Crops

The agricultural machinery market is growing in Southeast Asia and Africa, driven by population growth and demand for advanced farming technology. (Image source: EIMA)

The agricultural machinery market is shifting towards emerging regions like Southeast Asia and Africa, driven by population growth and increasing demand for advanced farming technologies in countries like Indonesia, Nigeria, and Ethiopia

In the coming years, while Europe and North America will remain dominant in the agricultural machinery sector, emerging markets in Southeast Asia and Africa are expected to play an increasingly important role. Countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand are already witnessing growth in machinery imports, driven by population expansion, which is also a key factor fueling demand in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Although Europe and North America will continue to see significant investments to maintain high standards, the focus of growth will shift to Southeast Asia and Africa. While India and China will maintain their mechanisation levels, having achieved significant progress in recent years, it is the emerging markets that will drive growth. This forecast was shared during the EIMA International conference in Bologna, where industry experts discussed the evolving agricultural machinery market, which will run from November 6 to 10.

According to Mariateresa Maschio, president of FederUnacoma, the demand for agricultural machinery will grow substantially in regions with strong agricultural development, spurred by population growth and the need for more advanced equipment. A prominent example is Indonesia, which, with nearly 300 million people, is one of the most populous nations globally. Over the last 15 years, Indonesia's agricultural machinery imports have steadily increased from EUR 140 million (approx. US$160mn) in 2009 to nearly EUR 700 million (approx. US$770mn) in 2023, reflecting an average annual growth rate of 8.6%. This upward trend is expected to persist, with a projected annual growth rate of 6.7% from 2024 to 2027.

Other Southeast Asian countries are also experiencing rising machinery imports. In Vietnam, with a population of 100 million, imports are expected to grow by 6.2% annually over the next four years. The Philippines, with 110 million people, anticipates a 7.8% annual increase in imports, while Thailand, after a slow growth period of just 1% annually over the last 15 years, is forecasted to see a significant rise of 6.8% annually from 2024 to 2027.

In Africa, population growth is even more pronounced. Sub-Saharan Africa alone is projected to account for 50% of the world’s population increase by 2050. Nigeria, with 230 million people, is expected to become the third most populous country globally by mid-century, surpassing 400 million. Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, both with populations over 100 million, are also poised to experience rapid growth and join the ranks of the world’s top 10 most populous nations in the next two decades.

Currently, only 46% of Nigeria’s arable land is used for agriculture, while in the Democratic Republic of Congo, just 10% is utilised. Expanding agricultural land is a key priority for these countries, and as more land is cultivated, the demand for advanced agricultural technologies is expected to rise. In fact, machinery imports in Ethiopia are projected to grow by 7% annually until 2027, while Congo is forecasted to see an even higher increase of 12% per year, with continued growth over the next two decades.

With the introduction of MycoPrime, NoMy aims to differentiate itself from other mycoprotein producers by offering a scalable, licensable end-to-end upcycling service. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Oslo-based fermentation technology firm Norwegian Mycelium (NoMy) is expanding into Japan with the establishment of its subsidiary, NoMy Japan KK

Based in Sapporo, Hokkaido, NoMy Japan was founded in January 2024 and has already formed strategic alliances to enhance its fermentation technology operations, which focus on upcycling food industry side streams. Notable collaborations include a strategic alliance with Nippon Beet Sugar Manufacturing Co. Ltd, one of Japan’s leading beet sugar producers, and a feasibility study with Hokuren, a major farmer cooperative in Hokkaido known for its extensive agricultural activities. Further collaborations are still under wraps and will be disclosed at a later date, as indicated by NoMy.

The company is also launching its MycoPrime service, a upcycling solution that integrates data science, fermentation technology, and artificial intelligence. MycoPrime is designed to assist food industry partners in optimising the use of side streams, reducing waste and CO2 emissions, maximising water recycling, and developing co-located production facilities for high-value, sustainable, fungi-based products. With the introduction of MycoPrime, NoMy aims to differentiate itself from other mycoprotein producers by offering a scalable, licensable end-to-end upcycling service, leveraging its proprietary technology to deliver global solutions.

David Andrew Quist, co-founder and chief explorer at NoMy, expressed, “We are thrilled to announce NoMy Japan KK and introduce our MycoPrime upcycling concept to the world. There is a massive need and opportunity to de-risk the development of sustainable upcycling solutions and bring them to life. With NoMy’s technology and MycoPrime, the food industry now has a reliable, end-to-end partner to create value instead of waste, and become a pioneer in food system transformation.”

Dr Shu Ishikuri, President of Nippon Beet Sugar Manufacturing Co. Ltd, shared, “Our goal is to create a new industry utilising sugar beets, which have high carbon dioxide absorption capacity. NoMy’s technology, which utilises the byproduct of the sugar manufacturing process to produce filamentous fungal protein as a food resource, has great potential to produce feed and food substitutes for animal protein. We believe that this technology will help to promote agriculture and solve food problems.”

Norwegian Mycelium’s CEO, Ingrid Dynna, emphasised, “Through the launch of MycoPrime and partnerships with Japanese companies, we foresee strong growth and impact for our solutions in Japan, and become the premier service provider for upcycling food industry sidestreams in this important market.”

Singapore looks forward to continuously expanding agricultural cooperation with China and jointly building a future-oriented, high-standard food security system. (Image source: MOA)

Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Ma Youxiang met separately with Stanley Loh Ka Leung, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment of Singapore, Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) on 11 October in Biejing

During his meeting with Permanent Secretary Loh, Vice Minister Ma recapped progress made in China-Singapore cooperation in areas such as agricultural policy exchange, economic and trade investment in agriculture and agricultural S&T. He highlighted that China was looking forward to working with Singapore to continue implementing two MOUs on cooperation in agriculture and food security, pushing for S&T cooperation in vertical farming, advancing trade in livestock products and further enhancing pragmatic cooperation. 

Permanent Secretary Loh spoke positively of the results of bilateral cooperation and said that Singapore looks forward to continuously expanding agricultural cooperation with China and jointly building a future-oriented, high-standard food security system. Permanent Secretary Loh spoke positively of the results of bilateral cooperation and said that Singapore looks forward to continuously expanding agricultural cooperation with China and jointly building a future-oriented, high-standard food security system. Permanent Secretary Loh spoke positively of the results of bilateral cooperation and said that Singapore looks forward to continuously expanding agricultural cooperation with China and jointly building a future-oriented, high-standard food security system.  

In his meeting with Deputy Director-General Bechdol, Vice Minister Ma commended FAO’s efforts to safeguard global food security. He said China will support FAO’s leading role in global food and agricultural governance and expressed China’s hopes to further enhance China-FAO cooperation in areas such as South-South cooperation and Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems. Deputy Director-General Bechdol spoke highly of China’s achievements in agricultural and rural development, saying that the FAO hopes to work with China to promote the transformation of global agricultural and food systems.  

In his meeting with Executive Managing Director Elouafi, Vice Minister Ma said China hopes to further strengthen strategic alignment with CGIAR, boost pragmatic cooperation at all levels, and work with CGIAR to build a global platform for open cooperation in agricultural S&T to foster innovation. Executive Managing Director Elouafi expressed her appreciation for China’s support for CGIAR, saying that CGIAR hopes to elevate cooperation with China to a new level.  

Syensqo launches AgRHEA LifeXtend Plus to raise the bar in biological formulations. (Image source: Syensqo)

Science company, Syensqo is launching AgRHEA LifeXtend Plus, a technology disruptor for microbial-based formulations, that offers unmatched shelf life to accelerate the adoption of more sustainable agriculture methods

In the dynamic landscape of the agriculture industry, the demand for more environmentally friendly farming solutions is higher than ever, and biological formulations are considered one of the most promising tools. However, issues such as limited shelf life and inconsistent efficiency can often hinder the implementation of these natural-based actives. In order to address these challenges, Syensqo is applying its longstanding expertise to designing innovative formulation solutions. 

AgRHEA LifeXtend Plus is a ready-to-use all-in-one solution, which includes a carrier, codispersant and rheology agent for the formulation of microorganisms, including beneficial fungi. AgRHEA LifeXtend Plus is the latest addition to the AgRHEA range which includes solutions such as AgRHEA OD-EASY and AgRHEA SticGuard and demonstrates the strong commitment of Syensqo in supporting the agricultural sector on its path towards increased sustainability. 

Syensqo's latest innovations will be showcased at the Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting (ABIM) which will be taking place from 21-23 October in Basel, Switzerland.