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Investors Seek Safe Havens in Asia Ahead of U.S. Election

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

As the U.S. election approaches, investors are selling yen and moving into cash, Indian assets, select parts of China’s markets, and Singapore dollars, anticipating shifts in global financial flows. Asia’s markets are poised for volatility based on the election outcome, prompting fund managers to reduce exposure to vulnerabilities in Japanese manufacturing and Hong Kong stocks while exploring opportunities in more stable regions.

“We actually view China as a decent place to hide,” said Jon Withaar, manager of an Asia special situations hedge fund at Pictet Asset Management. He noted that China has strong domestic drivers and a lower correlation with global market movements. “The best thing for us to do is just sit on the sidelines and wait,” he added.

With the November 5 election approaching, betting odds favour Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Kamala Harris, leading to market reactions like selling U.S. bonds and buying dollars. In Asia, the low-yielding yen is being sold off against the dollar. Nick Ferres, chief investment officer at Vantage Point Asset Management, remarked, “We sense that Donald is going to win, and it might even be a Republican sweep.” He added that “the implication for the dollar is Trump is probably a bit more pro-growth.”

The yen has dropped 6.5% against the dollar through October, marking the largest decline of any G10 currency.

Investors are targeting markets less exposed to tariff risks and buoyed by demographic trends and China’s expected stimulus initiatives. Ray Sharma-Ong of ABRDN stated, “The Singapore dollar would stand tall against regional currencies,” while Indian stocks may offer insulation due to strong domestic growth and a low export-to-GDP ratio. 

John Hempton, founder of Bronte Capital, expressed uncertainty: “I honestly don’t know what Trump can achieve. If I genuinely don’t know what I’m doing, then I just try and stay out of the way – try to minimize the damage.”

Goldman Sachs has noted increased exposure to China and North Asia among emerging market funds, which could accelerate after the election. “We see emerging markets equities to be well placed to outperform next year regardless of the outcome,” said Gary Tan, portfolio manager at Allspring Global Investments, highlighting potential benefits from a Harris win.

Only 1% Of Cyprus Farms Use Precision Farming Technologies

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

Cyprus remains one of the European Union’s least digitised agricultural economies, with just 1% of farms using precision farming technologies in 2023, according to Eurostat.

The findings come as the EU continues to encourage the adoption of digital tools aimed at improving agricultural productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

Internet Access Expands, But Digital Uptake Lags

Internet access has improved across the bloc, although adoption remains uneven. Eurostat found that 43% of EU farms had internet access in 2023, with northern and central European countries leading the way.

Denmark, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Austria all reported internet access rates above 90%.

Greater connectivity, however, has not translated into widespread digital adoption. Farm management information systems, which help farmers manage day-to-day operations, were used by only about 11% of EU farms. France was a notable exception, with around 60% of farms using the technology.

Precision Farming Concentrated In Larger Operations

Robotics adoption also remained relatively limited, with only about 7% of EU farms using robotic technologies. Overall, around 18% of farms with utilised agricultural area employed at least one precision farming technology or practice in 2023.

These included robotics for plant protection, band spraying, variable-rate application, precision crop monitoring and soil analysis. Despite representing fewer than one in five farms, these holdings accounted for around 44% of the EU’s utilised agricultural area.

The figures suggest that precision farming remains concentrated among larger agricultural businesses, where investment in digital technologies is typically easier to support.

Cyprus Lags Behind EU Leaders

Luxembourg, Finland and Estonia recorded the highest shares of utilised agricultural area managed by farms using precision farming technologies, each exceeding 75%.

At the other end of the ranking, Cyprus recorded just 1%, while Greece and Romania reported between 10% and 15%. The results indicate that Cyprus remains at an early stage of digital adoption in agriculture, even as precision farming becomes more widespread across parts of the European Union.

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