Author: Suchetana Choudhuri

BARMM presents ₱177-M investment opportunities, positioning the region as a key frontier for agriculture and fisheries growth The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MAFAR-BARMM) have unveiled more than ₱904 million worth of investment opportunities for priority agri-fishery commodities during the 1st Hand-in-Hand (HIH) National Investment Forum (NIF) held at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Headquarters on April 30, 2026. The initiative highlights the government’s push to attract private sector participation in transforming Philippine agriculture into a more modern, value-driven, and investment-ready industry. DA Undersecretary for Special Concerns…

Nairobi and Tokyo expand six-decade partnership through new cooperation frameworks spanning food systems, infrastructure, healthcare, ICT and sustainable industrial growth enya and Japan have moved to deepen their long-standing bilateral partnership through a renewed framework of strategic cooperation spanning agriculture, clean energy, digital technology, healthcare, infrastructure and human capital development, underscoring a shared commitment to sustainable economic transformation and institutional resilience. The expanded engagement was reaffirmed during high-level discussions in Nairobi between Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi and Japan’s Foreign Affairs Minister Motegi Toshimitsu during the latter’s official visit to Kenya .…

New policy framework for 2026–2030 seeks to transform fragmented farming into a coordinated, technology-driven and market-linked rural economy Dak Lak Province is embarking on an ambitious restructuring of its agricultural economy, positioning cooperatives and value-chain partnerships at the center of a long-term strategy to build a more resilient, technology-enabled and commercially competitive farm sector. Under Resolution No. 20/2025/NQ-HĐND, the province has unveiled a sweeping roadmap for the 2026–2030 period aimed at accelerating cooperation and production linkages across agriculture. At the heart of the initiative lies a bold target: by 2030, more than 35 percent of Dak Lak’s agricultural output value…

The partnership aims to improve production resilience, mechanization, and long-term food-system sustainability Viet Nam and Sri Lanka are deepening agricultural cooperation as both countries move to strengthen food production resilience, technology exchange, and long-term farm-sector modernization through expanded collaboration in fertilizers, machinery, fisheries, and livestock systems. During high-level discussions held on April 28, Hoang Trung and Poshitha Perera reaffirmed their commitment to advancing bilateral agricultural ties, reflecting a broader regional push toward strategic cooperation in food security and sustainable agricultural development. The meeting underscored growing momentum in the Vietnam–Sri Lanka agricultural relationship, particularly across fisheries, livestock, veterinary systems, fertilizer cooperation,…

Expanded partnership includes agricultural market access, green transition initiatives, and strategic industrial collaboration Viet Nam and Japan have agreed to significantly expand bilateral cooperation across economic security, sustainable agriculture, advanced technology, and energy resilience, signaling a new phase in the rapidly evolving strategic relationship between the two Asian economies. Following high-level talks in Hanoi , Le Minh Hung and Sanae Takaichi outlined an ambitious roadmap aimed at strengthening the Vietnam–Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership through deeper investment integration, technology collaboration, and expanded agricultural cooperation. The discussions reflected growing regional efforts to build more resilient supply chains, reinforce food and energy security,…

DOST and PNRI are developing rapid field-level diagnostics to improve traceability, regulation, and export readiness The Philippines is intensifying its food-safety and agricultural quality agenda with the development of a portable rapid-diagnostic system capable of detecting heavy metals and trace elements in high-value crops, marking a significant convergence of agricultural science, public health, and export competitiveness. The initiative, spearheaded by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute under the Department of Science and Technology, aims to create a faster, non-destructive, and more affordable testing mechanism for contaminants in crops including cacao, coffee, corn, cabbage, lettuce, coconut, mango, and banana. The project —…

Rising demand for value-added coconut products and cleaner processing methods is reshaping the Philippines’ coconut export strategy The Philippines’ coconut sector entered 2026 on uneven footing as declining revenues from coconut oil exports weighed on overall industry earnings, even as value-added coconut products posted robust growth and policymakers expressed confidence in a production rebound later this year. Data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that export revenues from coconut-based products declined 4.7 per cent in the first quarter to $849.34 million, down from $890.77 million during the same period last year. The contraction was driven primarily by weaker…

The proposed 90-day import management plan reflects growing concerns over farmer incomes, food inflation, and climate-linked supply volatility The Philippines is considering a temporary tightening of rice imports as policymakers attempt to balance food security concerns with mounting pressure on domestic farmgate prices, underscoring the increasingly delicate economics of agricultural trade management across Asia. The Department of Agriculture (DA) is evaluating a proposal to limit rice import volumes for 90 days beginning in June, a move aimed at preventing a further collapse in palay prices during the country’s wet-season harvest cycle. The policy discussion comes as farmgate prices in key…

Exclusive AgroSpectrum interview with Kyra Constanze Pauly, Managing Director of Bayer Foundation, on catalytic capital, smallholder resilience, and the new Bayer Foundation–UNCDF investment push in African agri-food markets The conversation comes as Bayer Foundation and United Nations Capital Development Fund announced the inaugural investments under the Food Systems Innovation Finance Facility (FSIFF), extending two local currency loans of $500,000 each to Omia Agribusiness in Uganda and SokoFresh in Kenya to expand farmer services, reduce food loss, improve cold storage infrastructure, and strengthen market access for smallholders. Kyra highlighted that the initiative reflects a broader shift beyond traditional grant-based development models…

Navneet Ravikar, CMD, LeadsConnect Services Pvt. Ltd. and CEO, BL Agro, positions ICCRI and KEDAR–PARVATI In an exclusive interview with AgroSpectrum, Navneet Ravikar, Chairman & Managing Director of LeadsConnect Services Pvt. Ltd. and CEO of BL Agro, positions ICCRI and KEDAR–PARVATI as operational intelligence infrastructure rather than traditional dashboards, integrating satellite, financial, and AI-driven analytics for real-time, parcel-level risk insights. He highlights their role as scalable, geography-agnostic systems capable of transforming agricultural risk pricing, governance, and climate resilience across sectors. Ravikar underscores the Indo–Brazil agri corridor as a strategic South–South collaboration to co-develop AI tailored to tropical agriculture, offering an…