Agroinsurance

USA - With cool weather, crops dry slowly

Producers in the region could be dealing with late-maturing, high-moisture corn this fall.That means they have some decisions to make, according to Ken Hellevang, North Dakota State University Extension Service agricultural engineer and professor in NDSU’s Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department.Corn reaching maturity about Oct. 1 normally will dry slowly in the field because of lower ambient temperatures. Standing corn in the field might dry about 1.5 to 3 percent per week during October and 1 to 1.5 per week or less during November, assuming normal North Dakota weather conditions.Corn has a moisture content of about 32 percent when it reaches maturity. If it has a moisture content of 32 percent on Oct. 1, it might dry to only about 22 percent moisture by Nov. 1, assuming normal North Dakota climatic conditions.Field drying normally is more economical until mid-October, and mechanical high-temperature drying normally is more economical after that.“Assure corn stalks and shanks are strong if considering leaving very high-moisture corn in the field,” Hellevang advises. “Field losses can range from minor to severe. Compare the cost of drying versus losses associated with leaving the corn in the field.”To estimate the propane cost per bushel per point of moisture removed, multiply the propane price per gallon by 0.02. For example, the cost to remove 10 points of moisture using $2 propane is 40 cents. Dividing the propane cost by the corn price provides the percentage of corn losses that will equal the drying cost (40 cents divided by $3 equals 13 percent). Also, verify the impact on insurance of leaving the corn in the field.Storage in a poly bag is a good option, but it does not prevent mold growth or insect infestations. Grain should be dry when placed in a grain bag.Storing higher-moisture corn in a bag should be considered short-term and done only at near-freezing temperatures. At moisture contents exceeding about 25 percent, ensiling can occur at temperatures above freezing and prevent the corn from being dried and sold in the general market.When storing in bags, select an elevated, well-drained location with the surface prepared to prevent the bags from being punctured, and run the bags north and south so solar heating is similar on both sides of the bags. Wildlife can puncture the bags, creating an entrance for moisture and releasing the grain smell, which attracts more wildlife. Monitor the grain temperature at several locations in the bags and repair punctured bags.“Corn above 21 percent moisture should not be dried using natural-air and low-temperature drying to minimize corn spoilage during drying,” Hellevang says.“Because the drying capacity is extremely poor at temperatures below 35 to 40 degrees, little drying typically is possible using a natural-air system after about Nov. 1. Adding heat does not permit drying wetter corn and only slightly increases drying speed. The primary effect of adding heat is to reduce the final corn moisture content.”Cool and storeWhen outdoor temperatures average near or below freezing, cool the corn to 20 to 25 degrees for winter storage and finish drying in April to early May. Limit the corn depth to about 20 to 22 feet to obtain an airflow rate of 1 to 1.25 cubic feet per minute per bushel, which is necessary to dry the corn before deterioration occurs. Turn fans off during extended periods of rain, snow or fog to minimize the amount of moisture the fans pull into the bin.Using the maximum drying temperature that will not damage the corn increases the dryer capacity and reduces energy consumption of a high-temperature dryer.Removing a pound of water requiresabout 20 percent less energy at a drying air temperature of 200 degrees Fahrenheit than at 150 degrees. Follow the dryer manufacturer’s recommendations, but generally recommended plenum temperatures when drying corn are 210 to 230 degrees Fahrenheit.“Be aware that excessively high drying temperatures may result in a lower final test weight and increased breakage susceptibility,” Hellevang says. “In addition, as the drying time increases, high-moisture corn becomes more susceptible to browning. A cross-flow dryer that moves corn from the inside to the outside of the drying column, varies the corn flow rate across the drying column or varies the corn’s exposure to the drying air is more likely to maintain corn quality.”Removing debris that accumulates on or in a dryer is more critical when outside air temperatures are cold because condensation can develop on the dryer, creating a wet surface on which debris can collect. The debris might reduce airflow through the dryer, decreasing the dryer’s capacity and creating a fire hazard.More mechanical damage occurs when harvesting high-moisture corn, which affects the storage life of the corn. Dry low-test-weight corn and corn with more damaged kernels to a percentage point lower in moisture content than normal.Cooling the grain in storage to about 20 to 25 degrees for winter storage in northern corn-growing regions and near freezing in warmer regions is more important for damaged corn than for mature, sound corn. Check immature and damaged grain more frequently and do not put immature or damaged corn in long-term storage.“Also remember that working with high-moisture corn can be hazardous,” Hellevang cautions. “Become informed of the hazards and recommended safety practices. Do not become a fatality.”Source - http://www.agweek.com/

USA - 1.2M crop insurance policies already purchased

While farmers must make their decisions about purchasing crop insurance well before they plant, nearly 1.2 million policies have been processed through participating companies and Risk Management Agency as of Oct. 6, National Crop Insurance Services says.Those policies protect nearly 293 million acres representing more than $109 billion in liabilities, accounting for nearly $3.9 billion in farmer paid premiums.NCIS says these numbers will continue to grow as more policies are processed.In 2013, farmers spent nearly $4.5 billion to purchase more than 1.2 million crop insurance policies, and 90% of planted cropland was protected by crop insurance.Farmers and ranchers can purchase policies protecting 128 different crops, including nearly all major commodities and a long list of specialty crops including apricots, bananas, blueberries, cherries, coffee, olives and tangerines.Farmers have spent more than $38 billion out of their own pockets to purchase crop insurance policies since 2000, NCIS says.Source - http://farmfutures.com/

USA - Oklahoma Wheat Farmers Seek Drought Loss Relief from USDA

Oklahoma wheat farmers want the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement now a policy that’s scheduled to start in 2016 that farmers say would help ease the financial pain of ongoing drought.The policy is part of the 2014 Farm Bill.The amount of crop insurance a farmer is eligible for depends on actual production history. Farmers who lose crops to drought several years in a row have to report lower yields, meaning their insurance coverage decreases each year.The new policy allows farmers to omit records for years in which their crop yields are less than 50 percent of their county’s 10-year average.A USDA spokesman declined comment to The Oklahoman but U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has said the change is complex and would take time to work through.Source - http://www.insurancejournal.com/

Cambodia farms at risk

Cambodian farmers are at high risk of being affected by climate change due to low levels of awareness, education and adaptation, with women particularly vulnerable, a study released yesterday says.The study, which surveyed farmers in the provinces of Battambang, Kampong Thom, Takeo and Prey Veng, said that a critical lack of awareness exists despite occasional training programs from NGOs and the government.In Battambang province, for example, more than 81 per cent of farmers had no knowledge of how to appropriately respond to climate change by using tougher crop strains and improved seed storage techniques, the study reveals.“Many farmers are making decisions on how to respond without receiving information or support from any source outside of their communities. The farmers have not changed their agricultural practices due to resource constraints, risk aversion, lack of information and technical assistance, and lack of crop insurance,” reads the report, which was conducted by the NGO Forum on Cambodia.This lack of ability to adapt will heavily affect women, who were found to constitute 70 per cent of those most vulnerable to climate change across the study’s four provinces due to their lower health and education levels.The report says rising temperatures will increase the intensity of droughts and floods in different parts of the Kingdom, potentially causing rice production levels to plummet.For example, a 1 degree Celsius rise in temperature would render rice cultivation “unviable for many farmers”, while Cambodia’s mean temperature is projected to rise by up to 2 degrees by 2100.Already, historically high drought and flood levels mean 50 per cent of the farmers interviewed for the study face food shortages.The solution is for institutions to go as local as possible, said Socheat Sou, interim coordinator at the Cambodia Climate Change Network.“The government should focus directly on the communities, not only projects at the national and provincial level, but also the commune level,” Sou said.“Some [farmers] are aware, but not in general. They don’t know how to adapt.”Source - http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

India - In Rural Andhra Pradesh, Farmers Bear the Brunt of Hudhud

While Cyclone Hudhud has caused extensive damage to Vizag, with authorities saying that most of the city may have to be rebuilt, farmers in the rural areas of Srikakulam say their losses will be far greater.Srikakulam is one of the three districts to have faced the effect of cyclone Hudhud in a big way. In the town that serves as the district headquarters, a few trees have uprooted, the electricity is totally off, but otherwise, things seem fine.But just a few kilometres away, in rural Srikakulam, farmer Mohan shows us his paddy crop, almost totally flattened by Hudhud. He spent Rs. 24,000 per acre for the crop, his land measures to about 15 acres. "I can salvage a maximum of 25 per cent of this crop. Please give a favourable report. It will help me get compensation," says Mohan as we leave.Another few metres away, Ramesh is counting his losses at his banana plantation, another major crop on this area. All the banana trees at his plantation have uprooted, unripe bananas have fallen to the ground. Ramesh says, "this is a major crop in Srikakulam. I don't know what to do now. Nothing is left."Sugarcane, another big crop in the area, has suffered too, with most sugarcane fields flattened by Hudhud.The Andhra Pradesh government is assessing the damage to the state due to the cyclone, but farmers in rural areas of coastal Andhra Pradesh hope the government's efforts will not be limited to Vizag alone.Source - http://www.ndtv.com/

India - Heavy rain, winds wreak havoc in Kuttanad

The woes of Kuttanad farmers continue as they suffered huge losses due to heavy rain and strong winds that lashed on Sunday night.Paddy cultivation in hundreds acres fell prey to the heavy downpour in Kainakari, Kavalam, Thakazhi, Edathua, Chambakkulam and other panchayats in the area.Puthanarayiram padasekhra samithi secretary Joy said that heavy winds which lashed on Sunday night destroyed paddy in hundreds of acres in Kainakari and nearby panchayats.The farmers here have been employing the use of combined harvesters for harvesting grain. Now that the paddy has fallen, the harvester cannot be used to scoop up the paddy. So huge manpower will be needed to reap the fallen paddy,” Joy said.Kuppapuram Padasekhra Samithi secretary Raju said that, “We have lost hundreds of acres of paddy cultivation in Kuppapuram and nearby areas.“The golden crops that were on the threshold of harvest have fallen flat in the rain coupled with strong winds. Many of the paddy fields have also been inundated. So, paddy will start sprouting in the wet condition and this will lead to its destruction,” he said.Raju said that in the last season farmers had to encounter a problem of a different kind as they suffered huge losses due to saline water intrusion and heat.At the time of farming, the heavy floods also affected farming to a large extent. Many acres of paddy were also lost due to breaching of bunds. Due to sudden floods, cultivation could not be carried out in vast areas of Kuttanad.“We carried out farming after overcoming many hurdles and natural vagaries. But the rain and wind have landed farmers in trouble again,” he said.Agricultural Department deputy director A G Karim said that, “Reports about the losses have not reached agricultural offices in the respective panchayats. The isolated rain and wind have not inflicted much damage to the paddy cultivation. If the paddy has fallen, the modern combined harvesters can be employed.“If rains continue with unabated fury in the coming days, it will make matters worse and affect the cultivation, because paddy fields are submerged in water and harvesters cannot be utilised for reaping.”Source - http://www.newindianexpress.com/

USA - Damage to cotton crop now estimated at 24k acres

State agricultural officials now say an estimated 24,000 acres of cotton crops were damaged by a recent hail storm.The storm that struck Monday in Craighead and Mississippi counties produced golf ball-sized hail that resulted in up to the total loss of some cotton just as producers were preparing for harvest.Extension agents in the two counties say farmers are numb. Mississippi County Extension Staff Chairman Ray Benson says some farmers are "walking around like a zombie," not knowing what to do.Farmers met Saturday with Congressman Rick Crawford, insurance agents and state agriculture officials in Black Oak where Crawford said he'll work to find federal funding to help offset the losses. Representatives of U.S. Sens. Mark Pryor and John Boozman said the senators are also working to secure a disaster declaration for the area.Source - http://www.katv.com/

India - Major loss to crops

The agriculture sector received a severe setback with the heavy rains and gales in Vizianagaram district. The authorities are also unable to assess the loss till the situation comes under control.Thousands of acres of paddy crop is submerged in the water under Thotapally, Vengalarayasagar and Peddagedda projects. All the rivers are flowing with more than their capacity. Horticultural crops like papaya, banana and vegetable crops were totally damaged in Salur, S.kota, Kurupam, Komarada mandals.The towns of Vizianagarm and Parvathipuram submerged in four feet depth. Low level areas like Rajiv Nagar Colony, Thotapalem and Vuda Colony are still submerged. All the public are sitting in their homes and trying to know the situation of cyclone over phones. But all the communication systems like Internet and telephones went mum. All the towns and villages remained under darkness as the power supply has been stopped as a precautionary measure. The public are spending time with candles. Even the invertors had been discharged due to usage for a long time.Sugarcane in thousands of acres in Jami, L.Kota, Seethanagaram, Bobbili was totally damaged. Hoardings and telephone, electric poles were damaged.Source - http://www.deccanchronicle.com/

Ukraine - Ministry of Agrarian Policy to consider the issue of compensation to agrarians of Donetsk and Lugansk oblast

During planning the state budget for 2015, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine will consider the issue of compensation of losses to agrarians, due to the military actions in eastern oblasts of the country, declared Ihor Shvaika, Head of the Ministry.According to him, despite the difficult economic situation in the country, the agricultural sector shows rather positive dynamics.Also, I.Shvaika noted that the conflict in eastern oblasts of Ukraine complicates the supply of fuel, fertilizers, etc.Source - http://www.apk-inform.com/

India - Loss due to Cyclone Hudhud may be at least Rs 10,000 crore

Paddy fields and fruit orchards spread over thousands of acres, and long stretches of roads in north coastal Andhra and East Godavari district were damaged in the heavy rain and winds brought by Cyclone Hudhud on Sunday. Almost every household in the four affected districts suffered damage at least to some extent."The exact damage to crops is being ascertained," an official statement said, adding that four districts have been affected by the cyclone. Reports of damage to hundreds of fishing boats have come in from Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, and East Godavari districts. Scores of communication towers were also uprooted by strong winds, disrupting telephone and mobile network. The quantum of damage will be known only on Monday after official teams visit the affected areas."We have taken the help of ISRO to provide us with pictures using satellite technology. Based on the pictures, we will assess the crop loss, damage to roads, bridges, reservoirs, tanks and railway lines," Naidu told the media in Hyderabad before leaving for Vijayawada by a special aircraft and then proceeding by road to Visakhapatnam. He directed officials to take up restoration works on a war footing.Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

USA - Farm bill delay could affect 2015 cotton planting

Cotton growers in Texas and other southwestern states plagued by years of drought may plant fewer acres next season because of a bureaucratic delay in implementing a provision of the farm bill.The U.S. Agriculture Department was supposed to calculate production yields for all commodities by county in time for the 2015 crop year. But it now says the department's Risk Management Agency can't do that until the 2016 crop year.The delay is expected to reduce the amount of crop insurance available for purchase by growers because they won't be able to exclude years of eroded production caused by the last decade of drought. Farm lenders use such production stats in determining loans.Cotton growers, unlike other commodity producers who have other layers of financial protection, are expected to be hardest hit by the delay."It's just critical that they get it done," said Steve Verett, spokesman for the Lubbock-based Plains Cotton Growers, which represents cotton growers in 41 counties on the High Plains, the world's largest contiguous growing patch. "Folks at RMA understand the importance, but they've set priorities to do certain things and this is not one of the priorities."The farm bill mandate calls for the Risk Management Agency to calculate each U.S. county's actual production history. Growers in each county are able to drop off years in which production fell below 50 percent of a county's 10-year average.Individual producers then use the county numbers to establish their 10-year production average, allowing them to insure at a level that reflects what they hope to produce."Because of the drought many producers have had several years of losses," said David Cleavinger, who farms cotton, wheat, corn, and grain sorghum in Deaf Smith County. "Their average production is down and not taking those years out could make a difference if a bank was willing to finance them or not."Lawmakers said they will continue to pressure U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to get the calculations done on time."I'm unpersuaded with the reasons they've told me so far why they can't get this done," said U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway of Midland, a member of the House Agriculture Committee. "They can go through and triage this issue" for drought-ravaged regions.Vilsack called the agency's inability to do the county calculations a "staffing challenge," and noted that the farm bill provided additional funding to allow some of the work to be done by outside contracts."It's about priorities," Vilsack said last month. "This is not as simple as it may appear at first blush."Drought has plagued Texas, the nation's leading cotton-producing state, which suffered through its driest year ever in 2011, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado and Kansas in recent years. Drought also struck other southwestern states since 2011 and hit the Midwest in 2012.Don Langston, a cotton producer in Lubbock County, called the delay "just typical" government bureaucracy."We're out here fighting the drought," he said. "How long does it take for a computer to run those numbers?"Source - http://www.lancasterfarming.com/

India - Relief for Western Odisha

Western Odisha heaved a sigh of relief as cyclonic storm Hud Hud failed to cause any damage in the region on Sunday. Overcast condition and slight breeze marked the day after Hud Hud made landfall at Visakhapatnam around noon.The weather condition brought cheer among farmers of the region who were worried over their standing crops being affected by the cyclone. Till evening, there was no report of heavy rain.The day started with clear sky before overcast condition prevailed. Instances of slight drizzle were reported throughout the day. The situation was almost same in Sambalpur, Balangir, Nuapada, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Sonepur and Boudh districts.It was apprehended that the cyclone triggered rain would cause extensive damage to vegetable crops besides leading to discolouration of paddy. But the mild rain that continued throughout the day seems to have come as a blessing for the farmers who began cultivation late in view of deficit rainfall. The farmers in non-irrigated areas now stand to gain as the paddy crop in those region was in urgent need of irrigation.When contacted, Deputy Director of Agriculture, Sambalpur Ashok Mohanty said the intermittent shower will not have any impact on standing crop. Rather, it would help paddy and vegetable crops. Hoping that there would be no further rain, he said had the region experienced heavy wind and shower, it would have resulted in enormous loss to the farmers.Meanwhile, 10 sluice gates of Hirakud dam reservoir, which were opened to release water and create cushioning space, have been closed. The water level in the reservoir dipped to 624.8 feet against the full capacity of 630 feet at 6 pm. With the inflow into the reservoir likely to increase due to heavy rain predicted in catchment areas upstream in Chhattisgarh, the dam authorities have created enough cushioning space to prevent flood situation downstream.Source - http://www.newindianexpress.com/

Pakistan - South Punjab flood affectees waiting for compensation

Though the Punjab government claims that it has released Rs.2 billion - Rs100 million for each flood-hit district to ensure rescue, relief and the rehabilitation activities but a large number of flood-affected farmers of South Punjab are still waiting for their loss compensation.Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, on different occasion, asserted that it was the biggest flood in the history of Punjab as a result of which the biggest-ever rescue and relief activities were in progress in the province.He declared that the Punjab government would compensate the flood affected people for damages to their crops, houses and livestock, adding that seeds, spray and fertilizers would be provided to the affected farmers. He directed the officials to ensure provision of food and other facilities at flood relief camps.But the fact is that a large number of growers in different villages of South Punjab have not received any aid by the government yet. Hundreds of growers from flood-hit villages of Shujabad, District Multan, are constantly holding protests for not receiving any compensation or relief from the government. Some of the villagers have also alleged that patwaris are approving aid only to those who give them commission. “Any person, who offers Rs.5,000 to patwari, can get aid of Rs.25,000 announced only for flood-affected farmers, without showing any document of crop loss,” said Ibrahim Ansari who is a relative of villagers of flood-hit areas of Shujabad and resides in the suburban area of Jindu Wala. He said that mere lip service and rhetoric will serve no purpose. The affected farmers direly need compensation which should be made available as early as possible without any discrimination.All flood-affected farmers should be compensated across the board and no discretion should be left to the Patwaris or district administration in the flood effected areas, the farmers demanded.According to experts, the ferocious flood damaged crops cultivated at an area of over 0.4 million acres of Khanewal, Multan and Muzaffargarh districts. They said that flood caused loss of billions of rupees to farmers. It washed away crops of cotton, paddy, sugarcane, mango orchards and fodder. Agriculture-related activities including sale and purchase of cotton was affected badly in South Punjab due to the flood. Nearly 300 villages were under water due to the flood. Livestock department officials said that floods had caused loss of hundreds of animals. President Basmati Growers Association Hamid Malhi asked the govt to raise the minimum compensation to Rs. 10,000 per acre. He said that the cost intensive rice crop, specially Basmati paddy was badly damaged in the vast swaths of Gujranwala, Narowal, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad and other rice producing districts.He said that compensation for the rice crop should be at least Rs.10,000 per acre which is the minimum required for sowing an acre of wheat.He urged the Chief Minister of Punjab to put an end to this discriminatory policy of compensation to the flood-effected farmers of Punjab by ensuring a fair and equitable distribution of flood compensation to the affected farmers.Director, Farmers Associates Pakistan Dr Afzal Haider Rizvi quoting the govt figures, observed that around 23,43,255 acres of standing crops and orchards were affected in 3,055 villages of the Punjab during the recent devastating floods.“Even if the damage was calculated at an average rate of Rs.30,000 per acre it amounted to Rs.70 billion but the compensation being paid to farmers has been assessed at Rs.4,000 per acre and that too only for farmers owning 10 acres or less. Dr Rizvi said the owner of 11 acres and above is also a citizen of this country and contributes comparatively more to the economy with reference to his size of ownership.He argued when there is no discrimination in other government spending why should there be discrimination in providing relief to flood-effected people even if they own more than 10 or 20 acres of land. This discriminatory policy of providing a meagre compensation only to those farmers having below 10 acres of land is sheer injustice to other farmers and belies the tall claims made by Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharrif.Source - http://nation.com.pk/

Ukraine - Ag Ministry raised its forecast for 2014 grain crop by more than 7%

The Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry expects Ukraine’s 2014 crop of cereals and pulses at 64.42 MMT, or up some 7.3% from the previous forecast. In the opinion of Ag Minister Ihor Shvaika, the corn crop is expected at 30 MMT. He added that the forecast figures exclude the Crimean harvest and crop losses in Donbas. In addition, the minister added that this year’s average yield of cereals and pulses is higher than in 2013: 4.39 MT/ha against 3.99 MT/ha, respectively. As reported earlier, the Economic Development and Trade Ministry of Ukraine forecast the 2014 grain crop at 59.93 MMT (excluding Crimea) and the Agriculture Ministry at 60 MMT. According to the Ministry, Ukraine harvested 40.6 MMT of grain from 10.96 Ml ha (74% of area) by September 26. The country harvested a record almost 63 MMT of grain in 2013.Source - http://www.blackseagrain.net/

Canada - Largest pumpkin patch in Sask. destroyed by weather

Saskatchewan’s largest supplier of pumpkins is having all kinds of problems this year thanks to the unpredictable weather.Lincoln Gardens’ Wayne Gienow said his land supplies about half the province with pumpkins. But over the last few months heavy rain, especially in June, has left his farm near Lumsden incredibly wet.“It hasn’t dried up out here all year. It’s still saturated,” he said. “The precipitation is getting out of hand. People don’t really understand how wet it is out in the country.”That excess moisture paired with frost in September has basically destroyed the crop. He was forced to cancel about 90 percent of his commercial orders, including with Loblaws.However, don’t expect any impact on price or supply at the grocery store. Gienow explained how he gave companies enough of a heads up that they were able to make alternate arrangements and source from other producers.Still, this is something he hasn’t seen at his farm in about a decade.“It’s been a couple hundred thousand dollar hit for sure this year.”Thankfully for him, his losses are covered by insurance.Source - http://cjme.com/