The opening of the Dutch Lily Days 2024 takes place on Tuesday, June 4. This year’s host of the official launch of the annual event is Zabo Plant, located in the North Holland town of ’t Zand. In addition, this exporter of lily and other bulbs is celebrating its 40-year jubilee this year. The Lily Days – June 4 to 7 – promise again to be an interesting mix of novelties to discover, contacts to be made, and brain-storming about the developments and challenges in the sector. A lot is going on in lily land at the moment. Breeders are focussing on innovation of the assortment, in particular, creat ..read more

ofi (olam food ingredients), a global leader in naturally good food and beverage ingredients, says developments in data and technology – from granular deforestation mapping and child labor monitoring to AI-powered carbon measurement tools – are accelerating progress towards its Cocoa Compass sustainability ambition. It is also providing food and beverage companies with enhanced traceability and transparency ahead of new regulations in Europe and beyond.  The latest Cocoa Compass highlights based on 2022 data include: New analysis showing over 30,168 farmers in ofi’s cocoa supply chain ar ..read more

MACFRUT, the professional show for fruits and vegetables, has just opened. The show, taking place from 8 to 10 May 2024 in Rimini (Italy), will attract thousands of professionals from around the world. [See image gallery at www.gulfagriculture.com] Year after year, Macfrut is becoming increasingly international, with more exhibitors and visitors coming from abroad. Moreover, this year, the International Focus of Macfrut will be dedicated to the partner countries of the Arabian Peninsula, towards which the exports of the Italian fruit and vegetable sector grew by +36% in the first six months of ..read more

Marine ingredient leader Epax has achieved major reductions to its carbon emissions as it nears its goal of 100% renewable energy use. The Norwegian company’s CO2 emissions fell by 13.3% between 2021 and 2022, and by 9% between 2022 and 2023. Both figures are significantly higher than the 4.2% annual reduction required to limit global warming to 1.5°C.1 Epax now aims to achieve absolute reductions every year until 2030. The cuts have largely been achieved through drastic reductions in the use of fossil fuel, made possible by the installation of a new electric boiler. In 2023, more than 95% of ..read more

The establishment of the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture in 1999 is a great example of the visionary leadership and strategic foresight by the UAE Government and the Islamic Development Bank. Twenty-five years on, ICBA has evolved into a world-class research center serving the needs of smallholder farmers and other stakeholders around the world, including member countries of the bank. Over the years the center’s mandate has expanded to focus on global challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, and natural resource degradation, among others. And since 2015, it has been al ..read more

Field-ready connectivity option for hard-to-reach locations brings the power of precision agriculture to more CNH customers CNH (NYSE: CNHI) and Intelsat, operator of one of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial communication networks, announced a collaboration that will be the first to provide farmers ubiquitous access to the internet via a ruggedized satellite communications (SATCOM) service. Based on a new memorandum of understanding, Intelsat will provide multi-orbit internet access to connect CNH equipment working in remote locations and easy-to-use satellite terminals ..read more

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA’s new roadshow of Asia Business Meet-Ups reaches a grand finale with its China Business Meet Up on 27-28 May in Shanghai. Held at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center (SWEECC), the China Business Meet Up is the largest-scale edition of ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA’s series of content-backed networking events in key markets across Asia.   ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA has joined forces with three of China’s top wholesale markets – Guangzhou Jiangnan, Shanghai Huizhan and Hebei Sunhola – to co-host the China Business Meet Up. The two-day event features an inf ..read more

A new study by scientists at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) has found that certain common date varieties can benefit from low to moderate levels of water salinity. Published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, an open-access peer-reviewed journal with an impact factor of 4.7, the study provides fresh insights into the correlation between salinity and varietal response by date palm. The findings offer considerable promise for more sustainable water management in date production in arid ecosystems. Dr. Tarifa Alzaabi, Director General of ICBA, said: “Date palm is ..read more

Fisheries Development Oman (FDO) emerges as a beacon of sustainable excellence following its successful showcase at the Seafood Expo Barcelona in Spain from 23 – 25 April 2024. Drawing widespread acclaim for its commitment to sustainability and excellence in Oman’s fisheries sector, FDO stood out among over 2,000 European and global participants and welcomed more than 35,000 visitors. Fisheries Development Oman attracted a diverse array of attendees eager to explore partnerships with an organization dedicated to responsible practices. The Expo served as a platform for fostering relationships w ..read more

The upcoming edition of GreenTech Amsterdam shines the spotlight on emerging technologies for the future of horticulture. In the extensive knowledge programme, market leaders discuss, among other things, the journey towards achieving zero-footprint in greenhouses and explore futuristic technologies such as robotics and the delicate balance between solar panels and plant yields. The event will be held from 11 to 13 June at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre. A selection of the 80 knowledge sessions: Vision Stage: Tuesday 11 June, 14.30 – 15.15hrs: ‘The road to zero footprint greenhouse ..read more