On October 19, the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture launched a public consultation on updating the list of authorized and banned pesticides. This revision, which could take effect in 2027, aims to facilitate market access for businesses while integrating biopesticides into a sustainable agriculture approach.
Source: Agropages, published under the title "Vietnam’s Revised List of PPP Set to Expand: 492 New Additio..." - 26 October 2026
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CropLife Asia, representing the plant science industry in Asia, announces the appointment of Paul Luxton (Syngenta) as its new president, alongside the addition of three new board members: Sergi Vizoso-Sansano (BASF), Subroto Geed (Corteva), and SebastiĂ Pons (FMC). These changes bring together four major international players in crop protection to its governance.
Source: Agropages, published under the title "CropLife Asia welcomes new BASF, Corteva and FMC representat..." - 26 October 2026
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In China, the development of plant biotechnologies faces four major obstacles: insufficient cooperation between public research and businesses, complex authorization procedures, uncertainties regarding intellectual property, and market acceptance challenges. A study advocates for an evolution of the institutional framework to accelerate varietal innovation.
Source: Agropages, published under the title "Researchers recommend policy solutions for bio-breeding bott..." - 9 October 2026
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During a meeting with the Russian company Schelkovo Agrohim, the Pakistani minister emphasized the importance of cooperation that goes beyond importing finished products, focusing instead on technology transfer, seed development, and joint research. Pakistan aims to integrate advanced agricultural technologies to enhance its resilience against climate challenges and diseases, while also exploring trials of Russian seeds suited to its local conditions.
Source: Agropages, published under the title "Pakistan opens new avenue for Russian agricultural technolog..." - 9 October 2026
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The Competition Commission of India has approved Crystal Crop Protection Ltd's acquisition of 100% of FMC India's shares, marking a significant milestone in India's crop protection sector and strengthening Crystal Crop's market position. This deal, which includes a range of products such as herbicides and insecticides, meets the regulatory requirements necessary to finalize the transaction.
Source: Agropages, published under the title "CCI approves Crystal Crop’s acquisition of FMC India" - 6 October 2026
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Indian researchers have combined four genetic regions associated with drought tolerance in new rice lines, without resorting to transgenesis or genome editing. Five lines recorded significant yield gains under water stress, reaching up to 82% compared to the parent variety.
Source: Agropages, published under the title "Gene-stacked rice lines show up to 82% yield gain under drou..." - 22 September 2026
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The University of Chicago and its partners receive $60 million in funding from the OpenAI Foundation to expand access to AI-based weather forecasting and crop disease tools, targeting 100 million small farmers in Southeast Asia and East Africa. This initiative promises to enhance food security and the resilience of agricultural systems in the face of climate challenges.
Source: Agropages, published under the title "New initiative secures $60M from OpenAI Foundation to scale ..." - 16 September 2026
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A recent study reveals how smarter fertilizer management can help Pakistan reduce its agricultural emissions while supporting food production, focusing on nitrogen use efficiency, particularly in wheat cultivation, the main source of Nâ‚‚O emissions.
Source: Agropages, published under the title "Fertilize right, emit less: A climate-smart pathway for Paki..." - 15 September 2026
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The Japanese startup Culta accelerates traditional varietal selection using AI and controlled environments, without genomic editing or GMOs. It claims to have reduced the development time for new strawberry varieties from ten years to two and is now preparing for international expansion, as well as entering the grape and apple markets.
Source: Agfundernews, published under the title "Can Culta take Japan’s premium fruit model global?" - 15 September 2026
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Kazakh scientists have developed a revolutionary technology, BioDrop, which utilizes drones to release beneficial insects over agricultural fields. This method is faster and more efficient than manual techniques and could transform pest control while reducing the use of chemical pesticides.
Source: Agropages, published under the title "Kazakhstan deploys drones to release beneficial insects onto..." - 8 September 2026
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