Australia - Destructive winds wipe out crops to Toowoomba's west

24.01.2014 248 views

TOOWOOMBA may have copped a drenching, but farmers west of the Garden City barely saw a drop.

Instead, intense winds knocked out crops almost ready for harvest, flattening hopes of a decent yield and reprieve from tight conditions.

Norwin farmer Graham Clapham said about 80 per cent of his corn crop due to be harvested next week had been wiped out in Thursday's storm.

He said less than 1mm of rain had been recorded on his property near Cecil Plains.

"We had some irrigated corn that finished up prematurely due to the dry weather and intense heat, and it was still looking to be a reasonable crop, but about 80 per cent of it has been blown over," he said.

"I'm hoping we'll still be able to pick it up to harvest it.

"The weather hasn't been kind to us at all."

Mr Clapham described waking up to news of 70mm and more falls to the east of Cecil Plains as tormenting.

"It was so close," he said.

"It still looks overcast and still feels good, so we can only hope we might share in some of it.

"We haven't had any useful rain since July last year and that is quite unusual.

"Combined with that is the fact we've had more than our fair share of heat and wind."

He said the dry and hot conditions had pushed the corn and cotton harvests forward by at least a month.

Source - http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/

Australia - Destructive winds wipe out crops to Toowoomba's west

Toowoomba may have copped a drenching, but farmers west of the Garden City barely saw a drop. Instead, intense winds knocked out crops almost ready for harvest, flattening hopes of a decent yield and reprieve from tight conditions. About 80 per cent of corn crop due to be harvested next week had been wiped out in Thursday's storm. Less than 1mm of rain had been recorded on his property near Cecil Plains. The dry and hot conditions had pushed the corn and cotton harvests forward by at least a month.

14.06.2026

Zurich Australia partners with Crop Risk Underwriting

Zurich Australia has partnered with Crop Risk Underwriting (CRU), a specialist crop insurance underwriting agency and part of the 360 Group of Companies, to provide crop insurance in Australia from June 1, 2026.

14.06.2026

Fiji - Crop cover push: Scheme to help farmers recover faster, says Tunabuna

Over the past 10 years, natural disasters have wreaked havoc through farmlands costing Government more than $700million.

14.06.2026

Canada - Tornado warnings and hail put southeast Saskatchewan insurers on alert

A severe weather outbreak across 29 rural municipalities is set to drive a wave of home, auto and crop insurance claims.

14.06.2026

India - Maharashtra storms damage 18,121 hectares of bananas

Unseasonal rainfall, strong winds, and hailstorms have affected crops across more than 61,000 hectares in 27 districts of Maharashtra, India, with banana plantations accounting for a large share of the reported losses. 

14.06.2026

Colombia passes law to track cattle and keep deforestation-linked beef out of supply chains

Colombia has enacted a landmark law requiring the cattle industry to trace livestock and prove beef supply chains are free from deforestation, a measure environmental groups say makes it the first tropical forest country to adopt such a nationwide framework.

14.06.2026

Syngenta eyes deeper market expansion as Bangladesh agriculture embraces digital transformation

Company strengthens support for farmers through digital advisory platforms, crop insurance, mechanisation services, and climate-resilient agriculture initiatives.

04.06.2026

India - Delhi raises crop damage compensation after 10 years by over 50% to Rs 75,000 per hectare

In a major relief for farmers, the Delhi government has increased compensation for crop loss caused by rain and hailstorms from Rs 20,000 per acre to Rs 75,000 per hectare.

04.06.2026

Why Tech-Driven Agro-Insurance Has Stumbled in Ethiopia

For decades, Ethiopia’s agricultural sector has remained trapped in a dangerous paradox.