Author: Hithaishi CB

Extends mutual supports in solidifying interdisciplinary agriculture fields such as agricultural biotechnology, agricultural chemistry, and agricultural economics. Philippines headquartered “The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA)” has collaborated with Taiwan’s National Dong Hwa University (NDHU) on 30 March 2023. SEARCA aligns with other global, regional and national organizations toward contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that address global challenges to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The Center commits to contribute and allocate resources toward the achievement of five SDGs that directly align with its mandate and…

Attempts to recognise Hotel, Restaurants and Catering (HoReCa) businesses that source from local farms The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has launched the Farm-to-Table (FTT) Recognition Programme to recognise food businesses in the Hotel, Restaurants and Catering (HoReCa) sector that support local produce and has awarded the FTT Recognition Programme Logo to 11 food businesses. Developed in partnership with the Association of Catering Professionals Singapore (ACAPS), the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) and the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA), the FTT Recognition Programme aims to encourage demand for local produce from both the HoReCa sector and consumers. Inputs were also taken from…

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced that developing countries in the Asia-Pacific economic growth is expected to accelerate. The resumption of economic activity in China, which has shifted away from a zero-corona strategy, is a key factor that brightens the region’s growth prospects. According to the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) April 2023 released on 4 April 2023, by the ADB , the Asia-Pacific region will grow by 4.8% in 2023 and 2024, with 2022 forecast for 2022. It is projected to improve from 4.2%. The economic growth rate of developing Asian countries excluding China is expected to…

Real-time monitoring and analytics capabilities ensure efficient irrigation and fertigation, reduce nutrient runoff while enabling higher quality citrus nursery trees Hitachi Vantara, the modern infrastructure, data management and digital solutions subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), and Golden Grove Nursery, the dominant supplier of citrus nursery trees to the Queensland citrus industry (Australia), have applied artificial intelligence (AI), advanced analytics and sensor technology to inform data-driven irrigation water management practices for sustainable, environmentally friendly food production. Golden Grove has installed an innovative combination of weight scales, soil moisture sensors, and analytics developed for horticulture use by Hitachi Vantara, Greenlife Industry Australia, Applied Horticulture Research,…

global campaigning NGO with headquarters in the UK, and playing vital role across Europe, in the US, China and South Africa aims to control measures in factory farming of livestocks A comprehensive three-year strategy by the global NGO, ‘Compassion in World Farming’ calls for far-reaching food and farm reforms as part of a global movement. Factory farming is the largest cause of cruelty on earth, driving all three crises, like climate, hunger and wildlife crises and it will be too late without action within this decade. A new online platform has been launched by an international animal welfare environmental charity…

Issued a Resolution on renovating the training of high-quality human resources aligning with Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development to 2030 On April 3, in Hanoi, Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam had a meeting with Mr. Shishido Kenichi, Special Advisor to the President of JICA. The two sides discussed cooperation in training high-quality human resources for Vietnam’s agricultural industry. At the meeting, Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam said “Over the years, JICA has supported the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in human resource training. The Government of Vietnam has approved the Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development to 2030, with…

Awards $450,000 Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC) grant to APAL Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL) has been awarded a $450,000 Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC) grant by the Australian Government, to investigate the combined effectiveness of orchard and packhouse practices in managing pests that restrict trade in fresh apples. The Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC) program provides grants for projects that harness opportunities to access new markets and strengthen market presence through existing channels for agricultural commodities affected by market disruptions and which have restricted access to key destination markets. Minister for Agriculture,…

Dutch dairy industry moves towards sustainability with successful incorporation of Bovaer® into the regular farming activities of 158 dairy farms in the Netherlands  Dutch dairy company Royal FrieslandCampina, DSM, and feed supplier Agrifirm have successfully incorporated Bovaer® into the regular farming activities of 158 dairy farms in the Netherlands in the world’s first large-scale on-farm use of the methane-reducing feed additive for cattle. The six month program, which started in 2022, confirmed that Bovaer® can easily be introduced at scale without affecting animal health, milk production or milk composition. This work supports the quicker adoption of Bovaer® by the dairy…

The new One Health research project in the Philippines aims to create a more sustainable animal industry and health system that are risk-informed, adaptive, and responsive to the country’s agriculture sector. A new One Health research project in the Philippines will strengthen animal disease surveillance capacity against health security threats that severely impact the country’s livestock industry. Led by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), the project will improve policy and governance support for disease detection of African swine fever (ASF), avian influenza (AI) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). These diseases are some of the most prevalent animal health threats in the Philippines. Recent outbreaks of ASF…

Philippines is the second country to allow commercial farming of genetically modified eggplants after Bangladesh. The Philippines has become the second country in the world to allow farmers allow commercial cultivation of BT eggplant varieties that are genetically modified to resist the devastating insect known as eggplant fruit and shoot borer (EFSB). Bangladesh had approved BT eggplant earlier in 2013 as the first country to do so. Bt eggplant, or talong, was the first biotechnology vegetable crop developed in the Philippines after 15 years of testing and safety trials. In the early 2000s, public sector scientists found that introducing a…