Latest news with #YangMing
The Star
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
China's ‘vegetable capital' to test farming know-how in UAE's harsh deserts
A prominent Chinese city known for vegetable farming has agreed to build a smart agriculture centre in the UAE. — SCMP Shouguang, a city in eastern China known for its copious vegetable production, is building a 100,000-square-meter centre for smart agriculture in the harsh deserts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to export the country's technological advances in farming. Leading UAE agritech firm Silal signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Shouguang Vegetable Industry Group on Monday to co-invest 120mil dirham (RM 139.09mil or US$32.67mil) in the centre to transform desert farming in the Middle Eastern country, state news agency Xinhua reported. The collaboration – part of a global outreach campaign by what is colloquially referred to as China's 'vegetable capital' – is another instance of Beijing exporting agricultural know-how to countries taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative, an infrastructure-driven strategy for regional connectivity. The new facility will make use of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics to enhance the efficiency and precision of seeding, climate control, irrigation and harvesting. It will support the cultivation of over 10 crop varieties, Xinhua said, including tomatoes, cucumbers, melons and strawberries. 'Abu Dhabi, as a frontier for agricultural technology innovation, offers a visionary platform and a real-world test bed for deploying advanced systems in extreme climates,' Yang Ming, founder of the group, was quoted as saying. Silal CEO Saleem al-Ameri said the collaboration would serve as a model for agricultural innovation across the Persian Gulf, contributing to a scalable and sustainable framework for regional development. The facility will feature greenhouse systems imported from Shouguang and customised for the UAE's environment. These include smart photovoltaic glasshouses, film-connected structures, and large-span solar greenhouses, Xinhua said. Supporting infrastructure will include an AI lab, technology testing zones, water treatment systems, edible fungus cultivation areas and a cold chain logistics centre – creating an end-to-end agricultural ecosystem from seedling to export, the companies said. Monday's deal is in alignment with broader trends in China's agricultural trade. In April, the General Administration of Customs reported that exports of pesticide formulations to countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative rose 15.5% in the first quarter, while agricultural machinery exports to those same countries surged 37.2%. Shouguang, which supplies an annual 9 million tonnes of vegetables to China, is embracing digital transformation as its international footprint grows. One of the major enterprises in this process, Shandong Lisente Agricultural Technology, has established 272 farming zones across 29 countries since its founding 15 years ago, according to local news app Haibao. Agriculture minister Han Jun noted in a February article in Qiushi, the top theoretical journal of the Communist Party, that the country's farming technology has reached the 'global first tier', boasting a 63.2% contribution rate to agricultural progress, improved seeds covering more than 96% of farmland and a mechanisation rate above 75%. However, the sector is in a critical moment of transition as it shifts toward independent innovation, Han said, as frontier disciplines such as gene editing, synthetic biology, and AI are likely to shape the future of global agritech. – South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's ‘vegetable capital' to test farming know-how in UAE's harsh deserts
Shouguang, a city in eastern China known for its copious vegetable production, is building a 100,000-square-meter centre for smart agriculture in the harsh deserts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to export the country's technological advances in farming. Leading UAE agritech firm Silal signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Shouguang Vegetable Industry Group on Monday to co-invest 120 million dirham (US$32.67 million) in the centre to transform desert farming in the Middle Eastern country, state news agency Xinhua reported. The collaboration – part of a global outreach campaign by what is colloquially referred to as China's 'vegetable capital' – is another instance of Beijing exporting agricultural know-how to countries taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative , an infrastructure-driven strategy for regional connectivity. The new facility will make use of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics to enhance the efficiency and precision of seeding, climate control, irrigation and harvesting. It will support the cultivation of over 10 crop varieties, Xinhua said, including tomatoes, cucumbers, melons and strawberries. 'Abu Dhabi, as a frontier for agricultural technology innovation, offers a visionary platform and a real-world test bed for deploying advanced systems in extreme climates,' Yang Ming, founder of the group, was quoted as saying. Silal CEO Saleem al-Ameri said the collaboration would serve as a model for agricultural innovation across the Persian Gulf, contributing to a scalable and sustainable framework for regional development.
The Star
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
UAE, China's agri-tech companies to launch 33-mln-USD smart hub
ABU DHABI, May 19 (Xinhua) -- United Arab Emirates agri-tech firm Silal signed a strategic partnership with China's Shouguang Vegetable Industry Group (SVG) on Monday to establish a 33-million-U.S.-dollar smart agricultural technology hub in Al Ain, near Abu Dhabi. The facility, spanning around 100,000 square metres, will integrate artificial intelligence, robotics, and advanced greenhouse systems designed for the UAE's arid climate, Silal said in a statement. The project will also leverage solar energy to reduce environmental impact. Key features of the hub include AI laboratories, automated irrigation systems, post-harvest processing units, and logistics centres. The facility will grow more than a dozen crop varieties, with the goal of reducing water and fertiliser usage by up to 30 percent. Silal CEO Salmeen Alameri said the partnership would "revolutionize" the UAE's agri-tech landscape. "By combining SVG's world-leading greenhouse technology with Silal's focus on innovation and sustainability, we are building a model for advanced agriculture," he said. Yang Ming, co-founder of SVG, said the UAE's climate offers a "crucial testing ground" for agri-tech solutions. "This partnership gives us an unparalleled opportunity to refine and deploy our technologies in one of the most challenging environments," he added. The agreement was signed during the "Make it in the Emirates 2025" forum and was witnessed by UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber and Minister of Climate Change and Environment Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Port Fees on Chinese Ships Would ‘Distort Competition,' But Who Benefits?
Proposed fees on Chinese-built ships calling at U.S. ports could potentially 'distort competition' in container shipping as we know it, according to one industry consultancy. Container shipping research firm Alphaliner named HMM (Hyundai Merchant Marine), Yang Ming and Evergreen as the big winners of a port fee-inclusive shipping environment ahead of the second day of Congressional hearings on the proposal Wednesday. More from Sourcing Journal Red Sea Crisis at Center of Trump Admin's Group Chat Gaffe Maersk Plans $500 Million Upgrades for NY/NJ Port Terminal Retailers Grow Concerned Over Proposed Port Fees for Chinese Ships Evergreen made 53 calls at U.S. ports in February, but none of the ships from the Taiwan-based ocean carrier were built in mainland China. HMM made 15 port calls during the month, only using South Korea-built vessels. Taiwan's other major carrier, Yang Ming, had just one port call with a Chinese-built ship, across the 23 stops it made in the U.S. that month. As per the proposed fees, any vessel operator stopping at a U.S. port with a Chinese-built ship would have to pay up to $1.5 million per port call, depending on the percentage of Chinese-built vessels they have in their fleet. Of the three carriers, only Yang Ming would have to pay the $1.5 million fee for its one stop it made at The Port of Tacoma with the 12,726-container capacity YM Truth vessels. Two of the three carriers also have a major edge compared to their counterparts due to their current orderbook. With the U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) proposal, carriers would be charged up to $1 million per port call if more than 50 percent of their newbuilding orders are with Chinese shipyards. Lesser fines would be imposed depending on the percentage of incoming ships out of China. According to data from freight benchmarking platform Xeneta, both Yang Ming and HMM have no orders coming out of China. For Evergreen, the story gets slightly more complicated as 17 percent of its orderbook originates in China. That would subject the company to up to $500,000 per vessel entrance to a U.S. port, under the proposed actions. But Evergreen's orderbook percentage remains far below the other major carriers who already making calls to U.S. ports with Chinese-built ships. Alphaliner said the carriers with the most U.S. calls using Chinese-built vessels were Maersk (38 vessels out of a total of 214), ZIM (37 ships out of 73), CMA CGM (36 of 139), MSC (34 of 218) and China's Cosco Shipping (25 of 72). 'It is obvious that these carriers would like to replace those ships in US liner services if the fee proposal were implemented. This would create a problem for ZIM, as the 37 calls with vessels made in China represent just over half its total calls,' said Alphaliner in its weekly newsletter. ZIM would get a major reprieve in the long run since it currently has no Chinese vessels in its orderbook, according to Xeneta. To assess the potential effect of this fee structure, Alphaliner analyzed the calls of all container ships carrying more than 1,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) operated by the top 10 carriers at the 20 biggest U.S. ports in February. Alphaliner counted 1,002 port calls, 190 of which were made by Chinese-built ships (19 percent). These calls were realized by 488 different vessels. While the proposed fee structure would be imposed due to the USTR's finding of China's 'unreasonable' dominance as a maritime, logistics and shipbuilding nation, most of the container ships entering U.S. ports in February were built in South Korea (54.5 percent), according to Alphaliner. China comes in second place (20.9 percent), with Japan following in third (12.3 percent). Although the $1.5 million fee has been the most widely reported of the penalties levied after the nine-month USTR investigation, much of the controversy surrounding the punitive measures surrounds the fact that many of these levies would add up significantly and pass on costs to importers and exporters alike. Container shipping giants that build their ships in China like Cosco Shipping and its subsidiary Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) would be paying up to $3.5 million per port call under the circumstances currently laid out. This would cost a pretty penny for many importers, as 17 percent of U.S. inbound container cargo from the Far East comes on Chinese carriers, according to container shipping analysis firm Linerlytica. After Wednesday's Congressional hearing, the USTR will review the testimonies and written submissions laid out by shipping firms, retailers, manufacturers, farmers and other importers and exporters 'to determine the appropriateness and feasibility of the proposed actions.' Despite the calamity over the fees themselves, U.S. sentiment toward the actions against China are largely supported by citizens and lawmakers across parties—especially the latter, which have introducing bipartisan legislation to revitalize American shipbuilding. Seventy-two percent of Americans agree that the U.S. cannot remain dependent on foreign manufacturers to build ships, according to a survey from the Alliance for American Manufacturing. The 2,200-respondent survey indicated that 68 percent agree that the nation's ability to build ships for both commercial and military needs is a matter of national security.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Yang Ming profit soars on Red Sea diversions, emerging Asia markets
The Red Sea crisis and emerging Asian markets helped Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. to strong operational performance and profitability in 2024. The Taiwan-based ocean carrier ( in a release said full-year consolidated revenues totaled $6.94 billion, up from $4.51 billion in 2023. Net profit after tax surged to $2 billion from $153 million. The positive results came as global container shipping saw a net capacity increase of approximately 3 million twenty-foot equivalent units in 2024. Despite supply growth outpacing demand, several factors helped absorb excess capacity, including vessel rerouting due to the Red Sea crisis and congestion at key ports. The company also benefited from robust economic performance in emerging Asian markets. The first three quarters of 2024 saw favorable market conditions, with rising cargo volumes and freight rates. The world's ninth-largest liner operator did not disclose full-year container volume. Looking ahead to 2025, Yang Ming cited Alphaliner data forecasting a 5.7% increase in shipping capacity and a 2.5% growth in demand. Uncertainties persist, including potential U.S. tariff developments and ongoing security concerns in the Red Sea region. It also said European Union environmental regulations present new compliance challenges for shipping. Yang Ming said it is implementing several strategic initiatives, including strengthening its core business and enhancing existing alliances; accelerating its regional route strategy and penetrating emerging markets; optimizing fleet deployment to improve operational efficiency; and advancing a vessel optimization plan for up to 13 new ships, including dual-fuel-ready and liquefied natural gas dual-fuel-fitted vessels. The new vessels, ranging from 8,000-to-15,000-TEU capacity, are likely to be deployed in intra-Asia service as well. The company declared a cash dividend of 23 cents per share. Find more articles by Stuart Chirls World sees record revenue, but profit slips Amid ocean container liner gains, Zim earnings shine OOCL sees strong 2024 results despite ocean shipping challenges Arrival of world's largest car carrier marks Texas port's gateway strategy The post Yang Ming profit soars on Red Sea diversions, emerging Asia markets appeared first on FreightWaves.
