German agricultural technology company B+H Solutions plans to invest nearly €1 million ($1.1 million) in India during 2026 to expand its presence in the country’s emerging nano-agriculture sector. The investment follows recent regulatory developments under India’s Fertiliser Control Order framework for nano-based agricultural products, which the company said have strengthened its long-term growth prospects in the market.

Founded in 2008 near Stuttgart, B+H Solutions develops metallic nanotechnology-based agricultural products designed to improve plant health, enhance nutrient efficiency, and support more sustainable farming practices. Through its Indian subsidiary, Dr. Heinisch Agro Solutions India (HAS), the company is promoting products including AgroArgentum, AgroCuprum, AgroFerrum, and AgroCalcium, which utilize silver, copper, iron, and calcium nano-formulations. B+H Solutions reported global revenue of approximately €20 million ($22.9 million) in 2025 and identified India as one of its key growth markets.

HAS India is conducting field demonstrations, crop trials, and farmer outreach programs in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. According to the company, trials in Karnataka have shown yield increases of up to 30% in selected crops under controlled conditions. Demonstrations involving tomatoes, chili peppers, black pepper, pomegranates, and floriculture crops have also reported improvements in plant health, root development, nutrient utilization, flowering, and produce quality.

Dr. Laura Heinisch, managing director and chief scientific officer of B+H Solutions, said Indian farmers face increasing challenges from rising input costs, climate pressures, and supply-chain uncertainty. She said nanotechnology can help improve crop performance while reducing dependence on conventional chemical inputs. Rajni Rana, managing director of HAS India, said the company plans to expand farmer engagement programs and distribution partnerships to increase awareness and adoption of nano-agriculture technologies across the country.

The investment comes as India seeks to strengthen agricultural resilience, improve input efficiency, and reduce reliance on conventional fertilizer-intensive farming systems. Industry participants view nano-agriculture and precision farming technologies as potential tools to support productivity growth while advancing sustainability goals in one of the world’s largest agricultural economies.

German agritech startup Eternal.ag and Dutch vegetable breeder Rijk Zwaan have launched a collaboration to identify tomato plant traits better suited to robotic operations in fully automated greenhouses.

The companies will combine Rijk Zwaan’s expertise in fruit and vegetable breeding with Eternal.ag’s capabilities in robotics and artificial intelligence to study how crop traits influence the performance of autonomous greenhouse systems. The initiative will focus on tomato varieties that improve fruit accessibility and plant architecture, enabling robots to perform harvesting and other crop-management tasks more efficiently and consistently.

The partnership comes as greenhouse operators worldwide face ongoing labor shortages and increasing interest in automation technologies. By linking crop genetics with robotic system development, the companies aim to help create more scalable and predictable greenhouse production models. Michiel Zwaan, Crop Manager for Berries and Tomato at Rijk Zwaan, said robotics are expected to play a significant role in the future of automated greenhouses and that the collaboration provides an opportunity to test new concepts in real-world conditions.

Precision agriculture company OneSoil has partnered with Rainbow Weather to introduce AI-powered hyperlocal rainfall forecasting for farmers, aiming to help growers better manage weather-related risks and optimize field operations.

The new feature, called Hyperlocal Precipitation Forecast, has been integrated into OneSoil’s digital farming platform and provides short-term rainfall predictions for specific field locations. Using machine learning models trained on radar, satellite, and atmospheric data, the system forecasts precipitation probability and intensity within a four-hour window for exact coordinates. Farmers can monitor cloud movement and anticipate rainfall for individual sections of fields, whether in Europe, Africa, or other agricultural regions.

The launch comes as extreme weather events continue to increase worldwide. According to the companies, extreme weather causes approximately €28 billion (about USD 32 billion) in annual losses for farmers across the European Union, equivalent to around 6% of total agricultural production. OneSoil said access to highly localized weather data is becoming increasingly important as unpredictable rainfall can disrupt planting schedules, reduce yields, and undermine crop protection efforts.

Stepan Zulynskyi, chief executive officer of OneSoil, said short-term weather forecasts are particularly valuable for operations such as fertilizer application and crop spraying, where unexpected rainfall can wash away inputs and require costly reapplication. The company said more than 15,000 farmers are already using the new forecasting feature each month.

Alexander Matveenko, co-founder and chief executive officer of Rainbow Weather, said growing climate volatility is increasing demand for precise weather intelligence. In addition to forecasting upcoming rainfall, the technology provides access to historical precipitation data, helping farmers plan fieldwork and make more informed agronomic decisions.

Solar parks built on rewetted peatlands could provide a rare combination of renewable energy generation, carbon emission reductions, and biodiversity gains, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Greifswald in Germany.

The study, published in the journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence, examined a solar park located on a rewetted peatland site in northern Germany and compared bird diversity there with nearby drained peatlands used for intensive agriculture. Researchers found that the solar park supported several threatened bird species and hosted an unusual mix of birds typically associated with wetlands, farmland, and woodland habitats.

Lead author Hanna Rae Martens, a peatland ecologist at the University of Greifswald, said the return of species such as reed buntings and the endangered meadow pipit indicates that peatland restoration efforts are beginning to attract native wildlife. Researchers also observed species not usually found in peatlands, including Eurasian tree sparrows and tree pipits, which appeared to use solar panel structures as perches while feeding.

Peatlands are considered critical carbon sinks, but decades of drainage for agriculture have left many degraded. Around 80% of peatlands in the United Kingdom and approximately 95% in Germany are degraded, while drained peatlands globally account for about 5% of greenhouse gas emissions. Rewetting these ecosystems can significantly reduce emissions and restore biodiversity, but often limits conventional agricultural production and may require decades for full ecological recovery.

The German study site is among the first projects to combine peatland rewetting with solar energy production. Under a government-supported program, landowners receive incentives to restore peatlands and install solar panels, creating an alternative source of revenue. Researchers suggest this approach could help accelerate peatland restoration while supporting renewable energy targets.

However, the authors cautioned that their findings are based on a single case study. Only about five solar parks currently operate on rewetted peatlands, and additional research is needed to determine whether similar biodiversity benefits occur elsewhere. The research team plans to expand monitoring to additional sites and study impacts on other wildlife, including bats and insects, while exploring ways to optimize solar park designs for conservation outcomes.

Source: Phys.org

Nearly two-thirds of the 809 data centers planned across the United States are expected to be built in areas that have experienced drought conditions during the past year, according to an analysis by The Guardian, citing data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Integrated Drought Information System.

The report found that 517 proposed data centers are located in regions classified as drought-stricken, highlighting growing concerns over the water footprint of the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence industry.

Water demand extends beyond data center cooling

While data center cooling systems often receive the most attention, a January study by Xylem and Global Water Intelligence found that cooling accounts for only about 4% of AI-related water demand projected by 2050. The study estimated that power generation represents roughly 54% of water use, while semiconductor manufacturing accounts for another 42%.

Industry representatives frequently note that data centers consume significantly less water than agriculture. However, critics argue that such comparisons often exclude the water requirements associated with electricity generation and semiconductor manufacturing, both of which are essential to supporting AI infrastructure. As a result, the total water footprint of AI development may be substantially larger than cooling-related figures suggest.

Semiconductor production adds pressure on water supplies

The increasing demand for AI chips is expected to place additional pressure on water resources. Modern semiconductor fabrication plants can consume between 2 million and 10 million gallons of water per day, much of it requiring extensive treatment into ultrapure water. Producing 1,000 gallons of ultrapure water typically requires 1,400 to 1,600 gallons of municipal water, creating significant losses during processing.

One example is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s semiconductor complex in Phoenix, Arizona, where three fabrication plants are projected to consume a combined 16.4 million gallons of water daily once fully operational. Although the facilities are designed to recycle approximately 85% of their water, with plans to increase that rate to 90%, the plants are located in one of the driest states in the country.

Efficiency gains may shift water use elsewhere

Technology companies are increasingly adopting liquid-cooling systems to improve efficiency. Nvidia has said its GB200 NVL72 platform can achieve up to 300 times greater water efficiency than traditional air cooling for server racks. However, experts note that rising computing power also increases electricity demand, potentially shifting water consumption from data centers to power plants.

Meta’s proposed Hyperion data center project in Louisiana illustrates the challenge. The facility is expected to use closed-loop cooling technology while relying on electricity generated by multiple natural gas-fired power plants, which themselves require water for operation. Analysts say such arrangements may reduce on-site water consumption while increasing indirect water use elsewhere in the supply chain.

States consider new regulations

As concerns grow, several states are considering new regulations. California, Michigan, and Iowa are evaluating water-use reporting requirements for data centers, while lawmakers in South Carolina and Kansas have proposed mandating closed-loop cooling systems.

In New York, some legislators have discussed a temporary moratorium on new data center construction. Critics of these measures argue that they focus primarily on reducing water consumption while overlooking the broader impacts of power generation and chip production.

Source: Tom’s Hardware

Wesfarmers used its 2026 Strategy Briefing Day to outline growth plans across its Chemicals, Energy & Fertilisers (WesCEF) division, highlighting fertilizer market disruptions, rising ammonia prices, and a pipeline of capacity expansion projects expected to support earnings growth from fiscal 2027 onward. The company said its fertilizer business, operated through CSBP, has been responding to global supply disruptions while benefiting from higher ammonia prices linked to conflict in the Middle East.

WesCEF Managing Director Aaron Hood said the division’s strategy is centered on operational excellence, customer relationships, major growth projects, and the development of its Mt Holland lithium operation. The business remains a leading supplier of fertilizers, ammonium nitrate, sodium cyanide, liquefied petroleum gas, and natural gas in Western Australia. WesCEF is the state’s largest fertilizer producer and ammonium nitrate manufacturer.

The company said ammonia prices have risen sharply following the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, creating challenges for fertilizer supply chains. CSBP has responded by sourcing alternative supplies for growers affected by upstream cancellations and increasing production at its manufacturing facilities despite disruptions from a local supplier outage. WesCEF noted that approximately half of CSBP’s ammonia requirements are imported. While higher ammonia costs can pressure fertilizer markets, the company said higher prices also increase earnings on manufactured ammonia-based products, with most of the benefit expected to be reflected in fiscal first-quarter 2027 results because of contract timing.

Alongside developments in the fertilizer market, WesCEF is advancing several industrial expansion projects. The company completed debottlenecking work at its Nitric Acid Ammonium Nitrate (NAAN3) facility during the first half of fiscal 2026, increasing ammonium nitrate production capacity by approximately 40,000 metric tons annually to about 865,000 metric tons per year. Management said there is potential for a further 80,000 metric tons of capacity growth.

WesCEF also completed the first phase of an expansion at Australian Gold Reagents, increasing sodium cyanide capacity by roughly 35,000 metric tons annually to 130,000 metric tons per year, positioning the operation among the world’s largest sodium cyanide producers. The company expects benefits from both the sodium cyanide and ammonium nitrate expansions to become increasingly visible from fiscal 2027.

The Mt Holland lithium project remains another major growth driver. WesCEF said the mine and concentrator achieved nameplate spodumene production during fiscal 2026, while the refinery produced its first lithium hydroxide. The company is progressing plans to double the concentrator nameplate capacity to approximately 760,000 metric tons annually and expects to make a final investment decision during the first half of fiscal 2027.

Key takeaways from WesCEF’s strategy update

Brazilian farmers who spent two decades building one of the world’s most competitive grain sectors are watching a fertilizer price surge erode the cost advantage that helped them gain ground on U.S. rivals, according to a Reuters analysis.

The timing is acute. Brazil imports most of its fertilizer and plants its main soybean crop in September, leaving growers exposed to a market that has rallied since the Middle East conflict disrupted gas and ammonia supply. Many U.S. farmers, by contrast, bought their nutrients before the spike, locking in lower costs for the current season.

A growth story built on imported nutrients

Brazil has expanded its planted area by roughly 50% this century, turning the country into a dominant force in soybeans and corn. That expansion rests on heavy fertilizer use, the bulk of it imported. When global prices climb, the import bill lands directly on Brazilian growers, who have less room to pre-buy than their northern competitors.

Murphy Campbell, an analyst at price reporting agency Expana, said the September planting window leaves Brazil more exposed to current price levels than markets that have already covered their needs, according to Reuters.

Margins tighten as costs climb

For individual farmers, the math is unforgiving. Murilo Rabelo Martins Pereira, who farms about 800 hectares in Goias, told Reuters that higher input costs are squeezing already thin margins. Rabobank has warned that some Brazilian growers are overleveraged, raising the risk that a cost shock collides with stretched balance sheets.

Joana Colussi, an agricultural economist at Purdue University, said the relative cost position between Brazil and the United States can swing sharply depending on the timing of fertilizer purchases, according to Reuters. This year, that timing favors U.S. producers.

A domestic supply push

Brazil has long sought to cut its import dependence. Petrobras is restarting idled nitrogen plants with the aim of covering a larger share of domestic demand, targeting roughly 35% of the country’s nitrogen needs over time. Building that capacity takes years, and it offers little relief for the season now being planned.

What to watch into September planting

The near-term path hinges on the conflict and its effect on Gulf gas and ammonia flows, on freight costs, and on how quickly Brazilian growers move to cover their needs. If prices stay elevated into the planting window, the competitiveness gap that Brazil narrowed over two decades could widen again in favor of U.S. farms, at least for one season.

Source: Reuters

Argentina has reduced export taxes on wheat and barley from 7.5% to 5.5%, effective immediately, while outlining a schedule of additional cuts for soybeans, soy products, corn, sorghum, and sunflower exports beginning in January 2027. The measures were formalized through Decree 423/2026, published in the country’s Official Bulletin on June 3, following President Javier Milei’s announcement in May.

The reduction in the wheat and barley tax comes as Argentine farmers begin planting for the new season. Producers were expected to reduce acreage due to rising production costs, particularly fertilizer costs, and weak grain prices. According to the USDA report, the lower export tax could encourage additional wheat and barley planting and help limit declines in planted area.

The government also announced a phased reduction of export duties on major agricultural commodities through December 2028, subject to economic conditions. Soybean export taxes, currently 24%, are scheduled to decline gradually to 21% by the end of 2027 and 15% by the end of 2028. Corn and sorghum duties are projected to fall from 8.5% to 5.5% over the same period, while sunflower export taxes are expected to decline from 4.5% to 3%. Wheat and barley duties will remain at 5.5% after the latest reduction.

Reducing export taxes has been a central goal of Milei’s administration, which views the levies as a distortion to agricultural markets. The latest measures represent the third round of export tax reductions since Milei took office in December 2023. The country’s agricultural sector welcomed the announcement, saying lower taxes will improve farm profitability by increasing producers’ returns.

Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service

India’s ACME Group will invest $4.2B to build the second and third phases of its green hydrogen and ammonia project in Oman’s Duqm special economic zone, with commercial operations targeted for 2030 and 2033, the zone authority said on June 10.

Once complete, the two phases are designed to produce 800,000 tonnes of green ammonia and 142,000 tonnes of green hydrogen a year across a 10 sq km site in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, according to an announcement by the zone authority, SEZAD. The expansion builds on project development and land usufruct agreements signed in May 2025 between Hydrogen Oman, the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones, and ACME, which formally folded the venture into Oman’s national green hydrogen program.

Duqm sits among a cluster of Gulf green ammonia developments aimed at export markets in shipping and fertilizer, where buyers in Europe and Asia are seeking low-carbon supply. Oman has positioned the zone, with its deepwater port and renewable resources, as a hub for producing and shipping green molecules at scale.

The staggered 2030 and 2033 start dates underline how far out commercial volumes remain, even as project sponsors lock in land and engineering commitments now.

Source: Muscat Daily

India’s state-owned National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) has drawn bids as low as $449/tonne CFR in its tender for 1.7 million tonnes of urea, less than half the level its last major import deal fetched in April, as China’s return to the export market pulls global prices sharply lower ahead of the kharif sowing season.

The offers, reported on June 10, ranged from $445 to $449/tonne CFR for delivery to India’s east and west coasts. That compares with $935/tonne CFR west coast and $959/tonne CFR east coast settled in April by Indian Potash Limited for 2.5 million tonnes, one of the largest single urea purchases in India’s history.

The price collapse hands New Delhi unexpected relief on a fertilizer subsidy bill that ballooned after the Middle East conflict drove up energy and nutrient costs. With the southwest monsoon now spreading across India’s main growing states, the timing matters for a government trying to keep urea on shelves at a fixed retail price while shielding the budget from import-cost spikes.

China’s export return resets the price floor

Traders attributed the steep drop largely to China, which has gradually reopened urea exports after restricting outbound shipments since March to protect domestic supply. The added tonnage, combined with softer demand in Brazil, Europe and parts of Asia where farmers buy at market rather than subsidized prices, has loosened a market that spent much of the year tight.

NFL issued the tender on May 27, seeking 900,000 tonnes for west coast ports and 800,000 tonnes for the east coast, with cargoes to load by July 20. Suppliers responded with offers totaling about 6.25 million tonnes, split roughly 3.17 million tonnes for the east coast and 3.08 million tonnes for the west, leaving the tender heavily oversubscribed. Aditya Birla Global Trading was among the lowest offers on the East Coast.

A reprieve for India’s subsidy bill

India caps the retail price of urea at 242 rupees per 50-kg bag, equivalent to roughly $60/tonne, and absorbs the gap between that level and import costs through subsidies. The Union Budget for 2026-27 allocated about 1.71 trillion rupees (around $20 billion) for fertilizer subsidies. After the Iran conflict pushed prices higher, finance ministry officials had warned the bill could double to more than 3.4 trillion rupees (around $41 billion). The latest tender suggests that worst case is now easing.

India imports around 10 million tonnes of urea a year. According to an Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations report, the country brought in about 5.6 million tonnes in 2024-25, roughly 15% of domestic consumption, while importing close to 27 million tonnes of LNG, much of it from West Asia. That dependence on Gulf gas ties India’s nitrogen economics directly to events in the region.

Domestic production still constrained

The import push reflects a shortfall at home. Indian urea output has slipped from about 2.5 million tonnes a month to 1.7 to 1.8 million tonnes as disrupted gas supplies curb plant operating rates. With domestic plants running below capacity and the kharif application window opening, importing has become the faster route to keeping farmers supplied.

What to watch next

NFL has yet to finalize award volumes and counterparties, and the final settled tonnage will signal how aggressively India intends to restock. The near-term path for global urea hinges on how quickly China clears export volumes and whether the price slide pulls more demand off the sidelines. For now, the buyer that defined this year’s market tightness is finding the cheapest cargoes it has seen since before the conflict began.

Source: Business Standard

Uralchem has signed an agreement with the Murmansk Region government to develop the Tuloma mineral site, committing to invest about RUB 20 billion (approximately USD 255 million). The agreement was signed during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum by Andrey Chibis, governor of the Murmansk Region, and Dmitry Konyaev, chief executive of Uralchem, according to the Murmansk Region Investment Portal.

The project includes the construction of an open-pit mine and a processing plant to develop phosphate mineral resources at the Tuloma site. Regional authorities said the investment is expected to create hundreds of jobs, increase tax revenues, and support the implementation of Russia’s Arctic development strategy through 2035. Under the agreement, Uralchem will evaluate the project’s investment potential and finance development activities, while the regional government will provide support measures, including land allocation and assistance with infrastructure and socioeconomic initiatives.

Chibis said the arrival of Uralchem highlights the Murmansk Region’s growing attractiveness to investors, noting that regional investment has reached RUB 1.8 trillion (about USD 23 billion) over the past seven years. He added that the project would strengthen the region’s transport infrastructure, generate high-paying jobs, and contribute additional tax revenues for public services and social infrastructure. The governor also noted that phosphate ore processing in the region has traditionally been carried out by PhosAgro, EuroChem, and Acron, making Uralchem the latest major fertilizer producer to establish a presence in the Kola Arctic.

A British research project has built and validated a model that predicts where slugs will attack arable fields, opening a path to targeted treatment that could cut pesticide use and protect yields, FarmingUK reported.

Developed through SLIMERS, a £2.6M program, the tool relies on data gathered by farmers themselves and points toward patch treatment in place of blanket slug-pellet applications. For growers, the shift carries both cost and environmental stakes, with slug damage estimated to cost UK agriculture about £43.5M a year.

How farmers helped build the model

A team of 28 “Slug Sleuth” farmers and agronomists collected field data across monitoring sites, recording where slugs concentrated and under what conditions. That ground-level data let Professor Keith Walters and his team at Harper Adams University develop and validate a model predicting where slugs are most likely to be found in arable fields. Soil sampling by project partner Agrivation fed into the analysis.

One participating farmer said the work showed slug problems could be managed in a more environmentally friendly way, though he cautioned that further trials are needed before the approach is ready for wide rollout.

What is SLIMERS?

SLIMERS stands for Strategies Leading to Improved Management and Enhanced Resilience to Slugs. It is a three-year, £2.6M research program funded through Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme and delivered by Innovate UK. The project is led by the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN), headed by Tom Allen-Stevens, and brings together more than 100 farms and seven partners, including Harper Adams University, the UK Agri-Tech Centre, the John Innes Centre, Fotenix, Farmscan Ag and Agrivation.

Toward precision slug control

Alongside prediction and precision mapping, the consortium is developing an AI-based autonomous system for targeted biological control using nematodes, and exploring slug-resistant wheat varieties. In the current season, Slug Sleuth farmers are treating only predicted hotspots to fine-tune the models. The next step, growers say, is funding to roll out variable-rate applications and build the dataset needed to prove the approach at scale.

Why it matters and what comes next

Tighter regulation of slug pellets and growing pressure to cut chemical use have left arable farmers searching for alternatives. Patch treatment guided by risk maps could reduce both cost and environmental impact, replacing blanket spreading with targeted action. SLIMERS is due to conclude in August 2026, when the consortium aims to show a commercially viable route to predicting and treating one of arable farming’s most persistent pests.

Source: FarmingUK

What to know about the SLIMERS slug project

Tesco called on the food industry to help scale low-carbon fertilizers from trials into mainstream use, arguing that British growers need more protection from price shocks, the retailer said at London Tech Week on June 9.

UK chief executive Ashwin Prasad said low-carbon fertilizers could cut emissions, strengthen food security, and offer a more stable, domestically produced alternative to volatile global supply. Too often, he said, promising technologies struggle to move from trial to everyday use on farms.

Trials at Tesco’s low-carbon concept farm in Lincolnshire showed yields comparable to those from conventional farms while emitting lower levels of carbon, the company said. Its main potato supplier, Branston, recorded a 50% reduction in emissions through low-carbon growing techniques, including low-carbon fertilizer.

The appeal comes as fertilizer costs climb. AHDB figures show prices across a range of products have risen between 13% and 36% since the start of the Iran war, squeezing UK farmers already managing tight margins.

Prasad said scaling the products will require greater availability, clearer pricing, and confidence that farmers can plan their use over the long term. Tesco also relaunched its Agri-Tech Challenge to find startups offering practical sustainability and resilience tools. Whether suppliers can deliver volume at competitive prices remains an open question.

Source: FarmingUK

A wind-powered green ammonia plant at the University of Minnesota is expanding, in a bet that farmer-owned, locally made nitrogen can buffer growers from volatile global fertilizer prices, MinnPost reported.

The demonstration facility at the West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris produces about a ton of ammonia a day from wind electricity, water, and air. It uses electrolysis to split hydrogen from water, then combines it with nitrogen from the air through the Haber-Bosch process, removing fossil natural gas from the recipe.

A third electrolyzer being added is expected to lift output toward 300 to 400 tonnes a year. Lead researcher Michael Reese said the site is a gateway to broader green hydrogen uses, from fertilizer to steelmaking.

Minnesota farmers buy roughly 800,000 tonnes of fertilizer a year, and locally produced ammonia could shorten supply chains and dampen price swings tied to gas markets and imports. The work dovetails with a wider state push. A Minnesota green ammonia coalition has lined up an offtake deal under which Central Farm Service would buy locally made ammonia over 10 years, with commercial volumes targeted later this decade.

Researchers caution that scaling green ammonia to commercial cost parity remains the central challenge.

Source: MinnPost

Five things to know about green ammonia in Minnesota

Agriculture ministers from the G7 nations and the European Union have agreed to coordinate efforts to safeguard global fertilizer supplies as the conflict between Iran and Israel continues to disrupt nutrient and energy markets.

During an extraordinary virtual meeting on June 8, ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the EU committed to closely monitoring fertilizer supply disruptions, diversifying supply chains, and promoting market transparency, according to a statement released by the French government.

The discussions come amid growing concerns that the conflict could disrupt ammonia exports and natural gas flows through the Gulf region, thereby increasing fertilizer production and transportation costs. Prices for urea and other nitrogen fertilizers have risen since hostilities began, raising concerns ahead of the Northern Hemisphere’s key fertilizer application season.

Japan’s agriculture minister, Norikazu Suzuki, said participants shared a sense of urgency about maintaining stable food and fertilizer supplies, according to local media reports.

The ministers did not announce specific market intervention measures or coordinated stockpiling plans. Instead, the joint communique emphasized information sharing and strengthening supply-chain resilience. The group said it would continue monitoring developments and consider additional actions if supply disruptions worsen.

Source: Bloomberg

India’s fertilizer ministry has asked the finance ministry to roughly double the country’s fertilizer subsidy allocation for the current fiscal year, as escalating costs linked to the Iran-Israel conflict push up the price of imported fertilizers and energy, Reuters reported.

The request comes just three months into the fiscal year that began in April, highlighting the speed and scale of recent cost increases. India is the world’s largest importer of urea and also relies heavily on imports of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and natural gas used in domestic nitrogen fertilizer production. Rising global energy prices have increased production and import costs across the fertilizer sector.

Under India’s subsidy system, the government fixes retail prices for urea and several key crop nutrients, compensating producers and importers for the difference between market costs and farmer prices. As global fertilizer and energy prices rise, the subsidy burden increases accordingly. India’s reliance on imports further heightens its exposure, as it imports about 90% of its crude oil requirements.

The ministry’s request is separate from the nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) rates announced in April, which increased support for phosphatic and potassic fertilizers by about 11%. If approved, the additional funding would represent one of the largest mid-year revisions to India’s fertilizer subsidy budget in recent years and underscore the fiscal pressure that fertilizer inflation is placing on import-dependent economies.

Government officials have not yet finalized the revised subsidy figure, according to Reuters.

Source: Reuters

A majority of U.S. farmers believe consolidation among fertilizer manufacturers, seed companies, crop-protection suppliers, and agricultural retailers has increased the prices they pay for inputs, according to a survey conducted by the University of Illinois and published by farmdoc daily.

The survey, conducted in fall 2024, collected responses from more than 220 farmers in each input sector across 25 states, with Illinois growers accounting for 43% of participants. Between 54% and 58% of respondents said consolidation among input manufacturers and retailers results in higher prices. Farmers rated the impact of consolidation on pricing between 2.41 and 2.50 on a five-point scale, where lower scores indicate a stronger perception that consolidation leads to higher costs.

While price increases were the primary concern, farmers expressed more moderate views regarding the effects of consolidation on customer service and product availability. The findings come as growers continue to face elevated fertilizer costs and tight profit margins, adding to ongoing debate about market concentration in the fertilizer, seed, and crop-protection industries, where a relatively small number of companies control significant shares of global supply.

The study’s authors — Michael Paulson, Brad Monaco, Gary Schnitkey, and Carl Zulauf — cautioned that the survey measures farmer perceptions and does not prove that consolidation directly causes higher prices. However, they said the results highlight areas where growers feel the greatest competitive pressure. Additional analysis of the survey data is planned.

Source: farmdoc daily

Agricultural drone operators are pressing U.S. regulators to reverse a ban on new foreign-made drones, warning there is no affordable domestic alternative to the machines they rely on for spraying and crop work, AgFunderNews reported.

The Federal Communications Commission added new foreign-made drones and key components to its covered list in December, a designation that blocks them from being marketed, sold or imported in the United States. DJI, which dominates the agricultural spray-drone market, says it faces a potential $1.5B loss in U.S. business in 2026 and that 25 of its products are affected.

Spray-drone operators told the FCC that U.S.-made models cannot yet match the price, software and reliability of DJI’s Agras line, leaving farmers without a viable substitute mid-season. Several said they would buy domestic drones if comparable options existed.

DJI said an independent security assessment by U.S. firm OnDefend found no backdoors, no data leaving the country and no viable pathways for misuse, challenging the security rationale behind the designation.

Drones increasingly handle targeted spraying, fertilizer application and crop monitoring, making the rules a precision-agriculture concern as much as a trade one. The FCC is weighing public comments before finalizing its approach.

Source: AgFunderNews

Fermaca broke ground on June 8 on a $1.5B nitrogen fertilizer complex in Lerdo, Durango, a project the Mexican energy firm says will cover close to 60% of the country’s urea imports once it reaches full output.

The Fermachem plant is designed to produce about 1 million tonnes of urea a year, or roughly 2,860 tonnes a day, using ammonia and urea technology licensed from KBR and Stamicarbon. Natural gas feedstock will come from Fermaca’s affiliate Essentia Energy, and the site will integrate carbon capture and treated-water systems, the company said.

Mexico imports 80% to 90% of its fertilizer, and the 2024 urea import bill ran to about 1.7 million tonnes. The Durango complex would displace a large share of that, trimming exposure to a global nitrogen market that has rallied since the Middle East conflict disrupted gas and ammonia supply.

Construction is expected to create about 3,000 jobs and some 260 permanent positions. Chief executive Ray Fletcher said the project anchors a domestic nitrogen supply chain for Mexican growers. First production is targeted for the third quarter of 2029.

Source: BNamericas

What to know about the Fermachem nitrogen complex

Orbia Netafim has opened a new manufacturing facility in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, expanding its production footprint in the Americas as demand for precision irrigation technologies continues to rise. The 30,000-square-meter plant is among the company’s largest globally and becomes its third manufacturing site in Mexico and 21st worldwide.

The facility will initially focus on producing thin-wall drip irrigation systems, with plans to add heavy-wall dripline manufacturing in the future. Equipped with advanced automation technologies, the plant is designed to increase production efficiency, maintain product quality, and improve supply reliability for growers across North and Central America. By localizing production closer to key agricultural markets, Orbia Netafim expects to reduce lead times and strengthen support for farmers throughout the growing season.

The new site complements the company’s existing North American operations, which include manufacturing facilities in Reynosa, Mexico, and Fresno, California, as well as recycling plants in California and Culiacán, Mexico. Together, the facilities form a regional manufacturing network aimed at responding more quickly to customer demand.

“We are seeing strong and sustained demand for precision irrigation solutions across the Americas as farmers navigate water constraints, rising costs and the need to improve productivity,” said Sameer Bharadwaj, chief executive officer of Orbia. He said the Hermosillo facility would strengthen regional supply chains and improve the company’s ability to serve markets where adoption of precision irrigation technologies is accelerating.

Located in one of Mexico’s most important agricultural regions, Hermosillo offers access to major farming areas and transportation infrastructure, including rail connectivity adjacent to the plant. Sonora is a significant producer of commodity crops and fresh produce but also faces growing water scarcity challenges, making efficient irrigation technologies increasingly important for agricultural sustainability.

According to Gaby Miodownik, president of Orbia Precision Agriculture (Netafim), the investment reflects the company’s strategy of maintaining close relationships with growers and helping them improve resilience through advanced irrigation solutions. The facility is expected to create approximately 200 direct jobs while generating additional economic activity through local suppliers and service providers.

Source: AgroPages

The European Commission has adopted Regulation (EU) 2026/1123, a major update to labeling requirements for plant protection products across the European Union. The regulation replaces Regulation (EU) No. 547/2011 and will take effect on January 1, 2028, with certain digital labeling provisions phased in through 2030.

The new framework is designed to improve transparency, safety, and sustainability while bringing crop protection product labels in line with technological advances and evolving regulatory standards. One of the most significant changes is the introduction of mandatory digital labels. Plant protection products will be required to carry QR codes or equivalent digital links that provide users with free access to up-to-date product information. The digital content must remain consistent with information displayed on physical labels and allow updates without requiring products to be relabeled.

Greater focus on safety and environmental protection

The regulation also strengthens alignment with the EU’s Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation, aiming to improve consistency in hazard communication and reduce discrepancies between product classifications and label content. Officials expect the changes to provide clearer safety information for farmers, operators, and other users.

A revised system of standard phrases will introduce a more structured, risk-based approach to communicating safety and handling requirements. New categories will cover disposal procedures, risk mitigation measures, and treated seeds, while additional environmental protections include a dedicated bee hazard pictogram, mandatory sensitization warnings for microorganism-based products, and standardized disposal instructions.

Support for precision agriculture and market oversight

In line with the EU’s sustainability objectives, the regulation requires labels to reference Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles and account for precision application technologies. The Commission said these provisions are intended to encourage more targeted and environmentally responsible use of crop protection products.

The regulation also introduces stricter requirements for parallel trade products, including enhanced identification and traceability measures designed to combat fraud and improve oversight throughout distribution channels.

The changes are expected to have significant implications for manufacturers, distributors, and authorization holders, who will need to adapt labeling systems and compliance processes ahead of the 2028 implementation deadline. As digital labeling becomes fully operational by 2030, the new framework is expected to reshape how crop protection product information is communicated across the EU agricultural sector.

Source: AgroPages

Florida strawberry growers could face heightened disease pressure during the upcoming season as forecasters warn that an El Niño weather pattern may develop and persist through the end of the year, according to new research from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

Researchers found that El Niño conditions, which typically bring cooler temperatures and above-average rainfall to Florida, create favorable conditions for fungal diseases such as Botrytis fruit rot. The disease poses a significant threat to the state’s strawberry industry, valued at approximately $500 million annually and concentrated in west-central Florida, particularly Hillsborough County. Florida remains the nation’s leading producer of winter strawberries, with harvests running from November through April.

Vinicius Cerbaro, a postdoctoral researcher in UF/IFAS’ agricultural and biological engineering department, presented findings from a study analyzing 74 years of climate data from 1950 to 2024. The research examined the relationship between the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and disease risk in strawberry production. According to the study, Botrytis risk was above average about 70% of the time during El Niño years across key growing counties, including Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, and Hardee.

The study also found that growers in Hillsborough County using the Strawberry Advisory System (SAS) often increased fungicide applications by as much as 50% during El Niño years. Unlike calendar-based spraying schedules, SAS relies on weather-based alerts that signal when environmental conditions favor disease development, allowing growers to time treatments more precisely.

“There is currently about a 60% chance that El Niño will emerge between May and July and persist through the end of the year,” Cerbaro said. He noted that excessive rainfall, reduced sunshine, and higher disease pressure could complicate the next strawberry season, affecting fruit development and increasing management challenges for growers.

Researchers said the findings could also support the development of preseason disease-risk alerts linked to climate forecasts. Such advance warnings could help farmers adjust disease-management strategies before planting and improve preparedness for potentially challenging growing conditions.

Sources: University of Florida / IFAS

Dutch agricultural technology company Cropr has launched its autonomous Weedr laser weeder, joining a growing group of AI-powered field robots aimed at reducing reliance on herbicides and manual labor. The new platform uses machine vision, artificial intelligence, and laser technology to identify and eliminate weeds individually without disturbing soil, allowing the machine to operate autonomously across fields without requiring a tractor.

The introduction of Weedr comes as European farmers face increasing pressure from tighter pesticide regulations, herbicide-resistant weeds, and persistent labor shortages. Rather than applying treatments across entire fields, the system targets weeds at the plant level, reflecting a broader shift toward precision agriculture where crop management decisions are made with centimeter-level accuracy. Industry developers argue that laser-based systems can significantly reduce chemical use while minimizing soil disruption.

The launch also highlights the changing dynamics of the agricultural robotics sector. While laser weeding technology has already proven technically viable, manufacturers are increasingly focused on scaling production, expanding service networks, and improving operational reliability. Recent moves toward commercial-scale manufacturing by agricultural robotics companies suggest the industry is entering a new phase in which deployment capacity and customer support may become as important as advances in AI software.

Analysts see autonomous laser weeders as part of a wider transformation in crop protection. As regulatory scrutiny of agricultural chemicals intensifies and sustainability goals become more prominent, autonomous systems capable of making plant-by-plant decisions are expected to move beyond specialty crops into broader field applications. The trend points toward weed control becoming an increasingly software-driven process, where targeted energy applications replace some traditional chemical inputs.

Plastic alternatives such as seaweed-based packaging, bamboo products and natural fibers continue to face significant barriers to widespread adoption, despite growing international efforts to reduce plastic pollution and curb dependence on fossil-fuel-based materials.

According to the latest World Ocean Assessment, plastic pollution remains one of the most pressing environmental challenges. Only about 10% of plastics produced globally are recycled, while an estimated 52 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the oceans annually. The pollution affects more than 4,000 marine species, and researchers estimate that a blue whale can ingest up to 10 million microplastic particles each day.

The findings come as countries continue negotiations toward a global plastics treaty that could eventually place limits on plastic production. The treaty talks, underway for six years, are expected to resume in March 2027.

Trade Barriers Favor Conventional Plastics

A major obstacle facing sustainable alternatives is their inability to compete economically with conventional plastics.

The global market for plastic substitutes reached approximately USD 485 billion in 2023, but industry growth remains constrained by tariffs, limited market access and weak regulatory support. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), tariffs on plastic and rubber products have fallen sharply over the past three decades, declining from 34% to 7.2%.

By contrast, alternatives including paper, bamboo, seaweed and natural fibers face average tariffs of 14.4%, roughly double the rate applied to plastics. UNCTAD argues that these policies place environmentally preferable materials at a competitive disadvantage.

“Plastics have benefited from decades of market maturation, scale, infrastructure and favorable trade conditions,” the agency said.

Biodegradable Materials Face Practical Challenges

Even when alternatives reach the market, environmental performance can vary significantly.

Experts warn that many biodegradable plastics require industrial composting facilities with controlled temperatures and moisture levels to break down effectively. Such conditions are rarely present in marine environments, meaning some products may persist longer than consumers expect.

Researchers also caution that certain plant-based materials may compete with agricultural land needed for food production, potentially creating new sustainability concerns.

Ian Butler, a chief editor of the World Ocean Assessment, said public perception that biodegradable plastics have solved the pollution problem risks creating complacency while broader waste-management issues remain unresolved.

Rising Energy Costs Create New Opportunities

Despite these challenges, recent disruptions in petrochemical markets have improved the competitiveness of alternative materials.

Up to 98% of conventional plastics are derived from fossil fuels, making production vulnerable to fluctuations in energy prices. Following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year, polyethylene resin prices in Europe reportedly rose by 70% to 80% between February and April 2026.

The increase has renewed interest in renewable materials that are less dependent on fossil-fuel supply chains.

Seaweed Emerges as a Promising Alternative

Among the most promising substitutes is seaweed-based packaging, which can be fully compostable and requires neither freshwater, fertilizer nor agricultural land to grow.

Global seaweed production has tripled during the past two decades, while exports reached USD 3.9 billion in 2022. Companies developing seaweed-based materials argue that larger production volumes could eventually lower costs and improve competitiveness against plastics.

However, industry growth remains limited by fragmented regulations and incomplete international trade classifications. While global seaweed production totaled 36.3 million metric tons in 2022, only about 750,000 metric tons entered international trade.

The lack of harmonized rules increases compliance costs and creates challenges for producers, particularly small businesses in developing coastal economies seeking access to export markets.

Calls for Stronger Policy Support

UNCTAD says sustainable alternatives will require coordinated policy support to compete effectively with conventional plastics. Recommended measures include reducing tariff disparities, improving access to raw materials, investing in innovative products and building infrastructure needed to scale production sustainably.

Industry participants remain cautiously optimistic, citing rising consumer demand for environmentally friendly products, corporate sustainability commitments and new regulations aimed at reducing unnecessary plastic waste.

Without stronger incentives and clearer regulatory frameworks, however, experts warn that sustainable alternatives may struggle to gain significant market share against a plastics industry that exceeded USD 1.1 trillion in value in 2023.

Source: UN News

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A legal dispute is unfolding in Taylor, Texas, after nearly 88 acres of land donated by a local farmer for future park use were sold for data center development, prompting opposition from nearby residents who say the original intent of the gift has been disregarded.

The land was initially donated in 1999 by farmer Mr. Bland through a deed that transferred the property for a nominal $10 fee with the condition that it be held in trust for future parkland. The property subsequently passed through several nonprofit organizations before being transferred to the City of Taylor. In 2008, the city sold the land to the Taylor Economic Development Corporation for $15,000, and in 2025 the corporation sold it to data center developer Blueprint for $10 million.

The proposed project, a 135,000-square-foot data center, has generated significant opposition from residents living near the site. Local homeowner Pamela Griffin, who grew up around the former farmland, said she only learned of the development plans in 2025 after neighborhood organizers began informing residents. Opponents have raised concerns about potential impacts on noise levels, water consumption, electricity demand, air quality, and nearby property values.

City officials have argued that the project could deliver substantial economic benefits, including an estimated $30 million in tax revenue over the next decade, with roughly $20 million expected to support local schools. Officials have also stated that the property’s existing zoning limits the city’s ability to prevent the development, although Blueprint still requires planning and building permits before construction can proceed.

The controversy has increasingly centered on the language of the original 1999 deed, which specifies that the land should be held in trust for future use as parkland. Residents opposing the project have cited the document as evidence that the property’s conversion to commercial use violates the donor’s intentions. Several court rulings have so far favored the developer, but Griffin and other opponents are pursuing an appeal before Texas’ Third Court of Appeals in Austin.

For opponents, the dispute extends beyond concerns about a data center. They argue that the case raises broader questions about whether land donated for public purposes can later be repurposed for commercial development, despite restrictions contained in the original deed. Meanwhile, city leaders maintain that the project represents an important source of future tax revenue and economic growth for the community.

Sources: Tom’s Hardware, 404 Media

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