Crops

FAO Chief urges faster global action on One Health Agenda (Image credit: FAO)

At a key global meeting in Lyon, Qu Dongyu, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization, called for stronger and faster efforts to advance the One Health agenda.

Speaking at the fourth annual executive meeting of the Quadripartite partnership, he warned that gaps in capacity and a lack of stable funding are still slowing real progress.

The Quadripartite brings together the Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, World Health Organization, and World Organisation for Animal Health. This alliance aims to improve cooperation across sectors to better protect the health of people, animals, plants, and the environment. At its core is the One Health approach, which encourages collaboration across disciplines to address shared challenges such as disease, food safety, and environmental risks.

During his opening remarks, Qu recognised the progress made in recent years, especially in strengthening cooperation and advancing the Joint Plan of Action. Still, he made it clear that progress has not been equal everywhere and that more must be done to turn plans into real change on the ground.

"This meeting is not only about taking stock - it is about accelerating action," Qu said. "We need to expand and scale One Health implementation at country and community level. We need to work collectively, bringing together our individual comparative advantages, in line with our connected yet distinct mandates."

He also highlighted the need to strengthen knowledge sharing and build stronger evidence to show the value of One Health investments. According to him, improving governance, encouraging scientific collaboration, and building stronger communities of practice will be essential for long term success.

As the FAO prepares to pass leadership of the partnership to the World Health Organization, Qu outlined key priorities for the future. These include scaling up action at country level, securing sustainable investment, and raising political awareness to keep One Health high on the global agenda.

He concluded by thanking partner organisations for their continued cooperation and reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to building more resilient and sustainable food systems worldwide.

Philippines expands affordable rice programme to support millions (Image credit: Agro spectrum Asia)

The Department of Agriculture is rapidly expanding its nationwide rice initiative under the programme “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!”, a key effort backed by Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The move comes as rising fuel costs continue to affect food prices, putting pressure on household budgets across the country.

To ease this strain, the government is increasing the number of distribution points and extending operating hours, allowing more Filipinos to purchase rice at a subsidised price of P20 per kilo. According to Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., the goal is to ensure food remains accessible despite ongoing economic challenges linked to transport and logistics.

By the first quarter of 2026, 932 selling sites had already been set up nationwide. These include KADIWA centres, National Food Authority warehouses, and outlets managed by local and national agencies, along with partners accredited by Food Terminal Inc.. As of early April, the programme has reached 6.45 million beneficiaries, including senior citizens, low income households, solo parents, persons with disabilities, farmers and fisherfolk.

“We have sufficient food supply, but elevated fuel and logistics costs are pushing market prices to levels that further contain the budgets of many Filipinos,” Tiu Laurel said. “By expanding access to affordable rice and essential goods, we are directly easing that pressure and ensuring vulnerable sectors are protected while we work to stabilize both prices and supply.”

Further expansion is already in motion. The DA plans to introduce another 900 outlets, focusing on areas with greater need such as Capiz, Bukidnon and Cebu. This effort is supported by a strengthened partnership between Food Terminal Inc. and the National Food Authority, ensuring both supply and funding remain stable throughout 2026.

The agreement includes the procurement of 1.8 million sacks of rice backed by a 3 billion budget. Officials say this will not only support consumers but also protect farmers by maintaining fair buying prices.

“We assure that this budget will be used to secure better prices for our farmers, especially during the harvest season. In some areas, we have already increased our buying price to as much as ₱30 per kilo to prevent a drop in farmgate palay prices,” said NFA Administrator Larry R. Lacson. “The NFA continues to step in to protect the income of our farmers,” he added.

“Given the current instability in market prices due to external conflicts, we are seeing a significant increase in buyers turning to our outlets to access quality rice at lower cost,” said Joseph Rudolph C. Lo. “We are closely coordinating with government partners to manage this demand and are preparing to expand our network further, with a target of reaching 1,800 P20 rice selling sites nationwide by the end of 2026,” he added.

NEC and Fager collaborated to support low emission farming in Thailand

A new partnership between NEC Corporation and Fager is set to reshape how farming is approached in Thailand.

The collaboration focuses on reducing emissions while helping farmers maintain strong productivity and improve their income.

At the heart of this effort is a shared vision to make agriculture more sustainable without placing extra pressure on farmers. NEC brings its expertise in digital technology, while Fager contributes practical knowledge and direct engagement with farming communities. Together, they aim to support growers in adopting methods that cut greenhouse gas emissions but still deliver reliable yields.

One of the main tools in this initiative is precision farming technology. NEC’s fertiliser management system plays a key role by helping farmers apply the right amount of fertiliser based on the needs of each field. This reduces unnecessary use, lowers emissions, and helps farmers manage costs more effectively. It also adds stability to daily farming operations by making decisions more data driven and accurate.

The project also introduces an opportunity for farmers to benefit financially through carbon credits. By following low emission practices, farmers can generate measurable reductions in emissions. These reductions can then be converted into carbon credits, offering an additional and meaningful source of income. This approach helps turn sustainability into a practical advantage rather than an added burden.

Fager will work closely with farmers to guide them through these changes, ensuring that new practices are easy to adopt and maintain. At the same time, NEC’s technology will track progress and measure results clearly. This ensures that emission reductions are properly verified, creating a reliable system for carbon credit generation.

The initiative also supports Thailand’s wider climate ambitions, where agriculture plays an important role in reducing national emissions. By combining innovation, financial incentives, and on ground support, this partnership offers a realistic path towards more responsible farming. It also opens the door for similar models to be introduced in other regions in the future.

South Korea introduces striking new prickly pear cactus varieties

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.”