In The Spotlight

Velsinum will increase access to biological alternatives for vegetable and potato operations. (Image source: Bayer)
Bayer recently announced that the company has signed a new exclusive distribution agreement with UK-based Ecospray to market a biological liquid nematicide sourced from garlic
The product presents a biological alternative to traditional synthetic chemical nematicides in vegetable and potato crops, and will be marketed in the European Union under the new name Velsinum.
“Farmers in the EU are in desperate need of new, effective solutions against pests for their high-value vegetable crops,” said Jens Hartmann, regional head for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at Bayer’s Crop Science Division. “Velsinum will be a welcome addition into Bayer’s trusted portfolio of biological solutions and technologies supported by innovations like Velum, BioAct, Nematool and Terra MG.”
Nematodes cause over US$77.4bn worth of damage to crops globally each year with all crops facing at least one nematode pest threat. Velsinum will offer growers a new tool against nematode root damage with complementary benefits for both plant and soil health. Plants which can avoid root damage are better able to absorb available nutrients and also can withstand disease and pest pressure overall, all while safekeeping beneficial earthworm populations to maintain soil quality.
Ecospray’s knowledge and expertise of the naturally occurring bioactive compounds contained within garlic has allowed the company to develop effective plant protection products which take advantage of the natural nematicidal properties of garlic extract in order to create safe, effective and zero-residue solutions.
“We are excited to collaborate with Bayer on Velsinum, which is fully compatible with Bayer’s existing biological portfolio,” said Peter McDonald, CEO of Ecospray. “This partnership is a strong endorsement of Ecospray and its R&D capabilities developed over many years. We also greatly appreciate the ongoing support from our existing distributors in Europe Certis Belchim BV and CBC (Europe) SRL., who remain vital to our market development with our legacy product Nemguard.”
Bayer’s partnership with Ecospray continues Bayer’s work to bring new botanical and biological solutions from the open innovation ecosystem to growers, while encouraging diversity in modern agricultural practices and enabling additional regenerative agricultural practices. With Bayer’s trusted brand, global commercialisation capabilities, and unparalleled agricultural systems expertise Bayer helps to bring effective biological products to market more quickly.

The platform enables more frequent datasets to be gained with no additional stress. (Image source: UK Agri-Tech Centre)
Following a partnership between David Ritchie (Implements) Ltd and the UK Agri-Tech Centre, a project, named ‘Lamb Monitor’, was created that aims to measure and monitor lamb performance, reduce farmers’ labour time and protect the welfare of lambs during the weighing process
The partners recognise that one of the most essential tasks involved in the production of lamb is the weighing of growing lambs in order to monitor their liveweight gain and suitability for sale. However, this is a time-consuming process and can be stressful to the lambs being gathered and weighed. Traditionally, weighing is carried out as often as once a fortnight, meaning the gap in daily live weight gain is not being monitored.
The platform enables more frequent datasets to be gained with no additional stress. Such data would allow lamb producers to monitor growth rates, enabling advanced and accurate predication of lamb sales as well as providing information with which to alter feeding, grazing and breeding management. In order to turn lamb weighing into a less stressful and time-intensive activity, this project aims to design, prototype and validate on-farm an automated, in-field lamb weighing solution.
Three different designs will be evaluated, with a walk-over weigher, creep feed attractant and climb on platform designed to utilise a lamb’s play instinct, with a data-handling app being developed alongside which will work with all three designs. The project will also develop a metered feed creep system, which prevents the dominant animals getting more than their share of feed and provides a restriction on intake of feeds which could cause ill-health if over-fed.
Using one of Ritchie’s trial farms and three of the UK Agri-Tech Centre’s satellite farms, Ritchie will construct initial prototypes for each design of weigher and commission them on-farm for validation. Farmers will continue to weigh their lambs as they currently do, with data gathered from this and the auto-weighers being compared to gain insights into the reliability and value of the data gathered from the auto-weigher, versus conventional weighing practice by the UK Agri-Tech Centre’s data and automation team.
Lamb weight data will also be carried through to Ritchie’s existing auto-drafting equipment to allow for lambs with sufficient weight data to be drafted automatically, reducing lamb stress and operator time at drafting. Lifecycle assessment will be used to examine the differences in carbon intensity between lamb systems with and without auto-weigher solutions to quantify the difference high-resolutions Daily Live Weight Gain monitoring may bring.
Charlie Brown, product development manager at Ritchie, said, “We hope to bring some level of automation and improved efficiency to the sheep industry with this product. The first prototype was created after farmer-led interactions resulted in us making efficiencies within the industry. Following field trials and farmer feedback we are refining the product for our Mk2 trial of the prototype.”
Hayley Gerry, project manager at the UK Agri-Tech Centre, said, “This project has enabled the UK Agri-Tech Centre to bridge a gap that the industry has identified where efficiencies could be made. Using our farmer network, we are able to test and validate the prototypes in a commercial set up to allow for feedback from the farmers. This will allow Ritchie to commercialise a product that will make farming more efficient.”
Research conducted by CIEL in 2020 showed how using measures such as data capture and use can have significant impact on Green House Gases (GHG) intensity of lamb production.
By finishing lambs at a younger age and reducing age at first lambing, amongst other factors, two hill farms had a 68% and 49% reduction in GHG emissions (kgCO2e/kgLW), and a lowland farm showed a reduction of 37% using these measures. In addition, Morgan-Davis et al (2018) estimated that precision livestock farming (PLF) tech can save farmers between 19% and 36% labour depending on the farm.
This study did not include an auto-weigher, rather just performance recording using electronic identification and software packages. The ability to use a lamb-monitor to expand on this will only add to the savings PLF tech can afford. With regard to welfare, the sheep weigher will significantly reduce the time requirement for farmers by not having to gather and weigh regularly, allowing them to better use their time either on other needs in the enterprise or to help improve the work life balance of farms and farm workers.
Improved animal welfare is achieved through less gathering and handling of sheep, ensuring a higher welfare food product is produced at the end as well as reducing the inherent risk in livestock handling to the farmers.

The funding from the Walloon Region in particular will support the future development of BiocSol’s R&D platform. (Image source: David Plas BiocSol)
BiocSol, a UCLouvain spin-off specialised in sustainable crop protection solutions, announces that it has secured US$4.58mn in its latest funding round
This figure includes an equity investment from Dutch impact investment fund Pymwymic and non-dilutive financing from the Walloon Region via the Win4company programme. This financing follows on from the US$5.4mn in equity funding secured in November 2024 in a round led by Agri Investment Fund and VIVES partners.
The funding from the Walloon Region in particular will support the future development of BiocSol’s R&D platform. It will also help the start-up demonstrate proof of concept worldwide for its first two biofungicide products.
“With this new financing, we are on target with our US$10.2mn goal, the amount we need to really fast-track our development work. It also demonstrates, once again, that our commitment to providing farmers worldwide with access to sustainable and more effective biosolutions is the right one,” said Denis Payen, CEO of BiocSol. “We are thrilled to welcome Pymwymic as an investor in BiocSol. Its support will accelerate our growth and empower us to integrate impact into our everyday lives, ensuring that our path remains relevant and transformative. Thanks to our new chairman of the board, Pierre Ferrand, and our dedicated team, we now have everything in place to write the next chapter in the BiocSol story.”
“We wish to thank the Walloon Region for supporting our start-up from the very beginning. Likewise, we are grateful to the Laboratory of Plant Pathology (SAVE), led by Anne Legrève and Claude Bragard, and the Laboratory of Food and Environmental Microbiology (MIAE), headed up by Jacques Mahillon and Annika Gillis at UCLouvain; all have been instrumental in the creation and successful growth of BiocSol,” said Simon Caulier, CTO and founder of BiocSol.
“Given BiocSol’s strong biosolution pipeline and ability to develop microbial substances for a wide range of different crops, we believe that it has real potential to make a positive impact on the agricultural sector by providing farmers with alternative crop protection solutions at an affordable price,” said Pieter Vis, partner at Pymwymic. “We are proud to be part of a project with such great potential, well-respected co-investors and partners, and, of course, an expert team led by Denis Payen and Simon Caulier.”

The 2025 Hortiflora Expo is anticipated to surpass 2023’s event, with even more exhibitors and larger booths showcasing a broader array of flowers and fresh produce. (Image source: HortiFlora)
The next edition of Ethiopia’s premier international horticulture and floriculture trade fair 'HortiFlora' has been announced and is set to take place from 1-3 April 2025
The previous event, held in 2023, concluded with strong outcomes for both exhibitors and attendees, marking a significant return after a four-year hiatus. Nearly 100 companies participated, drawing a robust turnout of international buyers eager to explore Ethiopia’s offerings for export.
The 2025 Hortiflora Expo is anticipated to surpass 2023’s event, with even more exhibitors and larger booths showcasing a broader array of flowers and fresh produce.
Additionally, with the Ethiopian Birr now a free-floating currency, Ethiopian exports have gained a competitive edge, enhancing the country’s appeal as a business destination. This currency shift is expected to draw even more international buyers next April, eager to source high-quality fresh flowers and produce from Ethiopia.
Wadi Group recently held its tenth Wadi Poultry Academy from 18-21 November at the Hyatt Regency in West Cairo, Egypt
Wadi Group has been a Ross 308 Parent Stock (PS) distributor in Egypt since 1992, and the Aviagen Ross customer support team have contributed to the Wadi Poultry Academy since it began in 2017. A total of 180 participants from across the country attended the event, where they received advice on key subjects including best practices for parent stock grading, light stimulation and feeding into lay, best practices for broiler management and egg handling.
Puzant Dakessian, CEO, Poultry Sector, Wadi Group opened the event, and provided updates on the company’s expansions, renovations, and the cutting-edge technologies it has implemented. These advancements ensure that Wadi Group consistently delivers the highest quality flocks to its customers. Musa Freiji, founder of Wadi Group, followed Puzant’s comments and emphasized the importance of biosecurity, explaining how good biosecurity practices contribute to the success and optimal flock performance.
The Aviagen team were also in attendance, Bulent Tanyildizi, business manager, MENA provided a local and global market review, and Andreas Kranis, research geneticist, presented on Aviagen’s genetic progress.
During the Academy, all aspects of poultry production were explored, benefiting participants by helping them enhance their management skills, and maximise the genetic potential of their flocks. Tony Freiji, executive chairman, Wadi Group, closed the event by thanking the audience for their continued business and providing a motivational speech on how to stay focused on your objectives throughout challenging times.
“I'm thrilled to reflect on the successful conclusion of the 10th edition of the Wadi Poultry Academy, which we organised in collaboration with Aviagen. The theme of this year’s Academy, “Your Journey to Excellence,” focused on providing our attendees with the latest insights into genetic advancements and cutting-edge poultry management practices, shared by renowned experts from Aviagen.
It was an invaluable opportunity for all to gain new knowledge and share ideas. This year’s event was a testament to our unwavering commitment to not only advancing poultry science, but also to empowering our clients with the tools they need to thrive. As we look ahead, I am confident that Egypt’s poultry industry will continue to grow, overcome challenges, and remain a leader in the global market. We have set very high standards in the meticulous organisation and logistics of these events elevating the level of our gatherings to a world class status, and setting a new norm in the country. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this event possible. Together, we will continue to elevate the poultry sector, promote innovation, and strengthen our relationships for years to come,” commented Puzant.
Murat Yakar, regional technical manager, TMENA added, “We are delighted that we were able to support Wadi Group during their recent Wadi Poultry Academy for PS and broiler customers. The event was a great success, demonstrating exceptional professionalism and organisation. This collaboration highlights Aviagen’s commitment to advancing knowledge and driving success across the poultry industry, while strengthening our valued relationship with Wadi Poultry and their customer base.”

Changes in temperature and rainfall are making some areas less suitable for cocoa cultivation, while others may benefit from the shifting climate. (Image source: Shutterstock)
According to a study by Wageningen University & Research (WUR), climate change is having a significant impact on cocoa production in West and Central Africa
Changes in temperature and rainfall are making some areas less suitable for cocoa cultivation, while others may benefit from the shifting climate. Researcher Paulina Asante from Ghana and her colleagues used a computer model to simulate the impact of climate change by 2060 in four countries: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon. In Ivory Coast, up to 50% of the current cocoa-growing areas could be lost, significantly reducing production. Ghana is expected to see a moderate decline in suitable areas, while Nigeria and Cameroon may experience an increase in arable land for cocoa. Cameroon’s production could rise by 60%, and Nigeria’s by approximately 40%.
Risk of increased deforestation
These shifts may push cocoa farming into previously untouched areas, increasing the risk of deforestation, explained WUR researcher, Niels Anten. “Cameroon has a relatively large amount of rainforest, and cocoa is often grown in areas that were originally tropical forests. This puts significant pressure on these ecosystems.”
"Addressing the impact of climate change on cocoa requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. It affects every stage of the supply chain: farmers face reduced yields, businesses encounter rising costs, and consumers see higher prices,” said Paulina Asante. “While collaboration can be challenging, it is crucial to help current production regions adapt and maintain production on existing plantations. This will prevent cocoa-related deforestation elsewhere and ensure that deforestation-free policies, like the EU law EUDR, deliver meaningful outcomes."
New EU law to prevent deforestation
The European Union is introducing new import rules to combat global deforestation. Starting in September, the Regulation of Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR) will prohibit imports of products, including cocoa, from areas deforested after 2021.
Uncertain factors in projections
The models used by the researchers combine current knowledge of cocoa physiology with projected climate changes in West and Central Africa. However, there are still many unknowns. One is the effect of rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Since CO2 enhances photosynthesis, it could mitigate some of the negative effects of drought and heat. The extent of this impact remains uncertain. Additionally, researchers are still exploring how flowering and fruiting will respond to warming, as well as how pests and diseases may evolve. Further research is urgently needed - not just for cocoa but for all crops - to better prepare agriculture for the future.
Major consequences for farmers
For many farmers in West Africa, who already face low incomes and limited access to resources, climate change could have profound consequences. To offset the negative effects, it is crucial to increase yields per hectare. There is significant potential for improvement, as the current production levels are far below their potential. Better soil management and targeted fertilisation could help bridge this gap. Agroforestry, where cocoa trees are grown alongside other trees, also holds promise. Shade trees can lower temperatures, stabilise humidity, and provide additional products, diversifying farmers' incomes. “Choosing the right shade trees is essential. Some trees use too much water, exacerbating drought issues. It is crucial to select species suited to the local climate and soil conditions,” says Danaë Rozendaal, another researcher on the team. Developing heat- and drought-resistant cocoa varieties and providing training for farmers can also help maintain or even boost production.
The research involved collaboration between WUR groups Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Plant Production Systems Group, and Forest Ecology & Forest Management Group, along with cocoa companies, international and national research institutions, NGOs (non-governmental organisations), and local governments as part of the Norwegian government-funded CocoaSoils programme.
Chocolate prices
The effects of climate change on cocoa production are already noticeable. Cocoa trees, which typically have a lifespan of 20 to 30 years, are struggling with higher temperatures and unpredictable rainfall. This has previously led to crop failures in Ivory Coast. Consumers feel the impact through higher chocolate prices. Some manufacturers are responding by incorporating alternatives, such as cookie pieces, into chocolate bars to reduce cocoa use. “I don’t think cocoa will become so scarce that chocolate letters will only be visible under a microscope in the future,” Anten jokes, “but the sector must adapt to the changing climate.”
The research on the impact of climate change on cocoa production in West and Central Africa is ongoing. Current studies are examining the extent to which West Africa can meet growing cocoa demand while adhering to the EUDR regulations.
The Netherlands and cocoa
Climate effects on cocoa also have economic implications for the Netherlands, one of the largest players in the global cocoa industry. The Netherlands is the second-largest exporter of cocoa, processing large volumes into chocolate and other products for worldwide export. The annual Dutch export value of cocoa and cocoa products is nearly 10 billion euros - almost equal to the combined export value of the dairy and egg sectors. This makes cocoa the fourth-largest export sector in the country.

These awards recognise the most innovative designs in engineering products or systems for the food and agriculture industries. (Image source: New Holland)
New Holland Agriculture recently announced that it has been honored with three prestigious AE50 Awards from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE)
These awards recognise the most innovative designs in engineering products or systems for the food and agriculture industries. New Holland's IntelliSense Bale Automation, CropSpeed Monitoring System, and UltraFeed Pickup have each been acknowledged for their groundbreaking contributions to agricultural technology.
IntelliSense Bale Automation: Revolutionising Baling Efficiency
The IntelliSense Bale Automation system has set a new standard in the large square baler industry. This cutting-edge technology for New Holland’s BigBaler range offers the potential for greater productivity, bale quality, fuel efficiency and operator comfort by automating key baler and tractor functions. It integrates SmartSteer swath guidance and IntelliCruise II speed control, utilising LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology to provide precise navigation and real-time adjustments. Farmers have underlined the system's ability to automate feedrate and swath guidance, which significantly reduces operator fatigue and increases efficiency.
CropSpeed Monitoring System: Enhancing Crop Management
The CropSpeed Monitoring System featured on the FR Forage Cruiser self-propelled forage harvesters is the first system of its kind in the industry, and it’s based around a spout-mounted radar sensor that monitors the crop flow leaving the machine, detecting any change in its rate in relation to the forage harvester’s forward speed. Operators using the system have the potential to reduce blockage likelihood and make dense blockage far less likely to occur in the machine, with the cleanout and work resumption being far faster. This system also helps less-experienced operators operate with more confidence to ensure they can maximize the output of the FR Forage Cruiser with minimum operator training before getting in the seat.
UltraFeed Pickup: Maximising Forage Harvester Productivity
The UltraFeed Pickup head is designed to enhance the performance of New Holland's FR Forage Cruiser self-propelled forage harvesters. Presented in 3.0 m, 3.5 m and 4.0 m working widths, the UltraFeed Pickup efficiently handles larger windrows and improves crop flow through the harvester. Its robust belt-driven driveline and innovative auger design ensure increased capacity, uptime, and service life. The UltraFeed Pickup also features a large roller windguard and optional auto greasing system, further optimising productivity and reducing maintenance. The AE50 Awards will be presented at the Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference (AETC), which is scheduled to take place from 9-12 February 2025, in Louisville. This event will celebrate the most innovative designs in agricultural engineering, including New Holland's award-winning technologies.