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Japan has been a long-standing partner of WFP’s assistance in Zimbabwe since 2019. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Agriculture

The Japanese government has contributed US$5.1mn toward the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), supporting nearly 37,000 smallholder farmers across five districts in Zimbabwe

The ongoing climate challenges in Zimbabwe caused by El Niño has resulted in widespread food insecurity, making this three-year project crucial for solving food security issues and enhancing resilience for smallholder farmers. The WFP will make this possible by establishing water-based infrastructure, developing value chains and strengthening agricultural extension service capacity. 

Moreover, the project aims to address sustainability issues by combining food assistance with climate-adaptive practices, thereby helping smallholder farmers to cultivate more sustainable crops, particularly sesame, which has a high market potential. Production of this crop will be one of the central value chains, enhancing export opportunities for Zimbabwean smallholder farmers.

“Under this project, small-scale farmers will be supported in growing sesame seeds to practice market-oriented agriculture and a Japanese trading company called ITOCHU Corporation is expected to play an important role in completing the value-chain of the project,” said Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Shinichi Yamanaka.

He highlighted that the Japanese government would be providing financial assistance of around US$72,000 to ‘the project for the construction of storages for sesame farmers in Mwenezi District’ implemented by Sustainable Agriculture Technology (SAT), which is expected to support sesame production and its procurement including value addition for the local and export market.

With a contribution of more than US$28mn toward food assistance and resilience-building initiatives supported by the WFP, Japan has been a long-standing partner of WFP’s assistance in Zimbabwe since 2019. 

“This invaluable contribution from the Gomore than vernment of Japan allows us to make food more available, easier to access, and more reliable for Zimbabwean families,” said Barbara Clemens, country representative and director for WFP in Zimbabwe. “By supporting farmers to grow food in a sustainable way and connect them to markets, we can address immediate food needs and empower communities to build a food secure future.”

 

The HCS ProLife is a smart solution leading fresh drinking water through the hatching crates. (Image source: Giordano)

Poultry

Giordano unveiled the HatchCargoSystem – ProLife (HCS ProLife) — a gamechanger in the early feeding phase of day-old-chicken — at last month's Eurotier Exhibition that took place in Hannover, Germany

The HCS ProLife is a unique sy stem that provides day-old chicken with fresh drinking water and feed inside the hatchery and during road transport. In addition to these internal drinking gutters, the trays are also equipped with feeding gutters, with both drinking and eating being positioned on either sides of the tray, providing maximum access to chicks.

Customers who wish to hatch the day-old-chicken will be provided with a smart tray that can be placed alternately between the crates and offers enough space for 74 hatching eggs. Having a unique framework, these trays allow the day-old-chicks to easily find their way onto the underlying crate immediately after hatching, where they have direct access to fresh drinking water and feed. The tray design allows the fresh drinking water to overflow from the above crate to the one below the tray, all the while ensuring a calm flow down and zero splashing. 

Extensive testing which has been carried out on the system has shown that the water quality remains within all current standards, right down up to and including the last crate. The system can be used in all existing incubators with very minor adjustments, allowing customer expectations to be met, while also keeping law and legistlations costs low. 

Monarch MK-V tractor demonstrating V2G through Borg Warner DCFC and Gridtractor CMS. (Image source: Gridtractor)

Equipment

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) 

IAT Inks MoU with Aspekpir Indonesia to Enhance Quality Analysis for the Local Palm Oil Industry. (Image source: IAT)

Machinery & Equipment

Leading provider of professional Near-Infrared (NIR) analysis products and services, IAT (Singapore) Technology Pte. Ltd. (IAT) recently signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aspekpir Indonesia, aiming to revolutionise quality analysis in the palm oil industry

With its flagship product, the IAS-6100, IAT introduces advanced technology capable of delivering real-time data in less than two minutes, offering highly accurate assessments of oil palm fruit and its by-products. IAT offers palm oil quality detection tools to analyse various materials such as palm fruit, FFB, EFB, CPO/PKO, palm kernels, pressed fiber, and production waste.

The IAS-6100 is compact and portable, making it ideal for diverse settings, including offices, production sites, laboratories, and plantations. IAT's entry into the palm oil industry this year represents a strategic move to enhance quality testing methods, replacing traditional processes with faster and more efficient alternatives.

It employs cutting-edge technology, including a spectral engine, DMD digital micromirror scanning, and next-generation circuit boards. Features include compact design for flexibility, fast and non-destructive testing for precise data, wide applicability across multiple industries, user-friendly operation with minimal manual intervention, and environmentally friendly testing processes that eliminate the need for chemical pre-treatment. 

Traditional quality analysis in laboratories can be time-consuming, with oil content testing alone requiring 15 to 16 hours. The IAS-6100 reduces this time dramatically, delivering results in just two minutes per sample. Its multi-parameter analysis capability allows a single device to perform multiple tests without compromising sample integrity. By removing the need for chemical reagents, the device also supports green production practices and aligns with sustainability goals. 

"Before entering the oil palm sector, we conducted extensive research to determine precise testing parameters," said Edi Hariyanto, Indonesia sales manager at IAT. "With advanced research capabilities and experienced personnel, the IAS-6100 achieves an accuracy rate exceeding 95%. Regular calibration can further enhance this accuracy to 100%. The tool enables quick decision-making at the management level by delivering results in a matter of minutes." 

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