b'that harvest timing and post-desiccation intervals remain importantlion pesos annuallyas a tool for development, inclusion and social steps to ensure optimal frying quality. justice. He explained that recent legal reforms now allow cooperatives A key differentiator for BRS F21 is resistance to Potato virusand social economy organizations to participate in public purchasing Y (PVY), a major constraint on yields and seed quality in Brazilsunder fairer conditions, including exclusive procurement opportu-potato sector, alongside good resistance to late blight and blacknities and advance payments. Officials said the challenge ahead is spot. The launch also expands Embrapas broader cultivar portfolio,scaling this model across the entire federal administration.which targets both fresh consumption and industrial markets underThe Ministry of Finance also presented progress on a Brazils tropical and subtropical growing conditions, with ongoingFramework Agreement that will allow federal agencies to purchase development supported by multi-site evaluation and industry andcoffee from social sector organizations through the governments producer partnerships. Digital Store, using sustainability, traceability and transparency criteria. For 2026, the government plans to procure 68 tonnes of roasted and ground coffee valued at about 20 million pesos, a move STATUS MEXICO seen as a step toward more equitable and sustainable markets for Mexican authorities have taken further steps toward establishingcoffee-producing communities across Mexico.a national model for sustainable public coffee procurement, fol-lowing a high-level meeting convened by the Secretariat AgainstSTATUS SINGAPORECorruption and Good Governance and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The session reviewed the results of the firstResearchers at the National University of Singapore developed dis-public purchase of coffee from social sector organizations carried outsolving microneedle patches that inject living biofertilizer microbes in 2025 and outlined implementation plans for 2026. into plant leaves or stems instead of soil. In greenhouse tests, Choy Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegu Sacristn highlighted theSum and kale grew faster and largerboosting shoot biomass, social and environmental significance of Mexican coffee, noting thatleaf area, and heightwhile using over 15% less biofertilizer than around 500,000 producers are involved nationwide, most of themsoil inoculation. The approach addresses a key bottleneck: soil-ap-small-scale farmers and predominantly from Indigenous communi- plied microbes often fail to reach roots and must compete with ties. He stressed that Indigenous peasant coffee systems are closelynative microbes or survive poor soil conditions. The biodegradable linked to Mexicos exceptional biodiversity and said strengtheningpolymer needles dissolve after insertion, releasing microbes with direct purchasing relationships between the State and producersminimal plant stress and more predictable dosing. Patches loaded aligns with the Presidents directive and requires moving beyondwith growth-promoting bacteria outperformed soil treatments and conventional support mechanisms. controls, identifying the lowest effective dose. Microbes reached Undersecretary of Good Government Alejandro Encinas Njeraroots within days and improved the root microbiome; a beneficial underscored the role of public procurementworth around 700 bil- fungus showed similar results. FEBRUARY 2026|SEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPEISEED WORLD EUROPE I 39'