Agricultural machinery

Meet the seven start-ups tasked with reshaping agri-food in Cambodia

15-May-2024 By Oliver Morrison

Seven disruptive start-ups have been selected to drive agri-food innovation and economic growth in the country, offering innovative solutions to enhance the agrifood value chain, improve commercial exchanges, and introduce high-value crops.

‘This is agtech, not tech-ag’. Is the industry still ignoring the needs of farmers?

13-May-2024 By Oliver Morrison

The term 'disconnect' frequently arises in agtech. How can the industry bridge the gap between technology and on-ground farm realities to retain long-term trust with growers?

How can rice straw processing become less environmentally damaging?

10-May-2024 By Oliver Morrison

A new project aims to unlock renewable energy and cut rice straw emissions in India and Philippines.

Precision sprayer Greeneye defies market slump to raise $20 million to scale US operation – but will farmers follow?

30-Apr-2024 By Oliver Morrison

The Israeli company says securing this round of capital in today’s challenging economic climate is further validation of Greeneye’s mission to drive mainstream adoption of precision spraying technology in the US.

Innovation set to accelerate as UK’s largest agri-tech body unveiled

18-Apr-2024 By Oliver Morrison

Agtech is set to play ‘a defining role’ as agri-food businesses look to adopt new technology to drive growth, claims a new report commissioned to mark the launch of the new UK Agri-Tech Centre.

The worst job in ag? TerraClear raises US$15m to free farmers from chore of rock picking

16-Apr-2024 By Oliver Morrison

Rock removal company TerraClear has announced its existing investors have poured an additional US$15 million into capturing the untapped US$2.7 rock management market. A 5,000-year-old problem finally has a solution, it says.

science shorts

Agtech Aha! Moments: From testing the world's first unmanned forestry machine to cultured beef rice

15-Apr-2024 By Oliver Morrison

Our round-up of the latest research from institutions and universities across the globe looks at the world’s first unmanned machine designed for autonomous forestry operations, while Korean scientists have successfully developed ‘cultured beef rice’,...

Côte d’Ivoire: Cocoa farmers turn to biochar to boost yields and soil quality

12-Apr-2024 By Oliver Morrison

Biochar made from empty cocoa pods has the potential to improve and retain moisture in soil, according to a cocoa cooperative in in Côte d’Ivoire. It is looking to biochar made from agricultural waste to solve the problem of persistent drought compromising...

US sustainable farming outlook positive, but operational and financial support still key barriers to adoption

11-Apr-2024 By Oliver Morrison

McKinsey & Company survey reveals that 90% of US farmers are aware of sustainable practices, but widespread adoption remains low with compensation levels remaining a main concern.

World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit Roundup

The ultimate Trojan Horse? US drone makers up in arms about Chinese industry advancement

08-Apr-2024 By Oliver Morrison

Drones are unquestionably great tools for crop spraying, surveying and mapping, but their consequences are potentially grave if gotten into the wrong hands. US drone companies are warning about alleged, and strongly disputed, security risks stemming from...

Climate change & wine: A global map of changing wine regions

03-Apr-2024 By Rachel Arthur

Climate change could create dramatic shifts in where wine is produced: making vineyards unsustainable in some regions, but opening up new opportunities in others. Researchers have mapped how the global distribution of vineyards is likely to change.

UK’s largest grocer and bank step in to help farmers reduce costs and decarbonise

01-Apr-2024 By Oliver Morrison

Tesco, the UK’s leading supermarket and NatWest, the largest UK bank for business and one of the largest for the farming sector, have launched a new discounted climate and sustainable finance scheme for 1,500 of the retailer’s farmers.

Cargill increases its renewable energy capacity by more than 40%

29-Mar-2024 By Oliver Morrison

The agribusiness giant is aiming to rapidly expand its renewable energy portfolio to meet its ambition of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its operations by 10%.

Innovation insider

Japan wants to promote smart agriculture, fast

27-Mar-2024 By Oliver Morrison

Agri-tech spend is lagging in the land of the rising sun. But amid the looming threats of depopulation and ageing, the government is looking to new styles of agriculture that can boost productivity, sustainability and strengthen national food security....

The World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit: The world’s biggest and best agtech show

06-Mar-2024 By Oliver Morrison

With over 2,500 delegates and 70+ start-ups attending World Agri-Tech from 40 countries, all eager to expand their network and forge new partnerships, this year’s event is shaping up to be a memorable event.

How precision pollination promises to increase crop yields

06-Mar-2024 By Oliver Morrison

Precision pollination has the potential to boost crop yields up to 30%. That’s according to BeeHero, a data-driven technology company aiming to redefine pollination in commercial agriculture.

Seabed mining: an inevitable industry or disaster in the making?

04-Mar-2024 By Oliver Morrison

Proponents argue it can help meet the world's pressing need for critical minerals – especially an agtech industry looking to low carbon and renewable energy sources. Opponents say it is economically and environmentally unviable.

Meet the Iraqi start-ups hoping to futureproof a drought-hit sector

27-Feb-2024 By Oliver Morrison

The Agriculture Innovation Hackathon was hosted in Mosul earlier this month, as an agriculture sector beset by desertification turns to the power of technology to overcome the challenges faced by farmers.

The boar war: how can we best combat wild pig intrusion to ensure crop safety?

22-Feb-2024 By Oliver Morrison

From the US to Italy to Australia, feral pigs are harming agriculture across the world. A lack of solutions that exist to deal with the problem presents white space opportunities, AgTechNavigator finds.

Sustainability Report Card

‘Third-Way' mindset: Valagro Group’s last sustainability report before coming under Syngenta Biologicals

21-Feb-2024 By CM Tay

Valagro Group's recently published Sustainability Report 2023 highlights some successes and a continued commitment to environmental responsibility, social impact and economic value distribution, but more details and data would be welcome to more...

Agtech Aha! Moments: From AI for olives to no neonicotinoids in US potato farming

14-Feb-2024 By Oliver Morrison

Our round-up of the latest research from institutions and universities across the globe looks at a new app to improve olive oil industry efficiency, while potato experts in the US will investigate how to control pests without using controversial neonicotinoids....

Innovation Insider: India

Market fragmentation hampers India agtech but public-private alignment brings hope

14-Feb-2024 By CM Tay

India's agtech sector is witnessing significant developments driven by government policies, changing investor landscapes and a growing focus on sustainability. However, market fragmentation is dampening its ability to scale up, with challenges surrounding...

Agtech Aha! Moments: From using white noise to grow fungi to pesticide sensors for tomatoes

06-Feb-2024 By Oliver Morrison

Our round-up of the latest research from institutions and universities across the globe looks at how Australian scientists are using sound to repair degraded soils. Elsewhere, Brazilian researchers have unveiled a new biodegradable sensor to detect pesticides...

3 start-ups boosting food quality in Europe

05-Feb-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Food quality technology plays a vital role both in ensuring that food is safe to eat, therefore reducing food waste, and providing insights around its health and composition. Three European start-ups tell FoodNavigator how technology can help them understand...

AgTech Investor Profile

Eatable Adventures on how technology can solve the ageing farmer timebomb

01-Feb-2024 By Oliver Morrison

Agtech innovation is playing a critical role in addressing food security and environmental challenges. But it is also key to cracking the problem of an ageing farmer population threatening global agriculture, says Eatable Adventures founder and CEO José...

Laser scarecrows aim to make birds see red

09-Jan-2024 By Oliver Morrison

Damage to crops caused by birds costs millions of dollars each year. Now, researchers from the University of Florida and the University of Rhode Island in the US are investigating the effectiveness of laser scarecrows – a high-tech solution using light...

Virtual fencing tech has ‘benefits for the environment, biodiversity and farmer welfare’: Nofence

21-Dec-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Fenceless farming offers a wide range of benefits for the environment, biodiversity and farmer welfare, says Norwegian company Nofence, which offers virtual fencing for grazing cattle.

Calls for accelerated energy transition to unlock full potential of CEA and vertical farming in Middle East

15-Dec-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Energy costs are lower in the Middle East compared to other parts of the world. But CEA and vertical farmers in the region are still looking to renewable energy sources and other new technologies to deal with the challenge of high energy consumption.

Lisi Global uses shocking technology for pest, weed removal

22-Nov-2023 By Ryan Daily

US-based Lisi Global is showing how electricity can be used as a replacement for traditional pesticides with its patented Direct|Turf technology, company co-founder and CEO Jason Crisp told AgTechNavigator.

Insufficient support for EU agtech knowledge, innovation amid digital transformation: OECD

15-Nov-2023 By CM Tay

A recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) highlights the disproportionately low percentage of resources — just 6.1% between 2019 and 2021 — dedicated to agricultural knowledge and innovation in the EU, compared...

Zuari FarmHub and CropX Technologies join hands to boost precision farming in India

14-Nov-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

India-based Zuari FarmHub recently announced its partnership with global agritech firm CropX Technologies, which aims to 'revolutionise' farming practices and advance precision agriculture in the country.

Denali’s de-packaging machines upcycle would-be waste into cost-efficient, planet-friendly farming solutions

14-Nov-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Leading organics recycling company Denali is helping retailers, distributors and food manufacturers turn would-be trash into treasure with the help of dozens of composting facilities across the US where de-packaging equipment efficiently separates food...

16th ASC unveils urgent need for innovation to drive agri-food sustainability in India

07-Nov-2023 By CM Tay

India’s burgeoning agtech innovations could hold the key to transforming the country’s agri-food systems into sustainable enterprises, according to Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Smart farming expansion: South Korea looks to expand tech offerings in Saudi Arabia

20-Oct-2023 By Tingmin Koe

South Korea is hoping to export its smart farming technologies into more Middle Eastern countries, with Saudi Arabia the latest partner.

Ready to fly: Chinese drone major Huida Tech looks to catalyse agricultural transformation in Vietnam

18-Oct-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

China-based agritech firm Heilongjiang Huida Technology Co Ltd (Huida Tech) has inked a partnership with Agri Fly, top dealer of the firm’s drones, to install advanced agriculture technologies in Vietnamese farms.

Animal ag transition: Five step plan unveiled for governments to move away from industrial meat production

16-Oct-2023 By Gary Scattergood

A five-step approach has been revealed to enable governments to transition away from high levels of industrial meat production and consumption, in a manner that is claimed to be 'fair and just' for affected stakeholders.

Go green: Japan throws weight behind private agritech improvement projects to hit sustainability targets

16-Oct-2023 By Pearly Neo

The Japanese government has approved the applications of over 50 companies looking to implement agritech-focused improvements to their businesses, offering support and tax incentives in a bid to hit its national Green Food System sustainability goals...

‘A new chapter’: BL Agro eyes increased share of India’s agri-tech market with US$62.5mn investment

16-Oct-2023 By Pearly Neo

Indian FMCG major BL Agro has committed US$62.5mn in investment to purchase Leads Connect, one of the country’s most comprehensive agricultural technology firms, in a bid to increase its presence in the burgeoning sector.