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Korea is taking a significant step towards safeguarding its agricultural sector with the introduction of a new, comprehensive crop disaster insurance scheme designed for four key fruit crops—apples, pears, sweet persimmons, and astringent persimmons.

 Song Mei-ryeong, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, annouched this upgraded insurance product is set to launch first in major fruit-producing regions, offering growers stronger resilience against increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.

This new coverage model differs notably from existing insurance options. It provides protection throughout the entire growing season and includes damages that occur after fruit thinning, a stage where crops are often more vulnerable. By covering losses caused by natural disasters at every phase of cultivation, the policy aims to close long-standing gaps that farmers have struggled with under earlier schemes.

A major advantage of the new product is its inclusion of compensation for heatstroke damage triggered by heat waves after thinning—a growing concern as extreme temperatures become more frequent. The Ministry emphasises that this broader protection makes the insurance far more beneficial compared with traditional offerings.

Before the thinning stage, farmers will be eligible for compensation for all natural-disaster-related losses. After thinning, the insurance will cover damages linked to specific natural events. One notable feature is the continuation of the pilot anthracnose insurance for apple growers. This initiative supports farmers whose crops suffer anthracnose infections despite diligent prevention measures. Compensation is provided once the farmer’s control efforts have been verified.

The Ministry has also highlighted a clear threshold for certain claims: “When there is rain for 5 consecutive days and the accumulated rainfall is 150mm or more.” This measurable standard ensures fairness and clarity for farmers when submitting damage reports.

In addition to fruit-crop protection, the government is also adjusting insurance timelines for other major crops. Due to delays in sowing and transplanting caused by heavy rain, the subscription period for both agricultural income stabilisation insurance and crop disaster insurance for garlic and onions will be extended by one week. This extension aims to maximise participation and ensure that as many farmers as possible are covered during this challenging season.

By expanding the scope of agricultural insurance, Korea is reinforcing its commitment to building a more secure and sustainable farming environment—one where growers have the tools and support needed to face rising climate risks with greater confidence.

The Philippines has taken a decisive step toward strengthening its position in global aquaculture with the launch of its largest crayfish nursery—a flagship development designed to scale production of the high-value Australian Redclaw crayfish.

The project, built through the partnership of Farm Fresh Early Catch Inc., Taiwan’s Da Shin Biotech Ltd., and the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), marks a defining moment for the country’s fast-growing aquaculture sector.

The new nursery will focus on mass-producing Cherax quadricarinatus, a resilient and fast-growing species prized by both domestic and international markets. Government officials say the initiative supports national efforts to strengthen food security while boosting long-term livelihood opportunities in rural areas.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., in remarks delivered by Assistant Secretary and spokesman Arnel de Mesa, highlighted the power of collaboration behind the facility. “Built through the partnership of Farm Fresh Early Catch Inc., Da Shin Biotech, and the DA-BFAR, this nursery shows that when government, private innovators, and fisherfolk come together, progress stops being a dream—it becomes our shared reality,” he said.

Tiu Laurel added that crayfish aquaculture “opens new doors for our fisherfolk—bringing in more income, more livelihood, and more food on our tables,” while underscoring the need for responsible production and adherence to BFAR’s ecological protection guidelines. Every pond, he said, must “nurture care, discipline, and respect for the balance of our ecosystems.”

Situated in Candaba - a wetlands area renowned for its freshwater abundance—the 1,280-square-metre facility features 16 tanks capable of producing up to 48,000 fry every two weeks. It also introduces advanced water-recycling systems that help reduce waste and conserve freshwater, addressing one of the most common environmental criticisms of aquaculture operations.

The nursery will supply Farm Fresh’s existing 3-hectare grow-out ponds, which already produce around 30 tonnes of market-ready crayfish each year. It will also support a broad network of partner growers as production expands nationwide.

From 2026, Farm Fresh plans to roll out large-scale grow-out operations covering 1,500 hectares in Luzon and 750 hectares each in the Visayas and Mindanao. When these sites reach full capacity, they are projected to deliver more than 1,200 tonnes of crayfish every six months—volumes that could position the Philippines as a competitive player in the regional and global aquaculture market.

Crayfish provide a nutrient-dense, low-impact protein source that requires minimal feed. The project is expected to generate over 3,000 direct jobs and stimulate additional enterprise in farming communities.

The launch marks the beginning of a world-class crayfish industry designed to place the Philippines firmly on the global aquaculture map.

Reinke Manufacturing, one of the world’s leading producers of centre pivot irrigation systems, has strengthened its strategic alliance with CropX Technologies through a major new integration designed to simplify and modernise digital farm management.

The two companies have unveiled a unified platform experience that connects the full suite of CropX agronomic data directly into Reinke’s ReinCloud 3 system, offering farmers a seamless, single-location interface for all essential operational insights.

This next phase of collaboration removes one of the biggest frustrations farmers face switching between multiple digital dashboards. With the integration in place, growers can now view all CropX data streams directly inside ReinCloud 3, meaning that soil moisture, weather conditions, agronomic analytics and pivot management controls can finally be accessed in one streamlined platform. The result is a more intuitive, efficient approach to farm monitoring and irrigation decisions.

The connectivity between CropX and ReinCloud 3 is fully secure and highly detailed. CropX sensors now appear directly on the ReinCloud 3 map with exact placement data, enabling farmers to navigate their fields digitally with complete clarity. The integration supports the entire CropX portfolio, including soil moisture probes, evapotranspiration (ET) data, rain gauges and localised weather station insights. By presenting this information in a single interface, growers gain a clearer understanding of field conditions, helping them make better-informed and timely decisions.

Importantly, the flow of information moves both ways. In addition to bringing CropX insights into ReinCloud, the system allows Reinke’s as-applied irrigation data to feed automatically into the CropX platform. This supports agronomic service providers with accurate data for crop modelling, record-keeping, compliance, nutrient planning and broader farm reporting tasks. The exchange significantly improves data accuracy for irrigation scheduling and agronomy recommendations.

To mark the launch of this enhanced integration, Reinke is currently offering a free CropX sensor with every new irrigation system, ensuring that customers immediately benefit from high-quality soil and crop intelligence from their first day in the field. This initiative reinforces the companies’ shared goal of connecting machine performance with agronomic insights to create more responsive and efficient farming operations.

“We’re building technology that works together seamlessly because that’s what modern farming demands,” says Chris Roth, President of Reinke Manufacturing. “This partnership demonstrates our commitment to making growers’ lives easier through smart innovation.”

“CropX brings together soil sensing, satellite imagery, irrigation management, disease prediction, nutrient management, and yield forecasting, all powered by AI and machine learning,” says Tomer Tzach, CEO of CropX Technologies. “Now, farmers can access this complete agronomic intelligence directly where they’re already working, making better decisions faster.”

Since forming their partnership in 2021, Reinke and CropX have remained focused on delivering integrated, farmer-friendly solutions. Both companies plan to expand platform integration even further, continuing their mission to remove complexity from digital agriculture and deliver smarter, data-driven farm management.

SILOKING’s Feeding Management platform is transforming livestock nutrition by combining precision, transparency, and convenience in one digital solution

Designed for users of SILOKING Data and Wireless weight systems, this web-based feeding tool enables farmers to manage feed rations, monitor costs, and optimise mixing accuracy—all from any internet-connected device. Best of all, it is included free of charge with compatible SILOKING hardware, making advanced feeding management accessible to modern farms.

The platform operates through four key steps: planning rations, executing feeding operations, controlling results, and driving success. During the planning phase, farmers can define feed components, including dry matter and costs, create custom animal groups or unloading points, and build tailored loading and unloading programs. During feeding, actual loads are captured automatically, mixed, and recorded, with data export available in Excel or PDF formats for easy archiving and reporting.

Control and monitoring are enhanced through precision comparisons of target versus actual feed loads, time-filtered reports, and detailed consumption analyses. These insights feed directly into performance metrics such as feed cost per kilogram of milk, feed efficiency, and concentrate efficiency, helping farms reduce waste and improve productivity.

Being fully web-based, Feeding Management eliminates the need for manual updates and allows access via PC, tablet, or smartphone, whether on the farm, in the office, or even remotely. Optional SIM-based mobile data transfer from on-machine weight systems ensures real-time documentation and seamless integration with SILOKING hardware.

Beyond operational benefits, Feeding Management offers significant cost savings, improved transparency of feeding programs, and enhanced compliance with dairy industry regulations and quality assurance programs. By aligning feed mixes with planned rations and analysing load data, farms achieve higher efficiency and better animal performance while minimising waste.

Designed with direct input from farmers, the platform features intuitive dashboards, intelligent recipe management, and actionable analytics, making deviations easier to identify and corrective measures simpler to implement. SILOKING Feeding Management is more than software—it’s a comprehensive tool for smarter feeding and better farm management, bringing precision, efficiency, and profitability to modern livestock operations.