https://agrospectrumasia.com/rssfeed/country/japan japan https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4914/japan-backed-exedy-drones-opens-reservations-for-ayre-cx-agricultural-spray-drone-in-us.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4914/japan-backed-exedy-drones-opens-reservations-for-ayre-cx-agricultural-spray-drone-in-us.html Wed, 04 Nov 2026 14:24:07 +0530 Michigan-based Exedy Drones, a business backed by Japan's EXEDY Corporation, has opened reservations for its AYRE CX agricultural spraying and spreading drone in the United States, as the company prepares to expand its presence in the precision agriculture equipment market. The company is accepting reservations for the first 500 aircraft through its authorised dealer network, with initial deliveries targeted for spring 2027. The AYRE CX is being developed to support agricultural spraying and granular material application, combining multiple field operations within a single unmanned aerial platform. The drone features a 50-litre liquid spray tank and a 70-litre hopper for distributing granular inputs, including seeds and fertilisers. Its technical capabilities include autonomous take-off, spraying and landing, RTK-level navigation, terrain-following technology and obstacle detection. According to Exedy Drones, the aircraft incorporates a variable-flow spraying system and centrifugal nozzles designed to support precision application across different agricultural conditions. The company is also developing software and operational support systems in the United States, alongside a domestic dealer and servicing network. The AYRE CX is being assembled in southeastern Michigan using a combination of domestically and internationally sourced components. Its parent company, EXEDY Globalparts Corporation, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan's EXEDY Corporation, a manufacturer of automotive drivetrain components. The company has introduced a reservation programme requiring an initial payment of $1,000, of which $750 remains refundable until conversion to a purchase deposit. Reservations secure priority production positions but do not guarantee delivery dates or final aircraft pricing. The aircraft received conditional approval under the US Federal Communications Commission's regulatory framework in July 2026, allowing it to qualify for an exemption from restrictions affecting certain foreign-produced drone systems and components, subject to applicable conditions. Exedy Drones plans to complete additional field validation, spraying system testing and production readiness assessments before commencing customer deliveries. The introduction comes as agricultural drone manufacturers respond to changing US equipment regulations and supply chain requirements. Through its Michigan-based operations, Exedy aims to establish a domestically supported agricultural drone platform for spraying and spreading applications. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4867/japanese-food-tech-startup-kinish-raises-3-1-million-for-rice-based-dairy-innovation.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4867/japanese-food-tech-startup-kinish-raises-3-1-million-for-rice-based-dairy-innovation.html Mon, 26 Oct 2026 17:14:49 +0530 Tokyo-based food-tech startup Kinish has raised JPY490 million (approximately $3.1 million) in the first close of its Series A funding round, backing a dual-track strategy that combines commercial expansion of rice-based ice cream with research into plant-produced milk proteins. Announced on October 20, the financing will support the growth of The Rice Creamery brand, research into molecular farming and indoor rice cultivation, and recruitment for management and business development roles in Japan and the US. The funding round attracted INSPiRE Mutualistic Symbiosis Fund 1, Shimadzu Future Innovation Fund, Obayashi and Canada-based Love Veggies Holding. Shimadzu is also expected to collaborate with Kinish on analytical evaluation, quality control and measurement technologies for indoor cultivation. Commercial traction meets biotechnology ambition Kinish has established an initial retail presence for The Rice Creamery, with its products available in approximately 500 stores across Japan. The company also reported sales through retailers in Washington, DC, and at Meta’s Washington office in October 2025. It has opened a New York office to support its US expansion, including production planning, distribution and brand development. The current ice cream range uses conventional Japanese rice grown outdoors. It does not contain casein produced through Kinish’s biotechnology programme, which remains under development. This distinction is central to the company’s strategy. While the existing business generates commercial traction through rice-based frozen desserts, its longer-term ambition is to develop rice plants capable of producing casein, a key milk protein used in dairy products. Kinish has reported successfully expressing casein in rice. Its next research phase will focus on increasing protein content through improvements to the rice varieties. The company has not disclosed current casein concentrations or a commercial launch timeline for products containing the plant-produced protein. Molecular farming targets dairy applications Molecular farming uses plants as production systems for valuable compounds, including proteins that are traditionally sourced from animals or produced through other industrial processes. Kinish is combining this approach with indoor cultivation to develop a controlled production system for specially engineered rice. The company is using dwarf rice plants approximately 20 centimetres tall, a format suited to cultivation across multiple vertical levels. The approach is intended to support indoor production while enabling greater control over growing conditions. Shimadzu has identified ice cream, cheese and yoghurt as potential applications for the casein-producing rice. However, these remain development targets rather than commercially available products. The company’s contribution will include analytical assessment and quality control of raw materials, finished products and cultivation environments, as well as measurement technologies for plant factories. The partnership brings together Kinish’s food-technology platform and Shimadzu’s expertise in analytical measurement across food, life sciences and environmental applications. Such capabilities will be important as Kinish works to establish consistent protein production and assess the quality of ingredients intended for food use. Global Brain, which manages the Shimadzu fund, said its investment decision reflected Kinish’s combination of molecular farming and vertical farming, its emphasis on taste, and the breadth of expertise within its management team. The investor also sees potential in combining milk proteins with sweetness derived from rice starch to develop dairy alternatives with creamy textures. These possibilities remain prospective applications as the company advances its research. Indoor rice cultivation moves towards scale-up Kinish’s indoor cultivation programme predates the latest financing. In February 2025, the company raised JPY120 million, then reported at approximately $800,000, in a seed round involving Genesia Ventures, Lifetime Ventures, Full Commit Partners and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital. The earlier funding supported research into casein-producing rice, indoor cultivation systems and the introduction of conventional rice-based ice cream. Kinish also disclosed a collaboration with Shizuoka University to develop plant factories suited to dwarf rice cultivation. In its latest indoor cultivation trial, the company reported harvesting 2,079.7 grams of brown rice per square metre over three months. The figure measures rice harvested, not casein output, and therefore does not establish the quantity or commercial productivity of the milk protein produced. The next phase will focus on expanding cultivation trials, developing methods for mass production and using growing data to refine cultivation conditions. Scaling the system will require progress not only in plant growth and protein concentration but also in consistency, quality control and the economics of indoor production. For Kinish, the Series A funding provides capital to advance both sides of its business: expanding a consumer-facing rice-based ice cream brand and developing a biotechnology platform that could eventually supply dairy proteins from plants. The commercial opportunity will depend on whether the company can translate successful research-stage protein expression into reliable, scalable production and food ingredients that meet performance and quality requirements.   ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4834/sumitomo-chemical-launches-pavecto-based-fungicide-in-paraguay-expanding-global-rollout.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4834/sumitomo-chemical-launches-pavecto-based-fungicide-in-paraguay-expanding-global-rollout.html Thu, 15 Oct 2026 15:24:13 +0530 Sumitomo Chemical has launched Velera, a fungicide containing its active ingredient Pavecto (common name: metyltetraprole), in Paraguay, marking the first commercial introduction of the technology outside Japan and expanding the company's push into international crop protection markets. Announced on October 15, 2026, the launch brings the new fungicide to Paraguay's soybean sector, where growers face a range of foliar diseases that can threaten crop health and yield potential. The product has been registered for use on soybeans and is designed to control major diseases, including target spot, Cercospora leaf blight, purple seed stain and Septoria brown spot. The launch is a milestone in Sumitomo Chemical's international commercialisation strategy for Pavecto, which has been available in Japan since 2023. Regulatory reviews for the active ingredient and products containing it are under way in major markets, including Brazil and Europe, as well as other countries. Targeting fungicide resistance Pavecto's principal differentiator is its reported activity against pathogens resistant to existing quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides. Based on internal and external evaluations, Sumitomo Chemical says the active ingredient could provide growers with an additional option for managing fungicide resistance. The Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC) has positioned metyltetraprole in Subgroup 11A, a newly established subgroup within Group 11, which includes QoI fungicides. This classification distinguishes the active ingredient within the broader group and could be relevant to resistance-management strategies. Fungicide resistance remains a significant challenge for crop protection, particularly where repeated use of products with similar modes of action places selection pressure on pathogen populations. The introduction of active ingredients with differentiated activity can expand disease-management options, although their long-term effectiveness will depend on appropriate use and resistance-management practices. Soybean disease control at the centre of launch Velera is intended to protect soybean crops against several diseases that can affect foliage, seed quality and yield performance. Its registered uses in Paraguay include target spot and late-season diseases such as Cercospora leaf blight, purple seed stain and Septoria brown spot. These diseases can create management challenges as crop development progresses, making effective disease control an important component of soybean production. Sumitomo Chemical expects the product to offer growers another tool for protecting crop health and supporting yields. Actual performance will depend on disease pressure, application timing, local agronomic conditions and compliance with product-label directions. Registration pipeline extends beyond Paraguay Pavecto was developed as part of Sumitomo Chemical's B2020 pipeline of products intended for registration in major markets. The company had identified the active ingredient as a potential growth driver for its agricultural business. With the Paraguay launch, Sumitomo Chemical is beginning to extend commercial availability beyond Japan while pursuing regulatory approvals elsewhere. Brazil is a particularly relevant market to watch given the scale of its soybean industry, although commercialisation will depend on the outcome and timing of the regulatory review process. The company's next challenge will be to translate the initial market entry into broader international adoption while establishing the product's role in local disease-management programmes.   ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4766/japan-researchers-engineer-onions-to-produce-fewer-tear-inducing-compounds.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4766/japan-researchers-engineer-onions-to-produce-fewer-tear-inducing-compounds.html Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:13:04 +0530 Scientists in Japan have used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to target the biochemical pathway responsible for the tears triggered by cutting onions, opening a potential new route for improving one of the crop’s most distinctive traits. The researchers targeted the lachrymatory factor synthase (LFS) gene, which is involved in the production of lachrymatory factor, the volatile compound that causes eye irritation when onions are cut. By suppressing the gene, the team reduced production of the tear-inducing compound. The study is significant for onion breeding because it represents the first reported use of genome editing to modify an onion-specific trait, demonstrating that CRISPR-Cas9 can be used to alter a targeted biochemical characteristic in the crop. Editing the onion’s tear pathway The researchers introduced CRISPR editing components into onion root calluses using Agrobacterium. The transformation system also incorporated visual markers, including green fluorescent protein (GFP), allowing researchers to identify transformed tissue. Callus lines showing high and stable GFP expression were selected for further development. Molecular screening was subsequently used to confirm mutations in the target gene, after which the edited lines were regenerated through plant tissue culture. Biochemical analysis showed that the resulting plants had significantly reduced LFS enzyme activity in both leaves and bulbs. The finding provides direct evidence that editing the target gene can alter the pathway responsible for lachrymatory factor production. The breakthrough, however, comes with an important caveat: the edited plants did not emerge from the process as commercially ready varieties. The regeneration challenge The edited plants displayed morphological growth abnormalities and failed to set seed. The researchers attributed these developmental problems to the prolonged tissue-culture process used during transformation and regeneration. That limitation is significant because a useful gene-edited crop must ultimately be capable of producing healthy, fertile plants that can be propagated and evaluated through subsequent breeding and field development. The next challenge, therefore, is not simply editing the LFS gene but improving the tissue-culture and regeneration systems used to recover plants after editing. If those bottlenecks can be addressed, the approach could support the development of commercially viable onions with reduced lachrymatory factor. The research also points to a broader opportunity for onion improvement. Rather than relying only on conventional breeding, genome editing could provide a more targeted way to modify specific biochemical, quality and health-functional traits. For now, the work remains a proof of concept rather than a commercial tear-free onion. But by establishing a route to precisely modify an onion-specific trait, the Japanese researchers have taken a step towards a new generation of genetically improved onions. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4755/nghi-son-at-centre-of-new-thanh-hoa-japan-green-cooperation-drive.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4755/nghi-son-at-centre-of-new-thanh-hoa-japan-green-cooperation-drive.html Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:58:55 +0530 Thanh Hoa province in Vietnam and Japan are looking to broaden their long-standing economic relationship into green industries, with carbon capture and storage (CCS), circular economy projects and green transition initiatives emerging as new areas of cooperation around the Nghi Son Economic Zone. The discussions took place on September 23, when Cao Van Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Thanh Hoa Provincial People’s Committee, met a delegation from the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam led by Fukuhara Teppei, Minister-Counsellor at the Embassy. The two sides discussed cooperation on Japan’s Green Transformation (GX) agenda and potential CCS projects at Nghi Son, one of Vietnam’s major industrial and energy centres. They also explored the possibility of organising an investment forum focused on accelerating the province’s net-zero transition, including discussions on the policy framework required for CCS development. The proposed cooperation builds on a substantial Japanese investment presence. The province currently has 22 foreign direct investment projects involving Japanese investors, either independently or alongside investors from other countries, with total registered capital of about $12.9 billion. Japanese investors account for approximately $6.17 billion of that amount. Several large-scale projects have played a significant role in the province’s economic development, including the Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Plant, Nghi Son 2 Thermal Power Plant, Nghi Son Cement Plant, Thang Long Thanh Hoa Industrial Park and Aeon Mall Thanh Hoa. The province has agreed in principle to study the development of a memorandum of understanding on CCS cooperation with Japanese partners. It is also prepared to work with Japan to organise a dedicated CCS forum in Thanh Hoa. The proposed focus on CCS reflects Nghi Son’s industrial profile, infrastructure and concentration of large-scale production facilities. For the province, the technology could become part of a broader strategy to reduce industrial emissions while creating new opportunities for investment in low-carbon infrastructure and environmental technologies. Cao said Japan remains one of Thanh Hoa’s important partners across external relations, economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, adding that ties between the province and Japanese government agencies, organisations, local authorities and businesses have continued to expand. Fukuhara said the existing investment relationship between Japan and Thanh Hoa provides a foundation for expanding cooperation into areas supporting green and sustainable development. The Japanese Embassy will continue to coordinate with the province and support efforts to attract Japanese companies, particularly in green transition, environmental technologies, circular economy initiatives and CCS. The two sides also agreed to strengthen links between government agencies, organisations and businesses to support research, technology transfer and the mobilisation of green finance. The objective is to gradually develop the building blocks of a CCS value chain around Nghi Son while creating a pipeline of high-technology and environmentally oriented projects. The next phase of cooperation will therefore extend beyond conventional investment. The province is seeking to use its existing Japanese industrial base as a platform for new technologies and financing models that can support emissions reduction, resource efficiency and the transition towards a net-zero economy. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4754/hokkaido-gets-japans-first-special-zones-for-ai-powered-agriculture.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4754/hokkaido-gets-japans-first-special-zones-for-ai-powered-agriculture.html Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:32:26 +0530 Japan is turning one of its largest farming regions into a testing ground for AI-powered agriculture, with the government designating 19 municipalities in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region, including Obihiro, as national strategic special zones. The designation will allow the government to relax selected regulations governing agricultural automation, including rules for autonomous tractors operating on public roads and the use of drones for pesticide spraying. The move is aimed at helping farmers deploy labour-saving technologies at scale while encouraging technology companies to develop and commercialise new agricultural applications. The Tokachi region is characterised by large-scale farms, making it particularly suited to automation. Under Japan’s existing rules, autonomous tractors must have a driver onboard when travelling on public roads, including when moving between warehouses and fields. That requirement can limit the economic benefits of autonomous machinery on large farms. When several robot tractors are deployed simultaneously, each machine currently requires a person to accompany it on public roads. Under the new special-zone framework, autonomous tractors will be permitted to travel on public roads without a driver when operating in a convoy with a crewed truck or other vehicle. Regulations governing the communications infrastructure required for uncrewed operations will also be eased, enabling the region to build the connectivity needed to support autonomous farm machinery. The government said the initiative is intended to accelerate the practical deployment of AI and robotics in agriculture while creating an environment in which technology companies can participate more actively in the sector. The Tokachi designation is also significant because it marks the first national strategic special-zone designation specifically aimed at AI-powered agriculture. Japan has previously used the national strategic special-zone system to test regulatory exceptions in agriculture. In Niigata, for example, special-zone rules enabled farmers to open restaurants on agricultural land. For Tokachi, however, the focus is on creating an ecosystem around autonomous farming, combining robotic machinery, AI, drones and communications infrastructure. Obihiro Mayor Yosuke Ueno welcomed the designation, saying the government's recognition of Tokachi’s large-scale farming model would allow the region to serve as a demonstration site for AI-powered agriculture. A Cabinet Office survey and demonstration project are scheduled to begin later in September, while a symposium on the initiative is planned in Obihiro in November. Mitsugi Takenaka, mayor of Kamishihoro and chairman of an association representing municipalities across the Tokachi region, said the special-zone framework could help establish a new model of agriculture rapidly and enable its adoption beyond Japan. The initiative comes as Japan seeks to address labour constraints in agriculture while maintaining productivity across a sector where large farms can benefit significantly from automation. By removing selected regulatory barriers, the government is effectively using Tokachi as a real-world testbed for how autonomous agricultural technologies can move from controlled fields to everyday farm operations. The longer-term test will be whether the regulatory experiment can translate into commercially viable systems that can be adopted across Japan and, eventually, adapted for agricultural markets overseas. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4695/jetro-thrive-build-global-growth-pipeline-for-japanese-agri-tech-startups.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4695/jetro-thrive-build-global-growth-pipeline-for-japanese-agri-tech-startups.html Mon, 21 Sep 2026 16:24:46 +0530 JETRO and SVG Ventures | THRIVE have launched J-StarX Global Growth for Agri-Tech, a new programme aimed at helping Japanese agri-tech startups expand into international markets and build relationships with global customers, investors, corporations and innovation ecosystems. The initiative comes as agriculture and food systems face mounting pressure from climate change, labour shortages, resource constraints and supply-chain disruptions. Japan’s strengths in robotics, precision engineering, advanced manufacturing, sustainability and deep technology are creating opportunities for its emerging agri-tech companies to take technology developed domestically to global markets. The programme will leverage SVG Ventures | THRIVE’s global innovation platform and its community of more than 15,000 startups, alongside an international network of corporations, investors, universities and ecosystem partners. The objective extends beyond individual startup expansion, with JETRO and THRIVE seeking to build longer-term connections among entrepreneurs, industry, investors, research institutions and government. “Japan is home to exceptional innovation across agriculture, food, robotics, climate and deep technology,” said Nanami Suzuki, JETRO Startup. “Through the J-StarX Global Growth for Agri-Tech, we are pleased to help Japanese startups access the global networks, market knowledge and strategic relationships they need to expand internationally.” SVG Ventures | THRIVE has expanded its engagement with Japan in recent years through partnerships with startups, corporations, investors and other stakeholders across the agri-food value chain. Its activities include the launch of the $50 million Sunrise Agri Fund with Kagome, focused on sustainability and productivity in food and agriculture, as well as investment in Japanese startup EF Polymer. The new programme builds on that engagement, with participating startups set to receive market-readiness support, mentoring and tailored international ecosystem engagement across the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. The programme will begin with an in-person bootcamp in Tokyo and will target startups working across smart agriculture, precision farming, robotics and automation, soil and crop data platforms, sustainable inputs, food supply-chain optimisation, traceability, regenerative agriculture and climate-resilient production systems. Rather than following a uniform expansion strategy, the programme will help startups identify markets, customers and strategic partners aligned with their technologies and long-term growth plans. “Japan has a deep history of innovation, and we believe its next generation of agri-tech startups can play a meaningful role in solving some of the world’s most urgent food and agriculture challenges,” said John Hartnett, Founder and CEO, SVG Ventures | THRIVE. “Through the J-StarX Global Growth for Agri-Tech, we are proud to support Japanese founders as they build globally competitive companies and bring world-class innovation to international markets.” The programme builds on Harvest Horizons – Agri/Foodtech to North America, the 2024 JETRO|THRIVE acceleration programme for Japanese agri-tech startups. “Harvest Horizons – Agri/Foodtech to North America, our 2024 JETRO|THRIVE acceleration programme for Japanese agri-tech startups, showed the strength of Japanese founders and the value of providing them structured access to global markets,” said Danny O’Brien, Managing Director, SVG Ventures | THRIVE. “This new programme builds on that work and takes it further. Our goal is to help companies understand where they can win internationally, build the right strategic relationships, and create a practical pathway for long-term global growth.” The J-StarX Global Growth for Agri-Tech programme is positioned as a platform for Japanese startups to move beyond domestic market opportunities and establish commercial, investment and technology partnerships internationally. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4693/vietnam-gains-coffee-market-share-in-japan-as-imports-rise-5-in-first-half-of-2026.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4693/vietnam-gains-coffee-market-share-in-japan-as-imports-rise-5-in-first-half-of-2026.html Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0530 Vietnam is gaining ground in Japan’s coffee market, with shipments rising 5% in volume during the first half of 2026 even as Japan’s overall coffee imports declined. The shift is giving Vietnamese suppliers a larger share of one of Asia’s most quality-sensitive coffee markets, while also exposing the limits of competing primarily on price. Japan imported 173,000 tonnes of coffee worth nearly $ 1.2 billion in the first six months of 2026, according to Japan Customs data cited by Vietnam’s Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Import volume fell 9.3 per cent from the corresponding period in 2025, while import value increased 2.4 per cent, reflecting the impact of elevated global coffee prices, a weaker yen and persistent inflationary pressure. Against that backdrop, Vietnam’s performance stands out. Japan imported 55,500 tonnes of coffee from Vietnam worth $ 247.8 million, up 5 per cent in volume but down 12.2 per cent in value from the first half of 2025. Vietnam’s share of Japan’s total coffee import volume consequently increased from 27.74 per cent to 32.1 per cent. Brazil remained Japan’s largest coffee supplier, shipping 63,200 tonnes valued at $ 471.6 million. Brazilian volumes declined 15.3 per cent year-on-year, although the value of shipments increased 11.9 per cent. Colombia ranked third with 15,300 tonnes worth $ 131.3 million, with volumes falling 12.9 per cent while export value rose 3.3 per cent. The numbers reveal a significant change in the economics of Japan’s coffee sourcing. Japan’s average coffee import price increased 12.9 per cent to $ 6,922 per tonne during the period. Yet its average import price for Vietnamese coffee fell 16.4 per cent to $ 4,462 per tonne. Vietnam is therefore gaining physical market share at a time when Japanese buyers are becoming more selective about inventory, sourcing and price. That price advantage is particularly relevant for Robusta, where Vietnam has a strong supply base. Japanese importers are increasingly looking for reliable supplies, consistent quality and competitive pricing as high global coffee prices and currency pressures raise the cost of procurement. Vietnam’s ability to offer scale and relatively competitive pricing has helped it capture additional demand even as overall Japanese imports contracted. The opportunity, however, comes with a more demanding set of requirements. Japan maintains stringent expectations around quality, food safety, packaging and traceability, making consistency as important as volume. For Vietnamese exporters, the next phase of growth will depend on whether increased shipments can translate into greater value per tonne. Quality control and traceability are therefore becoming central to the competitiveness equation. Vietnamese suppliers seeking to expand in Japan will need stronger controls over residues, production processes and origin information, alongside greater consistency between batches and harvests. The opportunity also extends beyond green coffee. Roasted and ground coffee, instant coffee and other convenient formats could allow Vietnamese companies to participate further up the value chain and capture more of the spending generated by Japanese coffee consumption. Dr Nguyen Hong Son, president of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Japan, said Vietnamese coffee faces several challenges in consolidating its position, including quality and supply consistency, traceability, stronger competition in specialty coffee and access to Japanese distribution networks. He also highlighted the need for greater deep processing and stronger product identity. That shift could become increasingly important as competition intensifies. Brazil, Colombia and Ethiopia are seeking to strengthen their presence in Japan through specialty coffee and differentiated origin stories, raising the bar for suppliers that have traditionally competed on availability and price.   ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4682/upl-japan-strengthens-npp-biosolutions-platform-with-phytochrome-investment.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4682/upl-japan-strengthens-npp-biosolutions-platform-with-phytochrome-investment.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:46:21 +0530 UPL Corp Japan has acquired a stake in PhytoChrome Co., Ltd., a Japanese developer of biostimulants and fertilisers, deepening a strategic partnership that began in 2023 and strengthening UPL’s push into nature-based agricultural solutions. The investment brings PhytoChrome further into UPL’s NPP Biosolutions portfolio and is aimed at combining the two companies’ complementary capabilities to develop products designed to help farmers manage increasingly complex crop and environmental stresses. UPL Corp Japan and PhytoChrome have been strategic alliance partners since October 2023. Under the expanded relationship, the companies will work on solutions intended to improve crop performance and resilience while supporting more sustainable agricultural production. PhytoChrome will continue to operate independently. The partnership builds on the Impact Series, a portfolio developed by combining NPP’s GA142 technology, Ajinomoto’s amino acids and PhytoChrome’s innovations. The solutions are designed to address a range of environmental and soil-related challenges affecting crop productivity, including heat stress, drought, salinity, cold conditions and soil acidity. The investment reflects UPL’s broader strategy of expanding its biosolutions offering beyond conventional crop protection and increasing access to naturally derived technologies. Through NPP Biosolutions, UPL is developing solutions aimed at helping growers maintain crop productivity while addressing environmental, economic and social sustainability objectives. By bringing together PhytoChrome’s expertise in biostimulants and fertilisers with UPL’s broader biosolutions platform, the companies intend to accelerate the development and deployment of nature-based technologies for growers. The collaboration is expected to focus on solutions that can improve crop resilience under challenging growing conditions while creating value across the agricultural ecosystem. The transaction also extends UPL’s presence in Japan’s agricultural technology landscape, where demand for innovative inputs and solutions that support sustainable crop production is creating opportunities for collaboration between established agricultural companies and specialised technology developers. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4670/japan-pork-costs-rise-to-record-as-egg-prices-stay-elevated.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4670/japan-pork-costs-rise-to-record-as-egg-prices-stay-elevated.html Wed, 16 Sep 2026 16:10:27 +0530 Japan’s retail pork and egg prices have reached record or near-record levels in September, adding to pressure on consumers as higher import costs, global pork demand and lingering effects of last year’s avian influenza outbreak reshape the country’s food market. The average retail price of pork loin rose to 293 yen per 100 grams in September, the highest level recorded since Japan’s agriculture ministry began its survey in August 2003. The latest data underline the sustained strength of the domestic pork market as consumers increasingly turn to locally produced meat. The average price of a 10-egg pack reached 309 yen during the latest reporting month, matching the record high previously recorded in March, May and June. Egg prices remain elevated as the Japanese market continues to absorb the effects of last year’s avian influenza outbreak, while seasonal egg-based products launched by fast-food chains have added to demand. Pork prices are also being shaped by developments beyond Japan’s domestic supply chain. Rising prices for imported pork, partly reflecting the yen’s depreciation, have made domestic pork relatively more attractive to consumers. At the same time, stronger pork demand in global markets is adding to the pressure on international supplies and prices. The latest figures come from the agriculture ministry’s monthly retail price survey, which covers 470 stores across Japan, with 10 stores surveyed in each of the country’s 47 prefectures. The September survey was conducted from September 7 to 9. The simultaneous strength in pork and egg prices highlights the different forces influencing Japan’s animal-protein markets. Pork is facing a combination of currency-driven import costs and stronger demand for domestic product, while eggs continue to reflect supply disruptions from avian influenza alongside seasonal consumption patterns.   ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4654/hokkaido-becomes-japans-launchpad-for-ai-powered-agriculture.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4654/hokkaido-becomes-japans-launchpad-for-ai-powered-agriculture.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 18:20:23 +0530 Japan is turning one of its biggest farming regions into a test bed for the next generation of agricultural automation, with the government designating 19 municipalities in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region, including Obihiro, as national strategic special zones for AI-powered agriculture. The move is significant not simply because it opens the door to more autonomous machinery, but because it tackles one of the less visible barriers to agricultural automation: regulation. Under the special-zone framework, Japan will ease procedures governing the operation of autonomous robot tractors on public roads and the use of drones for pesticide spraying. The objective is to move AI-enabled machinery beyond controlled fields and into the wider operating environment of commercial farms. For Japan, where labour availability is a structural constraint on agriculture, the experiment is also a test of whether regulation can catch up with the technology already emerging on farms. Regulation Moves Closer to the Farm The problem is particularly acute on large farms in Tokachi. Under existing rules, autonomous robot tractors must have a driver when travelling on public roads, including when moving between a warehouse and a field. When several tractors are deployed across large areas, the requirement effectively puts a person on each machine — limiting the labour savings that autonomous systems are designed to deliver. The new special-zone rules will allow driverless autonomous tractors to travel on public roads when operating in a convoy with a crewed truck or other vehicle. The government will also ease regulatory requirements for the communications infrastructure required to support uncrewed operations. That distinction matters. The next phase of agricultural automation is unlikely to be determined solely by whether a machine can operate autonomously in a field. It will depend increasingly on whether farms can integrate those machines into the full logistics chain — from storage and transport to field operations. Tokachi Becomes Japan’s AI Agriculture Test Bed Tokachi is a logical testing ground for that model, given its large-scale farms and the scope of its agricultural operations. Obihiro Mayor Yosuke Ueno said the region’s recognition as a national strategic special zone reflects its suitability as a demonstration site for AI-powered agriculture. A Cabinet Office survey and demonstration project is scheduled to begin later this month, while a symposium is planned in Obihiro in November. The government is also looking beyond the immediate demonstration projects. By creating a regulatory environment specifically designed for AI-enabled farming, it hopes to attract more technology companies into agriculture and accelerate commercial deployment. This is the first national strategic special-zone designation in Japan specifically focused on AI-powered agriculture. From Labour Saving to a New Farm Model Japan has used its national strategic special-zone system before to test agricultural deregulation. In Niigata, for example, an exception was introduced allowing farmers to open restaurants on farmland. But the Tokachi initiative goes further into the technology stack, addressing how machines move, communicate and operate autonomously within the agricultural system. That could make the special zones a useful bridge between agricultural technology development and commercial adoption. The underlying question is no longer whether autonomous tractors and agricultural drones can perform individual tasks. It is whether farms can redesign operations around machines that require fewer people to supervise them. Mitsugi Takenaka, mayor of Kamishihoro and chairman of an association representing municipalities in Tokachi, said the region could use the special-zone framework to establish a new form of agriculture in a short period and ultimately spread it across Japan and internationally. For Japan’s agriculture sector, the experiment is therefore about more than easing a few regulations. It is an attempt to create the conditions in which AI, autonomous machinery and connected farm infrastructure can operate as one system — and to determine whether that model can scale beyond Hokkaido. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4639/sunshiki-raises-80-mn-to-turn-seaweed-into-scalable-cattle-feed-solution.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4639/sunshiki-raises-80-mn-to-turn-seaweed-into-scalable-cattle-feed-solution.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 18:00:54 +0530 Japanese climate-tech start-up Sunshiki has raised ¥80 million in pre-seed funding to scale production and advance the commercialisation of a seaweed-based cattle feed additive designed to significantly reduce methane emissions. The Kochi University spin-out, based in Shibuya, Tokyo, is developing a cattle feed supplement using kagikenori (Asparagopsis taxiformis), a seaweed that has been associated with methane reductions of 49 to 77 per cent in cattle. The funding comes as the livestock industry faces growing pressure to reduce methane emissions without compromising productivity. For Sunshiki, however, the next challenge is less about demonstrating the technology and more about producing the seaweed consistently and economically at commercial scale. The funding will support increased production capacity, research and development for commercialisation and new hiring. The round was structured as convertible preferred stock and was led by the Circular Economy Nature Positive No. 1 Fund, co-managed by SBI Shinsei Corporate Investment and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Investment, with Hazama Ando also participating. The Real Test Is Scaling Supply Seaweed-based methane reduction has attracted significant attention because of its potential to address one of livestock agriculture’s most difficult climate challenges. But turning laboratory and pilot results into a dependable feed ingredient requires a reliable supply of the underlying seaweed. Sunshiki says its key challenge is developing low-cost, stable cultivation methods that preserve the active compounds responsible for methane reduction. The company has already moved beyond small-scale experimentation, reporting stable output in commercial-scale test tanks, including 7,000-litre land-based systems. That transition is critical. A cattle feed additive cannot become a meaningful emissions-reduction tool if its supply is too expensive, inconsistent or difficult to integrate into existing feed chains. Sunshiki is therefore building capabilities across the production chain, from seaweed seed production to cultivation and optimisation. Its broader Seaweed Platform Initiative also incorporates artificial intelligence-based optimisation, reflecting the company’s effort to make cultivation more predictable and commercially scalable. Japan’s Seaweed Economy Adds Another Dimension The start-up’s ambitions also intersect with Japan’s broader interest in expanding the economic and environmental value of seaweed cultivation. Research and commercial initiatives are increasingly looking at seaweed not only as a source of food and industrial materials but also as a potential tool for carbon management, marine ecosystem restoration and livestock emissions reduction. A related Japanese initiative is testing marine cultivation in Yamakawa Bay, with trials running from August through March 2028. The project is examining the cultivation of seaweed while also linking the activity to fisheries and blue-carbon objectives. For coastal communities, that creates the possibility of an additional revenue stream alongside environmental benefits. For livestock producers, meanwhile, a locally developed seaweed supply chain could eventually support the availability of methane-reducing feed ingredients. From Climate Science To Farm Economics Sunshiki’s investment comes at a point when methane reduction is increasingly moving from a climate-policy discussion towards a commercial question for livestock businesses. The opportunity is significant, but adoption will ultimately depend on more than the headline emissions reduction. Feed manufacturers and cattle producers will need products that can be supplied reliably, incorporated into feeding systems and justified economically. That makes production efficiency a decisive factor. Sunshiki’s move towards larger cultivation tanks and an integrated production platform suggests that the company sees cultivation technology as its core competitive advantage. If it can maintain the active compounds in Asparagopsis taxiformis while bringing production costs down, the business could move from a promising climate technology towards a scalable livestock-input model.   ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4606/japan-starts-process-that-could-open-market-to-us-fresh-potatoes.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4606/japan-starts-process-that-could-open-market-to-us-fresh-potatoes.html Thu, 03 Sep 2026 18:48:52 +0530 Japan is taking another step toward potentially reopening its market to fresh potatoes from the United States, setting up a regulatory process that could eventually dismantle a long-standing import barrier while raising concerns over biosecurity and the future of domestic potato farming. Japan’s agriculture ministry said last Friday that it will hold a briefing this month on pests and diseases that could enter the country through imported potatoes and potentially threaten domestic agriculture. The ministry will then begin examining specific quarantine measures before reaching a final decision on whether fresh US potatoes can be imported for general distribution. The process is unlikely to produce an immediate market opening. Officials have indicated that lifting the restrictions could take several years, reflecting the technical and regulatory work required to assess plant-health risks and establish safeguards. The issue has nevertheless gained importance because the United States is one of the world’s largest potato producers and has been seeking broader access to the Japanese market. Agriculture Minister Norikazu Suzuki said the government would approach the discussions with determination, underscoring the sensitivity of the decision for both agricultural trade and domestic producers. Japan generally prohibits imports of fresh potatoes as a measure to protect domestic agriculture from pests and plant diseases. The country has, however, allowed a limited exception for US potatoes intended for processing into potato chips since 2006. That arrangement has kept American potatoes in Japan under a tightly defined framework rather than allowing them to compete broadly in the fresh-produce market. The latest review could change that if Japanese authorities determine that appropriate quarantine controls can manage the risks associated with wider imports. The process dates back to a request made by the United States in 2020 to gain access to Japan’s market for fresh potatoes intended for general distribution. Japan began considering the request under procedures linked to a World Trade Organization agreement. The next stage will focus on identifying the specific biological risks associated with imported potatoes and determining whether those risks can be controlled through quarantine requirements. The outcome will depend on the ministry’s assessment of potential pests and diseases, as well as the feasibility of preventing their introduction and spread in Japan. For Japanese farmers, the stakes extend beyond trade policy. Potato production remains an important agricultural activity in regions where growers have built businesses around domestic varieties and established production systems. Wider access for US potatoes could increase competition in the market, particularly if imported products can reach consumers at competitive prices. The government therefore faces a balancing act between meeting international trade commitments and protecting domestic agricultural interests. A decision to open the market would also require confidence that quarantine measures can provide sufficient protection against biological threats. For US potato producers, meanwhile, broader access would represent an expansion beyond the processing market that has been available since 2006. General distribution could create new opportunities across retail and food-service channels, depending on the eventual conditions attached to imports. The regulatory process is now moving into a more technical phase. The planned briefing will establish the pest and disease risks that authorities need to consider, after which the ministry will examine possible quarantine measures before making its final determination. That means the question is no longer simply whether Japan will accept US fresh potatoes, but under what conditions they could enter the country without creating unacceptable risks for domestic agriculture. A full lifting of the ban remains some distance away. But by formally advancing the review, Japan has opened the door to a potentially significant change in its potato trade policy—one that could reshape competition in the domestic market while testing how far agricultural trade liberalisation can go without compromising plant-health protections. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4579/biosolutions-could-help-japan-become-global-bioeconomy-powerhouse-new-report-finds.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4579/biosolutions-could-help-japan-become-global-bioeconomy-powerhouse-new-report-finds.html Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:14:30 +0530 Japan’s biosolutions industry could nearly triple in value to JPY 4.748 trillion by 2035, according to a new report commissioned by Novonesis that examines the economic contribution and future potential of biosolutions in Japan and across global markets. The findings come as Japan steps up its push to build a stronger bioeconomy, with biosolutions increasingly being used across sectors ranging from food and agriculture to energy, industrial manufacturing and biofuels. The report, titled The Value of Biosolutions: Growth and Prosperity to 2035 – Japan Edition, was launched during a visit by a Japanese delegation to Novonesis’ headquarters in Lyngby, Denmark. Discussions during the visit covered biosolutions, including market access for food enzymes and policy support for bioenergy. The scale of the opportunity identified in the report is significant. Reaching JPY 4.748 trillion by 2035 would represent almost a threefold increase in the sector’s value in Japan, but the report argues that this growth will not happen automatically. Policy conditions, regulatory processes, investment and the ability to commercialise biological technologies will all influence how much of that potential can be realised. The report also highlights the wider economic effect of the sector. In Japan, every job created directly in biosolutions generates an additional 2.1 jobs across other industries. That multiplier is below the global average of 2.4, suggesting that Japan could potentially capture a larger economic benefit if adoption of biosolutions expands and the supporting ecosystem develops further. Biosolutions are already used across more than 30 industries worldwide. Their applications range from enzymes used in food production and biological solutions in agriculture to bioenergy, biofuels and industrial manufacturing. The growing range of applications is changing the way biological technologies are viewed in economic policy. They are no longer confined to specialist biotechnology markets. Their use increasingly cuts across sectors that are central to food security, energy supply, industrial competitiveness and resource efficiency. Hirokazu Sano, Representative Director and President of Novonesis Japan Ltd., said Japan's ambition to build one of the world's most advanced bioeconomies would require broader use of bio-based inputs and a more diverse range of resources. "Biosolutions can play a central role in this transition by improving resource efficiency, strengthening energy resilience, and enabling more sustainable food and industrial systems," Sano said. He also pointed to regulation and policy as areas where delays could have a direct economic cost. According to Sano, slow regulatory processes, insufficiently developed biofuel mandates and approval timelines that do not align with the pace of innovation can limit the ability of biosolutions to reach the market. The report calls for several policy changes to help Japan capture more of the potential identified in the study. One priority is continued political and policy leadership around Japan's Bioeconomy Strategy and its Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology Growth Strategy. Maintaining momentum in these programmes will be important if the country wants to move from policy ambition to commercial deployment. The report also recommends stronger financial incentives and a more integrated network to accelerate development of the bioeconomy. For companies developing biological technologies, access to capital becomes particularly important as promising technologies move from research and pilot projects towards commercial production. Regulatory reform is another central recommendation. The report calls for a fast-track regulatory pathway specifically designed for biosolutions, reflecting the argument that biological products and processes can require different approval approaches from conventional technologies. The report also identifies manufacturing capacity as a constraint. Technologies that work at laboratory or pilot scale need processes capable of being expanded to commercial production. Building that capacity can determine whether a promising biological innovation remains a research achievement or becomes a commercially viable product. Japan's broader industrial strategy will also matter. The report recommends an integrated approach that sharpens the country's focus on areas where it has technological advantages rather than spreading investment too thinly across multiple opportunities. Public understanding is another part of the equation. Wider awareness of biological technologies and their potential applications will be needed to build social acceptance and support for innovation, particularly as biosolutions increasingly become part of food, energy and industrial systems. The report's recommendations come at a time when Japan is looking to strengthen the resilience of its economy and supply chains. Biological technologies can potentially reduce reliance on finite resources, make better use of available feedstocks and provide alternatives to conventional industrial processes. That gives the sector significance beyond its direct economic value. In agriculture and food production, biosolutions can support resource efficiency and production systems. In energy, biological technologies can contribute to biofuels and other renewable pathways. In manufacturing, enzymes and biological processes can provide alternatives to traditional production methods. The common thread is the ability to use biological processes to produce goods or services with potentially lower resource requirements or reduced dependence on conventional inputs. For Japan, the economic opportunity will depend on how effectively those technologies move from research and development into widespread commercial use. The JPY 4.748 trillion projection therefore represents more than a market forecast. It is an indication of the economic activity that could emerge if Japan creates conditions that allow biosolutions companies and their industrial customers to scale. The report was developed by Amsterdam Data Collective (ADC) and commissioned by Novonesis. ADC conducted the analysis with contributions from partners including Jarl Frijs-Madsen, Ambassador of the Royal Danish Embassy in Japan. The report comes as governments and companies around the world compete to build industries around biotechnology, synthetic biology and other biological technologies. Japan already has a policy framework aimed at developing its bioeconomy, but the report argues that implementation will be critical.     ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/interviews/108/4550/food-manufacturers-chase-ai-gains-but-data-remains-the-missing-link.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/interviews/108/4550/food-manufacturers-chase-ai-gains-but-data-remains-the-missing-link.html Thu, 27 Aug 2026 14:50:03 +0530 For years, artificial intelligence in the food and beverage industry has carried an almost ornamental aura—full of promise, possibility and, often, more excitement than real-world impact. That is beginning to change. In this exclusive interview with AgroSpectrum, Michael Guantiero, Vice President and Head, Solution Consulting – Asia Pacific, Japan and India, looks at how AI is gradually finding its way from boardroom conversations and pilot projects into the everyday workings of food businesses. The discussion moves beyond the noise around generative AI to ask a more practical question: can technology actually help companies cut waste, improve efficiency and navigate an increasingly unpredictable marketplace? Guantiero’s answer comes with an important caveat—AI is only as useful as the data, systems and people behind it. As the industry looks towards 2030, the real winners may not be those chasing the most sophisticated technology, but those quietly building smarter, more connected and more responsive businesses. Food and beverage manufacturers have spent the last few years experimenting with AI. Are we now entering the era where AI is becoming a boardroom investment decision rather than an innovation initiative? What signals convince you that the industry has reached this inflection point ? We are seeing AI move from experimentation to becoming a boardroom priority. Over the past few years, many food and beverage manufacturers explored AI through pilots. Today, the conversation is centred on measurable business outcomes. Rising input costs, supply chain disruption, labour shortages, evolving consumer demand and increasing sustainability expectations have made AI a strategic investment rather than an innovation initiative. The clearest signal is that business leaders are no longer asking, "How do we use AI?" but "Where can AI deliver the greatest operational impact?" Success is increasingly measured through improvements in production efficiency, demand forecasting, yield optimisation, waste reduction and supply chain resilience. At Infor, we see this reflected in customer outcomes. More than 1,000 food and beverage companies run on Infor, with customers achieving up to 30 per cent faster time to market for new products, €500K in annual savings through improved yield and significantly faster AI-driven product and pricing recommendations. These are tangible operational and commercial gains that demonstrate why AI is now being evaluated on measurable business impact rather than technical potential. For food and beverage manufacturers, the real value comes when AI is embedded into the operational systems that manage production, quality, inventory and distribution. Infor CloudSuite Food & Beverage and Infor Velocity Suite, enables organisations to combine industry-specific AI, automation and process intelligence to improve operational performance while addressing the unique requirements of sectors such as dairy, bakery, meat processing and beverages. The industry has reached an inflection point because organisations now have the evidence to treat AI as a business investment with measurable financial and operational returns, rather than simply an innovation initiative. Many manufacturers still operate on decades-old ERP systems that were never designed for AI-driven decision-making. In your experience, what is the biggest misconception companies have about digital transformation, and why do so many modernization programs fail to deliver the expected business value? The biggest misconception is that digital transformation is simply a technology replacement exercise. Replacing an ERP system alone does not create business value. Successful transformation starts by identifying the business outcomes an organisation wants to achieve and then aligning technology to those priorities. Many programmes fall short because organisations focus on deploying new technology rather than improving business performance. At Infor, we believe the process should begin with understanding what the business needs to do faster or better, defining measurable outcomes, and then building a roadmap around those priorities. For food and beverage manufacturers, industry context is equally important. A bakery, dairy processor or beverage manufacturer all operate differently, and those processes need to be reflected in the ERP, data model and AI capabilities from the outset. Hence, our industry-specific CloudSuites are designed around the operational realities of each sector, helping organisations modernise faster while delivering measurable business value. Generative AI has dominated headlines, but factory floors depend equally on predictive analytics, automation, IoT and machine learning. Which of these technologies do you believe will create the greatest competitive advantage for food manufacturers over the next five years, and why? While Generative AI has captured the spotlight, the greatest competitive advantage will not come from any single technology. Over the next five years, food manufacturers will differentiate themselves by combining predictive analytics, machine learning, IoT, automation and Generative AI within industry-specific operational workflows. Each technology contributes a different layer of intelligence. IoT and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) provide real-time visibility into production, equipment and quality, while predictive analytics and machine learning help improve forecast accuracy, optimise production schedules, manage raw material variability, increase yield and reduce waste. Generative AI builds on these capabilities by making insights easier to access and act upon, enabling employees to interact with enterprise systems using natural language, accelerate product innovation and optimise recipes and formulations. The real opportunity lies in embedding these capabilities into the day-to-day flow of work rather than treating them as standalone technologies.  Manufacturers that connect data across the value chain and combine AI with automation and advanced analytics will be better positioned to improve productivity, resilience and innovation. Ultimately, competitive advantage will not come from having the latest AI model; it will come from applying AI with industry context. Manufacturers that can connect data across the value chain and turn real-time insights into operational decisions will be better positioned to innovate faster, reduce costs and build more resilient, profitable businesses. The food industry operates on extremely thin margins while facing rising input costs, labour shortages and increasing sustainability pressures. Can AI realistically solve these structural challenges, or is there a risk that companies are overestimating what technology alone can achieve? AI is not a silver bullet for the structural challenges facing the food industry and there is certainly a risk of overestimating what technology alone can achieve. Rising input costs, labour shortages and climate-driven supply chain disruptions are complex issues that require a combination of business strategy, operational excellence and workforce transformation. AI can support these efforts, but it cannot replace them. Where AI delivers the best value is by helping manufacturers make faster, more informed decisions in the face of these challenges. It can improve demand forecasting, optimise production schedules, reduce waste by managing raw material variability, enhance yield, strengthen inventory planning and identify inefficiencies before they impact operations. These capabilities help manufacturers protect margins, improve resilience and make better use of limited resources. The greatest value comes when AI is applied to real operational challenges using trusted data and industry-specific processes. When manufacturers integrate AI into planning, production and supply chain decision-making, they are better equipped to respond to volatility while maintaining quality, regulatory compliance and sustainability goals. One of AI's greatest promises is real-time decision intelligence across procurement, production, inventory and distribution. What are the most compelling examples you've seen where AI has translated directly into measurable gains in productivity, waste reduction or profitability? One of the strongest examples is production and yield optimisation. By combining machine learning with production and quality data, manufacturers can better manage raw material variability, optimise recipes, improve yields and reduce waste all while maintaining food safety and compliance. Another is supplying chain planning, where AI improves demand forecasting and inventory decisions by helping manufacturers respond more quickly to changing demand, optimise stock levels and strengthen end-to-end traceability. This enables better service levels while reducing excess inventory and waste. We are also seeing measurable gains through process automation and real-time decision intelligence. Infor Velocity Suite, organisations can combine AI agents, process mining and automation to streamline routine processes, accelerate decision-making and improve operational efficiency. The impact is already measurable: for example, Frontier Co-op reduced reporting time by more than 95 per cent, giving leaders faster access to real-time business insights and enabling quicker decisions. Whether it is improving yield, reducing waste, accelerating decision-making or strengthening supply chain performance, the organisations seeing the greatest success are those applying AI to high-value business processes where the return on investment can be clearly measured. Asia-Pacific is an incredibly diverse manufacturing landscape, ranging from digitally mature multinational enterprises to family-owned processors beginning their transformation journey. How should organisations calibrate their AI strategies to match their digital maturity rather than simply chasing the latest technology trends? The single biggest strategic mistake I see is a company benchmarking its AI ambitions against a peer at a completely different stage of maturity. A digitally mature multinational and a family-owned processor starting their cloud journey should not be running the same playbook, even if they are competing in the same category. The right starting point is not "what is the latest AI capability" it is  an honest assessment of your data and process foundation. If you do not yet have clean, trusted, real-time data flowing from your core operations, deploying an advanced AI agent on top of that foundation just automates bad decisions faster. That is not transformation, that is amplified risk. For organisations earlier in their journey, the highest-value first move is usually foundational: establishing a trusted cloud-based system of record that connects core ERP and operational data. Once that foundation is in place, organisations are in a much stronger position to scale AI and automation with confidence. For more digitally mature organisations, the conversation shifts to orchestration: how do you combine multiple proven use cases and let them compound, rather than deploying AI point solutions in isolation? The most successful organisations do not chase technology trends; they align AI investments with their digital maturity and business priorities. A well-executed, "boring" data foundation project will outperform an ambitious AI pilot built on shaky ground every time. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in enterprise operations, concerns around data quality, cybersecurity, governance and workforce readiness are growing just as quickly. Which of these do you see as the biggest barrier to enterprise-scale AI adoption, and how should business leaders address it ? Data quality and context, without question. It is not just about having clean data; it is about ensuring the data accurately reflects the way a business operates. AI is only as effective as the operational context it is built on. Many organisations invest significant time and resources in building clean, consolidated data platforms, only to discover that the data lacks the industry-specific context needed to generate meaningful insights. The operational challenges of a food and beverage manufacturer, for example, are fundamentally different from those of a hospital or an industrial manufacturer. Clean data without business context still cannot power good AI decisions, and retrofitting that context later is often a costly and time-consuming exercise. Cybersecurity and governance are equally important, particularly as AI evolves from generating recommendations to taking autonomous actions through agentic AI. As organisations deploy more AI agents, strong governance becomes essential to ensure they operate on trusted data, follow clearly defined policies and remain transparent and accountable. That means establishing governance from the outset through role-based access controls, explainable decision-making, clear data ownership and strong security policies. The organisations that scale AI successfully are the ones that invest in the foundations first. Trusted, contextual and well-governed data should come before ambitious AI initiatives. While AI applications often attract the most attention, it is the strength of the underlying data and governance framework that ultimately determines whether enterprise-scale AI adoption succeeds. Looking ahead to 2030, what will distinguish the next generation of food manufacturers from those that fail to remain competitive? Will the defining advantage come from better AI models, stronger data ecosystems, more intelligent supply chains, or a fundamentally different way of running the  enterprise? By 2030, I do not believe the defining advantage will come from better AI models alone. It will come from operating a fundamentally different kind of enterprise: one that is connected, intelligent and able to respond continuously to change. AI models will become increasingly accessible. The real differentiator will be how effectively manufacturers connect data, people and processes across the value chain to make faster and better operational decisions. The manufacturers that lead will not simply automate individual tasks. They will build connected operations where procurement, production, inventory, quality and supply chain functions work together using real-time intelligence. That will allow them to anticipate disruption, optimise resources and adapt much faster to changing customer demand, ingredient availability and regulatory requirements. This is the vision behind the Agentic Enterprise, where AI agents, process intelligence and automation work together to orchestrate business processes rather than simply support them. The goal is not to replace people, but to enable smarter, faster and more consistent decision-making across the organisation. By the end of the decade, the manufacturers that remain competitive will not necessarily be those with the most advanced AI; they will be the ones that have built the most intelligent, connected and resilient way of running their business. -- Suchetana Choudhury (suchetana.choudhuri@agrospectrumindia.com) ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4537/ntt-and-tokyo-metropolitan-university-create-world-first-four-parent-rice-hybrid.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4537/ntt-and-tokyo-metropolitan-university-create-world-first-four-parent-rice-hybrid.html Tue, 25 Aug 2026 17:19:48 +0530 A joint research team from NTT and Tokyo Metropolitan University has developed what it describes as the world's first technology capable of simultaneously hybridizing four rice varieties, potentially opening a new route for developing crops with higher yields, enhanced functional properties and greater environmental resilience. The breakthrough addresses a long-standing limitation in conventional plant breeding. Traditional hybridization generally combines two parental varieties at a time, while polyploidization increases the number of genome sets within a single variety. The new approach brings both strategies together, allowing researchers to combine genetic material from four different rice varieties while also producing a plant with twice the normal number of genome sets. The research findings were published in the scientific journal New Phytologist on August 20, 2026. The technology was developed by researchers from NTT and Professor Takashi Okamoto of Tokyo Metropolitan University and is being positioned as a potential new breeding platform for crops with combinations of traits that conventional methods have struggled to achieve. At the centre of the breakthrough is a plant in vitro fertilization, or IVF, system. Researchers isolated egg and sperm cells from four genetically distinct rice varieties and artificially fused them using electrical stimulation to create fertilized eggs containing genetic material from all four parents. The parental lines included the japonica cultivars Nipponbare and Taichung 65, the aus cultivar Kasalath and the indica cultivar IR26. The resulting fertilized eggs were cultured and regenerated into plants that retained genomes from all four varieties in approximately equal proportions. The resulting rice was designated “Quad.” Researchers confirmed through flow cytometry that Quad was tetraploid, meaning it possessed twice the normal number of genome sets. Genome-wide analysis using variety-specific SNP markers further demonstrated that the plant incorporated genetic material from all four parental varieties. The result is significant because it combines two traditionally separate breeding advantages: multi-parent hybridization and polyploidization. The early results suggest that the approach could have important implications for crop productivity. Quad showed vigorous growth, while its plant height and flag leaf length at the grain-filling stage were comparable to or greater than those of the largest parental variety. More strikingly, the hybrid exceeded all four parental varieties in seed length, width and thickness. The weight of ten brown rice grains was approximately 1.7 times the average seed weight of the four parental varieties. Quad also recorded a significantly greater ten-grain weight than a conventional tetraploid hybrid produced from only two parental varieties, according to the research. The researchers also observed traits that were not present in any of the four parents. Quad developed red awns, suggesting that bringing together multiple genetically distinct genomes could generate new characteristics beyond the traits visibly represented by individual parental lines. Another notable result was fertility. Autotetraploid rice produced from Nipponbare alone generated very few seeds, while the four-parent Quad hybrid produced abundant seeds comparable to those of its parental varieties. The finding suggests that combining multiple parental genomes could potentially address one of the challenges associated with polyploid crops: reduced fertility. The research team has introduced the term “polyparental hybrid” to describe a polyploid organism that carries genomes from three or more genetically distinct parents of the same species. The concept expands the traditional breeding model, which has largely centred on crossing two parental lines. By creating a system capable of combining multiple genomes in a single breeding process, the researchers believe the technology could establish an entirely new framework for crop improvement. The implications could eventually extend beyond rice. Plant IVF systems have already been established for rice, wheat and maize, and the researchers expect the technology could potentially be adapted to other plant species as additional IVF systems are developed. For now, however, the technology remains at the research stage. The next phase will focus on studying Quad's yield, environmental stress tolerance, eating quality and other functional characteristics, followed by work aimed at assessing its potential for practical agricultural applications and commercialization. The researchers will also explore how different combinations of parental varieties can be optimised to maximise breeding outcomes. The work aligns with NTT's broader efforts to develop agricultural technologies that support higher productivity while reducing environmental impacts. The company and its research partners are exploring crop and tree varieties with improved growth, yield and functional characteristics, alongside greater carbon dioxide absorption and lower requirements for fertilisers and pesticides. If successfully translated from the laboratory into the field, polyparental hybridization could offer plant breeders a new tool for combining productivity, resilience and sustainability traits that are difficult to bring together through conventional breeding. For a world facing growing pressure on food production from climate change, land constraints and rising demand, the four-parent rice experiment offers an early glimpse of what a new generation of breeding technologies might make possible.   ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4523/unlocking-horticultures-potential-is-key-to-transforming-agrifood-systems-and-delivering-healthy-diets-for-all.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4523/unlocking-horticultures-potential-is-key-to-transforming-agrifood-systems-and-delivering-healthy-diets-for-all.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 16:36:27 +0530 Agriculture must move beyond a primary focus on producing sufficient quantities of food and place greater emphasis on providing the diverse and nutritious foods needed for healthy diets, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said Monday, highlighting horticulture’s contribution to better nutrition, resilient livelihoods and more sustainable agrifood systems. "Success can no longer be measured simply by how much food we produce.  It must also be measured by whether agriculture provides the foods that healthy societies require, and whether those foods are available, accessible and affordable for everyone," he told the International Horticultural Congress 2026 in Kyoto, pointing to the role of fruits, vegetables and other horticultural crops in healthy diets, biodiversity, climate resilience and livelihoods. Between 2010 and 2024, fruit and vegetable production grew faster than cereals, and horticulture now makes up almost a quarter of global agricultural production value — about $1.4 trillion. Exports grew roughly 2.6 percent annually over the period, reaching 175 million tonnes worth $240 billion by 2024. But, despite the economic success, this hasn't translated into healthier diets, the Director-General told the audience of scientists, policymakers, business representatives and producers. Productivity, availability, affordability The Director-General identified productivity, availability and affordability as three interconnected challenges to unlocking horticulture’s full nutrition potential. Yields have grown less than one percent annually, lagging behind cereals amid underinvestment in research, genetics and infrastructure underlining the problem of productivity. When it comes to availability, FAO’s latest analysis shows that in 2023, only about half of countries produce enough fruits and vegetables to meet the FAO/WHO target of 400g per person daily. Average consumption is considerably lower, at an estimated 80 grams of fruit and 190 grams of vegetables per person per day globally. In terms of affordability, producer prices rose between 2016 and 2025 in 89 percent of countries for fruits and 93 percent for vegetables, with median annual increases of approximately 4.2 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively Current trends point to significant gaps ahead. By 2050, projections suggest that fewer than one-third of countries in sub-Saharan Africa will have sufficient fruit and vegetable supplies to meet the joint FAO/WHO recommendation. With land and water resources increasingly constrained and climate change intensifying pressure through rising temperatures, water scarcity, extreme weather, pests and diseases, the Director-General called for investment in improved seed and planting material, healthier soils, efficient irrigation, mechanization and digital technologies, extension services, post-harvest systems and stronger links between producers and markets The Director-General highlighted the importance of improving production efficiency. "Future growth must increasingly come from producing more with fewer resources," he said. Innovation must reach farmers Progress will require transformation, not just expansion, with farmers at the centre, the Director-General said. "No innovation, no policy and no investment will succeed without their knowledge, their confidence and their participation. Scientists and researchers’ works must be recognized by farmers." AI, genome editing and digital tools are accelerating breeding and cutting post-harvest losses, the Director-General said, citing work by the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture on mutation breeding, which has contributed to more than 3,450 officially released crop varieties across over 70 plant species, including many fruits and vegetables. He called for innovation to be accessible, affordable and adoptable, particularly for small-scale producers, who supply much of the world's horticultural production.  Farms of 20 hectares or less account for over half of global fruit and vegetable output, rising to more than 80 percent in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. He also urged governments to support the sector through research, seed systems, infrastructure, trade policy and markets that reward quality and nutrition. Combining tradition and innovation The future should also draw on generations of traditional knowledge, the Director-General said and pointed to FAO’s efforts in this area.  Nearly half of the 104 systems recognized under FAO's Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems involve horticulture, from jujube orchards in China’s Jia County to date palms and olive groves in Egypt’s Siwa Oasis and terraced farming in Peru’s Andes. The Director-General also highlighted the application of cutting-edge technologies as enablers to unlock the full potential of traditional crops and production methods during a Q&A session with the audience. He also stressed the need to guide consumers towards shifting their consumption patterns to adapt to changing scenarios and reduce food waste.  FAO is supporting these efforts through the Smart Farming approach and initiatives including the One Country One Priority Product initiative, the Hand-in-Hand Initiative and the Green Cities Initiative. FAO’s forthcoming report, Unlocking the Full Potential of Fruits and Vegetables Globally, expected in 2027, will examine trends in production, trade and consumption and address themes at the heart of the fruits and vegetables sector: livelihoods, health, productivity, plant health, seed supply and markets. Preliminary findings presented at a side event of the Congress point to an urgent need for action. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4509/suntory-indorama-and-iwatani-partner-to-scale-circular-pet-recycling-in-thailand.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4509/suntory-indorama-and-iwatani-partner-to-scale-circular-pet-recycling-in-thailand.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:00:23 +0530 Suntory Holdings is set to introduce its Flake-to-Preform Direct Recycling, or FtoP®, technology in Thailand from 2028, marking the first commercial deployment of the technology for PET bottles in Southeast Asia. The initiative will enable the production of PET preforms directly from recycled PET flakes, supporting Suntory's broader efforts to reduce its dependence on virgin fossil-based plastics and accelerate the transition towards a circular packaging economy. The project will be implemented through Indovida (Thailand) Limited, a joint venture established in July 2026 by Indorama Ventures PCL and Iwatani Corporation. The venture will produce PET preforms using FtoP® technology, with recycled PET flakes primarily supplied by Indorama Ventures. Indovida is expected to have an annual production capacity of approximately 400 million PET preforms, all of which will be procured by Suntory PepsiCo Beverage (Thailand). Beginning in 2028, the recycled PET preforms will be introduced into products sold in Thailand. The move represents a significant expansion of Suntory's circular packaging strategy beyond Japan and positions Thailand as a potential hub for advanced PET recycling in Southeast Asia. Cutting Steps in the Recycling Process Jointly developed by Suntory and three partner companies, including Japanese recycling company Kyoei Industry, the patented FtoP® technology enables PET preforms to be manufactured directly from recycled PET bottles. Conventional PET recycling processes typically involve additional stages such as crystallisation and drying before recycled material can be converted into new preforms. By eliminating certain processing stages, FtoP is estimated to reduce CO₂ emissions by approximately 70 per cent compared with PET bottles produced from virgin fossil-based materials, based on calculations for Japan. Suntory has used the technology in the production of its soft drink PET bottles in Japan since 2018. Adapting the Technology for Southeast Asia Until now, wider deployment of the technology has depended on access to a stable supply of used PET bottles meeting specific quality requirements. Differences in collection and recycling infrastructure have made it more challenging to replicate the Japanese model in other markets. To address this challenge, Suntory collaborated with equipment manufacturers NGR, Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen GmbH, and Husky Technologies to adapt the FtoP process to recycling conditions in Thailand. The companies optimised bottle selection criteria and the decontamination process, allowing recycled PET bottles of varying quality to be processed while maintaining the quality and safety standards required for new PET preforms. “A truly circular economy can only be built through collaboration across the value chain,” said Aloke Lohia, Group CEO of Indorama Ventures. “With Suntory Group and Iwatani Corporation, we are bringing together world-class innovation and expertise to make commercial-scale circular PET production a reality in Thailand.” The partnership, he added, could help position Thailand as a regional leader in circular packaging solutions while creating long-term environmental and economic value. Building a Circular Packaging Ecosystem Kenji Motoori, Director, Senior Managing Officer and General Manager of the Materials Business Group at Iwatani Corporation, said the initiative would support the commercialisation of FtoP technology in Thailand through the joint venture with Indorama Ventures and help ensure a stable supply of high-quality recycled PET preforms. Suntory plans to explore the expansion of the technology into additional Southeast Asian markets following its implementation in Thailand. “We see the introduction of this FtoP technology in Thailand as a significant step forward in expanding the adoption of sustainable PET bottles,” said Jun Asaki, Chief Sustainability Officer of Suntory Holdings. The initiative supports Suntory Group's wider target of using recycled or bio-based materials for all its PET bottles globally by 2030 and eliminating the use of newly produced virgin fossil-based materials. Under its 2R+B strategy, Reduce, Recycle and Bio, the company is pursuing measures including PET bottle lightweighting, bottle-to-bottle recycling and the increased use of recycled and bio-based materials. With Thailand serving as the first Southeast Asian market for the commercial deployment of FtoP, Suntory's latest initiative highlights how partnerships between beverage companies, material producers and recycling technology providers are becoming increasingly important in scaling circular packaging solutions across Asia. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4275/nyk-launches-year-long-b100-biofuel-trial-to-advance-maritime-decarbonisation.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4275/nyk-launches-year-long-b100-biofuel-trial-to-advance-maritime-decarbonisation.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:24:14 +0530 NYK has commenced a one-year operational trial of 100% biofuel (B100) aboard one of its car carriers, marking a significant milestone in the maritime industry's pursuit of lower-carbon shipping solutions and reinforcing the company's commitment to accelerating fleet decarbonisation through commercially viable alternative fuels. The pilot programme will assess the long-term safety, fuel stability and mechanical performance of high-purity biofuel under continuous commercial operating conditions. The trial is expected to generate valuable operational insights into the use of B100 in deep-sea shipping, an area where industry experience remains limited. The fuel being evaluated is Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) produced primarily from used cooking oil and other sustainable waste-derived feedstocks. As a drop-in fuel, B100 can be deployed using existing marine engines and fuel infrastructure, offering shipowners an immediate pathway to reducing lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions without requiring extensive vessel retrofits or capital-intensive engine modifications. Unlike lower biofuel blends such as B24 and B30, which NYK has previously tested successfully, B100 introduces a new set of technical considerations. High-concentration biofuels are inherently more vulnerable to oxidative degradation and can be affected by prolonged exposure to oxygen, heat and light, creating potential challenges related to fuel storage, stability and long-term operational reliability. Over the course of the trial, NYK will closely monitor engine performance, fuel supply systems, onboard equipment and day-to-day vessel operations to evaluate the fuel's technical compatibility under extended commercial use. The company expects the findings to establish a stronger evidence base for the safe and reliable deployment of pure biofuels across the global shipping industry. Beyond validating B100 as a commercially deployable marine fuel, the initiative is intended to contribute to broader industry knowledge on alternative fuel adoption at a time when international shipping faces mounting regulatory and market pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The operational data generated through the programme is expected to inform future technical standards, support regulatory discussions and accelerate confidence in biofuel deployment across ocean-going fleets. The trial represents another strategic step in NYK's long-term decarbonisation roadmap as the company expands its portfolio of low-carbon marine fuel solutions while supporting the global shipping sector's transition towards more sustainable and resilient maritime transport. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4253/sumitomo-chemical-bets-on-next-generation-fungicide-to-tackle-rising-resistance-in-global-crop-protection.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4253/sumitomo-chemical-bets-on-next-generation-fungicide-to-tackle-rising-resistance-in-global-crop-protection.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:44:36 +0530 Sumitomo Chemical is advancing its next generation of crop protection technologies with regulatory submissions for bifemetstrobin, a newly developed fungicide active ingredient that the company believes could strengthen global efforts to manage fungicide resistance in agriculture. The company has filed registration applications for bifemetstrobin with regulatory authorities in Japan, the United States and Brazil, marking the first step towards commercialising one of its latest proprietary crop protection innovations. Subject to regulatory approvals, Sumitomo Chemical expects commercial launches to begin in 2030 or later, with plans to pursue registrations in additional markets thereafter. The development comes as fungicide resistance continues to emerge as one of the most pressing challenges confronting global agriculture. Repeated use of existing chemistries has enabled several economically important fungal pathogens to develop resistance, reducing the effectiveness of conventional disease management programmes and increasing production risks for farmers. Bifemetstrobin represents a new active ingredient discovered by Sumitomo Chemical and belongs to the quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) class of fungicides, one of the most widely used groups of disease-control products in modern agriculture. The molecule works by disrupting the energy production process within fungal cells, preventing disease development and protecting crop health. What differentiates the new fungicide is its reported performance against fungal strains that have developed resistance to existing QoI chemistries. Based on extensive internal research and external evaluations, the company says bifemetstrobin has demonstrated strong efficacy against resistant pathogens, including soybean rust, one of the most economically damaging diseases affecting soybean production in Brazil and several other agricultural regions. Soybean rust remains a major concern for growers because of its ability to spread rapidly under favourable weather conditions and cause significant yield losses if disease control measures fail. The emergence of fungicide-resistant pathogen populations has further intensified the need for new modes of action capable of restoring effective disease management. If approved, bifemetstrobin is expected to provide growers with an additional tool for resistance management by expanding the range of available fungicide options. Introducing new active ingredients with proven efficacy against resistant fungal populations is increasingly viewed as essential for preserving long-term crop productivity and delaying the development of further resistance. Brazil is likely to be one of the most strategically important markets for the new fungicide, given the country's position as one of the world's largest soybean producers and the persistent challenge posed by soybean rust. At the same time, registrations in Japan and the United States underline the company's broader ambition to establish the product across major global agricultural markets. The regulatory filings also reflect the increasing emphasis among crop protection companies on replenishing innovation pipelines as regulatory scrutiny tightens and resistance pressures grow across multiple crop segments. Novel active ingredients have become progressively more difficult and expensive to develop, making successful product launches strategically significant for global agrochemical manufacturers. Looking ahead, Sumitomo Chemical intends to continue expanding the development programme for bifemetstrobin beyond its initial target markets while advancing its broader portfolio of crop protection technologies. The company views innovation in disease management as central to supporting sustainable agricultural production, improving crop resilience and helping farmers maintain stable yields in an increasingly complex farming environment. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4248/japan-irri-launch-coolrice-to-future-proof-rice-farming.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4248/japan-irri-launch-coolrice-to-future-proof-rice-farming.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:57:02 +0530 The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) have launched a new research initiative aimed at tackling one of agriculture's most complex climate challenges—developing rice production systems that can withstand rising temperatures while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The one-year CoolRice project seeks to bridge climate adaptation and mitigation by combining heat-tolerant rice breeding with low-cost, low-emission cultivation practices. Rather than addressing declining crop productivity and agricultural emissions as separate issues, the initiative adopts an integrated approach that links plant genetics, agronomy, climate science and digital technologies to develop scalable solutions for rice-growing regions across Asia. Rice remains central to food security for billions of people, yet it is increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Higher temperatures are eroding yields and grain quality across major rice-producing countries, while paddy cultivation continues to be a significant contributor to methane emissions, placing the sector at the centre of global efforts to balance food production with climate commitments. The collaboration brings together IRRI, MAFF, the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) and Gifu University. Researchers from the participating institutions formally launched the programme during a two-day meeting at IRRI's headquarters in Los Baños, Philippines, where they outlined a roadmap for accelerating climate-resilient rice research. IRRI Director General Dr. Yvonne Pinto described the initiative as an extension of the institute's long-standing scientific partnership with Japan, which spans more than six decades. She said the project reflects a shared commitment to developing technologies that not only protect farm productivity under climate stress but also contribute to broader global decarbonisation goals. Japanese officials also underscored the growing urgency of international collaboration as climate-related risks intensify across Asia's rice ecosystems. MAFF representatives highlighted the importance of building on previous scientific breakthroughs—including research into early-morning flowering traits that help rice escape heat stress—to accelerate the development of next-generation climate-resilient varieties. Researchers noted that rising temperatures are no longer confined to tropical production systems. Heat stress has become an increasing concern even in temperate rice-growing regions such as Japan, reinforcing the need for collaborative research that spans climatic zones and production environments. Beyond crop breeding, CoolRice will focus on developing heat-risk mapping tools, geospatial analytics, remote sensing applications and cultivation practices capable of lowering methane emissions without compromising productivity. The programme also aims to strengthen regional research capacity by creating a collaborative framework for scientists working across breeding, crop physiology, climate modelling and digital agriculture. Following the project's launch, technical workshops brought together researchers from IRRI and Japanese institutions to identify priority research areas and establish a joint scientific roadmap. Discussions covered advances in heat-tolerant breeding, greenhouse gas mitigation, climate analytics and precision agriculture, laying the groundwork for future technology deployment across Asia. The initiative reflects a broader shift in global agricultural research, where climate resilience is increasingly measured not only by a crop's ability to survive extreme weather but also by its contribution to reducing agriculture's environmental footprint. As governments seek to secure food supplies while meeting ambitious climate targets, integrated programmes such as CoolRice are expected to play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of sustainable rice production.   ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/reports-white-papers/108/4190/defining-trends-in-asian-agriculture-during-h1-2026.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/reports-white-papers/108/4190/defining-trends-in-asian-agriculture-during-h1-2026.html Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0530 The first six months of 2026 will be remembered in Asian agriculture as a season of two clocks running at very different speeds. One clock — the one ticking inside research institutes, regulatory agencies and the slide decks of agri-food investors — moved unusually fast. Genome-edited rice advanced toward farmers' fields in India. China finalised its second registration list of genetically modified corn and soybean varieties. Singapore quietly logged its fourth cultivated-meat approval and published, for the first time, a consolidated public list of every novel food it has cleared. India's Union Budget rewrote the language of farm policy around artificial intelligence and digital public infrastructure. By almost any measure of institutional momentum, the science and the statecraft of agriculture in Asia accelerated. The other clock belongs to the weather, the soil and the balance sheet — and it told a harder story. The India Meteorological Department opened the year with its most pessimistic monsoon forecast in more than two decades. Venture capital into the region's agritech sector remained roughly two-thirds below its peak. And the gap between a technology cleared in a lab and a technology working on a smallholding the size of a tennis court stayed stubbornly, frustratingly wide. The defining tension of H1 2026 was not whether Asian agriculture is innovating. It plainly is. The question is whether that innovation is reaching the ground fast enough to matter when the rains fall short. The science finally moves For more than a decade, the story of crop biotechnology in much of Asia was a story of stalled promise. India had approved exactly one genetically modified crop for commercial cultivation — Bt cotton, back in 2006 — and the political and regulatory machinery around transgenics had effectively seized up. What changed, and what came into sharper focus through H1 2026, is that the region has found a way around that impasse: genome editing. The distinction matters enormously. Where conventional GM crops carry foreign DNA and trigger the full weight of biosafety regulation, genome-edited varieties produced through SDN-1 and SDN-2 techniques edit a plant's own genes and leave no foreign genetic material behind. A 2022 office memorandum from India's environment ministry exempted such transgene-free edited plants from the strictest tier of approval, requiring only that an institutional biosafety committee certify the absence of exogenous DNA. That single regulatory differentiation has done what years of debate over GM could not: it has put new traits on a credible path to farmers. The proof points are now real rather than theoretical. India's two genome-edited rice lines — an improved Samba Mahsuri and an edited version of MTU-1010 — cleared multi-location trials, with the enhanced Samba Mahsuri showing a roughly 19 percent average yield uplift and the MTU-1010 variant demonstrating tolerance to saline and alkaline soils. A third candidate, a canola-quality mustard edited for disease and pest resistance, has been moving through its second year of trials across sixteen locations, with a possible release flagged for later in 2026. Behind these headline varieties sits a deeper strategic play: Indian scientists have been advancing indigenous gene-editing tools — TnpB-based miniature editors and platforms beyond the patent-heavy Cas9 — explicitly to reduce dependence on foreign intellectual property. A pipeline that includes drought-tolerant rice and maize, beta-carotene-rich banana, and high-oleic groundnut is no longer a wish list; it is a regulatory queue. China spent the half-year pressing in the same direction, but from a position of far greater scale and urgency. As the world's largest importer of corn and soybeans, Beijing has framed seed self-reliance as a matter of national security, and its biotechnology programme reflects that framing. By early 2026 the country had finalised its second registration list of GM corn and soybean varieties — building on the first batch of production licences issued at the end of 2023 — and had approved its first gene-edited wheat and corn for domestic cultivation. The government's own projections put potential yield gains from these varieties at around 12 percent, and some industry analysts believe the eventual planted area could reach tens of millions of hectares. China still moves cautiously, public ambivalence about GM food remains real, and foreign investment in its agricultural biotech sector is largely walled off. But the trajectory through H1 2026 was unmistakable: a deliberate, state-driven push to close the yield gap with the Americas using domestically owned genetics. Two of Asia's largest agricultural economies, in other words, spent the first half of 2026 demonstrating that the long biotech stalemate is breaking — not through the transgenic crops that dominated the last era's debates, but through precision editing that sidesteps both the regulatory burden and much of the political resistance. Policy learns to speak in code If genome editing was the science story of H1 2026, the digitalisation of farm policy was its administrative counterpart — and nowhere was the shift more explicit than in India's Union Budget for 2026-27, presented at the start of February. The numbers themselves told a story of consolidation rather than transformation. Agriculture and allied activities drew an allocation in the region of ₹1.62 lakh crore, up around 7 percent on the previous year's revised estimates, with a separate fertiliser subsidy of roughly ₹1.71 lakh crore continuing to absorb global price shocks on farmers' behalf. Direct income support under PM-KISAN held flat at ₹63,500 crore for a third consecutive year — a sign that the transfer is now treated as a baseline entitlement rather than a lever to be pulled. The more revealing signals lay in where new money and new language went. The budget leaned hard into what one agtech commentator described as an "AI-first" vision of agriculture. The headline instrument was Bharat-VISTAAR, a multilingual, AI-enabled advisory platform funded at ₹150 crore and designed to knit together the AgriStack digital identity framework and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research's package of practices into something a farmer can actually query in their own language. Alongside it sat the continuing build-out of the Digital Agriculture Mission, with a stated ambition to generate unique digital IDs for 110 million farmers. The thematic centre of gravity shifted, too — away from the wheat-and-rice staples and toward high-value agriculture, with dedicated promotion schemes for coconut, cashew, cocoa and sandalwood, and a record allocation for fisheries built around the integrated development of 500 reservoirs. It would be easy to read all of this as unambiguous progress, and harder but more honest to note the tensions inside it. The same budget trimmed the flagship crop-insurance scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, to its lowest allocation in years — a striking choice in a year when, by the government's own Economic Survey, weather shocks were inflicting heavier and more frequent yield losses. Allocations for agricultural research and education edged down even as the rhetoric of innovation rose. The architecture being built is genuinely impressive: a data layer, an AI advisory layer, a diversification push toward crops with better margins. Whether that architecture reaches the rainfed smallholder before the next failed monsoon does — that remains the open question of the entire enterprise. What the budget made unambiguous is the direction of travel. Across Asia, the policy conversation has moved decisively from inputs and subsidies toward data, diversification and digital infrastructure. The instruments now carry names like AgriStack and Bharat-VISTAAR rather than minimum support prices. The bet is that intelligence — delivered cheaply, at scale, in the right language — can do what decades of input subsidy could not: make 140 million Indian farmers more resilient to climate and market volatility. It is a serious bet. H1 2026 placed it; the field will settle it. The protein frontier grows up Few corners of Asian agri-food have generated more heat over the past five years than alternative protein, and few entered 2026 in greater need of a reality check. The first half of the year delivered both fresh regulatory milestones and a sober recalibration of expectations — and Singapore, as ever, sat at the centre of the story. The city-state remains the only place in Asia to have built a working, repeatable regulatory pathway for novel foods, and in H1 2026 it made that pathway newly transparent. In March, the Singapore Food Agency published its first consolidated public list of approved novel foods — fourteen products and ingredients spanning cultivated meat, algal protein and a range of fermentation-derived foods. For an industry that had long operated against a backdrop of case-by-case decisions, a centralised, citable register was more than housekeeping; it was a signal of regulatory maturity that the rest of the region will study closely. The approvals kept coming, too. In April, the Paris-based startup Parima — formed from the merger of Gourmey and Vital Meat — won clearance for cultivated duck, six months after its cultivated chicken was approved, making it the first company anywhere to hold regulatory green lights for two animal species and bringing Singapore's tally of approved cultivated-meat products to four. Parima's stated playbook is instructive: begin in high-end gastronomy, where a cultivated duck endorsed by Michelin-starred chefs can command a premium, then move toward targeted retail. Its production model — cells grown in suspension in standard industrial bioreactors, deployable in partner infrastructure across Asia-Pacific without rebuilding a facility from scratch — points to where the economics of this sector may eventually have to land. And yet the most important alternative-protein development of the half-year was arguably a step back rather than a step forward. Singapore confirmed that it is retiring its long-standing "30 by 30" local-production target in favour of a broader strategy — the Singapore Food Story 2 — built on four pillars: local production of protein and fibre, import diversification, stockpiling and global partnerships. Cultivated meat and other alternative proteins, the government made clear, are no longer counted as part of the near-term food-security plan. The reasons were candid: higher-than-expected production costs and weaker-than-expected consumer acceptance globally. The sector has not been abandoned — R&D funding continues, and officials left the door open to a larger future role "if and when" the economics turn — but the framing changed from imminent solution to long-term option. That recalibration is healthy, and it captures something true about the whole alternative-protein moment in Asia. The regulatory science is maturing; the regulatory transparency is improving; the species count is climbing. What has not yet arrived is the cost curve and the consumer pull that would turn a string of approvals into a meaningful share of the protein on Asian plates. H1 2026 was the half-year in which the industry stopped over-promising and started, more usefully, to grow up. The capital reckoning Underwriting all of this — the gene-editing pipelines, the digital platforms, the bioreactors — is capital, and the capital story of H1 2026 was one of hard-won discipline after an exuberant boom. The defining document arrived in April, when Omnivore, Beanstalk AgTech and Briter released a data-driven analysis of the agritech landscape across thirteen Southeast Asian markets, backed by the IFC, FMO Ventures and the Rabo Foundation. Its central claim was bullish: digitalisation and agritech adoption could unlock more than US$90 billion in annual GDP gains across Southeast Asia by 2033, in a region where agriculture contributes roughly 15 percent of GDP and employs up to 40 percent of the workforce. But the report's value lay in its candour about how that prize had been pursued so far. Agritech investment across the region peaked at over US$750 million in 2022 before falling nearly 70 percent by 2025 — a sharp correction as investors confronted the structural realities of fragmented value chains and the genuine difficulty of scaling ventures across markets that share a map but little else. The report's most useful conclusions were its uncomfortable ones. There is, it argued, no unified Southeast Asian market to conquer; roughly two-thirds of documented cross-border expansion attempts had failed, and premature regional expansion was the cause of more than 60 percent of venture collapses between 2022 and 2025. The most defensible opportunities, it concluded, are single-market plays built around the right value chain, the right business model and a local execution team — not the pan-regional land grabs that defined the boom years. As Omnivore's Mark Kahn put it, patient, disciplined capital that understands local market dynamics is what actually moves these ecosystems forward. Tellingly, the authors held up India as the instructive model — a market whose venture ecosystem matured through a hard decade of governance reform, exits and the unglamorous work of building market infrastructure. Development finance institutions and impact investors have committed a combined US$650 million to agrifood funds across the region and remain central to the capital stack, but the report was clear that the next phase of scaling will require a blend of equity, credit and concessional capital rather than venture money alone. For an industry that spent the early 2020s chasing valuations, this is a more sober and more durable foundation. The money flowing into Asian agritech in 2026 is more patient, more local and more honest about the structural friction of fragmented smallholder agriculture. That is not a retreat. It is the sector learning, expensively, how the region actually works. The field doesn't care about any of this And then there is the weather, which has the disconcerting habit of ignoring every register of approved novel foods and every line of an AI advisory platform. The single most consequential development of H1 2026 for hundreds of millions of Asian farmers was not a clearance or a funding round. It was the India Meteorological Department's first-stage forecast, issued in April, that the 2026 southwest monsoon would deliver around 92 percent of the long-period average — a below-normal season, and by some accounts the lowest first-stage forecast in at least twenty-five years. The climate signals behind the number were ominous: weak La Niña conditions transitioning toward neutral, with a meaningful probability of El Niño developing during the monsoon season itself. The historical record is unforgiving on this point — across the El Niño years India logged between 1951 and 2022, every drought year was an El Niño year. By mid-year the strain was already visible. The season opened well below normal, agriculture officials flagged El Niño risk across a dozen states and called for district-level contingency plans, and crop-weather monitors issued severe dry alerts across the soybean and groundnut belts, threatening to delay sowing and shorten the growing window. Roughly 60 percent of India's farmers depend on monsoon rainfall, and close to half the country's farmland lacks assured irrigation; the kharif crops sown from June — rice, soybean, cotton, pulses, groundnut — rely almost entirely on those rains. Reservoir buffers, fuller than in recent years, offer some cushion, and a late-developing positive Indian Ocean Dipole could yet offset part of the El Niño signal as it did in 2023. But variability, not the aggregate number, will decide the season. Ratings agencies were already pencilling in downside risks to agricultural growth and upside risks to food inflation. This is the context against which every laboratory triumph of the half-year has to be read. A genome-edited drought-tolerant rice is precisely the kind of innovation that matters in a 92-percent monsoon year — but the edited Samba Mahsuri reaching commercial scale and the drought-tolerant lines reaching farmers are still future events, not present realities. An AI advisory platform is exactly what a smallholder facing an erratic kharif season could use — but Bharat-VISTAAR's value depends entirely on whether it reaches remote, rainfed districts in time to change a planting decision. The crop-insurance scheme that would cushion a failed season was trimmed in the same budget that funded the AI platform. There is a related, quieter argument that gained traction in the region's agtech commentary at the start of 2026: that the sector has over-indexed on inventing new tools and under-invested in deploying the ones it already has. Asia-Pacific accounts for half of the 1.3 billion tonnes of food wasted globally each year; in South Asia, where a staggering share of the population is born underweight or stunted, around 40 percent of all food perishes before it is eaten. The toolbox to address this — from biologicals to gene-editing to AI robotics — is already substantial. The constraint is rarely the technology. It is the absence of a safety net that lets a smallholder absorb the risk of trying something new, and the persistent difficulty of tracing a benefit back to the tool that produced it. The most important agricultural work of 2026, on this reading, is less about the next breakthrough than about closing the distance between the breakthrough and the farm. Where the two clocks meet If H1 2026 had a single physical setting where its two clocks were visibly synchronised, it was the exhibition floor. In May, Agritechnica Asia returned to Bangkok under the theme "Farm. Farmer. Future." — co-located with HortEx Thailand, drawing around 350 exhibitors and an expected 18,000-plus visitors from across the region, and headlined by a new conference on smart agriculture and unmanned agricultural systems. Taiwan's Asia Agri-Tech Expo ran in the same month with a comparable emphasis on AI smart farming, automation and aquaculture. The Southeast Asian agricultural mechanisation market that these events serve is projected to keep growing at around 4 percent annually toward US$2.5 billion by 2028, driven by rice, sugarcane, cassava and maize across the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. What these gatherings made tangible is the through-line of the entire half-year: physical AI is moving from the conference panel to the field. Robotics, sensors, unmanned systems and data platforms are no longer the speculative content of a startup zone; they are increasingly the practical content of a mechanisation strategy adapted to Asian production systems and smallholder economics. The relevant question across the region has shifted from whether the technology works to whether it can be put, affordably and durably, into the hands of the farmer who needs it. That is the right question, and it frames what the second half of 2026 will test. Watch for India's genome-edited mustard, which could secure release in the coming months and would mark the first edited oilseed to reach the field. Watch how the kharif season actually resolves once July and August — the months that carry the bulk of the rainfall and cover the critical growth stages — deliver their verdict on the El Niño signal. Watch whether the capital discipline the Omnivore report prescribed translates into the patient, single-market, locally led ventures it championed. And watch, at October's Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit in Singapore, whether the alternative-protein sector can show a cost curve to match its lengthening list of approvals. The first half of 2026 proved that Asian agriculture can innovate at speed across science, policy and capital. The genome editors are working, the AI platforms are funded, the regulatory pathways are maturing, and the money is wiser than it was. What the half-year could not yet prove is the only thing that ultimately counts: that this acceleration reaches the field before the field runs dry. The lab clock is fast. The field clock is the one keeping real time. Closing the distance between them is the work that remains. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4103/8-northern-provinces-receive-c2a539-3-bn-jica-boost-for-resilience-projects.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4103/8-northern-provinces-receive-c2a539-3-bn-jica-boost-for-resilience-projects.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:57:13 +0530 ODA financing will fund climate-proof infrastructure and rural development initiatives in Vietnam’s highland regions The Government of Vietnam and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have formalized financing agreements worth approximately ¥39.3 billion (about VND 6.68 trillion) to fund a series of climate-resilience and rural development projects across the country’s northern mountainous regions. The package comprises 11 sub-loan agreements covering eight provinces—Cao Bang, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Son La, Thai Nguyen and Tuyen Quang—and marks one of the largest recent commitments aimed at strengthening climate adaptation and rural infrastructure in the region. The financing, provided through official development assistance (ODA) loans from Japan via Japan International Cooperation Agency, will be directed toward two major initiatives: the development of climate-resilient infrastructure for ethnic minority communities in northern mountainous and midland areas, and the implementation of disaster-resilient rural development programs. Building Defenses Against Climate and Disaster Risks Vietnam’s northern highlands are among the regions most exposed to climate-related challenges, including landslides, flash floods, droughts and other extreme weather events. The new investment is designed to strengthen local infrastructure while improving the capacity of communities to withstand increasingly frequent natural disasters. The projects will focus on enhancing rural connectivity, improving public infrastructure and supporting sustainable economic activities in areas where climate risks have historically constrained development. Government officials say the initiatives are expected to deliver broad socio-economic benefits by protecting vulnerable populations, improving access to essential services and creating more resilient rural economies. Particular emphasis will be placed on supporting ethnic minority communities, many of which live in remote and geographically challenging areas where infrastructure gaps remain significant. Landmark Agreements Following Administrative Reforms The signing ceremony, hosted by Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance, carries added significance as it represents the first set of sub-loan agreements concluded under bilateral financing arrangements following the country’s recent administrative restructuring and the rollout of a two-tier local government model. The agreements establish a framework that clarifies the responsibilities of provincial authorities in managing, disbursing and monitoring the use of borrowed funds. Local governments are also expected to meet repayment obligations to the central government, reinforcing fiscal discipline and prudent public debt management. The arrangement reflects Vietnam’s broader effort to decentralize project implementation while maintaining accountability for the use of international development financing. Provinces Commit to Full Fund Utilization As part of the agreement, participating provincial governments pledged to fully disburse the allocated JICA loan funds according to the agreed implementation timeline. The commitment is intended to accelerate project execution and ensure that critical infrastructure investments reach communities facing heightened exposure to climate and disaster risks. For Vietnam, the financing represents another step in mobilizing international capital to strengthen climate resilience while advancing rural development objectives. For Japan and JICA, it reinforces a long-standing development partnership focused on infrastructure, sustainability and inclusive growth. As climate adaptation becomes an increasingly urgent priority across Southeast Asia, the projects are expected to play a key role in enhancing the resilience of northern Vietnam’s rural communities while supporting long-term economic and social development. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4083/sanatech-wins-canadian-approval-for-gene-edited-tomato-rich-in-gaba.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4083/sanatech-wins-canadian-approval-for-gene-edited-tomato-rich-in-gaba.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 17:15:49 +0530 The regulatory clearance marks a key milestone in the company's push to expand its functional food portfolio beyond Japan In a significant development for the future of gene-edited foods, Canadian regulators have cleared a high-GABA tomato developed by Japan's Sanatech Life Science Co. Ltd., determining that the product can be marketed as a conventional food rather than being subject to the country's more stringent novel food regulations. Following an assessment by Health Canada's Novel Foods Section, authorities concluded that the company's Sicilian Rouge High GABA tomato satisfies existing plant-breeding guidelines and does not meet the regulatory definition of a novel food. The decision effectively places the gene-edited variety in the same safety category as tomatoes developed through traditional breeding methods. As part of Canada's food transparency framework, the product will be added to the federal government's public registry of non-novel foods approved for commercial use. The ruling represents another important signal of how regulators are increasingly distinguishing between gene editing and conventional genetic modification technologies. Unlike traditional genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which often involve the introduction of foreign DNA, gene-editing techniques such as CRISPR enable scientists to make precise changes within a plant's existing genome. Sanatech's tomato was developed using CRISPR-Cas9 technology and first entered the Japanese market in 2021. The variety was designed to contain significantly elevated levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a naturally occurring amino acid associated with several potential health benefits, including support for healthy blood pressure regulation. According to the company, the gene-edited tomato contains approximately four to five times more GABA than conventional tomato varieties, positioning it within a growing category of crops engineered to deliver enhanced nutritional value. The Canadian approval marks a strategic milestone for Sanatech as it seeks to expand beyond its home market and establish a presence in North America, where regulatory approaches to gene-edited crops continue to evolve. Industry observers view the decision as further evidence of a broader shift in agricultural biotechnology policy. Regulators in several countries have begun adopting product-based assessments that focus on the characteristics and safety profile of the final crop rather than the breeding technology used to develop it. For developers of gene-edited foods, such distinctions can substantially reduce commercialization timelines and regulatory complexity, accelerating the introduction of new varieties with improved nutritional, agronomic or sustainability traits. Sanatech said the clearance strengthens its international growth strategy and will support efforts to expand production and distribution of the High GABA tomato across North American markets. The decision also highlights the growing commercial momentum behind gene-edited foods, a sector increasingly viewed as one of agriculture's most promising frontiers for enhancing crop quality, consumer health and food-system resilience without introducing foreign genetic material. As countries continue to refine their regulatory frameworks, Canada's endorsement of the High GABA tomato may serve as a bellwether for how future gene-edited crops are assessed and brought to market worldwide. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4056/japans-leading-hydrangea-region-unveils-first-homegrown-variety.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4056/japans-leading-hydrangea-region-unveils-first-homegrown-variety.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:56:48 +0530 New cultivar developed in Aichi combines distinctive white-edged blooms, heat resilience and strong commercial potential ahead of Mother’s Day market demand Aichi Prefecture, Japan’s largest hydrangea-producing region, has unveiled its first locally developed hydrangea variety, marking a significant milestone for one of the country’s most important ornamental horticulture sectors. The new cultivar, named “Hydra Aichi No. 1,” is scheduled to enter commercial distribution next spring and is expected to strengthen the prefecture’s position in Japan’s competitive flower market. Developed by the Aichi Agricultural Research Center in collaboration with local growers, the variety is the culmination of four years and eight months of research and breeding efforts aimed at creating a commercially attractive hydrangea capable of meeting strong seasonal demand, particularly during the Mother’s Day sales period. The launch is notable because, despite Aichi’s dominance in hydrangea production, the prefecture had never before developed an original hydrangea variety of its own. A Strategic Move for Japan’s Hydrangea Capital Aichi occupies a unique position within Japan’s floriculture industry. The prefecture benefits from abundant winter sunlight and relatively mild temperatures, creating ideal conditions for hydrangea cultivation. According to industry data, Aichi ranked first nationwide in cultivation area, shipment volume and production value for hydrangeas in 2023. Yet until now, growers largely depended on varieties developed elsewhere. The new cultivar represents a strategic effort to create proprietary plant genetics that can enhance competitiveness, improve grower profitability and differentiate Aichi’s products in both domestic and potentially international markets. Thousands of Crosses, One Standout Variety The breeding process reflected the increasingly sophisticated nature of modern ornamental horticulture. Researchers generated 3,893 candidate varieties through crossbreeding, evaluating each for flower colour, plant form, growth performance and market appeal. The most promising selections were then subjected to extensive adaptability and performance trials before a final variety emerged. The result is a hydrangea that combines aesthetic appeal with commercial durability. Researchers say the plant demonstrates strong growth during Japan’s increasingly hot summers while producing stable and uniform flower clusters, traits that are becoming increasingly important as climate variability creates new challenges for ornamental crop producers. Distinctive White-Edged Blooms The defining feature of Hydra Aichi No. 1 is its striking flower appearance. The cultivar belongs to the highly sought-after “temari yaezaki” category, known for its spherical flower heads composed of layered decorative florets. Its blue or pink petals are framed by sharply defined white edges, creating a distinctive contrast that sets it apart from conventional hydrangea varieties. Industry observers note that unique colour patterns have become increasingly important in Japan’s premium ornamental plant market, where consumers continue to seek novel and visually distinctive flowering plants. A commercial brand name for retail distribution is currently being finalized. Innovation in a Competitive Floriculture Market The launch reflects a broader trend across the global ornamental plant industry, where regional breeding programs are increasingly focused on developing proprietary varieties that offer both visual differentiation and improved production characteristics. For growers, ownership of locally adapted varieties can create new opportunities for branding, premium pricing and market exclusivity. For Aichi, the introduction of its first homegrown hydrangea represents more than a horticultural achievement. It signals a shift toward greater innovation within a sector that remains an important contributor to the prefecture’s agricultural economy. As demand for premium ornamental plants continues to evolve, Hydra Aichi No. 1 may offer a glimpse into the future of Japan’s floriculture industry—one where regional identity, breeding innovation and market differentiation become increasingly central to growth and competitiveness. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4019/tsubame-bhb-brings-distributed-ammonia-production-into-climate-transition-spotlight.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4019/tsubame-bhb-brings-distributed-ammonia-production-into-climate-transition-spotlight.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:11:55 +0530 Pilot project highlights the potential of smaller, localized plants to reduce emissions and fertilizer logistics costs Japanese deep-tech innovator Tsubame BHB has been selected by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to participate in a pioneering initiative that will produce nitrogen fertilizers from green hydrogen generated within the city, marking a significant step toward the decarbonization of both ammonia manufacturing and agricultural input supply chains. The project forms part of Tokyo’s broader hydrogen strategy, which seeks to establish a self-sustaining “produce, transport, and use” ecosystem capable of accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy. Under the agreement, green hydrogen produced at a renewable energy-powered facility in Keihinjima, Ota Ward, will be supplied to Tsubame BHB’s pilot ammonia synthesis plant, where it will be converted into ammonia and subsequently used as feedstock for the trial production of nitrogen-based fertilizers. The initiative reflects growing global interest in reducing the carbon footprint of ammonia, one of the world’s most strategically important industrial chemicals and the foundation of modern nitrogen fertilizer production. Conventional ammonia manufacturing relies heavily on grey hydrogen derived from natural gas, making the sector one of the largest industrial sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Replacing fossil-fuel-based hydrogen with renewable alternatives is increasingly viewed as a critical pathway toward achieving climate targets across agriculture and industry. For Tsubame BHB, the project represents another milestone in its effort to commercialize a radically different model of ammonia production. Founded in 2017, the company has developed decentralized ammonia synthesis systems that operate using a proprietary low-temperature, low-pressure process, significantly diverging from the traditional Haber-Bosch method that has dominated global ammonia production for more than a century. At the heart of the technology lies an advanced electride catalyst developed by Honorary Professor Hideo Hosono of the Institute of Science Tokyo, formerly known as the Tokyo Institute of Technology. The catalyst enables ammonia synthesis under substantially milder operating conditions than conventional systems, potentially reducing energy consumption while making smaller-scale production economically viable. The innovation addresses one of the long-standing structural limitations of the global ammonia industry. Traditional Haber-Bosch facilities require enormous capital investments and operate most efficiently at very large scales, leading to the concentration of production in a limited number of industrial hubs. As a result, ammonia and fertilizer products often travel vast distances before reaching end users, creating significant logistics, storage, and transportation costs. Tsubame BHB’s decentralized approach seeks to reverse that paradigm by enabling ammonia production closer to points of demand. By deploying compact, modular facilities near agricultural, industrial, or energy consumption centers, the company aims to reduce dependence on long-distance supply chains while improving local access to fertilizer and ammonia-based products. The commercial implications extend well beyond Japan. The company has already secured orders for two ammonia production units domestically and reports ongoing discussions for potential deployments across emerging markets in Brazil, India, and several countries in Africa. These regions often face elevated fertilizer costs due to import dependence and complex logistics networks, making localized production models particularly attractive. The Tokyo project therefore serves not only as a demonstration of green hydrogen utilization but also as a proof of concept for a broader transformation in ammonia economics. By integrating renewable energy, green hydrogen production, decentralized ammonia synthesis, and fertilizer manufacturing within a single regional ecosystem, the initiative highlights a pathway toward more resilient and sustainable agricultural input systems. As governments and industries worldwide intensify efforts to decarbonize fertilizer production, projects such as this are increasingly being viewed as test cases for the future of ammonia. Rather than relying exclusively on large-scale centralized plants, the next generation of fertilizer production may be characterized by distributed facilities capable of producing low-carbon ammonia closer to farms, industries, and end users. For Tokyo, the initiative reinforces its ambition to position hydrogen at the center of urban decarbonization. For Tsubame BHB, it offers an opportunity to demonstrate that advanced catalyst technologies and decentralized production models can transform ammonia from a globally traded commodity into a locally manufactured, low-carbon resource. If successful, the project could provide a blueprint for how cities, industries, and agricultural systems collaborate to create cleaner, more resilient fertilizer value chains in an increasingly carbon-constrained world. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4011/nissan-chemical-bets-on-india-to-power-global-rollout-of-next-generation-rice-herbicide.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/4011/nissan-chemical-bets-on-india-to-power-global-rollout-of-next-generation-rice-herbicide.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:42:05 +0530 Japanese agrochemical major expands manufacturing footprint in Gujarat as it prepares worldwide launch of Ryzonic, a proprietary herbicide expected to strengthen its position in the global paddy rice market In a strategic move that underscores India’s growing importance within global agricultural supply chains, Nissan Chemical Corporation has announced plans to establish a dedicated manufacturing facility for its newly developed herbicide Ryzonic (iptriazopyrid) at its Indian joint venture, Nissan Bharat Rasayan Pvt. Ltd. (NBR). The investment marks a significant milestone in the company’s efforts to build a robust global production network ahead of the commercial launch of Ryzonic, a proprietary rice herbicide discovered and developed by Nissan Chemical. The company views the project as a cornerstone of its future growth strategy and a critical step toward strengthening its long-term competitiveness in the global crop protection sector. The new facility will be located within NBR’s operations in Saykha, Gujarat, where the joint venture has already established a manufacturing base. Formed in 2020 through a partnership between Nissan Chemical and Bharat Rasayan Ltd., one of India’s leading agrochemical manufacturers, NBR commenced operations following the completion of its first production plant in 2023. With global agricultural markets increasingly focused on productivity enhancement and weed management solutions, Nissan Chemical anticipates significant international demand for Ryzonic following its planned introduction in key markets beginning in 2027. The company intends to launch the herbicide initially in Japan and India before pursuing a broader international expansion strategy across major rice-producing regions. Against this backdrop, the decision to expand manufacturing capacity in India reflects both commercial foresight and operational pragmatism. By localizing production and strengthening supply-chain resilience, Nissan Chemical aims to ensure sufficient manufacturing capacity to support anticipated demand growth while enhancing responsiveness to global market requirements. The new production facility is scheduled for completion and commencement of operations during fiscal year 2028. Industry observers note that the investment highlights India’s emergence as an increasingly important hub for agrochemical manufacturing, supported by a combination of production expertise, cost competitiveness and access to rapidly expanding agricultural markets. For Nissan Chemical, the project represents more than a capacity expansion. It is a strategic investment designed to reinforce the company’s position within the highly competitive paddy rice herbicide segment, one of the world’s most significant crop protection markets given rice’s central role in global food security. While the company indicated that the investment is unlikely to materially affect its consolidated financial performance during the current fiscal year, management expects the initiative to become an important contributor to earnings growth over the medium and long term. The announcement also aligns with Nissan Chemical’s broader objective of leveraging its proprietary research and development capabilities to generate sustainable growth across its agrochemical portfolio. As global agriculture faces mounting pressure to increase productivity while managing evolving weed resistance challenges, innovations such as Ryzonic are expected to play an increasingly important role in modern crop management strategies. By strengthening production capacity ahead of launch, Nissan Chemical is positioning itself not merely to participate in the next generation of agricultural innovation, but to compete aggressively for leadership in one of the world’s most strategically important crop protection markets. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3997/philippines-turns-to-japanese-innovation-to-modernise-agriculture-and-strengthen-food-reserves.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3997/philippines-turns-to-japanese-innovation-to-modernise-agriculture-and-strengthen-food-reserves.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 15:07:34 +0530 Advanced grain management systems, horticultural exports and fisheries cooperation emerge as key pillars of the growing partnership The Philippines and Japan have agreed to deepen agricultural cooperation through a broad-based agenda encompassing food exports, advanced farming technologies, post-harvest infrastructure, and long-term food security initiatives, reinforcing a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing agricultural competitiveness and supply-chain resilience. The expanded collaboration emerged from high-level engagements held during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s official visit to Japan from May 26–29, where members of the Philippine delegation conducted extensive discussions with Japanese government officials and industry stakeholders. Agriculture remains a central pillar of the bilateral agenda, with both countries exploring opportunities to strengthen market access, accelerate technology transfer, and improve logistics efficiency across agricultural and fisheries value chains. Among the immediate priorities is the planned export of Philippine pomelos to Japan before the end of the year, alongside preparations for participation in a major international horticulture exposition scheduled for March 2027. The initiative is expected to enhance global visibility for Philippine horticultural products, including ornamental plants and other high-value crops that continue to attract growing international demand. The two countries also discussed measures to strengthen trade in key agricultural commodities, particularly bananas, which remain the Philippines’ largest agricultural export to Japan. Philippine officials reiterated the importance of improving market access conditions as the country advances its ambitions to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a move viewed as strategically important for expanding export competitiveness. Beyond horticulture and fruit exports, discussions extended to livestock development and fisheries cooperation, with particular attention given to tuna, one of the Philippines’ most valuable seafood exports in the Japanese market. Food security and post-harvest management also emerged as critical areas of collaboration. Japanese grain storage and processing systems, equipped with highly automated drying, dehusking and handling technologies, were identified as potential models for modernising the Philippines’ grain management infrastructure. Industry observers note that Japan’s ability to maintain rice reserves for extended periods offers valuable lessons for strengthening food security strategies and improving inventory management capabilities within the Philippines’ agricultural system. The partnership further builds on ongoing field evaluations of Japanese agricultural technologies currently being tested in Davao. Early results from these trials have reportedly demonstrated strong potential for improving productivity and operational efficiency, paving the way for wider deployment across major Philippine crop sectors. The latest initiatives reflect a broader effort by both countries to strengthen agricultural resilience amid growing challenges related to climate variability, food inflation, supply-chain disruptions and changing global trade dynamics. By combining Japan’s technological expertise with the Philippines’ agricultural potential, the partnership seeks to create new opportunities for sustainable growth, export expansion and long-term food security across the region. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3957/japan-trio-advances-remote-farming-with-satellite-backed-connectivity-system.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3957/japan-trio-advances-remote-farming-with-satellite-backed-connectivity-system.html Tue, 26 May 2026 14:05:47 +0530 NTT, Kubota and DOCOMO test hybrid network for remote farm machinery control NTT, Kubota, and NTT DOCOMO have completed a joint demonstration of advanced communication technologies designed to enable stable remote operation and monitoring of robotic agricultural machinery in mountainous regions, where network instability has historically limited automation deployment. The experiment focused on maintaining continuous connectivity and high-quality video transmission for field operations by combining mobile networks with satellite communication systems. The integrated approach is intended to support future agricultural automation in challenging terrain conditions. The demonstration showed that multi-link control systems can dynamically coordinate mobile and satellite connectivity based on real-time network conditions. This enabled uninterrupted communication between machinery operating within and across fields, even in areas with fluctuating mobile coverage. A key component of the system is adaptive video control technology, which adjusts compression levels based on available bandwidth while preserving image clarity in operationally critical zones such as machinery paths and crop zones. This allows operators to maintain situational awareness without overwhelming communication channels. Together, the technologies address one of the key barriers to agricultural automation: the reliability of remote monitoring systems in environments with unstable connectivity. Mountainous and hilly regions account for a significant share of cultivated land in Japan, making the issue central to nationwide agricultural modernization efforts. The companies emphasized that stable communications are essential for safe remote operation of robotic agricultural equipment, particularly as regulatory frameworks evolve to support autonomous machinery on public roads under monitored conditions. NTT, Kubota Corporation, and NTT DOCOMO jointly developed and tested the system, combining expertise in wireless quality prediction, agricultural machinery, and video transmission optimization. NTT contributed multi-link communication orchestration and wireless quality prediction systems designed to optimize network selection between terrestrial and satellite links. Kubota provided robotic agricultural machinery platforms and test environments in representative mountainous farmland conditions. NTT DOCOMO developed the video transmission system capable of prioritizing image quality in critical operational areas while compressing non-essential data. The results indicate that hybrid communication architectures can significantly improve reliability for remote agricultural operations, particularly in environments where standalone mobile networks are insufficient. The companies plan to further refine the system toward real-world deployment, with the broader goal of enabling fully autonomous agricultural operations supported by resilient, data-driven communication infrastructure. The initiative also forms part of broader efforts to advance sustainable, technology-enabled agriculture both in Japan and globally. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3909/utokyo-and-philippine-sugar-authority-forge-alliance-on-bio-based-sugarcane-research.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3909/utokyo-and-philippine-sugar-authority-forge-alliance-on-bio-based-sugarcane-research.html Fri, 15 May 2026 12:13:33 +0530 The initiative brings together Japan and the Philippines to integrate agriculture, engineering, and sustainability science A new academic and institutional collaboration has been formalised between Japan and the Philippines as the University of Tokyo deepens its research engagement with Southeast Asia’s bio-based agriculture sector through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Philippine government’s sugar industry regulator. The agreement brings together the University of Tokyo’s Institute for Future Initiatives and Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology with the Sugar Regulatory Administration under the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture, marking a coordinated push to advance sugarcane-related life cycle research and technology development. Signed at the University of Tokyo’s Hongo Campus, the Memorandum of Understanding establishes a framework for joint academic research focused on sugarcane-derived production systems, technology assessment, systems design, and the broader social implementation of bio-based industrial pathways. At its core, the collaboration seeks to elevate sugarcane beyond its traditional role as a commodity crop, positioning it instead as a multi-output platform for bioenergy, green chemicals, and circular economy applications. Researchers from both institutions are expected to work closely on life cycle assessment methodologies, systems engineering, and sustainability evaluation frameworks, with a strong emphasis on translating academic findings into scalable, real-world applications. The initiative draws on the complementary expertise of both partners: the University of Tokyo’s advanced capabilities in life cycle assessment and systems design, and the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s operational and research role within the Philippine sugar industry. Yasunori Kikuchi of IFI and Satoshi Ohara of RCAST have been central in shaping the collaboration agenda, following extensive technical discussions with Philippine counterparts and with support from the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, which has already been engaged in related climate-resilient sugarcane research initiatives. The agreement is also expected to strengthen ongoing efforts in developing sugarcane varieties and production systems adapted to tropical island conditions, while expanding the scope of research into industrial applications such as biofuels and advanced green materials. Speaking during the signing ceremony, academic and institutional leaders highlighted the growing strategic importance of sugarcane as a versatile resource capable of contributing simultaneously to rural development, industrial innovation, and climate mitigation. Kensuke Fukushi, Director of IFI, and Masakazu Sugiyama, Director of RCAST, emphasized the crop’s potential to underpin new value chains that integrate agriculture, engineering, and economic systems design, enabling both regional development and decarbonisation objectives. They also underscored the importance of bridging academic research with social implementation, ensuring that technological advances in bio-based production systems can be effectively deployed in farming communities and industrial ecosystems. Philippine Sugar Regulatory Administration Administrator Pablo Luis S. Azcona described sugarcane as a strategic resource that extends beyond sugar production into energy and chemical industries, noting its potential role in addressing structural challenges such as rural depopulation and agricultural modernisation. The signing ceremony was attended by representatives from the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo, including Christian L. De Jesus, as well as leadership from JIRCAS and approximately 30 participants from academia, research, and media institutions. In closing remarks, Atsushi Tsuda expressed appreciation for the partnership, while Yasunori Kikuchi highlighted upcoming field engagement activities in Tanegashima, where joint research teams are expected to further explore applied sugarcane systems under real-world conditions. As global demand for low-carbon materials and renewable feedstocks accelerates, the partnership positions sugarcane as a focal point for interdisciplinary research linking agriculture, engineering, and sustainability science across Asia. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3898/welzo-invests-in-secai-marche-to-forge-strategic-cross-border-agri-food-alliance-across-southeast-asia.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3898/welzo-invests-in-secai-marche-to-forge-strategic-cross-border-agri-food-alliance-across-southeast-asia.html Thu, 14 May 2026 14:02:23 +0530 In a decisive move aimed at reshaping the architecture of global agricultural distribution, welzo Co. Ltd. has announced a strategic equity investment in SECAI MARCHE Inc., accompanied by the formation of a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) involving its subsidiary JAHT Co. Ltd. to accelerate agricultural expansion, supply chain integration, and digital commerce development across Southeast Asia. The alliance brings together more than a century of agricultural expertise with next-generation digital logistics infrastructure, uniting traditional production systems and modern e-commerce platforms in a shared ambition: to build a seamless, transparent, and high-efficiency food distribution network spanning producers and consumers across borders. Founded over 100 years ago, Welzo has evolved into a diversified agricultural solutions provider operating across Japan’s food, livestock, fisheries, horticulture, and environmental sectors. With an extensive domestic network and deep-rooted expertise in agricultural inputs and production support, the company now seeks to extend its influence into rapidly growing international markets. SECAI MARCHE, headquartered in Japan with operational reach across Southeast Asia, has developed a robust B2B fresh-food e-commerce platform that directly connects global producers with restaurants and retailers through proprietary cold-chain logistics and digital infrastructure. Handling more than 4,000 agricultural products, the company has positioned itself as a key digital intermediary in modern food distribution networks across Malaysia, Singapore, and broader regional markets. Under the newly signed MOU, the three entities will collaborate on joint proof-of-concept initiatives designed to test and scale integrated agricultural and distribution models. These initiatives will focus on improving agricultural productivity in Southeast Asia, expanding access to high-quality inputs, and validating cross-border supply chains for agricultural, livestock, and marine products. A central pillar of the partnership is the development of a direct-from-producer distribution ecosystem, combining Welzo’s century-long agricultural expertise and JAHT’s production know-how with SECAI MARCHE’s digital marketplace and logistics capabilities. Together, the partners aim to streamline fragmented supply chains, reduce inefficiencies, and unlock greater value for both producers and end consumers. The collaboration will also explore opportunities to expand the export of Japanese agricultural, livestock, and seafood products into Southeast Asian markets, while simultaneously supporting local agricultural development through improved input access and technical guidance. Commenting on the partnership, Welzo leadership emphasized the strategic necessity of transforming agricultural distribution systems amid structural challenges in Japan’s domestic market, including demographic decline and rising pressure to expand exports. The alliance, they noted, represents a pathway toward a more globally integrated and export-oriented agricultural economy. SECAI MARCHE leadership underscored the shared vision of eliminating inefficiencies in traditional supply chains and ensuring that agricultural products reach markets at their true value through transparent and technology-driven systems. As the global food economy continues to evolve under the pressures of urbanization, climate variability, and supply chain disruption, the Welzo–SECAI MARCHE alliance signals a broader shift toward digitally enabled, cross-border agricultural ecosystems. Through this partnership, the companies aim not only to modernize distribution, but to redefine how agricultural value is created, preserved, and delivered across Asia’s rapidly expanding food markets. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3892/japan-and-brazil-back-novel-banana-designed-to-cut-food-waste-at-scale.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3892/japan-and-brazil-back-novel-banana-designed-to-cut-food-waste-at-scale.html Thu, 14 May 2026 12:33:11 +0530 Regulatory wins open doors for commercial sales, imports, and local cultivation In a development poised to reshape the future of global fruit commerce and agricultural sustainability, Tropic has secured landmark regulatory approvals in Japan and Brazil for cultivation, importation, sale, and consumption of what the company heralds as the world’s first commercially available non-browning banana — a scientific breakthrough designed to dramatically reduce food waste while preserving the beloved fruit’s familiar taste, texture, and visual appeal. The achievement marks a moment of rare consequence within the banana industry, where commercial varieties have remained remarkably unchanged for generations. Tropic’s pioneering innovation emerges as the first significant new banana variety introduced to global markets in more than three-quarters of a century — a bold convergence of biotechnology, consumer convenience, and sustainability-driven agriculture. At the heart of the innovation lies a deceptively simple yet transformative attribute: once peeled or sliced, the banana remains bright, golden, and visually fresh for extended periods, resisting the rapid browning that has long contributed to spoilage across retail shelves, food-service operations, households, and international supply chains. By preserving freshness far beyond conventional limitations, the fruit opens new commercial possibilities across supermarkets, hospitality sectors, packaged fresh-cut produce markets, and long-distance distribution networks — while simultaneously reducing the environmental burden associated with discarded food. For Japan, a nation internationally renowned for its exacting standards surrounding freshness, quality, and presentation, the approval represents a strategic alignment between technological innovation and consumer expectations. Tropic’s non-browning banana is expected to resonate strongly within a market where aesthetic perfection and sustainability increasingly coexist as complementary priorities. Brazil, meanwhile, occupies an even more profound strategic position within the global banana ecosystem. As one of the world’s largest producers and consumers of bananas — responsible for approximately ten percent of global production — the nation’s endorsement signals substantial confidence in the commercial and agricultural viability of genetically enhanced fruit varieties. Tropic emphasized that the approvals not only broaden consumer access but also provide growers with a premium-value crop capable of reducing post-harvest losses, enhancing distribution efficiency, and diversifying domestic banana offerings in an increasingly competitive agricultural landscape. “These approvals represent a major step forward in bringing innovative, waste-reducing produce to consumers worldwide,” declared Chief Executive Officer Gilad Gershon, describing Japan and Brazil as pivotal pillars within the architecture of the international fruit economy. The regulatory victories arrive amid mounting global concern surrounding food waste, agricultural resilience, and supply chain sustainability. Bananas — revered as the world’s most consumed fruit and the planet’s fourth most important crop — occupy a uniquely critical role within global food security systems, feeding hundreds of millions while supporting vast agricultural economies across tropical regions. Tropic’s ambitions extend well beyond cosmetic preservation alone. The company has additionally launched an extended shelf-life banana capable of maintaining its green ripening phase for an additional twelve days, a breakthrough expected to increase export flexibility, unlock new maritime shipping routes, and reduce transportation waste by as much as fifty percent. Even more consequentially, Tropic revealed plans to introduce a Panama Disease (TR4) resistant banana variety next year — an innovation carrying profound implications for the future stability of the global banana trade. The rapidly spreading fungal disease has already affected more than twenty countries and threatens an industry valued at approximately $25 billion. Against the backdrop of climate volatility, evolving consumer expectations, and escalating food security concerns, Tropic’s expanding biotechnology portfolio reflects a broader transformation underway within modern agriculture — one where scientific precision and sustainability increasingly define the future of global food production. As these luminous yellow fruits journey from laboratory innovation to supermarket shelves across continents, Tropic’s approvals in Japan and Brazil stand not merely as regulatory milestones, but as symbols of a changing agricultural epoch — one in which the fruits of science seek to nourish both humanity and the planet with greater efficiency, resilience, and elegance than ever before. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3887/oishii-secures-150-mn-series-c-to-accelerate-robotics-driven-vertical-farming-expansion.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3887/oishii-secures-150-mn-series-c-to-accelerate-robotics-driven-vertical-farming-expansion.html Wed, 13 May 2026 18:37:15 +0530 Indoor farming pioneer strengthens Smart Farm model with new capital infusion to scale automated strawberry production, expand retail footprint across the US and Japan, and deepen its precision agriculture technology stack amid a reshaping global agri-tech landscape In a decisive vote of confidence for the evolving architecture of controlled-environment agriculture, Oishii—the company synonymous with high-precision indoor strawberry cultivation—has announced the first closing of its $150 million Series C financing round, marking a pivotal transition from experimental scalability to industrial maturation. Led by SPARX Asset Management Co., Ltd., with participation from a consortium of prominent institutional investors including Nomura Real Estate Development Co. Ltd, MISUMI Group Inc, and Mizuho Bank Ltd, the funding round signals sustained conviction in Oishii’s “Smart Farm” model at a time when much of the vertical farming sector has been undergoing a period of recalibration and capital retrenchment. Unlike the exuberant early phase of indoor agriculture, characterised by rapid expansion and equally rapid consolidation, Oishii’s trajectory has been notably more disciplined—anchored in robotics, automation, and a tightly engineered production philosophy that seeks to reconcile horticultural precision with industrial predictability. The company’s system integrates advanced automation with traditional Japanese cultivation methodologies, an unusual but increasingly influential hybrid approach in the global agri-tech landscape. The fresh capital infusion is expected to significantly expand production capacity across Oishii’s indoor farm network in the United States while simultaneously strengthening its technological footprint in Japan. Central to this expansion is the continued deployment of robotics systems—particularly in pollination and harvesting—enhanced further by the company’s acquisition of Tortuga AgTech and a strategic partnership with MISUMI Group Inc., a global leader in industrial automation components. Oishii’s evolution also reflects a broader recalibration of vertical farming economics. Once defined by ultra-premium positioning and niche consumer appeal, the company has gradually widened its commercial aperture. From the early introduction of its Omakase Berry at luxury price points, it has since diversified into multiple product tiers, including the Koyo and Nikko varieties, with retail offerings now spanning a far more accessible price spectrum. This strategic broadening has been complemented by innovations in packaging and shelf-life optimisation, including a proprietary stay-fresh sealing system that significantly reduces plastic usage while extending product durability—an essential factor in scaling fresh produce across long supply chains. Institutional investors backing the round have underscored not only the company’s technological differentiation but also its executional discipline. SPARX Asset Management, in particular, highlighted Oishii’s progression from concept validation to full commercial deployment as a rare example of consistent delivery in a sector often defined by volatility and unmet expectations. At its core, Oishii’s thesis rests on a deceptively simple premise: that strawberries—among the most delicate and labour-intensive fruits in global agriculture—can be transformed into a reliably produced, year-round commodity through extreme environmental control and algorithmic precision. Yet beneath this simplicity lies a deeply complex engineering challenge, one that the company continues to address through iterative advances in automation, R&D infrastructure, and operational scaling. The newly raised capital will be deployed to expand farm infrastructure, deepen robotics integration, and accelerate research initiatives across both the United States and Japan, including the development of a dedicated Open Innovation Center in Tokyo. These investments are designed to consolidate Oishii’s position at the intersection of food technology, robotics, and high-value horticulture. Having raised a cumulative $370 million since its founding in 2016, Oishii now enters what its leadership describes as a “new phase of confidence”—a stage defined not by proving feasibility, but by refining scale, efficiency, and market reach. In a sector still grappling with questions of profitability and long-term viability, Oishii’s latest financing round stands as both a validation of its model and a broader signal: that the future of premium agriculture may no longer lie in fields alone, but increasingly within precisely calibrated, data-driven environments engineered for consistency as much as for taste. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3830/manila-pushes-for-expanded-agriculture-and-fisheries-collaboration-with-japan.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3830/manila-pushes-for-expanded-agriculture-and-fisheries-collaboration-with-japan.html Wed, 06 May 2026 14:52:37 +0530 DA eyes stronger technology transfer, sustainable farming and food security initiatives The Philippines is set to strengthen its longstanding agricultural partnership with Japan as both nations move to deepen collaboration in food security, sustainable agriculture, fisheries, and advanced farming technologies ahead of President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr.’s scheduled state visit to Japan later this month. The renewed push for bilateral cooperation was highlighted during a courtesy meeting between Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuya Endo and Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., where senior officials from both sides discussed strategic initiatives aimed at broadening agricultural and technological engagement between the two countries. In a statement issued by the Department of Agriculture (DA), Secretary Tiu Laurel described the engagement as a reflection of the enduring strength and continuity of Philippines-Japan relations, particularly in areas critical to agricultural transformation and sustainable development. He noted that the evolving partnership presents an opportunity for both countries to align priorities and accelerate initiatives that will directly benefit Filipino farmers and fisherfolk while advancing shared goals in innovation and food security. Among the key developments discussed was the proposed amendment to the existing Philippines-Japan Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on agriculture, which seeks to formally expand bilateral cooperation to include the fisheries sector. The inclusion of fisheries is expected to support the Philippines’ broader food security agenda while creating new opportunities for technical cooperation, investment, and capacity building. Once amended, the agreement will also pave the way for the establishment of a Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries, envisioned as an institutional mechanism to ensure sustained collaboration, long-term programme implementation, and deeper policy coordination between the two nations. The Philippines is also seeking to advance deeper technological cooperation with Japan to modernise domestic agricultural systems and improve farm productivity through innovation-led solutions. Discussions covered areas such as smart agriculture, precision farming technologies, and digital agricultural systems aimed at enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and climate resilience within the country’s agricultural sector. Trade and market access issues also featured prominently during the meeting. The Department of Agriculture reiterated the Philippines’ request for the reduction of tariffs on fresh bananas exported to Japan, a long-standing priority for the local banana industry. Both parties additionally explored opportunities for expanded bilateral agricultural trade, including new market access arrangements for Philippine pomelos in Japan and Japanese grapes in the Philippines. Preparations for the upcoming second Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries meeting, scheduled to be hosted by Japan in early July, were likewise reviewed during the discussions. The Philippines also conveyed its intention to participate in the Green X EXPO 2027, underscoring its broader commitment to sustainable agriculture, green innovation, and international cooperation. The renewed engagement signals a growing convergence between the Philippines and Japan in advancing resilient, technology-driven, and future-ready agricultural systems capable of addressing evolving regional and global food security challenges. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3818/sakata-seed-honored-for-advancing-sustainable-genetic-resource-development-through-global-ip-strategy.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3818/sakata-seed-honored-for-advancing-sustainable-genetic-resource-development-through-global-ip-strategy.html Tue, 05 May 2026 17:48:36 +0530 Company lauded for fair benefit-sharing, biodiversity cooperation, and protection of plant innovations Sakata Seed Corporation has been awarded the Export and International Bureau Director General’s Award for Excellence in Utilizing the Intellectual Property Rights System in the Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, and Food Industries (FY2026) at the 2026 Intellectual Property Achievement Awards Ceremony held at Akasaka Intercity Conference. The award recognizes organizations that have demonstrated outstanding achievement in enhancing business value through the strategic protection and effective utilization of intellectual property within the agriculture and food sectors. This year marks the second edition of the program since its establishment. Sakata Seed Corporation, a research-driven global horticultural company specializing in the development of flower and vegetable varieties, was recognized for its pioneering approach to international genetic resource development. Through collaborative exploration and research with governmental and institutional partners in resource-providing countries, the Company has established a model of genetic resource utilization grounded in mutual benefit, transparency, and sustainability. Central to its recognition is Sakata Seed’s alignment with the principles of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), under which it has fostered equitable partnerships that ensure fair and balanced sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. Rather than a unilateral extraction model, the Company has built a framework of cooperation in which technical expertise, research collaboration, and value creation are shared with partner countries. The Company was also commended for its robust intellectual property protection system, which safeguards both plant varieties and brand integrity across global markets. By combining trademark rights, plant breeder’s rights, patents, and design rights in a comprehensive “IP mix” strategy, Sakata Seed effectively prevents unauthorized propagation and counterfeit distribution while ensuring consistent global branding for its varieties. Looking ahead, Sakata Seed Corporation remains committed to further strengthening its intellectual property governance and expanding its global genetic resource exploration activities. Through the continued application of its integrated IP strategy, the Company aims to accelerate the development of innovative plant varieties while reinforcing sustainable international collaboration. “Our commitment to intellectual property and global collaboration is fundamental to our mission,” the Company stated. “Guided by our philosophy that vegetables nourish the body and flowers nourish the soul, we will continue striving to contribute to the advancement of horticulture worldwide while delivering value, trust, and inspiration to our partners and customers.” A key example of the Company’s genetic resource development model is its long-standing collaboration with Indonesia, where joint exploration and evaluation efforts have led to globally successful varieties such as SunPatiens®. Developed through international cooperation, SunPatiens® has achieved cumulative global sales exceeding 700 million plants and marks its 20th anniversary this year. Through initiatives in Indonesia and Argentina, Sakata Seed continues to advance a continuously evolving cycle of genetic resource development—ensuring sustainable use in provider countries while fostering innovation in global horticulture. To further strengthen organizational alignment, the Company has also established a group-wide intellectual property management framework, including the development of a multilingual “IP Global Booklet” to standardize knowledge-sharing, confidentiality practices, and IP governance across its global operations. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3814/kenya-and-japan-deepen-strategic-alliance-across-agriculture-energy-and-digital-innovation.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3814/kenya-and-japan-deepen-strategic-alliance-across-agriculture-energy-and-digital-innovation.html Mon, 04 May 2026 17:24:33 +0530 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 . The talks reflected the evolving nature of Kenya–Japan relations, which have matured over more than six decades into one of East Africa’s most enduring and multidimensional development partnerships. Officials from both countries reviewed ongoing collaborations while identifying fresh opportunities for investment, trade facilitation, technology transfer and technical cooperation aligned with Kenya’s long-term economic priorities. Agriculture emerged as a central pillar of the renewed engagement, with both sides exploring avenues to strengthen food systems modernization, agricultural productivity, climate resilience and value-chain development. Japan’s long-standing support in mechanisation, irrigation systems, rural infrastructure and agricultural technology continues to play a significant role in Kenya’s push toward more efficient and commercially integrated farming systems. The discussions also reinforced cooperation in sustainable energy transition, particularly in areas linked to electric mobility, energy infrastructure and low-carbon development pathways. Kenya’s broader efforts to diversify its energy mix and accelerate green industrialisation are increasingly intersecting with Japan’s technological and financing capabilities. Digital transformation and ICT collaboration likewise featured prominently in the bilateral agenda, reflecting Kenya’s ambition to position itself as a regional technology and innovation hub. Both governments emphasized the importance of strengthening institutional and private-sector partnerships capable of driving digital inclusion, smart infrastructure and knowledge-based economic growth. As part of the visit, Kenya and Japan formalized grant assistance for the Human Resource Development Scholarship Programme, an initiative designed to strengthen Kenya’s professional and technical workforce while expanding academic and institutional linkages between the two countries. The bilateral engagements also highlighted growing cooperation in healthcare innovation and biomedical research. Recent collaborations between the two nations have focused on local pharmaceutical manufacturing, technology transfer, medical research capacity and healthcare workforce development. Institutions such as the Kenya Medical Research Institute and Kenya BioVax Institute are increasingly becoming focal points of this cooperation, particularly in emerging fields including mRNA technologies and advanced vaccine development. Beyond sectoral cooperation, the discussions reflected a broader shift toward results-oriented partnerships centered on accountability, implementation efficiency and long-term institutional strengthening. Both sides underscored the importance of ensuring that development financing and joint programmes translate into measurable socio-economic outcomes. Japan’s role as a strategic development partner to Kenya continues to be reinforced through the activities of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has historically supported major projects in transport infrastructure, energy systems, agriculture, education and public health. The latest engagements also build upon earlier high-level meetings held in April 2026 between Kenyan officials and Japanese representatives focused on concessional financing, transport connectivity and industrial investment opportunities. For Kenya, the deepening relationship with Japan arrives at a pivotal moment as the country seeks to accelerate industrial competitiveness, strengthen food security and modernize critical infrastructure under its broader economic transformation agenda. For Japan, Kenya remains an increasingly important gateway to East Africa and a strategic partner in advancing economic cooperation, regional connectivity and sustainable development across the African continent. From agricultural modernization and clean energy to healthcare innovation and digital infrastructure, the evolving Kenya–Japan partnership reflects a broader convergence of economic priorities — one increasingly shaped not only by aid and diplomacy, but by long-term strategic alignment and shared developmental ambition. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3811/viet-nam-and-japan-strengthen-food-energy-and-supply-chain-cooperation.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3811/viet-nam-and-japan-strengthen-food-energy-and-supply-chain-cooperation.html Mon, 04 May 2026 16:57:08 +0530 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, and accelerate industrial transformation amid intensifying geopolitical and economic uncertainty across the Indo-Pacific. Both countries agreed to pursue measures that would raise annual Japanese investment into Viet Nam to approximately $ 5 billion while targeting bilateral trade turnover of $ 60 billion by 2030. The partnership is expected to focus heavily on high-technology sectors including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, green transition technologies, digital transformation, and space research, with particular emphasis on human capital development and joint scientific innovation. Japanese companies were encouraged to expand investment in high-tech manufacturing and technology-transfer projects within Viet Nam, while Vietnamese enterprises are expected to increase participation in Japanese-funded industrial and infrastructure programmes. Agriculture also emerged as a central pillar of the expanding bilateral agenda. Both governments committed to accelerating market access negotiations for agricultural products, initially prioritizing Vietnamese green-skinned pomelo and Japanese grapes. The two sides additionally reaffirmed cooperation on food security, agricultural sustainability, and climate-resilient farming systems. Prime Minister Le Minh Hung also welcomed Japan’s continued support for Viet Nam’s large-scale initiative to develop one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice production in the Mekong Delta — a flagship programme designed to strengthen sustainable rice cultivation while reducing agricultural emissions. Energy security formed another critical dimension of the talks. The two countries agreed to advance cooperation under the “Partnership for Asia Energy and Resources Resilience” (POWERR ASIA), a regional initiative aimed at improving energy self-reliance and supply-chain resilience across Asia. Under the framework, Japan will support crude oil supply arrangements for Viet Nam’s Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Complex. The leaders also announced plans to deepen cooperation in economic security, strategic supply-chain diversification, and industrial resilience as governments across the region seek to reduce vulnerabilities stemming from geopolitical fragmentation and global market volatility. In parallel, Viet Nam and Japan agreed to expand cooperation in defense, cybersecurity, maritime law enforcement, disaster management, and transnational crime prevention, while strengthening ministerial dialogue mechanisms spanning diplomacy, trade, science, technology, and defense affairs. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi emphasized Viet Nam’s growing strategic importance within regional and global manufacturing ecosystems, noting that Japanese corporations increasingly view the country as a critical node in international supply chains. She also reiterated that closer engagement with Viet Nam remains central to Japan’s broader vision for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” reflecting Tokyo’s increasing focus on strategic partnerships across Southeast Asia. The deepening relationship builds on decades of steadily expanding ties between the two countries. Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1973 and elevating ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023, Japan has become Viet Nam’s largest provider of official development assistance, its third-largest foreign investor, and one of its most important trade and labor partners. Bilateral trade exceeded $ 51.43 billion in 2025, while Japanese cumulative investment in Viet Nam reached nearly $ 78.9 billion across more than 5,700 active projects as of early 2026. The relationship is further reinforced by a growing Vietnamese community in Japan, now numbering more than 680,000 people — the country’s second-largest foreign population. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to Viet Nam marks her first official trip to the country since assuming office in October 2025, underscoring the increasing strategic weight both governments now place on the partnership amid a rapidly shifting regional order. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3790/tan-long-group-joins-japan-and-south-korea-in-landmark-high-tech-mackerel-farming-alliance.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3790/tan-long-group-joins-japan-and-south-korea-in-landmark-high-tech-mackerel-farming-alliance.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:58:20 +0530 Cross-border partnership aims to pioneer land-based Japanese mackerel aquaculture and strengthen sustainable seafood supply chains in Asia In a move that underscores the accelerating convergence of technology, food security, and international agribusiness collaboration, Tan Long Group has entered a strategic partnership with leading Japanese and South Korean financial and technology firms to develop land-based Japanese mackerel farming systems for Asian markets. The agreement, signed with Tokyo Kiraboshi Financial Group, BNK Financial Group, and MegaPlan Co., Ltd., marks a significant step toward building a modern aquaculture ecosystem designed to address rising seafood demand and mounting pressure on natural marine resources. At the heart of the collaboration lies a technology-driven land-based farming model for Japanese mackerel — a staple seafood product deeply embedded in the culinary cultures of Japan and South Korea. The initiative seeks to create a stable, year-round supply of high-quality fish through controlled aquaculture systems that reduce dependence on increasingly stressed ocean fisheries. MegaPlan will provide the core smart aquaculture technology enabling year-round breeding and controlled production, while Tan Long Group will contribute its expertise in food infrastructure, logistics, agricultural supply chains, and international food trading networks. Tokyo Kiraboshi Financial Group will coordinate strategic and financial integration, with BNK Financial Group supporting broader regional cooperation efforts. The partnership comes at a time when declining marine catches, climate change, environmental degradation, and overfishing are reshaping the future of seafood production across Asia. Japanese government data indicate that domestic mackerel supply from wild fisheries has fallen sharply over the past decade, intensifying the need for alternative and sustainable production systems. The planned land-based aquaculture facilities are expected to provide greater control over farming conditions, improve food safety standards, reduce disease and environmental risks, and stabilize production volumes throughout the year. Industry observers view such systems as part of a broader global transition toward technology-enabled aquaculture models capable of balancing rising protein demand with sustainability objectives. The four partners are also exploring the establishment of a joint venture to accelerate long-term commercial development and operational efficiency. The initiative aligns with Tan Long Group’s broader strategy of expanding beyond traditional agriculture into integrated, high-value food production ecosystems driven by technology, logistics, and international market connectivity. For Tan Long, the collaboration represents more than a business expansion — it signals the emergence of Vietnamese agribusiness as an increasingly influential participant in shaping the future of sustainable food systems across Asia. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3777/lebanon-fao-launch-japan-funded-initiative-to-rebuild-agrifood-systems-in-conflict-hit-south.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3777/lebanon-fao-launch-japan-funded-initiative-to-rebuild-agrifood-systems-in-conflict-hit-south.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:12:59 +0530 Lebanon’s Ministry of Agriculture, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and backed by the Government of Japan, has launched a targeted initiative to restore agricultural livelihoods and strengthen food system resilience in conflict-affected regions of South Lebanon. The project, titled “Enhancing Recovery and Resilience of Agrifood Systems and Rural Livelihoods in Conflict-Affected Areas of South Lebanon,” is designed to support approximately 230 vulnerable farming households, representing around 1,150 individuals, across the South and Nabatiyeh governorates. Focused on both crop and livestock systems, the initiative aims to stabilize food production, safeguard incomes, and rebuild local agrifood value chains disrupted by ongoing conflict. From Emergency Relief to Sustainable Recovery Positioned at the intersection of humanitarian response and long-term development, the program seeks to protect productive assets while enabling continuity in farming activities. Smallholder farmers will receive tailored support packages, including critical inputs such as fodder for livestock, helping prevent the loss of key livelihood assets in regions where access and supply chains remain constrained. The initiative also places a strong emphasis on inclusive recovery, with at least 30 per cent of beneficiaries being women, including female-headed households—recognizing their central role in sustaining rural economies and food systems. Strengthening Resilience Amid Compounding Pressures The launch comes at a time when Lebanon’s agricultural sector is facing overlapping challenges from conflict, climate stress, and economic instability. The program adopts a science-based and systems-oriented approach, aimed at rebuilding agricultural productivity while enhancing resilience to future shocks. Beyond immediate support, the initiative is aligned with broader national priorities to revitalize agricultural value chains, improve natural resource management, and promote innovation in farming systems. By reinforcing both production capacity and institutional coordination, the project aims to create a more stable foundation for long-term food security. Global Partnership Anchored in Food Security The collaboration underscores a deepening international commitment to safeguarding agriculture in fragile contexts, with Japan playing a key role in financing recovery efforts. The partnership between Lebanon, FAO, and Japan reflects a shared focus on linking emergency interventions with sustainable development outcomes, particularly in rural areas most affected by conflict. Securing Livelihoods, Sustaining Economies By enabling farmers to maintain production and protect livestock assets, the initiative aims to prevent further erosion of rural livelihoods while supporting local food supply chains. In doing so, it reinforces agriculture’s role not only as an economic sector, but as a cornerstone of stability, food sovereignty, and community resilience. As Lebanon navigates a complex recovery landscape, the project signals a strategic shift toward integrated, resilience-driven agricultural development, where timely intervention today lays the groundwork for long-term sustainability. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3757/viet-nam-pushes-for-stable-rice-trade-and-green-agriculture-partnerships.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3757/viet-nam-pushes-for-stable-rice-trade-and-green-agriculture-partnerships.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 15:17:21 +0530 Bilateral meetings highlight shift toward resilience and low-emission production systems Viet Nam is accelerating its role as a regional agricultural powerbroker, advancing strategic cooperation with the Philippines and Japan through a series of high-level bilateral meetings held on the sidelines of the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC 38) in Brunei. The discussions reflect a coordinated effort to strengthen agricultural trade, enhance sustainability, and build more resilient food systems across the Asia-Pacific region. In talks with the Philippines, both sides placed rice trade at the center of their agenda, signaling a potential shift toward long-term export agreements aimed at stabilizing prices and ensuring consistent supply. Viet Nam proposed moving beyond short-term contracts to establish more durable commercial arrangements, a move that aligns with growing regional concerns over food security and market volatility. The Philippines indicated support for this approach and plans to convene agricultural stakeholders in mid-2026 to advance negotiations. Beyond rice, the two countries identified coffee, fruits, vegetables, and seafood as priority sectors for expanded trade cooperation. Discussions also extended to fisheries, where both sides committed to strengthening collaboration in sustainable aquaculture and resource management. Viet Nam highlighted its efforts to address international concerns around illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing while accelerating a broader transition toward aquaculture-based production systems. Sustainability emerged as a key theme, with Viet Nam outlining its ambitious plan to scale high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation across one million hectares in the Mekong Delta. The initiative is designed to simultaneously boost productivity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, positioning the country as a leader in climate-aligned agricultural transformation. Both nations also acknowledged rising global fertilizer prices as a shared challenge, underscoring the need for coordinated responses to manage input costs and food price pressures. Parallel discussions with Japan reinforced Viet Nam’s strategy of deepening ties with advanced agricultural economies. Japan was reaffirmed as a critical partner in both technology transfer and market access, with cooperation spanning trade, sustainability, and food safety. The two sides explored opportunities to expand bilateral trade, including market access for Japanese grapes in Viet Nam and Vietnamese pomelos—and potentially passion fruit—in Japan. The dialogue also highlighted Viet Nam’s commitment to greener agricultural practices, with proposals for enhanced cooperation in food safety standards and sustainable aquaculture. Preparations for Viet Nam’s participation in Green Expo 2027 in Japan further signal the country’s intent to showcase its evolving agricultural model on a global stage. Across both engagements, a common thread emerged: the importance of structured collaboration, knowledge exchange, and long-term planning in navigating a rapidly changing agricultural landscape. By aligning trade objectives with sustainability goals, Viet Nam is positioning itself at the center of a more integrated and resilient regional food system, where productivity gains are increasingly tied to environmental performance and cross-border cooperation. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3753/saury-catch-limits-reduced-by-5-per-cent-across-north-pacific.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3753/saury-catch-limits-reduced-by-5-per-cent-across-north-pacific.html Thu, 23 Apr 2026 18:54:58 +0530 Japan’s push for steeper cuts falls short at fisheries meet Japan and eight other economies have agreed to reduce their combined saury fishing quota by 5 per cent for 2026, as part of ongoing efforts to address declining fish stocks in the North Pacific. The agreement, reached under the North Pacific Fisheries Commission at a recent meeting in Osaka, will lower the total allowable catch from the current 202,500 tonnes, covering both international waters and exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of member countries. The nine-member grouping includes China, Taiwan, South Korea and Russia, among others. While the decision marks a step towards conservation, it falls short of Japan’s proposal to cut quotas by 10 per cent, which it had pushed for to accelerate the recovery of depleted saury stocks. Officials said the commission has agreed to implement a deeper 10 per cent reduction in 2027, signalling a phased approach to tightening fishing limits in the coming years. Japan has been advocating stricter controls, particularly in international waters, citing higher fishing activity by some member economies. In 2025, Japan’s quota stood at around 16,000 tonnes in international waters, with a combined allocation of about 81,000 tonnes for Japan and Russia within their EEZs. Despite catching approximately 64,800 tonnes in 2025—below its quota but nearly 1.7 times higher year-on-year due to favourable ocean conditions—the long-term trend remains concerning. Total saury catches have declined by nearly 80 per cent compared to their peak in 2008, highlighting the urgency of coordinated conservation measures. The latest agreement underscores growing regional efforts to balance fishing activity with sustainability, as stakeholders seek to restore fish populations while maintaining economic viability for the industry. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3712/ocean-of-opportunity-kagoshimas-seafood-exports-surge-past-historic-milestone.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3712/ocean-of-opportunity-kagoshimas-seafood-exports-surge-past-historic-milestone.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:57:25 +0530 Record-breaking ¥3.2 Billion performance in 2025 signals rising global appetite for premium Japanese Seafood In a defining moment for Japan’s regional export economy, Kagoshima Prefecture has charted a historic high in seafood exports, surpassing the ¥3 billion threshold for the first time since records began in 1979. According to the Kagoshima Branch Customs, the total export value of seafood and processed seafood products reached approximately ¥3.207 billion in 2025, underscoring a powerful surge in global demand for premium Japanese marine produce. This landmark performance reflects not only the enduring global appeal of Japanese cuisine but also Kagoshima’s growing stature as a key supplier of high-quality seafood to international markets. At the heart of this export boom lies the prefecture’s prized yellowtail, which continues to command strong demand, particularly along the U.S. West Coast, where discerning consumers increasingly favour authentic and premium-grade imports. Frozen yellowtail fillets emerged as the dominant export category, contributing approximately ¥1.331 billion—accounting for 41.5 percent of total seafood exports. This was followed by frozen skipjack tuna at around ¥816 million, representing 25.4 percent, and raw yellowtail exports valued at approximately ¥736 million, contributing 22.9 percent. Together, these three segments illustrate a well-balanced export portfolio anchored in both value-added and fresh product offerings. Geographically, the United States retained its position as the largest market, importing seafood products worth approximately ¥969 million, or 30.2 percent of the total. This performance comes despite concerns surrounding tariff policies under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, highlighting the resilience of demand driven by the superior quality and reputation of Kagoshima’s seafood. Thailand and South Korea followed closely, with imports valued at approximately ¥753 million (23.5 percent) and ¥751 million (23.4 percent), respectively. Collectively, these three markets accounted for more than three-quarters of Kagoshima’s seafood exports. Export dynamics further reveal a strategic distribution pattern, with frozen yellowtail primarily shipped to European markets and the United States, skipjack tuna directed toward Southeast Asia, and raw yellowtail finding strong demand in South Korea. This diversified market approach has enabled Kagoshima to maximise its reach while mitigating regional demand fluctuations. Beyond seafood, Kagoshima Prefecture’s broader export landscape also recorded robust growth, with total exports rising by 41.7 percent to approximately ¥95.45 billion in 2025. Key contributors included rubber products and electrical equipment, reflecting a diversified export base that continues to gain momentum in global markets. While the current trajectory signals strong international confidence in Kagoshima’s fishery commodities, authorities remain mindful of ongoing global uncertainties. The focus, therefore, is shifting toward exploring new export destinations and strengthening market diversification strategies to sustain long-term growth. As Kagoshima rides the crest of this export wave, its success story stands as a testament to the enduring power of quality, tradition, and strategic global engagement in shaping the future of Japan’s seafood industry. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3688/japfa-food-indonesia-transforms-supply-chain-planning-with-relex.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3688/japfa-food-indonesia-transforms-supply-chain-planning-with-relex.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:42:03 +0530 Asian protein producer goes live across nine plants, expands rollout to increase margins and improve operational control  RELEX Solutions announces that Japfa Food Indonesia, a subsidiary of Japfa Group, a leading pan-Asian industrial agri-food company, is upgrading its supply chain planning with RELEX's unified planning platform for retailers and manufacturers. Japfa Food Indonesia has already gone live with RELEX across nine plants in primary processing and is rolling out the solution to six additional plants by June 2026. With a strong presence across the Indonesian livestock and protein industry, Japfa Food Indonesia manages more than 2,000 SKUs across 15 primary processing plants and 23 distribution centers, serving one of the fastest-growing consumer markets in the region. As demand for protein continues to rise, Japfa Food Indonesia identified the need to replace spreadsheet-based planning processes with a more integrated and scalable approach.  With RELEX, Japfa Food Indonesia is implementing demand planning, master planning, distribution planning, and inventory planning within a unified platform. The solution supports more accurate short- and long-term forecasting using machine learning, aligns production and cut planning with real demand, and improves visibility across plants and distribution centers.  In the first phase, RELEX supports planning across Japfa Food Indonesia's live bird operations, including optimizing cut plans to better match supply with customer demand and reduce surplus. By aligning demand, production, distribution, and inventory planning, Japfa Food Indonesia aims to improve delivery service, reduce margin erosion, and limit manual intervention in daily planning processes. From the second half of 2026, Japfa Food Indonesia will expand the implementation to its further processing division, covering 7 plants and 58 distribution centers. The operational scope will mirror the current implementation, extending demand, master, distribution, and inventory planning capabilities across the broader network.  "RELEX experience in poultry supply chain planning stood out to us," said Nathan J. Ramadhan, Deputy Head (AVP) Supply Chain Downstream at Japfa Food Indonesia. "The team demonstrated a clear understanding of the protein industry and the complexity involved in balancing yield, service levels, and margins."  "Japfa Food Indonesia operates in one of the most complex supply environments in food production," said Stefano Scandelli, General Manager, Manufacturing and Senior Vice President, Sales at RELEX. "By connecting demand signals to production and distribution planning in one platform, the company gains the control and responsiveness needed to support growth across Indonesia."  ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3674/sumitomo-corporation-do-brasil-and-cemvita-partner-to-integrate-production-of-bio-methane-and-bio-oil-a-precursor-of-saf-in-brazil.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3674/sumitomo-corporation-do-brasil-and-cemvita-partner-to-integrate-production-of-bio-methane-and-bio-oil-a-precursor-of-saf-in-brazil.html Mon, 06 Apr 2026 13:36:21 +0530 Accelerating the deployment of low-carbon, waste-based fuels Sumitomo Corporation do Brasil and Cemvita, Inc. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on integrated bio-methane (Renewable Natural Gas, RNG) and renewable bio-oil (FermOil™) projects in Brazil. The partnership is focused on accelerating the deployment of low-carbon, waste-based fuels and strengthening Brazil's position as a global hub for the circular bioeconomy. Under the MOU, the companies will jointly evaluate the integration of Cemvita's renewable bio-oil technology with RNG production at an initial facility in Brazil. The collaboration will assess approximately five waste and by-product feedstocks for their suitability to produce both RNG and renewable bio-oil, with the goal of maximizing carbon efficiency, operational synergies, and project economics. The parties will also explore opportunities to scale this integrated model across additional facilities and projects identified by both organizations. "This partnership reflects how we think about the future of bioenergy, not as single-product projects, but as integrated systems," said Moji Karimi, CEO of Cemvita. "By combining Cemvita's biotechnology platform with Sumitomo's global infrastructure capabilities and market access, we can unlock higher-value, lower-carbon outcomes from waste streams and accelerate commercialization in Brazil." "RNG is one of the strategic commodities Sumitomo Corporation is focused on globally, and we see Brazil as a critical location for long-term biofuel supply," said Takamasa Ueda, Senior Director, Sumitomo Corporation do Brasil. "Integrating Cemvita's bio-oil technology with RNG projects creates strong operational and economic synergies. It allows us to increase the supply of waste-based bio-oil for sustainable aviation fuel while producing RNG in parallel. This kind of integrated approach is essential to overcoming the complexity of biofuel projects and scaling them responsibly." "As an agribusiness powerhouse, Brazil is one of the largest generators of agri-food residues and side streams globally, which if not properly harnessed, can result in environmental damage and increased disposal costs," said João Simões, Director of Energy Innovation Initiative at Sumitomo Corporation do Brasil. "By integrating the production of bio-oil, a precursor of SAF, and RNG under the same biorefinery, we'll be able to improve the economics of both products, resulting in benefits for both residue generators and SAF/RNG consumers." The partnership will be governed by a Joint Steering Committee responsible for oversight, milestone tracking, and risk management. Key outputs will include a commercial and technical roadmap targeting 2026 execution, and a final integrated assessment report. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3670/global-forestry-companies-gather-in-tokyo-to-pursue-forestry-natural-capital-accounting.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3670/global-forestry-companies-gather-in-tokyo-to-pursue-forestry-natural-capital-accounting.html Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:37:57 +0530 World’s largest ever project of its type takes major step toward defining the metrics and indicators for measuring ecosystem services. Leaders from the global forestry sector met last week in Tokyo to advance the Forestry Natural Capital Project, where they collectively identified metrics to measure and report the seven chosen ecosystem services provided by sustainable managed forests. This major step forward builds on Part 1 of the project in which participants identified and prioritised the seven ecosystem services to use for this pilot: carbon, habitat and biodiversity, water quality and quantity, air quality, recreational, and sustainable timber supply. The Tokyo session concentrated on defining how these services can be consistently measured and valued across geographies and forestry management systems. The project, an initiative of the International Sustainable Forestry Coalition (ISFC) and the Capitals Coalition, supported by the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), aims to develop a consistent natural capital accounting approach for the forestry sector, enabling companies to report nature-related impacts and dependencies in a way that is credible, comparable, and relevant for investors and policymakers. “Forestry companies manage vast landscapes and are uniquely positioned to help scale nature markets by providing the vital missing ingredient – consistency in approach to measuring and reporting,” said Ross Hampton, Chief Executive Officer of the International Sustainable Forestry Coalition. “The global forestry sector is vital to bringing the speed and scale needed to protect nature. We are delighted to be working with the Capitals Coalition, TNFD, and partners across the sector to deliver what we believe will be a game-changing project.” The work underway in Tokyo represents a critical step in translating the concept of natural capital into practical accounting tools that companies can apply to make better decisions. “Measuring ecosystem services and reflecting them in balance-sheet terms allows businesses and investors to see the full value sustainably managed forests create,” said Rayne van den Berg, Project Lead at Value Australia (Capitals Coalition). “By developing clear metrics and indicators, this project is helping transform natural capital from an abstract concept into something that can inform real-world investment decisions.” The initiative is closely aligned with global frameworks shaping the nature agenda, including the TNFD recommendations and the Natural Capital Protocol, ensuring the forestry sector’s work contributes to broader efforts to integrate nature into financial systems. “The TNFD framework supports corporates and financial institutions to integrate nature into strategy and investment decisions,” said Emily McKenzie, Technical Director at the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). “We are delighted to support this path-finding project, which will show it is possible to consider nature’s value consistently across the global forestry sector.” The Forestry Natural Capital Project brings together 18 forestry organisations managing more than 23 million hectares across 38 countries, making it the largest ever sector-wide project of its type. Over the coming months, project participants will refine the proposed metrics and indicators and begin testing them across different forest landscapes and business models. The results will contribute to the development of harmonised natural capital accounts for the forestry sector, with further milestones expected before the end of the year. "Forests are increasingly being understood as strategic assets within institutional portfolios, not only for financial performance but for their role in addressing climate and nature challenges. Consistent measurement and reporting of ecosystem services is essential to informing investment decisions,” said Mike Cerchiaro, President and CEO, Forest Investment Associates. “Natural capital underpins economic activity and sustainable long-term growth but has long been underrepresented in financial decision-making. As investors prioritise resilience and sustainability, consistent natural capital accounting will help reveal forestry’s value and support better-informed investment decisions,” said Olly Hughes, Managing Director, Forestry, Gresham House. “In Chile and across Latin America, forests sustain livelihoods, biodiversity, and contribute to climate solutions. Recognizing and measuring ecosystem services is essential to maintaining resilient forest systems and strengthening global collaboration toward more sustainable, nature-positive production systems,” said Guillermo Olmedo, Environmental and Social Value Manager, Arauco. “Measuring and valuing forest ecosystem services through common approaches is essential to advancing climate-smart, nature-positive outcomes. The forestry sector can uniquely show how to balance commercial interests and ecological responsibilities. Asia Pacific's strong participation ensures this global transition is equitably represented,” said Yuuko Iizuka, Executive Officer, Sustainability Department, Sumitomo Forestry. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3651/jica-extends-oda-loan-for-four-key-infrastructure-and-development-projects-across-india.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3651/jica-extends-oda-loan-for-four-key-infrastructure-and-development-projects-across-india.html Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:30:17 +0530 ODA loan for four key infrastructure and development projects across India The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed loan agreements with the Government of India to provide Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans for four key projects, with exclusive 18,684 million Japanese Yen for the Project for Promoting Sustainable Horticulture in Punjab, India. The loan agreement was signed in New Delhi between Dr. Alok Tiwari, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and Takeuchi Takuro, Chief Representative of JICA India Office. The projects aim to drive sustainable and inclusive development across key sectors in India, including agriculture, urban mobility, and healthcare. In Punjab, the initiative focuses on building a climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable horticulture value chain by promoting high-value crops, strengthening infrastructure, and enabling Indo–Japan collaboration through innovation, research, and digital platforms to enhance market access. 62,294 million Japanese Yen for the Project for Strengthening Tertiary Healthcare Delivery, Medical Education System and Nursing Education System in Maharashtra (I); 18,684 million Japanese Yen for the Project for Promoting Sustainable Horticulture in Punjab; 102,480 million Japanese Yen for the Bengaluru Metro Rail Project (Phase 3) (I); and 92,400 million Japanese Yen for the Mumbai Metro Line 11 Project. Together, these projects are expected to contribute to economic growth, sustainable cities, and climate action, with implementation led by respective state agencies and completion timelines extending between 2032 and 2034. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) aims to contribute to the promotion of international cooperation, as a sole Japanese governmental agency in charge of ODA implementation. JICA is the world's largest bilateral donor agency. JICA works as a bridge between Japan and emerging countries, and provides assistance in forms of loan, grant and technical cooperation so that the emerging countries can strengthen their capabilities. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3646/new-zealands-zespri-reinforces-kiwi-fruit-shipment-to-japan-and-south-korea.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3646/new-zealands-zespri-reinforces-kiwi-fruit-shipment-to-japan-and-south-korea.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:22:50 +0530 750,000 trays, or 2,700 tonnes, of Zespri SunGold™ Kiwifruit, as well as 760,000 trays, or 2,790 tonnes, of Zespri RubyRed™, Zespri’s has launched it s first charter shipment of the season from Port of Tauranga bounded to Japan and South Korea markets. The Whero is carrying more than 750,000 trays, or 2,700 tonnes, of Zespri SunGold™ Kiwifruit, as well as 760,000 trays, or 2,790 tonnes, of Zespri RubyRed™, with the vessel due to arrive in Tokyo at the end of the month before sailing on to Kobe, with its final destination Busan in South Korea.Zespri’s second charter of the season, Kowhai, is also set to depart in the coming days from Tauranga and sail to Shanghai in China.These are the first of 60 charter vessels Zespri will use this season to ship another expected record crop from New Zealand of around 220 million trays, or 792,000 tonnes, of Zespri Green, SunGold™ and RubyRed™ Kiwifruit to more than 50 markets around the world.Charter vessels allow Zespri to carry more fruit and provide greater certainty by sailing directly to market without calling on other ports en route, with remaining volume shipped using container services.CEO Jason Te Brake says the departure of the first charter is always a milestone moment for the industry.“There’s always a lot of pride in getting our first ship away and the Whero’s departure marks an important step in the work we’ll do this season to deliver another large crop of high quality Zespri Kiwifruit to our markets.“Recent global developments highlight that we’re operating in an increasingly complex and unpredictable environment. While Zespri continues to use the Panama Canal for shipping to Europe, we are closely monitoring the evolving situation and the impact on oil prices to manage the impact as well as we can for growers and shareholders.“Each season we work closely with our long standing shipping partners to get our fruit to market and we remain confident in our shipping plan which uses a mix of container and charter vessels. We’re working with our partners to have appropriate contingencies in place to respond to what we expect will remain an uncertain environment, to ensure we’re positioned to deliver the season well. “Our customers in market are looking forward to receiving fruit this season to meet strong demand. Our sales teams have also been preparing marketing campaigns to support a strong start to the season and to help maximise the value returned to growers.”Zespri’s first charter vessel to Europe for the 2026/27 season is expected to depart Tauranga in the coming week.   ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3641/japan-strengthens-agrivoltaic-standards-to-balance-national-strength-at-energy-and-agriculture.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3641/japan-strengthens-agrivoltaic-standards-to-balance-national-strength-at-energy-and-agriculture.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 09:22:52 +0530 New regulations aim to address farming challenges and promote sustainable solar-agricultural integration The Japanese government has introduced new national standards for agrivoltaics to address challenges in balancing solar energy production with agricultural output. Following reports that 24% of projects faced farming issues in fiscal 2023, regulators are tightening oversight to ensure sustainable coexistence of farming and energy generation. By fiscal 2023, Japan had approved 6,137 agrivoltaic sites spanning 1,361.6 hectares, as reported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). To enhance project accountability, developers must now provide cultivation plans, financial forecasts, equipment designs, and proof of crop viability beneath panels. Annual production and financial reporting are mandatory, with stricter rules allowing authorities to deny approval if crop yields fall by 20% or more, agricultural activity is neglected, or panel configurations hinder machinery use. Non-compliance could result in public disclosure, site inspections, and suspension of renewable energy subsidies like feed-in tariffs (FIT) and feed-in premiums (FIP). Recent suspensions affected 29 installations across 13 operators due to violations such as lapsed permits or inadequate farming maintenance. MAFF's expert committee is exploring technical benchmarks, including shading ratios under 30%, panel heights around 3 meters, and support pillar spacing of 4 to 5 meters to support farm machinery. Crops like ornamental plants (36% of sites), vegetables (28%), and fruits (13%) dominate agrivoltaic use, though food crop prioritization aligns with food security goals. Research highlights trade-offs, such as reduced rice yields under panels, yet combined energy and agricultural returns remain favorable. Innovations like dual-axis tracking panels are being explored to optimize sunlight for both crops and energy. Companies like Idemitsu Kosan are advancing commercial agrivoltaic projects as part of broader renewable energy strategies. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3637/japan-and-vanuatu-strengthen-environmental-cooperation.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3637/japan-and-vanuatu-strengthen-environmental-cooperation.html Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:00:12 +0530 Focus on Bilateral Partnerships for Climate Action and Sustainability The Ministry of the Environment of Japan and the Ministry of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology & Geo-Hazards, Energy, Environment, and Disaster Management of the Republic of Vanuatu have formalized their commitment to environmental collaboration through a Memorandum of Cooperation signed on March 10, 2026, in Tokyo. The agreement reflects a shared vision to strengthen friendly relations between the two ministries and advance efforts in environmental protection, emphasizing the critical role of sustainable practices for the well-being of present and future generations. The Memorandum highlights the need for cooperation beyond bilateral engagement, encouraging active involvement from private sectors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other relevant institutions in both countries. It recognizes that addressing environmental challenges requires coordinated action at both bilateral and multilateral levels, contributing not only to national but also global environmental protection. The areas of cooperation outlined in the agreement are diverse and impactful. These include climate change mitigation and the development of adaptation and mitigation mechanisms, environmental management with a focus on water quality, sustainable waste management and resource efficiency—particularly in handling hazardous and toxic industrial waste—and the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, including the management of protected areas. Additionally, the Sides have left room for exploring other mutually agreed areas of cooperation, ensuring flexibility to address emerging environmental priorities. The implementation of this Memorandum will take various forms, such as exchanging information on best practices, environmental policies, research, and technologies. It also includes facilitating expert and delegation visits, inviting specialists to participate in conferences, seminars, and study tours, and exploring other collaborative activities as mutually decided. The partnership underscores Japan and Vanuatu’s dedication to fostering sustainable environmental practices and addressing global environmental challenges collaboratively. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3609/japans-sumitomo-chemical-group-to-integrate-french-subsidiaries-to-further-strengthen-crop-protection-business-in-europe.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3609/japans-sumitomo-chemical-group-to-integrate-french-subsidiaries-to-further-strengthen-crop-protection-business-in-europe.html Mon, 02 Mar 2026 11:27:29 +0530 Business operations under the new structure will begin on April 1, 2026 Sumitomo Chemical announces that, as part of the Company’s ongoing efforts to further strengthen its crop protection business operations in Europe, it has decided to reorganize its group companies in France. Sumitomo Chemical Agro Europe S.A.S. (“SCAE”), Sumitomo Chemical’s subsidiary, will absorb Philagro Holding S.A., a French subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical, as well as Philagro France S.A.S., Philagro Holding’s subsidiary. SCAE overseas the Sumitomo Chemical Group’s crop protection business in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and also develops and sells crop protection products and agricultural materials in these regions. Philagro France engages in the development and sale of crop protection products in France. Following the integration, business operations under the new structure will begin on April 1, 2026. Europe has a vast crop protection market, surpassing that of North America. At the same time, as environmental regulations have been tightened in recent years, demand for biorationals has increased in the region, and those products are becoming a pillar to support Europe’s future agricultural production. In the European crop protection market, France accounts for the largest share. To expand its agricultural solutions business in the country, Sumitomo Chemical acquired shares of its French subsidiary Philagro Holding in January 2025, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary, and has since been working to integrate the operations of SCAE and Philagro Holding. The integration announced will further advance these efforts, consolidating development, sales, and administrative functions of SCAE, Philagro Holding, and Philagro France and thereby enhancing organizational efficiency and agility. Going forward, SCAE will further strengthen its sales strategy of promoting conventional crop protection products along with biorationals and other environmentally friendly products, and will also establish an operations system that can swiftly and accurately respond to evolving market needs in France. SCAE will continue to provide the same level of support and services to local producers, distributors, and business partners, and will strive to build even stronger relationships of trust with those stakeholders while it will actively pursue business expansion in France. The Sumitomo Chemical Group will continue to leverage SCAE as the core of its operations in France and the rest of Europe, as well as in the Middle East and Africa. Furthermore, the Group remains committed to contributing to advancing regenerative agriculture and achieving a sustainable society through the development and sale of innovative, environmentally friendly crop protection products and a wide range of biorationals. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3606/fao-unveils-policy-brief-on-collaboration-with-jircas-to-address-agricultural-and-food-systems.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3606/fao-unveils-policy-brief-on-collaboration-with-jircas-to-address-agricultural-and-food-systems.html Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:24:41 +0530 Introducing Outcomes of Cooperation Toward Transforming Agri-Food Systems The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has published a policy brief titled “Developing and promoting sustainable agricultural production and natural resources management technologies: Lessons from the FAO–JIRCAS collaboration” regarding its collaboration with the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS). This policy brief introduces recent research achievements by JIRCAS across its programs in environment, food, and information, and systematically summarizes the partnership with FAO. The brief describes JIRCAS as a leading Japanese agricultural research institution focusing on tropical, subtropical, and developing regions. Since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2014, the two organizations have promoted collaboration leveraging their respective comparative advantages, guided by a shared vision to address global challenges in agricultural and food systems and to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The policy brief is part of the mutual efforts in disseminating science-based knowledge and information, leveraging the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)’s scientific expertise and FAO’s global outreach, as envisaged under the memorandum of understanding. It highlights recent JIRCAS achievements across its three major research programmes and showcases ongoing FAO–JIRCAS collaborations. Drawing lessons from these cases, the brief outlines opportunities to strengthen the partnership and offers insights for similar collaborative models. In particular, JIRCAS’s research activities are closely aligned with FAO’s organizational principles of the “Four Betters” (better production, better nutrition, better environment, and better life). The policy brief highly evaluates the synergies generated through past cooperation and expresses expectations for further achievements in the future. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3596/japans-green-carbon-inc-signs-mou-with-naresuan-university-in-thailand.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3596/japans-green-carbon-inc-signs-mou-with-naresuan-university-in-thailand.html Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:29:20 +0530 Strengthening Research Collaboration on the Phitsanulok Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) Project to Accelerate Science-Based Carbon Credit Generation Green Carbon Co., Ltd., which operates a nature-based carbon credit creation and sales business, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Naresuan University (NU), a national university in Thailand, to promote a greenhouse gas reduction project that utilizes intermittent irrigation (AWD: Alternate Wetting and Drying) (*1) in rice paddies in Phitsanulok Province, Thailand. Strengthening scientific credibility and laying a foundation for scale-up are the objectives of the MOU. Through this collaboration, we aim to strengthen the system for measuring, analyzing, and evaluating GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions and establish a high-quality agricultural carbon credit creation model based on scientific evidence. Naresuan University, a leading national institution in Phitsanulok Province renowned for its research in agriculture and environmental science, has entered into an MOU with Green Carbon to advance collaboration with the following goals: Precise measurement of GHG emissions in AWD rice paddies Scientific evaluation of emission reduction effects Development of a data infrastructure to support the international credit system Establishment of a research and demonstration model for large-scale deployment. This partnership will enhance the ongoing AWD project with academic support, aiming to produce high-quality agricultural carbon credits suitable for the international market. AWD project in Thailand enters implementation phase Rice cultivation is one of the world's major sources of agricultural methane emissions and is positioned as a priority area for reduction efforts in decarbonizing agriculture. Green Carbon has designated Thailand as one of its priority regions and has been promoting a greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction project using intermittent irrigation (AWD) in rice paddies. In particular, in Phitsanulok Province, the company is collaborating with local government agencies and agricultural stakeholders to implement a field demonstration project for AWD.The results of a survey on the effects of introducing AWD in the region have confirmed the following multiple environmental and economic benefits. Average reduction of methane emissions by approximately 49% Emissions reduction of approximately 2.97tCO₂e per hectare per season Reducing water usage Increased yields and farm income Based on these results, the establishment of a highly accurate MRV (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification) system that can comply with the international carbon credit system is a key to future large-scale deployment. Naresuan University is a major national university based in Phitsanulok Province, with a strong track record of research in the fields of agriculture and environmental science. Based on this MOU, Green Carbon and NU will promote research collaboration with the following objectives: Precise measurement of GHG emissions in AWD rice paddies  Scientific evaluation of emission reduction effects Developing a data infrastructure to support the international credit system Establishment of a research and demonstration model for large-scale deployment  This will strengthen the already implemented AWD project with academic backing and aim to create high-quality agricultural carbon credits that can be used in the international market. Intermittent irrigation (AWD) is a method in which water is added to rice paddies every few days and then allowed to dry naturally, based on the water level in the paddy field. Compared to continuous water addition, intermittent irrigation (AWD) reduces water usage and contributes to the conservation of water resources. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3587/japan-backs-use-of-satellite-imagery-in-lao-rice-cultivation.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3587/japan-backs-use-of-satellite-imagery-in-lao-rice-cultivation.html Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:53:31 +0530 To provide accurate and timely information for agriculture and forestry development plans, particularly in gathering agricultural statistics, could greatly benefit Laos and other ASEAN member countries. Lao and Japanese agricultural experts have discussed the use of satellites in rice farming and the evaluation of rice harvests in Laos using space-based technologies. The application of satellite technology is an efficient way to assess rice planting areas, cut costs, and gather useful data. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries partnered with Laos’ Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to organise a workshop on the topic. The workshop took place in Vientiane on Tuesday and was attended by agriculture officials from across the country. Director General of the Lao ministry's Planning and Cooperation Department, Dr Boundeth Soutthavilay, thanked the Japanese government agencies and experts for their generous support in organising the workshop and sharing valuable information. “The next step will be for the Department to report to higher ministry authorities to ask for guidance in rolling out this system,” Dr Boundeth said. He was hopeful that the technology could be used to provide accurate and timely information for use in agriculture and forestry development plans, especially in the gathering of agricultural statistics. This could be of immense benefit for Laos and other ASEAN member countries, he added. In 2023, the Japanese government advised Laos to use the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) to assess the area of land under cultivation. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency have provided technical assistance and funding for many agricultural statistics projects together with food security information systems in ASEAN member countries. In 2023, they organised a meeting on the assessment of rice cultivation areas in the provinces of Vientiane and Champasak using satellite imagery. Thanks to the application of modern science, the system is fast and reliable and can predict rice planting areas in a timely manner. A meeting was later held to assess the rice planting area in 2023 using satellite imagery and the INAHOR programme, involving key technical staff throughout Laos. The workshop was based on an assessment of the rice planting area in 2025 using satellite images. The gathering enabled participants to share comments face-to-face, in the expectation that satellite imagery could be used to effectively evaluate various aspects of rice cultivation and be incorporated in planning polices in the future. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3554/fourth-industrial-revolution-at-sea-why-technology-adoption-is-real-test-for-sustainable-fisheries.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3554/fourth-industrial-revolution-at-sea-why-technology-adoption-is-real-test-for-sustainable-fisheries.html Thu, 29 Jan 2026 09:29:27 +0530 SAFET Executive Director Inga Wise explains how proven ocean technologies, if adopted at scale and tailored to local contexts, could mark a tipping point for sustainable ocean management under the UN Ocean Decade At the midpoint of the UN Ocean Decade, progress toward sustainable fisheries remains uneven—not because of a single missing piece, but due to the need for context-specific combinations of technologies, adoption pathways, and incentives, a challenge SAFET addresses through its SEA-TECH-IN-MOTION mapping tool. In an exclusive AgroSpectrum interview, Inga Wise, Executive Director of SAFET, describes the current moment as a “Fourth Industrial Revolution at Sea,” marked by the availability of proven technologies and a critical shift from pilots to real-world adoption. Inga notes that tools such as satellite surveillance, AI-driven behavioral analysis, and in-situ sensors are already demonstrating impact against IUU fishing, though broader deployment is still constrained by structural, economic, and governance barriers. Ultimately, she emphasizes that SAFET’s role is not to dictate priorities or metrics, but to enable informed decision-making by showing how technology can support measurable progress toward established global frameworks like the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 14. At the midpoint of the UN Ocean Decade, progress appears uneven. From SAFET’s vantage point, where is the gap largest today—technology availability, adoption by industry, regulatory alignment, or political will—and what evidence most clearly supports that assessment? From SAFET’s perspective, there is no single gap that, if overcome, will unblock progress. Every context is different, and each situation requires a different solution or combination of technologies to be successful. This is why SAFET’s SEA-TECH-IN-MOTION map exists, to highlight as broad a cross section of solutions in different contexts as possible to enable implementers to find the most relevant parallels to their situation to learn from.  Your report frames this moment as a “Fourth Industrial Revolution at Sea.” What differentiates this technological wave from earlier digitization efforts in fisheries, and why should decision-makers believe this time will deliver systemic change rather than incremental improvements? Whilst the Fourth Industrial Revolution at sea has been building for some time with technologies being developed and tested in various situations, we are now approaching a critical point where there are sufficient proven technologies available and the focus now needs to shift to support regarding adoption. By highlighting where technologies have been most successfully used, SAFET aims to enable faster adoption and reduce the need to reinvent the wheel. Giving potential adopters of solutions examples that relate to their challenges and pathways that relate to their goals enables informed choices that are right for their requirement. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing remains stubbornly pervasive. Which technologies highlighted in the report have demonstrated the strongest real-world impact against IUU fishing, and what structural barriers still prevent their wider deployment? There are a wide range of technologies now in use that have been proven effective against IUU fishing, including satellite surveillance, AI behavioural analysis, in-situ sensors, and many more. To date, many deployments have been of a pilot nature. We are now seeing a more widespread adoption, which in turn will reduce opportunities for IUU catch to enter the supply chain.  SEA-TECH-IN-MOTION emphasizes real-world case studies over theoretical promise. In reviewing deployments globally, what patterns separate successful implementations from those that underperform or stall—and what lessons should governments and industry leaders draw before investing? One of the main lessons we have seen is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution.  Each context and challenge area is different and what worked for a technology deployment in one situation may not work in another. Hence, with our new tool, SEA-TECH-IN-MOTION, we provide filters where the viewer can choose desired outcome, species, geographic location, and more to find projects that relate to their needs.  Consumer trust and traceability are central themes, yet mislabeling rates remain high. Is the challenge primarily technological, economic, or cultural within supply chains—and how realistic is full transparency at scale by 2030? The factors contributing to mislabelling vary across seafood supply chains, which are often complex and fragmented. As a result, the challenge is not confined to a single dimension, but reflects an interaction between technological, economic, and cultural elements.Technology can significantly improve traceability by reducing manual data entry, improving data accuracy, and enabling better data sharing across supply chain segments, but it is not sufficient on its own. Its impact depends on consistent use, data quality, and alignment across diverse actors. At the same time, economic and cultural factors — such as incentives, governance, and standardised data sharing practices — shape how effectively technology is integrated into daily operations. Looking to 2030, full transparency at scale represents an ambitious objective, with progress likely to depend on continued alignment across technological, economic, and cultural factors. Sustainability goals often collide with short-term commercial pressures. How can SAFET’s work help align economic incentives for fishers and seafood companies with long-term ecosystem health, particularly in developing coastal economies? We approach this primarily as an independent, information-sharing role rather than as an implementer. Our work focuses on raising awareness of solutions that contribute to broader sustainability goals and on improving understanding of what tools and approaches are available, how they can be adopted, and where they may be most relevant. By bringing together this information in one place, we aim to make it easier for fisheries, seafood companies, and other industry stakeholders to explore options that align operational needs with sustainability concerns. In many cases, it is already clear that some kind of technology solution is required, but it can be difficult to navigate the various options and understand how a given solution relates to the outcomes required. Our work aims to help clarify those options and outcomes, so those seeking solutions can make informed decisions that fit their local context and commercial realities.   The report highlights more than 10 enabling technologies. If forced to prioritize, which two or three technologies should receive immediate global focus—and which widely discussed solutions do you believe are currently overhyped? As an independent organisation, SAFET’s goal is not to prioritise but to provide the information about where and when these technologies have been successfully deployed to support sustainability initiatives. Given that every situation is different, it is more important that implementers have access to the information we gather to find technologies relevant to their own initiatives and make decisions accordingly.  Looking ahead to 2030 and beyond, success will be judged by outcomes, not intent. What specific, measurable changes would convince you that the seafood and fisheries sector has truly crossed a tipping point toward sustainable ocean management? This is a good question, but we would be cautious about defining specific metrics ourselves. Progress toward sustainable ocean management is already framed through established, measurable indicators, particularly those set out under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 14.  The role of SAFET is not to define success, but to highlight how different technologies can contribute to demonstrable progress against these shared frameworks as more implementation examples emerge.  ---- Suchetana Choudhury (suchetana.choudhuri@agrospectrumindia.com) ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3537/thai-pomelos-and-mangoes-set-for-expanded-access-to-japanese-markets-through-collaborative-efforts.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3537/thai-pomelos-and-mangoes-set-for-expanded-access-to-japanese-markets-through-collaborative-efforts.html Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:20:32 +0530 Forge agricultural trade partnership ties with Mie Prefecture, a major agricultural and food-producing region in Japan Thailand is stepping up efforts to boost the export of its pomelos and mangoes to Japan, with a new focus on cooperation with Mie Prefecture. On January 16, 2026, Permanent Secretary of Agriculture and Cooperatives Winarot Sapsongsuk met with Yukitoshi Noro, Vice Governor of Mie Prefecture, Japan, at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to discuss enhanced trade collaboration. The meeting, which included Deputy Permanent Secretary Narumon Sanguanwong and representatives from key agencies such as the Department of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Extension, Department of Cooperative Promotion, Department of Fisheries, Office of Agricultural Economics, and the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards, underscored the importance of strengthening agricultural trade ties. Winarot highlighted the significance of Mie Prefecture as a major agricultural and food-producing region in Japan, emphasizing that prefectural-level cooperation would complement broader national frameworks like the Japan–Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEPA) and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). He noted that such localized partnerships could open new avenues for economic, social, cultural, and trade collaboration. During the discussions, the Vice Governor of Mie Prefecture proposed a fruit exchange initiative, which the Ministry welcomed as a promising strategy to expand market access for Thai fruit exports to Japan. Both sides agreed to pursue further technical and operational discussions to make this initiative a reality. The meeting also identified specific agricultural products for mutual promotion, including mandarin oranges from Mie Prefecture and Thai pomelos and mangoes. Mie Prefecture expressed its readiness to work closely with Thai national agencies to facilitate the entry of Thai pomelos and mangoes into the Japanese market. This initiative reflects Thailand’s broader strategy to enhance its agricultural exports by leveraging regional partnerships within Japan. By focusing on Mie Prefecture, the Ministry aims to build on the existing frameworks of JTEPA and CSP to create more targeted opportunities for Thai farmers and exporters. The collaboration is expected to not only benefit Thai fruit producers but also strengthen bilateral agricultural trade relations between Thailand and Japan. With Mie Prefecture’s support, Thai pomelos and mangoes could see increased visibility and demand in Japanese markets, paving the way for further trade diversification. Both parties expressed optimism about the potential of this partnership to foster closer ties in agriculture and trade, signaling a step forward in Thailand’s efforts to position its high-quality fruits in the competitive Japanese market. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3509/from-additives-to-spices-cac48-redraws-rules-of-global-food-trade.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3509/from-additives-to-spices-cac48-redraws-rules-of-global-food-trade.html Thu, 08 Jan 2026 11:50:16 +0530 Codex and FAO officials detail how updated standards aim to protect consumers without triggering disproportionate trade disruption for export-dependent economies In an exclusive Agrospectrum and NUFFOODS Spectrum interview with global food-standards leaders — Sarah Cahill, Codex Secretary; Lingping Zhang, Food Standards Officer, Codex Secretariat; Markus Lipp, Senior Food Safety Officer, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); Gracia Brisco, Food Standards Officer, Codex Secretariat; and Hilde Kruse, Senior Food Standards Officer, Codex Secretariat — CAC48 emerges as a decisive moment for Codex amid rising geopolitical fragmentation. The experts reaffirm Codex’s science-based, consensus-driven mandate, which shaped major reforms including additive reviews, aflatoxin updates, pesticide-residue reference guidelines and new maximum lead levels for spices. They underline how improved Codes of Practice, surveillance support and harmonised quality parameters enable consumer protection while minimising trade disruption for export-reliant economies. Looking ahead, they highlight the Codex Strategic Plan 2026–2031, which places digital traceability, climate-risk foresight, and advanced analytical technologies at the core of modernising global food safety governance. Edited excerpts; Codex at a Geopolitical Crossroads The 48th Session saw critical standards adopted across additives, contaminants, and fresh-produce quality. At a time when food systems face geopolitical fragmentation, supply-chain shocks, and rising protectionism, how does Codex ensure these standards remain science-led, globally harmonized, and insulated from political pressure? The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is a Member-driven body with its commitment to a science-based approach to standard setting enshrined in its procedures. Its work is guided by its strategic goals, and its core values of collaboration, inclusiveness, consensus building and transparency. Codex texts are the benchmark for food safety under the World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and are relevant to the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) where WTO members refer to harmonization with international standards such as the Codex Alimentarius for food-related issues such as labelling. Codex standards play an important role in addressing specific trade concerns or for dispute settlement cases. Wherever you are, whatever you do, safe food is an everyday need. And it is a global commodity. These aspects are integral to every discussion in the Codex Alimentarius Commission. “Together” was also the theme of CAC48, which served to highlight that when it comes to food safety and quality it is only by working together that we can effectively and efficiently ensure food is safe and of good quality.  The GSFA Overhaul: Science, Safety, and Consumer Trust More than 500 food additive provisions were reviewed, leading to revocations and new inclusions. What principles guided the reassessment—particularly for colourants like annatto extracts—and how does FAO ensure regulators and industry transition smoothly to these updated provisions without disrupting product availability or trade flows? All Codex work is conducted following approval by CAC. Thus, the decision for reassessment was taken by Members. In the case of annatto extracts, this decision was based on: The need to align the General standard for food additives with relevant sections of commodity standards. In this case, for example, there was a need to align with the Standard for fermented milks, which does not provide for the addition of annatto extracts in plain milk. Codex texts are developed through consensus by all its Members in a deliberate manner that often spans a timeframe of several years. The national Codex contact points serve as a primary node to disseminate all applicable information to national stakeholders. In addition, FAO provides support when requested by Member Countries to strengthen national Codex structures, thereby enhancing national capabilities in disseminating all relevant Codex texts to national stakeholders. Aflatoxins in Peanuts: New Science, New Responsibilities The revised Code of Practice on aflatoxins integrates updated agronomic science, maturity-stage tables, and roasting effects. How will FAO help producing countries—especially smallholder-dependent economies—translate these best practices into field-level change? Are new surveillance, extension, or capacity-building mechanisms planned? FAO stays ready to support its members needs and will respond to requests by its members for additional capacity building measures correspondingly. FAO and Codex furthermore have published numerous guidance documents, codes of practice and related texts that is publicly available, ready to be used by any other organization that would like to use this information in order to support producers of peanuts. Lead Limits in Spices: Balancing Public Health and Trade facilitation With new maximum levels now set for dried bark (cinnamon) and culinary herbs, exporting nations such as —India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia—face compliance pressure. How does Codex balance the dual mandate of protecting consumers health while ensuring fair practices in trade, in this case, preventing trade disruptions for economies reliant on spice exports? The mandate to protect consumer health and ensure fair practices in the food trade is the statutory purpose of CAC. This means that, when it comes to food safety standards such as maximum levels for contaminants in foods, CAC will not establish more stringent measures than necessary to protect consumers health so that the measures themselves do not become a technical barrier to trade which may then translate in trade disruption that may impact economic growth and ultimately food security.   Although spices and culinary herbs are consumed in small amounts, as opposed to other foods, it remains important to assess the safety of lead levels in these foods due to the impact of lead toxicity on human health that may include neurodevelopmental effects such as decreases in Intelligence Quota (IQ) and attention span in children, impaired renal function, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, impaired fertility, and adverse pregnancy outcomes and therefore the ALARA continued to apply when CCCF discusses risk management considerations related to health and trade so that while ensuring the safety of the food, this does not imply high rejections rate of lot consignments, at import control point. CCCF does provide support to Codex Members to enable them to comply with MLs, by developing codes of practice, a compendium of risk management measures and practices to assist in reducing food contamination, in this case CAC40 adopted in 2017 the Code of practice for the prevention and reduction of mycotoxins in spices (CXC 78-2017). FAO does have a role to play in assisting countries with the implementation of the CoP, helping them to identify specific risk management measures that may not be included in the CoP, as they are usually overarching texts, that can complement the measures applicable worldwide that are described in these CoPs. The Codex Alimentarius Commission has now adopted MLs for lead in spices and culinary herbs, specifically, dried bark (cinnamon) and dried culinary herbs. The MLs are 2.5 mg/kg for lead in spices, dried bark and 2.0 mg/kg for lead in culinary herbs, dried and will now be added to the General Standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed (CXS 193-1995).  Pesticide Reference Materials: A Quiet but Critical Reform The guidelines allowing extended use of pesticide reference materials beyond labelled expiry dates could significantly reduce laboratory costs and waste. What drove this reform? And how does FAO envision it strengthening residue monitoring systems in low- and middle-income countries where testing infrastructure remains limited? Pesticide residues in food are a subject of particular concern for consumers and in the food trade. To ensure the safety of food, the regulation of pesticide use, and relevant residues, must be enforced and guaranteed. Part of the process of testing for pesticide residues relies on laboratories being able to access what are known as reference materials, or RMs. But these are costly and sold with 2-to-5-year short-term expiry dates, though there is no requirement to find maximum shelf life. This can force laboratories to buy new RMs more frequently than potentially necessary. This leads to additional work and additional costs, and that can hinder how much testing can be done.  The Codex Alimentarius Commission has now adopted guidelines that provide a scientifically sound framework to monitor the purity and stability of reference materials under defined conditions, which, if implemented correctly, may allow continued use of RMs beyond their expiry date - where purity remains within acceptable limits. This reduces recurring costs, minimizes waste, and ensures confidence in the reliability of pesticide residue analysis.  The work on the development of guidelines for monitoring the purity and stability of reference materials of pesticides during prolonged storage commenced at CCPR51 in 2019, when some delegations expressed concerns regarding the limitation of the use of reference materials beyond the expiry date, leading to significant recurring costs for laboratories. As chair of the electronic working group (EWG), India led the work to develop these guidelines. FAO stays ready to support its members needs and will respond to requests by its members for additional capacity building measures correspondingly.  Read more about this work in the 2025 edition of the CODEX magazine   Standard for Fresh Dates: Trade Enablement for Climate-Stressed Regions The new standard comes after a decade of negotiations and is deeply important for date-producing regions across the Middle East and North Africa. How will harmonized quality parameters—size, colour, uniformity, defects—reshape global trade? Can such standards help climate-stressed producers secure better prices in high-value retail markets ? By adopting the new Standard for fresh dates, Codex Members now have an international reference that provides the baseline for international trade of this commodity upon which trading partners can agree on additional quality provisions based on their consumers’ preferences. For producing countries, this opens up trade possibilities across the globe, which, in many cases, will support the livelihoods of small producers, bolster economies and provide a safe, good quality product for consumers worldwide. Castilla Lulo (Naranjilla): Regional Standards as a Strategic Tool This new regional standard reflects the fruit’s cultural importance and emerging trade value in Latin America. What criteria does Codex use to decide when a product merits a regional rather than global standard? And do regional standards serve as testbeds for potential future global adoption? When considering new work proposed by FAO/WHO regional coordinating committees, CAC considers, amongst other things, whether the new work is justified on the grounds that the product in question is significantly traded intraregionally and that there is no significant trade between or within other regions When a commodity for which there is a regional standard, sees increased trade at a global level, the coordinating committee concerned, or a Member, can propose extension of the territorial application of the standard. This involves new work, which has to be approved by CAC. CAC48 approved, for example, new work on converting the Regional standard for laver products (Asia) to a worldwide standard, work that will be carried out by the Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products (CCFFP). The Next Frontier: Modernizing Codex for a New Era of Food Risks From AI-driven food systems to precision fermentation, novel ingredients, and climate-linked contaminants, food safety risks are evolving faster than many national regulatory systems. What are FAO’s top priorities for modernizing Codex over the next decade? How will future standards incorporate digital traceability, climate risk modelling, and new analytical technologies? FAO is a parent organization of Codex, together with the World Health Organization (WHO). However, work prioritization in Codex is the remit of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. CAC47 adopted the Codex strategic plan 2026–2031 and CAC48 its monitoring framework. The purpose of the Codex strategic plan and its renewal and renegotiation every five years is to ensure that Codex work is aimed at achieving the most appropriate objectives. FAO has a very long-standing tradition to inform the Codex Alimentarius Commission and its subsidiary bodies with all relevant information to facilitate forward looking workplanning. FAO continues to offer its support to all its members and the members of the Codex Alimentarius Commission to assist in national capacity building activities to strengthen food control systems, food safety governance and all related aspects. The new strategic plan has as its first Strategic Goal to: Respond to Members’ needs for protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in the food trade in an evolving global landscape, by developing science-based standards and related texts 1.1 Foresight and horizon-scanning activities are used to support the identification of issues likely to impact food safety, quality and trade. 1.2 Scientific advice that addresses the needs identified by CAC and its subsidiary bodies is primarily provided by FAO and WHO and their joint scientific advisory bodies, informed by globally representative data and appropriate international expertise and methodology. 1.3 Scientific advice is used by CAC and subsidiary bodies in line with Codex risk analysis principles. 1.4 Codex standards and related texts are developed, reviewed and adopted in a timely, transparent and inclusive manner. Thus, with reference to FAO’s foresight programme ( https://www.fao.org/food-safety/scientific-advice/foresight/en/ ), Codex will aim to keep ahead of emerging trends Codex work is already addressing some of the key emerging issues and adapting based on Members’ priorities: Digital traceability is already a key topic of discussion in the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS), and work is ongoing to develop texts for the digitalization of national food control systems. CAC47 adopted the Codex Committee on Food Labelling’s (CCFL’s) Guidelines on the provision of food information for pre-packaged foods to be offered via e-commerce New food sources and production systems have been discussed extensively in Codex in recent years. In this context several areas of new work are under discussion which will help define how codex addresses this emerging area moving forward. Changing climate is also impacting food safety and this is also impacting the standard setting work of Codex. For example, the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF) elaborated and CAC47 adopted the Code of practice for the prevention or reduction of ciguatera poisoning, in response to the evolving nature of this issue, which is related to climate factors. The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene developed and CAC46 adopted Guidelines for the safe use and reuse of water in food production and processing in response to Members concerns about the need to ensure that in the context of water resource challenges, the safety of food was not negatively impacted. There is a continued emphasis, particularly within CCCF, on the issue of mycotoxins, the threat of which is evolving and possibly expanding as climate factors change. —---- Suchetana Choudhury (suchetana.choudhuri@agrospectrumindia.com) ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3481/japans-jircas-and-philippine-researchers-partner-to-develop-advanced-sugarcane-cultivation-technologies.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3481/japans-jircas-and-philippine-researchers-partner-to-develop-advanced-sugarcane-cultivation-technologies.html Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:15:14 +0530 Five Years of On-Site Joint Research Demonstration Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) in collaboration with its Philippine research partners hosted a symposium at Negros Island in the Republic of the Philippines. The event, held to mark the conclusion of a five-year international collaborative research initiative, brought together key stakeholders, including Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary ENDO Kazuya and First Secretary AKASAKA Hidenori from the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines. This gathering underscored the importance of Japan–Philippines cooperation in advancing agricultural and environmental research. The symposium highlighted findings from two major projects: the "Yama-Sato-Umi agroecosystem connectivity" and "Climate change measures in Monsoon Asia." These projects, conducted under the overarching theme of "Connectivity among the mountains, villages, and the sea," showcased diverse outcomes. Presentations covered technologies for revegetating degraded mountain slopes, enhancing agricultural productivity with minimal environmental impact, conserving forests and mangroves, and studying soil carbon accumulation. The event also facilitated discussions on the role of Japan–Philippines collaboration in ensuring regional food security and mitigating climate change. Ambassador Endo observed a demonstration of sugarcane cultivation technologies using a subsoiler and deep-planting planter. Negros Island is the largest sugarcane-producing region in the Philippines, and this technology is expected to contribute to increased productivity, energy efficiency, and soil conservation through the promotion of multi-ratoon cultivation. The technology has been jointly developed by JIRCAS, Yanmar Agribusiness Co., Ltd. (Okayama City), and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) of the Philippine Department of Agriculture. Ambassador Endo also exchanged views with SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona, further raising expectations for the dissemination of the technology. Building on the results achieved so far, JIRCAS plans to further promote the dissemination of this technology in the Philippines and Japan’s Ishigaki Island, while also exploring its application to other tropical island regions. The integrated approach emphasizing the interconnection among mountains, villages, and the sea is expected to play an increasingly important role in addressing global challenges such as climate change and food security. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3405/valent-biosciences-and-seipasa-partners-to-advance-biostimulant-technology.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3405/valent-biosciences-and-seipasa-partners-to-advance-biostimulant-technology.html Wed, 19 Nov 2025 10:49:45 +0530 Revolutionary biostimulant designed with an optimized biochemical matrix that influences key plant pathways to improve quality parameters in specialty crops Valent BioSciences LLC and Seipasa are entering a strategic partnership to advance biostimulant technology offerings to the U.S. agricultural market. Seipasa, a pioneer in the development, formulation, and production of biopesticides, biostimulants, and nutritional products used in agriculture, has named Valent BioSciences its exclusive partner for the commercialization of novel biostimulant products in the U.S. Headquartered in Libertyville, Illinois, Valent BioSciences is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sumitomo Chemical Company Ltd. Valent BioSciences is a global leader in the research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of biorational products and technologies used in agriculture, public health, and forest health. Through its expertise in bioscience, Valent BioSciences helps growers profitably sustain their land and legacies and protects the public from insect-borne disease. Under this agreement, Valent BioSciences will bring yet another unique biostimulant solution to the U.S. market. Seipasa’s new biostimulant, Sweetsei™, is a revolutionary biostimulant designed with an optimized biochemical matrix that influences key plant pathways to improve quality parameters in specialty crops. “We are excited to enter this strategic partnership with a globally recognized research and development company. Seipasa brings a scientific rigor to the biostimulant market that complements our own scientific standards,” says Salman Mir, President and CEO of Valent BioSciences. “And Sweetsei is a proven technology that will help farmers optimize their harvest.” Pedro Peleato, CEO of Seipasa said "Sweetsei is a biostimulant with extensive international reach that is already present, with proven results, in markets across Latin America, Europe, and Africa. It is very exciting to be partnering with Valent BioSciences to bring our biostimulant solutions to farmers.” In 2022, Valent BioSciences unveiled its dedicated business team focused on bringing biostimulant solutions to U.S. farmers. In early 2023, the acquisition of FBSciences further strengthened the offering to the agriculture market with its Transit® biostimulant product line. The company has more than 60 years of experience bringing biorational products to market in more than 95 countries worldwide, and recently announced it will be combining with sister companies MGK and Valent North America to form Sumitomo Biorational Company, a Global Center of Excellence for Biorational Innovation, in April 2026. Seipasa is a pioneering Spanish company in the field of agricultural biotechnology. It develops, registers, produces, and markets natural botanical and microbiological solutions for crop protection, biostimulation, and nutrition worldwide. The company was founded in 1998 with the entrepreneurial vision to anticipate the changes and transformations that the agricultural industry is undergoing today. Twenty-seven years later, Seipasa has promoted the Natural Technology® model, from which it develops solutions of high technological value, focused on sustainability and applied in the world’s most demanding agriculture conditions. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3383/japfa-launches-its-ai-and-quantum-computing-centre-of-excellence-in-singapore.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3383/japfa-launches-its-ai-and-quantum-computing-centre-of-excellence-in-singapore.html Mon, 10 Nov 2025 13:49:16 +0530 More efficient and sustainable food production Japfa launches its AI and Quantum Computing Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Singapore, and signs collaboration agreements with the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) and AngelQ. Supported by Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), these initiatives apply AI and quantum computing to help Japfa gain deeper insights across its livestock operations. Headquartered in Singapore, Japfa is one of Asia’s leading industrialised agri-food companies, producing essential proteins for millions of consumers across the region. The new CoE builds on Japfa’s ongoing digitalisation and long-term focus on improving efficiency across its vertically integrated operations - from feed to farm to food. This will ultimately contribute to advancing the livestock industry and strengthen the regional food system. Through a dedicated digital innovation team and strong partnerships within Singapore’s vibrant innovation ecosystem, the CoE aims to gain deeper insights and address real-world operational challenges in livestock farming and food production. In doing so, the CoE builds on local talent and tests new technologies such as AI, quantum computing and data science that can enhance productivity, animal health and sustainability. Under the collaborations signed today, Japfa and its partners will work together on three fronts: With SIT, to advance applied AI research that supports food processing quality inspections using computer vision;  With NYP, to develop sensor and AI prototyping solutions, as well as digital talent through training programmes and professional development;  With AngelQ, to explore how quantum computing can be applied to optimise operations, including benchmarking against Japfa’s current AI models. These partnerships build on Japfa’s growing use of AI and data-driven systems across its regional operations. Pilot projects in swine operations in Vietnam and in poultry operations in Indonesia are already testing how these technologies can enhance farm operation performance - for example by leveraging AI to enable real-time monitoring of farm operations. “Technology and data are redefining how we produce food. For us, this is much more than running our operations more efficiently. With the support of Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Economic Development Board, and through the collaborations that we are announcing today, we are bringing together applied research, technology and industry expertise to gain further insights to turn ideas into practical solutions that deliver real operational impact” Tan Yong Nang, Chief Executive Officer, Japfa. “Japfa is a pioneer among Singapore-based agri-food companies in applying quantum computing to its operations and will leverage our strong deep tech ecosystem to drive more efficient and sustainable food production in Asia. Our partnership is part of Singapore’s continued efforts with leading agri-food traders to anchor their innovation capabilities here as part of our Trade 2030 strategy” Lee Pak Sing, Assistant Managing Director for Trade and Connectivity, Enterprise Singapore “Japfa’s Singapore COE will add new digital and AI capabilities that drive operational efficiency across the agri-food industry in Asia. We welcome more like-minded companies to tap on Singapore’s vibrant research ecosystem and accelerate collaborations between industry, academia, and government, to bring impactful innovations to the world” Lim Wey-Len, Executive Vice President, EDB. As one of the largest staple protein producers in Asia, contributing about 20% of the protein in its key markets through its integrated value chain, Japfa places a strong emphasis on technologies and innovation that drive operational efficiency and long-term sustainability. This initiative aligns with Singapore’s national priorities to strengthen food security and deepen technological capabilities across key industries. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3382/hyundai-motor-group-partners-with-edb-to-build-up-capabilities-in-low-carbon-technologies-including-hydrogen.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3382/hyundai-motor-group-partners-with-edb-to-build-up-capabilities-in-low-carbon-technologies-including-hydrogen.html Mon, 10 Nov 2025 13:36:22 +0530 Collaboration reinforces Hyundai Motor Group’s commitment to advancing hydrogen technologies and supporting Singapore’s efforts to drive low-carbon hydrogen innovation Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Economic Development Board (EDB) of Singapore to identify opportunities to develop low-carbon technologies, including hydrogen. The initiative builds on the existing partnership between the Group and EDB through the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS), which is Hyundai Motor Group’s first global open innovation hub and testbed. Recognizing Singapore’s ambitions set out in the Green Plan 2030, the Group is exploring various potential collaborations with Singapore-based companies and start-ups including the potential use of Singapore’s pipeline network for efficient hydrogen distribution, aiming to address logistical challenges and enhance resource efficiency. Through this collaboration, the Group reaffirms its commitment to advancing hydrogen as a clean energy source. “We are excited to collaborate with the EDB to explore new growth areas, including the development of low-carbon technologies. By bringing our cutting-edge expertise in hydrogen technology, this partnership represents a significant step forward in creating a clean energy future for Singapore. We look forward to driving impactful solutions that demonstrate the potential of hydrogen as a cornerstone of global sustainability” said Jaeha Park, Vice President, Head of Global Hydrogen Business Sub-Division, Hyundai Motor Group. EDB will facilitate HMG’s participation in relevant initiatives to build up and apply low-carbon technologies, including potential collaborations with local enterprises and innovation partners to drive technological advancement. “This MoU builds on the strong partnership between EDB and Hyundai Motor Group. The collaboration is closely aligned to Singapore’s commitment to develop a low-carbon economy, by supporting companies on sustainable technology development. This will strengthen Singapore’s position as a global innovation hub within Hyundai Motor Group’s global network” said Zheng Jingxin, Vice President and Head of Mobility, EDB. The Group’s mid-to-long-term vision extends globally, as it looks to expand the clean hydrogen ecosystem by integrating eco-friendly energy businesses across neighbouring countries. By focusing on sustainable energy solutions and advanced infrastructure, the Group continues to lead the way in hydrogen energy innovation, setting new benchmarks for global sustainability. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3363/alternos-sand-battery-enters-japan-decarbonizing-industrial-heat-and-supplying-clean-heat-for-greenhouse-farming.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3363/alternos-sand-battery-enters-japan-decarbonizing-industrial-heat-and-supplying-clean-heat-for-greenhouse-farming.html Mon, 03 Nov 2025 11:07:12 +0530 Supported by the Ibaraki Prefecture Startup Visa Program and Leave a Nest, the new entity will serve as Alternō's regional hub for product localization, R&D, and pilot-scale manufacturing. The initiative is being developed in collaboration with Kikuchi Seiki Co., Ltd., and Yamazaki Industry Co., Ltd., with additional coordination from JETRO and Tsukuba City. Supported by the Ibaraki Prefecture Startup Visa Program and Leave a Nest, the new entity will serve as Alternō's regional hub for product localization, R&D, and pilot-scale manufacturing. The initiative is being developed in collaboration with Kikuchi Seiki Co., Ltd., and Yamazaki Industry Co., Ltd., with additional coordination from JETRO and Tsukuba City. "Japan represents a key step in Alternō's journey to build a global network of clean heat solutions," said Hai Ho, Co-Founder & CEO of Alternō. "Through our partnerships in Ibaraki — one of Japan's most innovation-driven and agriculture-focused regions — we're creating a pathway to decarbonize industries that have long depended on fossil fuels. Our goal is simple: make clean heat accessible, reliable, and affordable for every factory." Powering Japan's Industrial Heat Transition Alternō's patented Sand Battery stores renewable electricity as high-temperature heat (up to 600°C) using abundant, recyclable sand as the storage medium. The system enables factories to transition from fossil fuels to renewable heat without compromising performance or safety. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, Alternō's system is non-toxic, fireproof, and made from locally sourced materials, ensuring both environmental and economic sustainability. In Japan, Alternō will focus on delivering solutions for agriculture, such as low-carbon heat for greenhouses and food drying, as well as light manufacturing, including textile and material drying processes. The company is also developing Alternō E, a next-generation sand-based electricity storage system for data centers and critical infrastructure, designed to replace lithium batteries while ensuring safe, stable and clean backup power. Two Product Lines for the Japanese Market Alternō Japan will introduce two key product systems: Alternō Hybrid — a modular thermal battery that combines electric and biomass heating for continuous renewable heat supply in rural agro-processing. The system enables farmers to convert organic waste into energy, reducing both costs and emissions. Alternō Mini — a compact thermal battery designed for small-scale facilities, research institutes, and demonstration projects. The system is being developed in partnership with Yamazaki Industry Co., Ltd., under technical coordination from Kikuchi Seiki Co., Ltd. Alternō will publicly debut Alternō Mini at Tokyo ENEX 2026, one of Japan's leading energy exhibitions, featuring live demonstrations for both Japanese and international audiences. Building Japan's Clean Heat Manufacturing Ecosystem Alternō's Japan operations bring together a network of engineering and manufacturing partners — including Kikuchi Seiki for coordination and precision engineering, and Yamazaki Industry for prototype fabrication. This collaboration aims to accelerate product certification, reduce manufacturing costs through localization, and align Alternō's Sand Battery systems with Japanese industrial standards. "We're deeply grateful for the trust and collaboration from Japan's manufacturing ecosystem," Hai added. "Working with Kikuchi, Yamazaki, and our partners in Tsukuba allows us to merge deep-tech innovation with Japan's world-class engineering excellence." Investor and Ecosystem Support Alternō's expansion into Japan is supported by leading ecosystem partners and investors, including ADB Ventures, UntroD Capital, JETRO, JICA, Leave a Nest, P4G, and NTT East.  "We strongly believe in the power of technology transfer, and Alternō's expansion into Japan demonstrates how Asian innovation can transcend borders to help decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors. Alternō's expansion into Japan marks an important milestone, and we're proud to support their growth," said Pang Sittakaradej of ADB Ventures. "Japan is a critical market for scaling clean energy technologies," said Daiki Kumamoto, Director at UntroD Capital Asia. "Alternō's sand battery directly addresses one of the toughest challenges in industrial and agricultural decarbonization—reliable, high-temperature heat. We are proud to back their next phase of global growth." Recognized as Deep Tech Venture of the Year 2025, Alternō continues to lead Asia's transition toward sustainable industrial energy through scalable, sand-based heat and power storage solutions. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3350/japans-sumitomo-chemical-establishes-a-global-hub-for-its-biorational-business.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3350/japans-sumitomo-chemical-establishes-a-global-hub-for-its-biorational-business.html Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:32:12 +0530 Reorganize its U.S. Group Companies Valent BioSciences, MGK, and Valent North America in the Agro & Life Solutions Sector Sumitomo Chemical is set to implement a reorganization of the Group aimed at further strengthening and growing its biorationals* business. Valent BioSciences LLC (“VBS”), McLaughlin Gormley King Company (“MGK”), and Valent North America LLC (“VNA”)—Sumitomo Chemical’s U.S. subsidiaries— will be integrated into the surviving company VBS, which will be renamed Sumitomo Biorational Company LLC (“SBC”). SBC will commence operations in Libertyville, Illinois, starting April 2026, as the Group’s global hub driving innovation in this field, and it will provide comprehensive and sustainable biorational solutions across the world. Sumitomo Chemical’s Agro & Life Solutions Sector operates with crop protection chemicals and biorationals as its two pillars of business. The biorationals market is expected to continue to expand as demand is growing among producers and consumers for products that have a lower environmental impact. By further enhancing its product portfolio and stepping up sales efforts, the Company aims to drive its biorationals sales to approximately 150 billion yen by fiscal 2030, more than double from fiscal 2024. Under these circumstances, Sumitomo Chemical has decided to establish SBC as its Global Center of Excellence for Biorational Innovation. It will integrate all the functions, including research, manufacturing, and sales, of the biorationals business that have been carried out by several individual Group companies into one entity, SBC, to build a lean and efficient business operation structure that takes full advantage of the strengths of its world-leading biorationals business. Going forward, SBC will become the global hub for this business and work to create new value that will contribute to society’s sustainable development and living in harmony with the environment in a wide range of fields, from agriculture to public health, forest health, pest control, and animal health. Through this reorganization, the Sumitomo Chemical Group will strive to develop its biorationals business and introduce innovative and sustainable agricultural and environmental health technologies. In addition, Valent USA LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of VNA, will become a wholly owned subsidiary of SBC and will continue to be responsible for the development, sales, and marketing of crop protection products in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In the Agro & Life Solutions Sector, the Sumitomo Chemical Group aims to advance regenerative agriculture and help achieve a sustainable society by delivering unique products and solutions to global markets. As a global leader in the biorationals business, the Group will further strengthen its industry-leading technological and service capabilities to contribute to solving social issues such as improving agricultural productivity and enhancing environmental health. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3337/japan-thailand-cross-border-partnership-strengthens-sustainable-palm-oil-pathways.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3337/japan-thailand-cross-border-partnership-strengthens-sustainable-palm-oil-pathways.html Fri, 17 Oct 2025 10:06:33 +0530 Thailand became the first palm-oil-producing nation to bring a closed-loop delegation to Japan focusing on Smallholders The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the Japan Sustainable Palm Oil Network (JaSPON) co-hosted the RSPO x JaSPON Conference 2025 from 6 to 8 October at Bellesalle Yaesu, Tokyo. The event brought together industry leaders, government agencies, academia, and smallholder representatives to reinforce cooperation between Thailand and Japan in building responsible palm oil supply chains. Since 2015, the Thai government has set an ambitious national target to achieve 100% RSPO Certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO), positioning the country as a low-risk, smallholder-inclusive producer under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Thailand became the first palm-oil-producing nation to bring a closed-loop delegation to Japan, showcasing that sustainability and inclusion now stand at the core of trade diplomacy. Conference delegates included representatives from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DoAE), Thailand Smallholder Facilitator Network, Prince of Songkla University, Global Green Chemicals (GGC), Petchsrivichai Enterprise (PCE), and Saraya, alongside international stakeholders. With smallholders managing about 85% of Thailand's oil palm production area, the country demonstrates that sustainable production can also be farmer-led. Certified independent smallholders have already sold up to 90% of their physical CSPO volumes, the world's highest share mobilised by independent smallholders, highlighting the success of Thailand's inclusive transformation. "We need to do more, but we cannot do it alone. The market must respond. Putting the smallholder at the centre means walking the talk of shared responsibility," said Wandee Krichanan, RSPO Smallholder Manager, who moderated the independent smallholder panel. Inclusive and competitive supply chains Downstream players are showing that sourcing can be both sustainable and inclusive. PCE and GGC, both RSPO Members, are leading examples. Through long-term partnerships, training programmes, and targeted sourcing, they are enabling smallholders to access certified markets. "PCE is building the value chain of the future linking smallholder development with digital innovation for transparent traceability and pursuing a 'Negative GHG Emission' status," said Mr. Pornpipat Prasitsupaphol, Chief Strategy Officer, PCE. Ms. Panrada Wongsuwan, Division Manager, Corporate Branding and CSR, GGC (P TT GC Group) stated "At GGC, we believe sustainability must span the entire value chain from upstream to downstream. We are committed to empowering smallholders and strengthening our responsibility to society and the environment". In addition, Saraya has long pioneered eco-friendly products using natural, plant-based ingredients, including Japan's first antibacterial soap and plant-based detergent. Since 2004, it has led environmental efforts in Borneo to address palm oil-related deforestation and wildlife threats, becoming Japan's first RSPO member in 2005.  "To enhance the value chain, it is essential to have a supply chain that incorporates smallholder farmers. Therefore, we support smallholders" said Mr. Shinichi Yoshikawa, Vice General Manager of Supply Chain Management Division at Saraya Co, Ltd and the Vice Chairman of JaSPON. With over 400,000 farm households engaged in palm oil, the Thai government views inclusive sourcing as a national priority. "Responsible sourcing is not only about environmental commitment, it ensures farmers are fully included in global supply chains and receive fair returns for their efforts," said a DoAE representative. "Partnering with Japanese companies that value transparency and inclusivity guarantees palm oil that meets the highest standards of sustainability and quality." "RSPO Certified smallholders are guardians of the global environment. Support from buyers whether through physical or credit purchases empowers us to continue this stewardship," said Chaowalit Wuttipong, President of the Srijaroen Sustainable Oil Palm Production Community Enterprise and Chairman of the Thailand Smallholder Facilitator Network. From Surat Thani to Tokyo, Thailand's independent oil palm smallholders are stepping into the global spotlight. Through collaboration with mills, Japanese buyers, and the Thai government, they are proving that inclusive and sustainable supply chains can drive prosperity and trust across Asia. RSPO: The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a global partnership to make palm oil sustainable. Formed in 2004, the RSPO is a multi-stakeholder non-profit organisation that unites members from across the palm oil value chain, including oil palm producers, palm oil processors and traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental or nature conservation non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and social or developmental NGOs. As a partnership for progress and positive impact, the RSPO facilitates global change to make the production and consumption of palm oil sustainable. To inspire change, we communicate the environmental and social benefits. To make progress, we catalyse collaboration. To provide assurance, we set the standards of certification. The RSPO is registered as an international association in Zurich, Switzerland, with main offices in Malaysia and Indonesia, and offices in China, Colombia, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States.  JaSPON:JaSPON (Japan Sustainable Palm Oil Network) was established in April 2019 to accelerate the procurement and consumption of sustainable palm oil in the Japanese market, aiming to address environmental issues and other challenges associated with conventional palm oil production. JaSPON operates on the belief that, as a consumer country, Japan has an important role in addressing the environmental, social, and ethical issues tied to palm oil. It emphasises cross‐industry collaboration, encouraging its members from different sectors to work together from their respective standpoints, to promote sustainable practices. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3308/philippines-japan-strengthen-agricultural-trade-tech-ties.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3308/philippines-japan-strengthen-agricultural-trade-tech-ties.html Wed, 08 Oct 2025 11:01:37 +0530 A key focus of the bilateral talks was increasing Philippine agricultural exports to Japan. Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Japanese Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Shinjiro Koizumi met on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Agriculture and Forestry Ministers Meeting to discuss deeper bilateral cooperation in agriculture, including enhanced trade, technology transfer, and sustainability efforts. A key focus of the bilateral talks was increasing Philippine agricultural exports to Japan. Secretary Tiu Laurel requested improved market access for Philippine pomelo and reiterated the country’s long-standing appeal for the elimination of tariffs on fresh bananas, which currently face duties of up to 18 percent. Despite being Japan’s top banana supplier, the Philippines’ market share dropped to 75 percent in 2024 from 94 percent in 2023. Asked during a news conference in whether the tariff issue in Philippine banana was discussed, Secretary Tiu Laurel said: “Yes, that was definitely discussed in our bilateral meeting. The Minister (Koizumi) promised to look into it. I told him the Philippine will persistently pursue this. I really hope we can resolve this issue as soon as possible.” “But of course they have their position. The Philippines is also going through the avenue CEPT…on duty-free to Japan. But it might take time, a few years to complete. So we are looking at the angle of bilateral agreements to speed up the process,” he added. Koizumi holds a lot of sway in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and according to a Mainichi Shimbun survey, is the top choice among party faithful’s to replace Prime Minister and LDP president Shigeru Ishiba, who had stepped down. Japan, the Philippines’ second-largest importer of agriculture and fishery products in 2024—with purchases exceeding USD 1 billion—has also expressed interest in exporting fresh grapes to the Philippine market. Minister Koizumi confirmed that Japan has submitted a pest risk analysis and technical documents to the Bureau of Plant Industry of the Department of Agriculture to support its request. Beyond trade, both countries are looking to expand cooperation in technology and sustainability. Tiu Laurel welcomed Japan’s continued support under existing frameworks such as the ASEAN-Midori Cooperation Plan and the Philippines-Japan Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on Agriculture. He proposed extending the Philippines-Japan MOC to cover fisheries, and technical cooperation that will support modernization and digitalization of the Philippine agriculture and fisheries sector. These will cover smart agriculture, research and development, technology transfer, postharvest technology, mechanization, diagnostic laboratory upgrading, and development, and pest and disease management. Secretary Tiu Laurel also expressed gratitude for Japan’s recent donation of rice to calamity-affected communities through the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve – Tier 3 Program. He reaffirmed the Philippines’ interest in deepening ties ahead of the 70th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations in 2026, including hosting the second Philippines-Japan Joint Committee on Agriculture (JCA) at a mutually agreed date next year. The meeting also addressed Japan’s proposal for accelerating the implementation of the Joint Crediting Mechanism between the two countries, particularly in adopting Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) technology for rice farming. The initiative could become the world’s first bilateral carbon credit program in the agriculture sector. Tiu Laurel expressed support for the effort, noting its potential to boost sustainable farming practices and reduce emissions. In line with its green agenda, Japan has also invited the Philippines to participate in GREENxEXPO 2027, an international horticulture exhibition scheduled to take place in Yokohama. Tiu Laurel confirmed the Department of Agriculture’s interest, noting increasing private sector engagement in floriculture, horticulture, and high-value crop exports. He added that consultations with other government agencies are ongoing to determine the scope of the country’s participation ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3298/oman-japan-collaborate-to-develop-al-najd-agricultural-zone-in-dhofar.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3298/oman-japan-collaborate-to-develop-al-najd-agricultural-zone-in-dhofar.html Mon, 06 Oct 2025 11:08:03 +0530 Oman Partners with JICA on Master Plan to Boost Dhofar Agriculture Oman has entered into a strategic partnership with Japan to transform the Al Najd area in Dhofar into a vital center for agriculture and food security. The agreement, signed with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), aims to harness the region’s natural resources to strengthen domestic production, attract investment, and generate employment opportunities. The initiative is positioned as a cornerstone of Oman’s long-term strategy to enhance resilience in food supply chains while promoting sustainable development practices. Transforming Al Najd into an Agricultural Hub The master plan focuses on developing Al Najd’s fertile plains and abundant water resources into productive agricultural land. By leveraging these natural advantages, the project seeks to reduce reliance on imported food while ensuring that local communities benefit from new farming opportunities. The development will also prioritize modern farming techniques and infrastructure improvements, ensuring that the region becomes a model for efficient and sustainable agricultural practices in Oman. Boosting Food Security Through Strategic Planning Food security has become a central concern for many nations, particularly those in arid regions where agricultural output is often limited by climate conditions. The Al Najd project directly addresses this challenge by creating a structured plan that enhances domestic production capacity. By focusing on self-sufficiency, Oman aims to safeguard its population against potential disruptions in global supply chains while building a more resilient agricultural sector for the future. Creating Jobs and Attracting Investment Beyond its role in strengthening food supplies, the Al Najd development is expected to generate significant economic benefits. New employment opportunities will emerge across farming, logistics, processing, and related industries as the project takes shape. Additionally, the initiative is designed to attract both domestic and international investors interested in supporting sustainable agriculture projects. This influx of capital could further accelerate growth in Dhofar while diversifying Oman’s economy. Sustainability at the Core of Development A key feature of the agreement is its emphasis on sustainability and environmental stewardship. The project will prioritize water management strategies that preserve resources while maximizing agricultural output. By integrating eco-friendly practices into every stage of development, Oman aims to ensure long-term viability without compromising natural ecosystems. This approach aligns with broader global efforts to balance food production with environmental responsibility, making Al Najd a potential model for similar initiatives worldwide. A Collaborative Vision Between Oman and Japan The partnership between Oman and JICA highlights the importance of international cooperation in addressing shared challenges such as food security and economic diversification. By combining local knowledge with Japanese expertise in planning and technology, both sides are working toward a vision that benefits not only Dhofar but also contributes to regional stability in food supply systems. The Al Najd development project represents more than just an agricultural expansion; it is a comprehensive strategy designed to secure Oman’s future food needs while driving job creation and sustainable growth. With strong collaboration between Oman and Japan through JICA, this initiative underscores how cross-border partnerships can deliver lasting benefits for communities and economies alike ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3293/jica-and-ecom-unite-to-support-small-scale-coffee-farmers-and-stable-coffee-supply-chain.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3293/jica-and-ecom-unite-to-support-small-scale-coffee-farmers-and-stable-coffee-supply-chain.html Fri, 03 Oct 2025 00:05:00 +0530 Contributing to improving livelihoods and building resilient and sustainable supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a loan agreement for up to USD75 million with ECOM Agroindustrial Corp. Limited (ECOM), a global integrated supply chain merchant and processor of agricultural commodities , and ECOM Agroindustrial Asia Pte Limited (EAA), one of its group companies. Co-financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The partnership marks a milestone in JICA’s first exclusive working capital loan, as it represents a significant step in strengthening cooperation with key global agricultural trading companies to support Asia’s agricultural and food supply chain. The JICA loan is designed to strengthen supply chains and improve livelihoods and create employment opportunities for small-scale farmers in the Asia-Pacific region. This is being done by supporting the stable procurement of coffee from over 60,000 smallholder farmers in India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea (PNG), and Vietnam. The project supports purchase funds from small-scaled coffee farmers, and consulting services such as coffee certification support, climate change adaptation pilot projects and farming support to female farmers. These services enhance the climate resilience and strengthen gender equality of the region's coffee value chain. India’s coffee industry grew to account for 3% of global production in 2022, placing it 8th worldwide. It provides direct employment to over two million people in India. Additionally, 98% of coffee farmers are small scaled, relying on limited land for cultivation and unstable coffee income, resulting in fragile livelihoods. This loan is aligned with India’s “The Doubling Farmers’ Income (DFI) mission" to double farmers' incomes, emphasizing the need to improve agricultural productivity in order to increase farmers' income. It also complements Japan’s global development agenda. Specifically, the Apulia G7 Leader’ Communiqué in June 2024 has set as a goal of G7 public-private initiatives to support the global coffee value chain and small-scale farmers in coffee-producing countries. Furthermore, it reflects the former Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio’s commitment, as announced at the G7 Hiroshima Summit in 2023, to promote sustainable development through the “Facility for Supporting Agricultural Supply Chain and Food Security Enhancement (SAFE).” This program, with USD 1 billion in funding, aims to address global food security challenges. YASUI Takehiro, Director General, JICA Private Sector Partnership and Finance Department, stated, “We are honoured to launch JICA’s first exclusive working capital loan with the ECOM Group, a global top runner in agricultural trading that builds transparent, sustainable and resilient coffee supply chains all over the world. We hope to expand our financing scheme to support supply chain business like this one from now on. This project is a testament to the strong partnerships we have built with ECOM and ADB. It will strengthen the coffee supply chain and help address critical challenges such as poverty among rural farmers, gender inequality, climate vulnerability, and the need for sustainable economic opportunities in the region.” JICA remains committed to supporting inclusive and sustainable development initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region through strategic partnerships and providing innovative financing solutions. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3286/japans-nippn-corporation-partners-with-greenfield-milling-to-reinforce-u-s-flour-production.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3286/japans-nippn-corporation-partners-with-greenfield-milling-to-reinforce-u-s-flour-production.html Mon, 29 Sep 2025 10:41:32 +0530 Strategic alliance drives innovation and sustainability in the food supply chain with advanced milling technology and nationwide distribution capabilities. Japan's Nippn Corporation, a leader in food and agricultural innovation, has strengthened its global presence through a strategic equity partnership with Utah Flour Milling, LLC, dba Greenfield Milling. The collaboration marks a significant milestone as Greenfield Milling unveils its flagship flour milling facility in Richmond, Utah, designed to revolutionize the food supply chain. The partnership highlights Nippn's commitment to fostering international alliances and expanding its footprint in the U.S. market. Greenfield Milling, aims to redefine flour production through cutting-edge technology, quality, and strategic partnerships. The new state-of-the-art facility in Richmond is a testament to this vision, featuring advanced capabilities for producing hard wheat, soft wheat, whole wheat, and organic flours. A key feature of the Richmond facility is its dedicated pneumatic flour supply system, which supports Campbell's Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Cracker and Milano Cookie plant under a 20-year supply agreement. This initiative underscores Greenfield Milling’s focus on sustainability and efficiency, aligning with Nippn’s values of innovation and quality. Greenfield Milling plans to further expand its operations by leasing assets from Panhandle Milling in Hereford, Texas. This move will enhance its ability to serve the bakery industry with a diverse range of ingredients and mixes, including tortillas, pizza dough, and dry bake mixes, in conventional, organic, and gluten-free formats. Looking ahead, Greenfield Milling plans to upgrade its Utah facility with advanced blending and warehousing automation by 2026, increasing capacity to meet rising consumer demand for high-quality bakery ingredients. This forward-looking strategy reflects Nippn’s influence in driving growth and innovation within the partnership. Genichi Murakami, Vice President of Medicaroid Corporation, a joint venture between Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Sysmex Corporation, emphasized the significance of this collaboration. "Nippn's partnership with Greenfield Milling showcases Japan's expertise in creating sustainable and innovative food solutions," he said. "We are proud to support initiatives that elevate industry standards and drive global growth." Together, Nippn Corporation and Greenfield Milling are shaping the future of food ingredients, combining Japanese innovation with American operational excellence to meet the evolving demands of the bakery and retail markets. This collaboration not only strengthens Greenfield Milling’s position in the U.S. but also reinforces Nippn’s role as a global leader in advancing food supply chain sustainability and quality. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3253/pan-group-signs-deal-with-japanese-partners-to-drive-sustainable-agriculture-in-vietnam.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3253/pan-group-signs-deal-with-japanese-partners-to-drive-sustainable-agriculture-in-vietnam.html Fri, 12 Sep 2025 11:13:28 +0530 The PAN Group has signed a cooperation agreement with Japanese partners AGRI SMILE and Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc. to contribute to sustainable agriculture Vietnam and Japan have significant potential to expand agricultural and food cooperation. Vietnam offers abundant and diverse agricultural and seafood supplies, while Japan has a high demand for safe, high-quality, and traceable food products. Japan’s ageing population, labour shortages in agriculture, and consumer preferences for healthy, sustainable food further reinforce these opportunities. In addition to direct exports, both countries can expand cooperation in deep processing, value-added product development, preservation technologies, and high-tech agriculture. Acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang shared five key targets that the two parties should focus on implementing to boost the agricultural sector. The first thing is to expand agricultural trade cooperation. The two ministries will continue to promote the opening of each country's agricultural product markets, creating favourable conditions for agricultural, forestry, and fishery trade, for the benefit of producers and consumers of both countries. Besides that, it is necessary to build a sustainable agricultural supply chain and bilateral investment linkages. Enterprises of the two countries can cooperate from production, processing, logistics, to distribution to reduce costs, improve quality, and meet the most stringent standards of the Japanese and international markets. Developing green agriculture, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and adapting to climate change are also important targets. This is an inevitable requirement for Vietnam in the roadmap towards the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, and is also a priority of Japan within the ASEAN-Japan Green Cooperation Plan. Furthermore, it needs to promote innovation, digital transformation, and agricultural mechanisation. Japan has leading strengths in technology, while Vietnam has a large market and high demand for production modernisation. This combination will create new value for both economies. Improving the capacity of farmers and small- and medium-sized enterprises in agriculture is also a key target. This is the key force to realise all policies, so cooperation in training, knowledge transfer, and the formation of new cooperative models should be prioritised. “The private sector’s cooperation plays an important role in catching these five targets. The two governments will continue to create favourable mechanisms, but it is the enterprises, associations, and cooperatives that are the direct forces to implement, innovate, and lead the market. Today’s forum is a testament to that determination, when the government and enterprises sit together to dialogue, share, and sign specific cooperation agreements,” Thang said. “With the presence of nearly 100 businessmen from both countries at the event, I believe that the forum will open up many new cooperation opportunities, helping businesses to link in agricultural trade and investment, bringing practical benefits to the people, and to the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan,” he said. The PAN Group is a Vietnamese corporation in agriculture and food. Its portfolio includes major companies in agriculture, aquaculture, and packaged foods such as Vinaseed, VFC, Fimex, Aquatex Bentre, Bibica, Lafooco, and 584 Nha Trang. Japan is a key strategic market and currently the largest export destination for The PAN Group. In 2024, the group achieved consolidated revenue of VND16.1 trillion ($650 million), with exports to Japan reaching nearly $100 million, accounting for 34 per cent of the group’s total export revenue ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3242/square-roots-japan-launches-rd-hub-agri-tech-lab-tokyo.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3242/square-roots-japan-launches-rd-hub-agri-tech-lab-tokyo.html Mon, 08 Sep 2025 10:21:16 +0530 Commercial operations are scheduled to begin from the second half of 2026. Square Roots Japan Co., Ltd. is set to open its first state-of-the-art modular indoor farm, "Agri Tech Lab Tokyo," in January 2026, transforming part of a warehouse under the JR Keiyo Line near Shinkiba Station into a hub for agricultural innovation. The cutting-edge facility will merge Japan's rich agricultural heritage with advanced technology to address pressing global and domestic challenges, including climate-driven supply risks, food crises, aging farmers, labor shortages, and declining food self-sufficiency. Agri Tech Lab Tokyo aims to pioneer a sustainable agricultural model for future generations. "Agri Tech Lab Tokyo" will tackle global issues such as supply risks from droughts and floods caused by global warming and food crises due to resource constraints, as well as structural issues in Japan such as the aging of agricultural workers, lack of successors, and declining food self-sufficiency, and will establish a sustainable agricultural model for the next generation. Agri Tech Lab Tokyo is a base for experimentation and creation that combines the culture that Japan has built up in agriculture with cutting-edge technology and implements it in cities and society. Key features of "Agri Tech Lab Tokyo" R&D center: Reproduce and demonstrate crops commercially available in the US in a Japanese environment; Trial cultivation of Japanese-specific crops; Joint research between Japan and the US, or with domestic institutions and companies (equipment, seeds, cultivation techniques, etc.)Showroom and business negotiation space: Presenting to partners and clients with an eye towards commercialization; Holding lectures and events for media and partners; Human resource development center; Farm personnel training; Accepting interns from educational institutions and partner companies; Commercial farms; Commercial operations are scheduled to begin sequentially from the second half of 2026. Human resource development center: Farm personnel training; Accepting interns from educational institutions and partner companies; Commercial farms: Commercial operations are scheduled to begin sequentially from the second half of 2026. Square Roots Japan will locate its production bases in cities and directly connect them to logistics infrastructure, realizing a supply chain close to consumption areas, reducing food miles and maximizing freshness and quality. A stable supply in urban areas will enable it to quickly and flexibly meet diverse demands from restaurants, retailers, medical and welfare facilities, and contribute to improving regional resilience. Furthermore, the company will create new jobs in farm management, quality control, logistics coordination, and customer service, expanding the scope of urban agriculture jobs that young people can be proud to work in. Going forward, through collaborations with local governments, educational institutions, distributors, retailers, and food and beverage operators, the company will realize the "integration of cities and agriculture" and provide new value to local communities. Square Roots Japan Co., Ltd. is leveraging unused urban agricultural spaces to set an example for the next generation of farms. By utilizing its advanced environmental control technology and modular agricultural systems, the company is transforming traditionally challenging urban spaces into productive agricultural hubs. Agri Tech Lab Tokyo, located under the elevated JR Keiyo Line, will pioneer a new model for urban agriculture by repurposing warehouse infrastructure. The initiative aims to drive the shift toward urban agricultural hubs while promoting data collection and systemization to enable even inexperienced personnel to operate the facility. This approach seeks to popularize sustainable, high-value-added urban agriculture. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3238/japan-leads-way-in-kelp-carbon-credits-brian-takeda-explains-why-world-should-follow.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3238/japan-leads-way-in-kelp-carbon-credits-brian-takeda-explains-why-world-should-follow.html Fri, 05 Sep 2025 16:22:13 +0530 Brian Tsuyoshi Takeda, CEO & Co-Founder of Restorae, Founder, Urchinomics, Secretariat of International Affairs, Japan Blue Economy, Head of Reforestation, Kelp Forest Foundation is a global voice for ocean regeneration, championing kelp forests as vital yet overlooked climate allies. In this exclusive AgroSpectrum interview, he explains how kelp ecosystems deliver biodiversity, food security, coastal resilience, and carbon sequestration—quietly but critically shaping climate futures. As Secretariat of International Affairs at the Japan Blue Economy Association, Takeda highlights Japan’s pioneering role in integrating kelp forests into blue carbon credits and Paris Agreement reporting. He discusses the credibility of kelp-based sequestration, the challenges of MRV, and the high market value of Japan’s J-Blue Credits compared to conventional offsets. Beyond policy and markets, he emphasizes equitable benefit sharing for coastal communities, especially in the Global South, and the need for fair pricing mechanisms. Drawing on his Japanese heritage and global perspective, Takeda envisions kelp forests as central to a just and regenerative blue economy. Section I: Vision & Strategy Brian, you’re at the intersection of reforestation and regeneration—both on land and under water. What led you to champion kelp forests as a cornerstone of climate action in the marine sphere? Kelp forests are perhaps one of the most valuable ecosystems we have on our planet, yet are often overlooked because they thrive underwater, outside of our line of sight. When you quantify the incredible benefits kelp forests quietly deliver to us as “ecosystem services”, we find that they contribute immensely to biodiversity, coastal resilience, food security and climate change. Equally, when kelp forests suffer, they also suffer quietly, outside of our line of sight. So far, we have lost around half of all our kelp forests around the world, and most of us have no idea that this happened. When I learned how much kelp forests contribute, and how little attention it is getting, I felt the need to raise its profile and catalyze various solutions to help restore them. How do you see kelp reforestation fitting into Japan’s broader blue economy roadmap and international climate commitments like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework or the Paris Agreement? Kelp forest restoration and farmed kelp production already contribute to the country´s efforts to decarbonize and improve biodiversity. Japan was the first in the world to recognize wild kelp forests as part of their blue carbon ecosystem, and now includes them as part of their inventory when reporting to the Paris Agreement. The Japan Blue Economy Association, a Ministry of Infrastructure, Land, Transportation and Tourism-approved independent research cooperative, is responsible for Japan´s voluntary blue carbon credits, where both wild kelp forests and farmed kelp are eligible for J-Blue Credits, a blue carbon credit that also incorporates other ecosystem services like biodiversity and community benefits. Unlike terrestrial forests, kelp forests store carbon in biomass for centuries. What makes them a credible, even necessary, part of the blue carbon conversation? In the Japanese context, kelp forest carbon sequestration is calculated based on the biomass and dissolved organic compounds that end up into the ocean´s deep and is sequestered there for centuries or millennia. Terrestrial forests on the other hand often include “above ground” biomass, or the trees themselves, which are prone to deforestation, fires, and other factors that I would say makes them less durable, and do not store it for centuries. Further, the Japanese approach to assessing carbon sequestration through kelps is based on an annual assessment of the biomass and a pragmatic estimation of how much of said biomass sinks into the deep sea. This means that, one needs to show that kelp is growing each year, to then approximate how much of that is deposited into the deep, in order to generate a credit. By making it an annual process, and only issuing credits when we know the kelp has in fact grown, and will inevitably get deposited into the deep sea, I like to believe it is much more robust and credible than current terrestrial MRV approaches. Section II: Science & Carbon Markets There’s growing excitement—but also skepticism—about ocean-based carbon sequestration. What scientific benchmarks or MRV (monitoring, reporting, verification) protocols are being established to validate kelp forests as legitimate carbon sinks? I am keeping a close eye on what the Republic of Korea will be doing in terms of seaweeds, kelps and their NDCs. What I find interesting about state-led initiatives, is that it effectively trumps all 3rd party approaches we have become dependent on, because it is ultimately the state that reports to the Paris and Kunming-Montreal Agreement. So, the moment Japan´s state-led approach is joined by Korea, China and other countries in a similar state-centric way, we will surely see a burst of new interest from around the world. When it is just one country, it is an exception. When it is two, we can draw a line and start thinking about trajectory. When countries like China join the mix, we start to see a meaningful pattern develop. The question then is, what are other kelp-endowed countries like the UK, Norway, Canada, US, Chile, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand going to do? They too have robust and valuable kelp forests that contribute not just to carbon sequestration, but a myriad of other co-benefits. Perhaps the developments in the East will trigger Western governments to take a more active role in their kelp forests. Are current voluntary carbon markets structurally ready to accommodate kelp-based credits, or are we still in the proof-of-concept stage? What regulatory bottlenecks or frameworks are you navigating? Voluntary carbon markets in Japan are ready, as the J-Blue Credits generated from kelp restoration has been in existence for many years now, and they are transacting at significantly higher prices than the rest of the world. Average prices of J-Blue Credits are well over $ 400/t, which is more than 10x traditional voluntary carbon credits sold around the world. One of the main reasons why I joined the Japan Blue Economy Association as their Secretariat of International Affairs, was because I realized all these precedent-setting events were not being properly shared and communicated with the rest of the world. The language and culture barrier are likely the biggest hurdles for Japan´s best practices, learnings and experiences from spreading to other kelp-endowed countries, and accelerating their respective development in the space. Can you share insights into ongoing pilot projects, especially those demonstrating the sequestration potential, co-benefits (like biodiversity and fisheries recovery), and economic returns of kelp reforestation ? Here are some tangible examples of projects, both pilot and scaling projects, that are already demonstrating sequestration and co-benefits. In Japan, a suite of progressive pilot and scaling projects is providing robust evidence that kelp reforestation delivers credible carbon sequestration alongside tangible ecological and socio-economic benefits. In Hirono Town (Iwate Prefecture), Sumitomo Corporation and partners restored seaweed beds within the historic Zoshokuko tidal channels—earning the largest issuance yet of J-Blue Credits (3,106.5 t-CO₂), while channeling proceeds into climate action through a local fisheries council. Meanwhile, Urchinomics pioneered a circular restoration model in Kunisaki and Nagato by paying divers to remove overgrazing sea urchins, ranching them into premium seafood, and thereby enabling kelp forest recovery. Their efforts secured the world’s first voluntary blue carbon credits for kelp restoration, with scientifically conservative yet verifiable estimates (approximately 1.5 t-CO₂ per hectare, priced at JPY 78,063/t in 2022). At Mashike in Hokkaido, University of Tokyo researchers conducted a five-year field study using iron fertilization—applying steelmaking slag combined with compost along the shoreline—to stimulate biomass growth in Saccharina japonica, with fertilized plots demonstrating significantly greater seaweed coverage than control sites. Complementing these, municipal initiatives—such as eelgrass and seaweed restoration in Osaka’s Hannan City and Oita Prefecture—have produced J-Blue Credit-certified carbon offsets while reinvesting revenues in community education, aquatic habitat regeneration, and local livelihoods. Together, these diverse projects underline a powerful narrative: kelp forests are not only viable as durable blue carbon sinks but also act as engines for biodiversity recovery, fisheries revival, and coastal economic resilience. Section III: Geopolitics & Ocean Equity Kelp thrives in temperate oceans across East Asia, the Americas, and beyond. Do you see a risk of blue carbon becoming a resource race, especially as high-integrity credits become scarce? That is an interesting question. Firstly, I think your point of geography is quite important. Kelp is quite unique because unlike mangroves and corals, they tend to grow in the countries where emissions and biodiversity loss are highest. This means that high emitting countries can begin reversing this trend within their own Exclusive Economic Zone, as kelps grow 100 per cent within it. So in that sense, I can see how restoring kelp forests can quickly become a “low hanging fruit” for those countries that have them, and can quickly scale up restoration efforts. Secondly, as for your comment about a resource race, I do think that due to the scarcity of high-integrity credits, there will be a massive supply shortage, but that would apply for all types, not just ocean-based ones. However, for those ocean-faring companies that would prefer to inset within their marine supply chain, versus offsetting on terrestrial initiatives, I think the supply would be even more limited, as supply is already incredibly constrained today. This is where I believe well-structured frameworks and markets will play their role. As demand continues to grow for marine solutions, the lack of supply will drive a new cohort of new entrants that will develop new ways to restore marine ecosystems. Markets like Japan that have mechanisms like J-Blue Credits will see more innovative solutions developing, simply because they have a state-approved, predictable framework to work within. This can then lead to exciting collaborations between major corporates, funders on one side, and innovative start-ups and community led initiatives on the other, like we already see today. Governments that do not provide such a framework will make it riskier for corporates and investors to contribute, limiting the market pressures to spur on exciting, and much needed innovation. How can we ensure that coastal communities, particularly in the Global South, are not just carbon custodians but equitable beneficiaries in emerging kelp carbon markets? This is one of the most important points I would like to highlight in this interview. After having met many mangrove restoration practitioners from the Global South and Small Island Developing States and learning about their challenges, I am firmly convinced that equitable benefit sharing must be the cornerstone of future kelp carbon markets. In Japan, where the communities themselves often own and operate the restoration projects, they retain most of the $ 400/t (average) credit value upon selling it to a mission-aligned corporates. However, I have since learned that, even some of the best mangrove projects in Africa are only getting $ 20-30 $/t, of which the initial funders, market makers and brokers, certifying bodies all take their cut, leaving at most, 30 per cent of the credit value for the communities. I would thus like to take this opportunity to address the elephant in the room. Pricing. Europe´s carbon taxes per ton of CO2e released is between 50 to 120 EUR, with the Norwegian government aiming to set it to EUR 170 (2000NOK/ton CO2e) by 2030. The IMO´s penalty fee for exceeding allocated emissions is $ 380/t. Japan´s J-Blue Credits are being traded at an average of over $ 400/t. The Global North is clearly in triple digit territory when it comes to “costing” the release of CO2. However, high-integrity, high-value, co-benefits generating, community-led blue carbon projects in the Global South only achieve $ 30/ton for the same 1t of CO2e sequestered, and the communities that make it all happen only get $ 9/ton of this. Value seems to be disproportionately captured by the emitters and buyers in the North by depressing the purchase prices of the credits generated in the South. I believe there should be a price correcting mechanism, like the indexing of the carbon credit prices to the carbon taxes faced by the buyers in the Global North. By indexing, and ensuring that the indexed premium goes to the communities, we narrow the gap by raising prices closer to the buyer´s cost of releasing CO2, while ensuring that communities properly and equitably benefit. Section IV: Innovation, Investment, and the Future Is there scope to integrate kelp reforestation with other ocean-based climate strategies—such as regenerative aquaculture, artificial reefs, or marine permaculture—for compounded climate and livelihood gains? Absolutely. It may also prove to be one of the fastest, most scalable and cost effective ways to improve marine biodiversity, coastal resilience and carbon sequestration. This is simply because kelps are incredibly resilient and can opportunistically recolonize very fast if we give them the right conditions to do so. And we can do this two ways. We can a) reduce the pressures preventing kelps from recovering and/or b) help kelp forests recover faster using artificial reefs, marine permaculture etc. I think the answer will likely be a combination of everything will be most effective, rather than one or the other. Section V: Personal & Philosophical You’ve spoken about environmental responsibility rooted in cultural and intergenerational wisdom. How does your heritage influence your vision for restoring underwater ecosystems? Perhaps it is the Japanese, collectivist, Buddhist-Shinto part of me, but I do believe our stakeholders are not just those that are present with us today, but also those of our past and future, and beyond the narrow definition of humanity. As temporary inhabitants of this planet, I feel it is our duty to find greater balance between our stakeholders (past, present and future, as well as human and non-human), rather than tip it even more in favor of humanity, today. What gives you hope that kelp forests—often invisible and undervalued—can finally capture the world’s attention as vital climate allies? I think kelp forests will truly gain the attention it deserves when more people understand the incredible power kelps and seaweeds hold, and how kelp forests are interconnected with life in the ocean. And we are seeing a growing awareness shift amongst the general population in some countries. In Norway for example, kelp forests are finally being talked about in the parliament, and how government, private industry and NGOs are now working together to create a holistic plan for kelp forest restoration. We still have a long way to go though, so I will continue to spread the word however I can so that we can build even more momentum to conserve and restore these precious ecosystems we have along our coasts. ---- Suchetana Choudhury (suchetana.choudhuri@agrospectrumindia.com) ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3236/seibu-kaihatsu-nosan-and-sumitomo-corporation-partner-to-drive-smart-farming-and-sustainable-agriculture-in-japan.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3236/seibu-kaihatsu-nosan-and-sumitomo-corporation-partner-to-drive-smart-farming-and-sustainable-agriculture-in-japan.html Fri, 05 Sep 2025 10:52:57 +0530 Business alliance promotes stable food production to revitalize regional farming practices by reinforcing human resource Seibu Kaihatsu Nosan Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Corporation, and Sumitomo Corporation Tohoku Co., Ltd. have entered into a business alliance agreement to promote sustainable agricultural production and regional development in Japan's Tohoku region. The three companies will advance joint projects with local producers and agricultural companies focused on realizing sustainable agriculture by: (1) enhancing work efficiency and stabilizing food production through smart farming technologies, (2) revitalizing regional production via human resource development and distribution support and (3) promoting the adoption of environmentally friendly agricultural inputs and cultivation techniques. Four joint projects will be implemented under the alliance as below. Stable Food Production Through Work Efficiency ImprovementThese efforts will demonstrate the productivity and efficiency benefits of smart farming technologies, as well as optimal methods of adoption in the field. Through demonstration events, the companies will support the introduction of these technologies to producers across Tohoku, aiming to ensure stable food production. Regional Revitalization Through Human Resource DevelopmentThis project will establish consulting services and training programs by collecting and analyzing farm data from smartphones and machinery, with the aim of improving efficiency and expanding production areas. Drawing on extensive practical experience in farmland aggregation and management, the companies will help ensure the sustainability and growth of agriculture rooted in regional communities. Support for Agricultural DistributionThis project will support both the development of cultivation systems responsive to market fluctuations and enhanced quality control by linking producer data with food processing and distribution companies. The companies will also support producers by undertaking post-harvest operations such as drying and sorting, thereby contributing to enhanced production, quality assurance and distribution in Tohoku. Promotion of Environmentally Friendly FarmingThis effort will demonstrate the use of agricultural inputs and cultivation systems that help reduce environmental impact, examine efficient methods of introduction and promote adoption throughout the Tohoku region. In addition, the companies will pursue studies on the practical implementation of a carbon credit program. Japan faces an urgent challenge of declining and aging agricultural workers. Over the past 20 years, the number of farmers has halved, and as of 2023, their average age reached approximately 69. In addition, farmland maintenance is a major issue – abandoned farmland now totals 420,000 hectares, equivalent to nearly 10% of the nation's 4.29 million hectares of farmland. Seibu Kaihatsu Nosan currently manages approximately 1,000 hectares of farmland, making it one of Japan’s largest agricultural corporations. In response to challenges such as a declining farming population and the spread of abandoned farmland, the company leverages smart agricultural technologies – including IoT-based work recording, automated machinery steering and agricultural drones – to achieve efficient agricultural operations on its large-scale managed farmland. In addition, by undertaking farm operations such as spraying, harvesting and drying on behalf of neighboring producers, the company supports the vitality of regional agriculture. Building on prior joint efforts to test and promote digital and labor-saving technologies that lead to improved productivity and efficiency, Sumitomo Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation Tohoku and Seibu Kaihatsu Nosan have now expanded the scope of their collaboration by signing a new alliance to accelerate contributions to the Tohoku region ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3225/global-local-alliance-powers-a-new-era-in-japans-geothermal-energy.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3225/global-local-alliance-powers-a-new-era-in-japans-geothermal-energy.html Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:06:43 +0530 The partnership aims to unlock Japan's untapped geothermal potential and build a replicable model for sustainable energy development worldwide Combining a global investment portfolio with a community-rooted business model, this strategic partnership aims to scale clean, renewable energy respectfully, revitalizing local economies while honoring cultural heritage. Furusato Netsuden brings deep local roots, trust, and operational expertise to the partnership, while Baseload Capital contributes international investment, global reach and the power of committed owners such as Google and Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Japan's untapped geothermal power Japan has the third largest geothermal potential globally, with an estimated 23 GW, yet its current installed capacity is only 576 MW. This represents a major untapped opportunity for a country whose Green Transformation (GX) Strategy aims for net-zero emissions by 2050. Geothermal energy is clean, always-on, and space-efficient. That makes it an ideal solution for a mountainous, densely populated nation with high reliance on energy imports and growing clean-energy demand from AI and data centers. Japan's geothermal development has been slow, in part, because there's no common business model that enables communities to share in the benefits. However, Furusato Netsuden and its local partners have developed a system to ensure communities benefit directly from geothermal energy. The Waita model – a ground-breaking approach In 2011, residents of the Waita area in Oguni Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, formed the limited liability company Waita-kai, which is owned by the community. In partnership with Furusato Netsuden, they set out to develop geothermal power together in a way that would revitalize the community. The name Furusato Netsuden combines the words for "hometown", "heat" and "electricity". A respectful and collaborative business model This model protects local land rights, ensures development is carried out on a scale appropriate for the area, and guarantees some of the revenues are re-invested in the community. Furusato Netsuden and Waita-kai regularly hold meetings with residents to share updates on operations, development, and environmental monitoring. A growing geothermal portfolio In 2015, the 2 MW capacity Waita No. 1 geothermal power plant began commercial operation. Waita No. 2, currently under construction, is expected to deliver 5 MW and go online in March 2026. In addition to the 7MW currently operating or under construction in Waita, the overall portfolio includes a tangible pipeline of projects across Japan that are expected to deliver an additional 30+ MW over the next five to ten years. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3222/japan-and-india-begin-cooperation-to-create-carbon-credits-through-decarbonization-projects.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3222/japan-and-india-begin-cooperation-to-create-carbon-credits-through-decarbonization-projects.html Mon, 01 Sep 2025 16:42:36 +0530 Signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation on the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) AsAO Keiichiro, Japanese Minister of Environment, delivered a keynote speech at the India-Japan Economic Forum on August 29, 2025, stating that through collaboration between Japan and India, the JCM would be effectively used to promote climate change countermeasures and the deployment of decarbonization technologies. ONO Keiichi, Japanese Ambassador, and Tanmay Kumar, Secretary of India's Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on August 7, 2025. This agreement establishes the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), aligning with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. It enables collaboration between Japanese and Indian companies and governments on technical and financial measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The resulting reductions and absorptions are allocated based on each country's contributions. Japanese-Indian Joint Statements and Joint Visions for the Next Decade, released by both governments, expressed appreciation for the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation on the Joint Climate Change Management and announced that the two governments would cooperate in order to promote bilateral climate change countermeasures through the JCM. Furthermore, under the witness of the leaders of Japan and India, ASAO Keiichiro, Minister of the Environment of Japan, and Ambassador Sibi George of the Republic of India to Japan exchanged documents. The Ministryof Environment,, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and other relevant Japanese agencies, along with the JCM Implementation Agency (JCMA), will work to ensure the effective operation of the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM). The goal is to maximize its impact by fostering collaboration between Japanese and Indian companies, implementing targeted projects, and leveraging market mechanisms to attract private investment. This initiative aims to serve as a model for achieving both rapid economic growth and addressing climate change, a shared global challenge. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3187/agriculture-ministers-of-china-s-korea-japan-hold-4th-trilateral-meeting.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3187/agriculture-ministers-of-china-s-korea-japan-hold-4th-trilateral-meeting.html Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:09:01 +0530 Pledges to vitalize food security, animal diseases, sustainable agriculture and supply chain instability Agriculture ministers of China, South Korea and Japan held their fourth trilateral meeting in South Korea's western port city of Incheon on 11 Aug. Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Shinjiro Koizumi, South Korean Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung, and Chinese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Jun met in Incheon, South Korea, for the fourth trilateral agriculture ministers' meeting. The ministers agreed to enhance cooperation in smart agriculture technologies, green and low-carbon agriculture, and the cultivation of young agricultural talent. The ministers also committed to regular meetings, with the next one scheduled to take place in Japan. The meeting, focusing on issues including food security, animal diseases, and sustainable agriculture, was held seven years after the last edition in China in 2018, according to a joint statement. During the meeting, the three ministers recognized multiple challenges faced by the agricultural sector, including the climate crisis, cross-border spread of infectious diseases, and supply chain instability, and reaffirmed the importance of sharing information and working together to address them. Chinese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Jun said that China is willing to work with Japan and South Korea to comprehensively restart agricultural cooperation and build a new framework for trilateral agricultural cooperation that is more resilient, broader in scope, closer in connection, and richer in content, so as to jointly make positive contributions to promoting the revitalization, prosperity, and development of agriculture and rural areas in the region. The ministers agreed to cooperate on the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) and strengthen cooperation at international and regional levels. Following the meeting, the three parties issued a joint statement agreeing to hold the agricultural ministers' meeting on a regular basis. The next meeting will be held in Japan. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3180/adb-president-highlights-innovation-and-support-for-sustainable-agriculture-and-energy-in-indonesia.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3180/adb-president-highlights-innovation-and-support-for-sustainable-agriculture-and-energy-in-indonesia.html Mon, 11 Aug 2025 10:43:16 +0530 ADB President Masato Kanda emphasized the critical role of science, technology, and innovation in fostering inclusive and sustainable growth across Southeast Asia ADB President Calls for Innovation to Drive Inclusive Growth in Southeast Asia Jakarta, Indonesia – Asian Development Bank (ADB). President Masato Kanda emphasized the critical role of science, technology, and innovation in fostering inclusive and sustainable growth across Southeast Asia during his keynote address at the 9th Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum ASEAN–Japan Conference in Jakarta. Highlighting ASEAN’s extraordinary potential, Mr. Kanda stated, “Countries that innovate are countries that thrive. By connecting ideas with resources and leveraging platforms like the STS Forum, we can create opportunities that reach every community.” He stressed the need to prioritize innovation in regional strategies to address pressing challenges and unlock opportunities for inclusive prosperity. Mr. Kanda outlined three key areas of focus: modern, interconnected energy systems; resilient food systems; and smart, inclusive cities. He reaffirmed ADB’s commitment to providing up to $10 billion over the next decade to support the ASEAN Power Grid and $40 billion by 2030 for food systems transformation. These investments aim to enhance regional energy security, improve food and water security, and promote sustainable urban development. The ADB President also underscored the importance of regional cooperation, increased investment in research and development, and partnerships with the private sector to close technology gaps. He highlighted the need for innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to address complex challenges and advance sustainable growth across the region. During his visit to Indonesia, Mr. Kanda toured ADB-supported projects in Lombok, showcasing the bank’s commitment to practical solutions for regional challenges. These included an irrigation initiative led by women-led water user associations, which aims to enhance food and water security, and a solar farm developed by Vena Energy, a leading renewable energy producer. These projects underscore ADB’s support for Indonesia’s energy transition and private sector investment. ADB, founded in 1966 and owned by 69 members—50 from the region—continues to play a pivotal role in fostering inclusive and sustainable growth across Asia and the Pacific. By harnessing innovative financial tools and forming strategic partnerships, ADB remains dedicated to transforming lives, building quality infrastructure, and safeguarding the planet. As Mr. Kanda concluded, “Innovation must remain central to our strategies. Together, we can create a future where every community benefits from sustainable and inclusive growth.” This renewed focus on innovation aligns with ADB’s broader mission to address the region’s most pressing challenges, from energy security to food systems transformation, while promoting resilience and sustainability. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3176/toshiba-to-explore-using-weather-data-services-for-malaysias-smart-farming-flagship-project.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3176/toshiba-to-explore-using-weather-data-services-for-malaysias-smart-farming-flagship-project.html Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:26:40 +0530 Signs MOU for Pilot Project to Guide Farming Operations with Forecasts of Localized Downpours Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation (Toshiba) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Malaysia's MyDIGITAL Corporation and the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) on exploring the use of Toshiba's advanced Weather Data Service in Malaysia's flagship smart farming initiative, Projek Ladang Padi IR4.0. The MoU marks a significant step in Toshiba's efforts to support climate resilience and agricultural innovation in Malaysia by leveraging its forecasting technology to address the growing challenges posed by extreme weather. Like many other countries, Japan and Malaysia are experiencing an increase in sudden, localized heavy rainstorms that are difficult to predict. In Malaysia, where prolonged monsoon rains are already a challenge, these intense downpours can physically damage paddies, and worsen ground saturation and flooding, leading to widespread damage. This rise in extreme and erratic weather highlights the urgent need for rapid and highly accurate forecasting technologies to mitigate their impact. Toshiba launched its Weather Data Service in Japan in May 2023, leveraging real-time radar data and the company's proprietary analysis to deliver highly accurate forecasts of localized downpours and their intensity. As part of its global expansion of the business, Toshiba signed an MoU with MyDIGITAL in February 2024 to explore the technology's application in Malaysia. Through this ongoing collaboration, Toshiba began discussions with MADA to assess the potential use of the service in MADA's flagship smart farming project, Projek Ladang Padi IR4.0. Established in 1972, MADA leads Malaysia's largest agricultural development initiative, focused on enhancing rice productivity, farmer livelihoods and regional economic growth in the Muda region in northwest peninsula Malaysia. The current smart farming project, supported by government funding, integrates digital technologies to transform rice farming in the region. Facilitated by MyDIGITAL, Toshiba and MADA will carry out a pilot project to evaluate how Toshiba's Weather Data Service can support agricultural decision-making in rice cultivation. In the pilot, Toshiba will analyze real-time weather radar data from the Malaysian Meteorological Department and forecast the likelihood and intensity of localized heavy rainfall. Alerts based on the analysis will be sent to MADA as needed, and MADA will use water gates to manage water flow in rice paddies. This process is expected to reduce the impact of the rainfall and protect the rice crop from damage. Toshiba is committed to contributing to global disaster prevention and mitigation by accurately capturing and forecasting atmospheric conditions across wide and localized areas. Through applications in various industries, Toshiba aims to help realize a safer and more resilient society. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3123/pupuk-indonesia-collaberates-with-a-japanese-firm-to-develop-hybrid-green-ammonia-in-aceh.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3123/pupuk-indonesia-collaberates-with-a-japanese-firm-to-develop-hybrid-green-ammonia-in-aceh.html Wed, 23 Jul 2025 10:01:00 +0530 CCS and CCUS facilities with Pupuk Indonesia expected to support the government's plan to achieve the 2060 NZE target. Pupuk Indonesia has signed an MoU regarding the use of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to explore collaboration opportunities in the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) in PGE's Working Area, particularly at the Arun Gas Field in Lhokseumawe, Aceh, for producing blue ammonia. KEK was selected as a location for CCS and CCUS development because the region holds significant potential as a center of economic growth in Aceh, said Pupuk Indonesia President & Director Rahmad Pribadi at the signing ceremony in Jakarta, Pupuk Indonesia is collaborating with a Japanese company to develop hybrid green ammonia in Aceh. Rahmad revealed that his company is in negotiations to relocate the ammonia bunkering facility, originally planned for Singapore, to Aceh. "So, not only can we produce clean ammonia, but we can also make Aceh a global trade hub. We ask for your prayers and support," he said. MoU stands as a concrete manifestation of Pupuk Indonesia's support for the government's Asta Cita vision in achieving food self-sufficiency and building a green economy, while simultaneously pursuing the 2060 Zero Emissions (NZE) target. EMP President Director & CEO Syailendra S. Bakrie welcomed the start of explorations into a collaboration with Pupuk Indonesia for CO2 emission utilization and natural gas supply. He expressed his hope that the development of CCS and CCUS facilities with Pupuk Indonesia would support the government's plan to achieve the 2060 NZE target. "With the development of CCS and CCUS facilities in the PGE Working Area, we hope to support the government's plan to achieve the Net Zero Emission target by 2060. In the first quarter of this year, the PGE Working Area has produced around 45 million cubic feet of gas per day and 1,033 barrels of oil per day. The block also operates proven & probable reserves of 159 billion cubic feet of gas and 10.8 million barrels of oil," said Syailendra. Edoardus Ardianto, Deputy President Director & CFO of EMP, stated that EMP Gebang Limited is committed to supporting the fertilizer industry's raw material needs by ensuring gas supplies for Pupuk Indonesia. He emphasized that the company will accelerate production to meet Pupuk Indonesia's crucial gas needs. "From previous discussions, we understand that Pupuk Indonesia requires approximately 100 million cubic feet of gas per day to operate its factories. Gebang is expected to begin producing around 40 million cubic feet of gas per day in 2027. This production is expected to increase to 100 million cubic feet of gas per day by 2030. Pupuk Indonesia is one of the target markets for the gas produced by Gebang in the future," he said.  ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3117/japans-sumitomo-invests-in-dph-biologicals-to-develop-biological-plant-nutrition-and-crop-protection-products-aiming-to-enter-us-market.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3117/japans-sumitomo-invests-in-dph-biologicals-to-develop-biological-plant-nutrition-and-crop-protection-products-aiming-to-enter-us-market.html Mon, 21 Jul 2025 10:47:19 +0530 Strengthening product development and sales in the United States, the world's largest market for biological agricultural inputs Sumitomo Corporation has invested in DPH Biologicals, a U.S.-based company, developing and commercializing biological plant nutrition and crop protection products. This investment follows previous equity investments in Futureco Bioscience S.A. (Spain, 2017) and Bio Insumos Nativa (Chile, 2024), and is part of Sumitomo Corporation's strategy to reinforce its business in the biological crop protection and fertilizer sector – one of the key focus areas within the company's agribusiness operations. By incorporating DPH Bio's business platform and linking it with existing global networks and Group operations in R&D and manufacturing of biological agricultural inputs, Sumitomo Corporation aims to further strengthen its value chain and promote broader adoption of these inputs. In turn, this will contribute to the advancement of sustainable agricultural practices worldwide. DPH Bio has strong capabilities in both product development and sales of biological plant nutrition and crop protection products. It offers high-quality products that help improve soil health and boost yields for major U.S. crops such as corn and soybeans, in addition to fruit and vegetable crops. DPH Bio collaborates with strategic external partners to develop and distribute products that meet market needs for different regions and crop characteristics. Leveraging DPH Bio’s strengths, Sumitomo Corporation aims to strengthen its agribusiness foundation in the U.S. by offering high value-added products, including products from Sumitomo Corporation Group companies. The company also aims to expand global sales by combining these strengths with its extensive international network. As the global population continues to grow, it is essential to increase agricultural productivity, which is driving sustained growth in the use of agrochemicals and fertilizers. In this context, demand is surging for biological crop protection and fertilizer products that use microorganisms or plant-based extracts and place less burden on the environment. The global market for biological crop protection products is projected to grow from $8 billion (approx. JPY 1.2 trillion) in 2023 to over $15 billion (approx. JPY 2 trillion) by 2029 – an approximately 1.9-fold increase – and is expected to account for approximately 20% of the total crop protection market ($75 billion, approx. JPY 11 trillion). In the United States, which has become the world's largest market for biological agricultural inputs, this growth is further accelerated by public calls for more environmentally conscious farming and a rise in consumer interest in health and food safety. For over 50 years, the Sumitomo Corporation Group has been engaged in the agrochemical and fertilizer business. It currently operates agro-input distribution businesses in approximately 40 countries, contributing to agricultural production around the world in collaboration with local producers. In the biological input space, Sumitomo Corporation has steadily expanded business through equity participation and exclusive distribution agreements, especially in Europe and Latin America. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3082/vietnam-and-japan-advance-climate-ties-through-low-emission-farming.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3082/vietnam-and-japan-advance-climate-ties-through-low-emission-farming.html Fri, 04 Jul 2025 08:56:00 +0530 Encourages strategic investor by offering funding, training, and technical consulting for low-carbon agricultural projects Vietnam and Japan are entering a new phase of climate cooperation, focusing on the mobilisation of climate finance for low-emission rice cultivation through the Joint Crediting Mechanism, with Green Carbon and Dragon Capital playing key roles in the effort. A participatory meeting held in Hanoi on June 30 attracted numerous experts, representatives from state management agencies, research organisations, and local and international businesses. Flooded rice cultivation emits high levels of methane due to prolonged anaerobic conditions in submerged fields. The alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation technique has been proven effective in disrupting these oxygen-poor conditions, thereby reducing methane generation. Green Carbon, a carbon credit developer that works with farmers worldwide to create decarbonisation projects, has implemented AWD in Nghe An and An Giang with impressive results. In Nghe An, emissions were reduced by over 60% under direct seeding conditions and over 50% with transplanted rice. The scheme in An Giang spans 116,000 hectares and has the potential to reduce hundreds of thousands of tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions annually. Green Carbon has developed an internationally recognised measurement, reporting, and verification system, utilising digital technology, satellites, and sensors. This ensures reliable verification of emissions reductions. The resulting carbon credits can be certified under Verra or the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), enabling participation in international carbon markets. These markets provide a new source of finance for farmers, contributing to rural livelihoods. Dragon Capital acts as a strategic investor, offering funding, training, and technical consulting for low-carbon agricultural projects. The firm collaborates with research institutes to assess ecological value and develop new financial tools. Dragon Capital is actively exploring biodiversity credits and promoting the integration of environmental, social, and governance standards into investment activities. This approach enhances scalability and sustainability of climate initiatives in agriculture. The JCM is a bilateral cooperation framework initiated by Japan, allowing both countries to jointly recognise emission reductions from a specific venture. From 2013 to 2020, Vietnam and Japan implemented 14 projects, generating more than 35,000 carbon credits. In the new phase, emphasis will be placed on deploying low-carbon technologies in agriculture. The AWD collaboration in Vietnam is part of this strategy. Vietnam’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43.5 per cent by 2030 with international support necessitates scalable sustainable farming models. Green Carbon and Dragon Capital are serving as bridges between farmers, businesses, and the government. By combining technical expertise, private capital, and public policy, they are enabling the formation and growth of an agricultural carbon credit ecosystem. The AWD technology collaboration under JCM exemplifies how developed and developing countries can take joint action towards shared climate goals. Japan will continue supporting Vietnam through financial assistance and advanced technology transfer. The partnership between Vietnam and Japan is being strengthened through the AWD scheme. The Japanese government has reaffirmed its commitment to provide financial support and technology transfer to Vietnam. Consensus among regulatory agencies, the private sector, and local communities will be essential to achieving the net-zero emissions target by 2050. Developing a low-carbon agriculture sector goes beyond environmental goals. Carbon credits are becoming financial tools that drive production innovation and create new livelihoods for farmers. Green Carbon is steadily building a nationwide agricultural carbon credit platform, while Dragon Capital continues to expand its climate investment commitments. These two forces are working closely together to transform agriculture into a sustainable, equitable, and climate-resilient sector. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3056/japan-signals-shift-to-u-s-corn-imports-amid-trade-tensions.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3056/japan-signals-shift-to-u-s-corn-imports-amid-trade-tensions.html Wed, 25 Jun 2025 12:04:03 +0530 Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has hinted that Japan may ramp up U.S. corn imports—particularly for ethanol and biomass use—as part of ongoing trade talks with Washington. Speaking in parliament, Ishiba maintained that Japan won’t compromise its domestic agriculture for tariff relief on automobiles, but left the door open to energy-related corn imports, citing Japan’s poor suitability for corn cultivation. The move could help offset Japan’s limited progress in securing exemptions from steep new U.S. tariffs, including a looming 24 per cent auto tariff starting July. The U.S., reeling from an 80 per cent drop in corn exports to China, shipped $2.8 billion worth of corn to Japan in 2024—highlighting the strategic value of this trade lever. Behind the scenes, Japanese negotiators are working to avoid economic fallout, with top trade envoy Ryosei Akazawa recently making a second visit to Washington for consultations. With energy security and trade pressure intersecting, corn-for-cars may emerge as a critical bargaining chip in the months ahead. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3049/japans-sakata-emea-replaces-microplastics-with-biodegradable-material-for-seed-coating.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3049/japans-sakata-emea-replaces-microplastics-with-biodegradable-material-for-seed-coating.html Wed, 25 Jun 2025 11:22:16 +0530 Sakata EMEA is one of the first seed companies in the world to choose polymers made from renewable natural raw materials.  Japan based  Sakata EMEA  markets uncoated and coated seeds. As of 1st April 2025 (as stock is gradually cleared), the film applied to coated seeds no longer contains microplastics: it is now 100 per cent biosourced and biodegradable. Beginning in June 2025, the film applied to coated seeds sold by Sakata will no longer contain microplastics, as they will replace it with a coating that is 100 per cent bio-based and biodegradable. Sakata EMEA has decided to anticipate European regulations (2) which will require seed manufacturers to stop using products containing microplastics. Sakata EMEA has carried out tests on several seeds since 2020, first in the laboratory and then on a large scale, guaranteeing its customers the same quality: - same bright light blue coating colour. Sakata EMEA is one of the first seed companies in the world to choose polymers made from renewable natural raw materials. This is a choice that reflects the company’s commitment to respecting the environment and constant innovation to anticipate market requirements. Regulation (EU) 2023/2055 restricts synthetic polymer microparticles on their own or intentionally added to mixtures with the aim of reducing the emission of microplastics in everyday products in order to protect the environment. The EU considers synthetic polymer particles smaller than 5 mm that are organic, insoluble and resistant to degradation to be microplastics. These types of particles are present in many products such as: glitter, facial scrubs and other types of cosmetics, detergents waxes, polishes and air fresheners, certain fertilisers, plant protection products and seeds treated with them, biocides, other agricultural and horticultural products other than those listed above certain medical devices covered by Regulation (EU) 2017/745 granular infill for use in synthetic sports surfaces (such as rubber substrate for artificial turf sports surfaces). ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3042/peak-energy-acquires-48-mw-ready-to-build-solar-portfolio-in-japan.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/3042/peak-energy-acquires-48-mw-ready-to-build-solar-portfolio-in-japan.html Fri, 20 Jun 2025 09:49:45 +0530 The portfolio of projects will come online progressively over 2026-2028 and be combined with battery storage to maximize climate impact and cost savings for customers Peak Energy, one of the fastest-growing renewable energy developers in Asia, has completed the acquisition of a unique portfolio of ready-to-build (RTB) high-voltage solar sites in Japan. Located across different regions of Japan, including Tokyo and Tohoku, the projects have a combined capacity of 48 MW, sufficient to produce nearly 60 GWh of zero-carbon electricity per year, equivalent to the power consumption of around 15,000 households. In the process, the solar systems will help avoid nearly 27,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, equivalent to removing around 9,000 cars from the road. The solar plants are scheduled to come on stream over 2026-2027, with the electricity output sold to corporates through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs). Prices will be fixed from day one until the end of the 20+ year PPAs, allowing customers to make immediate savings on their electricity bills and to shield themselves from fluctuations in electricity tariffs over the long term. Selected sites will also see battery energy storage systems (BESS) collocated with the solar PV installations, allowing customers to make additional savings and expand their use of renewable power into the night. This transaction further highlights Peak Energy's rapid growth in Japan, following the acquisition earlier in 2025 of another set of ready-to-build high-voltage solar sites, of 11 MW. Peak Energy since 2022 also co-owns a 28 MW solar plant in Kyushu and actively offers corporate power users in the country a range of energy services, such as cheap onsite solar PPAs, offsite solar PPAs and collocated solar+BESS PPAs. "This acquisition further cements our position in Japan, where we are now uniquely positioned to serve large power consumers with cheap, clean energy at the scale the require and within the timeframe they need to meet their climate objectives," said Gavin Adda, CEO of Peak Energy. "I am particularly excited about Peak now also adding storage to some of our sites, to offer time-shifted PPAs, and helping some of our most ambitious consumers get closer to their 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy ambitions." Headquartered in Singapore, Peak Energy develops, owns, and operates renewable energy assets across Asia. Peak Energy delivers clean, affordable, and reliable power solutions to corporate customers through a diverse range of business models, including utility-scale solar, off-site and on-site corporate PPAs, and battery storage. Across the Asia-Pacific region, Peak owns over 200 MW of solar projects in operation or under construction, along with 298 MWh of battery energy storage capacity in operation or under construction. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2996/biotropics-malaysia-berhad-inks-mou-with-ask-intercity-to-boost-herbal-ingredients-market-in-japan.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2996/biotropics-malaysia-berhad-inks-mou-with-ask-intercity-to-boost-herbal-ingredients-market-in-japan.html Fri, 06 Jun 2025 10:32:26 +0530 Partnership to the develop and market high-quality, clinically supported herbal ingredients In a significant move to advance natural, evidence-based health solutions in Japan, Biotropics Malaysia Berhad has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ASK Intercity Co., Ltd. for the sales and distribution of Physta® Tongkat Ali, Biotropics' proprietary standardized extract, in the Japanese market. The MOU signing took place at the Malaysian Pavillion of the World Expo Osaka 2025, during the opening of 'Sustainable Agriculture Week' witnessed by The Honorable Datuk Seri Haji Mohamad bin Sabu, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security. This partnership unites two companies with a shared commitment to the development and marketing of high-quality, clinically supported herbal ingredients. With decades of industry experience, both companies are dedicated to raising the standards of natural product innovation through scientific rigor, transparency and product integrity. Physta® Tongkat Ali, developed through a landmark collaboration between the Malaysian Government and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), stands as one of the world's most clinically studied Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia) extracts. It is backed by over 20 clinical studies and has been shown to support energy, vitality, libido, immunity, stress management and hormonal health. Recently, new research from Biotropics has uncovered Physta®'s efficacy in supporting hormonal balance and reducing stress in pre- and postmenopausal women—a breakthrough expansion from its earlier positioning as a male-centric supplement. This positions Physta® as a versatile ingredient for a broader demographic, supporting both men and women in managing age-related health challenges naturally. "In light of Japan's rapidly ageing population and growing demand for preventive, plant-based health solutions, we believe Physta® brings timely and relevant benefits," said Haliza Ramli, CEO of Biotropics Malaysia. "There is a surge of interest for Tongkat Ali globally and this collaboration reflects a mutual vision: to deliver clinically supported, high-quality herbal ingredients that meet the needs of discerning, health-conscious consumers." The MOU aims to redefine natural wellness in one of Asia's most mature and discerning health markets and sets foundation for future cooperation between Malaysia and Japan in the field of herbal science, innovation and market development. Biotropics' portfolio—including BioKesum®, SLP+®, Nu-Femme®, and Eurecta®—continues to expand, driven by strong IP, clinical validation and Malaysia's rich botanical heritage. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2999/japanese-govt-agency-jica-invests-in-brazilian-digital-banking-platform-agrolend.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2999/japanese-govt-agency-jica-invests-in-brazilian-digital-banking-platform-agrolend.html Fri, 06 Jun 2025 08:41:30 +0530 Financing small- and medium-sized farmers in Brazil Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is supporting Brazilian digital bank Agrolend which has raised $3 million in a Series C extension, bringing the round’s total to $56 million. The additional funding comes from JICA, supports economic growth in developing countries with long-term, low-interest loans and access to partnerships with private-sector companies, among other things. Agrolend’s platform offers farmers credit for purchase of agricultural inputs (e.g., seeds, crop protection products), formalizing these loans via the issuance of a Cédula de Produto Rural Financeira (CPR-F), a common financial instrument in Brazilian agribusiness. The idea is to help small- and medium-sized farmers in Brazil bypass many of the bureaucratic barriers that would normally stand in their way when it comes to obtaining much-needed credit. Agrolend says it can speed up the loan process to a matter of days, rather than weeks or months; it currently provides credit to around 3,700 farmers. The company sees itself as a digital bank, rather than simply another agrifintech platform. Last year, Agrolend obtained a BBB+ rating from Moody’s, officially making it investment grade. Alternative source of funding to finance rural producers The Series C round, first announced in October 2024, included participation from Creation Investments and Syngenta Group Ventures, along with Japanese agribusiness bank Norinchukin Bank. The latter was instrumental in bringing access to Japanese capital markets to Agrolend, according to the company. “The arrival of JICA brings us an alternative source of funding to finance rural producers around Brazil, thanks to its ability to offer [credit] to financial institutions at highly competitive costs,” Agrolend noted a LinkedIn post announcing the Series C extension. JICA provides capital to many banks in Brazil, including cooperative financial initiative Sicredi and BTG Pactual, Latin America’s largest investment bank. He notes that over the last several months, Agrolend has entered the wholesale banking space. Cofounder and CEO André Glezer notes that over the last several months, Agrolend has entered the wholesale banking space. “The benefit for us is making a partnership with an investor that is willing to support the company with a lot of capital, both equity and debt, and in the very long term. We are doing structured credit deals with very large industries, cooperatives and other players in the agribusiness space. For example, Agrolend did a ~R$100 million (around $18 million) structured loan to UPL, one of the largest agribusiness companies in the world. All credit loans are supported by our tech and data team, with a lot of usage of AI, which is transforming the whole banking business, including Agrolend, making all processes much more efficient.” Glezer says. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2989/welzo-expands-to-south-east-asia-by-establishing-subsidiary-in-singapore.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2989/welzo-expands-to-south-east-asia-by-establishing-subsidiary-in-singapore.html Wed, 04 Jun 2025 10:32:02 +0530 Agri-horticultural sector welzo Inc., an innovation-driven company in the agri-horticultural sector has established a wholly owned subsidiary, welzo Singapore PTE. LTD., in Singapore as of June 2, 2025. This move marks a significant step in accelerating its  expansion into the Southeast Asian market and strengthening its global business development. welzo has been actively expanding its business both domestically and internationally. Considering the rapid growth and diverse opportunities in the Southeast Asian market, weve strategically chosen Singapore as its regional base. With its excellent business environment and international connectivity, Singapore serves as a key hub for accessing ASEAN countries. Its Singapore office will serve as a central hub for marketing and business development across Southeast Asia, focusing on the following key areas: - Development and Execution of Marketing Strategies for Southeast Asia  welzo will implement promotional initiatives tailored to the market characteristics and consumer trends of each country, aiming to enhance brand recognition and expand sales channels. The company will also actively participate in trade shows and collaborate with local partners on marketing efforts. - Import and Export of Agricultural Products, Feed Ingredients, and Pet Supplies  through partnerships with local agricultural and pet-related businesses, we will establish a responsive supply system.  The company will promote the export of high-quality, safe Japanese products and the import of raw materials that meet local needs. - Building Local Partnerships and Optimizing the Supply Chain  Its Singapore office will centrally manage logistics, customs, and quality control operations to establish a more efficient and flexible supply chain. - Recruitment and Development of Local Talent  we will actively recruit skilled local professionals to promote regionally rooted business operations.  The company aim to provide multilingual and culturally sensitive services. This new office will serve as a core base for its Southeast Asian operations and is expected to play a pivotal role in future regional expansion and global business growth. By leveraging its  Singapore office, we will strengthen its  ability to deliver value tailored to local needs and foster co-creation with local communities. The welzo Group remains committed to contributing to a sustainable global society by promoting environmentally and socially responsible business practices. Through collaboration and co-creation with diverse partners across regions and industries, we aim to deliver new value on a global scale. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2972/japan-and-irri-aims-to-reduce-ghg-emissions-via-capdev-and-infrastructure-improvements.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2972/japan-and-irri-aims-to-reduce-ghg-emissions-via-capdev-and-infrastructure-improvements.html Fri, 30 May 2025 09:42:09 +0530 The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) officially launched a new initiative that aims to promote sustainable, low-carbon rice-farming in the ASEAN region. Called “Accelerating development and scaling of agricultural innovations for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in ASEAN Countries” project (AGRI Project), the initiative will focus on capacity building for partners, and infrastructure development to improve IRRI’s soil laboratory and upgrade its equipment for better efficiency Rice production accounts for 48 per cent of cropland methane emissions and 11 per cent of total agricultural GHG emissions worldwide. “There is huge potential to mitigate the impacts of climate change in rice production. The AGRI Project was conceptualized to contribute to development and scaling of agricultural innovations that can reduce emissions while maintaining productivity,” said Dr. Virender Kumar, IRRI Sustainable Impact through Rice-based Systems Department Research Director in his opening remarks during the Kickoff Program. The AGRI Project will conduct trainings to build the capacity of researchers and partners in advanced GHG measurement techniques, data analytics, and measurement services. These include the “Training on GHG Emissions in Rice Systems: Basics of Mechanisms and Standards for Measurements,” which was held immediately following the AGRI project’s Kickoff Program. Through the AGRI project, IRRI’s soil laboratory will also be upgraded. State-of-the-art equipment including additional units of Gas Chromatography (GC) will be purchased. The GC will enable accurate measurement of GHG emissions. “It is inspiring to witness such a dedicated gathering of colleagues, partners, and experts committed to advancing climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable rice farming systems across ASEAN,” said Dr. Anilyn Maningas, IRRI Education Head. Seisuke Inoue, MAFF Japan Director of International Research Collaboration Division, emphasized the urgent need for collective action. “Building on the success of the ongoing MAFF Japan-IRRI Project on “Development of Rice Cropping Systems Toward Carbon Neutrality and Food Security in ASEAN Countries” last year, MAFF-Japan is funding a complementary project, the AGRI Project, which aims to establish the necessary research infrastructure and training systems,” he noted. Both projects will contribute to the ASEAN-CGIAR Innovate for Food Regional Program Intervention Package 2: Carbon Neutrality and Circular Agriculture. Dr. Kazuki Saito, IRRI Senior Scientist and AGRI Project Lead, provided an overview of the project's objectives and implementation plan. “Through capacity building, infrastructure development, and regional collaboration, we aim to generate reliable emission data and develop innovative practices that can be scaled regionally, contributing to climate change mitigation and food security,” he stated. Kenta Matsumoto, the Section Chief of International Strategy Division at MAFF Japan, explained how the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) helps reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through sustainable farming practices like Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD). The JCM creates a way to measure, verify, and certify GHG reductions. AWD effectively lowers methane emissions from rice farming. By using AWD in JCM projects, countries can earn JCM carbon credits, called Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), which help meet GHG reduction targets outlined in national commitments under the Paris Agreement. The potential economic benefits of JCM credits from AWD are significant for Asian countries. These AWD-JCM projects not only address climate change but also promote sustainable farming, which can increase farmers' incomes and encourage wider adoption of these practices. “IRRI's enhanced measurement capabilities through its upgraded soil laboratories and trained personnel and partners ensure reliable data collection and verification. MAFF Japan will further collaborate with IRRI to promote and expand collaboration with partners to issue reliable agricultural credits.” said Mr. Matsumoto. Dr. Ando Radanielson, IRRI Senior Scientist, highlighted the importance of the MAFF Japan-IRRI partnership in transforming rice-based agri-food systems. “We thank the Government of Japan for their continued support in helping the ASEAN region achieve national and global climate goals,” she noted. The Kickoff Program for the AGRI Project was held as a hybrid event at the IRRI Headquarters, Philippines, with 65 in-person and online participants from the government and non-government organizations, the private sector, and IRRI. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2937/malaysia-japan-seal-rm1-34b-deals-at-expo-2025-osaka.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2937/malaysia-japan-seal-rm1-34b-deals-at-expo-2025-osaka.html Wed, 21 May 2025 10:05:47 +0530 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 to advance biogas technology development in Southeast Asia. In the third agreement, Glyken Bio Products Sdn Bhd, a BioNexus Status company, signed a Memorandum of Agreement and supply contract with Japan's Respect Co., Ltd. to distribute its bird's nest glycopeptide-based products in the Japanese market. At the Malaysia Pavilion during MOSTI Week, the event marked a crucial milestone in strengthening Malaysia-Japan collaboration to promote a low-carbon, bio-based economy. The initiative was led by the Malaysian Bioeconomy Development Corporation, an agency under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Bioeconomy Corporation said the collaborations involve the development of renewable energy and the commercialisation of sustainable biotechnology products, aligning with the aspirations of the National Biotechnology Policy 2.0 and global sustainability goals. Chief executive officer, Mohd Khairul Fidzal Abdul Razak, stated that choosing Japan as Malaysia's strategic partner in innovation and technology highlights the importance of international collaboration in driving green economic growth and tackling global climate issues. "Malaysia is proud to showcase the nation's bioeconomy potential to the global market through strategic collaborations such as this. While leveraging Japan's expertise in green innovation, BioNexus Status companies and those under the Bio-based Accelerator (BBA) programme are well positioned to drive transformation in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and bio-based products," he said. Mohd Khairul said this collaboration not only creates economic benefits but also plays a significant role in promoting a more sustainable, low-carbon future on both regional and global scales. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2934/sakata-seed-corporations-subsidiary-in-turkiye-inaugurated-a-new-research-station-in-antalya.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2934/sakata-seed-corporations-subsidiary-in-turkiye-inaugurated-a-new-research-station-in-antalya.html Wed, 21 May 2025 09:53:35 +0530 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, and offices. This investment will allow Sakata to reinforce its cucumber research programmes and further expand its current tomato and pepper research programmes. These R&D efforts will enable the creation of new varieties to address the needs of Turkish growers and plant raisers, as well as to meet the expectations of the European, Middle East, and Central Asia markets. The Sakata Group leverages both ancestral knowledge and cutting-edge technology to develop vegetable seeds that meet the highest standards: taste, disease resistance, and adaptability to climatic challenges. Its mission is to contribute to the betterment of life and culture of people around the world with values created by its innovative vegetable varieties and services. Vegetable Seeds market is expected to reach $14.18B by 2033 from $ 8.03B in 2024, with a CAGR of 6.53% from 2024 to 2030. The Asia Pacific region is expanding due to factors such population expansion, rising vegetable demand, and agricultural technology developments. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2920/japan-forges-as-australias-third-largest-trading-partner-in-horticulture-aims-175-6-m-trade-value-in-2025.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2920/japan-forges-as-australias-third-largest-trading-partner-in-horticulture-aims-175-6-m-trade-value-in-2025.html Mon, 19 May 2025 12:36:02 +0530 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 and this figure continues to grow for the whole citrus industry. In fact, Australian citrus export value and volume to Japan grew by 24% and 15% respectively compared to the previous year, suggesting improved pricing and stronger returns per unit, or a shift toward higher-value products in market. There has also been particularly strong growth in the grapefruit, lemon and lime categories with grapefruit recording an average of 17% year-on-year growth over five years and lemons and limes showing even stronger performance with 54% average year-on-year growth over the same period. This growth reflects Japan’s confidence in Australian citrus, driven by our reliability, quality, and strong trade relationships, yet there is always more we can do to expand this further. Through a variety of strategic initiatives, in-market events, and collaborative partnerships, Hort Innovation is actively working to deepen industry networks in Japan to showcase the best of Australian horticulture and solidify the reputation of our growers in the Japanese market. Earlier on March 11th, as part of the Australia-Japan Horticulture Showcase initiative titled "The Taste of the Land Down Under in the Land of the Rising Sun event, and the "Taste the Wonders of Australia" event, hosted on April 9 by the Australian Food and Wine Collaboration Group, have been pivotal moments in strengthening relationships with Japan. These events featured: Export market roundtable discussions: Engaging with industry and government contacts to discuss market opportunities and challenges. Food and wine workshops: Showcasing the best of Australian food and wine to local food industry representatives. Gala dinners: Highlighting premium Australian produce to over 100 Japanese food and trade representatives. The Australia-Japan Showcase was hosted by Hort Innovation, Austrade and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), with support from Global Victoria, and the Tasmanian Government. The ongoing program is funded by Hort Innovation Frontiers and DAFF’s Showcasing Australian Horticulture Grant. The investment by the Australian Food and Wine Collaboration Group is also funded by Hort Innovation Frontiers supported by Agriculture Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC) grants. The events saw strong representation from both the Australian horticulture industry and government, showcasing collaborative efforts to strengthen trade ties with Japan. Japanese industry leaders, who visited Australia during October last year as part of a study tour, returned for the events to once again experience the delicious fruits, vegetables and nuts on offer and shared a number of key insights. Key insights from Japan: Price sensitivity and quality preference: Fresh produce prices in Japan have increased by 19%, making Japanese consumers more price conscious, however, with a high preference for quality and premium produce remaining strong, Australian fruit, vegetables and nuts – which are seen as clean, green, and safe – continue to enhance Australia’s reputation in the market. Strategic partnership: Given the high level of uncertainty that is happening at a global level, the Japanese Government is looking to work with a strong and consistent partner. Given Australia’s counter-seasonal offering and mutual interest in joint production for third-country markets and value chain collaboration, we are seen to be a critical partner. Sustainability creates opportunity: Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in Japan this provides an opportunity for Australia to showcase its sustainability efforts and future-focused initiatives in the horticulture space. Brand Australia: Growers are encouraged to support the ‘brand Australia’ image to increase brand awareness of produce exported to the market. This will also help with increasing awareness of the quality of our products. Alignment on significance of agriculture: Agriculture is an integral part of both Australia and Japan’s cultural fabric; a sentiment strongly reflected across both trips. Through continuing to build relationships, we hope to see this cultural tie bring our countries even closer together. These collaborative efforts and strategic engagements are set to pave the way for a thriving and mutually beneficial trade relationship between Australia and Japan. As Hort Innovation and its partners continue to build on these initiatives, we hope the Australian horticulture industry will continue to see benefits within the Japanese market. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2900/vietnam-japan-firms-sign-deals-to-develop-innovation-cooperation-ecosystem.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2900/vietnam-japan-firms-sign-deals-to-develop-innovation-cooperation-ecosystem.html Wed, 07 May 2025 12:01:51 +0530 Businesses from Vietnam and Japan signed numerous MoUs aimed at developing a cooperation ecosystem in innovation and high-tech industries on the sidelines of a forum in Hanoi on Monday. Nguyen Thanh Binh, deputy CEO of Vietnamese conglomerate T&T Group, told the forum that her group is collaborating with Japanese partners on several green energy projects. For instance, T&T is partnering with Japan’s Marubeni Corporation to jointly research and develop offshore wind power projects with a total capacity of 3,000-4,000 MW in the Gulf of Tonkin. The Vietnam-Japan forum on cooperation in strategic industries, high technology, green transition, and semiconductors was organized on occasion of Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru's official visit from April 27 to 29. T&T, together with Japanese partners including Erex and Sumitomo Forestry, is proposing to invest in around 10 biomass power plants, and convert coal-fired power plants to biomass co-firing. The group is also working with other Japanese partners such as Sojitz, Itochu, and Marubeni to implement the Direct Power Purchase Agreement (DPPA) mechanism. At the event, Nguyen Trung Chính, chairman of leading tech firm CMC Corporation, expressed his hope that Japan will continue to support Vietnam in developing science-technology and innovation, and especially in transfer of high technology. Chairman of tech giant FPT Corporation Truong Gia Binh noted that last week, two leading Japanese financial and industrial groups - Sumitomo Corporation and SBI Holdings - decided to cooperate with FPT and Nvidia to build an artificial intelligence plant in Japan. The facility aims to provide cutting-edge computing power for Japan's AI transformation. Addressing the forum, Japanese PM Ishiba Shigeru expressed his strong belief that the potential for cooperation between Japan and Vietnam is limitless. He noted that in the 1990s, Japan’s manufacturing sector expanded into Vietnam, contributing significantly to the Southeast Asian country's economic growth. "With a population of 100 million and an abundant, high-quality labor force, Vietnam is truly a promising investment destination." During his visit to the Thang Long Industrial Park on Sunday afternoon, just hours after arriving in Hanoi, Shigeru said he deeply felt the close cooperation between Japanese and Vietnamese businesses operating there. According to the Japanese Embassy, the PM visited Canon Vietnam’s factory and met with representatives of several Japanese companies active in the park, such as Denso Vietnam, MHI Aerospace Vietnam, and Toto Vietnam. Amid growing global economic uncertainty, Shigeru emphasized that collaboration between Japan and Vietnam - two countries with tightly linked supply chains - offers a major opportunity to advance industrial capabilities. He affirmed that enhancing Vietnam’s high-tech industry and improving its resilience to external shocks will benefit both nations. The Japanese government, together with the private sector, is committed to advancing this goal through close public-private partnership, including human resource development and decarbonization efforts. According to Ishiba, during his talk with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh on Monday, the two leaders agreed to upgrade the Japan-Vietnam economic partnership within the framework of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Regarding human resource training in semiconductors - a key focus area for Vietnam - the two sides are preparing to launch a training program for semiconductor technology engineers at the Vietnam-Japan University, a flagship collaborative project. Japan will also receive around 250 PhD researchers in the semiconductor field, which accounts for half of Vietnam’s national strategic goal in this area. Additionally, the two countries will promote the exchange of next-generation talent in advanced science and technology. To expand investment in Vietnam and enhance its industrial capabilities, Japan will support the construction of a polycrystalline silicon production plant - an essential material in the semiconductor supply chain - and accelerate decarbonization efforts in Vietnam’s industrial parks. Japan is also cooperating with the National Innovation Center (NIC) to connect startups with leading enterprises from both countries, achieving initial results. The country will help to strengthen the NIC’s functions to promote Vietnam’s startup ecosystem. In the field of decarbonization and energy cooperation, several major projects are underway, including offshore wind power, power transmission networks, and biomass energy. PM Chinh called for deeper cooperation and support in fields such as technology transfer, green finance, human resource development, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, international financial centers, and green transition. He also urged for continued Japanese support to help the NIC fulfill its role as the core of Vietnam’s innovation ecosystem. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2897/indonesia-japan-explore-cooperation-in-agricultural-technology.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2897/indonesia-japan-explore-cooperation-in-agricultural-technology.html Mon, 05 May 2025 13:03:27 +0530 To achieve modern agricultural clusters, bilateral cooperation can also include trade and agricultural technology. Indonesia and Japan expressed their readiness to explore cooperation in agricultural technology to mitigate the risks posed by climate change, said Indonesian Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman. The cooperation was marked by a meeting between Sulaiman and Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF), Eto Taku, in Jakarta. "Currently, the most important aspect is cooperation in technology to mitigate the risks of climate change," Sulaiman stated at the press conference. He noted that several countries are facing challenges in the agricultural sector due to global climate change. Both ministers also acknowledged challenges in the agricultural sector, considering the high temperatures that can affect farmers' productivity. "We are experiencing the same problem, namely, extremely hot weather due to high temperatures. This phenomenon caused a decrease in our production. Climate change results in low productivity that affects farmers' income as well," he pointed out. On the other hand, Sulaiman highlighted that Indonesia has fertile land with ample water resources, presenting an opportunity to establish cooperation in realizing modern agricultural clusters. He noted that the two countries are considering conducting trade in addition to agricultural technology. Sulaiman stated that Indonesia has a surplus of crude palm oil (CPO), while Japan has excess cow's milk production. "We offered CPO and requested Japanese milk for Indonesia, as our milk supply is still insufficient. Technical details of this trade cooperation will be discussed later," he noted. Earlier, Sulaiman stated that Malaysia had also shown interest in learning about Indonesia's agricultural system for preparing food reserve stocks, especially in the face of climate change. The minister stated that Malaysia struggles to maintain productivity due to climate change, while Indonesia has succeeded through rapid steps such as pumping. "They want to learn about seedlings, water management, shallow wells, deep wells, and pump irrigation. They planned to send their team to study in Indonesia," Sulaiman stated. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2890/wwp-partners-with-japans-sumitomo-unit-to-build-300-mw-wind-farm-in-western-australia.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2890/wwp-partners-with-japans-sumitomo-unit-to-build-300-mw-wind-farm-in-western-australia.html Fri, 02 May 2025 13:00:42 +0530 The future wind park is expected to generate around 1 TWh of electricity per year and will help decarbonise industries by supplying green energy volumes Wind with Purpose (WWP), a Perth-based onshore and offshore wind developer, has tied up with compatriot Quenda Wind Power Pty Ltd (QWP), a subsidiary of Japanese trader Sumitomo Corp, to jointly advance an over 300-MW wind project in Western Australia. The Marradong Wind Farm that will be built southeast of Boddington, in Western Australia’s South West region, will help decarbonise industries by supplying green energy volumes, WWP. Together with QWP it will now work towards obtaining a development approval. The future wind park is expected to generate around 1 TWh of electricity per year, which will help offset around 557,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually. The partnership follows WWP’s collaboration with consultancy Barrington Energy Pty Ltd and the Gnaala Karla Booja Aboriginal Corporation (GKB) for a 2-GW offshore wind project in Western Australia. The company said it is growing its portfolio in its home state and also plans to expand its reach to Ireland. It aims to deliver more than 5.5 GW in wind capacity across both Western Australia and Ireland. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2887/taiwan-ministry-of-agriculture-expands-presence-in-japan.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2887/taiwan-ministry-of-agriculture-expands-presence-in-japan.html Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:23:29 +0530 Taiwan exports of the fruit to Japan hit a record high of 19,373 tons in 2024 indicating robust bilateral relationship An agricultural section was inaugurated at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan April 28 in Tokyo, marking a new milestone in the already robust bilateral relationship. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the new entity was jointly inaugurated by Deputy Minister Hu Jong-i and Lee I-yang, Taiwan's representative to Japan. It is the third of its kind, with one at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States and the other at the Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium. The MOA said Taiwan and Japan are important agricultural and fishery partners, with Japan being the fourth largest supplier of agricultural imports to Taiwan and taking nearly 15 % of such exports from Taiwan. The two countries also share extensive exchanges and reciprocal visits, the MOA said, adding that the newly created section will play a critical role in expanding mutual understanding and paving the way for more cooperation across the board. The ministry said Hu also visited three Japanese firms April 25 in Hokkaido that are involved in a cooperative project that uses Taiwan-grown rice for group meals in the region, and expressed desire to see Taiwan become a primary supplier of quality rice to Japan. Later in the day, Hu took part in an event at a supermarket chain to promote Taiwan-grown pineapples. MOA statistics show that Taiwan exports of the fruit to Japan hit a record high of 19,373 tons in 2024. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2879/japanese-innovator-develops-a-farm-robot-algorithm-for-autonomous-strawberry-harvesting.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2879/japanese-innovator-develops-a-farm-robot-algorithm-for-autonomous-strawberry-harvesting.html Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:00:35 +0530 Autonomous driving algorithm for robot using lidar shows promise with high-bed cultivation methods Japan's Osaka Metropolitan University Assistant Professor Takuya Fujinaga has developed an algorithm for robots to autonomously drive in two modes: moving to a pre-designated destination and moving alongside raised cultivation beds. The Graduate School of Engineering researcher experimented with an agricultural robot that utilizes lidar point cloud data to map the environment. Strawberry fields forever will exist for the in-demand fruit, but the laborers who do the backbreaking work of harvesting them might continue to dwindle. While raised, high-bed cultivation somewhat eases the manual labor, the need for robots to help harvest strawberries, tomatoes, and other such produce is apparent. A farm robot using lidar shows it can harvest strawberries from a high-bed cultivation field. Lidar uses light in laser pulses as a remote sensing method. The farming robot can thus move accurately while maintaining a constant distance from the cultivation bed, with its effectiveness verified in virtual and actual environments. “If robots can move around the farm more precisely, the range of tasks that they can perform automatically will expand, not only for harvesting, but also for monitoring for disease and pruning,” Professor Fujinaga explained. “My research shows a possibility, and once this type of agricultural robot becomes more practical to use, it will make a significant contribution to improving work efficiency and reducing labor, especially for high-bed cultivation.” The work was supported by Ozawa and Yoshikawa Memorial Electronics Research Foundation. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2868/japans-ef-polymer-accelerates-global-expansion-and-rd-to-reduce-water-and-fertilizer-use-in-agriculture.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2868/japans-ef-polymer-accelerates-global-expansion-and-rd-to-reduce-water-and-fertilizer-use-in-agriculture.html Mon, 21 Apr 2025 13:25:45 +0530 EF Polymer is a pioneering deep-tech startup focused on creating 100% organic super absorbent polymers (SAP) to significantly benefit farmers and reduce production costs EF Polymer, a deep-tech startup developing 100% organic super absorbent polymers, announced that it has raised JPY 1 billion (approx. $6.6 million) in the first close of its Series B round. A new overseas manufacturing facility will be established with funds raised to accelerate R&D and business development. Founded with a mission to solve global water challenges and improve farmers’ livelihoods, EF Polymer has created a bio-based alternative to petroleum-derived absorbents, helping reduce water and fertilizer use in agriculture while improving yields. Its materials are also expanding into non-agricultural applications such as cosmetics and personal care. EF Polymer has delivered products to farmers in Japan, the U.S., and France, with cumulative sales over 400 tons by 2025. Amid rising concerns over drought and fertilizer costs driven by climate change, global demand continues to rise, with commercial trials now underway in over 20 countries. By expanding into new markets like horticulture, landscaping, and urban greening, the company plans to meet this demand. EF Polymer is also scaling its presence in non-agricultural markets. Recent projects include a biodegradable ice pack, co-developed with Iwatani Corporation, and absorbent sheets in partnership with Soken Chemical. Its polymer solutions offer a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based ingredients commonly used across industries, contributing to the green transformation. R&D Focus Areas EF Polymer will prioritize R&D efforts across the following areas: Raw material innovation: Diversifying sources beyond orange and banana peel Circular manufacturing: building a closed-loop, sustainable production model Scaling production: Piloting and implementation of multi-site manufacturing New product development: Expand polymer applications outside agriculture Narayan Gurjar, Founder and CEO of EF Polymer said: “EF Polymer exists to solve water-related challenges and improve farmers' lives. This Series B funding marks a major step forward in scaling our solutions globally and building a truly circular, sustainable business.” EF Polymer is a pioneering deep-tech startup focused on creating 100% organic super absorbent polymers (SAP) made from orange peels. In addition to reducing production costs, especially in water and fertilizer usage, EF Polymer's product boosts crop yields. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2850/japans-tsubame-bhb-signs-loi-with-brazilian-company-on-green-ammonia-manufacturing-facilities-project.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2850/japans-tsubame-bhb-signs-loi-with-brazilian-company-on-green-ammonia-manufacturing-facilities-project.html Fri, 11 Apr 2025 11:00:41 +0530 This new plant will produce 20,000 tons of ammonia per year to replace fossil-based fertilizers in agriculture Tsubame BHB Co., Ltd. , which is aiming for the social implementation and commercialization of distributed ammonia manufacturing plants, has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with ATVOS AGROINDUSTRIAL PARTICIPAÇÕES S.A in Brazil, one of the leading biofuels companies in Brazil regarding a green aqueous ammonia factory in Mineiros (GO), where Atvos's Morro Vermelho Unit (UMV) is located, responsible for ethanol production. The new plant will have an installed capacity of 20,000 tons of the product. It will be used to replace fossil-based fertilizers applied to agricultural areas at both UMV and the Alto Taquari Unit (UAT), located in the homonymous municipality in Mato Grosso. With this solution, Atvos estimates it will avoid the emission of approximately 11 thousand tons of CO2 per year, significantly reducing its carbon footprint. The execution of this LOI was witnessed by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, at the Japan-Brazil Economic Forum held in Tokyo on March 26, 2025. On 28th March, Mr. Caio Dafico, Investment and Business Development VP at Atvos, visited Tsubame BHB for a tour of the pilot plant, and to conduct discussions on future directions for the project. Tsubame BHB will further accelerate its efforts to secure this first order for an overseas unit, and to rapidly promote overseas deployment. Atvos CEO Bruno Serapião said, "As one of the largest biofuels producers in Brazil with the purpose to lead the energy transition to move the world and transform lives, Atvos seeks to contribute to the decarbonization of the globe's leading economies while also reducing the carbon footprint of its own operations. Thus, the partnership with Tsubame to produce green ammonia represents a significant step toward achieving this goal, as it will enable us to reduce the use of fossil-based nitrogen fertilizers and further strengthen our commitment to fostering the social and economic development of the countryside cities where we are located through job and income generation. Tsubame BHB CEO Koji Nakamura explained "Brazil has great potential to become a major producer of green hydrogen, by leveraging its abundant renewable energy resources, and it is also a major agricultural nation that consumes nitrogen-based fertilizers in high volumes. As such, I believe that it is one of the countries that can manufacture green ammonia as a fertilizer at the small distributed ammonia synthesis plants offered by Tsubame BHB. I consider it a great honor to be able to collaborate with a major Brazilian bioethanol manufacturing company like Atvos, and I hope that through this collaboration, we can contribute to the decarbonization of agriculture in Brazil. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2846/new-joint-venture-to-construct-worlds-largest-low-carbon-green-ammonia-plant-in-louisiana-by-2029.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2846/new-joint-venture-to-construct-worlds-largest-low-carbon-green-ammonia-plant-in-louisiana-by-2029.html Wed, 09 Apr 2025 12:50:17 +0530 CF Industries announces Joint Venture with JERA Co., Inc., and Mitsui & Co., Inc., for production and offtake of Low-Carbon Ammonia CF Industries Holdings, Inc., the world’s largest producer of ammonia, has formed a joint venture with JERA Co., Inc. (JERA), Japan’s largest energy company, and Mitsui & Co., Inc. (Mitsui), a leading global investment and trading company, for the construction, production and offtake of low-carbon ammonia. Greenfield low-carbon ammonia is primarily used in the agricultural sector as a fertilizer, particularly for nitrogen. it also has potential for use as a low-emission fuel in industries like maritime shipping, power generation, and even as a hydrogen carrier. Additionally, it can be used in the chemical industry and for producing explosives. Yukio Kani, JERA Global CEO and Chair said, “Collaboration and partnership are at the heart of JERA’s strategy to achieve our decarbonization goals. This Blue Point project is a testament to the strong alliances we are building to advance low-carbon solutions. The U.S. remains a cornerstone market for JERA, and this initiative underscores our long-term commitment to expanding our presence with diversified and sustainable energy projects. As we move forward, we will continue to accelerate the availability of low-carbon fuels and develop their supply chains, driving meaningful progress toward a more stable and cleaner energy future.” Kenichi Hori, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mitsui & Co., Ltd, said, “This is a landmark investment with CF Industries and JERA in this large-scale low-carbon ammonia project. Mitsui will establish a low-carbon ammonia value-chain worldwide by leveraging its presence in the US gas value chain from natural gas to chemicals including this project, and our strength and track record in the global trading of ammonia. We aim to lower carbon emissions across various industries through investment in projects of this kind.” Greenfield Low-Carbon Ammonia Capacity Construction Overview The companies estimate that the cost of the low-carbon ATR ammonia production facility with CCS technologies will be approximately $4 billion. Approximately half of the estimated cost is related to materials that will be imported to the United States, with the majority of imported materials expected to arrive in Louisiana in three years. The companies will divide the cost of the ammonia production facility engineering, procurement and construction according to their ownership percentage. Pre-construction activities and engineering evaluations will begin in 2025 at CF Industries’ Blue Point Complex in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. Construction of the ammonia production facility is expected to begin in 2026, with low-carbon ammonia production expected in 2029. The ammonia production facility is designed with an annual nameplate capacity of approximately 1.4 million metric tons and is expected to capture greater than 95% of carbon dioxide generated from the production of ammonia. CF Industries will have operations and maintenance responsibility under a contract with the joint venture. Additionally, CF Industries will build and operate scalable infrastructure at the Blue Point site to supply the ammonia production facility with services including product storage and loading. CF Industries will invest approximately $550 million for these facilities and receive ongoing services revenue from the joint venture ammonia production facility. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2831/korea-japan-and-china-enter-trilateral-fta-to-advance-carbon-neutral-energy-technologies-and-digital-transformation.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2831/korea-japan-and-china-enter-trilateral-fta-to-advance-carbon-neutral-energy-technologies-and-digital-transformation.html Fri, 04 Apr 2025 12:45:18 +0530 Ministers pledged to continue the expansion of trilateral cooperation in economy and trade Korea Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Dukgeun has agreed with his counterparts from Japan and China to expand trilateral cooperation in economy and trade. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in Seoul on March 30 said the 13th trilateral talks on economy and trade among the three countries was held that day at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul's Jung-gu District. Attending the meeting was Minister Ahn, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoji Muto, and Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao. This was the first such gathering since December 2019, when such talks were held in Beijing. At the meeting in Seoul, the three ministers pledged to continue the expansion of trilateral cooperation in economy and trade, saying in a joint media statement, "We keep discussions for speeding up negotiations for a Trilateral FTA (free trade agreement) with a view to realizing a free, fair, comprehensive, high-quality and mutually beneficial FTA with its own value." They also agreed to strengthen communication to improve the business environment, secure supply chains and export controls, and team up in carbon-neutral energy technologies and digital transformation. They also backed regional dialogue such as the 23rd Pan-Yellow Sea Rim Economy and Technology Exchange Conference slated for November in Daejeon. The statement added, "Strengthening cooperation within multilateral frameworks that include all three countries, we expressed support for Korea's upcoming hosting of the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders' Week (AELW) and China for 2026, as well as Japan's hosting of Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai." ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2805/philippines-identifies-and-evaluates-constraints-affecting-philippine-banana-exports-to-japan.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2805/philippines-identifies-and-evaluates-constraints-affecting-philippine-banana-exports-to-japan.html Mon, 24 Mar 2025 12:38:13 +0530 The Philippine banana industry generates over $1 billion in annual sales and provides livelihoods to over 700,000 Filipinos Philippines Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., accompanied by a high-level delegation and representatives from the Philippine banana industry, recently met with Japanese importers in Tokyo to address challenges to country’s banana exports in lucrative Japanese market. Though the Philippines still holds the largest share of the Japanese market, supplying three out of every four bananas consumed, this figure has declined from a peak of nine in every 10. The Japan Banana Importers Association (JBIA) attributes Japanese consumers’ preference for Philippine bananas to their superior freshness and taste. Bananas are a staple for Japanese consumers, who import over 1 million metric tons annually to meet demand. The forum with Japanese banana importers, which included representatives from the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA), focused on quality standards, tariff concerns, and ways to support the industry’s growth. “The banana industry is a lifeline for thousands of farmers and workers, especially in Mindanao, where it serves as a major economic pillar,” said Secretary Tiu Laurel. “To sustain and expand this industry, we must push for tariff reductions on our bananas. This will not only attract greater investment in banana production but also drive poverty alleviation, job creation, and security in Mindanao.” As Japan is the largest market for Philippine bananas, the fruit remains a vital export for Mindanao, generating over USD1 billion in annual sales and providing livelihoods to more than 700,000 Filipinos. A major challenge for Philippine banana exporters is the high tariff under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), which was signed in 2006. Japan collects an 18 % tariff on bananas exported by the Philippines from April to September and a lower 8 % tariff from October to March. In contrast, Japan imposes zero or preferential tariffs on bananas imported from and Cambodia, Laos, Mexico Vietnam. Aleli Maghirang, the Philippines’ agricultural attache in Tokyo, expressed optimism about ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries, which are promising for Philippine banana exports. Secretary Tiu Laurel also assured continued support for banana growers battling   Fusarium wilt, a soil-borne fungal disease that has significantly affected production. Bananas were prominently featured at the Philippine Pavilion during FOODEX Japan 2025, where 32 Filipino companies showcased their high-quality, export-ready products, reinforcing the Philippines’ commitment to strengthening trade ties with Japan. Additionally, during the visit, Secretary Tiu Laurel met with Japan’s State Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Hirofumi Takinami, and Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama to discuss a potential review of JPEPA in light of shifting global economic conditions. Secretary Tiu Laurel commended the Philippine Embassy in Japan and the Office of the Agriculture Attaché in Tokyo for their continued efforts in promoting Philippine agricultural exports, particularly bananas. “This official trip mainly aims to address the pressing issue of declining competitiveness of our Philippine bananas in Japan, which is of utmost importance to the DA. We hope to come up with a common solution with stakeholders to address the tariff issue and negotiate mutually beneficial terms with the Japanese government under the JPEPA,” he said. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2778/japan-and-egypt-partner-to-establish-a-plastic-alternative-production-system-using-agro-industrial-wastes.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2778/japan-and-egypt-partner-to-establish-a-plastic-alternative-production-system-using-agro-industrial-wastes.html Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:32:20 +0530 A innovative circular economy project Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Record of Discussions (RD) with the Government of Egypt in Cairo, as part of the Science and Technology Research Partnership to convert agricultural wastes into plastic products. The innovative Sustainable Development project is themed "The Project for Utilization of Agricultural Wastes for Plastic Alternative Productions to Establish a Circular Economy". A circular economy project has been signed between the governments of Japan and Egypt to utilize agricultural wastes for plastic alternative production. The key players int he project would be "Japan University of Science and Technology" and "The University of Tokyo, University of Tsukuba". Policy recommendations are presented for bringing agricultural waste into the manufacturing sector, thus promoting a circular economy, using plastic alternatives developed from agricultural waste. In an effort to promote circular economy and develop plastic alternatives through the use of agricultural waste as an alternative to plastic, Japan and Egypt signed a record of discussion for a Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development. The project is scheduled to be implemented over five (5) years after Japanese experts arrive in Egypt or five (5) years after the online kick-off meeting takes place after the R/D is signed. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2765/yamaha-motor-launches-yamaha-agriculture-inc-to-deliver-automation-and-digital-crop-management-solutions.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2765/yamaha-motor-launches-yamaha-agriculture-inc-to-deliver-automation-and-digital-crop-management-solutions.html Mon, 03 Mar 2025 13:06:35 +0530 Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (“Yamaha”) today announced the launch of Yamaha Agriculture, Inc., a new company focused on delivering autonomous equipment and AI-powered digital solutions that help growers in the specialty crop market become more sustainable, profitable and resilient in the face of scarcer resources and climate change. Through the strategic acquisitions of Robotics Plus1 and The Yield, Yamaha Agriculture will provide robotics solutions for spraying, weeding and other field operations, while leveraging advanced data analytics and AI to enable precision farming and data-driven decision making for growers of wine grapes, apples and other specialty crops in North America, Australia and New Zealand. “Establishing Yamaha Agriculture is a pivotal milestone in our Long-Term Vision 2030, ART for Human Possibilities. This initiative embodies the three core pillars we aim to achieve in our 2030 Long-Term Vision: Advancing Robotics, Rethinking Solutions and Transforming Mobility,” said Jim Aota, Chief Strategy Officer for Yamaha Motor. “It also aligns with Yamaha’s global technology roadmap, focusing on advanced energy management, intelligent systems and software-driven solutions. With the launch of this new company, we aim to leverage Yamaha's technological expertise to contribute to sustainable and profitable farming using a customer-centric approach. Growers will be able to better address challenges around labor shortages, resource scarcity and impacts from climate change.” Autonomous Technology Joins Forces With Data-Driven Decision Making Robotics Plus provides an autonomous hybrid vehicle capable of multiple activities including spraying and weed control, addressing key labor challenges faced by growers. The Yield brings advanced data analytics and AI-powered models to deliver yield predictions and optimize on and off-farm operations. Leveraging Yamaha's long heritage as a trusted manufacturer of high-performance products, the new agriculture business will scale these two innovative solutions with a focus on quality, reliability and safety. These complementary technologies will be integrated to create a comprehensive platform that enables precision farming for growers. By combining autonomous equipment with intelligent data insights, Yamaha Agriculture helps growers reduce input costs, optimize resource utilization and improve overall farm productivity and sustainability. “Guided by our mission to ensure growers are sustainable, profitable and resilient, Yamaha Agriculture recognizes that the challenges facing specialty crop growers require thoughtful solutions that will take time to develop,” said Nolan Paul, Group CEO of Yamaha Agriculture, Inc. “We believe meaningful innovation in agriculture emerges through close collaboration with growers and industry partners. The capabilities of Robotics Plus in robotics and automation and The Yield in AI-powered analytics represent two important building blocks in addressing these challenges. As we work to bring these technologies together, we are committed to a deliberate approach that prioritizes creating real value for growers while maintaining the high standards of quality and reliability for which Yamaha is known.” ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2691/china-japan-deepens-agricultural-cooperation.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2691/china-japan-deepens-agricultural-cooperation.html Fri, 24 Jan 2025 12:07:47 +0530 Signs a cooperation agreement on protecting new plant varieties China's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Han Jun, met with ETO Taku, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, in Beijing. They exchanged views on promoting China–Japan agricultural cooperation.   Minister Han said that China–Japan relations are at a crucial stage of improvement and development. The two sides should earnestly implement the significant consensus reached by both countries and join hands in deepening China–Japan agricultural cooperation. Under bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, China is eager to resume agricultural exchanges at all levels with Japan; hold the 10th Meeting of the China–Japan Vice Ministerial-Level Dialogue on Agriculture this year; and strengthen pragmatic cooperation in areas such as animal health, fisheries resource conservation, smart agriculture, rural revitalization, and agro-trade. The two sides reached consensus on signing a cooperation agreement on protecting new plant varieties as soon as possible, and on maintaining close communication at the working level, among other things.   Minister ETO Taku expressed his appreciation to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs for attaching great importance to the Japanese delegation’s visit. Minister Han's views and suggestions for advancing Japan-China agricultural cooperation were fully endorsed, and he expressed Japan's desire to work with China to promote the healthy development of Japan-China agricultural relations.   ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2685/japan-signs-loan-agreement-with-tanzania-for-industrialization-and-commercialization-of-agriculture-and-food-security.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2685/japan-signs-loan-agreement-with-tanzania-for-industrialization-and-commercialization-of-agriculture-and-food-security.html Wed, 22 Jan 2025 11:51:10 +0530 Project to facilitate financial intermediary functions related to agricultural and rural development finance in Tanzania and to improve farmers’ productivity Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a loan agreement with the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania in Dar Es Salaam, to provide Japanese ODA loan for the Agricultural and Rural Development Two Step Loan Project. Agricultural and Rural Development Two Step Loan Project The objective of the Project is to facilitate financial intermediary functions related to agricultural and rural development finance in Tanzania and to improve farmers’ productivity through provision of medium and long-term Sub-Loan(s) to a group of farmers and other beneficiaries in Tanzania by extending long-term financing to TADB and supporting capacity building of TADB, thereby contributing to the industrialization and commercialization of the agricultural and the rural sector, as well as to the Tanzania’s domestic food security.Project ComponentA) Two-step loan: Loans for small-sized farms, farming household groups, and agriculture-related companies, as well as the provision of mid- to long-term loan funds for women and young people engaged in the cultivation of horticultural crops. B) Consulting service: Support for the operation and management of the entire project, capacity building of TADB and financial intermediaries, support for preparing guidelines on the operation of revolving funds, and the reinforcement of collaboration between other JICA offices and aid organizations. The project will offer a maximum Loan Amount of 22,742 million Japanese Yen for 40 Years Repayment Period and is excecuted by Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank. The project will be completed in August 2029 after the loan disbursement has been completed, and initiation will be around March 2025. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2666/japan-introduces-novel-ir-fresh-method-to-retain-freshness-in-horticulture-produces.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2666/japan-introduces-novel-ir-fresh-method-to-retain-freshness-in-horticulture-produces.html Mon, 13 Jan 2025 11:42:51 +0530 iR Fresh technology reduces mold and spoilage, eventually reducing the pesticide use A research institute in Japan has developed a technology that preserves fruit and vegetables' freshness by exposing them to near-infrared light for a mere 0.1 second. The initiative is the work of the Shikoku Research Institute, an arm of the Shikoku Electric Power Group, located in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture. This technology, called iR Fresh, reduces mold and spoilage, and also helps reduce food waste and pesticide usage through its use of near-infrared light. It is the first technology to be granted a patent. Kazumasa Kakibuchi, a senior researcher in the institute’s chemical and biotechnology department, said fruit and veg exposed to strong near-infrared light perceive it as a signal of impending cold and dryness. This prompts the stomata to close to prevent moisture loss and increases antioxidant activity to inhibit microbial growth. By harnessing these reactions, the technology suppresses mold and wilting in produce, preserving freshness and flavor. Kakibuchi is now focusing on the potential of iR Fresh to reduce pesticide use. In experiments, spinach stored at 10 degrees temperature began to wilt and lose its freshness after four days without the light treatment. However, spinach treated with iR Fresh maintained its firmness and luster even after six days. In similar experiments with mandarin oranges, fruit treated with iR Fresh showed reduced weight loss and spoilage, increased sweetness, enhanced color and preserved luster. These effects were observed in nearly all types of produce, including leafy and stem vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli, and fruiting vegetables like tomatoes and strawberries. Light exposure during cultivation was the focus of previous research, but Shikoku Research Institute's focus on post-harvest light exposure led to significant breakthroughs. Due to cost considerations and economic viability based on equipment size, this technology is mainly used in large-scale collection centers and sorting facilities nationwide. Using iR Fresh before packaging helps reduce food waste and extend shelf life. In the future, the institute plans to develop household portable devices. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2642/azotic-technologies-limited-expands-its-technology-to-the-japanese-market.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2642/azotic-technologies-limited-expands-its-technology-to-the-japanese-market.html Fri, 20 Dec 2024 14:35:24 +0530 Sustainable nitrogen-fixing technology to farmers around the globe. Azotic Technologies Limited (Azotic®) is now selling its flagship product in Japan through Phytochrome Inc. Azotic’s unique nitrogen-fixing products began commercialization in 2018 within the North American market. Since then, the company has heavily pursued multiple patents globally. Partnering with Phytochrome to market N-Catch in the Japanese market gives farmers access to an environmentally friendly product, allowing them to meet their production goals. Based in Tokyo, Phytochrome “provides comprehensive support for sustainable agriculture through “bio-stimulant” technology.” N-Catch is a unique nitrogen-fixing biological based on the microbe Gd (Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus). It creates a symbiotic relationship with plant roots, stems, and leaves, fixing nitrogen inside plant cells and making Gd one of the most efficient N-fixing microbes available in agricultural applications. Keisuke Uchida, President & CEO of Phytochrome, explains, “We are concerned about environmental impacts, so we source products that benefit farmers and the environment. N-Catch is an extremely effective bio-stimulant that gives our farmers an excellent option for supporting plant nutrition.” Phil Bernardin, Global Business Development, Azotic Technologies Limited, adds, “We are excited about the opportunities that come with providing our technology to various markets. We have worked hard to establish our presence in Japan, through the commercialization of N-Catch. We aim to work with partners like Phytochrome to bring Gd technology to farmers.” Farmers can apply N-Catch to rice (transplanted and direct-seeded), corn, cereals, vegetables and fruits. The product is available as a wettable granule (WG). ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2621/entomal-biotech-from-malaysia-and-kisui-tech-from-japan-honored-for-agri-innovations-at-aea2024.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2621/entomal-biotech-from-malaysia-and-kisui-tech-from-japan-honored-for-agri-innovations-at-aea2024.html Mon, 09 Dec 2024 11:00:03 +0530 Agri Entrepreneurs from Asian Countries and Regions Compete at AEA2024 Innovation Award held in Kashiwa-no-ha The Asian Entrepreneurship Award (AEA) Steering Committee held AEA2024, the 13th annual innovation award event for fast-growing Asian startups, on November 20th and 21st. Taking place in-person for the first time in five years, the event was held at Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City in Chiba prefecture. The Asian Entrepreneurship Award aims to help create an innovation ecosystem in Asia by bringing together young entrepreneurs from fast-growing Asian countries with Japanese investors, established major companies and other startup supporters from those countries. Entrepreneurs from Asian Countries and Regions Compete at AEA2024 Innovation Award held in Kashiwa-no-ha. This year’s winner: Entomal Biotech from Malaysia, offering biotech waste management solution that converts organic waste into insect protein and fertilizer. Kisui TECH from Japan wins Kashiwa-no-ha Award and places third overall with its autonomous AI off-road platform supporting agriculture. Entomal Biotech Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia) : Entomal Biotech is a startup offering innovative and proprietary bioconversion technology that utilizes black soldier ants to convert food and other organic waste into high-quality insect protein and nutrient-rich fertilizer in just seven days. The solution can be used in small mobile systems or in large-scale processing facilities to handle diverse waste volumes. The company is a leader in sustainable waste management with a successful track record in a number of Asian countries including Malaysia and Korea. Formus (New Zealand): Formus provides innovative technology that combines AI automation and computational biomechanics to deliver personalized orthopedic care. The company’s 3D hip replacement planning software, the result of 20 years of research at the Auckland Biomedical Engineering Institute, is FDA-, PMDA- and TG A-certified and has been deployed in over 3,000 surgical procedures. Building on its success in Australia and New Zealand, Formus has partnered with Zimmer Biomet to roll out its solution in the Japanese market, aiming for commercial deployment in early 2025, leveraging the high penetration rate of CT imaging and surgical technology levels in the country. Kisui TECH Co. Ltd. (Japan): Kisui has developed an autonomous AI off-road platform called “Adam” – a modular machine that can undertake a variety of tasks such as transporting goods, mowing fields and applying pesticides, collecting data while it operates. The platform is designed to reduce workload and improve efficiency, particularly in primary sectors such as agriculture and construction that are facing labor shortages in Japan. Its suitability and usefulness have been confirmed in fields and farms across Japan, and the company has also received significant interest from Spain, Indonesia and the United States. The multinational Kisui team is leveraging their expertise in space robotics and AI to deploy some of the world's most advanced technology. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2582/philippine-fresh-avocados-gain-access-to-japan-market-first-shipment-sent-from-mindanao.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2582/philippine-fresh-avocados-gain-access-to-japan-market-first-shipment-sent-from-mindanao.html Mon, 18 Nov 2024 11:36:16 +0530 Japan is a major importer of Hass avocados, with imports valued at $160 million (61,000 metric tons) in 2023  with Mexico, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States as key suppliers The Philippines has successfully expanded its access to Japan’s lucrative food market with the approval to export Hass avocados, a significant milestone in the country’s agricultural export growth and highlights the quality of local produce. “This is a testament to the Philippines’ dedication to expanding its agricultural exports and the high quality of our farm produce. We are optimistic that this access granted by Japan will lead to opportunities in other international markets for locally-grown Hass avocados” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. He furthur commended the collaborative efforts of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), the Office of the Agriculture Attaché in Tokyo, and Dole Stanfilco in achieving this international trade milestone. BPI Director Glenn Panganiban emphasized that the inclusion of Hass avocados in the Philippine export portfolio to Japan, which already includes bananas and pineapples, is the culmination of over a decade of effort, with initial access requests dating back to 2011.  “Securing access to Japan’s highly competitive market for Hass avocados is a significant step forward in our trade relations with Japan,” he said. This development comes at a time when the Philippines’ agricultural exports to Japan are experiencing an upward trend. In 2023, the Philippines exported $1.1 billion worth of agri-fisheries products to Japan, generating a trade surplus of $990 million. The addition of Hass avocados further solidifies the Philippines’ position as a key supplier of high-quality fruits to Japan, a market renowned for its discerning consumers. The Hass variety, favored for its smaller size and pebbly skin that turns purplish-black when ripe, is particularly well-suited to Japanese preferences. Japan is a major importer of Hass avocados, with imports valued at $160 million (61,000 metric tons) in 2023.  Key suppliers include Mexico, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. The global market for Hass avocados is projected to reach USD 18 billion by next year. “We are proud to announce that the Philippines is the first country in Asia to export Hass avocados to Japan. This provides local producers with an excellent opportunity to capitalize on Japan’s growing demand for fresh fruits” said Tokyo-based Agriculture Attaché Aleli Maghirang.  Gaining entry into Japan’s discerning market is anticipated to pave the way for Philippine-grown Hass avocados to access other international markets.  The successful entry of Hass avocados underscores the potential for further expansion of Philippine agricultural product exports. With increasing demand for Philippine fruits in Japan and globally, the Philippines is well-positioned to strengthen its presence in the Japanese market and expand its agricultural exports throughout Asia and beyond. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2574/jera-and-lotte-ammonia-fuel-value-chain-between-japan-and-korea.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2574/jera-and-lotte-ammonia-fuel-value-chain-between-japan-and-korea.html Tue, 27 Aug 2024 08:28:00 +0530 JERA Co., Inc (“JERA”) has concluded a Joint Collaboration Agreement with Lotte Fine Chemical Co., Ltd. (“LFC”), to realize low carbon fuel value chains. Under the agreement, JERA and LFC will jointly collaborate to accelerate the development of a robust and resilient value chain of low carbon fuel through the following approaches:・Standardization of commercial frameworks・Optimization of each party’s ammonia portfolio by enhancing operational flexibility through joint studies・Joint efforts to discuss with both governments to establish and expand low carbon fuel value chain To guide this effort, the government of Japan and the Republic of Korea (“ROK”) have launched “Japan-ROK Hydrogen and Its Derivatives such as Ammonia Cooperation Dialogue”, a programme designed to enhance collaboration across several key areas. Hiroo Inoue, Director-General, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Department of Agency for Natural Resources and Energy said, “As Japan and Korea strengthen their cooperation to achieve ensure energy security and building resilient supply chains for clean hydrogen and its derivatives, we encourage this agreement  of JERA and LFC and look forward to further progress in these endeavors.” Chan Ki Park, Director-General, Hydrogen Economy Policy Bureau, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, “With similar industrial and energy consumption structures, various collaboration between Korea and Japan is in progress to lead the clean hydrogen market. To expand the global clean hydrogen supply chain and vitalize the hydrogen economy, cooperation between the two countries in private sectors is significant and this agreement will be the milestone to realize the cooperation” Ryosuke Tsugaru, Chief Low Carbon Fuel Officer of JERA said, " We are pleased to have established a cooperative framework with LFC, the leading company in chemical industry in ROK. JERA strives for positioning us at the forefront of the energy transition in Asia through accelerating our decarbonization efforts, not only within the power sector but also across other sectors, including Hard-to-Abate industries.” Kim Yong-seok, CEO of LFC said, " As JERA is playing a leading role in establishing a clean energy supply chain in Japan, we find this collaboration with JERA very meaningful. Lotte Fine Chemical has been building a competitive clean ammonia supply chain and making proactive investment based on its over half-century experience and the largest infrastructure of ammonia distribution in Asia. Through this agreement with JERA, we will take the next step to contribute ourselves to enhance the national competitiveness of Korea" JERA will continue to take the lead in strengthening and diversifying low carbon fuel value chains regionally, nationally and internationally, and contribute to global decarbonization and to solving energy issues, particularly in Asia. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2399/vietnam-and-japan-boost-agriculture-cooperation.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2399/vietnam-and-japan-boost-agriculture-cooperation.html Fri, 23 Aug 2024 11:16:53 +0530 The two sides are expected to sign the medium- and long-term vision of Vietnam - Japan agricultural cooperation for 2025 – 2029 in the first quarter of 2025. On August 20, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam and Japanese Vice Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Maitachi Shouji reached an agreement in Tokyo. Minister Nam briefed on Vietnam’s pilot project of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice in the Mekong Delta, and said Vietnam is in dire need of resources to support capacity building for cooperatives and farmer households. He then proposed that Japan coordinate efforts in implementing capacity building programmes for cooperatives engaging in the project, especially in digitalizing chain management, monitoring and evaluation for emission reduction. Minister Shouji for his part appreciated Vietnam’s initiative and said Japan will help improve capacity building for cooperatives and farmers involved in agricultural extension, first and foremost to implement the pilot project, and then in standard raw material areas being developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. He expressed interest in supporting and creating conditions for competent agencies such as the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Japan’s non-governmental organizations to support Vietnamese training facilities in this regard. According to the vice minister, the agricultural extension service is the basic foundation to help transfer science and technology advancement, train farmers and cooperatives to change production models, and access science - technology markets. The two sides also sought to create conditions for Japanese and Vietnamese businesses to carry out joint cooperation projects in the fields of organic agriculture, digital technology in agriculture, logistics, and agro- forestry and fishery trading. Nam proposed that the Japanese side encourage its businesses to cooperate with Vietnamese businesses to invest in organic farming and digitalization in agriculture. He also requested that the Japanese delegates to speed up the process of approving a document allowing Vietnamese pomelo to enter its market, while considering risk and pest assessment for passion fruit and butter from Vietnamese cow milk. Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has also directed its relevant agencies to soon complete procedures for Japanese grapes to be imported into the Vietnamese market, while considering documents for Japanese peaches and puffer fish to enter the market. The two sides are expected to sign the medium- and long-term vision of Vietnam - Japan agricultural cooperation for 2025 – 2029 in the first quarter of 2025. They are expected to continue to open markets for each other’s agricultural products, and take advantage of free trade agreements of which both sides are members, to increase trade exchanges. Japan is currently one of Vietnam’s important agricultural, forestry and fishery export markets, accounting for about 7.5% of Vietnam’s total annual agro-forestry and fishery export turnover. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2303/australia-and-japan-attained-technical-market-access-negotiations-for-grape-trading.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2303/australia-and-japan-attained-technical-market-access-negotiations-for-grape-trading.html Thu, 22 Aug 2024 14:40:52 +0530 Japan is Australia’s second-largest market for agriculture, forestry, and fisheries With the successful completion of technical market access negotiations, Japan can now import Australia's table grapes. It represents a positive step forward towards the agriculture industry’s goal of $100 billion by 2030. Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry, Murray Watt said this was a positive outcome for the Australian table grape industry, providing greater export opportunities to a priority market for Australia. “Japan is Australia’s second-largest market for agriculture, forestry, and fisheries products and a valuable market for premium Australian fresh fruit. Previously, Australia has been limited to exporting only three varieties of table grapes to Japan, resulting in significant market value loss. The lifting of these restrictions is an important development for the industry as Japan is a stable and sophisticated market providing long term growth opportunities.” Minister Watt said. “Industry experts estimate that the expanded variety access will grow by approximately $30 million, reaching $50 million over the next few years. Removing the varietal restrictions for mangoes and now table grapes has broader trade benefits for the Australian horticulture industry” added Minister Watt.“We have a strong trading relationship with Japan, I look forward to continuing to work together to deliver further market access gains which are mutually beneficial for both countries.” ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2367/japan-and-philippines-forge-cooperation-to-develop-high-productive-agri-tech-solutions.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2367/japan-and-philippines-forge-cooperation-to-develop-high-productive-agri-tech-solutions.html Mon, 12 Aug 2024 03:04:00 +0530 MoU signed between DA-BSWM and JIRCAS to execute two projects centered on the development and promotion of agricultural technologies The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA), through the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), formally solidified its partnership with the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on August 9. Under the MoU, the DA-BSWM and JIRCAS will be working on two projects that are centered on the development and promotion of agricultural technologies to enhance agricultural production while also improving natural resource management in the tropics. The first project will develop approaches and technologies for carbon storage in farmland soils in the Philippines as a means to promote soil health and fertility and to enhance sustainability and resilience in agriculture. For its second project, representatives from both DA-BSWM and JIRCAS will be studying environmental conservation technologies for tropical islands through the “Yama-Sato-Umi” (“Mountain-Village-Sea”) perspective, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of land, sea, and society. This particular project aims to develop technologies for the prevention of soil erosion in hilly agricultural lands and reduction of fertilizer inputs, gather and analyze scientific evidence that can contribute to the conservation of mangrove ecosystems. It will also develop a basin model for the evaluation of environmental conservation effects on river water quality and quantity. “These projects are supported and are very much in line with the National Soil Health Program, which is one of the top priority agenda of the DA to contribute towards sustainable management of soil and water resources as well as the productivity of the agriculture sector,” DA-BSWM Director Dr. Gina Nilo explained. She added that as the national focal agency of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and Land Degradation (UNCCD), the Bureau welcomes its collaboration with JIRCAS, especially since the agriculture sector is being riddled with the impacts of climate change and ecosystem degradation. Philippine agriculture's sole national soil resource agency, the DA-BSWM is an attached bureau of the department of agriculture. Among its services are soil conservation advocacy, sustainable agricultural land management advocacy, soil resources assessment and mapping, agricultural water resource management, analytical services, and research and development related to soil and water resources. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2364/japan-introduces-worlds-first-biomethane-engine.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2364/japan-introduces-worlds-first-biomethane-engine.html Thu, 08 Aug 2024 20:49:00 +0530 Toyota, Suzuki, and Nissan collaboration to produce biomethane from agricultural waste The world's first biomethane engine was introduced by Japan in a groundbreaking move in automotive innovation. Toyota, Suzuki, and Nissan worked together to achieve this remarkable achievement. By using biomethane from agricultural waste, this bioengine offers a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels and electric vehicles. Japan's strategic plan to launch the first biomethane-powered cars by 2026 highlights its ambition to lead the charge in sustainable automotive technology. This move not only presents a formidable challenge to the current dominance of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles but also diversifies the landscape of green mobility solutions. The introduction of the biomethane engine in Japan signals a major shift in the automotive industry. Nissan, Suzuki, and Toyota are pioneering a sustainable future by utilizing agricultural waste to power their vehicles. A significant amount of environmental progress can be achieved through innovative engineering. Biomethane initiatives like Japan's stand as beacons of hope and ingenuity as the world grapples with climate change. Biomethane, produced through the anaerobic digestion of organic matter, emits significantly fewer greenhouse gases compared to gasoline. This makes biomethane-fueled engines a promising solution in the global quest for sustainable fuel technologies. The innovative approach taken by these Japanese automakers showcases their commitment to reducing the automotive industry's environmental footprint. Suzuki's WagonR is the first model to feature this advanced technology. Compared to conventional gasoline cars, this vehicle promises to deliver similar performance. Despite substantially lower emissions, drivers can expect the same level of power and efficiency. Achieving the balance between performance and environmental responsibility is a crucial development. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2360/mitsubishi-heavy-industries-and-taiwan-fertilizer-to-develop-fuel-ammonia-value-chain-in-taiwan.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2360/mitsubishi-heavy-industries-and-taiwan-fertilizer-to-develop-fuel-ammonia-value-chain-in-taiwan.html Wed, 07 Aug 2024 11:20:08 +0530 MHI and TFC to jointly assess the feasibility of developing a fuel ammonia value chain, including ammonia receiving, storage, handling, delivery, and combustion Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Taiwan Fertilizer Co., Ltd. (TFC) to conduct a joint pre-feasibility study that will explore the establishment of an ammonia value chain in Taiwan. This is in support of Taiwan's "2050 Net-Zero Emissions" goal. Under this MoU, MHI and TFC will assess facilities and economic feasibility of the fuel ammonia value chain, including ammonia receiving, storage, handling, and delivery to power plants, as well as using ammonia as a fuel for power generation. Through this study, both companies aim to lay a strong foundation for a robust ammonia value chain in Taiwan. Ammonia, a compound comprised of hydrogen and nitrogen, serves as an efficient carrier for transporting hydrogen and can also be directly combusted as a fuel without producing CO2. As ammonia emerges as a clean fuel of the future, the establishment of a comprehensive value chain, from production to utilization, will greatly contribute to achieving a carbon-neutral society. In March 2022, the Taiwanese government announced its climate target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, with a focus on reducing carbon emissions and promoting the adoption of less carbon intensive fuels. To achieve this, TFC is committed to promoting the use of blue ammonia and green ammonia as a fuel in Taiwan, as demonstrated by its importation of Taiwan's first low-carbon ammonia in June 2023 and establishment of an Ammonia Energy Division in January 2024. Blue ammonia: ammonia produced by using the hydrogen derived from fossil fuels using CO2 capture. Green ammonia: ammonia produced by using renewable energy power, water, and air as raw materials and using process that does not emit CO2. Low-carbon ammonia: ammonia that has reduced CO2 emissions throughout the supply chain, achieved through processes such as CO2 separation and capture during production.MHI Group is pursuing a growth strategy in the area of Energy Transition, aiming for decarbonization on the energy supply side to support the Company's goal of achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2040. Through this collaboration with TFC, MHI Group will support the establishment of the fuel ammonia value chain in Taiwan to meet the decarbonization needs of various industries, including the power generation sector, and as a way of contributing to the realization of a sustainable, Carbon Neutral world. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2352/japans-breakthrough-discovery-of-an-plant-enzyme-could-lead-to-anti-bacterial-pesticides.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2352/japans-breakthrough-discovery-of-an-plant-enzyme-could-lead-to-anti-bacterial-pesticides.html Mon, 05 Aug 2024 09:11:00 +0530 Researchers uncover the crucial role of OpgD enzyme in enhancing Xanthomonas pathogenicity Plant diseases pose significant challenges to agricultural productivity, presenting formidable hurdles that require urgent attention. Left unchecked, these diseases can spread rapidly, inflicting widespread damage on crops and leading to reduced yields and substantial economic losses. Therefore, accurately identifying the pathogens responsible for these diseases is crucial. This identification allows for targeted interventions that minimize risks and effectively mitigate the agricultural impacts. Xanthomonas species are notorious plant pathogens that affect a broad spectrum of hosts, including key crops like rice, wheat, and tomatoes. These pathogens augment their pathogenicity by utilizing α-1,6-cyclized β-1,2-glucohexadecaose (CβG16α) to suppress essential plant defense mechanisms, such as the expression of pathogenesis-related proteins and the accumulation of callose. In a recent breakthrough a team of researchers led by Associate Professor Masahiro Nakajima from Tokyo University of Science unveiled a significant discovery. They identified XccOpgD, a glycoside hydrolase (GH186) found in X. campestris pv campestris which plays a pivotal role in the biosynthesis of CβG16α. The research team also included Sei Motouchi from Tokyo University of Science, Principal Scientist Shiro Komba from the Institute of Food Research, NARO, and Hiroyuki Nakai from Niigata University. The team conducted biochemical analysis to elucidate the role of XccOpgD in CβG16α biosynthesis. Advanced techniques such as X-ray crystallography were employed as structural analysis to unravel the enzyme's catalytic mechanism and substrate specificity. These efforts have yielded profound insights. XccOpgD belongs to the GH186 family, essential for regulating bacterial cell wall components. Unlike the first identified GH186 enzymes, XccOpgD exhibits an unprecedented enzymatic mechanism known as anomer-inverting transglycosylation. The discovery of XccOpgD and its role in CβG16α biosynthesis marks a major breakthrough in agriculture. It promises enhanced resilience and food security while mitigating environmental impacts linked to conventional pesticides. Overall, this advancement offers sustainable solutions to global agricultural challenges, promoting environmental stewardship and economic viability for farmers worldwide. These findings deepen our understanding and open avenues for developing targeted strategies against Xanthomonas-induced plant diseases. "We are expecting a pesticide concept targeting this enzyme homolog in the future. Unlike fungicides that promote the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria in soil, targeting this enzyme could potentially inhibit pathogenicity without causing sterilization. Enzyme homologs identified in this study may serve as promising structure-based drug targets, offering a potential solution to the issue of drug-resistant bacteria," says a hopeful Prof. Masahiro Nakajima from Tokyo University of Science. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2323/keppel-and-sojitz-sign-mou-to-collaborate-on-decarbonisation-and-clean-energy-business-opportunities-in-asia-pacific.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2323/keppel-and-sojitz-sign-mou-to-collaborate-on-decarbonisation-and-clean-energy-business-opportunities-in-asia-pacific.html Mon, 22 Jul 2024 07:53:00 +0530 Joint partnership to identify and develop a pipeline of projects in bioenergy and resource recovery, as well as invest in and operate energy solutions that support energy transition in Asia Pacific Singapore Headquartered Keppel Ltd. (Keppel), through its Infrastructure Division, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Tokyo-based investment and general trading company, Sojitz Corporation (Sojitz) with the intention to jointly pursue decarbonisation and clean energy business opportunities in Asia Pacific. Under the MOU, Keppel and Sojitz will jointly identify and develop a pipeline of projects in bioenergy and resource recovery, as well as invest in and operate energy solutions that support energy transition in Asia Pacific. The collaboration also seeks to harness Keppel's Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) know-how and proprietary solutions for businesses in markets where Sojitz operates in. The MOU was signed by Ms Cindy Lim, CEO of Keppel’s Infrastructure Division and Mr Takefumi Nishikawa, Chief Operating Officer, Energy Solution & Healthcare Division, Sojitz and witnessed by Mr Loh Chin Hua, CEO of Keppel and Mr Kosuke Uemura, Representative Director, President & Chief Operating Officer, Sojitz at a ceremony held at Sojitz’s headquarters in Tokyo. Cindy Lim, CEO of Keppel’s Infrastructure Division, said, “Keppel is pleased to collaborate with Sojitz in a mutually beneficial partnership, leveraging Keppel’s expertise in energy and environmental technologies and Sojitz’s international presence. This collaboration showcases how like-minded businesses can expand reach and drive growth together.” Keppel Ltd. is a global asset manager and operator with strong expertise in sustainability-related solutions spanning the areas of infrastructure, real estate and connectivity. Headquartered in Singapore, Keppel operates in more than 20 countries worldwide, providing critical infrastructure and services for renewables, clean energy, decarbonisation, sustainable urban renewal and digital connectivity.  ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2272/japans-mitsui-begins-construction-of-clean-ammonia-production-facility-in-uae.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2272/japans-mitsui-begins-construction-of-clean-ammonia-production-facility-in-uae.html Mon, 08 Jul 2024 10:58:38 +0530 Partners with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and South Korea's GS Energy Corporation to embark on the project in Al Ruwais, UAE starting from 2027 to produce 1 million tons per year of ammonia Mitsui & Co., Ltd., alongside TA'ZIZ (owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)), Fertiglobe, and South Korea's GS Energy Corporation, has agreed to commence construction of an ammonia production facility in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In addition, Mitsui has signed a loan agreement with Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to finance the development of the project. The project involves the construction of an ammonia production facility in Al Ruwais, UAE. Starting from 2027, the plant is expected to produce 1 million tons per year of ammonia with lower CO2 emissions compared to conventional ammonia. To achieve CO2 emission reductions, additional facilities will be installed in the plant to capture and store CO2 emitted in the manufacturing process, with plans to begin production of clean ammonia by 2030. In addition to its participation in the project, Mitsui will offtake a certain volume of the clean ammonia produced at the plant for supplying Japan and other Asian markets, thereby contributing to the decarbonization of society as a whole, through its use in fuel applications, chemical and fertilizer feedstock applications, and other industries. Mitsui has been handling ammonia for about 50 years, and continues to be the largest importer to Japan for many years. Mitsui and ADNOC have been jointly developing and managing liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in the UAE since the 1970s. By combining cross-industry expertise and partnerships cultivated through our existing businesses, we will promote the establishment of a clean ammonia supply chain, and respond to the decarbonization needs of each country and region. In its Medium-term Management Plan 2026, Mitsui has designated Global Energy Transition as one of its Key Strategic Initiatives, and positioned clean ammonia, which does not emit CO2 during combustion, as one of the promising options for next-generation fuels, and will strive to contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society through this business initiative. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2240/new-zeelands-zespri-launches-global-healthy-eating-campaign-in-japan.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2240/new-zeelands-zespri-launches-global-healthy-eating-campaign-in-japan.html Wed, 26 Jun 2024 10:14:54 +0530 New Zealand supports Nutrition Reform Project in Japan and starting a movement to reform nutrition Zespri has launched a global campaign focused on encouraging people to eat better to help tackle health challenges and improve lives around the world.The campaign has been launched in Japan with the support of the Japan Dietetic Association, Tokyo Seika – Japan’s largest fruit and vegetable wholesaler, and alongside New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. The campaign is focused on improving global health outcomes by encouraging people to swap out one unhealthy food for a serving of fresh fruit or vegetables every day. It has been launched in Japan which has some of the lowest consumption of fresh fruit globally and will be rolled out across major Zespri markets with a series of impactful campaigns designed to promote positive action.Zespri CEO Dan Mathieson says Zespri is committed to helping people, communities and the environment around the world thrive through the goodness of kiwifruit and as part of that we want to help the world make healthier eating choices. “Since 2020 Zespri has supported 26 healthy lifestyle programmes in over nine countries, including nutrition education programmes in schools and working alongside our partners to reach more than one million children but we want to do more. “While many people know what constitutes a healthy diet – including eating fresh fruit daily, most people do not meet recommended intake levels. The shortfall between the recommended and the actual consumption of fruits and vegetables is directly associated with increased mortality and non-communicable diseases, affecting the wellbeing of people and societies. The challenge lies in promoting these healthy, sustainable eating habits. We want to help fix that, supporting people to live healthier lives. “In Japan, one of Zespri’s largest markets, one in three adults suffer from malnutrition. We’re proud to be launching the Nutrition Reform Project in Japan and starting a movement to reform nutrition so no one is left behind. It’s fantastic to have the support of the Japan Dietetic Association as part of our mission to help people to eat well.” Japan Dietetic Association President Dr Teiji Nakamura says the Association welcomes the initiative. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says “New Zealand has some of the world’s greatest producers, providing healthy products which are in demand around the world. Our companies are also focused on helping to support communities in New Zealand and around the world. It’s great to see Zespri making such a positive contribution here in Japan, building strong partnerships with growers, retailers and consumers and helping to strengthen the relationship between New Zealand and Japan.” ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2174/global-giant-valent-biosciences-unveils-new-state-of-the-art-facility-at-its-biorational-research-center.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2174/global-giant-valent-biosciences-unveils-new-state-of-the-art-facility-at-its-biorational-research-center.html Fri, 31 May 2024 07:06:00 +0530 Valent BioSciences is a global leader in the R&D, manufacturing, and commercialization of biorational products and technologies used in agriculture, public health, and forest health Valent BioSciences, (Headquartered in Libertyville, Illinois, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.) unveiled the grand new Venburg Wing at the company’s Melnik and Shafer Biorational Research Center in Libertyville, Illinois. Driven by business growth that has accelerated the need for additional research and development facilities, the state-of-the-art Venburg Wing includes new laboratory and pilot plant areas, offices, and meeting rooms. The space is named after Dr. Greg Venburg, Senior Director, Global Research at Valent BioSciences, who has served in a variety of leadership positions for the past 33 years. He currently manages the company’s interdisciplinary scientific research programs and research staff. Valent BioSciences is a global leader in the research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of biorational products and technologies used in agriculture, public health, and forest health. Through its expertise in bioscience, Valent BioSciences helps growers profitably sustain their land and legacies and protects the public from insect-borne disease. The company has more than 60 years of experience bringing biorational products to market in more than 95 countries worldwide. Valent BioSciences is also the parent company of Mycorrhizal Applications LLC, a leading supplier of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi-based products. Valent BioSciences is also undertaking a major expansion at its Osage, Iowa, manufacturing facility that will be completed in early 2025. The additions include new production-scale fermentation and recovery equipment, a new pilot plant facility, and expanded laboratory space. To support its sustainability initiatives, the company has restored 34 acres of native prairie land adjacent to the Osage facility that will sequester approximately 170 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, helping mitigate the effects of greenhouse gases in the environment. The company also operates a 12-acre solar field on land adjacent to the prairie that provides a portion of the Osage facility’s total annual electricity usage. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2158/japan-and-vietnam-sign-memorandum-of-cooperation-to-boost-forestry-industry.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2158/japan-and-vietnam-sign-memorandum-of-cooperation-to-boost-forestry-industry.html Mon, 27 May 2024 11:09:31 +0530 Forestry Agency and Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Forestry Department partnered in the Fields of Forestry and Forestry Japan has been continuously promoting exchanges in the forest and forestry sector with Vietnam, including through technical cooperation projects implemented by JICA and ITTO projects funded by the Forestry Agency. Vietnam's forest area has been increasing in recent years, with a high artificial forest rate of about 30%, and the country has close ties with Japan in the trade of wood products. It is expected that the signing of this memorandum will further promote cooperation in various fields, including sustainable forest management and the effective use of forest resources. Key Points of the Memorandum of Cooperation In order to realize a prosperous society that contributes to carbon neutrality through the promotion of sustainable forest management and effective use of forest resources, Japan and Vietnam have agreed to cooperate in the following areas:          a) sustainable forest management,         b) mitigation of and adaptation to climate change,         c) effective use and management of forest resources, and multifaceted use of forests, including recreation and education         d) forest conservation, biodiversity and forest landscape restoration,         e) forest management for disaster prevention,         f) research and development and new technologies in the forestry sector,         g) human resource development,         h) legally harvested timber and related trade. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2154/japan-and-thailand-strengthens-cooperation-in-four-priority-projects.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2154/japan-and-thailand-strengthens-cooperation-in-four-priority-projects.html Tue, 21 May 2024 18:10:38 +0530 Strengthens cooperation in four priority projects to facilitate trade in agricultural products and marine products, and international horticulture Japan's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Sakamoto held a meeting with Tamannat Prompao, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives of the Kingdom of Thailand, in Bangkok and confirmed that they would proceed with cooperation on four priority projects based on the "Japan-ASEAN Green Cooperation Plan." In addition, the two ministers also announced plans for Yokohama (Japan) in 2027 and Korat (Thailand) in 2029. We hope for the success of the A1 International Horticultural Expo held in Nakhon Ratchasima). We urge each other to consider supporting and participating in our respective expos. The two Ministers pledged to build resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems in the ASEAN region. The two ministers discussed agricultural cooperation, particularly resilient and sustainable agricultural and food systems, construction, facilitation of trade in agricultural products and marine products, and participation in international horticultural expositions. While emphasizing the importance of efforts by governments to The “Regional Guidelines for Sustainable Agriculture in ASEAN” and the Consistent with the “Bio-Circular Green (BCG) Economic Model” Both Ministers are committed to cooperating with and working with each other to promote and implement the above agenda. They made it clear that they would provide the necessary support from their respective positions. The two ministers will meet at a meeting hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives in the Kingdom of Thailand in June 2024. The two Ministers will promote the reduction of environmental burdens and ecological impacts, and increase the efficiency of farm management, smart tools to increase productivity, increase yields, and reduce labor hours. The technology and innovation project is resilient and sustainable and is recognized as vitally important for agricultural and food systems. For this reason, The following projects will be implemented on a priority basis. ① Reducing fertilizer consumption through automatic compartmentalization technology and soil diagnosis using satellite data ② Improve productivity and reduce working hours through automatic steering technology ③ Promotion of smart irrigation technology for fruit trees ④ Training of trainers to instruct crop cultivation techniques through public-private collaboration, Establishment of circular agriculture through the use of fertilizers The two Ministers pledged to improve the livelihoods and incomes of people working in the agriculture, fisheries and food sectors. The 14th JTEPA (Japan-Thailand EPA Subcommittee) Meeting and the 4th HLDC (Japan-Thailand High-Technology EPA Subcommittee) Meeting Government officials from both sides encouraged further discussions at the Agricultural Cooperation Dialogue (Agricultural Cooperation Dialogue) instructed against. In addition, in order to diversify the export destinations of Japanese marine products, we once again explained the safety of Japanese marine products, requested cooperation in Japan's efforts to expand the sales network in Thailand, and asked for high-level cooperation. Both countries confirmed that they would continue discussions, and both countries made presentations on these matters. At the demonstration farm of Kubota Farm, a joint venture between Japan and Thailand, we observed cutting-edge smart agricultural technology tailored to the local agricultural environment. Uoiki, a Japanese-Thai joint venture has been aiming to expand its stores in local trade since its establishment in 2023, and grasped the current situation regarding the development of trade channels for Japanese seafood. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2135/japans-asahi-kasei-starts-operation-of-multi-module-hydrogen-pilot-plant-in-kawasaki.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2135/japans-asahi-kasei-starts-operation-of-multi-module-hydrogen-pilot-plant-in-kawasaki.html Wed, 15 May 2024 11:10:49 +0530 Official opening of a new hydrogen pilot is a important milestone towards green hydrogen production The Japanese technology company Asahi Kasei is further accelerating its hydrogen business activities. On May 13, official opening of a new hydrogen pilot plant happened in Kawasaki, Japan. Operation start of this commercial-scale facility was in March 2024. The trial operation of four 0.8 MW modules is another milestone towards the realization of a commercial multi-module 100 MW-class alkaline water electrolysis system for green hydrogen production. The hydrogen market is going to expand rapidly in the coming years. According to the Hydrogen Council, cumulative global installed capacity of water electrolyzers forecasted to reach approximately 300 GW by 2030. To meet this increasing demand, Asahi Kasei is currently developing the Aqualyzer™ alkaline water electrolyzer optimized for the production of green hydrogen. In order to test this new system under realistic conditions in a multi-module setup, the company started constructing a pilot plant at its manufacturing site in Kawasaki in November 2022. The new facility started operation in March 2024, and on May 13, company representatives and partners gathered in Kawasaki to celebrate its official opening. Multi-module approach for easy scale-up Masami Takenaka, Lead Executive Officer at Asahi Kasei and responsible for the company’s hydrogen business, said, “This pilot facility is milestone not only for Asahi Kasei, but also for the global hydrogen business in general. We believe that successfully operating our equipment in this test facility will be a door opener for commercial large-scale multi-module alkaline water electrolyzers and eventually the realization of a hydrogen society”. For the production of green hydrogen, electrolysis systems need to respond to fluctuating power supply from renewable energy sources such as wind or solar. In the pilot plant, four 0.8 MW Aqualyzer™ modules are being operated under realistic conditions, including operation during maintenance and low power supply during nighttime. In addition, the equipment is designed to simulate fluctuating power input from solar or wind power. By utilizing the data obtained from these trials, Asahi Kasei will further optimize the equipment design, operation methods, and control technology of the electrolysis system. With its multi-module approach, Asahi Kasei aims to combine up to ten modules with a capacity of 10 MW each, enabling commercial large-scale electrolysis systems with a capacity of up to 100 MW. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2074/japans-sumitomo-corp-invests-in-bio-insumos-nativa-to-strengthen-agrochemical-supply-chain.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2074/japans-sumitomo-corp-invests-in-bio-insumos-nativa-to-strengthen-agrochemical-supply-chain.html Tue, 23 Apr 2024 08:54:26 +0530 Partnership with Chilean biocontrol manufacturing company to serve the biocontrol market from upstream to downstream Sumitomo Corporation is investing in Bio Insumos Nativa (BIN), a Chilean biocontrol manufacturing company, through Summit Agro South America, an agrochemical distribution company in South America. This investment will be deemed official once the various procedures required by law have been completed.With the growing global population making it essential to increase crop yields, the use of agrochemicals and fertilizers has been increasing year by year. The accompanying upsurge in environmental impact has become a major concern for the agricultural industry, and demand for biocontrol is rising in response. BIN is a biocontrol manufacturing company established in Chile in 2002. In the microbial biocontrol sector, its primary focus, BIN is the largest player in the Chilean market, accounting for a 30% share. The company is currently the main supplier of the biocontrol products handled by Summit Agro South America and it has proven its market competitiveness through existing transactions and its development in Latin American countries, particularly Chile and Peru. In addition to the products currently on the market, there are several new biocontrol under development that are expected to expand the company’s sales in future. Prompted by this investment, BIN will begin participating in R&D/manufacturing from a more market-oriented perspective. Since biocontrol have less environmental impact and milder control effects than agrochemical, the company will also encourage wider use of biocontrol throughout the value chain by providing farmers with farm management/technical guidance to enable them to use biocontrol more effectively. The market for biocontrol was on the order of $8,000 million (approximately 1.2 trillion yen) in 2023, representing a 16-fold increase over 18 years from $500 million (approximately 75 billion yen) in 2005, and it is forecast to grow to $15 billion (over 2 trillion yen) by 2029, accounting for approximately 20% of the total agrochemicals market of $75 billion (approximately 11 trillion yen). The Latin American market for biocontrol is expected to expand at an average annual growth rate of 15% through 2029 due to the registration system that encourages the use of biocontrol and their greater use among soybean growers and other large-scale dry-field farmers. Sumitomo Corporation Group initiatives in the agrochemicals field The Sumitomo Corporation Group has been engaged in agrochemical-related businesses for more than 40 years, and it is currently involved in the sale and distribution of agrochemicals, specialty fertilizers and other agricultural materials in about 40 countries worldwide, contributing alongside producers to global agricultural production. In 2017, the Group invested in Futureco Bioscience S.A., a manufacturer of biocontrol in Spain, thereby obtaining access to that company’s expertise in biocontrol R&D, manufacturing/formulation processing, and sales networks. With this latest investment, the Group is intent on acquiring an even broader product portfolio in the areas of biocontrol R&D, manufacturing, and formulation processing and on further expanding the products it handles and the extent of its sales customer network to achieve the growth required for the Group to meet the needs of the biocontrol market’s entire value chain from upstream to downstream. The Group will leverage the strength of its global network to address sustainable agricultural production with an eye to responding to megatrends such as environmental regulations and biodiversity efforts. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2047/japanese-ministry-of-agriculture-grants-new-approval-for-broccoli-solutions.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2047/japanese-ministry-of-agriculture-grants-new-approval-for-broccoli-solutions.html Fri, 12 Apr 2024 10:43:29 +0530 SmartFreshTM SmartTabsTM and SmartFresh ProTabs now approved for use on key crops grown in and exported to Japan AgroFresh Solutions, Inc., a global leader in post-harvest solutions for fresh produce, is pleased to announce the approval by regulatory authorities in Japan of 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), the active ingredient in SmartFresh, for use in broccoli and other key crops exported to Japan. This grants growers and exporters the option to now manage the quality of their produce using two products from the SmartFresh™ Quality System: SmartFresh SmartTabsTM and SmartFresh ProTabs. The measure represents a significant advance for the fresh produce industry, offering exporters an additional tool to help ensure the quality and freshness extension of fruit and vegetables during transportation and storage. This expansion also unlocks opportunity as broccoli is considered a highly valued crop and Japan represents a growing market for broccoli consumption. “We understand broccoli will be added to the agriculture ministry’s list of important ‘designated vegetables’ that are consumed in mass quantities in Japan. We are excited to support local broccoli growers in bringing high-quality produce to market,” said Masami Shinozaki, Commercial Manager for AgroFresh in Japan. “This approval in Japan is a significant milestone, opening new opportunities for exporters in Latin America,” said Narciso Vivot, Commercial Director of AgroFresh in Latin America. “We are excited to offer innovative solutions that not only address the high standards of product efficacy but also sustainably deliver an abundant supply of quality fresh produce around the world.” SmartFresh technology helps to maintain the color, hydration and crispness of broccoli and many other approved crops, and extend its freshness, offering growers and packers increased flexibility in storage and transport and ultimately leading to increased revenue potential. Moreover, SmartFresh technology can eliminate the need for ice during transportation, reducing costs and environmental impact through water use and energy needs for cold storage. AgroFresh pioneered the commercialization of 1-MCP in 2003, which has come to be known as its flagship product, SmartFresh. SmartFresh technology has already revolutionized the post-harvest treatment of numerous crops in Japan, including apple, pear, kiwifruit, persimmon and potato. The approval for use on broccoli is the result of a review and update of freshness solution application use for produce. There are currently 14 vegetables, on Japan’s list of “designated vegetables.” ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2021/japans-elovi-evolve-by-rebranding-as-morinaga-nutritional-foods-vietnam.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2021/japans-elovi-evolve-by-rebranding-as-morinaga-nutritional-foods-vietnam.html Wed, 03 Apr 2024 10:54:42 +0530 Rebranding will deepen MNFV’s connections in the Vietnamese dairy market Elovi, a group company of Morinaga Milk Industry (Japan) has rebranded as Morinaga Nutritional Foods Vietnam (MNFV) to align with global standards of excellence. Rebranding will deepen MNFV’s connections in the Vietnamese market. Elovi has become the member of Morinaga Milk Group, one of the leading company in the dairy and nutrition industry in Japan with a legacy spanning over a century. With this acquisition, Elovi now joins Morinaga Milk's network of subsidiaries globally, further strengthening its position as a key player in the industry. Now operating under the banner of Morinaga Nutritional Foods Vietnam (MNFV), the company remains dedicated to developing business through products catering to customers of various ages with the overarching goal of enhancing wellness and happiness. Morinaga Milk Group has been exporting formula milk to Vietnam since 2010, and the addition of MNFV, a local manufacturer of beverages and yogurt contributing more to the Vietnamese market. Leveraging Morinaga's extensive experience, leading technology, and proven track record of delivering high-quality products in Japan, MNFV is poised to make a substantial impact on the Vietnamese market and pioneer innovations. Chihaya Takashi, General Director of Morinaga Nutritional Foods Vietnam, emphasized the company's commitment, stating, "Our mission is to contribute to "Wellness" through offering both "nutrition & deliciousness" by utilizing the advanced technology cultivated in Japan for over 100 years. Together, we aim to illuminate even brighter smiles and wellness across Vietnam." MNFV's has stabilized with dedicated research, MNFV's R&D team analyzing the nutritional needs and health concerns of different age groups, habits, and cultural nuances. In 2022, MNFV established a Healthcare business team to distribute Morinaga Milk Industry Group's healthcare products from Japan, broadening access to a wider range of high-quality Japanese products for Vietnamese consumers. MNFV's sustainability initiatives aim to address emerging health challenges while ensuring a brighter and healthier future for all Vietnamese consumers. Aligned with this vision, MNFV has adopted the slogan "For Better Wellness," emphasizing not just physical health but also well-being of people. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2019/redox-bio-nutrients-acquires-axxion-corporation-stocks-for-expansion-in-japan.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2019/redox-bio-nutrients-acquires-axxion-corporation-stocks-for-expansion-in-japan.html Wed, 03 Apr 2024 09:44:00 +0530 The acquisition will boost plant nutrition for traditional agricultural crops in the country, including rice Redox Bio-Nutrients has acquired 10% of the Axxion Corporation LLC, marking an important step in the companies expanding international presence. Axxion is specialised in fertilizers and moisture management surfactants to golf courses throughout Japan. The company has also seen steady growth in plant nutrition for traditional agricultural crops in the country, including rice. At the same time, Qvou, Inc., a fast growing marketing company, is the majority shareholder of this new partnership, with 80% of the total. “The quality of courses and increasing interest in golf make Japan a highly-valuable market for our company,” remarked Redox Bio-Nutrients President Colton Moon, who will serve on the Axxion Board with Kubo and Ogata. “Mory has done an exceptional job expanding interest in our products, and there’s tremendous promise for our technology with many of Japan’s agricultural crops. We are excited about the opportunity to grow our agricultural product sales throughout East Asia.” Axxion has long term purchase contractors with Redox and one other supplier for exclusive distribution rights in Japan. Agriculture is a principal industry throughout East Asia, and Redox Bio-Nutrients technology can help growers bolster quality and yield of a variety of bountiful crops that flourish in the region. For the past 30 years, Redox Bio-Nutrients has provided superior plant nutrition with added biostimulants to help growers grow abundant, high quality crops through Redox Homeostasis, or plant charge balance. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2006/nec-and-sumitomo-corporation-to-expand-global-sales-of-the-cropscope-agricultural-ict-platform.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2006/nec-and-sumitomo-corporation-to-expand-global-sales-of-the-cropscope-agricultural-ict-platform.html Mon, 01 Apr 2024 08:17:26 +0530 Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement to expand the range of target crops to strengthen support for farmers and contribute to sustainable agriculture NEC Corporation and Sumitomo Corporation have signed a strategic partnership agreement to expand global sales of NEC's agricultural ICT platform CropScope. Based on this partnership, NEC and Sumitomo aim to develop markets mainly in South America and the ASEAN region by utilizing Sumitomo's global network. To this end, NEC will expand the range of crops from the tomato farming support it has been focusing on and add functions to optimize and streamline a series of processes from cultivation to harvesting and processing. Through this partnership, CropScope is initially being introduced on a trial basis to major sugar companies in Thailand and Brazil. Summary of the Partnership 1. Expand sales of CropScope to emerging countries Sumitomo has a network of regional organizations in 65 countries around the world and is engaged in sales and distribution of agricultural materials such as agrochemicals and fertilizers in about 40 countries. Through this partnership, Sumitomo will utilize its global network to expand CropScope's sales area to Thailand, Brazil, and India, aiming for business growth. 2. Expanding the range of focus crops and integrating management from cultivation to processing CropScope has been expanded to support sugarcane, wheat, soybeans, and corn, as focus crops in addition to processed tomatoes. AI functions will be applied for these new crops, learning from past farming and harvesting data to recommend the optimal time and amount of harvest, and a harvest planning function will be added to manage harvest planning and results. Combining this function with the existing optimization of fertilizer application and irrigation will enable comprehensive management from cultivation to harvesting and processing. Future developments NEC has been continuously enhancing the functionality of CropScope and collaborating with various partners to meet the diverse needs of customers involved in agricultural production. This partnership with Sumitomo, which has a broad global network and extensive knowledge in the agricultural and food fields, will be a significant milestone in the expansion of CropScope's global sales. Sumitomo has been focusing on developing new businesses that contribute to sustainable food production with high efficiency and low environmental impact by utilizing advanced technologies, in addition to expanding its existing business base in the agriculture and food fields. One of the most important themes is smart farming, which contributes to the realization of safe and highly efficient food production by utilizing such technologies as automation of agricultural operations and data analysis. This collaboration with NEC, which has established AI technologies in agriculture and other fields, will be an important initiative. NEC and Sumitomo will continue to expand the range of focus crops and functions of CropScope while responding to issues and needs of agricultural production and processing sites. This will be performed as part of the companies' support for environmentally friendly and profitable farming globally, and to contribute to sustainable agriculture and global food security ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2005/japan-contributes-jpy-90-million-to-boost-energy-efficiency-and-low-carbon-initiatives.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/2005/japan-contributes-jpy-90-million-to-boost-energy-efficiency-and-low-carbon-initiatives.html Fri, 29 Mar 2024 15:09:17 +0530 Japan has donated JPY 90.1 million in funding to advance the promotion of energy efficiency and low-carbon related activities in the APEC region by supporting activities under the purview of the APEC Energy Working Group.   The contribution was confirmed in a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Tsuyoshi Okuyama, Japan’s Senior Official for APEC and Dr Rebecca Sta Maria, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat earlier this month, on the sidelines of the First APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting held in Lima, Peru. “APEC member economies are facing an increasing and urgent climate change that threatens our economies and people’s livelihoods,” said Okuyama. “It is crucial for us now to strengthen our work in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting energy transitions through various and practical pathways.” “Our contribution to the Energy Efficiency, Low Carbon and Energy Resiliency Measures Sub-Fund will support APEC’s work in promoting sustainable growth across sectors as well as ensuring energy security and access,” Okuyama added.  The Energy Efficiency, Low Carbon and Energy Resiliency Measures Sub-fund was established in 2009 with Japan's initial contribution of JPY120 million and an additional JPY360 million in 2010. It is one of thirteen thematic sub-funds managed by the APEC Secretariat. The sub-fund seeks to improve cooperation in relevant APEC fora to develop, encourage and exchange best practice policies as well as promote capacity-building programmes that bolster energy efficiency and low-carbon measures in the region.  APEC is on track to meet its current  goals to reduce energy intensity to 45 percent from 2005 levels by 2035, and to double renewable energy from 2010 levels by 2030, according to the latest edition of the APEC Energy Demand and Supply Outlook. The region accounts for 56 percent of world energy demand, 58 percent of world energy supply and 68 percent of world electricity generation. APEC accounts for 60 percent of global CO2 emissions.  “Climate change is a global threat but its effects are especially felt in the Asia-Pacific region where thousands of vulnerable communities are exposed to extreme weather events,” said Dr Sta Maria. “Adding to that, APEC economies pump out greenhouse gas emissions at disproportionately higher rates than our share of global economic output or population which means that we get the lion’s share of the responsibility, and of the consequences of inaction.” “Support for capacity building initiatives focused on reducing the greenhouse gas emissions and increasing energy efficiency will strengthen our collective efforts in addressing the climate crisis,” Dr Sta Maria concluded. Projects are a vital part of the APEC process. They help translate the policy directions of APEC economic leaders and ministers into actions, which contribute to creating tangible benefits for people living in the Asia-Pacific region. APEC provides funding for over 100 projects each year, with around USD22.6 million available in 2024. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1989/eneos-partners-japanese-s-korean-firms-in-saf-business.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1989/eneos-partners-japanese-s-korean-firms-in-saf-business.html Tue, 26 Mar 2024 12:46:00 +0530 Japanese refiner Eneos is looking to develop its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) business by tying up with other Japanese firms and South Korean partnes to achieve its net zero emissions goal. Eneos on 22 March said that it had signed an initial agreement on 11 January with South Korean bioenergy producer DS Dansuk and four Japanese firms including oils and fats trader HMLP, specialty chemical product importer Nomura Jimusho and used cooking oil (UCO) collector Yoshikawa Yushi and Sapporo Yushi, to discuss co-operation on biofuels and their feedstocks. The deal is eyeing Eneos' project for SAF production in Wakayama as a target collaboration area. The firms will jointly study the possibility of supplying feedstocks, such as UCO and tallow, to produce SAF and eventually establish a feedstock hub at the Wakayama plant, by leveraging each firm's supply chain and knowledge. They will also explore opportunities to supply biofuels. Eneos is aiming to start operations at its SAF plant in Wakayama in the April 2026-March 2027 fiscal year. The plant is designed to produce around 400,000 kilolitre/yr. The company will utilise its 120,000 b/d Wakayama refinery site, which was scrapped in October 2023. Dansuk is currently building facilities to conduct pretreatment for feedstocks processed into hydrotreated vegetable oil to produce SAF, and aims to complete them in the second half of this year. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1979/japans-terra-drone-invests-in-aloft-technologies-to-enter-u-s-market.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1979/japans-terra-drone-invests-in-aloft-technologies-to-enter-u-s-market.html Fri, 22 Mar 2024 08:11:00 +0530 Terra Drone is now the largest FAA-Approved UAS Service supplier powering over 84% of all airspace authorizations while boosting Global UTM development Terra Drone Corporation (Terra Drone), a leading drone and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) technology provider headquartered in Japan, has announced an investment in Aloft Technologies (Aloft), a company focusing on developing UTM, and a market leader in drone fleet and airspace management in the United States. This investment makes Terra Drone the largest shareholder in Aloft, with Aloft becoming an affiliate company of Terra Drone. In addition, the board of directors of Aloft has appointed Yuki Ueno, Terra Drone's executive officer in charge of domestic and international Unmanned Aerial System Traffic Management (UTM) business, to the Aloft board. This partnership also marks Terra Drone's official entry into the US, which is considered the world's largest market for drones and AAMs. Together with Aloft and Unifly, a Belgium-based UTM provider that became a Terra Drone subsidiary in July 2023, Terra Drone is positioned to contribute to the development of the UTM ecosystem on a global scale. Toru Tokushige, Founder and CEO of Terra Drone, says, "We see a future where drones and AAMs become a part of our daily lives. The implementation and seamless operation of a UTM system are essential to make this dream a reality. We have been focusing on UTM technology since the dawn of drones, with our earliest investment in Unifly dating back to 2016. Now, as drones and AAMs move into a new phase of development, UTM has become a priority for aviation authorities around the world. By investing in Aloft and becoming its largest shareholder, we intend to further evolve UTM on a global level. We also plan to expand aggressively in the U.S., considered to be the largest market for drones and AAMs." Compared to Japan, there are approximately 2.4 times as many registered drones and 62 times as many registered manned aircraft in the U.S.. Aloft Technologies, Inc., is at the forefront of drone fleet and airspace management. Powering over two thirds of all drone airspace authorizations in the United States with an exclusive patented dynamic airspace platform. Aloft platform has been adopted by major industries for its mission critical drone operations management, including energy, utilities, oil and gas, agriculture, and more. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1868/westfalia-fruit-forges-sustainable-growth-into-asias-avocado-market.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1868/westfalia-fruit-forges-sustainable-growth-into-asias-avocado-market.html Fri, 23 Feb 2024 09:42:33 +0530 Enters India, China and Japan markets Westfalia Fruit, a leading multinational supplier of avocados and a range of fresh vegetables has capped off an exciting year of growth in Asia – in India and China, two of the fastest growing avocado markets in the world, as well as Japan. Forging India market Westfalia entered the Indian market in 2022, working with local partners quickly establishing itself, investing in local production, nurseries and securing its position as the market leader. The market has grown tenfold in the last few years with consumption increasing from 200 to 4,000 tonnes. 2023 marked the first year of commercial harvest of Indian grown Hass avocados and in the coming years more than 500 acres of Westfalia’s existing Hass plantations in Southern India will come into production. Globally, with the most diverse growing footprint Westfalia has the benefit of being able to source from two production areas at any one time, including Tanzania, Kenya, Peru, Chile, and Australia enabling consistent year-round availability for Indian consumers. In December last year Westfalia Fruit India imported the first commercial shipment of avocados from Australia after market access for Australian avocados was granted. Fruit from Western Australia fits well into the Indian avocado imports calendar with availability between November to March, complementing African import programs from April to November. “We’re excited about Indian access for Australian avocados as well as being very close to securing Indian market access for our South African produced fruit. We believe that the demand for both Hass avocados and our exclusive and premium GEM® variety will continue to grow on the back of strong per capita income growth and a rise in discretionary spending to 36% in 2020. With our investment in local farms, ripening rooms and logistics we anticipate the next few years to be pivotal in the developing Indian market as the appeal and use of avocados widens”. says Zac Bard, Business Development Executive at Westfalia Fruit. Westfalia Avocados in China Market In August 2023, South Africa celebrated after its avocados were granted access to the Chinese market. As the leading exporter of avocados in South Africa, Westfalia Fruit represents half of all avocado exports, and believes this significant development will shape the future of agriculture in the country. “It’s a triumph for the avocado industry in South Africa and it gives us the opportunity to now grow the market and the local production in South Africa, particularly in the early and late season production areas. This is an opportunity for us, as an industry to invest and develop avocado production in South Africa which will directly benefit rural communities, providing jobs, improving infrastructure and overall investment in communities. As with India, Africa is very well geographically placed to supply China and as a globally integrated company we are approaching the opportunities there in a sustainable and responsible way,” continued Bard. Westfalia Avocados in Japanese Market Japan’s love for avocados began almost two decades ago when a Japanese chef working in California began adding the fruit to sushi. This trend filtered back to the country which has had a stable avocado market ever since. In 2023, Westfalia in Peru successfully increased imports to Japan by 58% establishing Westfalia as a leading supplier to the market. Marketing initiatives sponsored by trade bodies have supported the awareness and consumption of avocados as part of Japanese cuisine. In addition, South Africa was recently granted avocado market access to Japan, as a globally integrated business Westfalia’s teams are working together to supply the market 12 months of the year from complimentary growing areas. "Avocados grown in Africa have a hugely positive social footprint in Asian communities; Asia is the future for Africa and it’s going to be a fantastic story to watch how these markets help the continent improve the livelihood in its remote and rural economies. Avocados grown in Africa and sold in Asia are going to change many people’s lives for the better” Bard concluded. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1869/yokogawa-provides-remote-operation-monitoring-system-solution-for-japans-largest-wind-farm.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1869/yokogawa-provides-remote-operation-monitoring-system-solution-for-japans-largest-wind-farm.html Thu, 22 Feb 2024 08:21:10 +0530 Achieving system-wide optimization of offshore wind turbines and onshore facilities Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces that its subsidiary Yokogawa Solution Service Corporation has completed the design, supply, and commissioning of a remote operation and monitoring system based on the OpreX™ Collaborative Information Server for the offshore wind turbines and onshore facilities at the Ishikari Bay New Port Offshore Wind Farm. The company has also contracted to provide maintenance services at this wind farm, which is operated by JERA Co., Inc. and the Green Power Investment Corporation and owned through Green Power Ishikari GK, a special-purpose corporation. The Ishikari Bay New Port Offshore Wind Farm is the first wind farm in Japan to use large-scale 8,000kW wind turbines, and as of the start of commercial operations on January 1, 2024, it is the largest commercial wind farm in Japan. The remote operation and monitoring system supplied by Yokogawa includes a video system for the monitoring of all the offshore and onshore wind power generating facilities at this wind farm. On an ongoing basis, the company will also provide maintenance services for these systems. At the core of this remote operation and monitoring system is Yokogawa’s Collaborative Information Server, a solution that offers centralized management of data from the offshore wind turbines, the transformer substation’s large-scale storage batteries, and cameras installed on the wind turbines and storage batteries, and in the turbine maintenance yard. This video monitoring system utilizes the Edge Gateway AG 10 (for indoor) solution provided by Yokogawa subsidiary amnimo Inc. Wind is a renewable energy source, and the amount of electricity produced varies depending on weather conditions. Taking into account information on power demand provided by the transmission system operator, this remote operation and monitoring system provides the data required to control the amount of power that will be stored by the storage battery system. Yokogawa is firmly focused on developing the system of systems (SoS) concept, whereby systems work together as a whole while maintaining operational and management independence to achieve, in an emergent way, goals that cannot be achieved independently. While there are many types of equipment and system configurations at wind farms, Yokogawa possesses the operational technology (OT) know-how needed to interpret data from sensors and other devices and thereby identify how the equipment and systems should be linked to achieve optimization at the individual and collective levels. By leveraging this know-how to provide solutions that cover everything from operation to overall system maintenance, Yokogawa will contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1858/japans-initiatives-for-achieving-the-common-goal-of-net-zero-by-2050.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1858/japans-initiatives-for-achieving-the-common-goal-of-net-zero-by-2050.html Tue, 20 Feb 2024 12:50:43 +0530 Japan is the world's third largest solar energy provider and set to mobilize $70 billion climate finance from both public and private. Japan aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 46％ by 2030. Achieving the global goal of net-zero by 2050, setting the economy-wide absolute reduction target covering all greenhouse gases and peaking global greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 are some of its key objectives. Japan is furthering strenuous efforts in its challenge to meet the lofty goal of cutting its emission by 50％ and has already achieved a reduction of approximately 20%. Prime Minister Kishida affirmed at the G7 Hiroshima Summit, that it is time for all countries to aim to achieve the common goal of net-zero, through various pathways that are compatible with economic growth and energy security. "Japan will implement its growth-oriented carbon pricing concept based on the GX Promotion Act. In 2024, we will issue the world's first national transition bond with international certification. We will accelerate GX, which simultaneously achieves the three goals of emission reduction, stable energy supply, and economic growth, thereby contributing to global decarbonization. In Asia, we are working with countries under the framework of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) and will hold our first leaders meeting this month" added PM Kishida. Aiming to create globally a just and sustainable business environment to diversify the clean energy supply chain.Japan is implementing energy conservation, and intends to achieve maximum deployment of clean energy through making renewable energy as the main source of power, utilizing nuclear power and other measures. Japan is also the world's third largest solar energy provider. In this context, Japan endorses the Presidency's collective goal of tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements. On unabated coal power plants, they should be addressed by each country in the course of the respective pathways to net-zero, reflecting national circumstances. In line with its pathway to net-zero, Japan will end new construction of domestic unabated coal power plants, while securing a stable energy supply. Japan to mobilize up to approximately $70 billion climate finance from both public and private. Further, Japan is ready to contribute to the expansion of lending capacity totaling approximately $9 billion through the provision of credit enhancements to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. We will also make contributions to the new fund of the African Development Bank. Japan will dedicate itself to undertaking actions on climate change which is our common agenda in cooperation with other countries and leading the efforts of the international community ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1849/japan-to-launch-nile-jz-a-domestically-produced-autonomous-flight-drone-for-agriculture.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1849/japan-to-launch-nile-jz-a-domestically-produced-autonomous-flight-drone-for-agriculture.html Mon, 19 Feb 2024 09:58:10 +0530 Specializes in autonomous flight and can be operated by one person from March 2024. Tokyo Headquartered Nile Works Co., Ltd. will launch a domestically produced autonomous flight drone "Nile" that specializes in autonomous flight. This will be a first event using the aircraft "Nile-JZ" developed by the High-Spec Drone Development Consortium. Agriculturists can take this opportunity to experience the ease of advance preparation and stress-free flight experience that can only be achieved with fully automatic flight operation. Nile Works will contribute to solving problems caused by agriculture and food by utilizing domestically produced autonomous flying drones. Nile Works is keen on solving farmers' problems with its easy to operate "Nile-JZ" model which is a drone designed from dialogue with farmers enabling automatic flight. Furthermore, Nile Works is also developing cultivation support and agricultural work matching services using AI image analysis. Overall, it aim to improve the economic efficiency of cultivation, improve crop quality, and reduce environmental impact. Nile Works uses technology to solve problems caused by agriculture and food. To educate farmers on the simple use of drone as a compatible Agri tool, Nile Works has organized a seminar for farmers on March 2024. Farmers will be trained to operate the drone in-person in 3 major locations: At Hokkaido area in Bibai City, Tohoku area: Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, Kanto area: Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture. In addition, the session will include, lectures on Aviation Law, Pesticide Control Law, and other related laws and regulations, characteristics of "Nile-JZ", automatic flight mechanism, precautions for safe flight In the Practice sessions farmers will be given practical training on basic operation, surveying, transportation, cleaning, and inspection of "Nile-JZ", and how to respond when trouble occurs. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1810/3rd-edition-of-eu-japan-green-transition-matchmaking-event-to-stage-on-15-22-feb-2024.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1810/3rd-edition-of-eu-japan-green-transition-matchmaking-event-to-stage-on-15-22-feb-2024.html Fri, 09 Feb 2024 08:01:00 +0530 Ideal B2B platform for enterprises, research and educational institutions and other related organisations The EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation is organising an EU-Japan Green Transition Business Matching Platform, that aims at bringing together companies, startups and research organisations from Japan and Europe for partnerships that contribute to a low-carbon society. The platform was launched on 3 January 2024. The matchmaking event is stage on 15-22 Feb 2024. The Centre partners with various stakeholders in Japan to mobilise Japanese corporations. In partnership with many stakeholders in Europe and Japan, the EU-Japan Centre organises an “EU-Japan Green Transition" matchmaking event for the third year in a row. The event is for companies as well as research organisations from Japan and EU interested in building business partnerships that contribute to a low-carbon society. EIC beneficiaries have a great chance to promote their Green Transition solutions on this platform. The EU-Japan Green Transition platform offers opportunities for online meetings on 15-22 February 2024 and onsite meetings in Tokyo during the Smart Energy Week/ Green Transformation Week on 28 Feb - 1 March.  Online pitching and other webinars are part of the agenda. The platform will also be open to hosting webinars related to the Green Transition topic.The main target areas are:- Electrolysers and fuel cells- Battery/storage technologies- Solar photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies- Grid technologies- Onshore wind and offshore renewable technologies- Sustainable biogas/biomethane technologies- Carbon Capture and storage (CCS) technologies- Heat pumps and geothermal energy technologies- Low-carbon construction and manufacturing/ green materials- Product lifecycle management (PLM) and Recycling Access to this platform is reserved for representatives of enterprises, research and educational institutions and other related organisations, that are active in the above target fields and based in Japan, the European Union or Single Market Programme (SMP) countries. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1790/japans-sumitomo-invests-in-brazilian-insect-protein-production-to-boost-next-gen-sustainable-feed-production.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1790/japans-sumitomo-invests-in-brazilian-insect-protein-production-to-boost-next-gen-sustainable-feed-production.html Mon, 05 Feb 2024 10:56:13 +0530 Joint investment in a Seed round for Cyns, a biotechnology company to unlock the next chapter of black soldier fly (BSF) farming in Latin America Sumitomo Corporation, through Sumitomo Corporation do Brasil S.A. has announced a joint investment in a Seed round for Cyns, a biotechnology company located in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to unlock the next chapter of black soldier fly (BSF) farming in Latin America. Lambarin Investimentos, a Brazilian family office and wealth management firm, has also joined the Seed Funding Round together with Sumitomo. Cyns is the leading biotechnology company specialized in sustainable insect-based animal nutrition in South America, having been the first company to obtain regulatory approval to produce and market black soldier fly-based ingredients for animal nutrition in Brazil. The company is located in Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, the most prominent agtech valley in Brazil, and has developed a unique, cost-competitive horizontal BSF rearing system that delivers high bioconversion rates with minimum HVAC requirements by leveraging Brazil’s naturally-suitable conditions for BSF rearing and large availability of sustainable food byproduct streams which are used as the source of nutrition for BSF larvae. Cyns originated in 2015 as a project incubated by Bug Biological Agents, which was the pioneer in insect rearing for biological pest control in Latam. In 2020, it received its first angel investment from Lambarin Investimentos, and in 2022 Cyns opened Brazil’s first BSF industrial pilot to receive regulatory approval. Since then, Cyns has successfully introduced its ingredients to the market, which can now be found in dog treats, bird and other exotic pet foods available in Brazil’s largest pet retail outlets. Insect-based nutrition is one of the leading solutions to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of animal nutrition, which together with agriculture, make up the 2nd largest source of greenhouse gas emissions with roughly 25% of all emissions. Insect-based ingredients are known for having a much lower carbon intensity than those of its plant and animal-based ingredient counterparts, contributing to reducing the carbon footprint of pet food and animal feed by at least 60-70% or more. Together with the investment, Sumitomo Corporation do Brasil has also inked a commercial partnership agreement with Cyns, under which Sumitomo Corporation do Brasil will be in charge of application development and R&D, as well as marketing Cyns’ products in the Americas Region. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1676/npfc-and-global-marine-expertise-reviews-measures-around-bottom-fish-marine-ecosystems-and-pacific-saury-stock-assessment.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1676/npfc-and-global-marine-expertise-reviews-measures-around-bottom-fish-marine-ecosystems-and-pacific-saury-stock-assessment.html Fri, 29 Dec 2023 11:08:23 +0530 NPFC Members from Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Chinese Taipei, the United States of America and Vanuatu were convened The NPFC Scientific Committee (SC) and its subsidiary bodies met in December 2023 in association with the NPFC Members from Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Chinese Taipei, the United States of America and Vanuatu, and other observers from inter- and non-governmental organizations as well as invited experts. Two subsidiary body meetings were held before the SC meeting and discussed bottom fish and marine ecosystems, and stock assessment of Pacific saury, respectively.   The Small Scientific Committee on Bottom Fish and Marine Ecosystems proposed revisions of the conservation and management measures for bottom fisheries and protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VME), discussed stock assessment and management of North Pacific armorhead, splendid alfonsino and sablefish, and reviewed the progress in VME identification and assessment of the impact of bottom fisheries on VMEs. The Small Scientific Committee on Pacific Saury (SSC PS) updated stock assessment of Pacific saury using Bayesian state-space production models, discussed plans for developing age-structured models, and provided scientific advice for the management of Pacific saury stock. The SSC PS also supported the development of an interim harvest control rule for Pacific saury. In addition, the Technical Working Group on Chub Mackerel Stock Assessment (TWG CMSA) presented to the SC the outputs.  The TWG CMSA evaluated the performance of four candidate models and selected a stock assessment model for chub mackerel. The TWG CMSA will have a data preparation meeting in January 2024 and aims to complete its first stock assessment in 2024. The Scientific Committee reviewed recommendations from the subsidiary body meetings and provided scientific advice to the Commission with respect to the management of fisheries resources and protection of marine ecosystems in the NPFC Convention Area. The SC reviewed the progress of four small working groups for other priority species (neon flying squid, Japanese flying squid, Japanese sardine, blue mackerel) which worked intersessionally on data collation and species summaries. The SC established a new SSC on Neon Flying Squid to focus on conducting stock assessment and providing scientific advice on this species. The SC updated its 5-year Research and Work Plans, addressed issues related to data collection, management and security, and discussed recent and future cooperation with other organizations to facilitate the implementation of the Work Plan. The next SC meeting is tentatively scheduled to take place in Tokyo, Japan from 17-20 December 2024. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1670/nutricell-joins-indonesias-ministry-of-agriculture-in-a-landmark-trade-mission-to-japan.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1670/nutricell-joins-indonesias-ministry-of-agriculture-in-a-landmark-trade-mission-to-japan.html Fri, 29 Dec 2023 08:22:24 +0530 Nutricell, a pioneering company in the field of nutritional science and technology, has participated in the Trade Mission led by The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) of the Republic of Indonesia to Japan, in December 2023. This esteemed delegation aimed to foster bilateral relations and explore new technological advancements in various sectors. Nutricell played a crucial role in these discussions, sharing its expertise and innovations with key Japanese institutions and industry leaders. The trade mission concluded with Nutricell securing new trade commitments with renowned Japanese companies such as Sari Raya and Sky Global. This venture will enhance the presence of Nutricell’s innovative plant-based meat technology in the Japanese market, which is witnessing rapid growth. Engagement with Fuji Film Research Center A significant part of the mission involved Nutricell’s engagement with the Fuji Film Research Center. These discussions centered around the latest advancements in photography, medical devices, cosmetics, and food technology. Nutricell showcased its groundbreaking texturing technology for plant-based meat, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable and innovative food solutions. Collaboration with Japan Nutrition Company (JNC) Furthering its collaborative efforts, Nutricell engaged in a fruitful dialogue with its partner in Japan, the Japan Nutrition Company (JNC). The discussions revolved around yeast technology and nutrition lipid, highlighting Nutricell’s expertise in developing nutrition products from palm oil derivatives. These innovations include the creation of fat powder through calcium soap technology, hydrolysis processes, and the utilization of specific fatty acids for bypass coating of essential nutrients. In alignment with its vision for sustainable development, Nutricell and the MoA team visited AEON, Japan’s leading modern retail market based in Chiba. Nutricell shared insights on the market development of pet care products, especially in mature markets like Japan. AEON’s commitment to developing a new standard in the modern retail industry that supports both people and the environment aligns closely with Nutricell’s mission. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1626/usda-releases-japans-dairy-industry-analytics-for-fy-2023.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1626/usda-releases-japans-dairy-industry-analytics-for-fy-2023.html Fri, 15 Dec 2023 09:51:07 +0530 USDA has released analytical report depicting ups and down in Japan's Dairy industry. According to the report, the weaker yen has made landed feed costs higher for dairy producers, driving up milk prices anddampening consumption in 2022 and 2023. For details, see JA2023-0119. The surge in milk prices started in late 2022 and has not eased. As a result, retail milk consumption from January through September in 2023 dipped by 12 percent compared to 2020. For butter, the impact was delayed due to a buildup in stocks during the COVID-19 pandemic as school closures and other factors depressed liquid milk consumption, forcing dairy producers to divert large quantities of raw milk to butter production (see JA2020-0174). However, by April retail butter prices also started to rise, pushing consumption down 13 percent from January to September compared to 2020. Meanwhile, prices for both domestic and imported cheese remain high. The average CIF price for imported natural cheese was 792 yen ($5.28) per kilogram, up 68 percent from 2020, leading to a 15 percent drop in retail consumption. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1622/fpt-vietnam-and-faeger-to-jointly-support-businesses-in-developing-green-agriculture-in-vietnam.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1622/fpt-vietnam-and-faeger-to-jointly-support-businesses-in-developing-green-agriculture-in-vietnam.html Fri, 15 Dec 2023 08:40:51 +0530 The cooperation aims to promote technology development in the field of agriculture and forestry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate the green transition process in Vietnam. FPT Corporation - The leading enterprise in digital transformation in Vietnam and the region and Faeger - A pioneering company in decarbonizing-oriented agricultural development in Japan, signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly research and develop consulting services and digital transformation solutions for businesses in the field of Agriculture in Vietnam. Takahiro Ishizaki, FPT's Chief Executive Officer, and Yusuke Takai, FPT's Chief Operating Officer, were in attendance at the event as was Tran Duc Tri Quang, Chief Data Officer of FPT IS. FPT plays the role of creating and expanding the green transformation ecosystem in the domestic agriculture and forestry sector. FPT is also responsible for connecting organizations, businesses and the Vietnamese farming community. At the same time, the company will provide comprehensive services from consulting to implementing technology solutions to optimize management, reduce emissions and improve efficiency in agricultural and forestry production. Faeger is committed to contributing professional knowledge, experts and connecting funding sources from the Joint Credit Mechanism (JCM) to support Vietnamese organizations and businesses to promote green transformation and ensure financial support for implementing projects. Feager also shared planning methods for effectively using Japanese investment capital for agricultural projects. Takahiro Ishizaki, highly appreciated the opportunity to cooperate with FPT to promote green transformation in Vietnam. He shared: "Through this cooperation, we will fully support decarbonizing businesses, and contribute to increasing income for Vietnamese farmers thanks to our environmental farming efforts. This will become a typical project in the field of decarbonized agriculture, creating a premise for effective replication in Vietnam and the region." Tran Duc Tri Quang also affirmed: "Green transformation is no longer a slogan, it has become an inevitable direction for any business that wants to participate in the global market. Determining the mission and strategy of promoting technology to realize green transformation in Vietnam, FPT is investing resources and building technology strategies to accompany the Government and other organizations and units to pioneer in achieving the Net Zero goal". ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1604/c-p-group-and-toyota-commercial-japan-embark-a-new-milestone-towards-decarbonization-with-multi-faceted-solutions.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1604/c-p-group-and-toyota-commercial-japan-embark-a-new-milestone-towards-decarbonization-with-multi-faceted-solutions.html Wed, 13 Dec 2023 08:46:01 +0530 C.P. Group plans to use such biogas-derived hydrogen for their truck fleet for long-haul logistics for its supply chains, further accelerating Thailand's decarbonization process across energy, data and mobility During the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference hosted in Dubai, UAE, Charoen Pokphand Group Co., Ltd.  (C.P. Group), along with Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota), and Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies (CJPT) announced progress in their pilot project to produce one of Thailand's first bio-hydrogen supply of an initial volume of 2kg/day. The Thai-Japanese partnership announced that they have completed their first trial of using poultry waste to produce bio-hydrogen, marking an important milestone in their journey towards decarbonizing the transportation sector. Backed by state-of-the-art equipment, biogas derived from poultry waste provided by C.P. Group's farms is used to produce the bio-hydrogen. This collaborative effort demonstrates C.P. Group and Toyota/CJPT's commitment to innovation and dedication to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As part of this initiative, Toyota has also established Thailand's first Biogas-Derived Hydrogen Production Equipment at its Asia headquarters in Samut Prakan province, south of Bangkok. To showcase the potential of bio-hydrogen as a clean energy source, the team will now embark on its next phase to trial the fuel for long-haul transportation. This trial will test the viability and performance of bio-hydrogen as an alternative energy source for the transportation sector. Together, the companies hope to eventually adopt bio-hydrogen for C.P. Group's long-haul logistics, including the powering of delivery trucks for parts of its operations in Thailand. Bio-hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role in Thailand's decarbonization journey, and in addition to poultry waste to biogas, the partnership is also exploring broader mobility solutions, and is pleased to announce the successful completion of a second test project into the role that drones can play in supporting agriculture in Thailand. Toyota created a fuel cell powered drone that has successfully been used across a number of CP farms in support of seeding, the fertilization of crops as well as other agricultural tasks. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1557/philippines-da-sra-receive-800-m-yen-worth-of-farm-equipment-from-japan-for-small-sugarcane-farmers.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1557/philippines-da-sra-receive-800-m-yen-worth-of-farm-equipment-from-japan-for-small-sugarcane-farmers.html Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:23:30 +0530 Philippines Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) received 800 million yen (PhP300-million) worth of farm equipment for Filipino small sugarcane farmers. The Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines, Kazuhiko Koshikawa turned over the grant to Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Sec Kiko” Tiu Laurel, SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona, and representatives of beneficiaries from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. “We thank Government of Japan and for the 80 units of tractors, 48 units of sugarcane planters, 48 units of flail mowers, and 5 units of power harrow—all extended under the Japan Non-Project Aid Program,” Sec. Laurel said this during the turnover ceremony at the SRA Compound in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. The Department has played a significant role in the evaluation, approval, and monitoring of the progress of the project entitled Farm Mechanization Program for Small Sugarcane Landholders. “Mechanization reduces hard labor, relieves labor shortages, and improves the productivity and timeliness of agricultural operations,” the agriculture chief said. Laurel also commended the SRA for steering the sugarcane industry toward increasing its production through small sugarcane farmers. In his public pronouncements, the new agriculture chief said he would consult with stakeholders, including the huge DA bureaucracy, in order to accomplish President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s marching orders to bring down the prices of food items like rice, sugar, meat, chicken, fish, and vegetables by increasing food production. Laurel noted that his experience moving up the corporate ladder allowed him to witness for himself the problems of the agriculture sector and the need for national and local authorities to work together to address the problems of Filipino farmers. “I have been on a journey of administrative responsibility. I went to see first-hand conditions throughout the agriculture sector, to see how effectively national and local authorities are taking care of the Filipino farmers’ pressing problems and how they work together to support national food security,” he said. Laurel thanked the Japanese embassy official involved in actualizing the grant and said modernizing Philippine agriculture is key to meeting the President’s and the public’s expectations of more affordable and accessible food items. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1506/japan-to-host-agribusiness-creation-fair-2023-in-november-2023.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1506/japan-to-host-agribusiness-creation-fair-2023-in-november-2023.html Mon, 30 Oct 2023 08:46:45 +0530 Three days from November 20th to 22nd at Tokyo Big Sight The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will hold the "Agribusiness Creation Fair 2023", a technology exchange exhibition in the fields of agriculture, forestry and fisheries and food industries, at Tokyo Big Sight for three days from November 20th to November 22nd. This year, 139 institutions from across the country will exhibit their latest research results, and we will also hold a variety of events, including lectures by experts in various fields and seminars aimed at creating startups in the agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and food industry fields. "Agribusiness Creation Fair 2023" will clearly introduce the latest research results in the fields of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, food, etc. held by industry, academia, and government across the country through exhibitions and presentations, and encourage collaboration between research institutions and between research institutions and businesses. This is a technology exchange exhibition that promotes.This fair has been held continuously since 2004, and this year marks the 20th time. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1407/japans-terra-drone-acquires-avirtech-to-expands-into-agriculture-sector.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1407/japans-terra-drone-acquires-avirtech-to-expands-into-agriculture-sector.html Fri, 22 Sep 2023 06:09:12 +0530 "Terra Agri," a new service aimed at sustainable agriculture globally to advance technology-driven precision agriculture from Southeast Asia to the world.  Terra Drone Corporation, a leading drone and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) technology provider, expands into the precision agriculture sector by acquiring the business of Avirtech, a leading startup providing agricultural drone spraying and mapping service in Southeast Asia. Terra Drone establishes a new company Terra Drone Agri in Malaysia. And develops its business in Malaysia and Indonesia under the new business brand "Terra Agri". Leading drone research firms, including Drone Industry Insights, recognize Terra Drone as one of the top drone service providers worldwide. Terra Drone has successfully completed over 3,000 surveys and inspection projects in 10 countries, while its subsidiary Unifly's the unmanned traffic management (UTM) system has become the most widely adopted in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Avirtech specializes in providing pesticide spraying and mapping services using drones and artificial intelligence (AI). The company's solutions assist palm oil farmers and plantation companies to minimize crop failures, reducing operating costs by 30%. Executing up to 4,000 flights daily, Avirtech has contributed to the scientific cultivation of over 200,000 hectares of land in Indonesia and Malaysia. Indonesia and Malaysia are recognized as major palm oil producers, accounting for around 80% of global production[1]. However, these countries face serious issues including deforestation, ecological impacts, harsh labor conditions, labor shortages, and other environmental problems. Moreover, soaring prices stemming from a shortage of palm oil supply have become a major concern. Through these businesses, Avirtech has helped solve labor shortages, enhance worker safety, and boost productivity in the palm oil industry. Also, Avirtech is expected to continue addressing these issues and support sustainable palm oil production while also delivering value as an ESG investment. The integration of Terra Drone's global leadership in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology with Avirtech's precision farming prowess has driven the growth of Terra Agri. The primary focus market for this new business is Indonesia and Malaysia. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1337/thailand-extends-rice-export-alliance-with-japan.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1337/thailand-extends-rice-export-alliance-with-japan.html Mon, 28 Aug 2023 11:00:02 +0530 Thailand exports about 290,000 - 310,000 tons of rice to Japan per year, taking a 46.74% share of the rice market in Japan. Department of Foreign Trade led Thai Rice Exporters Association to visit Japan at the end of August 2023 to strengthen relations with government and private sectors involved in Japanese rice products and build confidence in the quality of Thai rice standards As a rice exporter with international quality and standards. The Department will lead the Thai Rice Exporters Association to meet with the Ministry of Agriculture. Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), the body that oversees rice auctions. and determine the amount and type of rice to be imported into Japan To strengthen relations and exchange information on rice trade situations, policies, problems - obstacles, and solutions to promote rice trade between each other. which will benefit both parties. The MAFF is a Japanese government agency with strong ties to the Department. and the Thai Rice Exporters Association In the past, there was a delegation travel to meet each other every year Even during the COVID-19 epidemic, the Department held meetings with MAFF and the Thai Rice Exporters Association via Zoom Meeting system . MAFF on the occasion of visiting Thailand In addition, it is also scheduled to bring the Thai Rice Exporters Association to meet with Overseas Merchandise Inspection Company (OMIC) to discuss quality inspection of Thai rice to Japan. To promote the export of Thai rice to Japan and build confidence in the quality of Thai rice standards, OMIC is a rice quality inspection agency assigned by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) of Japan to inspect the quality of rice to be exported to Japan.  The Director-General of the Department of Foreign Trade further revealed that Japan is a country with close ties as an ally important to Thai rice trade Each year. Thailand exports about 290,000 - 310,000 tons of rice to Japan per year, taking a 46.74% share of the rice market in Japan. About 96% of Thai rice exported to Japan is white rice, and the rest is glutinous rice. Thai white rice and Thai jasmine rice are the top two exports from Thailand to Japan in 2023. In addition to maintaining the Thai rice market in Japan, it will help build confidence in the quality and standard of Thai rice. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1302/frd-japan-to-construct-a-commercial-land-based-aquaculture-plant.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1302/frd-japan-to-construct-a-commercial-land-based-aquaculture-plant.html Wed, 16 Aug 2023 10:58:04 +0530 For Rainbow Trout in Chiba, Japan FRD aims to produce 3,500 metric tons of trout annually starting in 2027. FRD Japan Co., Ltd. has decided to construct a commercial land-based aquaculture plant for trout farming in Chiba, Japan.  With the operation of the Commercial Plant, FRD aims to produce 3,500 metric tons of trout annually starting in 2027. In addition, FRD will raise funds through a third-party allocation of new shares and loans using its framework for blue sustainability finance. The funds to be raised will be used for the construction of the Commercial Plant, as well as for working capital, research and development, and investment (including expenditures for the pilot plant currently in operation and preparations for future large-scale plant development). Capital increase through a third-party allotment of new shares FRD has reached agreements with Air Water Inc., STI Food Holdings, Inc., Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd., Haseko Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited, Mitsui & Co., Ltd., and MUFG Bank, Ltd. to raise a total of ¥21 billion through a third-party allotment of new shares. Financing through the company’s framework for blue sustainability finance FRD has entered into a loan agreement with The Keiyo Bank, Ltd., Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited, and Resona Bank, Ltd. to finance the construction of the Commercial Plant. FRD has developed a “blue sustainability loan framework” and has obtained an independent second party opinion from Rating and Investment Information, Inc. on the conformity of this framework with the principles and guidelines set forth for green financing by international organizations. Over the five years of operating the pilot plants, FRD has accumulated sufficient knowledge to now be able to launch the Commercial Plant, both in terms of improving its proprietary Closed-RAS and increasing the efficiency of its farming operations. With the planned Commercial Plant as the first, FRD aims to develop multiple land-based aquaculture plants for farming salmonoids with a maximum capacity of 10,000 metric tons per plant, mainly in Asia, including Japan. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1278/japan-aim-to-achieve-food-security-in-the-apec-region.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1278/japan-aim-to-achieve-food-security-in-the-apec-region.html Wed, 09 Aug 2023 11:00:09 +0530 Principles have been formulated to achieving food security and building sustainable agriculture and food systems in the APEC region The APEC Food Security Ministers' Meeting was held in the United States, where discussions were held on achieving food security through sustainable agriculture and food systems in the APEC region.  Fujiki, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, attended from Japan. Based on the discussions at the G7 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting Miyazaki, Fujiki said, Japan aim to achieve food security in the APEC region by effectively utilizing domestic resources while promoting sustainability. Fujiki called for the expansion of sustainable agricultural production through the implementation and use of innovation. At this meeting, the APEC region's food security through sustainable agriculture and food systems. This clarified the approach for achieving food security and building sustainable agriculture and food systems in the APEC region. Principles have been formulated. No agreement was reached on issuing a joint statement, and as a result, the United States issued a chairman's statement. Japan, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, USA, Vietnam participated in the discussion. Based on the results obtained at the G7 Miyazaki Agriculture Ministers' Meeting, (a) the sustainability of agriculture should be improved in a way that increases productivity, (b) existing domestic agricultural resources should be fully utilized, and (c) ) advocated that all forms of innovation should be exploited. Japan is promoting the Green Food System Strategy to put these points into practice. During the meeting with the Washington State Secretary of Agriculture, Mr. Sandison, we exchanged views on matters such as the friendly relationship between Washington State and Japan's agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries that have spanned over many years, and the efforts of organic farming in Washington State. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1267/japan-becomes-largest-importer-of-vietnamese-seafood-in-q2-2023.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1267/japan-becomes-largest-importer-of-vietnamese-seafood-in-q2-2023.html Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:41:36 +0530 VASEP reports $713 million worth import by Japan in second quarter surpassing United States Japan has surpassed the United States to become the leading importer of Vietnamese aquatic products during the second quarter of the year, raking in $713 million, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). VASEP statistics indicate that among the major export markets, seafood exports to the US during the first half of this year plummeted by 46% to $706 million. The slump is attributable to large inventories of shrimp and pangasius in the market, along with rising inflation, leading to decrease in import demand and consumption demand. Among the top eight main markets, export value to Japan saw the lowest decrease at 11% due to the proportion of value-added and processed goods exported to the Far East nation being higher than that of other countries. China remained the third largest consumer of Vietnamese seafood with a turnover of $636 million, duly accounting for over 15% of Vietnam’s total seafood export value. According to the latest VASEP data, China, including Hong Kong, made up the largest import market in the first half of this year, purchasing $716 million worth of seafood from Vietnam. Experts point out that seafood exports to the main markets tend to increase gradually over the months, reaching their highest levels in May, before falling slightly in June. This is a trend that is typical of Japan, the US, China, and the EU. Meanwhile, six-month seafood exports to the EU brought in $459 million, representing a fall of 33% against the same period last year and accounting for 11% of Vietnamese seafood export turnover. Seafood exports to the Republic of Korea throughout the reviewed period fetched $357 million, down 21% year on year. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1261/npfc-strengthens-ties-with-regional-and-global-organizations-to-boost-fisheries-in-pacific.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1261/npfc-strengthens-ties-with-regional-and-global-organizations-to-boost-fisheries-in-pacific.html Fri, 04 Aug 2023 10:15:00 +0530 The North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) has signed a MoU the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO) to facilitate consultation, cooperation, and collaboration among the Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMOs) The North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) has been strengthening cooperation with several regional and global organizations including the Fisheries and Resources Monitoring System (FIRMS) of the Food and Aquaculture Organization (FAO), the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC), the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO), the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), and the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-Like Species in the North Pacific Ocean (ISC). In 2023, the NPFC entered into a Partnership Arrangement with the FIRMS which establishes a framework for developing, sharing and maintaining services for the collation, management and dissemination of information on marine living resources and fisheries in the North Pacific Ocean. Following the establishment of the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between NPFC and NPAFC, the two Commissions developed a five-year work plan in 2023 to implement the MoC. The work plan addresses the key areas of mutual interest, such as (1) Exchange of data and information; (2) Collaboration on research efforts relating to stocks and species of mutual interest, and (3) Implementation of conservation and management measures for stocks and species of mutual interest. The NPFC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2023 with the SPRFMO. The MoU aims at facilitating, where appropriate, consultation, cooperation, and collaboration between the RFMOs, including exchange of reports, data and scientific information, cooperation on research effort, sharing best practices, considering methods of supporting conservation and management measures, and exchange of expertise gained and lessons learned. The NPFC is currently in the process of considering MoUs with WCPFC and ISC. Informal consultations on the idea of a North Pacific Fisheries Commission to bridge the gap in regional fisheries management of deep sea fish and protection of marine ecosystems began in 2006.  Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Chinese Taipei, the United States of America, and Vanuatu are all members of the NPFC. Panama is a Cooperating Non-contracting Party. The Objective of the Convention is to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the fisheries resources in the Convention Area while protecting the marine ecosystems of the North Pacific Ocean in which these resources occur. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1235/japan-vietnam-deepen-bilateral-cooperation-on-trade-promotion-technology-transfer-logistics-in-agro-forestry-fishery.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1235/japan-vietnam-deepen-bilateral-cooperation-on-trade-promotion-technology-transfer-logistics-in-agro-forestry-fishery.html Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:51:12 +0530 Japan - Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance leverages on three major strategies to strengthen bilateral relationships The Vietnam-Japan Friendship Parliamentary Alliance met with the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam on 26 July. "Currently, Vietnam is implementing the Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050 with three pillars of ecological agriculture, modern rural areas, and civilized farmers. Therefore, in the coming time, we will strongly implement a high-quality human resource training program, taking the Japanese model as a typical model," said Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam. Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam shared three issues that Vietnam's agricultural sector would like to coordinate with Japan. Desire to cooperate with Vietnam Japan University to train high-quality human resources in agriculture. Bilateral trade promotion, technology transfer of agro-forestry-fishery and logistics in agriculture to respond to market signals Creating links, exchanging and learning experiences on cooperatives between the two sides. The cooperation between Vietnam and Japan will train human resources who can ensure that agricultural production meets international quality standards. The Minister emphasized cooperation among Vietnam universities under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development with Japanese schools. Japan’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tsutomu Takebe emphasized the importance of coordination and cooperation between Vietnam and Japan, especially in the field of smart agriculture and technology, food processing amid the global food security imbalance. Minister Tsutomu Takebe, appreciating the supporting models of field training schools, recommended the collaboration between two countries to cooperate in training high-quality human resources in the agricultural sector.  "Vietnam has about 20,000 cooperatives ready to exchange experiences, proceed to organize annual cooperation programs in the field of agriculture with the Japanese side," said the Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam. Vietnam's agricultural industry generates more than $53.2 billion in export turnover of agricultural products to 196 countries around the world with 10 commodity groups with a turnover of $10 million exports from $1 billion or more, of which 5 items are fruit, cashew nut, coffee, shrimp, wooden furniture, achieving export turnover of over $3 billion. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1223/japan-researchers-discover-mutation-inducing-rice-blast-fungus.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1223/japan-researchers-discover-mutation-inducing-rice-blast-fungus.html Tue, 25 Jul 2023 09:52:00 +0530 Mutations in Pro1, causes Protein Malfunction allowing Rice Blast Fungus to thrive, a fungi that infects a variety of cultivates grains, such as rice, wheat, barley, and finger millet. A recent discovery by researchers at Tokyo University of Science revels groundbreaking findings about the Rice Blast Fungus. Researchers have found that mutations in Pro1 cause female sterility of the rice blast fungus, Pyricularia (Magnaporthe) oryzae, coupled with an increase the release of asexual spores. These findings indicate that the switch to asexual mode of reproduction provides the fungus a ‘fitness advantage’. This discovery reveals the mystery behind the fungus' adaptation and has significant implications for crop disease management and fungal evolution. Researchers from the Tokyo University of Science, the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, and the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan, have recently uncovered evidence for this advantageous loss of sexual reproduction in the rice blast fungus. The research team was led by Professor Takashi Kamakura and Junior Associate Professor Takayuki Arazoe, from the Department of Applied Biological Science at the Tokyo University of Science. Explaining the broader implications of the discovery, Prof. Kamakura explains, “We’ve provided the first evidence that the loss of female fertility may be an adaptive advantage for plant pathogen Pyricularia (Magnaporthe) oryzae. The release of asexual conidia favors dispersal in the wild. This work also opens doors to study how diversity, another important aspect of fitness, is acquired in asexual breeders.”   The ‘paradox of sex’ refers to the puzzle of why the sexual mode of reproduction is more common among living beings than the asexual mode. Sexual reproduction requires at least two mates, exposes individuals to a higher risk of diseases, and is more energy intensive. In contrast, asexual reproduction makes up for all of these disadvantages by requiring only one parent while allowing for the rapid generation of offspring. Now, this ‘paradox’ has been bolstered by findings from a new study regarding a species of pathogenic fungi that infects a variety of cultivates grains, such as rice, wheat, barley, and finger millet. Pyricularia (Magnaporthe) oryzae, a species of pathogenic filamentous fungi, wreaks havoc on global rice production as it causes the rice blast disease, which has earned it the moniker ‘rice blast fungus’. The infection cycle begins with asexual reproduction, where asexual spores called ‘conidia’ attach to the surface of the leaves of the rice plant. This produces an infection-specific structure called an appressorium, which starts to penetrate the outermost cell layer of the leaf, resulting in visible lesions on the leaf surface. When conditions are favorable, specialized structures called conidiophores emerge and produce more conidia, which disperse through the wind or atmospheric droplets to more rice plants. Pyricularia (Magnaporthe) oryzae, a species of pathogenic filamentous fungi, wreaks havoc on global rice production as it causes the rice blast disease, which has earned it the moniker ‘rice blast fungus’. The infection cycle begins with asexual reproduction, where asexual spores called ‘conidia’ attach to the surface of the leaves of the rice plant. This produces an infection-specific structure called an appressorium, which starts to penetrate the outermost cell layer of the leaf, resulting in visible lesions on the leaf surface. When conditions are favorable, specialized structures called conidiophores emerge and produce more conidia, which disperse through the wind or atmospheric droplets to more rice plants. While this asexual mode of reproduction is the main driving force of the P. oryzae life cycle, scientists have demonstrated the successful sexual reproduction of this fungus in laboratory settings. The fungus appears to have strains equivalent to biological males and biological females. However, most specimens collected from the fields show a loss of female fertility. The underlying genes and mechanisms responsible for the loss of sexual reproduction in P. oryzae have remained a mystery. Regarding the premise of the study Prof. Kamakura explains, “Many fungal species have abandoned sexual reproduction, which doesn’t align with the evolutionary advantages of sex and fuels the paradox of sex. In the future, this research will also help breed useful industrial strains or understand how pathogens respond to mutations by explaining how diversity is acquired in fungi.” The researchers used multiple genetic experiments to identify which genes were linked to female sterility. Parental strains from P. oryzae field isolates were bred to give rise to female-sterile and female-fertile P. oryzae offspring. Further genetic analyses revealed that mutations that resulted in dysfunctional Pro1 protein (involved in the expression of mating-related genes in filamentous fungi) caused female sterility in rice blast fungus.  Dr. Arazoe further adds, “To our surprise, the dysfunctional Pro1 increased the release of conidia but did not affect P. oryzae’s pathogenicity. We also found Pro1 mutations in wheat-infecting isolates, which is feared to spread worldwide (pandemic)—a finding that suggests a similar evolution (loss of sexual reproduction) has occurred in wheat blast fungus.” Building on these results, the research group is already spearheading the identification and characterization of other genes that cause female sterility in fungal species". ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1189/korea-rok-and-japan-become-biggest-importers-of-vietnamese-wood-pellets.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1189/korea-rok-and-japan-become-biggest-importers-of-vietnamese-wood-pellets.html Mon, 17 Jul 2023 11:13:51 +0530 Volume of wood pellets exported to the RoK reached 0.65 million tonnes, equivalent to $96.1 million in value The Republic of Korea (RoK) and Japan have become the biggest importers of Vietnamese wood pellets, accounting for over 95% of Vietnam’s total export of this product, according to the Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association.Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association. The wood pellets exported to the RoK are primarily made from by-products of the wood processing industry, such as sawdust, wood shavings, and leftover wood scraps. The exporters are mostly in the southeastern region where wood furniture factories are concentrated. As of June 2023, the volume of wood pellets exported to the RoK reached 0.65 million tonnes, equivalent to $96.1 million in value, representing a decrease of 41% in volume and 45% in value year-on-year. Meanwhile, the Japanese market has shown high stability in both volume and price. In January-May, Vietnam’s exports of wood pellets to Japan reached 0.87 million tonnes worth $151 million, down 5.7% in volume and up 19.7% in value annually. The orders received are mostly long-term contracts. The price of export to the RoK in June was only around $110 per tonne while that to Japan ranged from $145-165 per tonne. Japan requires pellets from domestically grown timber in forests with sustainable forest management certification (FSC). This source of raw material is mainly available in areas with a high concentration of planted forests in Vietnam, particularly in the central and northern regions. Vietnam has become the world’s second biggest manufacturer of wood pellets, only behind the US. From 2013-2022, the volume and value of Vietnam’s wood pellet exports increased by 28 and 34 times, respectively. According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, Vietnam exported 1.57 million tonnes of wood pellets valued at around $256.5 million in the first five months of this year. Exportation is currently on an upward trend. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1150/japan-formally-accepts-agreement-on-fisheries-subsidies.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1150/japan-formally-accepts-agreement-on-fisheries-subsidies.html Fri, 07 Jul 2023 10:21:53 +0530 Agreement holds significance to steadfast supporter of the WTO and the multilateral trading system towards reaffirming Japan's status as a prominent fishing nation Japan has deposited its instrument of acceptance for the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, joining other leading marine fish catch producers in affirming support for the Agreement. Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Ambassador Kazuyuki Yamazaki of Japan met on 4 July to mark the occasion, with the total number of acceptances now over a third of what is needed for the Agreement to enter into force. Adopted by consensus at the WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) held in Geneva on 12-17 June 2022, the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies sets new binding, multilateral rules to curb harmful subsidies, which are a key factor in the widespread depletion of the world's fish stocks.  In addition, the Agreement recognizes the needs of developing and least-developed countries (LDCs) and establishes a fund to provide technical assistance and capacity building to help them implement the obligations. The Agreement prohibits support for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, bans support for fishing overfished stocks, and ends subsidies for fishing on the unregulated high seas. DG Okonjo-Iweala said: “I welcome Japan's formal acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. This significant step forward holds great importance considering Japan's status as a prominent fishing nation and as a steadfast supporter of the WTO and the multilateral trading system. As we continue to navigate the challenges posed by overfishing and the depletion of fish stocks, the active participation of Japan and the wider WTO membership will be crucial.” Ambassador Yamazaki said: “The Agreement was passed by the Diet with unanimous approval. This is an expression of our strong determination as a country surrounded by the sea and historically familiar with fishery resources, and as a promoter of a multilateral trade system, to work together as one to ensure food security and achieve sustainable fisheries based on rules.” “Japan will bring the agreement into force by MC13 (13th Ministerial Conference), and aims to conclude the second wave negotiation by MC13. Japan will reach out to other Members to accelerate the ratification process and constructively engage in the future negotiations including the upcoming fish week next week,” he said. Members also agreed at MC12 to continue negotiations on outstanding issues, with a view to making recommendations by MC13, to be held in February 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for additional provisions that would further enhance the disciplines of the Agreement ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1148/iran-and-japan-get-additional-giahs-sites.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1148/iran-and-japan-get-additional-giahs-sites.html Thu, 06 Jul 2023 17:43:20 +0530 Three new GIAHS sites in Asia announced, highlighting the importance of building resilience, harnessing local biodiversity and tackling food security Three new sites in Asia are the latest to have been formally recognised as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), underlining the importance of the continent’s centuries-old agricultural practices in feeding the world’s growing population and combating climate change and biodiversity loss. The sites - a unique rain-fed fig growing region in Iran, an area famous for using fallen leaves as compost for agriculture in suburban Tokyo and a system breeding beef cattle with unique genetic preservation practices in western Japan - were designated during a meeting of the GIAHS Scientific Advisory Group taking place in Valencia, Spain this week (4-7July). Under the flagship programme of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the selection criteria stipulate that sites must be of global importance, have value as a public good, support food and livelihood security, agro-biodiversity, sustainable knowledge systems and practices, social values and culture as well as outstanding landscapes. Recognising these sites also spurs communities to continue sustainably managing these jewels of biodiversity and tradition. With the latest additions to the global agricultural heritage systems list, FAO's worldwide agricultural heritage network now consists of 77 systems in 24 countries around the globe. The programme recently held a major event to award certificates to the most recently designated sites and use immersive experiences to celebrate the diversity of GIAHS systems worldwide Iran’s unique rainfed fig growing area The Estahban Rainfed Fig Orchards Heritage System, located in southwestern Iran’s Fars province, is one of the world’s most important areas for rainfed fig production. The communities living in this mountainous part of the country have been cultivating unique fig gardens for at least 250 years, using precious and ancient varieties of fruit. They use a distinctive and historic system of stone and clay constructions to channel the water to the roots of the trees, making an important contribution to combating erosion and desertification in this region of extreme temperatures. Traditional system in suburban Tokyo The Fallen Leaves Compost Agroforestry System in Musashino Upland in the peri-urban area of Tokyo combines traditional agriculture, forestry and fishing industry. To address the low nutritional content of the soil and scarcity of water, the local communities have developed a practice of using fallen leaves from the forest as compost to plough into the fields, creating highly productive conditions for the cultivation of agricultural products including sweet potatoes, spinach and taro. Rice and cattle thrive together in western Japan The Integrated Farming System for Harmonizing People and Cattle is located in the mountainous, thickly forested Mikata district of western Japan’s Hyogo prefecture. Rice is the main crop here, with many of the paddy fields set amid hillside terraces. These are fringed by soft grass, which together with rice straw, provides ideal feed for the area’s 2,000 head of Tajima breeding cattle. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1142/umitrons-satellite-monitoring-system-gives-japanese-aquaculture-a-digital-boost.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1142/umitrons-satellite-monitoring-system-gives-japanese-aquaculture-a-digital-boost.html Wed, 05 Jul 2023 10:18:17 +0530 Disseminates crucial ocean parameters, such as dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll A, salinity, wave height, and water temperature to mariners Japan’s Ehime Prefecture has selected UMITRON for a project to integrate its buoys into PULSE, a cutting-edge satellite monitoring tool that caters to production-centric environmental parameters. This integration is a part of the FY2022 Ehime Prefecture Digital Implementation Acceleration Project. This collaboration between Ehime Prefecture and UMITRON marks an important milestone to “Try Angle Ehime” in facilitating the digital transformation of the aquaculture industry. As one of the prominent primary fisheries production regions in Japan, the Ehime government has implemented several buoys in the surrounding areas to monitor the conditions and provide farmers with critical data. However, disseminating this information to farmers was a significant challenge. To address this issue, Ehime Prefecture sought the expertise of UMITRON, the creator of PULSE. PULSE is an advanced satellite monitoring tool aggregating data from over 30 satellites and open-source data for crucial ocean parameters, such as dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll A, salinity, wave height, and water temperature. It enables users to view historical data of up to two years and forecast data of up to 48 hours for their site. UMITRON engineers integrated the buoys into the PULSE platform, allowing farmers in Ehime to access comprehensive data from multiple sources, including local buoys, entirely free of charge. This comprehensive data insight empowers farmers to make better-informed decisions about feeding, treatment, and asset protection in the event of inclement weather. Ultimately, it will enable them to achieve more with less. “UMITRON PULSE now can integrate various ocean environment data and provides one-stop access to ocean environmental data, which typically are stored and hosted at multiple websites and less accessible for farmers for daily uses. We plan to add more local data by collaborating with local governments and public research institutes” said Ken Fujiwara, UMITRON’s co-founder and CEO. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1117/vietnam-and-fao-strengthen-cooperation-towards-animal-husbandry-and-animal-health.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1117/vietnam-and-fao-strengthen-cooperation-towards-animal-husbandry-and-animal-health.html Fri, 30 Jun 2023 09:24:41 +0530 Vietnam has joined the tripartite cooperation with FAO, Japan, and South Africa to deploy many cooperation models to improvise rice, food crops and aquaculture. FAO and Vietnam are collaborating on many cooperation activities in the field of animal husbandry and veterinary medicine. Vietnam and the FAO have been cooperating for 45 years. Recently, the FAO was one of the supporting agencies that helped host the Global Food Summit under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien and Thanawat Tiensin, Director of the Department of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine are optimistic that Vietnamese-FAO cooperation will become stronger and more efficient in the years to come. Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, hosted the International Advisory Conference to support the implementation of the Veterinary Sector Project on June 23, 2023. Animal and veterinary industries were discussed at the conference, investments were considered to develop these industries, and food security was addressed. Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said “Over the past time, Vietnam's livestock industry has maintained a good growth momentum. Vietnam advocates shifting from smallholder farming to large-scale farming, and at the same time opening the door to foreign businesses such as CP of Thailand, Japfa of Indonesia, in order to create new development momentum for the country”. “FAO continues to work closely with the One Health Partnership to mobilize resources to contribute to the implementation of goals and tasks on the prevention of zoonotic diseases and the prevention and control of diseases. disease risk from captive breeding and illegal wildlife trade” he added. South-South cooperation between Vietnam and other countries such as Sierra Leone, Vietnam plays a pioneering and active role in helping Sierra Leone develop its rice industry. At the request of the Government of Sierra Leone, a joint mission was conducted in February 2023 to develop a proposal for a partnership program to address Sierra Leone's rice value chain needs, this program will be funded through the Unilateral Trust Fund (UTF). Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said that Vietnam has joined the tripartite cooperation with FAO, Japan, and South Africa to deploy many cooperation models to develop rice, food crops and aquaculture. Vietnam has sent over 400 experts to participate in these cooperation models around the world. Accordingly, it has contributed to reducing poverty and creating opportunities for many international communities. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1107/japans-tenchijin-compass-data-utilization-platform-to-revolutionize-agriculture.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1107/japans-tenchijin-compass-data-utilization-platform-to-revolutionize-agriculture.html Wed, 28 Jun 2023 07:15:00 +0530 Tenchijin leverages big data from outer space to address challenges in agriculture with the launch of Tenchijin Farm and the pioneering cultivation of "moon asparagus" Tenchijin, a JAXA-accredited space enterprise, is expanding the application of its Tenchijin COMPASS data utilization platform to revolutionize agriculture. With a bold vision of growing asparagus on the moon in the future, Tenchijin successfully harvested "moon asparagus". Tenchijin Farm: Addressing Agriculture Challenges with Spatial Big Data and Knowledge Aggregation Given the booming lunar economy, growing vegetables on the Moon is justified. However, the environment is difficult for the survival of a culture. Tenchijin recognizes the range of challenges and environmental severity that jeopardize global food production and sees this as an opportunity to develop advanced agricultural techniques. Therefore, Tenchijin launched "Tenchijin Farm", a pioneering agricultural initiative, which harnesses the power of big data, to explore innovative and efficient farming methods to identify the most suitable land for sustainable agricultural production. Tenchijin also thinks the move will be useful for growing plants in harsh environments — in space. Asparagus, a powerful antioxidant, should keep the inhabitants of the Moon healthy. Following its “Space Big Data Rice project”, Tenchijin Farm cultivates “Moon Asparagus” (lunar asparagus), intended for cultivation on the Moon. In this first phase, Tenchijin aims to grow delicious asparagus in a field with the help of Big Data and AI. Connecting the Dots: Intersection of Technology, Cultures and Environment Tenchijin Farm uses satellite data to identify optimal land for growing asparagus. As the project progresses, the farm will transition to a harsh environment and become a formidable test bed to study the impact of climate change on crop growth and stimulate the development of agricultural techniques that allow the crop development under difficult conditions. Through meticulous research and development, Tenchijin aims to gain the essential knowledge needed for cultures to thrive in harsh environments, including on the Moon. This mine of information will be centralized within Tenchijin COMPASS, ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1084/thai-bananas-to-generate-1-07-bn-baht-as-demand-soars-in-japan.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1084/thai-bananas-to-generate-1-07-bn-baht-as-demand-soars-in-japan.html Wed, 21 Jun 2023 10:25:00 +0530 The government is prepared to market Thai fruits in order to meet international demand Thailand’s government forecast fresh bananas and goods to Japan will generate up to 1.07 billion baht this year due to the popular demand in the Eastern Asian country. Anucha Burapachaisri, Government Spokesperson stated that demands for bananas in Japan have been rising since the fruit is tasty and healthy and can be used as ingredients for desserts. He said that Japan’s weather is not suitable for banana cultivation, causing low yields that could not meet the country’s demand. As a result, the country imports more than 1 million tonnes of bananas per year. According to the spokesperson, Caretaker Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha made clear his satisfaction with Thai bananas and their products being popular in other countries. The Prime Minister expressed confidence in the quality of Thai fruit being recognised by many countries and urged officials to provide full assistance in expanding these opportunities for the Thai people. The spokesperson stated that Thailand can use privileges under the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement, one of which exempts Thailand from tariffs on 8,000 tonnes of bananas, which expands opportunities for Thai farmers and businesses. He assures that the government is prepared to market Thai fruits in order to meet international demand, as well as boost the potential of fruit exporters and farmers in the country. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1073/japan-seeks-60000-tonnes-of-feed-wheat-and-20000-tonnes-barley-via-tender.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1073/japan-seeks-60000-tonnes-of-feed-wheat-and-20000-tonnes-barley-via-tender.html Fri, 16 Jun 2023 14:40:28 +0530 Japan buys and sells feed wheat and barley via so-called SBS auctions Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) said that it will seek 60,000 tonnes of feed wheat and 20,000 tonnes of feed barley to be loaded by September 30 and arrive in Japan by November 30 via a simultaneous buy and sell (SBS) auction to be held on June 19. Japan buys and sells feed wheat and barley via so-called SBS auctions, in which end-users and importers specify the origin, price and quantity of grain, allowing millers to meet their varied needs for the feed grain. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1044/usda-initiates-an-agribusiness-trade-mission-to-japan.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1044/usda-initiates-an-agribusiness-trade-mission-to-japan.html Fri, 09 Jun 2023 10:37:52 +0530 Japan has imported at least $10 billion worth of U.S. food and agriculture products, reaching a record-high $14.6 billion in 2022. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis M. Taylor launched an agribusiness trade mission to Japan on 5 June. The U.S. delegation included representatives from 11 state departments of agriculture, numerous farm organizations, and 40 agribusinesses looking to connect with future business partners in Japan. “As one of the largest world economies, Japan is one of the top and most reliable trading partners for the United States. Every year over the past two decades, Japan has imported at least $10 billion worth of U.S. food and agriculture products, reaching a record-high $14.6 billion in 2022. This shows that there is continuously growing demand for U.S. products in Japan, providing U.S. exporters with a tremendous opportunity to expand their exports," said Under Secretary Taylor. “On this agribusiness trade mission, we have many incredible businesses joining this delegation to showcase the strength of U.S. food and agriculture products. Japanese consumers are especially interested in high-quality, health-oriented products, and I am confident that U.S. businesses can meet and exceed these expectations” added Under Secretary Taylor. USDA helped to facilitate business-to-business meetings for a week between participating small and medium-sized U.S. agribusinesses and Japanese buyers seeking to import American food and farm products. The trade mission itinerary also included meetings with Japanese and local prefecture government officials and industry groups to discuss trade issues and unique opportunities offered by Japanese consumers, retail promotions featuring U.S. products, and visits to Japanese farms and packaging facilities Image Caption: USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor welcomes leaders and officials from the Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Nebraska, and North Dakota state departments of agriculture to Tokyo for the USDA agribusiness trade mission this week. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1000/japans-jaca-convenes-stakeholders-to-review-cellular-agriculture-field.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1000/japans-jaca-convenes-stakeholders-to-review-cellular-agriculture-field.html Fri, 02 Jun 2023 08:21:00 +0530 JACA aims to form policy recommendations about cultivated meat Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA), a Japan-based non-profit research institute hosted the inaugural meeting in Tokyo to promote and foster the domestic cultivated food industry. JACA aims to form policy recommendations about cultivated meat, contributing to key issues in Japan such as food security and sustainability. JACA convened around 150 stakeholders from the Japanese Parliament, government officials from Japan and abroad, industry associations, member companies, and academia to build a consensus on necessary measures on food safety requirements for cultivated food. The consortium also discussed measures to protect Japanese farmers’ rights to branded animal cells such as “Wagyu”; proper usage of the “Wagyu” term in the cellular agriculture field. In addition there was a proposal on food labeling requirements including the definition of “Made in Japan" for cultivated products along with necessary guidelines for transparent consumer communications. A representative from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry was present, along with representatives of Japan's Parliamentary Group for Cellular Agriculture and Japanese food majors such as NH Foods Ltd., and Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Following a panel discussion, Maruha Nichiro Corporation represented the seafood industry. Megumi Avigail Yoshitomi, Representative Director of JACA, said “Japan should leverage its global presence in food and regenerative medicine area to show its presence in the cellular agriculture field”.The JACA demonstrated cultivated meats, including bio-printed cultivated marbled beef from the Consortium for Future Innovation by Cultured Meat, cultivated chickens from Diverse Farm, and cultivated beef from the Joint Institution for Advanced Biomedical Sciences of Tokyo Women's Medical University and Waseda University. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1009/usda-prepares-for-agri-trade-mission-to-japan-to-strengthen-bilateral-cooperation.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1009/usda-prepares-for-agri-trade-mission-to-japan-to-strengthen-bilateral-cooperation.html Thu, 01 Jun 2023 10:45:00 +0530 USDA aims to expand bilateral trade relationships in the agricultural trade mission to Japan, June 5-8 U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis M. Taylor will lead the trade mission. The delegation includes a robust representation of the U.S. agriculture sector, including businesses, state departments of agriculture, and commodity groups. “As one of the world’s leading economies, Japan is a significant market for U.S. food and agriculture exports. It is an incredible honor to lead this delegation as we work to expand our bilateral trade relationship even further. The diverse set of businesses in our delegation connect many women-, minority-, and veteran-owned U.S. agribusinesses with potential business partners in Japan," said Taylor. Japan is the fourth-largest market for U.S. food and agricultural exports. In 2022, U.S. exports matched the previous record, totaling $14.6 billion, with exports of soybeans, dairy and other products reaching new highs. The United States is vital to ensuring food security in Japan, with nearly a quarter of all Japan’s food and agricultural imports coming from U.S. exporters. While in Japan, trade mission participants will engage directly with potential buyers, receive in-depth market briefings from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service and industry trade experts, and participate in site visits. In addition to representatives from the following businesses and organizations, Taylor will be joined by Idaho State Director of Agriculture Chanel Tewalt, Indiana State Director of Agriculture Don Lamb, Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles, Nebraska Director of Agriculture Sherry Vinton, North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture Doug Goehring, and officials from the California, Georgia, Kansas, Maine, Washington, and Wisconsin state departments of agriculture and many other prominent delegates of USDA. USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1001/japan-and-vietnam-strengthen-agribusiness-ties-through-g7-summit.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/1001/japan-and-vietnam-strengthen-agribusiness-ties-through-g7-summit.html Tue, 30 May 2023 09:30:00 +0530 Bilateral trade relationship aims to promote Japanese grapes into Vietnam and Vietnamese green-skinned grapefruits into Japan As part of the recent G7 meeting, Vietnam and Japan held their first high-level meeting in Hiroshima to coordinate on how to solve global challenges like food security and environmental protection. During the meeting, the two countries agreed on major directions and specific measures to promote the extensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan to strengthen defense-security cooperation in the field of industrialization and modernization, as well as building an independent and self-sufficient economy; affirming the importance of boosting investment and trade cooperation between the two economies. As part of his proposal to promote a new wave of Japanese investment in Vietnam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that the two sides cooperate in the fields of high-tech industry, energy conversion, production capacity improvement, and competitiveness. In addition, Vietnam is expected to play a significant role in the global supply chain of Japanese enterprises. Vietnam proposed Japan support the development of the value chain of agricultural products by transferring technology and building capacity in the distribution and processing sectors and encouraging strategic investors in the fields of clean energy and renewable energy. The purpose of this is to promote procedures and coordinate the early announcement of Japanese grapes into Vietnam and Vietnamese green-skinned grapefruits into Japan. The two sides affirmed to coordinate their stances on issues of mutual concern at multilateral and regional forums such as ASEAN, the United Nations, and APEC. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/958/japanese-dairy-giant-megmilk-forms-jv-with-agrocorp-to-build-pea-protein-facility-in-malaysia.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/958/japanese-dairy-giant-megmilk-forms-jv-with-agrocorp-to-build-pea-protein-facility-in-malaysia.html Tue, 23 May 2023 08:00:00 +0530 The companies will invest $21 million in the joint venture. Megmilk Snow Brand Co, one of the largest dairies in Japan, has established association with Singapore-based Agrocorp International, one of the world’s leading pulse traders, to form a joint venture (JV) to manufacture and market plant-based ingredients. The partnership aims to respond to the growing demand for plant-based foods. The companies will invest $21 million in the joint venture. Agrocorp is contributing 51% and Megmilk 49% to build a factory in Malaysia producing pea protein, pea starch and pea fiber for plant-based beverages, meats, and cheese. The factory is expected to commence production in late 2025. Agrocorp has already opened its first facility in Canada's Saskatchewan province. Megmilk Snow Brand Co., Ltd. and Agrocorp International Pte Ltd will leverage their individual strengths to manufacture and sell raw materials for plant-based food processing. In its Medium-Term Management Plan 2025, Megmilk Snow Brand Group specifically identified the plant-based food business as one of its key growth areas. Vishal Vijay director of strategic investments, Agrocorp International said "This joint venture seeks to leverage the strengths of both companies and will see the setting up of a factory in malaysia to manufacture soy-free plant protein products like pea protein, pea starch and pea fibre.  Pea protein can be used in a variety of plant-based food applications in plant-based beverages, plant-based meats, as well as in plant-based cheese, such as the  vegan cheeses by our downstream brand HerbYvore Foods". Agrocorp, an international agribusiness company based in Singapore, is a plant protein extractor. The joint venture to be established in Singapore will establish a manufacturing subsidiary (100% investment) in Malaysia. Plant-based protein pea protein still lags behind soy when it comes to production capacity, but production capacity has been increasing rapidly in recent years, with PURIS opening a large plant in Dawson, Minnesota; Ingredion opening a facility in Nebraska; ADM opening a plant in North Dakota; Cosucra expanding production in Belgium and Denmark; and several Chinese manufacturers expanding production capacity. Legumes like peas are plants that contribute to nitrogen fixation, containing symbiotic bacteria called Rhizobia within nodules in their root systems, producing nitrogen compounds. Nitrogen is a major component of protein and a required nutrient for plants. Peas, or other legumes, in the crop rotation usually lead to lower needs for mineral and organic nitrogen fertilisers, which contribute to 25% of the total direct greenhouse gas emissions by agriculture in the EU, explains Agrocorp International. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/959/japan-wind-energy-2023-starts-this-october.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/959/japan-wind-energy-2023-starts-this-october.html Fri, 19 May 2023 09:15:00 +0530 The 5th Japan Wind Energy will be held on October 17-18, 2023 at Bellesalle Shibuya Garden in Tokyo . The event aims to integrate the wind energy value chain to advance offshore wind power in Japan . This important and significant wind energy event is organized by Leader Associates. Over 2,000 attendees are expected, including government officials, investors, developers, financiers and equipment suppliers. The Japanese Cabinet adopted the 4th Ocean Policy Basic Plan on April 28, 2023 , following the 20th session of the Ocean Policy Headquarters chaired by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The plan focuses on comprehensive maritime safety and sustainability and aims to encourage the installation of offshore wind power projects. This includes the introduction of national legislation allowing the construction of offshore wind turbines in the EEZ and the designation of additional offshore wind hubs as part of the new maritime policy baseline. The Department of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism (MLIT) has announced that the Port of Niigata is now the fifth offshore wind power center. While the country's regulatory framework and high electricity prices pose significant obstacles, Japan's offshore wind potential and commitment to renewable energy provide a solid foundation for industry growth. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/957/basf-kubota-and-zen-noh-collaborates-to-help-optimise-japans-rice-production.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/957/basf-kubota-and-zen-noh-collaborates-to-help-optimise-japans-rice-production.html Thu, 18 May 2023 11:44:18 +0530 It is anticipated that full integration between xarvio FIELD MANAGER and Kubota’s KSAS platform will be commercially available in Japan from spring 2024. BASF, Kubota and ZEN-NOH will collaborate to help improve and optimize rice production in Japan. The collaboration consists of two phases, beginning with the integration of BASF’s advanced xarvio® FIELD MANAGER crop optimization platform with Kubota’s state-of-the art KSAS operating platform to assess operability. By connecting xarvio FIELD MANAGER with Kubota’s powerful KSAS farming and service support system, the seamless transfer and use of xarvio FIELD MANAGER’s variable application maps for fertilization by KSAS compatible rice transplanters is realised, without the need for an added device for data transfer. It is anticipated that full integration between xarvio FIELD MANAGER and Kubota’s KSAS platform will be commercially available in Japan from spring 2024. The main aim of platform integration is to deliver greater convenience, increase yield, optimize fertilizer use, and provide a higher return on investment for farmers. This outcome would tackle many of the challenges affecting rice production in Japan, including an ageing workforce, labor shortages, and the consolidation of farmland. It would also help farmers become more sustainable, globally competitive and meet established fertilizer reduction targets listed in the country’s MeaDRI strategy for sustainable food systems. Phase two of the collaboration will test the performance of platform integration through field trials in rice crops, which will be managed by ZEN-NOH. The field trials will be held during the 2023 growing season and involve farmers experienced with using xarvio FIELD MANAGER, Kubota’s KSAS platform and its machinery. Here farmers will use the KSAS platform and Kubota rice transplanters to implement field-specific, xarvio FIELD MANAGER variable application maps for fertilization. The results of these new field trials will complement those achieved in more than 100 field trials conducted in rice crops last year by ZEN-NOH and BASF. In last year’s field trials, xarvio FIELD MANAGER’s variable application maps for fertilization were used and compared to standard fertilization application practices. By using xarvio FIELD MANAGER’s variable application maps, yield increases of between 15% to 20% were achieved, with an average fertilizer input reduction of 10% recorded. In some cases, depending on field conditions, fertilizer use was reduced by up to 50%. Konstantin Kretschun, Global Head of BASF Digital Farming, comments: “Rice farmers in Japan recognize the need to become more sustainable and globally competitive, while reducing environment impacts and meeting MeaDRI strategy targets. Climate smart farming technology provides a proven, effective and available solution to help them achieve these goals. By working closely with Kubota and our valued partner in ZEN-NOH to connect offerings, we can together deliver even greater value to farmers and positively transform rice production in Japan.” ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/901/whats-driving-plant-based-meat-sector-in-apac.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/901/whats-driving-plant-based-meat-sector-in-apac.html Mon, 08 May 2023 13:12:10 +0530 The global plant-based seafood market is projected to reach $1.3 billion by 2031, growing at a 42.3 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2022 to 2031. The market size for plant-based seafood was valued at 42.1 million in 2021, accounting for 62.7 per cent market share.  The seafood segment is expected to remain dominant during the estimated period, with products like burgers, fillets, cutlets and tenders in high demand.  As the numbers and outlook for the future are looking optimistic for the industry, let’s examine this growing Alt-food source. Plant-based meat was first developed in Asia and now, plant-based seafood is in demand in the region. According to a recent report by the Good Food Institute APAC, consumers in Asia are increasingly changing their dietary habits to include plant-based seafood due to concerns about heavy pollution in the ocean. Plant-based seafood or alternative seafood is emerging as a new source of food in Asia. Plant-based seafood is made from legume proteins, soya protein, wheat protein, rice, vegetables, seaweed and plant oils. The global plant-based seafood market is projected to reach $1.3 billion by 2031, growing at a 42.3 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2022 to 2031. The market size for plant-based seafood was valued at 42.1 million in 2021, accounting for 62.7 per cent market share.  The seafood segment is expected to remain dominant during the estimated period, with products like burgers, fillets, cutlets and tenders in high demand.  As the numbers and outlook for the future are looking optimistic for the industry, let’s examine this growing Alt-food source. The Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report 2022 states that fisheries and aquaculture production globally has reached 214 million tonnes, including 178 million tonnes of aquatic animals and 36 million tonnes of algae. Since 1961, per capita consumption of seafood has increased by 3 per cent annually.  Although global seafood production is in better condition, environmental concerns, health issues, and overfishing of certain species have led to a surge in demand for alternative seafood or plant-based seafood.  According to a Good Food Institute survey, seven of the top ten seafood-consuming countries are in Asia, including China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Japan, India, Malaysia and Indonesia. This indicates a significant potential market for plant-based seafood products. Investors are also ready to invest in plant-based seafood products. In 2021 plant-based seafood companies raised $175 million and more than 120 companies are manufacturing and developing plant-based seafood mostly from, East and Southeast Asia.  The global plant-based seafood market is projected to reach $1.3 billion by 2031, growing at a 42.3 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2022 to 2031. The market size for plant-based seafood was valued at 42.1 million in 2021, accounting for 62.7 per cent market share.  The seafood segment is expected to remain dominant during the estimated period, with products like burgers, fillets, cutlets and tenders in high demand.  Plant-based seafood or alternative seafood is emerging as a new source of food in Asia. Plant-based seafood is made from legume proteins, soya protein, wheat protein, rice, vegetables, seaweed and plant oils. Mirte Gosker, Acting Managing Director of the Good Food Institute APAC said, “As with all foods, the taste is the single most impact factor in determining the commercial success of alternative seafood products but it is not the only one. Consumers also want products that can match or exceed the nutritional value, freshness and affordability of the conventional seafood they know and love. Satisfying these demands will require substantially more investment from the public and private stakeholders into open-access research and development aimed at improving the quality and cost of plant-based seafood products. For the sake of achieving Asia’s ambitious food security goals and preserving the richness of our oceans amid a world of surging protein demand, we should all hope that alternative seafood producers can live up to consumers’ high expectations.”  To read more click on: https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/872/japanese-firms-to-establish-revolutionary-sugar-manufacturing-technology-in-thailand.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/872/japanese-firms-to-establish-revolutionary-sugar-manufacturing-technology-in-thailand.html Tue, 02 May 2023 08:47:18 +0530 Toray and Mitsui DM Sugar inedible Biomass-Based pave way to sustainable Fibers, Resins, and Films Japanese firms Toray Industries, Inc., and Mitsui DM Sugar Co., Ltd., have jointly demonstrated and established a basic technology to manufacture sugar derived from inedible biomass which is a common raw material in fiber and resin production. The biomass includes surplus bagasse, a pulpy residue from sugarcane processing, and pulp that results from squeezing cassava in starch factories. Combining this technology with Toray's revolutionary technology to make monomers from sugars will facilitate the integration of biomass-sourced polymers for fibers, films, resins, and other products produced from biomass-derived polymers that contribute to a circular economy. Toray looks to set up a structure to supply cellulosic sugar in collaboration with Thailand's sugar refineries and starch manufacturers and other companies using biomass resources. Toray proved the separation, purification, and concentration of cellulose-derived sugars in inedible biomass as part of this demonstration project. It leveraged a membrane-based bioprocess that combines the company’s water treatment membrane technology and enzymes that employ biotechnology. Toray undertook this effort at a demonstration facility in Thailand as part of a project the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) supports. Compared to conventional processes that concentrate sugar solutions by evaporating water, this process emits less than half the carbon dioxide. The breakthrough demonstration is a first step toward creating a technology to make cellulosic sugar from biomass, putting it on track to mass production. Earlier in 2022, Toray developed 100% bio-based adipic acid, a raw material for polyamide 66 (nylon 66), from sugars derived from inedible biomass. To achieve this, Toray used a proprietary synthesis technique combining the company’s microbial fermentation technology and chemical purification technology that harnesses separation membranes. The company is now looking to establish an integrated technology to manufacture fiber and resin from abundant agricultural residues, avoiding competition with the food chain. It will endeavor to upscale technology from an effort under development to produce adipic acid from cellulosic sugar. In providing cellulosic sugars to chemical companies around the globe, Toray seeks to help materialize a circular economy by replacing petroleum-based chemicals with plant-derived offerings that are not part of the food chain.  ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/851/uaes-egft-expands-export-blueberries-to-asia-pacific.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/851/uaes-egft-expands-export-blueberries-to-asia-pacific.html Thu, 27 Apr 2023 11:02:47 +0530 EAG is the first and biggest producer in the UAE to grow blueberries Elite Global Fresh Trading (EGFT), a subsidiary of Yas Holding’s agriculture division Elite Agro Holding (EAG) and a leading UAE trader of fresh produce, has expanded its international footprint by exporting highly in-demand blueberries to the new destinations of Japan, Cambodia, Thailand and India, adding to its existing export markets of Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. EAG is the first and biggest producer in the UAE to grow blueberries, and the first Emirati company to export to markets like Japan that have a tough requirement for high-quality certifications is an important milestone for EAG and the UAE and a testament to its agricultural capabilities. Exports of the popular Elite Berry brand began in April and will continue until the end of May. Next year, the company plans to extend the export season from January to May and continue to add new export markets, backed by expanding production at EAG’s local farms that leverage sustainable farming capabilities.  “We’re proud to see the expansion of the international distribution network for our high-quality and popular blueberries. This is a strategic move that supports the UAE’s food security and its vision for economic diversification while placing the country among elite agricultural exporting countries,” said Dr Abdulmonem Almarzooqi, Elite Agro Holding Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board. Last year, EGFT debuted locally-grown blueberry exports to the international markets of Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. EGFT will be exporting the Mountain Blue Orchards (MBO) varieties of blueberries that have premium qualities, such as jumbo size, long shelf life, increased sweetness, great firmness and texture. The farm employs a two-hand picking technique and ensures less than 24 hours between picking and shipping to deliver maximum freshness. It implements special temperature control requirements in the post-production process at its packing facility to ensure its high-quality produce stays fresh for longer until it reaches its final international customers. All exports will be by air freight. EAG grows five exclusive MBO varieties of blueberries at its Al Foah Farm in Al Ain, where the company has doubled its blueberry production capacity by adding 14 hectares of greenhouses dedicated to growing an additional 72,000 plants for the 2023 harvest. Its output capacity has risen over the past two years, from 205 to 280 tons of blueberries in 2022, and from 280 to almost 400 tons in 2023. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/804/japan-becomes-vietnams-biggest-seafood-export-market.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/804/japan-becomes-vietnams-biggest-seafood-export-market.html Wed, 19 Apr 2023 16:03:50 +0530 The United States has lost its position as the top importer of Vietnamese seafood due to the sharpest decline of 50 per cent to $290 million Japan has surpassed the US to become the biggest export market of Vietnamese seafood, although exports to this market decreased by 11per cent reached just over $310 million in the first quarter of 2023, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Seafood exports to Japan dropped sharply in a number of key products such as white leg shrimp down 35 per cent, salmon down 4 per cent and octopus down 6 per cent. The United States has lost its position as the top importer of Vietnamese seafood due to the sharpest decline, with a decrease of 50 per cent to about $290 million. Seafood exports to China in the first quarter only reached nearly $255 million, down 22 per cent; Korea decreased by 13 per cent, EU market decreased by 29 per cent. VASEP said that in the coming time, it will be difficult for exports to major markets such as the EU, the US, Japan and South Korea to break through because inflation causes consumers to tighten their spending and the average export price decreases compared to the previous year. South Korea and Japan are both major consumption markets for Vietnam’s value-added processed products and are also markets for supplying seafood raw materials for Vietnamese enterprises to take advantage of processing capacity and create stable jobs for workers. With the EU market, Vietnam’s seafood exports to this market also decreased by 29 per cent in the first quarter, reaching only $210 million. Exports of shrimp and seafood products to the EU all decreased by 7-50 per cent, especially Tra fish remained stable thanks to increased exports to the German market. According to Vasep, China will become the biggest export market of Vietnamese seafood, but the competitive pressure is great because exporters in other countries also focus on this market after opening. Exports to major markets such as the EU, the US, Japan and South Korea are difficult to break through because inflation causes consumers to tighten their spending and the average export price decreases compared to the previous year. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/795/philippines-and-vietnam-stimulates-market-driven-enhancement-of-vegetable-value-chain.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/795/philippines-and-vietnam-stimulates-market-driven-enhancement-of-vegetable-value-chain.html Tue, 18 Apr 2023 11:39:28 +0530 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 Philippines (MV2C) is thus an endeavor of knowledge and empowerment –an undertaking that is fully in keeping with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s vision for our farmers and fisherfolk,” DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban said. In his message, Sr. Usec. Panganiban stressed that the MV2C’s objective is to help farmers engage with the food value chain as business managers. “The premise is simple. By training vegetable growers in the best technologies and cultivation techniques, we increase farm productivity,” Panganiban said. “And by building profitable partnerships among growers, processors, and marketing entrepreneurs, we develop a viable business model by which all vegetable farmers might generate the best possible income from their increased production,” he added. The MV2C is divided into two phases: Planning and Implementation. The project’s Planning Phase was completed, in which a value chain survey and project’s roadmap were already prepared. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/780/japans-kioxia-plans-to-achieve-net-zero-greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-2050.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/780/japans-kioxia-plans-to-achieve-net-zero-greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-2050.html Fri, 14 Apr 2023 10:28:19 +0530 Kioxia Group announced that it intends to reduce Scope 1 GHG emissions (i.e. direct emissions from business sites) and Scope 2 GHG emissions (i.e. net zero emissions in terms of emissions from purchased energy. Therefore, Kioxia Group will accelerate its work on climate change as one of its main management objectives. Previously, Kioxia Group had set a target of 100% renewable energy adoption by fiscal year 2040. Now, in order to make the net zero goal more comprehensive and cover greenhouse gas emissions from various business activities, the company is setting new targets for direct emissions indicators of business sites. We will continue to work hard to achieve our goals. Since 2011, all manufacturing facilities built by the company have installed equipment to eliminate the emission of perfluorocarbons, which are very likely to cause global warming. In terms of energy procurement, we will continue to install energy-efficient manufacturing and power equipment. Since fiscal 2022, we have been installing solar power generation systems at our factories in Kitakami and Yokkaichi, the largest among all semiconductor factories in Japan¹, and have started purchasing electricity generated by these on-site systems under the power purchase agreement² model. We are also further purchasing FIT non-fossil energy certificates, which are renewable energy certificates commonly used in Japan. Nobuo Hayasaka, Chief Executive Officer of Kioxia Holdings Corporation, said: "We are committed to taking measures to address the urgent issue of climate change facing the international community, and at the same time, we are committed to helping solve various social issues, including global environmental challenges, in order to promote the development of a sustainable society .” Tomoharu Watanabe, Executive Vice President and Sustainability Executive Officer, Kioxia Holdings Corporation, added: "Combating climate change is an important management issue, and we will continue to promote technological innovation in manufacturing processes, improve energy efficiency of products, and strive to achieve Scope 1 and Scope 2 net zero greenhouse gas emissions.” ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/765/japans-nedo-commits-400m-as-a-green-innovation-fund-to-aid-chitose.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/765/japans-nedo-commits-400m-as-a-green-innovation-fund-to-aid-chitose.html Wed, 12 Apr 2023 14:02:14 +0530 CHITOSE Group obtains funding from Japanese Government-affiliated NEDO to promote Carbon Recycling from Biomanufacturing Technology at microalgae plants The CHITOSE Group's core company's Chitose Laboratory Corp., has won funding from the Japanese government for a project titled "Building a global industry originating in Japan that utilizes CO2 directly through photosynthesis" as part of the "Green Innovation Fund Project (GI Fund). The project aims to promote Carbon Recycling Using CO2 from Biomanufacturing Technology as a Direct Raw Material. The project uses microalgae, with sunlight as an energy source and CO2 as a direct feedstock, for commercial production of chemicals such as bioplastics and functional materials, fuels, foods and feeds, with the aim of realizing zero carbon emissions by 2050. The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) has selected CHITOSE to implement this theme. The total project cost is approximately $400 million, and the implementation period is scheduled for FY2023 to FY2030. CHITOSE is collaborating with other companies/organizations in various positions and industries through the "MATSURI" (meaning "festival" in Japanese) project to build a new algae-based industry to replace the petroleum-based industry. CHITOSE is working on the development of bio-products, the construction of the world's largest 5-hectare microalgae production facility and the demonstration of long-term large-scale production in Malaysia. MATSURI aims to establish an advanced microalgae-based industry. The MATSURI project, in collaboration with Japanese progressive enterprises, is led by CHITOSE, an expert in large-scale microalgae production technologies. Under the GI Fund project theme, for which CHITOSE has been selected as a prospective implementing agency, it will develop algae production technology on a 100 ha production scale with a focus on both economic rationality and environmental sustainability. The use of microalgal biomass as a raw material in chemicals, toiletries, fuels, feeds, and foods will allow for the development of a range of applications, including chemicals, toiletries, fuels, feeds, and foods. CHITOSE will develop these business activities in order to establish a global algae-based industry originating from Japan, and help the Japanese government achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. This project will involve 34 partner companies of the MATSURI project operated by CHITOSE, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), Hiroshima University, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagoya University, and Institute of Microalgal Technology, Japan (IMAT). As part of this project, CHITOSE will raise private funds through the GI Fund in order to accelerate its progress. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/758/fao-secures-34-4m-grants-from-japan-to-boost-food-security-and-strengthen-resilience.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/758/fao-secures-34-4m-grants-from-japan-to-boost-food-security-and-strengthen-resilience.html Tue, 11 Apr 2023 12:08:38 +0530 The contribution will fund 17 country and regional projects including four in Asia and Oceania (Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka) The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has secured a $34.4 million contribution from the Government of Japan to deliver a wide range of assistance to improve the food security and nutrition of people in emergency settings, including internally displaced people, refugees and others affected by insecurity and natural hazards. The contribution will fund 17 country and regional projects including; Four in the Near East and North Africa (Lebanon, Palestine, Türkiye and Yemen) Six in sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Namibia, Somalia and a multicountry project aimed at mitigatingthe impact of drought for the most vulnerable pastoral and agropastoral communities in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda) Four in Asia and Oceania (Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka) Three in Europe (one in Republic of Moldova and two in Ukraine) Interventions range from emergency livelihood assistance to support conflict-affected communities in Ethiopia and Yemen as well as flood-affected communities in Pakistan; support to vulnerable herding populations in Afghanistan facing multiple climatic and economic shocks; recovery efforts in drought-affected East African contexts; support to fishers in Gaza, among various other initiatives. “We are grateful to the Government of Japan for this generous and time-critical contribution,” said Rein Paulsen, Director of FAO's Office of Emergencies and Resilience. “In countries prone to weather extremes, natural resource limitations and conflict, rural people’s capacities to cope with multiple threats are being increasingly stretched, undermining their agricultural productivity and exacerbating their acute food insecurity levels. This contribution will help us to keep agriculture-dependent families on their feet by meeting their immediate needs, reducing their vulnerability to shocks and stresses and to build resilient agrifood systems.” ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/732/japans-new-biofuels-policy-allows-for-increased-exports-of-u-s-ethanol.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/732/japans-new-biofuels-policy-allows-for-increased-exports-of-u-s-ethanol.html Thu, 06 Apr 2023 11:38:01 +0530 Japan and the US to strengthens bilateral trade relationship by increasing exports of U.S. ethanol by over 80 million gallons annually, representing an additional $150-200 million in exports each year Following extensive engagement by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Embassy Tokyo, Japan published a new biofuels policy on 31 March 2023 that will allow the United States to capture up to 100 percent of Japan’s on-road ethanol market.  The Biden Administration commends the government of Japan for taking another step to strengthen the bilateral trade relationship.  “The new biofuels policy Japan announced today is the result of close collaboration between our two countries and it will further allow U.S. producers to meet Japan’s demand for more diverse energy sources,” said Ambassador Katherine Tai. “Ambassador Emanuel and the staff across the U.S. government deserve huge credit for working through the technical details that led to this outcome, which is just the latest sign of a strengthened partnership between our two countries.” According to the new biofuels policy under the Sophisticated Methods of Energy Supply Structure Act, exports of U.S. ethanol could increase by over 80 million gallons annually, representing an additional $150-200 million in exports each year.  We will continue working with Japan to increase its on-road ethanol demand and further align its biofuels policies with that of the United States. “We applaud Japan for publishing its new biofuels policy, which will help promote a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. This new policy is also a big win for American farmers and our rural economy, as it will expand U.S. biofuel producers’ access to the Japanese market,” said Agriculture Secretary Vilsack. “We look forward to continuing to engage with the Japanese government as it implements this standard and to furthering our nations’ deep economic relationship.” “Earlier this week, the United States and Japan reached agreement on critical minerals. Now we reached agreement on ethanol.  One week, two deals.  Our two countries are making a better future” said United States Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/689/japan-establishes-consortium-for-3d-bioprinting-cultured-meat-manufacturing.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/689/japan-establishes-consortium-for-3d-bioprinting-cultured-meat-manufacturing.html Thu, 30 Mar 2023 09:12:24 +0530 Osaka University, Shimadzu, Itoham Yonekyu, Toppan, and SIGMAXYZ collaborate to establish “the future creation consortium for cultured meat.”  On March 29, the Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University (Osaka University), Shimadzu Corporation (Shimadzu), Itoham Yonekyu Holdings Inc. (Itoham Yonekyu), Toppan Inc. (Toppan), and SIGMAXYZ Inc. (SIGMAXYZ) established “the future creation consortium for cultured meat.” The consortium focuses on "concrete initiatives for practical implementation of the manufacturing technology of edible cultured meat using 3D bioprinting." Through cross-company collaboration, we will carry on "developing 3D bioprinting technology for application", "establishing an integrated value chain from production to logistics", and “contributing to legislation through collaboration with government offices and private companies." By exhibiting at the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, Kansai, we will concentrate on "providing information that helps people understand cultured meat," aiming to realize the world's first use of cultured meat. The consortium consists of "operating partners," who develop technologies, negotiate with government offices and related organizations, and provide information to the public; "R&D partners," who engage in joint research in specific technology areas; and "practical implementation partners," who dispatch information to make cultured meat-related technologies and products popular. "Operating Partners" are Osaka University, Shimadzu, Itoham Yonekyu, Toppan, and SIGMAXYZ. For the positions of "R&D partners" and "practical implementation partners," consortium is inviting applications from various fields. The 3D bioprinting technology developed by Osaka University can freely produce muscle tissue structures and is expected to be used in the fields of food, regenerative medicine, and drug design. In August 2021, Osaka University and Toppan published a paper on a technology that produces different kinds of fibrous tissues, such as muscle, fat, and blood vessels using 3D printing and bundles up and integrates them. After the technology was established, Osaka University, Shimadzu, and SIGMAXYZ signed a partnership agreement for the practical implementation of 3D bioprinting technology in March 2022 and began working on its practical implementation. By receiving Itoham Yonekyu as a member, who has extended its knowledge about meat over the years, "the future creation consortium for cultured meat" will further develop collaborations and accelerate technological development. Prior to the establishment of the consortium, Osaka University, Shimadzu, Itoham Yonekyu, Toppan, and SIGMAXYZ signed an agreement for "the practical implementation of cultured meat technology by 3D printing" to build a system for the initiatives. With the establishment of the consortium, Osaka University, Itoham Yonekyu, and Toppan opened a "Joint Research Laboratory for Social Implementation of Cultured Meat" in Suita Campus, Osaka University. The joint research laboratory and "Osaka University Shimadzu Omics Innovation Research Laboratories," which is established in December 2019, will serve as the center for research promotion of the consortium.The five parties are planning co-sponsor the "Osaka Healthcare Pavilion Nest for Reborn" exhibited at the Osaka-Kansai Expo by Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City, and to display an automated cultured meat production system and provide cultured meat produced by 3D bioprinting technology to visitors who wish to eat at the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, Kansai, using the event as a place to communicate the initiatives of the consortium to the world. Through the Osaka Expo, we will present the ideal form of cultured meat as one of the "future foods," which will lower the burden on the environment and solve the global protein shortage. This will help people have a better understanding of what cultured meat is about. Through the initiatives of the consortium, the five parties will contribute to solving environmental and food problems, improving people's health, and proposing future foods. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/683/apo-launches-new-center-of-excellence-on-climate-smart-agriculture-in-japan.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/683/apo-launches-new-center-of-excellence-on-climate-smart-agriculture-in-japan.html Tue, 28 Mar 2023 13:09:41 +0530 The COE on Climate Smart Agriculture will start its activities from April 2023 which includes implementing climate-change mitigation and adaptation technologies. In efforts to enhance agricultural productivity, improve farmers’ profits, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the sector regionwide, the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) announced the designation of the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) of Japan as its new Center of Excellence on Climate-smart Agriculture (COE on CSA). This is a result of the long-term partnership between the two institutions in disseminating know-how in the focus area of the new COE. The COE on CSA will start its activities from April 2023, including a need and readiness assessment of APO members for implementing climate-change mitigation and adaptation technologies, two international conferences on CSA and other COE focus areas, and pilot projects to apply technologies developed by the COE on CSA starting from 2024 as well as seminars, study missions, workshops, and on-site training for customizing the know-how to meet local needs in APO members. The COE on CSA may provide technical knowledge and skills such as technologies to reduce methane emissions from paddy fields; agricultural weather data systems for rice, wheat, and soybean production; web-based soil carbon sequestration visualization tool for greenhouse gas reduction in various crops such as rice, wheat, and soybean. The APO COE Program showcases excellence in specific productivity fields to promote the adoption of the know-how and best practices of one member by others while adapting them to suit local contexts. The COE on CSA will focus on the deployment of climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies, know-how, and frameworks for low-carbon rice, wheat, and soybean production as staple foods in the Asia-Pacific. Specific focus areas will be sharing technical knowledge and methods to reduce methane emissions from paddy fields; adoption of agricultural weather data systems for rice, wheat, and soybean production; web-based soil carbon sequestration visualization tools for GHG reductions in various crops such as rice, wheat, and soybean; application of biochar and development of carbon credit methodologies; and water management practices in rice cultivation and treatment of livestock waste. The agriculture sector is crucial in most APO members and essential for global food security. However, it is also a significant contributor to GHG emissions and is vulnerable to climate change. Droughts, floods, and extreme weather events may cause food scarcity. GHG emissions due agriculture, livestock operations, and land use are estimated to account for 24 per cent of the global total. The introduction of climate-friendly agricultural practices combined with the adoption of smart technologies can bring multiple benefits in the form of higher productivity, increased agricultural and food production, and reduced GHG emissions. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/497/vietnams-tuna-export-turnover-reaches-1-bn.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/497/vietnams-tuna-export-turnover-reaches-1-bn.html Fri, 03 Feb 2023 13:08:55 +0530 This result contributes to the seafood industry's export turnover of $11 billion in 2022 Vietnam’s tuna exports reached the target of $1 billion in 2022, up by 34 per cent from a year ago. This is also the first time the industry’s tuna exports have reached an export value of $ billion, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (Vasep). This result contributes to the seafood industry's export turnover of $11 billion in 2022. Vietnam's tuna products have been exported to 99 markets around the world. Among them, the US, the European Union (EU), the countries in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Israel, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the Philippines and Egypt are Vietnam's largest tuna importers, accounting for 92 per cent of total export value. Notably, in the CPTPP market, exports to Japan grew continuously in the last quarter of 2022. In December alone, tuna exports to Japan increased by 131 per cent over the same period last year, contributing to bringing Vietnam's tuna to the CPTPP market to nearly $136 million, up 48 per cent compared to 2021. In the whole year of 2022, Vietnam's tuna exports to the CPTPP market reached nearly $136 million, up 48 per cent compared to 2021. The EU, Germany, Spain and Belgium were the three largest importers of Vietnamese tuna in the EU last year. Particularly in December 2022, tuna exports to Germany and Spain are increasing gallopingly at 3 digits, 161 per cent and 117 per cent, respectively. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/324/fao-gets-funding-from-japan-to-boost-food-security.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/324/fao-gets-funding-from-japan-to-boost-food-security.html Tue, 27 Dec 2022 11:09:35 +0530 Resources to fund a 12-month emergency project beginning January 2023 The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) receives notice of additional funding of more than $1.85 million from the Government of Japan to improve access and availability of nutritious food for vulnerable and food-insecure smallholder households in Afghanistan as well as protect their livestock. The resources will fund a 12-month emergency project beginning January 2023. It will support 42,700 people from Kapisa province (Hissa-e-Awali, Kohistan and Nijrab districts) and Panjshir province (Rukha and Darah districts) who are food insecure and depend on livestock and poultry as source of food and income. “We are pleased to announce additional funding from the Government of Japan to FAO to continue supporting the most vulnerable livestock keeping households in Panjshir and Kapisa Provinces to be food and nutrition secure,” said Takashi Okada, Japan Ambassador to Afghanistan. Livelihood protection This new project will protect key productive livestock assets and sustain subsistence production of nutritious food to ensure greater availability of dairy and meat products for households and communities as well as to mitigate the adverse impacts of recent multiple shocks including drought, floods and economic crisis, whilst enhancing household food and nutrition security and building the resilience of farmers against future shocks.   It will bolster both availability and access to nutritious food for vulnerable and food insecure smallholder households by protecting their vital livestock–based livelihoods through the distribution of nationally produced quality feed. The project will also provide farmers with key technical training and increase their access to local veterinary extension services.  Backyard poultry packages, including chicken, feed and coops, will also enable households to improve their nutritional food intake, help generate vital cash incomes, and stimulate local food markets.  “We welcome the timely and continuous support of the Japanese Government in our work to secure Afghanistan’s food future. Responding to the deep food insecurity crisis with short-term emergency assistance is vital. But at the same time, now is the time to start laying foundations for the longer-term sustainable production of nutritious food for current and future needs, enabling households to re-build productive livelihood assets and stimulate local markets,” said Richard Trenchard, FAO’s Representative in Afghanistan. In 2022, the Government of Japan contributed $14 million to FAO in Afghanistan to provide direct humanitarian assistance to over 550,000 food-insecure people in 11 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces in cooperation with Japan International Cooperation Agency. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/295/production-of-primary-crops-in-the-world-up-by-52-from-2000-to-2020-fao.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/295/production-of-primary-crops-in-the-world-up-by-52-from-2000-to-2020-fao.html Tue, 13 Dec 2022 13:42:22 +0530 Global pesticide use peaked in 2012 and began declining in 2017, reveals FAO's Annual Statistical Yearbook The production of primary crops in the world, such as sugarcane, maize, wheat and rice, grew by 52 per cent from 2000 to 2020 to reach 9.3 billion tonne, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) annual Statistical Yearbook. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) published its annual Statistical Yearbook. FAO Yearbook stated vegetable oil production increased by 125 per cent over the period, with palm oil output growing by 236 per cent. Meat output, led by chicken, grew by 45 per cent, while the growth rate for fruits and vegetables was 20 per cent or below. Sugarcane is the world’s largest crop by volume, with 1. 9 billion tonnes annually. Maize is next at 1.2 billion tonnes. Global food exports have risen to $1.42 trillion, up by a factor of 3.7 since 2000. Worldwide, the largest food-exporting countries in gross terms are the United States of America, the Netherlands and China. The largest exporters in net terms were Brazil, by far, followed by Argentina and Spain. The largest net importing countries were China, Japan and the United Kingdom. Some 4.74 billion hectare of the planet’s surface is agricultural land, including meadows and pastures as well as crops. That figure is down 3 per cent from 2000, but down six times as much in per capita terms, with Africa again in the lead. Worldwide pesticide use peaked in 2012 and began declining in 2017. The countries with the highest pesticide application per hectare are Saint Lucia, Maldives and Oman. According to the report, Dietary energy supply, a key indicator for food security, went up in all regions since 2000 and did so the most in Asia. The world average is now 2 960 calories per person per day, up 9 per cent, with the level peaking at 3 540 calories per day per person in Europe and North America. Today, some 866 million people work in agriculture, more than a quarter of the global workforce, and produced $3.6 trillion in value-added. Compared to 2000, those figures represent a 78 per cent increase in economic value, produced by 16 per cent fewer people, with Africa posting double that pace of growth. The report says the Average temperature in 2021 was 1.44 °C hotter than the average from 1951 to 1980. Europe has had the highest temperature change, followed by Asia, with Oceania reporting by far the least change. Greenhouse gas emissions on agricultural land declined by 4 per cent between 2000 and 2020, with 70 per cent of them generated within the farm gate. Cattle and sheep meat account for most carbon dioxide emissions, with cattle averaging 50 times more than chicken. The emissions intensity of cereals is much lower, although rice emits more than five times more than wheat and coarse grains. The rate of greenhouse gas emissions changes significantly across regions, reflecting large differences in efficiencies of production. For instance, the emissions intensity of cattle meat in Africa is almost four times as great as in Europe. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/236/singapore-imposes-ban-on-imported-meat-from-5-countries.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/236/singapore-imposes-ban-on-imported-meat-from-5-countries.html Wed, 30 Nov 2022 12:50:23 +0530 The government has temporarily imposed a ban to import meat from Japan, France, USA, Denmark and Hungary. Singapore has imposed a ban on imported meat from five countries, due to the outbreak of Avian Influenza. According to Singapore Food Agency (SFA), Government has temporarily imposed a ban to import meat from Japan, France, USA, Denmark and Hungary.   Poultry and poultry products from Japan’s Ibaraki and Hyogo prefectures, France’s department of Mayenne, Cote d’armor, Loiret and Indre, USA’s Wright County, Iowa, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lawrence County, Mississippi, Slagelse city in Denmark, Bács-Kiskun and Csongrád-Csanád region in Hungary are banned for temporarily. ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/67/farmmi-continues-sales-expansion-with-latest-win.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/67/farmmi-continues-sales-expansion-with-latest-win.html Tue, 30 Aug 2022 17:00:35 +0530 The latest order for dried mushroom slices is from one of the company’s long-term customers. Farmmi, Inc, an agriculture products supplier in China, has announced the that the company’s subsidiary Zhejiang Farmmi Biotechnology, has won another new repeat product order. The latest order for dried mushroom slices is from one of the company’s long-term customers, which will export Farmmi’s products to Southampton, England. Yefang Zhang, Farmmi’s Chairwoman and CEO, commented, “This is another important win for us. It continues the meaningful sales growth trajectory we have been building all year as we leverage our increased investments in sales and marketing to build our global brand, and it also benefited from our consistent product availability due to our strong supply chain relationships. This latest win serves as an example of our successful strategy of working alongside our customers to support them across our broader product line as part of our efforts to increase revenue per customer, while also nurturing the relationships that will drive our longer-term success.” ]]> https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/34/bvt-announces-its-first-stone-fruit-trial-in-the-us-pacific-northwest.html https://agrospectrumasia.com/news/108/34/bvt-announces-its-first-stone-fruit-trial-in-the-us-pacific-northwest.html Thu, 25 Aug 2022 12:09:41 +0530 The trial is being conducted to achieve a proof of concept for greater yield with BVT’s natural precision agriculture system Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. has announced the Company’s first US demonstration trial on stone fruit, with a conventional cherry grower in Washington. The trial began during the mid-April bloom period and will continue through summer harvest. The United States is the world’s second-largest cherry producer, second only to Turkey, (1) with cherries representing the most acreage of all stone fruits. There are an estimated 85,000 acres of sweet cherries in the US, (2) with Washington, California and Oregon growing almost 90 per cent of the country’s total yield. There are an additional 32,000 acres of tart cherries grown in the US, of which 75 per cent are in Michigan. (3)  “This initial stone fruit trial marks BVT’s entry into the important US stone fruit market,” said Ashish Malik, CEO of BVT. “In addition to cherries, stone fruits include peaches, nectarines, plums, prunes, and apricots, all grown on more than 270,000 acres(4) of farmland in the US. This is a very attractive crop grouping for BVT because of their high use of paid pollination hives, with over 75% of cherry acres (5) using pollination services.” The trial is being conducted to achieve a proof of concept for greater yield with BVT’s natural precision agriculture system. It uses BVT’s proprietary Vectorite™ with CR-7 (Clonostachys rosea CR-7) biological fungicide, applied through the process of bee vectoring directly onto cherry blooms.  “Pollination is a vital element of stone fruit production,” said Ian Collinson, Sales Manager at BVT “When a cherry grows, it’s because a bee pollinated a flower. So why not have those bees do double duty and carry biological products for disease control and plant health to those flowers at the same time?” Now that the bloom period is over, the crop is developing on the trees. Yield data will be available once crops are harvested in late spring and into summer. ]]>