In The Spotlight
AGRA, in partnership with the International Fertiliser Development Center (IFDC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, hosted Mali’s first-ever event specifically dedicated to soils, in celebration of World Soil Day
The event themed: ‘Nourish the Earth, Secure the Future’ focused on preserving the health of arid and semi-arid soils, and marked the beginning of a dedicated national focus on soil health in Mali. It highlighted critical issues of soil degradation and the need to implement collaborative and innovative solutions to restore soil health, safeguard agricultural productivity, and combat food insecurity.
Comprising expert panels and roundtable discussions, the event served as a platform to address soil health and its implications for agricultural transformation, in turn producing actionable recommendations. These included establishing a platform for dialogue, creating synergies of action, updating Mali’s soil mapping, developing targeted policies, and investing in action research on soils.
In his address, the Minister of Agriculture emphasised that sustainable soil management is not only an environmental necessity but also a socio-economic and humanitarian imperative. During the forum, AGRA and IFDC also reaffirmed their commitment to fostering innovation, capacity-building, and partnerships that prioritise soil health.
Leading sustainable agricultural solutions company Indigo Ag is helping to create a new market segment offering unprecedented opportunities for farmers and businesses to access the value of nature-based carbon credits
Indigo Ag’s scale and innovative, high-integrity approach has drawn the attention of global climate finance company Catona Climate which has consistently maintained a focus on sourcing, financing, and helping develop the highest-quality credits from nature-based climate solutions.
Through a strategic partnership, Indigo Ag has agreed to provide Catona Climate exclusive access to 250,000 credits from a highly-rated US-based regenerative agriculture soil carbon project. The agreement will give Catona Climate customers access to credits generated by US farmers who adopt regenerative agricultural practices — such as planting cover crops, diversifying crop rotation, and reducing tillage — that abate emissions and sequester carbon in the soil.
“We’re delighted that Catona Climate, known for their high-quality nature-based carbon credit portfolio, has chosen to work with us as we gear up to deliver our largest ever carbon crop,” said Indigo Ag CEO, Dean Banks. “This deal not only represents a strong vote of confidence in our thriving programme but also in soil carbon as an asset class. It reflects the increasing maturity of the market and will generate further confidence in the long-term durability of soil carbon projects, which is great news for the farmers and agribusinesses benefiting from this promising new revenue stream.”
Asian Agri’s smallholder partners in Jambi Province received recognition, with premium payments being distributed from the sale of certified sustainable palm oil for 2023
Forty cooperatives (KUDs) comprising around 12,500 smallholder members received a total amount of more than US$147.24 on 20 December at EV Garden in Jambi, Indonesia. The aim of the programme is to reward oil palm smallholders who adhere to internationally recognised sustainability standards, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification. Among those who were recognised were scheme smallholders who consistently adopted sustainable plantation practices in compliance with certification standards.
“With RSPO certification, we can support the sustainable palm oil industry in international markets, particularly in Europe, where only sustainably sourced palm oil is accepted,” noted Ramli Simarmata, regional head of Asian Agri for Jambi region, adding that the premium payments are expected to benefit over 12,500 smallholders, aligning with Asian Agri’s 5C philosophy. This emphasises that the company’s presence should bring value to the Community, the Country, the Climate, the Customer, and ultimately the Company.
Rudy Rismanto, head of Partnership at Asian Agri, highlighted the role of partnerships in the company’s sustainability strategy. Rahadi, chairman of KUD Sawit Mulia, also noted the many advantages of the partnership model and encouraged smallholders with unproductive plantations to proceed with replanting. Furthermore, Basuki, supervisor of KUD Makmur Rezeki, emphasised the importance of using high-quality seeds as a key factor for successful replanting.
Building on their successful collaboration announced in 2023, Silal and Bayer have expanded their strategic partnership through a detailed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in Dubai
The MoU outlines an ambitious programme of collaboration through 2028, focusing on four key initiatives designed to advance agricultural practices in arid environments around the world like the UAE, with both organisations aiming to contribute meaningfully to the region’s National Food Security, while also addressing climate change challenges.
The partnership will also scale up agricultural capacity building through Bayer's BayG.A.P. programme, with particular emphasis on regenerative agriculture practices suitable for arid climates. A key innovation in this phase includes the implementation of digital monitoring and verification platforms to ensure the effective adoption of sustainable farming practices. Additionally, the collaboration encompasses the extension of comprehensive vegetable seed trials aimed at identifying crops better suited to local growing conditions and market demands.
Hugo Hagen, Senior Bayer Representative – Middle East at Bayer, stated: "The signing of this MoU represents a major step forward in our partnership with Silal. This detailed framework allows us to bring together Bayer's global expertise in sustainable agriculture with Silal's deep understanding of local agricultural challenges, advancing our mission of ‘Health for all, Hunger for none’ while addressing critical climate challenges."
Upon popular demand, renowned leader in high-quality industrial washdown equipment, SuperKlean has designed a new dairy nozzle that supports sustainable dairy practices and helps maintain optimal udder health
To ensure the health and wellbeing of dairy cows, pre-treatment of dairy cow’s teats and udder, as well as special post treatments are a mandatory requirement. These treatments are carried out to affirm that cows are free from mastitis and other infections. Moreover, with outbreaks of Avian Flu spreading across several regions, the need for a teat and udder ‘touchless’ teat spraying system has become more apparent.
SuperKlean has been providing world-class industrial nozzles to some of the largest food, beverage and pharmaceutical companies for more than 34 years. Recently, the company came up with a new precision dairy nozzle that has gained widespread popularity among dairymen.
SuperKlean’s new dairy nozzle features, a 90 degree applicator, high-precision stainless steel construction and replaceable spray tip, with a special hook for hanging and fast retrieval. Spare parts are available to extend the life of this nozzle, with immediate delivery. The nozzle is available in either dark blue or red options for pre- and post-dip applications, ensuring safe and easy identification and application of each dip type.
SuperKlean’s special-built teat-spraying applicator wand helps reduce pathogen spread through a combination of easy, targeted cleaning and a faster, less-wasteful chemical spraying solution. Its stainless steel build ensures durability, with the ability to withstand thousands of daily sprays and wear while consistently delivering high-quality performance.
Gridtractor, Monarch Tractor, and Borg Warner have achieved a significant milestone by successfully demonstrating Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) capabilities utilising a Monarch MK-V tractor, a Borg Warner 60 kW DC fast charger, and Gridtractor’s cloud-based charge management system employing the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP)
Heliospectra AB, a global leader in smart LED lighting for controlled environments, recently announced the launch of its Dynamic MITRA X multi-channel LED solutions
Featuring advanced 3-channel and 4-channel configurations, the new lighting systems bring unmatched precision and customisation in combination with the new Spectrum Design Tool and Dynamic Zoning, allowing growers to optimise crop growth, quality, and operational efficiency.
The new MITRA X C3 and C4 multi-channel systems seamlessly integrate with Heliospectra’s HelioCORE software, which enhances light management capabilities for both professional growers and researchers. The launch of these systems has been a stepping stone for the company to introduce its proven dynamic lighting technology to greenhouses, empowering growers with greater flexibility while maintaining the efficacy that defines their solutions.
With ease of use being the main focus, this advancement ensures that smart lighting strategies are intuitive and accessible for growers at every level.
“The modularity of MITRA X allows growers to customise installations and adapt to their unique needs, whether they require static, flex, or dynamic lighting solutions, said CEO Heliospectra, Bonny Heeren. “As we have supplied the Agtech and research segment with the dynamic spectrum for more than 10 years, it was a natural next step for us to introduce it also in our MITRA X platform to bring control and flexibility also to greenhouse growers.”