Agroinsurance

USA - Forage seed insurance program becomes permanent

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency announced today that the forage (alfalfa) seed insurance policy offered through the federal crop insurance program will be converted to a permanent policy for the 2015 crop year.The Federal Crop Insurance Corp. Board of Directors approved the conversion and extended the policy’s available coverage through the written agreement process.Farmers in Grant and Walla Walla counties, as well as in other states, are eligible for the conversion.“Crop insurance is a proven method to provide producers with a production safety net, and we are excited the pilot was successful and the Alfalfa Seed program was made permanent,” said Dave Paul of the Risk Management Agency's Spokane Regional Office. “One thing we learned during the pilot is the need for insurance for hybrid production. With this program change, coverage will also now be available to those growers contracting for production of hybrid alfalfa seed in the Spokane Region.”The forage seed insurance policy was introduced in 2002 as a pilot program to provide insurance coverage to alfalfa seed farmers who grew seed for forage crops.Nationally, the pilot program covered 27,700 acres and $27.9 million in liability in 2013.For Idaho, Oregon and Washington, 6,963 total acres were insured with $4.8 million in liability. The permanent program will be available for the 2015 crop year in Canyon and Owyhee counties, Idaho; in Malheur County, Oregon; and in Grant and Walla Walla counties, Washington.Source - http://www.omakchronicle.com/

USA - Short wheat will make harvest a challenge

The severe drought has stunted this year’s wheat crop.The stalks are so short that it doesn’t even come up to many farmers’ knees.That will make it more difficult to harvest the crop.“It’s a gamble, it’s a gamble that you don’t have control of,” says David Radenberg, a farmer from Claflin. “The heads will probably not have as good of grains in them. It’ll be a lighter grain so we’ll kind of have to readjust.”Because the wheat is not tall, the combines are going to have to cut it a lot closer to the ground.It’s going to be a lot harder for the combines to separate the head of the wheat from the stem.“When you don’t have that material, it blows a lot more air through and a lighter grain carries on through the machine and doesn’t go in the grain tank, so it makes it a lot more difficult to get our grain harvested and into the elevator,” says Radenberg.Some farmers purchase or rent a tool, called a stripper header, that they can install on the front of the combine.It extends the machinery closer to the shorter wheat.“It’s only going to be maybe six inches tall and to get our combines set and adjusted. We may have to use a flex header in there,” says Radenberg.For many farmers, it is an extra expense added to an already weak crop that they may be harvesting to break even with the help of crop insurance.Source - http://ksn.com/

USA - Rain causes delays for Georgia cotton growers

An abundance of untimely rainfall has forced many cotton growers in Georgia to push back their planting.While many people believe you can’t get too much of a good thing, don’t tell that to those that have had to delay their planting date due to heavy rainfall throughout April.“Yeah, we always get excited about getting started to plant. This year we’ve had a lot of difficulty with too much rain and got a late start. We normally start planting cotton in our area around, somewhere around the 10th or 15th of April. This year, we didn’t get started until the 28th of April,” said farmer Bart Davis.That means growers are already a couple of weeks behind schedule in the process. It also means many have started planting in less than ideal conditions.“It’s been sort of a struggle. We’ve had to actually work from fields and do a little planting a little bit damper than we’d like to. Normally, we’d be at 70 percent planted now, but we’re only 30 percent today,” Davis said.It hasn’t come from a lack of effort as farmers spent more time than usual preparing the fields in wet conditions.“Well, this year took a little extra because we had several big rains, 4, 5, 6-inch rains. So we actually had to go in and do a little maintenance on washes and waterways ahead of the planting. So it’s taken us a little longer. It slows us down a little bit,” said Davis.Growers remain optimistic about getting everything planted on time, but they’re at the mercy of Mother Nature.“It’s starting to get a little critical. I mean we can get the crop in by the end of May, we just have to have the weather to work with us. We can get it planted if the weather will work with us from here on,” he added.While growers have encountered their fair share of obstacles this planting season, the amount of acres is likely to remain steady.In fact, the number might actually increase as rains earlier this year could cause corn acres that couldn’t be planted to turn into cotton.“The total U.S. crop will probably be close to 11 million acres, which is pretty much on par with where we’ve been, give or take. I think with the weather that way it has been we may see a little more cotton planted,” said Chris Chammoun, with the Georgia Cotton Commission.That is good news for growers and the industry as a whole as demand for U.S. cotton is projected to remain strong thanks to competitive prices and a shortage in other countries.“Yeah, I think U.S. cotton is going to remain competitive. If you look at cotton, it’s a true global commodity. Right now, the reports coming out of Australia is that their cotton crop may be a little low. Same in India, their cotton crop may be a little low. China, parts of China have actually experienced some pretty wet conditions like we’ve experienced, so their crop may be a little low,” said Chammoun. “As far as prices go, prices are still looking pretty good for cotton right now. The December futures prices is getting close to about 85 cents, which makes it pretty competitive with other crops.”The Commission continues to support research in the industry.“We actually at the Cotton Commission just completed one of our board meetings where we approved almost, or actually, a little over three quarters of a million dollars of research. So we actually hope that this year is going to be good not only for the farmers, but also for our researchers that we fund every year.Source - http://www.rfdtv.com/

USA - Late freeze nips local strawberry crop

Strawberry lovers will have a tough time finding fresh fruit to pick at local berry farms this spring for preserves, shortcakes and pies.A late freeze wiped out most of the crop."I think they were pretty close to full bloom, and if they weren't close to full bloom they still got it," said Beverly Schaefer, who owns Roca Berry Farm with her husband, Jeff.Local vineyards also reported 30 to 50 percent losses to their grape crops due to the late freeze and harsh winter.In Lincoln, the temperature dipped to 30 degrees on May 16, breaking the record of 31 set in 1940.Schaefer doesn't know how cold it got at their farm south of Lincoln, but she said some of her neighbors reported temperatures in the 20s.However low it fell, the cold wiped out most of the strawberries in their two-acre patch."I hope I have enough to make toppings for our funnel cakes (in the fall)," she said.Roca Berry Farm's main crop is pumpkins, and Schaefer said they haven't planted the pumpkins seeds yet.Growing strawberries has been tough in recent years and the picking season seems to be getting later and later. A cold snap last spring limited the season to only five picking days, she said.In addition to the loss of strawberry revenue, about 30 local youth who picked strawberries for customers won't have jobs."A lot of people have been driving in and checking and asking us on Facebook," Schaefer said. "Right now we would be picking. We would have a parking lot full of people."Martin's Hillside Orchard near Ceresco also was hit hard by the late freeze."Well, I would say it took 95 percent of the strawberries," said Barbara Martin, who owns the orchard with her husband, Alex. "They were in full bloom when the cold weather hit. The rows look fine but there's no fruit."The Martins lost about half an acre of strawberries, but their apple, peach and raspberries survived and will be ready for picking in late summer or early fall.James Arthur Vineyards near Raymond lost 40 to 50 percent of its grapes, said owner Jim Ballard. Some of the damage was caused by hail and tornado-like winds on May 11."I don't know what else Mother Nature can throw at us," he said. "We've been hit with just about everything these last few months."Thanks to a bumper crop last year, the vineyard's inventory is in good shape, Ballard said, and the vineyard will have plenty of wine for sale.He'll have a better estimate in a few weeks of the damage, he said, and at that point will decide whether to ask the state for permission to use grapes or juice from outside of Nebraska.Under state law, 75 percent of grapes used to make wine must come from Nebraska, but growers can use an emergency clause to replace crops damaged by natural disasters."There's a lot of (vineyard) damage across the state due to the hard winter and frost," Ballard said.Source - http://journalstar.com/

USA - Organic farms still in the minority

New data coming out of the recently released 2012 U.S. Census reveals there are 16,525 organic farms, either certified or exempt, in the U.S.That is roughly 0.7 percent of all farms. Wisconsin ranks a distant number 2 among states in organic farms, behind California.Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released data from the 2012 Census of Agriculture. It’s been conducted since 1840 and is collected once every 5 years.Concentration of production on organic farms continues to be lower than farms overall. One and a half percent of the largest organic farms account for 25 percent of all organic sales, whereas just two-tenths of 1 percent of all farms account for 25 percent of all farm sales.Likewise, 10 percent of organic farms account for 75 percent of total sales, while for agriculture as a whole just 6 percent account for 75 percent of total sales.Organic sales are growing, but accounted for just 0.8 percent of the total value of U.S. agricultural production.Organic farmers reported $3.12 billion in sales in 2012, up from $1.7 billion in 2007. Total organic product sales by farms have increased by 82 percent since 2007, from $1.76 billion in 2007 to $3.1 billion in 2012.Organic products overall were a $35 billion industry in the U.S. in 2013.While there are comparisons between the 2007 Census data on organic agriculture with that from the 2012 Census, there are major differences between the two on the definition of organic farms.In 2008, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) completed the first ever comprehensive Organic Production Survey as a follow-on to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, in order to collect additional information on organic farms, including specific production challenges, production costs, availability of organic inputs, participation in federal crop insurance programs, and how organic producers are marketing their products, including selling through local and regional food systems.“Unfortunately, much of the data collected on organic farmers in the 2007 Census is not comparable to similar data collected in the 2012 Census, due to how organic is defined, or not defined, in each survey,” reports the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). “Both the 2012 Census and the 2008 Organic Production Survey define organic in the same way, commodities produced according to USDA National Organic Program standards; however, these two survey instruments used slightly different methodology and although data from these two surveys provide a stronger comparison than between the 2012 and 2007 Census, the comparison is not as strong as other data consistently collected in the Census.”NSAC and its allies in the organic sector have therefore been urging NASS to conduct a second Organic Production Survey as a follow-on survey to the 2012 Census, which would allow reliable comparison between data from the 2008 Organic Production Survey and would show the most complete and accurate picture of what is happening within the organic sector.“It would answer the question of whether the number of certified organic farms is actually increasing or decreasing, whether production costs are keeping pace with organic price premiums, and how long farmland is staying in organic production,” NSAC states.NASS is proposing a more limited Organic Survey for 2014, in partnership with the Risk Management Agency (RMA), to collect data on organic production specifically to allow RMA to develop organic price elections for the federal crop insurance program.While NSAC is supportive of these efforts, it nonetheless believes that NASS must also conduct a more comprehensive Organic Production Survey as a follow-on to the 2012 Census to provide defensible trend data on the organic sector.Looking at just the 2012 Census itself, the highest concentration of organic farms is in the west, with the Midwest and northeast coming in second. Wisconsin is a distant second to California among states, as noted.For the most part, organic sales are concentrated in most of the same states with the greatest number of organic farms, with California and the Pacific Northwest leading the nation; however, Florida, Texas, and Colorado replace Ohio, Vermont and Maine on the list of the top 10 states with the highest value of sales of certified or exempt organic commodities, due to the large concentration of high value crops produced in those states. Wisconsin ranks fourth in highest sales of organically produced commodities.Participation in cost-share programs eyedUnsurprisingly, reports NSAC, all of the top 10 states in either number of organic farms or organic sales had strong rates of participation in either one or both of the USDA organic cost-share certification programs, the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (NOCCSP) or the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) Organic Certification Cost-Share Program.These programs help defray the costs of organic certification for producers and handlers of organic products. Producers and handlers can receive up to 75 percent of their annual certification costs up to a maximum payment of $750 per year.The top 10 states for number of organic farms and total organic sales also accounted for 70 percent or more of the funds allocated for NOCCSP or AMA.Because annual organic certification costs can be prohibitive, particularly for small and mid-sized farmers, the assistance provided through AMA and NOCCSP are essential in helping farmers become organic operations and maintain their organic status, according to NSAC.The 2014 Farm Bill provides $11.5 million annually in mandatory funding for NOCCSP, more than double the just more than $5 million available annually for the program from the 2008 Farm Bill.Organic Farmers profiledOrganic farms display more gender and age diversity than that seen on non-organic farms, and tend to be operated by younger farmers. According to the 2012 Census, women make up about 16 percent of the 1,821,039 primary farm operators in the U.S. and 18 percent of the 16,525 primary farm operators for organic farms.Additionally, while the average age of primary farm operators as a whole is 58 years old, the average age of primary organic farm operators is 53 years old.The 2012 Census shows that the majority of organic farmers have been on their present farm 10 or more years, with the remainder on their farm nine or fewer years.Farming is the primary occupation for 1,010 of the organic farmers, but not for additional 332 of them.America, hungry for organicA new survey shows organic sales jumped nearly 12 percent in 2013 to a new record.Sales of organic products nationwide rose to $35.1 billion last year, up 11.5 percent from the previous year’s $31.5 billion and the fastest growth rate in 6 years, according to the latest survey on the organic industry from the Organic Trade Association (OTA).And the hunger for organic products is not expected to ease any time soon. The OTA survey projects that growth rates during the next 2 years will at least keep pace with the 2013 clip and even slightly exceed it.A niche industry in the huge food sector just a decade ago, consumer purchases of organic food first broke through the $30 billion mark in 2012 and now account for more than 4 percent of the $760 billion annual food sales in the U.S.More telling, according to OTA, the growth rate of organic food sales, which has averaged almost 10 percent every year since 2010, has dwarfed the average annual growth of just more than 3 percent in total food sales during that same period.A product breakdown of the organic food sector shows that the fruit and vegetable category continue to lead the sector with $11.6 billion in sales, up 15 percent.With more than 10 percent of the fruits and vegetables sold in the U.S. now organic, the $1.5 billion in new sales of organic fruits and vegetable represented 46 percent of the organic sector’s $3.3 billion in new dollars.There also is a lingering confusion among consumers about just what organic means, highlights OTA. The message of the organic can be lost next to the presence of natural products and the long debate around genetically modified organisms (GMOs).Source - http://www.theprairiestar.com/

Evaluating frost damage

Early frost can be detrimental to crops especially if the development has been delayed. The extent of damage caused by frost depends on the temperature, length of exposure time, humidity levels and the speed to which the freezing temperature was reached. In order to understand the effects of frost one must understand plant cells. Plant cells contain not only water but also many substances such as proteins, sugars, amino acids and other solutes that can lower the freezing temperature and protect the cells against intracellular ice formation (similar to antifreeze in your car). What this means is that even though water freezes at 0 C a plant cell may need temperatures down to -4 C or lower before the cells will freeze and damage occurs. Different parts of the plant, different stages of development of the plant, and different types of plants can have varying levels of these ‘antifreeze’ compounds that result in a range of susceptibility to frost.Environmental conditions such as drought, cold temperatures, heat, etc., can also influence the levels of these compounds, and thus affect the tolerance to freezing temperatures. Typically, when a plant is exposed to stress they become more hardened which can moderately increase the tolerance to frost. Frost damage occurs as moisture within the plant crystallizes and expands. This causes cell walls to rupture and fluid to leak out thus, the watery appearance of plant tissue or seed after a damaging frost.Spring frosts can damage germinating seedlings and the extent of damage will depend on the location of the growing point (above or below ground) and the level of anti-freeze properties contained within the plant. Exposure to cooler temperatures over time can harden off plants so that they are more tolerant to frost. A gradual change in temperature has a lesser effect than a dramatic change in temperature. Plants are able to resist injury if the temperature changes are gradual or are only encountered for a short period of time.Environmental conditions also play a role in crop tolerance to spring frost. Dry soil conditions, high wind with high evaporation potential aggravate frost injury. Moist soils or heavy dews can reduce the injury.Plants that have been hardened can survive lower temperatures than plants that have not been hardened. Cool conditions for a few days prior to a frost will help harden the crop. Plants can lose their hardened condition and improved tolerance to frost after exposure to warm temperatures and good growing conditions. Plants that are growing rapidly are damaged more by frost in comparison to those that are growing slowly. Other stresses that cause the plants to grow slowly can help harden the plants and protect them from frost damage.The growing point of cereals is below ground until approximately the five leaf or jointing stage. This protects the plant from severe frost injury in the spring. The plants may lose above ground leaf matter but will regrow from below ground. Partial injury can be seen when the tips of leaves or leaf edge become damaged, yellow and then burn brown and brittle. Severe injury to cereals where all above ground matter is damaged can result in a delay in maturity due to the plant having to regrow.Flax is quite sensitive to frost when it is coming out of the ground. Temperatures of -2 C can injure flax up to the two leaf stage. As flax grows it becomes more tolerant to frost. After the two leaf stage flax can withstand temperatures down to -7 C and even slightly lower if the plants have been hardened.Frost canker can be a problem with flax during early stages of growth and can reduce stands by as much as 50 per cent. Damage is most severe in thin stands on light soils and in low spots. Symptoms of frost canker are similar to heat canker. There will be plants or areas in the field where the plants have toppled over. At or near the soil surface the plants will be girdled and have constricted stems.Newly emerged canola at the cotyledon stage can be very susceptible to spring frosts. The growing point is above ground between the cotyledons. Plants at the three to four leaf stage are much more tolerant and can withstand a couple more degrees of frost. A light frost that burns the leaves may not injure the growing point of canola. If there is regrowth or green material at the growing point then the plants should recover. It will take a few days to really assess the damage and green growth should be visible after four to ten days.Peas and lentils have good frost tolerance. They have growing points (bracts) which remain below ground during early development. The above ground material may be severely injured by frost but new growth will resume from the bracts and will appear approximately 7 to 10 days after the frost.Frost damage is very hard to predict as there are so many factors that affect the tolerance. Evaluating the damage is difficult and should be done approximately 24 to 48 hours after the frost for initial symptoms and up to a week to 10 days for full extent of damage. Be patient with cereals, peas and lentils as the crop will regrow from growing points below ground. With canola, the decision can be more tricky. Look for green color in the above ground growing point and watch for regrowth. Again patience is key.Source - http://www.newsoptimist.ca/

India - Govt moots insurance scheme for farmers

Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh is open to the idea of using genetically modified (GM) technology to increase farm productivity, saying the government will go for it "if it is absolutely necessary".After taking charge of his ministry, Singh on Wednesday hinted at the possibility and spelt out his plan to launch big-ticket schemes in the farm sector including a nation-wide "rural irrigation programme" and a "new insurance scheme" to protect farmers' income in case of crop failure.Singh's stand on GM technology is in tune with his party's position over this controversial issue as the BJP doesn't categorically oppose the move. It, however, makes it clear that the transgenic foods will not be allowed "without full scientific evaluation on its long-term effects on soil, production and biological impact on consumers" - the stand taken by the previous UPA government.Sticking to BJP's manifesto which spoke about "protection and promotion of cow and its progeny", Singh, an old RSS hand and five-time MP from East Champaran in Bihar, said his ministry would work to conserve "indigenous breeds of cows".In his first meeting with officials, he is learnt to have asked them to prepare a roadmap to implement the "doable" suggestions as reflected in the BJP's manifesto including amendments in the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act and cooperative laws within "two to three months" (100 days)."I held a meeting with ministry officials and we have decided that we will bring 'Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sinchayee Yojana' similar to the 'Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana' which was launched by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government," Singh said.Without giving any time-frame, he said his government is very serious about launching it. He said 44% of the country's cultivable land was bereft of irrigation facilities, affecting a majority of small and marginal farmers across the country.Emphasizing on having an effective crop insurance policy, Singh said his ministry has decided to bring 'Kisan Aya Bima Yojna' which would take into account average income of farmers in the last 5-7 years while devising a compensation scheme.If the government launches such a scheme, it will be a much needed improvement over the existing scheme which does not treat an individual farmer as a unit while providing compensation against insurance. The present scheme takes village or group of villages as a unit while deriving at compensation formula and therefore it invariably tends to benefit big and medium farmers."The Centre will bear the burden of premium for insurance of average income. Farmers will take interest in agriculture only when their investment is guaranteed," Singh said.The minister also said the government would soon take a decision on the proposal to fix minimum support price (MSP) of kharif crops. Besides, there is a long-term plan to fix the MSP at 50% more than the cost of production, he added.Addressing his maiden press conference, he also emphasized on setting up more central agriculture universities in different parts of the country.Asked what he would do for his home state of Bihar, Singh said, "If India develops, Bihar will also develop."Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

USA - Drought Conditions Cause Concern Among Kansas Farmers

Aaron Williams operates a small farm south of Pittsburg. He says dryer conditions this year have forced him to use other sources to water his crops."We started a drip irrigation about 30 days ago that normally we wouldn't of placed in the gardens until about late June, early July," said Aaron Williams, Southeast Kansas Farmer.Although the recent rainfall has helped crop farmers with the top soil moisture, if dry conditions continue, it will affect the subsoil moisture."That's going to be our biggest concern, we're really going to need some summer rain this year to make the crops go forth, and especially the pasture conditions right now," said Dale Helwig, Kansas State Extension Agent.Hay crop farmers are also suffering; they're only able to produce about half the crop production for this time of year. A Cherokee County agriculture specialist says livestock farmers will suffer the most."We haven't had any large rain, so our ponds are not as full as where we need them going into summer. So, if we don't keep seeing rains, we'll have issues there," said Helwig.Which is another advantage to running a smaller farm. Williams says he can control some the environmental occurrences, like water or moisture."So a lot of things that'll be a problem to a large farmer may not be a problem to a small one, and then it's vise versa. So they have insurance that will protect them and we don't have that at this point," said Williams.He adds most farmers agree drought conditions can be nerve wrecking, but it comes with the territory."They always say it's always rained before, it's going to rain again, but it never helps you in the time when you need it the most, such as this year," he said.According to the Kansas Water Office, Southeast Kansas drought conditions will remain the same or get worse for the next three months. The drought is expected to shift farther east than originally projected.Source - http://www.fourstateshomepage.com/

USA - Loan program expanded

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the expansion of the Farm Storage and Facility Loan Program. The program provides low-interest financing to producers.The enhanced program includes 22 new categories of eligible equipment for fruit and vegetable farmers and is designed to make it easier for farmers and ranchers to finance the equipment they need to grow and expand.Producers with small and mid-sized operations and specialty crop fruit and vegetable growers will have access to needed capital for a variety of supplies including sorting binds, wash stations and other food safety-related equipment.A new, more flexible alternative also is provided for determining storage needs for fruit and vegetable growers.Waivers are available on case-by-case basis for disaster assistance or insurance coverage if available products are not relevant or feasible for a particular producer.Food Storage and Facility Loan security requirements have been eased for loans between $50,000 and $100,000. Previously all loans in excess of $50,000 required a promissory note and additional security, such as a lien on real estate. Now loans up to $100,000 can be secured by only a promissory note.The low-interest funds can be used to build or upgrade permanent facilities to store commodities. Eligible commodities include grains, oilseeds, peanuts, pulse crops, hay, honey, renewable biomass commodities, fruits and vegetables. Qualified facilities include grain bins, hay barns and cold storage facilities for fruits and vegetables.Other changes in the loan program will allow Farm Service Agency state committees to subordinate Commodity Credit Corp.’s lien position.Changes to the program were issued via an official notice to state and county FSA offices, effective immediately.Source - http://www.parispi.net/

Canada - Widespread wild boar infestation in Saskatchewan

A University of Saskatchewan researcher says the wild boar situation in the province is much worse than previously thought and immediate action is needed to control the beasts.U of S biologist Ryan Brook and bioscience researcher Floris van Beest of Aarhus University in Denmark conducted a survey of Saskatchewan’s wild boar population.The study aimed to determine the animals’ distribution in all 296 rural municipalities (RM) via a scientific survey.They started sending out surveys to RM authorities in December 2012.From these local reports, they determined there is a high probability that feral boar are present in 70 per cent of Saskatchewan RMs. The animals are likely at low densities.The infestation started in the 1990s, when boar were imported as an alternative livestock option for farmers. Since then, the animals have adapted to the Saskatchewan environment and are quickly reproducing.Boars devastate cropland, pose a risk of disease transmission to livestock and can be dangerous to humans.“In the United States, the impacts are in the billions of dollars from disease, crop damage, livestock harassment, impacts on natural ecosystems and species at risk and attacks on humans,” said Brook.In 2010, the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation added feral wild boar to its list of species it provides compensation for crop damage.The provincial ministry of agriculture recognizes there is a problem with wild boar but has not seen any significant increase in claims.The ministry also established the wild boar eradication program in 2009, which funds hunters to deal with boar complaints.Brook says hunting alone has no real impact on controlling populations but rather disperses the animal into other areas.In order to be effective, researchers are suggesting aggressive and coordinated action with authorities adopting such tactics as fencing, aerial hunting and on-farm risk management.“If nothing is done then we risk having more feral boar than people in the province and at that point the costs of taking action are far greater,” said Brook.This is the first peer-reviewed scientific study of feral wild boar in Canada.Source - http://globalnews.ca/

Northern India to Endure Scorching Heat and Drought Due to Weak Monsoon

The yearly advance of the southwest monsoon is vital to both people and agriculture across India and rest of the Indian subcontinent.The normal onset of the southwest monsoon occurs during the second half of May across Myanmar before reaching southern India at the beginning of June.This year the monsoon was actually several days ahead of schedule reaching Myanmar, but it has stalled over the Bay of Bengal during the past week.The above image shows the current advance of the southwest monsoon along with normal onset dates across India, courtesy of the India Meteorological Department.As a result, the onset of the monsoon in southern India will likely be up to a week late across parts of the south, but the beneficial rains are forecast to increase during the second week of June.The heaviest rains are expected to be focused from the western Ghats to the west coast during this time. Scattered rains are expected across the southeast.With an El Nino expected to build during the second half of the year, rainfall across central and northern India could be impacted greatly.As a result, the northward advance of the southwest monsoon is forecast to be delayed for most of central and northern India allowing temperatures to soar well above normal for much of the month of June.Several long stretches of temperatures over 42 C (108 F) are possible in New Delhi and the surrounding region.Long-range forecasts are for below-normal monsoon rainfall in these areas, stretching into neighboring Pakistan. Concerns continue to rise that a drought will develop across northwest India and Pakistan as a result of prolonged dry and hot weather followed by a weak monsoon.India is a large supplier of rice and cotton globally, and these crops could suffer greatly as a result of the impending hot and dry conditions. According to Accuweather.com Commodity Weather Expert Jason Nicholls, "Both crop yields and quality are likely to be impacted by drought later this summer in northwest India and Pakistan."An Indian farmer walks with his cow through a dried paddy field at Mayong village about 40 km (25 miles) east of Gauhati, Assam, India, Wednesday, April 30, 2014. Rising temperatures coupled with scanty rainfall is badly affecting farmers in many parts of this north-eastern state.Farther south, the monsoon should arrive before the full impact of the oncoming El Nino occurs. The best chance for a near-normal monsoon will be in the southwest.With rainfall expected to be below normal for much of India during this monsoon season, any rainfall from tropical cyclones would be increasingly important.The Bay of Bengal will likely produce several tropical cyclones during the summer months as a near-normal season is anticipated. Although flooding is always a threat from landfalling tropical cyclones, this will be offset by the positives of rainfall during a stretch of otherwise below-normal rainfall.Source - http://www.accuweather.com/

Canada - Hail storm damages crops in Oliver

A hail storm lasted for only 15 minutes, but it was long enough to cause serious damage to fruit crops.It happened Monday, and today, orchardists are tallying up the devastation.For some orchardists, this is the second year in a row that they’ve been hit by such a powerful storm.“We had hail last year, and I lost everything,” said Sukhi Dhaliwal.This time, however, Dhaliwal’s peaches and cherries were miraculously untouched by the hail.But he lost half of his apple crop, which he estimated is a $35,000 loss.The Minister of Agriculture recommends that tree fruit growers get hail damage insurance because spring and summer hail storms are frequent in the Okanagan.Source - http://globalnews.ca/

Canada - Online Hail Insurance Option Launched

The first completely online option for hail crop insurance has been launched.Rates for AG Direct Hail Insurance were made public last week, explains the company's CEO Bruce Lowe."We wrote our first policy within minutes of going live and I expect we'll be closing our first township by the middle of the week due to the demand," he says.In Manitoba, the hail insurance is in addition to coverage provided by Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation."Farmers in that province must first purchase the $200 per acre - the maximum with MASC - before being eligible to purchase AG Direct Hail. Should they have a claim, AG Direct will settle that claim by matching the loss reward they've signed off on with MASC," explains Lowe.He says the new online direct option, which is based on the model used by some auto-insurance providers in the US - will save farmers up to 15 percent on their hail insurance costs."The concept of direct and online is not new. There's a pretty successful company that says something about saving 15 percent in 15 minutes, so we're taking that model and applying it to crop hail insurance," notes Lowe.Source - http://www.portageonline.com/

India - Punjab pays record Rs.15,473 crore to farmers for wheat

With a bumper wheat crop in the state this year, the Punjab government has made a payment of Rs.15,473.15 crore to farmers for wheat procured by government agencies, an official said on Tuesday.A Punjab government official said that over 118.17 lakh tonnes of wheat had been procured in the state this year.The procurement process started April 1 and is still continuing.The highest payment of Rs.1,393.64 crore has been made in Sangrur district which led in wheat procurement. It was followed by Bathinda district (Rs.1,163.13 crore) and Ludhiana (Rs.1,144.38 crore).In neighbouring Haryana, nearly 64.85 lakh tonnes of wheat has been procured.Source - http://www.ianslive.in/

European experiences in the agricultural catastrophic risks insurance

As long as it is impossible to forecast natural catastrophes that affect the crops, a protection of farmers as adequate as possible is necessary in Romania. In this context, Florentina ALMAJANU, General Manager, UNSAR - National Association of Insurance and Reinsurance Companies in Romania and Member of the Executive Committee - Insurance Europe, presented a few European experiences in the agricultural catastrophic risks insurance, within the workshop dedicated to the agricultural insurance held at FIAR 2014.What is happening in other European countries:GermanyIn Germany there is no compulsory insurance against natural risks in agriculture. However, the percentage of insurance policies in case of hail is high.CyprusThe catastrophic risks are not insured either. Farming crops losses (only production, not infrastructure or trees/plants) following natural risks (eg. hail, frost, flooding, etc.) are not covered by the National Organization for Agricultural Insurance (a semi-governmental organization). Due to serious budget tightening, the Ministry of Agriculture does not intend to implement a measure plan in line with the EU Regulations.EnglandThere is no standard coverage. The risks covered vary from one insurer to another. The trend is not to cover the damage for the open-air crops, caused by agricultural land flooding.HungaryIn 2012 a new system was introduced for diminishing the agricultural damage. This "agricultural premium" system improves the self-protection of farmers to a great extent. The premium subvention is related to the EU financing. The insurance role is growing every year as the climate is causing more and more damage in Hungary.Source - http://insurance.1asig.ro/