Author: Hithaishi CB

Regulatory framework to ensure that spring crops are safe and to increase grain and oil crop yields A nationwide seed market inspection has been announced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China to combat illegal moves including counterfeit, substandard, and trademark-infringing seeds. A key objective of this initiative is to ensure that seeds used in spring agricultural production are safe and to increase grain and oil crop yields. Among the crops that will be inspected are corn, soybeans, rice, potatoes, and other vegetables. Targeting counterfeit and substandard products, trademark infringement, and unlicensed production and sale, authorities plan…

Reducing carbon footprint by at least 3.5 tons of CO₂e per hectare per year Orbia Advance Corporation’s S.A.B. de C.V. Precision Agriculture business Netafim, the global leader in precision irrigation technology, announced a new carbon credit program in Turkey in partnership with Virridy, a pioneer in environmental technology and a leader in water-focused carbon credit generation. The program will begin with more than 1,000 hectares of farmland in Turkey, focusing on alfalfa, corn and sugar beet crops, and has already been shown to reduce at least 3.5 CO₂e tons per hectare per year. The program incentivizes farmers to adopt sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices, such…

China aims to foster international cooperation in the greener economy. Agroforestry Group (AFG), one of the world’s leading private forestry and agriculture management companies, has joined the Guangzhou Association of Foreign Investment Enterprises (GZAEFI). GZAEFI’s acceptance of Agroforestry Group now places it alongside companies such as McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble and Shell on the Fortune Global 500. For Agroforestry Group, this is an important strategic step that will enhance its local development in China as well as foster international cooperation in the greener economy. “The demand from Chinese customers for high quality, scarce, and sustainable forestry and agricultural assets is…

Americold Breaks Ground in Christchurch, Doubling Site Capacity to Support FMCG, Retail, and QSR Business Growth Americold, a global leader in temperature-controlled storage, logistics and value-added services, today announced the groundbreaking of its USD$34 million Halwyn facility expansion in Christchurch. This expansion will more than double the site’s capacity, enhancing Americold’s ability to meet growing demand across the South Island of New Zealand. This is the third regional growth initiative for Americold in the past 24 months, underscoring its commitment to provide solutions to capacity constrained markets across the APAC region. “Temperature-controlled warehouses play a critical role in the farm-to-table supply chain”, says Richard Winnall, President,…

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has launched a new AI-powered digital platform that can significantly advance and accelerate hybrid rice breeding and parental selection around the world, contributing to improved food security and sustainable agriculture through the propagation of high-yielding and climate-smart rice hybrids. Called the Global AI-Hybrid Rice Platform (GAI-HRP), the platform was developed by the IRRI Hybrid Rice Unit with the Hybrid Rice Development Consortium (HRDC). The system utilizes advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning models to interrogate datasets across decades of research and trials, and to provide swift and precise identification of optimal hybrid rice combinations based…

Collaboration empowers farmers to adopt practices to address water scarcity Indigo Ag and Google have joined forces to scale up adoption of regenerative agriculture practices to replenish nearly one and a half billion gallons of water over the next seven years. Google’s $1.5 million contribution supports regenerative agriculture on enrolled farms in Oklahoma, expected to result in increased soil moisture and water retention. Through Indigo Ag’s regenerative agriculture program, supported by Google, farmers receive incentives to implement regenerative practices, such as cover cropping and no-till farming. These practices improve soil-water retention, facilitate groundwater recharge, and improve crop drought resilience, contributing to sustainable farming ecosystems. The…

PROVEN G3, the third-generation nitrogen solution for corn Pivot Bio, one of the world’s leading innovative agtech companies, announced that it has launched a new product in its line of innovative ag solutions for growers in the U.S. Pivot Bio PROVEN® G3 will join the company’s notable Pivot Bio PROVEN® 40 nitrogen-fixing solution, which has been successfully used by growers on millions of acres to date. PROVEN G3, the company’s third-generation nitrogen solution for corn, will be commercially available in 2026, pending state registrations. This marks a major advancement in nitrogen innovation, as PROVEN G3 is the first PROVEN product with multiple modes…

New AI-powered tools developed using Microsoft Copilot Studio to transform agronomy, and sales operations Tavant, a leading AI-driven technology solutions and services provider, announced the launch of AI Agent accelerators developed for the Agriculture and Food value chain. Built using Microsoft Copilot Studio, these agents have the potential to enable transformative impact across farm productivity, logistics and supply chain, sales, regulatory compliance and agri-lending. The first two AI agents, Sales Assistant and Virtual Agronomist, tackle key challenges in farm management by leveraging AI to automate processes and provide real-time insights. These solutions reduce manual workloads, improve transparency, and enhance decision-making for…

The collaboration will expand the current integration of Planet’s advanced satellite imagery into Syngenta’s Cropwise platform Farmers around the world will have comprehensive access to near-daily satellite imagery of their fields thanks to a new partnership signed between Syngenta, a leading global agriculture technology company, and Planet Labs PBC, an important provider of global, daily satellite imagery and geospatial solutions. The multi-year expansion of their strategic partnership enables farmers to remotely monitor crop health, detect pest infestations, and identify disease outbreaks. The high-resolution, commercially available satellite imagery is delivered to farmers globally as part of Syngenta’s Cropwise digital agriculture platform.…

Grow Asia and PPSA invite partners, including agribusinesses, technology providers, development organizations, and investors to collaborate on this initiative in scaling innovative AgTech solutions for smallholder farmers Grow Asia is launching the 2025 Innovation Challenge in the Philippines. Philippines Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA) will support the Grow Asia Innovation Challenge 2025 this year. By matching founders of climate-smart agritech solutions with mentors and partners, Grow Asia Innovation Challenge provides them with a catalytic launch pad, accelerating their journey to market and helping Southeast Asia advance a climate-resilient agriculture sector. Innovations that address at least one of the identified challenge…