of cooperating with governments” to register startups track records and to promote public procurement Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) produced “100 startups with a track record of cooperating with governments” to promote collaboration between startups and national governments and regional governments. The document provides examples of companies that have a track record of cooperating with governments. Bringing startups and the government together will nurture startups and improve the government’s ability to solve problems. By improving the recognition of startups in the government and local governments and sharing knowledge…

Recommends system-based approach for the global agrifood ecosystem A recent analysis by International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) indicates that, by 2050, population growth is projected to drive a 30 percent increase in rice demand. Resources including land, water, and labor that rice production requires become scarcer, and with withered crops and destroyed paddy fields due to the climate change’s effects of extreme heat and frequent floods, the global rice output continues to decrease. No crop is as vulnerable to global warming as rice, say scientists at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Solutions to address the compounding challenges faced by…

Australia proposes trade impediments affecting bilateral trade and exports The Australian Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Murray Watt, met with China’s Vice Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Ma Youxiang. A Joint Agricultural Commission (JAC) meeting between the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs was held in 2017. The follow-up meeting on 17 April involved formal discussions, where JAC sought to guide agricultural cooperation between our two countries. Minister Watt welcomed the process of stabilizing bilateral relations, in particular progress towards restoring barley trade, and reaffirmed the commitment to advance the…

The laboratory focuses on formulation support for crop protection, seed treatment and micronutrient formulations that align with international methods and standards for formulations. Azelis, a leading innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, has launched a novel laboratory for the Agricultural & Environmental Solutions (A&ES) industry in India. A team of highly skilled and experienced agricultural technical specialists staffs the new laboratory, which is equipped with the latest equipment. The laboratory focuses on formulation support for crop protection, seed treatment and micronutrient formulations that align with international methods and standards for formulations. With the opening of…