Bayer and Orbia Netafim launch new digital farming platform while Dhanuka Agritech strengthens crop protection portfolio

Bayer and Orbia’s Precision Agriculture business Netafim have strengthened their collaboration with a new initiative aimed at transforming horticultural farming practices. At the same time, Indian agrochemical leader Dhanuka Agritech has entered a strategic agreement with Bayer to acquire the international rights to key fungicides, marking a significant move to expand its global footprint. Together, these developments highlight the growing importance of digital farming and advanced crop protection solutions in driving agricultural productivity and sustainability.

The expanded collaboration between Bayer and Orbia Netafim focuses on providing fruit and vegetable growers with advanced digital tools. Bayer has launched a new digital platform, HortiView, designed to simplify data collection and sharing for horticultural crops. This platform aims to offer a more connected ecosystem for growers, enabling data-driven decision-making and market access. In tandem, Orbia Netafim is integrating tailored irrigation insights into HortiView, providing growers with customized recommendations based on real-time data to optimize irrigation, crop protection, and fertigation practices.

The collaboration addresses the industry’s need for a more cohesive approach to digital farming. Chris Pienaar, Fruit & Vegetable Digital New Value Lead for Bayer’s Crop Science division explained that this partnership will help overcome the lack of integration between digital tools by offering tailored, data-driven solutions that simplify the day-to-day challenges growers face.

Meanwhile, Dhanuka Agritech has signed an agreement with Bayer to acquire the international rights to Iprovalicarb and Triadimenol, two powerful fungicides used in horticulture and seed treatment. This acquisition, which includes the Melody brand and manufacturing rights across key markets such as Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, positions Dhanuka to expand its reach and strengthen its crop protection offerings globally.

Dhanuka’s move to acquire these products aligns with the company’s strategy to diversify its portfolio and improve agricultural productivity. The fungicides will play a critical role in managing crop diseases and enhancing yields in various crops, including cereals, cotton, and coffee.

The expanded partnerships between Bayer, Orbia Netafim, and Dhanuka are indicative of a broader trend toward integrated solutions in agriculture, where digital platforms and crop protection technologies work together to address the complex challenges faced by farmers. Bayer and Orbia Netafim’s collaboration is already underway with a group of grower advisors testing the new tools, which will eventually be rolled out more widely to help growers maximize crop production, reduce input costs, and improve sustainability.

Orbia Netafim’s Senior Vice President, Ofer Oveed, emphasized the importance of these collaborations in addressing global agricultural challenges. “By combining our expertise in irrigation and Bayer’s crop protection and digital platforms, we are working toward sustainable agriculture that can help farmers combat issues like climate change and rising input costs,” Oveed stated.

With these initiatives, Bayer and Orbia Netafim are advancing digital farming technology, while Dhanuka Agritech’s acquisition of Bayer’s fungicide rights positions it as a stronger player in the global crop protection market. Together, these companies are leveraging innovation to help farmers thrive in an increasingly complex agricultural landscape.