Fertilizer Fallout & Food Safety: A new report warns that cadmium and arsenic—often present in phosphate fertilizers—can build up in rice soils over time, raising long-term contamination risks for staple crops in places like Catanduanes, and points to agroecology as a way to cut exposure while keeping yields up. Farm Finance for Drought Hits: Ireland’s Bank of Ireland is offering discounted 24-month working-capital loans at 4.88% for drought-affected farmers, covering inputs like feed, seed, fertilizer and fuel, plus options such as overdrafts and repayment holidays. Water & Nutrients Underperform in Strawberries: Research from CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University says strawberry productivity in the north-western Himalayas is being held back by poor water-nutrient synchronization and weak soil-moisture conservation, calling for more precise management. Soybean Processing Push in the US: CHS plans a $700m soybean processing facility near Evansville, Wisconsin, targeting 80m bushels annually and completion in fall 2028. Trade Signals for Farmers: China is accelerating purchases of US soybeans ahead of Xi’s US trip, with state firms ordering at least 1m extra tons and total current-year buys around 13m tons. Regional Market Access for Food: Indonesia and Bulgaria are exploring expanded agricultural and food trade, including investment and tech cooperation tied to Indonesia’s nutrition program. On-the-Ground Farming Pressure: In Kenya’s Turkana, farmers are turning to cowpeas as a lifeline via irrigation and improved varieties tested with KALRO support. Infrastructure Bottleneck: Residents and farmers in India’s Jogulamba Gadwal protest for service roads and highway entry/exit links, saying poor connectivity is blocking farm access and transport. Policy & Scrutiny: A Scotland hearing will examine how a proposed 400kV pylon line could affect farming operations, health risks and machinery clearances. Agriculture as Business, Not Just Output: Fiji’s PM Rabuka urged the sector to focus on productivity, innovation, value addition and better returns as the 2026 National Agriculture Show opens.