03.04.2014

USA - Long winter creates positives and negatives for 2014 farming season

It's no secret that the winter weather has been extreme this year. But with warmer temperatures on the way, farmers are getting ready for their busy seasons.Agriculture leaders say the large amounts of snow and record breaking low temperatures have impacted many different kinds of crops in both positive and negative ways.Executive Director of Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board, John Bakker, says that in previous years asparagus farmers have worried that their crop would come too early and be damaged by the spring frost. He says that might not be the case this year. With an anticipated late spring, asparagus is expected to hold off by about one week, and should be ready to harvest in mid May. The typical timeline for harvesting asparagus is around May 10. Farmers say it could happen anywhere between May17-24 this year.Honor farmer, Harry Norconk says the delayed harvest could be a good thing because current supply coming in from Mexico has caused fresh asparagus prices to fall. Norconk says by the time their crop is ready, prices will hopefully rise in order to meet the high demand."The negative side of that is we can miss Mother's Day which is a big weekend for the restaurants which we sell to and then also our Empire Asparagus Festival comes on the 17th this year," said Norconk. "We didn't have asparagus last year, and I'd hate to miss it again this year."MSU Extension Specialist, Nikki Rothwell says the heavy snow has benefited the apple and cherry trees by creating a blanket of insulation. She says snow also creates good moisture levels in the soil. One negative impact centers around the high snow line because animals like rabbits and mice have started to damage some of the trees.Rothwell says a lot of fruit crops can be damaged by temperatures lower than negative 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and that grapes are among them. She says certain kinds of wine grape buds were damaged this year by the extreme cold."We've actually cut some buds here at the research station so some of our varieties that we grow really well like our rieslings and our chardonnays, they look pretty good," said Rothwell. "But some of our other varieties may be a little more susceptible to these cold temperatures. But I think that everyone should remember before they get really worried that we wont have any Michigan wine is that you only need 15-percent buds and you can still get a full crop. And then the other thing that is awesome about wine grapes is they have a secondary bud so if that primary gets killed off that secondary can produce a bud and we can still get fruit from that."Corn crops on the other hand are a little less certain. MSU Extension Field Crops Senior Educator, Dan Rossman, says the timeline for when farmers will be able to start planting this year, depends on the weeks ahead. He says as of right now the ground is still frozen but that the gradual snow melt this year has eliminated major runoffs so far."In 2012 we had a very extreme early spring and we had planting starting in early April in some cases but that was a very unusual time and of course last year we were delayed because of a heavy rain and many people didn't get started until late May or even the end of June," said Rossman. "So every year is a different story and the story for this year is just beginning to unfold for the 20-14 growing season."Source - http://www.upnorthlive.com/

03.04.2014

USA - Southwest Michigan fruit report shows condition of crops

Fruit growers in West Michigan are getting a first look at their crops after one harsh winter. Growers tell us they are well behind schedule thanks to the cold spring we've been having, which means many don't even know the extent of the damage yet.According to MSU Extension fruit educators this is the most behind crops have been in the last 15 years.The report found maple sap flow which usually begins in mid to late February did not begin until the warmer temperatures began in mid-March. Tree Fruit growth is just beginning. At this stage of development it would require extremely cold temperatures to damage the tree fruit buds.Some growers and especially homeowners have reported damage from rabbits, and some have reported mouse or vole injury. Many growers have also reported deer damage on apple fruit buds.All this injury is scattered with many growers reporting no or little problems.In a release educators say given the extremely cold temperatures during the winter we can expect winter injury to young trees and for the more cold tender fruits.Apricots show no movement at all. They are considered extremely cold hardy in the winter and little damage is expected except for less adapted varieties. Peaches are one of the most cold tender tree fruits and flower bud loss can be expected when temperatures fall below -10.Most injury occurs between -12 and -16. Some sites report significant losses and other report they still have a good crop potential.Sweet cherries also show some damage to the fruit buds, tart cherries generally show some a little damage in the colder sites. Plums; damage is expected in Japanese plums, which are more cold tender. European plum should show little injury. Apples, pears, grapes and blueberries show little movement as of right now.As for Strawberries, researchers say they are greening up but there is no hint of new leaves.Source - http://wwmt.com/

01.04.2014

India - The run of rains in Indian agriculture

The increased probability of an El Nino weather pattern has already begun to rustle up fears about how a bad monsoon could hurt a sluggish Indian economy. The concerns are valid even though the economy is less dependent on agriculture than before and reservoir levels this summer are quite comfortable. The lessons of previous El Nino episodes in 2002 and 2009 tell us that farm production as well as food prices can take a knock in a country where barely a third of farm land is irrigated.The harsh impact of unseasonal rains and hailstorms earlier this month across a number of states—imposing losses estimated at a billion rupees on insurers—has further added to the concerns. Add to this the suicide of 23 farmers in Maharashtra, which has once again exposed the abysmal state of existing procedures to shield them from exigencies. Interestingly, the Indian Meteorological Department has dismissed claims by Western scientists of the risk posed by El Nino, calling it a conspiracy to help speculators.For long, unpredictable weather has remained one of the biggest threats to farmers. Naturally, voices in favour of a comprehensive crop insurance programme to protect farmers from the vagaries of nature have strengthened over time. However, the record of state assistance to distressed farmers has been far from satisfactory.The comprehensive crop insurance scheme instituted in 1985, which turned out to be financially unviable with claims over-running premiums by almost six times, was one of the earliest attempts at state-sponsored cover that went berserk. Subsequently, the National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS), which sought to serve as a more viable alternative through the charging of higher premiums over time, met with a similar fate. Throughout, both the central and state governments footed the gap in funding by subsidizing crop insurance.The justification for extending insurance support to farmers has emerged from concerns that extreme uncertainties associated with agriculture will make market premiums unaffordable to farmers. Protecting them through subsidized insurance programmes was seen as the natural way out. However, massive bailout of farmers by the government only managed to crowd out private firms from the market for insurance.More importantly, the lack of competition in insurance cover has led to the stifling of much-needed innovation that is a prerequisite to better and cheaper insurance products. Also, under a state-sponsored insurance programme, the unintended effects of moral hazard and adverse selection have added to the cost of providing insurance. This is clearly reflected in the high claims ratio of over 300% even under the NAIS, which was supposed to set right the deficiencies of past relief programmes.Deregulating the insurance market can only be part of a larger plan to mitigate the many risks of Indian agriculture. This is especially true given some risks cannot be covered by private insurance, or only at much higher prices. With extreme dependence on seasonal monsoons still remaining the norm in most parts of the country, the need for improving irrigation infrastructure cannot be stressed enough.Meanwhile, commodity hedging remains perhaps the most underexploited risk-mitigating mechanisms as far as dealing with price risk goes. While India has exposed its farmers to the international market in a globalized world, Indian farmers still remain underserved by the services of the commodity derivatives market. Last year, according to the US department of agriculture and the Futures Industry Association, the ratio of open interest in hedging instruments to total size of maize and wheat market in India stood at a negligible 0.1%, compared to the world average of well over 20%.Given the inefficiency of the current relief mechanism, and the minuscule size of the market for pooling risk, there could be no better reason to improve farmers’ access to alternatives.Source - http://www.livemint.com/

01.04.2014

Azerbaijan may be left without fruits and berry crop this year

Due to a sharp deterioration of weather conditions (snowfall and strong wind), Azerbaijan has encountered the risk of losing its fruit-berry and stonefruit harvest.Murtuzali Hajiyev, head of the Agriculture Ministry’s press service, has stated that Ministry’s experts have not calculated yet the damage caused by weather conditions."Perhaps, the calculations will not be conducted unless a serious loss is revealed. The sphere of horticulture is also still at stage of preparation, as the first fruits are expected in the last 10 days of April or the first 10 days of May, and therefore were also not affected by extreme weather events. As for growing of fruits, especially stonefruits and berry crops, many of them have blossomed, and yesterday’s wind and snow almost killed these plants. We, however, have already started consultations with farmers and encourage them to take additional agronomic measures that will enable to restore growing of these fruits," Hajiyev said.He points out that the weather mostly affected farms of northern and western regions."I’d like to note once again that the weather conditions will not affect the volume of fruit production: the additional agronomic measures taken in time will restore the projected harvest," Hajiyev is sure.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

01.04.2014

USA - Late spring could delay corn planting

Some years November can be an extension of fall and March the beginning of spring, but not in this, the season many Iowans will remember as the five-month winter.The average statewide temperature from Nov. 1 through March 31 was 21.4 degrees – 6.4 degrees cooler than normal – making that five-month period the ninth coldest in the 142 years that Iowa has kept records, according to State Climatologist Harry Hillaker.The tardy spring has farmers concerned that they may get a late start planting their corn crop for the second year in a row, said Mark Licht, an extension agronomist at Iowa State University.“With the cards dealt to us so far, we have a long way to go,” Licht said.Under ideal conditions, Iowa farmers would plant most of their corn the last week of April and the first week of May, with soil temperatures above 50 degrees and rising, said Virgil Schmitt, an ISU Extension agronomist for Eastern Iowa.“With normal temperatures the next three weeks, we could still get there, but the outlook is for a cooler than normal April,” Schmitt said.Cold damp conditions delayed planting last year, when just 8 percent of the state’s corn was planted by May 5, which compares with 56 percent on that date in a normal year.As of Sunday, 4-inch soil temperatures ranged from 34 degrees in portions of southeast Iowa to 41 degrees in east-central Iowa.The deeply frozen soil that broke pipes and disrupted water supplies in many Iowa towns and cities “is rapidly going away,” Hillaker said.In most locations, the frost is out of the ground, which will enable rainfall to soak in for later use by crops, Schmitt said.March, with an average temperature of 29.5 degrees, 6.4 degrees cooler than normal, was the state’s 22nd coldest March, according to Hillaker.The state’s seventh-coldest February, whose average temperature of 12.6 degrees was 11.4 degrees colder than normal, was the winter’s coldest month, he said.January, with an average temperature of 13.9 degrees, 5.5 degrees colder than normal, was Iowa’s 35th coldest January.With an average temperature of 17.3 degrees, the state’s 17th coldest December was 5.6 degrees cooler than normal.Of the five months, November, the 37th coldest on record, was the closest to normal. Its average temperature of 33.7 degrees was just 2.9 degrees below normal.If there was a plus side to the cool March, it’s that winter snow accumulations melted gradually, allowing the water to run off with no serious flooding, Hillaker said.An analysis of Iowa’s 25 coldest winters reveals that 14 of the following Aprils had colder than normal temperatures, according to Hillaker.The entire springs were cooler than normal in 16 of those 25 years, and the subsequent summers were cooler than normal in 15 of those 25 years, he said.Source - http://thegazette.com/

01.04.2014

India - Of drought, floods and havoc

In 2013, India had a copybook South-West monsoon and surplus post-monsoon/winter rainfall in most parts of the country. As a result, there was an all-round increase in sowing of most crops — farmers had every reason to expect a bumper harvest. But just when everything seemed set, they were hit by an abnormal weather system.Western disturbances originating from the Mediterranean Sea are a normal phenomenon in January and February and are useful for the rabi crop, contributing to winter rainfall, especially in North-Western India and the Indo-Gangetic plains.However, this time, the rains were unusually intense and spread to lower latitudes, into western and central India. These disturbances, interacting with moist south-easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal, caused heavy rains and hailstorms.As a result, large areas where crops were just weeks away from harvesting — wheat, chana and lentils in Madhya Pradesh, mustard in Rajasthan and grapes and onions in Maharashtra — were destroyed.The climate change vulnerability index ranks India twentieth in the list of countries that will be impacted by weather-related events in the next 10 years.If it was drought not enabling farmers to even sow in 2009, this time round it has been excess and unseasonal rains, when the crop is almost harvest-ready. In 2013, Bihar again bore the brunt of floods, when the massive flooding of its rivers, including the Kosi, destroyed crops and displaced hundreds of thousands.Cyclone Phailin caused an estimated $4.15 billion of damage to the agriculture and power sectors in Odisha. Up to 1 million tonnes of rice was destroyed by the storm.The extreme weather that has assailed the country in the last few years has crippled farm productivity and taken a human toll.Many farmers do not insure their crop and have no safety net to see them through such events. Unable to make ends meet, they either give up farming, or in extreme conditions, take their own lives.The response from governments has always been poor, with the demand for assistance more than what is on offer.The Agriculture Ministry records that between 2008 and 2012, for every ₹100 demanded by State governments as compensation for drought, the Central government granted about ₹10.Unless drastic measures are taken and the disaster-response mechanism improves, the country stands the risk of seeing its farm output falling sharply.This, in turn, will create food shortages, spur inflation, and increase the dependence on imports at a time when the country is trying to rein in deficit spending.Source - http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/

01.04.2014

Spain - Sudden frost causes 30% loss to early almond varieties

The anomalous evolution trend of the weather in Valencia throughout autumn and winter continued at the start of spring and is still bringing negative consequences for agriculture. The last episode was recorded during the early mornings this week in the form of a sharp drop in temperatures, at times below zero degrees, which caused considerable damage to the almond crops.In particular, according to preliminary estimates by the Valencian Farmers Association (AVA- BDA), this sudden frost may have spoiled up to 30% of the production of the early varieties (Largueta and Commune) in Utiel -Requena. The almond crop is particularly sensitive at this time. The flowering period is nearly complete and the fruits that have already curded are very small and particularly sensitive to the impact of the cold.In addition, and as a result of the drought since last summer, the prospects for the coming months are not encouraging for other indoor crops such as vineyards and olive groves.There are also problems in the vineyardsThe lack of rain is reducing the level of sprouting and vigour of the plants in the vineyards, which could have a negative impact on the future harvest of grapes.Given the adverse conditions caused by weather patterns in virtually all of the crops in Valencia, specially in citrus crops, the AVA- BDA has asked the Government to commission urgent tax measures to help alleviate the plight of the farmers concerned.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

01.04.2014

Poor harvest and EU ban on Indian mangoes worries farmers

The season of the king of fruits — Alphonso mangoes — has finally arrived, but not with a bang. This year, varying weather conditions have led to a loss of at least 60 per cent crop, say farmers. But the customers may not feel the pinch till the end of May, as the peak season is to begin only next month.“I expect the prices to come down next month,” said 55-year-old Anubhash Sikandar at the city's Crawford market. Right now, one dozen mangoes cost between Rs. 600 to Rs. 1,200 in the retail market.This year, the peak season for the fruit will last only for a month, causing distress among the farmers. The ban on Indian mangoes by the European Union (EU) will further decrease their revenues, they say.“Generally, fruits ripen at different times in different parts of coastal Maharashtra. For example, the Rajawadi mangoes may hit the market in March, Devgad mangoes ripen by April. Thus the market gets a sustained flow, and the farmers get a good price. But this year, whatever little crop we got will all hit the market between 10 April and 30 May. It will affect the cost, hitting the farmers hard,” Vivek Bhide, a mango-grower from Ratnagiri and office bearer of a mango-growers’ co-operative society, told The Hindu.Farmers and traders rued the large-scale destruction of crops due to poor weather. “There was clouding in January. Then, due to unseasonal cold, pollination did not take place. Drastic climate changes have led to the loss of around 70 percent of crops,” Mr. Bhide said.Moreover, crops were also attacked by pests. “Whatever remains is not of the best quality,” Mr. Pansare said.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

01.04.2014

USA - Severe storms damage crops in the Northstate Severe storms damage crops in the Northstate

WILLOWS, Calif. - Over the past week tornadoes touched down in parts of the Northstate - three in Glenn County Wednesday and one in Butte County Saturday night - but it's the weather associated with the storms that may have a bigger impact in the long run, especially on crops.Trees uprooted, some split in half, evidence remains of a tornado that struck Jeremiah Spooner's almond orchard last Wednesday. But Spooner says that damage only brushes the surface."The 75 trees we lost in the tornado is really insignificant," he said. "That's a very small picture of the actual damage with that storm and the hail that came with it. The hail is what will always do damage to your crop."Many of the freshly pollinated almonds have been knocked from the trees in orchards around Glenn County, and likely beyond. But Spooner says those are only part of the losses farmers are expecting to suffer."These nuts are actually lost," Spooner said as he points to a branch with bruised almonds. "So what you do is if you take this nut and then you crack it open, you'll see bruising. See in this case the nut is bruised and it's already discolored, and this nut will fall off the tree in two, three, four weeks."With harvests not expected until the fall, that's way too early for almonds to drop.And unfortunately Spooner's hopes aren't set high."We're hoping that there's still 50 percent of the crop on the trees, whether or not there is, we don't know," he said. For Spooner's 17,600 tree farm a 50 percent loss equals about $313,000. He's filed a crop insurance claim to cover it.Obviously he wasn't the only one hit, and Spooner said there are about 750 acres of almond orchards in his area. "Those are probably all affected by the hail storm." A 50 percent loss to all of that acreage, an estimated 105,750 almond trees, would total more than $1.85 million.But that's only about two square miles of Glenn County."I have no idea what the rest of the farmer's across the county are looking like but I would imagine it's significant," Spooner said. And with storms striking up and down the Northstate, there's no telling how far the impact goes.Source - http://www.krcrtv.com/

01.04.2014

USA - Cold weather protects wheat crop from freezing?

ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — This year’s cold winter slowed wheat growth, so the late-March freeze across much of Mississippi probably did not cause major damage to the state’s wheat crop.Erick Larson, grain crops agronomist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said most wheat across the state had not reached a growth stage where it would have been sensitive to freezing temperatures when the cold returned on March 26.“We had a lot colder than normal winter, so we didn’t get as much growth on our wheat as usual, and that worked out to be a good thing,” Larson said. “Often by late March, we have wheat approaching heading stage, when it is very vulnerable to freeze, but this year, most wheat has several weeks to go before that stage.“We also had extremely cold temperatures several times during the winter, but wheat is most tolerant to extreme cold during that time,” he said. “However, some of our wheat is sowed by broadcasting seed on top of the soil, and this wheat may have sustained some winterkill because the seed is more exposed and vulnerable.”Wheat planted with a drill is dropped an inch or more into the ground and covered. This method improves its stand, vigor and winter hardiness.This year, wheat broke dormancy in mid-March, much later than usual.“The wheat has not reached the boot stage, when the head is swollen in the uppermost part of the stem right before it emerges,” Larson said. “At the boot stage, temperatures of 26 to 28 degrees will cause some injury, but fortunately, most of our wheat was younger than that.”While low temperatures appear to have caused no real damage, migratory snow geese that feed in wheat fields have been an issue.“The amount of grazing they did this year was substantial,” Larson said. “Because of the low temperatures, the fields didn’t have as much plant growth as usual for the geese to feed on. It was cold in February, so the geese stayed longer in our fields before migrating back north, and there were not as many acres of wheat for them to graze on.”Cold weather did have one benefit. Fertilizer and herbicide applications were done later than usual, and Larson said that may mean less nitrogen is lost this year.Mississippi producers planted just 200,000 acres of wheat in the fall, down substantially from the more than 400,000 acres harvested in 2013. Wheat is often planted on soybean acreage, and Larson said part of the decrease is because soybeans were harvested so late last year.Brian Williams, Extension agricultural economist, said market prices are typically the highest in the spring, when stockpiled wheat is at its lowest.“Wheat prices have been rising steadily since the first part of February, when the May contract was trading for about $5.60,” Williams said. “As of March 24, wheat in Greenville was trading for $7.30 per bushel, which is just slightly below where it was a year ago. Prices are above the three- and five-year historical averages for this time of year, as well.”Mississippi is not the only state that planted significantly fewer wheat acres than the previous year, so a smaller supply is driving prices, as are concerns about the crop’s condition after the cold winter. Williams said tensions between Ukraine and Russia, both major players in the global wheat market, are also affecting wheat prices in the U.S.Source - http://msbusiness.com/

29.03.2014

Kenia - Pastoralists in drought-stricken areas receive payouts for loss

Some 101 Muslim pastoralists on Tuesday received 5,800 U.S. dollar compensation for drought- induced losses suffered in Wajir County of northern Kenya.The pastoralists’ herds of sheep, goat, cattle and camels were insured in August 2013 by Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) with an Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) product, branded as Index-Based Livestock Takaful (IBLT).According to Andrew Mude who leads the IBLI program of the Nairobi-based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the dry spell conditions in much of Wajir County have surpassed the index trigger and active contract holders in these areas will be compensated.“This payout is critical for building confidence in the concept of insurance for the pastoral, drought-prone regions of East Africa, where life revolves around livestock and droughts can bring disaster,” Mude said on Tuesday.Mude said its particularly imperative to make livestock policies work for places like Wajir where many thought the combination of isolation from economic activity and the vast, remote areas covered by pastoralist herders made protecting livestock assets with market-mediated insurance products impossible.This is the first time in Africa that an insurance policy that combines an Islamic-compliant financial instrument with innovative use of satellite imagery is compensating Muslim pastoralists for drought-induced losses suffered in Kenya.Among the beneficiaries of the pilot livestock insurance program will be 30 women and 71 men who incurred losses during long dry season that typically ends in March in arid and semi-arid Wajir.Mude said the beneficiaries conform to the Islamic concept of takaful, in which risks are shared among a group of participants.Through a contract called tabbaru (donation), participants make contributions to a risk fund. In the case of a payout, the fund makes payments commensurate with the contributions received.IBLI uses satellite imagery - measuring the conditions of grazing lands - that is fed into an algorithm that predicts livestock loses. Predictions beyond the 15 percent level trigger indemnity payments.“Our goal is to show pastoralists that they can use a fair and ethical business model to protect their assets from a natural hazard of keeping livestock in East Africa,” said Hassan Bashir, the CEO of Nairobi-based Takaful Insurance, whose father is a client and will be receiving a payout on Tuesday.Takaful earns a management fee from participants who pay contributions to become members of a fund or risk pool.The pool receives contributions and makes payments when the contract pays out. If a surplus results, it is distributed equitably to those members who are not recipients of the payout.ILRI works in collaboration with the Kenyan government, Cornell University and the Index Insurance Innovation Initiative (I4), among many others.ILRI and partners want to see livestock insurance available throughout East Africa, where an estimated 70 million people live in drylands, many of them making their living by herding animals.In Kenya alone, the pastoral livestock sector is estimated to be worth at least 5 billion dollars.The eight-nation Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) estimates that over 90 percent of the meat consumed in East Africa comes from pastoral herds.So far, about 4,000 pastoralists in northern Kenya, not all of them Muslim, have bought IBLI contracts since the project was launched in 2010, an indication that there is both interest in and demand for livestock insurance.Experts at ILRI say that in semi-arid and arid regions, insurance can make keeping livestock a more effective and sustainable livelihood strategy and can act as a cushion to household assets and income in times of distress.“We saw what Wajir was like in 2011 when the worst drought in decades killed almost half the livestock in the region and lives were left hanging in the balance,” said Liesbeth Zonneveld, country director of Mercy Corps, an organization that is a partner in the IBLT project.“Today we see a situation where drought remains a threat, but people have a way to protect their central source of food and income.”Initial studies from other pastoral regions that have access to the IBLT product showed that droughts were less likely to damage diets in households that had bought insurance.The insurance also was linked to a 50 percent drop in distress sales of livestock and a 33 percent drop in reliance on food aid.ILRI Director General Jimmy Smith said the success of the IBLI program is evidence that pastoralists in Africa are as receptive as livestock keepers anywhere to options for managing risk.“These are people who over the centuries have learned how to nurture herds in some of the most challenging conditions in the world,” Smith said.“They may not have encountered livestock insurance before, but they have quickly understood how it can help bring a new level of stability to the pastoralist way of life.”ILRI researchers noted that making livestock insurance commercially viable in East Africa will require catalyzing a critical mass of informed demand.They acknowledged this will be a challenge in a region where many herders occupy vast remote areas where communication and transport are difficult.But some experts believe the potential to protect pastoralists from drought and help them improve their herds justifies support from governments and donors, just as agriculture insurance is often subsidized in many countries across the globe.Source - http://www.coastweek.com/

29.03.2014

Georgia peach growers keeping close eye on crop

Cold weather, including overnight freezes in north Georgia this week, has the potential to damage the peach crop, but at least one farm in our area seems to be doing fine.Drew Echols with Jaemor Farms in Lula said the windy night Tuesday actually did their peaches a favour. "When those winds tapered off, we ran our wind machines and picked up a couple of degrees. Our crops this (Wednesday) morning looked pretty darn good."Echols said the temperatures were supposed to be a bit warmer Thursday morning, but there's no strong wind in the forecast. Despite a few dead peaches, the 70-acre Lula-area crop was still holding strong.Echols said peaches in South Georgia are facing a harder time. He spoke with another farmer in Fort Valley Wednesday. "There's a little bit of damage, and the reason that they have some damage is because those peaches are already out of the shucks, what we call the shuck. It's basically just a little naked peach sitting there," Echols said.As for the peaches at Jaemor, they still have some shucks and flowers, giving them more protection, according to Echols, but he still hopes for warmer overnights soon.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

29.03.2014

USA - Ice and water may lead to winter wheat crop injury

Wheat is slowly starting to show signs of life, except in some pockets where snow, ice or water is evident. Unfortunately, it is nigh impossible to predict how well wheat within these areas will survive. Furthermore, it will likely still be a few weeks before anyone can know for sure.Even while dormant, wheat continues to respire. Therefore, prolonged periods of ice and water may restrict gas exchange and potentially suffocate the crop. Fortunately, the plants beneath the ice or water have been dormant to date and, in this state, are more likely to survive a prolonged period of stress.Unfortunately, it will still take a while before it is known whether the wheat in these patches will survive. In the spring, the appearance of new leaf growth is encouraging. However, injured plants may still die if they are not able to produce new root shoots. This is why crop observers may survey wheat stands early on only to find that plants die several days following the initial inspection.To expedite the process, growers could remove some plants from problem areas and bring the samples indoors. If, after exhibiting new leaf growth, the plants also sprout new white roots, one can be relatively assured that the sampled area holds some live plants.Growers having wheat stands that are delayed or thin, or that have spots of winter-kill, may want to consider a relatively early application of 20 to 30 pounds of fertilizer nitrogen to encourage growth. If the damage is extensive, it would likely be cost effective to limit input costs to reflect an adjusted estimate of yield potential.Source - http://msue.anr.msu.edu/

28.03.2014

USDA microloan program open to farmers and ranchers

Area agriculturalists learned about programs that could help keep their operations safe and financially supported during seminars at the Fremont County Farm and Ranch Days in February.During one session, Brian Harrell, the farm loan manager at the Riverton U.S. Department of Agriculture office, shared information about the microloan program released in 2013. He said the program is designed to help small and family operations secure loans under $35,000."(It's) intended to be a little bit of a transition from someone with very little or no farm and ranch experience to get a foot in the door," Harrell said.Microloans can help in the purchase of livestock, machinery, equipment, fertilizer, seeds or anything else that is not real estate purchases."We've closed several of them here in the last couple of months," he said, referring to the loans.The program helps farmers and ranchers in their start-up years or in the expansion of their operations. When compared to traditional farm loans, the application process for the microloan program is made to be simple, Harrell said.The applications ask for balance sheets, cash flow projections, employment history, experience, and credit reports. Loans can last up to seven years, depending on the purchase. The current interest rate for the program is 2 percent.Other ag programsCounty executive director Andrea Bryce said she was limited to talking about some programs due to the passing of the Agriculture Act of 2014, also known as the farm bill. The new bill would assign roughly $7 billion to help farmers and establish programs that would provide immediate disaster assistance.Other programs could help cover losses when prices drop for crops, livestock or other ag production.Bryce also reminded residents of the Farm Storage Facility Loan Program. The program offers low-interest financing for producers to build or upgrade farm storage and handling facilities. She encouraged farmers and ranchers to visit the USDA office at 508 N. Broadway Ave. to learn about other programs that help with pasture insurance and livestock disaster programs. Her department plans to do outreach when information on the new programs becomes available.Renewable energyRural development area technician Becky Walters said her programs focus on housing. They provide low-income to moderate-income housing loans for single-family dwellings. She also reported on the Renewable Energy for America Program that offers financial assistance to agricultural producers and small businesses so they can purchase and install renewable energy systems.Walters said her office has installed roughly five solar livestock water projects in areas where electricity is not available. The Renewable Energy System Grant and Loan Guarantee assists with 25 percent of the funding, while the applicant puts in 75 percent.The USDA shares an office with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Most programs require applicants to be agriculture producers.Source - http://dailyranger.com/

28.03.2014

USA - Wildfires scorch Nebraska crop fields, rangeland and pastures, test firefighters' mettle

Firefighters were working Thursday to contain wildfires that charred crop fields, rangeland and pasture, including one that blackened nearly 11 square miles in central Nebraska, officials said Thursday.The biggest fire, north of St. Paul, had been mostly contained Wednesday, but it flared up again Thursday and ignited some trees near the burned land.Howard County emergency manager Michelle Woiltalewicz said two fire departments were battling the latest flare-up on the fire that began Monday.At least 17 fire departments were involved Wednesday when winds gusting more than 40 mph spread the blaze.Woiltalewicz said the fire destroyed one abandoned home and barn, and it killed an unknown number of cattle. One firefighter suffered minor injuries. The cause of the fire, which started in a roadside ditch, is being investigated.Woiltalewicz said she hoped snow falling in the area Thursday would help firefighters contain the fire.In southeast Nebraska, firefighters from several departments battled a fire that charred an estimated 300 acres north of U.S. Highway 34, near Union. Officials hadn't yet determined the cause.In northeast Nebraska, firefighters from Battle Creek, Humphrey, Norfolk, Madison and Stanton were dispatched to handle a wildfire along U.S. Highway 81 south of Norfolk.Some farm residents were asked to evacuate as a precaution when the Howard County fire continued to spread in the windy, dry conditions.St. Paul Assistant Fire Chief Shon Treat said at least two structures burned. He wasn't sure whether they were homes.Farmers aided firefighters by turning over plant stubble in their fields to eliminate food for the flames, Treat said, while others drove water trucks to replenish fire-line supplies.Source - http://www.omaha.com/

28.03.2014

USA - Deep (freeze) impact

This winter's deep freeze pushed Northwest Indiana pork producers' overhead upward and almost guaranteed a delayed planting season for area grain farmers."The start to plant date is usually around April 15. Corn will not germinate until the soil is 50 degrees at the seed depth," Lake County Farm Bureau President Tom Keithley said. He predicted cold spring days ahead, too, when the wind is off Lake Michigan due to all the ice on the lakes this year."Having said all that, we can still have a very good season even if crops are planted a little late. It's a long growing season, and there are usually bumps to go through. We just don't like starting out in a pothole," Keithley said.Grain farmers will benefit from the extreme temperatures experienced, Keithley said. "The freezing and thawing will help break up some (soil) compaction, which is a good thing," he said.In Shelby, Jeff Clinton said his hog operation has benefited from recent mild winters since hogs require sustained, warmer temperatures. "We've been pretty fortunate the last few years with no consistent frigid temperatures," he said.This winter has averaged 20 degrees daily, Clinton said. "I'm sure the heating cost has at least doubled, if not more. Our hogs are all indoors under climate control in 68-degree rooms," he said. The operation has natural gas heat.Keith Kleine raises hogs for show in Cedar Lake. Like Clinton, his heating costs have more than doubled. "I have natural gas, so it's not as high," he said. Many hog farmers have been dramatically affected, he said, because they have had to deal not only with higher usage, but also with the huge price increases in LP gas.Kleine said freezing temperatures have also aided in the spread of PED, Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea.Sarah Ford, of Indiana Pork Producers, Indianapolis, said nationwide, 4 million piglets have died of the disease. Veterinarians she has consulted say most viruses spread in cold, damp conditions.PED cases have been reported in Newton, Jasper and Starke counties in Northwest Indiana, Ford said.In January, the deep freeze affected river transportation for grains when Midwest river conditions declined and slowed grain movement. Many grain elevators were unable to move stored grain product out of their facilities.Locally, Keithley said most farmers took advantage of the fairly recent thaw. "I was able to get my corn out," he said.River transportation will be further affected in the spring, Keithley said, when flooding could, again, slow down grain movement and affect grain prices.Hebron farmer Bobby Hayden said yields can be adversely affected, too, if snow continues to push planting time later into spring. "You only have so many days. It can hurt the yield in the long run," he said.Hayden said there will be benefits to the colder temperatures and greater snowfalls. "It'll kill off some of the insects, and the snow cover's been good for the wheat crop," he said.Source - http://www.nwitimes.com/