WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — Austrade Inc. has launched a non-GMO hydrolyzed sunflower lecithin powder for functional beverage manufacturers.
The powder is produced through a two-step process that combines enzymatic hydrolysis with concentration technology. The process then creates small mobile molecules with a Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance (HLB) of 9-10, which is engineered for oil-in-water emulsion performance, according to the company.
“This advanced lecithin technology represents exactly the kind of innovation our customers need to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving functional beverage space,” said Robert Rice, vice president of Sales at Austrade Inc. “This ingredient not only solves complex formulation challenges but also aligns with sustainability trends through its sunflower origin and reduced dosage requirements.”
The lecithin powder offers manufacturers functionality at lower dosage levels and maintains a neutral color and flavor for formulations.
The lecithin powder may be used in such applications as plant-based coffee creamers, barista plant-based milks, nutritional beverages, protein-rich formulations, frozen desserts and nutritional supplements.
Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) is investing in a further terminal in Ukraine. The company is acquiring 60 percent of the shares in Eurobridge Intermodal Terminal LLC in Batiovo, western Ukraine. HHLA is thus underlining the strategic importance of Ukraine as a hub for continental container transport and at the same time strengthening its position in European rail freight transport.
The terminal will be operated under the name “HHLA Eurobridge Batiovo” as a joint venture between HHLA International GmbH and the Ukrainian investment company Fortior Capital LLC. HHLA will acquire the majority stake and will continue to develop the terminal together with its rail subsidiary METRANS. The transaction is still subject to approval by the Ukrainian competition authorities.
About an hour by road northwest of the famed Terracotta Warriors, combine harvesters send out clouds of dust as they work their way through the parched wheat fields of Maqiao village in China’s northwestern Shaanxi province.
But local farmers like Zhou Yaping say there is little to celebrate.
Some of her crop is still tinged with green in a sign it hasn’t fully ripened, and she expects she’ll get only half the 1,000 kg of wheat her two-thirds of an acre plot usually yields.
“I’ve been growing wheat for over 20 years, and I’ve never seen a drought this bad,” said Zhou, 50, during a late May visit.
Parts of China’s wheat belt in Shaanxi and Henan provinces have been hit hard by hot, dry weather, with the sun baking the soil into cracked slabs and scorching the wheat before it could ripen.
Last month, Shaanxi recorded its highest average temperatures since records began in 1961.
Turkey’s state grain board TMO has announced its 2025 grain procurement prices, setting the base purchase price for milling and durum wheat at 13,500 TL/tonne (~USD 420). With additional premiums, producers will receive up to 16,020 TL/tonne (~USD 500). The move aims to support domestic grain production against the backdrop of escalating production costs and market volatility.
The Turkish Grain Board (TMO) has officially unveiled the domestic procurement prices for the 2025 grain season, signaling strong institutional support for local farmers amid ongoing inflationary pressures in agriculture. According to the announcement, the purchase price has been set at 13,500 TL/tonne (~USD 420) for second-grade milling and durum wheat and 11,000 TL/tonne (~USD 345) for barley.
With the inclusion of supplementary payments from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry—comprising base support, planned production incentives, and certified seed bonuses—farmers will effectively receive 16,020 TL/tonne (~USD 500) for wheat and 13,520 TL/tonne (~USD 422) for barley. These levels represent a year-on-year increase of over 45% for wheat.
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Australia’s wheat production is projected to drop 10 per cent this year to 30.6 million tonnes, with barley and canola output also expected to fall due to dry conditions across several cropping regions, the agriculture ministry said.
Nevertheless, production is expected to remain well above the 10-year average, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) said in a quarterly crop report.
Australia is one of the world’s biggest agricultural exporters.
Low soil moisture in southern New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and the northern wheat belt of Western Australia led some farmers to reduce planted area, and dry-sown crops now depend on June rainfall to germinate and establish, ABARES said.
Conditions are significantly better in Queensland, northern New South Wales and southern parts of Western Australia, and forecasts point to above-average winter rainfall across most cropping regions.
In 10 years, when generative AI becomes far more advanced and fully autonomous, it will manage all aspects of agriculture—from seed to table.
This is the view of Monica Houston, AI and machine learning manager at Tria Technologies, a subsidiary of Avnet, who provides evidence in her article published on the Global Ag Tech Initiative portal.
Agriculture is a significant part of the global economy, accounting for 60% of GDP in countries like India, for example. Farmers have always struggled to manage their fields and yields, which are affected by various conditions, some of which are now worsening. These include a growing number of severe weather events due to climate change—droughts, floods, soil erosion, biodiversity loss, and more, including the impact of human activity on the planet. Then there are ongoing issues like labor shortages, pests, and diseases affecting crops and livestock, evolving regulations and standards, and the constantly changing expectations of food producers, retailers, and consumers. Additionally, there is increasing concern about environmental preservation and pollinator protection.
Vietnamese companies have signed memorandums with the US to purchase $2 billion worth of American agricultural products, Reuters reports, citing the US Department of Agriculture. The signed agreements are part of efforts to conclude a new trade agreement between the two countries.
The new agreements, signed during a visit to the US by a delegation of 50 Vietnamese companies led by Agriculture Minister Do Duc Duy, include five memoranda and provide for expanded purchases of corn, wheat, dried distillers grains, and soybean meal over three years.
Tariffs on Vietnamese products were estimated by the Trump administration at 46%. Although they were suspended until July, if they come into force, they could seriously undermine the growth model of Vietnam’s agribusiness sector, which relies on exports to the United States as its main market.
Last year, Vietnam purchased $3.4 billion worth of US agricultural products and exported $13.68 billion worth of its own agricultural products to the US. Vietnam and the Trump administration are still talking about a trade deal, with Vietnam promising to let in more imports from the US to close the trade gap between the two countries.
During the transition period between the old and new harvests, the wheat market in Ukraine is showing mixed signals, but the long-term outlook remains positive, according to the analytical cooperative Pusk, established within the framework of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council.
“The market is essentially in an off-season. The old harvest has been almost entirely traded — there is still some demand, but it is not significant. The market is gradually starting to dip. Last week saw a short-term price drop, but by the end of the week, the market had returned to an upward trend,” the analysts said.
In their view, amid declining global supply and increasing weather risks in key producing countries — particularly in Russia and the United States — the new Ukrainian harvest has every chance to remain competitive.
“Weather risks are significant. Wheat is likely to be expensive in the new season. Already in the fall, prices for third-class wheat may reach $230–240 per ton, and in the second half of the season — up to $260,” the experts forecast.