vb
Far Eastern Agriculture
African Farming

twitter Linkedin acp Contact Us

In The Spotlight

Advancing thai farming through Smart Technology. (Image credit: Khon Kaen University)

Technology

From 25 to 26 March 2026, Khon Kaen University worked alongside GISTDA and the MHESI Northeastern Network Operations Unit to host a hands on workshop focused on modernising agriculture through smart technology.

Held across two community rice centres in Nakhon Ratchasima and Khon Kaen, the initiative aimed to strengthen farmers’ skills and introduce practical tools for more efficient farming.

The workshop blended learning with real experience. Farmers were guided on how to use the SGi Farm platform to manage data across the entire production process. This included everything from registration and mapping cultivation areas to tracking field activities, yields, and final outputs. By organising this information in one system, farmers can plan more effectively, lower costs, and improve productivity in a measurable way.

A key part of the programme was the use of satellite based climate data. Farmers were shown how this information can support better decisions on irrigation, planting schedules, and harvesting. With clearer forecasts and insights, they can respond to changing conditions more confidently and maintain both quality and quantity in their produce.

Dr. Siraprapa Bamrungkit, a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, Khon Kaen University, stated that in addition to developing the upstream and midstream value chain, the university plays a crucial role in advancing the downstream segment. KKU provides comprehensive support for product and packaging development, from designing brand identity and selecting appropriate materials to creating labels and product information. This support extends to integrating a traceability system via QR codes on packaging to enhance credibility, add value, and strengthen market competitiveness.

Beyond improving farming practices, the project encourages long term economic growth. It opens new market opportunities while helping communities adapt to modern consumer expectations. The initiative also reflects a strong commitment to sustainability, supporting food security, reducing inequality, and promoting innovation driven development.

Philippines boosts food supply with Bicol Mega Cold Storage. (Image credit: Business mirror))

Equipment

The Philippines has taken a significant step towards improving its agricultural system with the launch of the Bicol Mega Cold Storage Warehouse.

This major project, backed by an investment of P500 million, reflects a strong effort to modernise food logistics and support farmers across the region.

The facility was officially opened by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., alongside Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. and Camarines Sur Governor Luis Raymund Villafuerte. It stands as the first completed project under the Department of Agriculture’s Cold Storage Expansion Program and aligns with the goals of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act.

Designed to address long standing challenges in storage and transport, the warehouse provides reliable temperature controlled spaces for different types of produce. Livestock, fruits, and vegetables are stored under carefully managed conditions to maintain freshness and quality from the farm through to the market. With a capacity of over 200,000 tonnes each year, the facility is expected to benefit a large number of farmers as well as consumers.

“This facility underscores the commitment of the Marcos administration to cut post-harvest losses, raise farmers incomes, stabilize food supply, and ensure lasting rural development,” Tiu Laurel said.

Governor Villafuerte highlighted the wider impact of the project, noting that it will serve not only the Bicol region but also suppliers from other parts of the country. “This is a game changer for Bicolandia, which has long played a key role in feeding the nation, whether directly through food production or as corridor where agricultural products pass through,” he said.

Beyond storage, the site includes rooms for blast freezing, processing, and packaging. These features allow farmers to extend the shelf life of their produce and improve its market value. The timing is especially important as rising fuel costs and ongoing supply challenges have made distribution more difficult.

By linking storage with better transport and logistics, the facility helps farmers avoid losses and sell their goods under better conditions. Alongside this project, the government is also developing more cold chain facilities across the country, building a stronger and more connected food system for the future.

South Korea introduces striking new prickly pear cactus varieties

Agriculture

Researchers in South Korea have introduced two eye catching varieties of the prickly pear cactus, marking a fresh step in the country’s plant breeding efforts.

Developed by the Gyeonggi do Agricultural Research and Extension Services, the new varieties named ‘Dual Label’ and ‘Gold Label’ are set to enter the market this year.

The prickly pear cactus, originally from the tropical rainforests of Brazil, is known for its ability to grow on trees or rocks and for blooming even during the winter season. This makes it especially appealing as an ornamental plant.

The newly developed ‘Dual Label’ variety stands out for its unique flower pattern. Each bloom displays three colours at once, with pink on the outer edges of the petals, yellow in the middle, and white at the centre. This striking contrast sets it apart from traditional single coloured varieties and is expected to attract strong interest from buyers looking for something different.

Meanwhile, ‘Gold Label’ offers a more subtle but equally appealing look. Its flowers carry a soft golden shade with a balanced and uniform shape. Trials carried out on farms have shown that this variety performs consistently, with stable colouring and reliable blooming. These qualities make it well suited for indoor decoration and as a thoughtful gift option.

Both varieties are expected to support the growth of locally developed plants in a market that has long depended on imports. By introducing home grown options, researchers hope to strengthen the domestic industry and offer more choices to consumers.

The development of these varieties is the result of several years of focused work. The research team has spent between five and ten years selecting genetic materials and studying flower colour and shape to better match market demand. This careful approach has helped create plants that are not only attractive but also commercially viable.

Jung Yun-kyung, Director of the Cactus and Succulent Research Institute at the Gyeonggi-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services, said, “We will continue to develop varieties suited to domestic cultivation conditions and strengthen data-driven breeding to lead the development of new floral varieties.”

African Farming

  • HSW ECO MATIC® 6ml _ 10ml (for injection, oral and pour-on application)

New mobile app for real-time engagement between horticultural AI and indoor growers

The mobile app bridges the gap between growers and operators. (Image source: FarmVisionAI)

Agriculture AI company FarmVisionAI has introduced a new mobile app designed to engage growers in-field with vision AI stress detections

The mobile app brings FarmVisionAI’s horticulturist trained AI to a smartphone platform that can be used while scouting plants and walking the farm.

Location-specific information allows the grower and FarmVisionAI to validate the detections and complement the close-up images taken with the phone camera. The photos of the grower are geo-tagged to the location and appear in the desktop application that shows the grow in a ‘Google-earth’ like visualisation. To add value and explain what is happening in progress and what needs to be done, notes, recommendations, and actions can be applied to the imagery.

“The FarmVisionAI mobile app is a critical piece of functionality that bridges the gap between growers and operators,” said Jeff Bisberg, Illumitex CEO. “Our real-time imagery is the ground truth and provides transparency that can cut through communication barriers and finger-pointing.”

“Growing at scale can be extremely complex. The ability for FarmVisionAI users to capture images of specific issues through the mobile app is huge,” said Mark McDevitt, FarmVisionAI horticulture science leader. “First, the pictures are stored securely and organised in the FarmVisionAI system instead of the grower’s phones. Second, it makes it possible to analyse and diagnose individuals from anywhere in the world. And thirdly, it is an intellectual property repository in the form of visually based knowledge, specific to that site, which can be used for training, benchmarking and SOPs.”

Top Stories

Grid List

Crops

Higher-Quality and More Valuable Grains Through Moisture Control. (Image credit: Hydronix)

Agriculture

Knowing and controlling the moisture content of materials from the introduction of raw ingredients to the packaging of the final product is essential for maximising efficiency, optimising yield, and producing a high-quality, consistent feed product.

Variations in the moisture content of raw materials have historically presented a challenge for feed processors. The moisture levels of raw ingredients fluctuate depending on environmental conditions during harvest, transportation, and storage. Traditional offline testing methods are time-consuming, prone to error, and often fail to represent the material actually flowing through the production process.

The ideal solution is to continuously measure the moisture content of flowing materials and correct variations in real time. In the past, such systems were often complex to operate and required ongoing, costly maintenance. Today, modern, sophisticated, reliable, and affordable moisture sensors make it possible to control moisture levels across the entire process simply and economically.

Why Should You Measure Moisture?

1. Raw materials vary in moisture content, and these variations can lead to weighing discrepancies.
2. Accurate moisture control during the drying process helps prevent both under-drying and over-drying.

Choosing a moisture sensor with a precision of ±0.5% instead of ±1.0% may seem like only a small improvement. However, consider a drying process where the material is reduced from 20.0% moisture to a maximum of 14.0%. In this case, the increased precision of 0.5% can deliver a 7.15% energy saving, assuming the energy input is proportional to the amount of moisture removed.

Where Should Moisture Be Measured?

Moisture control throughout the production process enables the manufacture of higher-quality, more balanced, and more valuable feed. Key measurement points include:

1. Drying for storage – at the outlet of the dryer
2. Milling / tempering – at the inlet of the tempering stage
3. Pelleting / conditioning – during the conditioning process
4. Drying for packaging – at the outlet of the dryer

Key Benefits

By controlling moisture during the weighing of raw materials, producers can more accurately manage the protein content of the final pellet, ensuring superior and consistent product quality.

Additional benefits of effective moisture control include:

1. Increased yield from raw materials
2. Reduced spoilage and material loss
3. Optimised energy usage throughout the process
4. Consistent product quality and nutritional value
5. Improved shelf life and product reliability

Accurate moisture measurement ensures that feed producers can deliver consistent, homogenous products with reliable nutritional performance.

For more information on how advanced moisture measurement can improve your process efficiency and product quality, speak with a Hydronix expert.

NEC and Fager collaborated to support low emission farming in Thailand

South Korea introduces striking new prickly pear cactus varieties

Livestock

GEA takes AI dairy farming to the next level with New Belfast Software Lab.(Image credit: GEA)

Livestock

GEA has opened a brand new software development lab in Belfast, Northern Ireland, marking a bold step forward in its mission to reshape modern dairy farming through technology. Housed at The Innovation Centre, the lab will bring 20 new roles in software development and UX design to the region, all dedicated to advancing GEA's flagship AI livestock solution, CattleEye, alongside its wider digital farming portfolio.

CattleEye is no ordinary piece of kit. The system is built to detect and predict lameness in cattle at an early stage and gather vital data on body condition scores, giving farmers the kind of precise, timely insight that can genuinely change how they manage their herds. Already active on more than 140 farms spanning the UK, Europe, the United States and Australia, the technology is currently keeping watch over more than 200,000 cattle across 23 countries as part of GEA's DairyNet herd management platform.

GEA acquired CattleEye in 2024, and the Belfast expansion represents the next chapter in embedding that technology deeper into its farming ecosystem. "With our new software lab in Belfast, GEA is strengthening its role as a technology leader in digital dairy farming," says Andreas Seeringer, CEO of GEA Farm Technologies. "By improving animal health and well-being through AI-based solutions like CattleEye, dairy farms become more efficient, more sustainable, and ultimately more profitable. That is why we commit to accelerating development in this area, driving technology innovation in our digital herd management solutions."

Northern Ireland was a natural fit for the venture, given its deep rooted dairy farming heritage and a tech sector that is quietly making a name for itself. Terry Canning, CattleEye co-founder and Senior Director at GEA, describes what the lab means in practice: "The new software lab will be a significant milestone in integrating CattleEye fully into our state-of-the-art herd management systems and will extend our digital footprint in farming. In the future, farmers can expect features which help reduce additional investments in equipment and necessary animal treatments. It will also help customers to farm more efficiently and cut greenhouse gas emissions through automated data insights."

Regional development agency Invest NI, backed in part by the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund, is supporting the project financially. Vicky Kell, Director of Innovation, Research and Development at Invest NI, was clear about what it signals: "This investment in R&D is a vote of confidence in our talent, infrastructure and capabilities in Northern Ireland. The benefits of investing in R&D are rich, and the CattleEye solution is a testament to how R&D can further develop innovative products which can drive competitiveness in the global agri-tech market."

Vietnam Poultry Association drives sustainable growth in the sector.

Vitarich and Novogen collaborated to boost egg production in the Philippines.(Image credit: Vitarich)

Equipment

Rainbow Colors pioneering hydrogen technology in agriculture. (Image credit: New Energy Coalition)

Equipment

A tulip forcing company in the Netherlands is breaking new ground in clean energy.

Rainbow Colors, based in Andijk in North Holland, has installed a solid oxide electrolyser to produce green hydrogen. Project partners say it is the first agricultural business in the world to apply this advanced technology. With a capacity of one megawatt, the system is also among the largest operational solid oxide electrolysers currently in use, marking a major step forward for hydrogen development in North Holland North.

The project is being delivered in partnership with Danish technology firm Dynelectro, while Dutch company Ekinetix is responsible for building the required infrastructure. The installation forms part of the regional programme Fieldlab Waterstof in de Agri, which focuses on creating a hydrogen network tailored to the agricultural sector.

Rainbow Colors has been involved in the initiative since 2023 as a pilot site for hydrogen production. By using surplus solar energy along with battery storage, the company aims to ensure a steady and reliable supply of hydrogen. The technology partners explain that solid oxide electrolysers are more efficient and experience less wear than conventional systems. Their longer operational life and improved performance are expected to lower the overall cost of hydrogen production. The system also offers a practical response to grid congestion, while increasing access to clean energy within the region.

The installation is described as pioneering not only because it is the first of its kind in agriculture, but also because it ranks as the third largest operational unit of this type worldwide. It is expected to serve as a model for other agricultural businesses seeking solutions to high energy costs and limited grid capacity.

Beau Broen, project leader at New Energy Coalition and coordinator of the hydrogen pilot projects within Fieldlab Waterstof in de Agri, said: "It is impressive to see how international innovation comes together in this project. By implementing Dynelectro's electrolyser at project partner Rainbow Colors, the region is taking an important step towards decentralized hydrogen production. It also provides an economic boost by making affordable green hydrogen available. The project underlines the innovative role North Holland North plays in the energy transition."

With this facility now operational, locally produced green hydrogen becomes available in the Netherlands, helping to address the balance between supply and demand. By using surplus renewable electricity, hydrogen can be produced for less than ten euros per kilogram and used locally. The wider programme brings together businesses and knowledge institutions across North Holland North, positioning the province as a leading hydrogen region and showing that emission free energy solutions are already within reach for agriculture.

Philippines boosts food supply with Bicol Mega Cold Storage. (Image credit: Business mirror))

The redesigned New Holland T7 Standard Wheelbase tractor, now available in the new Dynamic Blue colour. (Image credit: New Holland)

Technology

Orbia Netafim and Amazon India Launch Water Saving Drip Irrigation Projects Across Bengaluru and Hyderabad. (Image credit: Netafirm)

Water & Irrigation

A new partnership between Orbia Netafim and Amazon India is set to deliver significant water savings through large scale drip irrigation projects across key agricultural regions in India.

The collaboration will help save nearly 325 million litres of water every year while supporting more than 110 independent farmers in the agricultural belts surrounding Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

Announced on 27 February 2026 in Tel Aviv and Bengaluru, the initiative focuses on improving irrigation practices and addressing growing concerns around water security in these rapidly expanding urban regions. The programme will introduce modern drip irrigation systems across 80 hectares of farmland in western Bengaluru and 40 hectares in northern Hyderabad.

In Bengaluru, farms currently growing gourds and tomatoes will transition from traditional flood irrigation methods to more efficient drip irrigation systems. Around 70 independent farmers are expected to benefit from this shift. The change is projected to save approximately 175 million litres of water each year while maintaining crop productivity and improving irrigation efficiency.

In Hyderabad, a similar transition will take place across 40 hectares of maize and vegetable farms, benefiting roughly 40 farmers. The project is expected to conserve about 150 million litres of water annually in the region.

The initiative also contributes to Amazon’s wider environmental commitments. By supporting improved irrigation methods, the company is working towards its goal of becoming water positive in India by 2027. This means returning more water to communities than is used in its direct operations.

Abhinav Singh, Vice President of Operations, Amazon India and Australia, said: "This initiative focuses on practical solutions that make a measurable difference on the ground, helping farmers improve the efficiency of their irrigation systems while contributing to water security in water-stressed regions. We're committed to such collaborations as part of effort to support responsible water use in India”.

Water resources in both Bengaluru and Hyderabad have come under increasing pressure in recent years. In Bengaluru, participating farms rely on water sources linked to the TG Halli Reservoir, which also supplies several residential areas, commercial districts and Amazon facilities across west and north Bengaluru. In Hyderabad, farmers draw water connected to the Kondapochamma Sagar reservoir, an important part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.

Drip irrigation delivers water directly to the root zone of crops in measured amounts. This method reduces evaporation, runoff and unnecessary water use, which is especially important in regions experiencing irregular rainfall and declining groundwater levels.

“We are proud to collaborate with Amazon on this important initiative, which demonstrates how precision irrigation can deliver real impact for farmers and communities alike,” said Max Moldavsky, Director of Innovation and Climate Solutions, Orbia Netafim. “By helping farmers transition to drip irrigation, we are improving water efficiency, strengthening livelihoods, and contributing to broader water security efforts. This project reflects Orbia Netafim’s long-standing global commitment to water stewardship and climate-resilient agriculture.”

This marks the first collaboration between Amazon India and Orbia Netafim focused on urban water challenges in India’s fast growing cities. Building on previous irrigation modernisation projects in Karnataka, including the Ramthal Community Irrigation Project, Orbia Netafim continues to promote practical and scalable solutions that improve water management while supporting both farming communities and urban water security.

Aonic expands Global Reach with Fresh Investment in Drone Innovation (Image credit: Aonic)

Advancing thai farming through Smart Technology. (Image credit: Khon Kaen University)

More Articles

Copyright © 2026 Alain Charles Publishing Ltd.