Market information
Spain: Groots receives undisclosed investment to expand nationally
The Tech Transfer Agrifood FCR fund (TTAF), managed by Clave Capital, has invested in Groots Hydroponics SL, a vertical farm. A financing round, led by its current partners, will allow the company to accelerate its national expansion with the aim of offering the industry a technology with which to…
Michèle Christen
Swiss: 'Sustainable, urban development project' includes vertical farm
There were three programmatic scenarios to choose from for the Atelier area. This involved the urban development and architectural formulation of an existing civil defense facility. The question was how productive self-sufficiency and social inclusion can be brought together. After conducting a site…
CAN: Container farmer receives Kosher certificate
Reena, in collaboration with Growcer, an Ottawa-based container farm manufacturer, received a COR (Kashruth Council of Canada) certificate, marking a significant milestone for GReena, Reena's pioneering sustainability initiative. This certification signifies a ground-breaking achievement as it becomes…
Jordan: NARC intensifying research efforts to increase agricultural production
The Jordan Farmers Union is urging the adoption of a two-pronged strategy that combines the power of afforestation with cutting-edge scientific research to cultivate…
Ines van Marrewijk of Normec Groen Agro Control
Why do we still need laboratories when sensors are everywhere?
Sensors are everywhere nowadays – and not just in horticulture. So why do we still need laboratories? That’s the question Ines van Marrewijk of Normec Groen Agro Control asked at the International Propagation Seminar of Grodan last week. “Most of the time, lab equipment is much more expensive than…
What is biofortification?
Recently, an innovative Biofortification Hub launched at Norwich Research Park, a collaboration between the John Innes Centre (JIC) and the Quadram Institute Bioscience (QIB). The Hub is now open for memberships for those interested in biofortification of foods that are working in academia, industry, and policymaking – but what…
NASA’s record-breaking astronaut: scientific highlights of Frank Rubio’s year in space
During his mission, Frank Rubio helped install the NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer (NRCSD) for an April 2023 launch of six different satellites, including projects designed by students in Canada. Private, governmental, and academic organizations use the space station to deploy small satellites called CubeSats…
Ghana’s Complete Farmer, which connects farmers to global food buyers, raises $10.4M
Africa’s agricultural sector has a significant social and economic impact, per McKinsey. The percentage of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa exceeds 60%, while agriculture accounts for approximately 23% of the region’s gross domestic product. But despite the apparent opportunity in the…
Dutch 'Prinsjesdag' budget: Cabinet comes to take money from horticulture
With the Budget Memorandum and Budget for next year, a Tax Plan is also drawn up, as a series of fiscal measures or bills to make the plans possible. For Dutch horticulture, there are three: subjecting horticulture to a CO2 levy, phasing out the reduced rate on gas (boiler gas), and phasing out the…
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US: Study shows Indiana is emerging agtech innovation hub
A new study shows that Indiana is an emerging agtech innovation hub after ag bioscience job postings multiplied nearly sevenfold since 2017. The TEConomy Partners study found the industry is growing within the broader Indiana economy. Economic development initiative AgriNovus Indiana sees the development…
VerticalFarmDaily.com
Savills: "Beyond water and electricity, how to choose your farm site wisely"Site selection for vertical farms is more complicated than it seems
“As global real estate consultants, we work with clients to identify important inputs for our client then challenge these to make sure that our client is considering as much as possible to select a site that will stand the test of time,” says Rick Drescher, Corporate Managing Director, Technical Services…
US (MO): New tax incentive turns beneficial for commercial CEA growers
Nodaway County Economic Development (NCED) Director Josh McKim led a September 12 public hearing for the Nodaway County Enhanced Enterprise Zone (EEZ) in the county's Administration Center. The public hearing saw representatives from nine of the 33 taxing districts that are a part of the EEZ. Those…
Hawaii Farming LLC
How agtech is helping Hawaï farmers grow more food
Jim Wyban remembers back to the 1950s and ’60s when agriculture generated about half of Hawai‘i’s GDP. Today, he says, ag accounts for about 0.4%. “We believe that the introduction of technology into agriculture could reverse this bad trend.” The “we” are Wyban and Jason Ueki, founders and organizers of…
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US: Senator Stabenow fights to restore funding for urban agriculture
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, filed an amendment to restore $8.5 million in funding for the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production to the Senate’s Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug…
AJBWC
UAE: Ajman business women organize vertical growing tower workshops
The Ajman Business Women Council (AJBWC) of the Ajman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) organized a training workshop entitled “Naqd Al Oud” to explain the basics of home and office agriculture and encourage businesswomen to invest in agriculture and benefit from modern agricultural technologies.…
US: Recycling pesticide containers in Vermont
Pesticides are used in homes and across many industries in Vermont: lawn and landscape, hospitals, food processing facilities, and farms. Pesticides are useful tools for managing pests in these locations, but it is important, and a requirement of the law, for these products to be used in accordance with…
CEO Doug Bannister is looking to create additional space
Port of Dover is taking steps to prevent long queues
The Port of Dover is taking steps to address potential delays when the EU Entry Exit Scheme (EES), a biometric border control system, is implemented. Port of Dover CEO Doug…
Huelva already accounts for 97% of Spain's strawberry production
According to the data from the Institute of Statistics and Cartography of Andalusia, 97% of the nearly 350,000 tons of strawberries that were grown in Spain in 2023 were…
LA Urban Farms
Larta Institute and Los Angeles Food Policy Council:US (CA): The gaps, barriers, and opportunities for urban agriculture in LA
"Urban agriculture will play a significant role in paving the way for food sovereignty in Los Angeles. At the same time, urban farming is also a potent instrument in mitigating the effects of climate change," said Alba Velasquez, executive director of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council. "The methods we…
Siena Free
Italy: Former shelter in Torrita di Siena now home to vertical farm
A vertical farm lights up within the centuries-old walls of what was first a warehouse for the storage of raw materials and, during the Second World War, an air-raid shelter in Torrita of Siena, Italy. Led by the Municipality of Torrita di Siena, the project aims to recover the tunnel that winds for 186…
Gregory Fung-A-Fat about United Farmers Aruba:
“We aim to be a liaison between the government and the farmers”
In 2017, a group of growers on Aruba had the idea of unionizing the agriculture sector, and in 2021, this idea became a reality, and United Farmers Aruba became the first legal association for the sector. Now, the association represents 23 farmers, of which 5 are commercial growers, providing retail and…
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Impact of AgriTech on food manufacturing
The integration of technology in agriculture, also known as Agritech, has significantly affected the food manufacturing industry. Agritech has improved various aspects of food manufacturing, such as the production, distribution, processing, and how manufacturers deal with the suppliers and growers of the…
Thomas Larssen, CEAd:
Addressing developments and challenges within the North American CEA market
“There are two main developments defining the North American and especially U.S. market,” says Thomas Larssen, President of CEAd. The first consolidation, “The larger, dominant players continue to expand operations not only through their own organic expansion but through the acquisition of smaller…
Rebuild Hamilton
CAN (ON): Victoria Hall indoor-farming retrofit gets in-principle nod
A developer has been given in-principle approval to create an urban farm in an unused office building in the City of Hamilton. Bermuda Vertical Technologies proposed internal modifications to the derelict seven-story Victoria Hall to introduce vertical farming. According to planning documents, approval…
The status of horticulture in Sri Lanka
The agriculture sector continues to be the mainstay of the national economy in Sri Lanka, though its contribution to GDP is 8.7%. A quarter of the labor force is employed in…
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EP Motion on ensuring food security in the EU
Grodan welcomes the recent initiatives and recognition given to CEA, urban agriculture, and the call to support an autonomous and sustainable substrate industry in the European Union. Grodan believes that these steps reflect a growing understanding of the importance of innovative agricultural practices…
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CEA space: “We’re in that transition phase, though, and you expect to see these busts"
It’s said that people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, especially if those glass walls are covered in leafy greens. “The CEA [controlled environment agriculture] industry is probably 50 years old,” said Sonia Lo, board director of urban-gro, a CEA architecture, engineering, construction,…
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US (CA): CDFA announces $11.67M urban agriculture grant program
The California Department of Food and Agriculture's Office of Farm to Fork has announced their new $11.67 million Urban Agriculture Grant Program (UAPG), a one-time, competitive grant to fund programs and projects that will enhance the viability of agriculture in urban areas across the State of…
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US (AK): Dillingham City School District to buy hydroponic tank
The Dillingham City School District wants to start growing its own greens. The district recently received a $150,000 grant from the US Department of Agriculture and plans to buy a hydroponic tank where students and staff can raise produce for school lunches. The money comes as part of the Department of…
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US (CA): CDFA accepting applications for urban agriculture grant program
CDFA’s Office of Farm to Fork is announcing that applications are being accepted till October 23 for a total of $12 million in grants from the 2023 Urban Agriculture Grant Program. “The growth of urban agriculture is a means for expanding access to fresh produce, building community, providing workforce…
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US (NY): Mushroom farms find a balance between marketing their purpose and their product
When you own a purpose-driven company, you have to convey your mission to your customers, but that mission can't be your brand's entire identity. For New York City-based sustainable mushroom farm Afterlife, it took a complete rebrand to strike that balance. Afterlife co-founders Winson Wong and Sierra…
Attending exhibitions like Fruit Attraction has become more difficult for some Moroccan companies
Moroccan exporters unable to attend tradeshows in Europe due to "visa crisis"
The "visa crisis" continues to be a serious hindrance to Moroccan citizens wishing to travel to Europe. A few months ago, intercontinental road carriers were complaining about the difficulty of obtaining visas for truck drivers, which was hampering agricultural exports. Today, the crisis is manifesting…
Dreamstime
John Lewis Partnership has agreed to a five-year deal with Google CloudHelloFresh achieved its highest ever adjusted EBITDA
India: Family Garden Chennai unveils fruits online Chennai platformIn a groundbreaking leap towards enhancing consumer access to premium quality produce, Family Garden Chennai proudly presents its cutting-edge online platform, offering a vast selection of fruits online in Chennai. This move is set to…
Singapore: Indonesian Ambassador visits hydroponic farm
Gallant Venture Ltd had the distinct privilege of extending a warm welcome to the Ambassador of Indonesia to Singapore, His Excellency Suryo Pratomo, along with the esteemed team from the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI). The event took place on July 29, 2023, within the premises of Batamindo…
USDA
US fruits and vegetables exports in 2022Top 10 markets for fruits and vegetables in 2022
The total export value of US fruits and vegetables exports in 2022 came to $12.59 billion, with a total volume of 7 million tons. This is set against the 3-year average of $12.25 billion, a compound average growth of -0.48% (2013-2022). For more information: fas.usda.gov
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US (KY): KDA awarded $667,700 from USDA for Farm to School project with high school
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) has been awarded $667,700 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service for a unique food service project involving high school FFA chapters. A federal grant of $499,809 is being combined with a cost share of $167,891 over two…
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US: Democratic senators look to expand urban agriculture assistance
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is leading an effort to improve USDA programs supporting urban and suburban agriculture. On Friday, he introduced the Supporting Urban and Innovative Farming Act of 2023. The bill would reform programs overseen by the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production,…
Federal funding opportunities for indoor agriculture: a comprehensive guide for entrepreneurs and organizations
As an emerging and innovative approach to farming, indoor agriculture is receiving more and more focus. It offers a way to grow crops year-round, reduce water usage, and minimize the need for pesticides and herbicides. However, starting an indoor agriculture project can be expensive, and many potential…
