Author: Hithaishi CB

The collaboration will utilise palm oil production residues to produce biomethane and low-carbon derivatives such as liquefied biomethane and biomethanol Malaysia and Japan have signed three strategic agreements valued at RM1.34 billion during Expo 2025 Osaka. A standout deal involves a joint venture between reNIKOLA Holdings Sdn Bhd and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation to develop renewable fuels. The collaboration will utilise palm oil production residues to produce biomethane and low-carbon derivatives such as liquefied biomethane and biomethanol. The second deal involved MTC Orec Sdn Bhd, a bioenergy firm under the Bio-based Accelerator (BBA) programme, partnering with Japan’s IHI Plant Services Corporation…

Global tree nut production for the 2025/26 season will remain stable at approximately 6 million metric tons The International Nut and Dried Fruit Council welcomed 1,520+ professionals from 73 countries to its flagship event, mid May, 2025 in Mallorca, Spain. The congress served as a global platform for sharing insights, innovation, and addressing the future of the nut and dried fruit industry. Preliminary data discussed during the round tables indicates that global tree nut production for the 2025/26 season will remain stable at approximately 6 million metric tons (kernel basis, except pistachios in-shell), matching last season’s volume. Macadamias, walnuts, and almonds…

Effective delivery and function of the gene editing machinery directly within the plant BetterSeeds has achieved a significant breakthrough in plant biotechnology with the completion of its EDGE (Efficient Delivery of Gene Editing) platform. This innovative technology directly addresses a major hurdle hindering the widespread adoption of gene editing technologies like CRISPR: the reliance on inefficient and crop-specific tissue culture methods. The limitations of tissue culture mean that currently, only a small fraction of commercially important crops (approximately 10) can be efficiently improved using CRISPR. This critical bottleneck was a key discussion point at the recent CROP Innovation and Business…

New 2.5-hectare R&D station includes a nursery, traditional greenhouses, crossing block greenhouses, hydroponic greenhouses, a laboratory, fields, and offices Sakata Tarım Ürünleri ve Tohumculuk Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Şirketi, a subsidiary of Sakata Seed Corporation (Headquarters: Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) inaugurated a new research station in Gaziler, in the Kepez district of Antalya city, Türkiye. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Hiroshi Sakata, President of Sakata Seed Corporation, Basile De Bary, Chief Executive Officer of Sakata Vegetables Europe, and other dignitaries. This new 2.5-hectare R&D station includes a nursery, traditional greenhouses, crossing block greenhouses, hydroponic greenhouses, a laboratory, fields,…

Annual output capacity of 80,000 metric tons of herbicides, fungicides, and functional chemicals CAC Nantong Chemical, a Chinese maker of pesticide products and functional chemicals, plans to invest up to $150 million to build a production base in Egypt. The plant will have an annual output capacity of 80,000 metric tons of herbicides, fungicides, and functional chemicals, the Jiangsu province-based firm announced. Construction is expected to be completed in two years. Egypt offers robust infrastructure, a relatively stable political and social environment, and a solid foundation for industrial investment, CAC Nantong noted, adding that a pesticide and functional chemicals plant…

Thailand five-point negotiation framework aims to restructure food and agriculture industries by identifying raw material shortages, reviewing current import tariffs while safeguarding domestic producers, eliminating non-tariff barriers Thailand’s ongoing negotiations with the United States are progressing positively, as affirmed by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during the recent Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh. The Secretary praised Thailand’s outstanding and constructive proposals, describing them as impressive initiatives that could lead to productive trade outcomes. This encouraging signal follows instructions from Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who urged all relevant agencies to align strategies under the “Team Thailand” framework. Jirayu Huangsub, Government Spokesperson,…

Decisions are based on the five-year framework of the Crop Science Division Bayer is reorganizing its Crop Science division’s activities in the areas of crop protection production and research and development in Germany. The step is necessary to ensure the division’s global competitiveness. Manufacturers of generic crop protection products, particularly from Asia, have built significant overcapacity over recent years and are pushing onto the market with persistently low prices, some of which are below the manufacturing costs of crop protection products in Europe. This is exacerbated by increasing regulatory restrictions and national export barriers. In the future, the focus will…

Dryer is equipped with automatic control and energy-saving design which can process 12.5 metric tons of fresh pods at a time In order to implement the policy of automated production of domestic grains, the Tainan District Agricultural Improvement Station of the Ministry of Agriculture actively promotes the establishment of a demonstration site for the “Domestic Peanut Post-Harvest Drying Center”, integrating the soil removal, weed removal and circular drying operations after the peanuts are harvested from the field to create a consistent mechanical processing system. The demonstration was held on May 16 at the Lihao Peanut Farm in Fuchao Village, Tuku…

Hort Innovation is actively working to deepen industry networks in Japan to showcase the best of Australian horticulture Australia is the number one citrus import partner for Japan, holding a 27% market share. The market momentum has continued to grow steadily since 2021 (20%), demonstrating a strong performance in a competitive and mature market. The partnership between Australia and Japan is highly complementary and counter-seasonal, allowing both countries to support each other’s markets effectively. Japan is Australia’s third-largest trading partner in horticulture, with exports valued at $175.6 million in 2025. Leading exports are oranges, which account for 42% of exports…

Helping local farmers track yield quality, gain direct market access, and ensure end-to-end transparency THE GROWHUB LIMITED, a Singapore-based company leveraging blockchain technology to enhance product traceability and authenticity, announced a strategic partnership with Why Ventures, an immersive learning and business growth platform, to deploy its traceability system across cacao and coffee farms in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, with both organizations set to launch this joint inaugural project at Why Ventures’ pilot site. This initiative serves as a testbed for implementing The GrowHub’s traceability tools and digital solutions aimed at helping local farmers track yield quality, gain direct market access, and ensure end-to-end…