World in brief

MOLDOVA Moldovan agriculture is facing significant challenges, with the area allocated to vegetable cultivation shrinking from over 10 000ha in 2004 to just 4 000ha in 2023. While local varieties once accounted for 80% of planted crops, many producers have switched to higher-yield varieties often unsuited to the Eastern European country's climate. According to a report by TVN, without effective irrigation – only 24 of the country's 88 systems are operational – further agricultural development will be impaired. UNITED KINGDOM English company Garford Farm Machinery unveiled its new multimodal vision guidance system, known as Robocrop AI InRow, at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London, held from 30 September to 1 October. The system offers improved flexibility and resilience to varying light conditions and weed pressure. Using AI, it integrates colour, infrared, and depth data to…