27.03.2014

USA - Cold winter showing signs of winterkill in some Kansas wheat

There’s an old saying among farmers that like cats, the Kansas wheat crop has nine lives.And in Kansas, where the weather is always changing, the adage has largely been proven true. Wheat has sustained through dry spells, high winds and fluctuating temperatures.But as he walked through stands of wheat breaking dormancy, Rice County farmer Doug Keesling admits there are some situations that even miracle wheat can’t overcome.While signs of spring are beginning to appear across the Kansas prairie, so is the evidence that it has been a long, cold winter in the heart of the Wheat Belt.“Dead is dead,” Keesling, a Kansas Wheat Commissioner who farms near Chase, said of the winterkill damage that has spread across a large swath of central Kansas. “It is hard to give CPR to something that is dead.”A few sub-zero events this winter with little to no snow cover may have frozen some wheat plants to death. On this day, the adverse conditions are evident – patches of brown are scattered across fields amid others that are greening. Keesling even points to a neighbor’s field where the farmer changed seed halfway through planting – a blatant line showing how one variety was adversely affected over the other.“I’m more fortunate than others,” Keesling said, noting one of his fields he walked has just 20 percent damage. Another, however, is 60 percent.Cold winterSometimes the temperature can be too cold.Across Kansas, the winter was colder than normal. For instance, in Reno County, the monthly average low was 5 degrees cooler than normal years. In December and January, the average was 8.50 degree and 5 degrees colder, respectively.In most areas of Kansas, it is still too early to determine damage from the cold to the wheat crop. However, when a polar vortex strikes with little to no snow cover, especially combined with poor soil moisture, the risk of damage is high, according to the Kansas Wheat Commission.While snow cover saved some areas from the freeze, central Kansas lacked the protective white blanket for the extreme cold temperatures.Winterkill damage reports are coming into the commission from Beloit to the Oklahoma border to as far west as Hays. Already, some farmers have had visits from crop adjusters – for if the wheat plants aren’t greening up as the weather warms, they probably won’t.Kansas State University Northeast Kansas agronomist Stu Duncan said the impact of winterkill has been unusual this year.“I really haven’t seen winterkill all these years but on terrace tops and going up slopes,” he said.This year, however, areas with winterkill are occurring no matter the location.Duncan said planting depth is a big factor with those who planted shallower – less than an inch deep – affecting more so than others. Another factor is planting date and whether farmers sowed seed into conventional tilled or no-tilled ground.Also, he said, the cold temperatures caused winterkill in some varieties more than others. Lack of adequate precipitation didn’t allow for good root development as well, causing the crop to be more susceptible to the cold temperatures.“What happens when you don’t have good moisture at the crown level, the cold penetrates deeper,” Duncan said. “We’d like to have five inches of snow when we have those sub-zero temperatures.”Still, Duncan said, some areas could still make it through to harvest – part of why the nine lives saying often rings true.For those plants still alive and developing, “an inch of rain could cure a lot of ills.”That includes western Kansas, said John Holman, a K-State agronomist in southwest Kansas. While there are some areas of winterkill in this region, the biggest issue is still drought.“If we don’t get the moisture here, we are going to be in trouble,” Holman said. “We have very little subsoil moisture. It really needs to start raining.”Potential still thereOn a sunny day this week, Keesling toured his region near Chase with fellow Kansas Wheat Commissioner David Radenberg from Claflin. The two assessed the damage.Despite spring weather, both admit worry that another arctic blast will hit.A lore among farmers is there can be no sigh of relief until after Easter weekend – which, in the past, has been the cutoff for some of the hardest-hit freezes – despite the date Easter falls on. For instance, in 2007, an Easter weekend freeze decimated most of the central Kansas wheat crop.“For some reason, it’s the breaking point,” Keesling said, adding temperatures even just dipping to freezing on Easter morning could be detrimental.But there are other milestones the crop most hit before June – such as adequate rainfall and dodging hailstorms. Keesling said he received enough rainfall last fall to develop a good stand. Nevertheless, little moisture has fallen since.“I’m concerned whether we’ll get enough moisture to go through jointing,” Keesling said of another stage of crop development.For now, “we just have to wait and see what is going to come out of it and what is not,” Radenberg said of winterkill damage. “It’s on a field-by-field basis.”Farmers are eternal optimists, Radenberg added. The crop’s potential won’t truly be known until the June harvest.Moreover, wheat is very forgiving, Keesling said.“We are going to have a wheat crop,” he said. “It’s just what level will it be – is it going to be a bumper crop, an average crop or a poor crop? No one knows until the combines start rolling.”Source - http://www.hutchnews.com/

27.03.2014

Australia - Wet relief for farmers battling drought

Rainfall across south eastern Queensland and most of New South Wales is being welcomed, somewhat cautiously, by landholders in drought. Desperate farmers in northern and central NSW have had, in some cases, their best falls in a year, but the state's north-west largely missed out.Wal Friend, who owns a station near Walgett in north-western NSW, says he's had enough to get some pasture, growing but little else. "It's not going to really solve our problems." Meanwhile some Queensland farmers are considering the potential damage from flooding rain. Cattle producer Jim Besley, from central Queensland, says he hopes the benefit outweighs the damage. "I doubt whether anybody can get out yet to see just how they're going as far as stock losses."With warnings of an El Nino event this winter, the rain is even more precious to landholders.The Bureau of Meteorology says there's more to come, good news for those hoping to plant a winter crop.New South WalesDesperate farmers at Wee Waa in northern NSW have experienced their biggest rainfall totals in 12 months. Last night the pub was full of farmers and contractors unable to work because of the wet. Local publican Barry Noble says it's the biggest crowd he's had since Daft Punk launched their album in the town last May."So we've had a lot of farmers come into town and visit the local. I'd say a lot of them are just happy to have rain to talk about. "It's been pretty quiet here for six months, not many cattle left because they've had to get rid of them, no wheat last year basically."An extensive cloud band is delivering widespread rain over eastern New South Wales, but falls are varying. Farmers around Coonamble are looking more cheerful after some handy rain but in the NSW north west rainfalls have been disappointing. Wal Friend runs Carlton Station, just outside Walgett. He's had 40 millimetres all up and says that'll be enough to get some pasture growing, but little else."It's not going to really solve our problems. "Probably west of here it's lighter again. "There's still a bit of a patch around Walgett and north and halfway out to Bree (Brewarrina), that's still pretty dry."Another outcome of the downpour has been the temporary suspension of oyster harvest. On the south coast of NSW, oyster harvesting in a number of the region's waterways has stopped due to the rain and the run-off into the waterways where the oysters are farmed. But in the context of one of the best seasons in years, Narooma oyster grower David still welcomes the wet weather."Rain is welcome to us too as we need rain into the estuaries for the oysters to grow in autumn time. "The nutrient run-off and also to aid in catching of young oysters on the plastic material we put out on the water."QueenslandYeppoon on the central Queensland coast has received over 500 millimetres of rain in the last 48 hours. The rain coincided with a high tide and there has been flash flooding around the area, with fears there will be more today. Cattle producer Jim Besley from Barmoya, near Yeppoon, says he's had just over 200 millimetres of rain, but he knows of others who've had twice that amount."It's been heavy enough, but good soaking sort of rain, we haven't had any real major big downpours. "I think they did over on the coast a bit more, it was fairly heavy there in patches. "I don't anticipate any problems with my stock, but there's some low lying areas that could have problems. "I doubt whether anybody can get out yet to see just how they're going as far as stock losses."Cotton picking on the Darling Downs in Southern Queensland has ground to a halt after widespread rain in the area drenched crops. The cotton picking started early this year after the cotton crop struggled through a hot dry summer. Cecil Plains farmer Jan Le Frenz says there are concerns the wet weather could see quality downgrades."It's rather a frustrating position to be in, from a cotton point of view it's about the worst time for the rain to have fallen." "It will delay harvest, there will be some downgrading and when we do get mobile the pick won't be as clean." "Overall it's really a terrific event, just you're very torn between the cotton crop and the rest of the farm."Source - http://www.abc.net.au/

27.03.2014

USA - Texas Crop Report

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The following reports were compiled by AgriLife Extension Service for the week of March 26:Central: Most counties reported fair soil moisture. Overall, rangeland, pastures and crops were in fair condition. Livestock were also rated fair. Pastures throughout the region had large amounts of dead vegetation due to the dry winter. Livestock were in fair to good condition and still being supplemented with hay and feed. Winter wheat was recovering from freeze damage. Producers continued to struggle with reducing cow numbers based on dry conditions. Corn emerged, but stands were spotty as not all seed had enough moisture to germinate.Coastal Bend: The week began with light rain followed by some 70-degree sunny days and ended with temperatures dropping back into the low 50s. The earlier warm temperatures along with adequate soil moisture were beneficial to winter pastures and volunteer clover. Farmers were applying herbicide to control broom weed. Some were fertilizing hay fields. Planting of row crops continued at a brisk pace. Growers had nearly finished planting corn, with sorghum and rice planting about half done. No cotton was planted yet. Pastures began to green up. Livestock continued to sell well at local auctions.East: Temperatures around the region continued to vary widely, as did pasture conditions. In some instances, the warmer temperatures stimulated some forages to grow, and trees to leaf out and open blooms. But elsewhere, cold nighttime temperatures were preventing summer forages from breaking dormancy. Producers began preparing hay pastures. Many counties reported rain. Low-lying pastures remained soggy in some areas. Wet soils also made working conditions difficult for logging operations. Cattle and goats showed good body condition. Cows were still calving. In some areas, producers were still feeding hay and supplements since there was not enough grass to help the cattle nutritionally. In others, cattle were abandoning hay for greened up grass. Hay supplies were getting low. Vegetable planting increased. Feral hogs continued causing damage.Far West: The week began very dry and windy with colder temperatures, then became milder. Planting of already prepared cotton fields was expected to begin the first week of April. Alfalfa was growing, but pecan trees were still dormant. Fall-planted onions were at the four-leaf stage and growing. Generally, cattle were doing well, with ranchers beginning to brand and vaccinate calves in earlier calving herds. Stockers were doing fairly well, with little sickness but not gaining quite as well as expected.North: Topsoil moisture ranged from short to adequate. An average of 1.5 inches of rain fell across the region, giving some relief to drought conditions. Warmer temperatures combined with the rain were very beneficial to wheat and winter annual pastures. Most fields were greening up and growing. Corn and soybean planting was underway. Hunt County reported corn planting was completed. Livestock were in good condition. Camp County reported issues with gophers as well as feral hogs. Titus County reported honeybees were very active.Panhandle: Dry and windy conditions continued with near-average temperatures with no moisture received. Soil moisture was mostly very short. High winds dried out soils, which limited farmers preparing the fields for the upcoming season. They were still trying to apply fertilizer, compost and manure under windy conditions. Deaf Smith County reported soil temperatures were rising, with most reporting stations reading 49 to 52 degrees — perfect soil temperatures for weed germination. Winter wheat under irrigation was progressing well, with growers running center pivots more frequently as daytime temperatures rose. Ochiltree County wheat was declining. Rangeland remained dormant, and livestock producers were still supplementing cattle. Stockers were being placed on graze-out wheat where available or moved to feed yards.Rolling Plains: Some areas reported rain — as much as 2 inches in one county — which greatly improved soil moisture and promoted wheat growth. Generally though, drought conditions persisted, with fields so dry they were hard to till and stock water tanks remained low or dry. Pastures needed moisture to bring out summer grasses and supply enough grazing for livestock. Area lakes and ponds also needed runoff. Livestock were in good condition with producers supplying supplemental feed daily. However, hay supplies were dwindling, and winter wheat grazing in some areas was nearly played out. Peach trees were blooming. Burn bans remained in effect in several counties.South: Weather was mostly cloudy, windy and cool in the mornings, warming in the afternoons, without much rainfall other than light showers and drizzle. In the northern part of the region, soil moisture was short to very short with the exception of Live Oak County where it was 60 percent adequate. Rangeland and pastures were in fair condition with some spring greening, but not much overall. Some areas reported a decline in cattle body condition scores. Stock tank water levels also declined, and supplemental feeding of livestock continued. Oats were 65 percent headed and in fair condition, but winter wheat was not doing very well. In Atascosa County, 35 percent of corn and 30 percent of sorghum had been planted. In Frio County corn planting was wrapped up, and potato, corn, wheat and oat crops were under irrigation. Live Oak County reported 90 percent of winter wheat crops being in good condition. In the eastern part of the region, soil moisture ranged from 50 percent short to 100 percent adequate. Fifty percent of sorghum in Kleberg and Kenedy counties was planted. In Jim Wells County, range and pastures significantly improved but still needed some soil moisture and warmth to help improve forage production. Wheat growth in that county accelerated, but yield potential remained uncertain due to the dry spell earlier in the growing period. In the western part of the region, soil moisture ranged from 50 percent adequate to 100 percent short. Most counties reported rangeland to be in fair condition, except for Zapata County where the potential for wildfires was high. Livestock producers in Webb County continued culling cattle lightly to allow time for forage recovery. Oats were green in the Maverick County area, and wheat and oat crops were about 40 to 60 percent headed in Zavala County. Most of the counties in the southern part of the region reported adequate soil moisture except for Starr County, where they were 70 percent short. Rangeland and pastures were good to fair throughout the southern counties, with the exception of poor conditions reported by Starr County. In Hidalgo County, the harvesting of sugarcane, citrus and vegetables continued.South Plains: The region had wide temperature variations, high, gusty winds and blowing dirt. Highs reached the mid-80s, with lows dropping into the mid-20s. Cold fronts brought haboobs (dust storms), with walls of blowing dirt as winds gusted to 58 mph. All in all, it made for miserable conditions for producers trying to prepare fields for this season's cotton crop. Winter wheat was suffering from the drought, with some plant diseases observed. Livestock producers continued to provide supplemental feed to cattle. A common comment was that conditions were reminiscent of the Dust Bowl days.Southeast: Soil moisture was mostly in the adequate range, but some counties reported from 40 percent very short to as much as 100 percent adequate. Rangeland and pasture ratings varied widely too, from very poor to excellent, with good to fair ratings being the most common. Rainfall amounts varied, with some counties such as Galveston getting heavy showers while Orange County had moderate amounts. In Harris County, rain delayed planting of corn and sorghum. Some fields were dry enough to resume planting later in the week, but more heavy rain was forecast. In Brazoria County, high winds continued to take from soils what little precipitation had been received. In Chambers County, there were attempts to plant rice, but the soil remained too wet to do so. Montgomery County producers were trying to control cool-season clovers that were in the way of their efforts. In Walker County, the cool-season forages were beginning to take off. Clover was looking very good following rains. Small grain pastures were producing well. Stone fruit and pear trees were blooming or had already bloomed. In Brazos County, the slightly warmer soils allowed corn to be planted.Southwest: Dry conditions persisted. Pastures were greening up, but more rain was needed to replenish subsoil moisture. Peaches were blooming again after the hard freeze the previous week. Corn planting was progressing. Vegetable growers expected to start planting the first of April if warm weather continued. All wildlife and livestock had to be given supplemental feed and water if they were to maintain body condition.West Central: Severe drought conditions continued throughout the region. Soil moisture was very low, and extreme wildfire danger grew. However, temperatures were mild, and there were some scattered showers reported in isolated areas. Fieldwork and preparations for spring planting were under way. Cotton producers were plowing fields and spraying weeds. Dryland wheat was declining and showing signs of drought stress. Irrigated wheat looked very good. Rangeland and pastures were in poor condition and also declining. Some warm-season grasses were beginning to break dormancy. Livestock remained in fair condition with continued supplemental feeding. Grape growers were pruning and training vines.Source - http://www.kansas.com/

27.03.2014

USA - Farmers fight overnight frost to protect crops

The spring season has arrived, but the winter conditions don't want to go away. These weather conditions are impacting farmers and their ability to grow crops.Right now it is the growing season for strawberries. Strawberries can endure colder temperatures for growing, but only to a certain level.To better explain the strawberry growing process, we paired up with a popular vendor in the Eastern Carolina area.Steve Putnam owns Putnam Family Farms near Kinston. He sells his crops wholesale, but primarily invests in selling his goods local. Putnam has felt the stress these past few months in producing his strawberries for the summer season."It's been tough, it's been very cool and very damp as everyone knows," Putnam said. "We have to try and save it [the crop] at least, if you don't do anything it's going to kill them, so you have to get out there and do everything that you can do."Overnight temperatures dropped to the low to mid 20's. Putnam says the desired temperature to grow strawberries cannot drop below 32 degrees. When there is a chance that the temperature could drop below that desired growing temperature, farmers take extra precautions.One technique Putnam suggests is to cover strawberry crops with a cloth. The cloth he uses helps to insulate the heat and fight off the frost. Other farmers use techniques like spraying and freezing water on their plants, to keep them at a specific temperature.Putnam says he is behind in his strawberry production because of the consistent cold and wet weather Eastern Carolina has experienced. The prolonged cold weather has set Putnam back three weeks in the production of strawberries."If we were to get a break in temperatures, and get a few sunny days, hopefully we can catch back up and have our summer crops done in time,' Putnam said.The overall impact of prolonged cold weather in Eastern Carolina on crops could mean higher prices by vendors across the board, said Putnam. Farmers are hoping they get a break in the weather and that they have seen the last of the frost.Source - http://www.wcti12.com/

27.03.2014

Disasters led to $45B in insurance losses in 2013

GENEVA — Disasters such as floods in Europe, winter storms in the U.S. and typhoons in Asia cost insurance companies $45 billion in 2013, a leading Swiss firm said Wednesday.The sum represents only about a third of the $140 billion in economic losses, not to mention 26,000 lives lost, from 308 catastrophes and disasters around the globe last year, according to Zurich-based Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd., known as Swiss Re.As a whole, Asia was the region that suffered the most, with $62 billion in economic losses and more than 20,000 victims. But only $6 billion was paid in claims, reflecting the region's relative lack of insurance.Typhoon Haiyan left 7,500 people dead or missing and caused $12.5 billion in damage to the Philippines and Vietnam, with insured losses of just $1.5 billion.Europe suffered the two most expensive natural disasters in insurance terms.The first was the massive flooding in central and eastern Europe in May and June, after four days of heavy rain that caused large-scale damage across Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. It led to $4.1 billion in paid claims on $16.5 billion in economic losses.The second was the hail storm that hit Germany and France in late July, causing $3.8 billion in insurance payments on $4.8 billion in economic losses. Most of those claims — the highest ever caused by hail — came from heavily populated areas of Germany.Altogether, Europe had economic losses worth $33 billion for $15 billion in insurance payouts.The U.S., which suffered severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail and winter storms, had a total of $32 billion in damage of which $19 billion was insured.The global figures for 2013 represent a big drop from 2012, when there were $81 billion in paid claims on $196 billion in economic losses, mainly from large-scale weather events in the U.S. such as Hurricane Sandy, Swiss Re said.Source - http://www.deseretnews.com/

27.03.2014

USA - Warning of cider drought as flood hit apple orchards in the Southwest UK - Warning of cider drought as flood hit apple orchards in the Southwest

Cider experts have warned that winter flooding has wiped out acres of orchards leaving the UK facing a drought.The damp weather has meant that many of the million apple trees planted over the past decade in an attempt to restore one of the UK's native crops will be lost. Farmers across the West now face an agonising wait until May to see if the water has destroyed their livelihoods, or if the fruit will defy odds and blossom.Julian Temperley, one of Somerset's most famous growers, said it was hard to remain upbeat and described his 170 acres as "touch and go". "We've had an appalling late December, January and February - trees over the whole of the South West have taken a hammering," Julian, from Martock, Somerset, said. "There's certainly a big worry about waterlogged trees - there will be a considerable number dying. "We have one orchard that's been under a foot of water. I'm not certain if the trees will survive."Just 14 days underwater can destroy an apple tree's root system, a time limit easily passed this winter. It is believed that a huge proportion of the UK's 17,300 acres of cider orchards may have been ruined by the rain and floods.Despite a fortnight of recent intermittent sunshine, which has seen some fruit trees blossom in earnest, - with fruit already set - growers have warned there is no guarantee of success. The crisis has prompted the National Association of Cider Makers to prepare for the worst, and issue a stark warning crops may not live up to expectations for the next few years. Paul Bartlett, chairman, said: "We hope for the best though recognise that the potential impact could seriously affect the income of growers this season and for several years to come."The devastation has worried companies such as Bulmers, the world's largest producer of cider, which takes 90 per cent of its apples from local orchards. And the weather could spark a second year of worry for grower Kier Rogers, who last year lost hundreds of trees through groundwater flooding, after prolonged rain made drainage impossible.Kier, from Herefordshire, said: "We've had surface water here since the end of December when it started raining - and that causes me great concern - I don't know what the long-term effects will be on the trees, and the damage we will see this year."There are around 480 cider-makers across the country and the traditional trade plays a crucial role in the UK's rural economy and communities. Cider drinking in Britain is on the increase with around 1.5 billion pints downed each year. The industry is worth £3 billion and rising and cider and perry account for nine per cent of all alcohol consumed nationally.The weather over 2013 created ideal conditions for a tasty, bumper apple crop and led to a huge jump in profits. Just ten years ago the cider industry used 110,000 tonnes of UK-grown apples but now the figure has more than doubled to 250,000 tonnes.Source - http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/

27.03.2014

UK - The 17,500 acres of cider trees lost in floods: Growers face agonising wait to see if any fruit will defy the odds and blossom

Winter flooding has wiped out 17,500 acres of cider orchards, growers warned yesterday. The downpours in the South mean many of the million apple trees planted across the country in the past ten years will be lost.Farmers face an agonising wait until May to see if the water has destroyed their livelihoods, or whether some of the fruit trees will defy the odds and blossom.Julian Temperley, one of Somerset's most famous growers, said it was hard to remain upbeat and described his 170 acres as 'touch and go'.'We've had an appalling late December, January and February - trees over the whole of the South West have taken a hammering,' Julian, from Martock, Somerset, said.'There's certainly a big worry about waterlogged trees - there will be a considerable number dying. We have one orchard that's been under a foot of water. I'm not certain if the trees will survive.'Just 14 days underwater can destroy an apple tree's root system, a time limit easily passed this winter.It is believed that a huge proportion of the UK's 17,300 acres of cider orchards may have been ruined by the rain and floods.Despite a fortnight of recent intermittent sunshine, which has seen some fruit trees blossom in earnest, - with fruit already set - growers have warned there is no guarantee of success.The crisis has prompted the National Association of Cider Makers to prepare for the worst, and issue a stark warning crops may not live up to expectations for the next few years.Paul Bartlett, chairman, said: 'We hope for the best though recognise that the potential impact could seriously affect the income of growers this season and for several years to come.'The devastation has worried companies such as Bulmers, the world's largest producer of cider, which takes 90 per cent of its apples from local orchards.And the weather could spark a second year of worry for grower Kier Rogers, who last year lost hundreds of trees through groundwater flooding, after prolonged rain made drainage impossible.Mr Rogers, from Herefordshire, said: 'We've had surface water here since the end of December when it started raining - and that causes me great concern - I don't know what the long-term effects will be on the trees, and the damage we will see this year.'There are around 480 cider-makers across the country and the traditional trade plays a crucial role in the UK's rural economy and communities.Cider drinking in Britain is on the increase with around 1.5 billion pints downed each year.The industry is worth £3 billion and rising and cider and perry account for nine per cent of all alcohol consumed nationally.The weather over 2013 created ideal conditions for a tasty, bumper apple crop and led to a huge jump in profits.Just ten years ago the cider industry used 110,000 tonnes of UK-grown apples but now the figure has more than doubled to 250,000 tonnes.Source - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

27.03.2014

India - Half of onion crop in Nashik district lost

The onion output of Nashik district is likely to fall by 50% due to unseasonal rain and hailstorm that lashed the region between February 24 and March 16.State agriculture department officials said that though the rabi crop (harvested in April-May) suffered heavy damages in Nashik, the prices of onion across the country will remain stable. Any possibility of scarcity in the country over August and September should be overcome by the kharif crop in October.Nature's fury damaged standing crop on 41,984 hectares out of 46,987 hectares of land under onion production in Nashik district. About 50% of the crop is lost. This may decline the yield to around 6 tonnes a hectare against the average yield of 16 tonnes in 2013. Fog over the land adversely impacted the nourishment of the crop on the remaining 5,000 hectares, which is likely to reduce the yield to 10-12 tonnes a hectare this season.The production of rabi onion, which was 6.04 lakh tonnes during 2012-13, is likely to be slashed by about 50% to 2.94 lakh tonnes in the current season."Only half of the total produce will be of good quality. This will badly affect the export, since Maharashtra accounts for 70% of the total onion sent out. About 50% of this is produced in Nashik district alone," a state agriculture department official told TOI."The shelf-life of rabi or summer onions, which is harvested in April and May, is around seven months. Its supply continues until the arrival of the new kharif crop which happens in the last week of October. This year, the harvest of rabi crop began in the first week of March, thanks to the rain and hail. The shelf-life of the crop may be reduced to four months. This will lead to scarcity of onions from August until the arrival of new kharif crop in October. But onion acreage in other states has increased, which should compensate for this loss," the official said.R P Gupta, director of the National Horticulture Research and Development Foundation, said, "Much of the rabi crop i.e. 14 lakh tonnes is stored in Maharashtra. About 8 to 9 lakh tonnes of this is in Nashik district.There will be less storage this year due to hailstorm. Hence, there is a possibility of scarcity of onion in August and September. If the weather conditions are favourable for the kharif crop, availability will remain normal," said Gupta.Changdeo Holkar, director of the National Agriculture Co-operative Marketing Federation of India, also said that there will be no immediate impact on onion supply. "Rain and hailstorm damaged much of the crop, but still half of the produce could be salvaged. The quality of the remaining crop is poor though. There is a possibility that the supply will be low during August and September and onion prices may increase during that period," Holkar said.Nanasaheb Patil, chairman of Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), said that it will take about two or three weeks to get a clear picture of the damage. "Onion export will definitely be hampered since the district accounts for nearly 50% of the total export," said Patil.Meanwhile, the wholesale onion markets across Nashik district will remain closed for a week from March 28 to April 2 as the onion traders will have to complete their accounts for the fiscal 2013-14. The district APMCs will start auctions from April 3, 2014.Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

26.03.2014

USA - Frigid winter dooms peaches in many Illinois orchards

Ron Weigel will have no peaches this year, one of a number of Illinois fruit growers who have been victimized by the coldest winter in years.His Calhoun County orchard endured temperatures well below zero, fatal for sensitive buds.“I don’t think we’ll have any peaches,” he said. “We have a lot of bud damage. We had minus 15 here. That will always kill them.”It is the first winter loss in more than 15 years for Weigel, who has peach trees on 130 acres.He certainly is not alone. Tom Schwartz, who grows peaches on about 10 acres at his orchard in Dix, also expects to lose his entire crop.“It just took two or three bad nights,” said Schwartz, who added that he also recorded minus 15 at his Jefferson County farm. “It’s been cold for a long time.”Location, LocationElizabeth Wahle, a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator, said the degree of problems with peaches is dependent on location this year. Orchards situated in a swath stretching roughly on a line from St. Louis through Vincennes, Ind., took the brunt of the damage.“It’s not a complete wipeout, but there are some areas where they’re going to have significant losses,” Wahle said. “We don’t know the full extent yet, and we won’t until we get into bloom. There have already been some growers who have contacted their insurance companies and are declaring a complete loss.“Right now, the area around St. Clair County is going to be affected; some rather significantly. Other areas in the Centralia area are probably going to see a reduction, as well.”The rich fruit-producing region in deep southern Illinois, principally in Union and Jackson counties, may have escaped serious damage.“Orchards in the Cobden area are probably looking fine right now,” Wahle said. “It depends on how cold it was. Those growers in the Cobden area aren’t seeing the same thing (as producers in more northerly counties), because they didn’t get as cold.”Some areas in the southern part of the state’s major commercial peach-growing region were hit with temperatures as low as minus 5. But that likely was not cold enough to inflict major losses, Wahle said.Many orchards across the Mississippi River from St. Louis were frozen out, getting hit with minus double-digit temperatures. Such frigid cold has the potential to harm peaches, which are not as winter hardy as apples.The Manzanek orchard at Alma, in Marion County, also was hit hard.“We had a wipeout this year; they’re all gone,” Charlotte Manzanek said.It’s the second consecutive year the orchard has been slapped hard by Mother Nature, though last season the problem wasn’t frigid cold, but a particularly brutal spring storm.“Last year we had a hailstorm here,” Manzanek said. “It hit the peaches and apples both. We lost more than half the crop, maybe 60 percent. We didn’t have any perfect peaches or apples. It was located right in this area. We had hail from golf-ball size up to grapefruit size. I’ve never seen anything like it.”Potential ProblemsThe real danger for the peach and apple crops still may lie ahead, if days get very warm and then a cold snap hits trees that have begun opening buds and setting blooms.“If the trees have started the process of coming out of dormancy — where you can see active growth — they can be not quite as tolerant of cold,” Wahle said. “The minute you have bud break, their threshold is 32 degrees. Anything below that starts being a serious concern.”That happened in 2007, a year in which record highs in March were followed by record lows in April. Virtually the entire Illinois peach crop was lost, as was a significant portion of the apple harvest.Though temperatures in the low 20s were forecast for the week of March 23 in southern Illinois, they likely won’t be enough to create damage in otherwise viable buds.“The trees are still dormant,” Wahle said. “If they had broken bud, they would be in extreme danger. We don’t want any below-freezing temperatures once the trees come out of dormancy.“Once they come out of dormancy, apples are just as sensitive. Up to this point, we haven’t reached cold enough temperatures. We probably would need to get around minus 40 before even the most-sensitive trees would show some injury. They’re pretty cold hardy.”Source - http://agrinews-pubs.com/

26.03.2014

Philippines tries to expand insurance coverage for farmers as natural calamities take toll

The aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines has added urgency to finding a solution to a longstanding problem: less than 10 percent of farmers have crop insurance, and while its advantages are widely understood, few can afford it.Raymundo dela Vina, an 81-year-old farmer in Laguna province near Manila, likened raising crops to betting in a lottery: you go against so many odds including pests and an average of 20 typhoons that pummel the country each year, flooding small rice paddies like his. The country's 10.8 million farmers are the second poorest industry after fishermen. Many are tenant tillers who share their harvest with land owners and go into debt to pay for seeds, fertilizer and pest control. Crop insurance is the least of priorities when there is often not even enough money for food.But the government wants to change that.Officials and international aid groups are discussing ways to boost resilience to disasters after Haiyan, one of the strongest typhoons on record, killed more than 6,200 people and flattened towns in the central Philippines on Nov. 8. Better protections are vital for the poor who often end up deeper in poverty with every calamity.A World Bank report estimated that natural calamities cut 0.8 percentage point from the country's economic growth rate each year on average. The proportion of people living in poverty in 2013 may have risen to 26.4 percent from 25.2 percent the previous year despite economic growth of more than 7 percent, according to a government report.Government subsidized insurance that covers 30,000 pesos ($668) of a farmer's production cost per hectare each cropping season is a big help, farmer dela Vina said.Jovy Bernabe, president of government-owned insurer Philippine Crop Insurance Corp., said the program is being expanded this year, with free policies to be given to 800,000 farmers in the 20 poorest provinces plus six provinces directly hit by Haiyan.Last year, the agency enrolled for free 224,000 poor farmers who had become landowners under agrarian reform, raising the number insured to 750,000.Expansion of the crop insurance program, private micro-insurance against calamites for families, and a proposed disaster risk insurance for towns pegged to measurable factors like rainfall volume are among mechanisms being implemented or studied to brace for future catastrophes.In dela Vina's case, the crop insurance corporation subsidizes half of his premium. He pays about a third of the cost or 1,108 pesos ($25) per hectare through a farmers' cooperative while state-run Land Bank of the Philippines takes care of the balance.About 12 percent of subsistence rice farmers now have crop insurance, a leap from two percent in 2009, Bernabe said. Numbers are lower for farmers planting other crops.He said 750,000 enrollees is a "good number" compared with previous years.Bernabe said the national government wants local government to jointly subsidize policies to bring down cost in areas where they are not free. It is also wants private insurance companies, farmers' cooperatives and rural banks to get involved."Without insurance you just leave everything to God because there are always disasters and your expected harvest could be totally wiped out," said dela Vina. It brings down risks, especially for tenant tillers who fall deeper into debt when they fail to harvest, the sprightly octogenarian said.His 4-hectare (9.9-acre) farm near the rim of Laguna Lake had been under water since August last year, when another typhoon, Trami, coupled with heavy southwest monsoon rains and lake siltation caused severe flooding in Manila and nearby provinces. His insurance indemnified about a third of his 400,000 pesos ($9,000) losses. It's enough capital to plant again.Last month, the flooding finally dried up after six months, and a young farm helper was guiding a water buffalo as it pulled a plow around dela Vina's farm to prepare for planting the next day. It was over two months late for December's cropping season.In provinces on Haiyan's path including Samar, Eastern Samar and Leyte, however, coconut farmers will take longer to recover.An estimated 33 million coconut trees were damaged or destroyed by the super typhoon's ferocious winds and tsunami-like storm surge, practically all of them uninsured. It will take at least six years for the coconut farms to return to full production.Budget Secretary Butch Abad has said there will be substantial funds for crop insurance, microcredit and guarantees under the 2015 budget as part of moves to boost resilience to disasters.For Anselmo Gecolea, a 73-year-old tenant farmer also from Laguna, insurance helps, but is not enough. High costs and shrinking earnings are making farmers like him desperate, he said.The grandfather of 12 said his 1.5 hectare (3.7 acre) rice farm and vegetable plot are all he relies on for a living and almost nothing is left of earnings after deducting land rent, fertilizer cost and debt payment."So when I do not harvest when there is a typhoon, I really sink in debt" he said with a somber look on his weather-beaten face.Source - http://www.usnews.com/

26.03.2014

USA - Farmers increase crop insurance coverage for 2014

It doesn’t get much attention outside agriculture, but a key date on most farmers’ calendars has come and gone.March 17 was the deadline for buying or modifying crop insurance for most spring-planted crops. Farmers, working closely with their insurance agents, typically make their final decisions on 2014 yield and revenue protection crop insurance in the first two weeks of the month.Experts interviewed after the deadline say many area farmers increased their coverage levels from a year ago.“The tighter margin (on projected 2014 crop profits) has encouraged them to increase their coverage,” says Kent Thiesse, farm management analyst and vice president with MinnStar Bank in Lake Crystal, Minn.Higher coverage provides more protection, but at a greater cost.For most farmers, higher coverage levels’ additional protection justifies the higher premiums, says Andy Swenson, farm management specialist with North Dakota State University Extension Service.Premiums have dropped from a year ago, increasing the appeal of higher coverage levels, he says.Crop prices have fallen sharply in the past year, reducing the rate at which crops can be insured. Because crop insurance prices are lower, premiums also are lower than they were a year ago.Dan Weber, a Casselton, N.D., crop insurance agent, says his clients typically saved a few dollars per acre on premiums this year, assuming they kept their coverage the same as a year ago.In early March, the Risk Management Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture agency that administers the federal crop insurance program, released the prices at which crops raised in 2014 can be insured. The insurance prices were determined by February market prices.Here are the per-bushel insurance prices in the Upper Midwest for the region’s three major crops:• Wheat — $6.51 per bushel in 2014, down from $8.44 in 2013. The record price was $11.11 per bushel in 2008.• Corn — $4.62 per bushel in 2014, down from $5.65 in 2013. The record price was $6.01 per bushel in 2011.• Soybeans — $11.36 per bushel in 2014, down from $12.87 in 2013. The record price was $13.49 per bushel in 2011.Source - http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/

26.03.2014

Brazil - El Nino poses new threat to cane and coffee, aid to soy

The El Nino weather phenomenon may cause new problems for Brazil's drought-damaged sugarcane, coffee and orange crops if it materializes later this year, but it would create the perfect climate for the next soy and corn harvests.Climate models show Pacific ocean surface temperatures are rising with an increasing probability of turning into El Nino for the first time since 2009 in coming months.In past years, the phenomenon has brought heavy rain to parts of Argentina and southern Brazil, where hot dry weather struck at the beginning of the year."It would be around June, the start of El Nino or at least higher than average temperatures around the equatorial Pacific," said Franco Villela, a meteorologist at Inmet, Brazil's national meteorological institute.Though El Nino is not a certainty, companies and analysts are already attentive to its potential impact on agricultural superpower Brazil, the top exporter of sugar, coffee and soy."Initially it was a rare possibility but now some weather forecasters are already saying there is a 75 percent chance that El Nino may return," Stefan Uhlenbrock, senior commodities analyst for F.O. Licht, said at an event in Sao Paulo on Monday.For Brazil's main center-south sugar area, wet weather in the late crushing season would reduce the sugar content in the cane, he said. The world's largest sugar and ethanol producer Raizen also said last week that El Nino rain was a significant risk to cane harvesting."For cane, coffee and citrus it's the worst possible scenario," said agrometeorologist Marco Antonio dos Santos of Brazil-based Somar Meteorologia, adding that quality as well as ability to harvest the crops would be affected.Still, "non-stop" El Nino rains in June or July wouldn't be all bad for agriculture in Brazil and are actually ideal for soybeans and corn, he said.Analysts at Thomson Reuters Lanworth in Chicago also said El Nino conditions of increased precipitation in Argentina and southern Brazil during South America's late spring and early summer "generally resulting in favorable yield outlooks for the next season".Brazil is easing out of what was the hottest and driest summer on record in the densely populated southeast, spurring fears of water and energy rationing in a country where the majority of power comes from hydro reservoirs.The drought likely cut 11 percent off the current coffee crop according to a Reuters poll of analysts and erased 25 million tonnes of cane according to F.O. Licht.Climate conditions should be normal for South America's fall over the next three months, before any possible El Nino effects, said Villela. Frost in the south is possible within the next month and moderate rainfall expected."Even with the forecast for normal rain, it won't be enough to replace the losses we saw over the summer," he said. Source - http://uk.reuters.com/

26.03.2014

USA - York County peach farmers hold their breath as freeze moves in

Expecting below-freezing temperatures overnight, local farmers braced Tuesday for a potential blow that could wipe out one of the most anticipated food staples for the summer: peaches.Three York County farms reported having more than 75 percent of their peaches in bloom this week. If temperatures dip below 28 degrees, all of the delicate blooms could be lost, said Bob Hall, owner of the Bush-N-Vine farm in Filbert.“We just hope and pray we get through the next couple of days,” Hall said.The National Weather Service predicted temperatures would fall to freezing by 2 a.m. Wednesday and drop to 28 degrees between 5 and 6 a.m. Forecasters predicted temperatures to stay below freezing until 9 a.m.That could result in a total loss for Bush-N-Vine, Hall said, since 100 percent of his peaches are in bloom.The last time a deep freeze destroyed local peach crops was in 2007.Springs Farms in Fort Mill has nearly 90 percent of its 70 acres of peaches in bloom, farm manager Ron Edwards said. If the majority of the crop dies, York County farmers would have to buy peaches from other growers in South Carolina or Georgia, he said.That would be disappointing for the farmers who pick the ripe peaches and drive them to their markets to be sold the very day they were picked, he said.“We tell people the peach you ate today was hanging on the tree this morning.”Buying peaches from other farms could make the purchase price skyrocket, said Beth White, manager of Black’s Peaches in York, which has 75 percent to 80 percent of its peaches in bloom. The farm invests roughly $70,000 for its peach crop, she said, and property insurance covers only a portion of that if the peaches are killed.Farmers have no way of preventing the trees from freezing and will not know the extent of the damage until 24 hours later, Edwards said. Other factors, such as wind gusts and the length of time the freeze lasts, can determine if the fruit survives.“There is a lot of things to weigh in when it comes to Mother Nature,” Edwards said.Source - http://www.heraldonline.com/

26.03.2014

El Niño Threatens Australian Crops

Meteorologists from Australia say the chances are increasing that the volatile El Niño weather pattern will return this year, adding to already difficult growing conditions globally that have sparked a rally in agricultural commodities from coffee to palm oil.Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said Wednesday that it forecasts drier-than-normal weather for parts of the north and east of the country, and wetter-than-normal weather for the southwest, potentially causing problems for the production of crops such as sugar cane and cotton.El Niño is the abnormal warming of the Pacific Ocean that causes droughts in some areas and flooding in others, and happens every three to five years. El Niño last hit in 2009 and typically affects India especially hard because the country is reliant on seasonal monsoon rains for rice and sugar-cane crops.The return of El Niño this year also would add to a strong rally in agricultural commodities prices because of existing droughts in large commodity-growing regions such as Brazil, California and Southeast Asia. Already, dry weather in the U.S., Eastern Europe, Australia and southern Ukraine is a worry and could impact wheat prices this year if there is damage to the crop, said Australian investment bank Macquarie. Wheat futures have risen in recent days because of dry weather in the U.S. southern plains region and persistent cold in the Midwest.“Australia has seen dry conditions build in both the eastern and western portions of the country. Today this isn’t a specific threat to production, but given the country’s generally low moisture profile, dry conditions now could encourage the Australian farmer to reduce planting area,” said Macquarie.Luke Mathews, commodities analyst at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, said the drier weather in Australia would raise “question marks around sugar cane production,” and “northern irrigation primarily for crops such as cotton.” Sorghum and barley could also be affected, but Australia can still expect a “sizeable national wheat crop” in 2014 as there should be no impact from El Nino on grain production in the south and west of the country.While there currently is a global glut of sugar, traders are watching to see whether sugar production could be adversely affected later this year, for example if El Niño brings wetter-than-normal rainfall to Brazil, the world’s largest sugar cane grower.If El Niño comes early to India, the world’s second-largest sugar cane producer, it could be a “real disaster [if it] causes the monsoon…to fail,” said broker Marex Spectron. “That happened in 2009 when Indian sugar production fell from 26 million tons the year before to 15 million tons.”While Indian meteorologists have said that El Niño is likely to develop this year, they have downplayed its potential impact. Officials said it will be felt only in the second half of the June-to-September monsoon season. The Meteorological Department is due to release its official forecast in April.Mirza Adityaswara, a senior deputy governor at Bank Indonesia, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal this week that food inflation could pick up again this year if El Niño returns. Dry weather and the specter of El Niño have already helped push up palm oil prices this year, which is mainly produced in Malaysia and Indonesia. El Niño is usually associated with drier weather in Asia.Source - http://blogs.wsj.com/

25.03.2014

India - Agriculture turning into nightmare for small farmers

India, the world’s second largest food producer, is witnessing growing distress and declining confidence in agriculture as most small and landless farmers, with less of a stake, are found to quit farming.The recent unseasonal heavy rains, thunder and hailstorms originating from unusually intense western disturbances from the Mediterranean interacting with the south-easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal have ravaged the due-for-harvesting chana, lentils and wheat in Madhya Pradesh, mustard in Rajasthan and onions and grapes in Maharashtra. Instead of an expected bumper harvest on the back of excellent monsoons, farmers reaped only misery.Compounding it is the Model Election Code of Conduct stopping any relief for months. It is well acknowledged that our agriculture is inherently risk-prone by being highly susceptible to weather vagaries. According to a nationwide survey, 70% of over 5,000 households polled, reported crop damage in the last three years and the present National Agricultural Insurance Scheme cover is far too inadequate. India, the world’s second largest food producer is witnessing growing distress and declining confidence in agriculture. Most small and landless farmers with less of a stake are found to quit farming. Sharad Pawar, union minister for Agriculture blames the highly fragmented small holdings for making agriculture economically unviable.Our Food Security is heading for an alarming toss going by the grim statistics in a Bharat Krishak Samaj commissioned survey on ‘The State of the Indian Farmer’ -Agriculturists willing to quit farming to move to cities 62%,Farmers who don’t see future for children in farming, preferring higher education and settle in towns 60%,Youth keen on continuing farming constituted only 20%. Mere holistic fixes like subsidies, procurement policies, minimum support prices (MSP) have been failures, loan waivers have not served their purpose as the prices obtained by the farmers are far below those charged to the ultimate urban consumers.More of softer infrastructure for the rural population like better education, good primary health care, decent sanitation, clean drinking water, check dams ring and bore wells, constant power supply to run them are the need of the hour in addition to better road connectivity.Interestingly, the survey, reiterated the best kept of secrets of the benefits of the Governments’ farmer-related schemes are invariably availed only by few rich farmers to the detriment of many few.The loan repayment and interest waiver schemes don’t benefit the many poor who have availed credit by borrowing from the money lenders at usurious rates of interest leading to suicides. The large and rich farmers borrowing from commercial and co-operative institutions abuse these facilities.The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, on record had stated that the NREGA Scheme has been making the farm labour ‘lazy’ by enabling them to collect money from government project work that drive them all away from farming.The major concerns faced by the agricultural sector in India are:• Structural limitations in earnings from agriculture - even for an area of 10 hectares make it impossible to invest beyond two tube wells and one tractor.• Income from agriculture is limited essentially because the investment cannot be upped.• An average Indian farmer, with even large pieces of lands, is hard pressed to produce even Rs10 lakh worth crops.• When one hundred software engineers working out of urban building can turn out software worth many more crores, the same number of farmers can’t turn out the same from labour.• America exports large quantities of food grains and fruits like Californian apples and Washington apples to India even with less than 1% of the population engaged in agriculture.• For our planners it is more cost-effective to provide cheaper power, water, roads and sanitation to urban areas than to the rural areas.• In a study of the Water Policy of Rajasthan, it was found that the cost of reaching drinking water to rural communities was a whopping 10 times more than to the cities because of the need to lay new, longer water lines, much breakage and leakages in rural areas.• It is far less costly to provide 10 MW of power to a single urban high-rise while hundreds of kilometres of power cables has got to be laid for the same electricity supply to villages. • In rural areas it is well-nigh impossible to recover user charges as it is compounded with high transmission and distribution losses (T&D losses) arising out of unauthorised direct pole connections that are thefts.• The absence of sustained and regular passenger traffic makes bus services to villages sporadic simply because there is not enough traffic to make trips economically viable.• Quality of education suffers because the required large numbers of students are just not available. Living conditions are not conducive also hamper good teaching talent.• Similar bad conditions equally apply to health and sanitation services.• The many rural development programmes laid out by the government fail to take off purely on economic grounds - industries can flourish where the costs for transporting raw materials and finished products are minimum. It is far cheaper to procure from farms and transport raw cane even by bullock carts and tractors to the sugar factories in the hinterlands of Maharashtra.• Flour mills have moved to the larger metros because of ease and relatively lower costs of transporting raw wheat and finished flour. The same applies to weaving.• The power situation in rural India is abysmal. The relatively more regular supply of power, availability of skilled and semi-skilled labour and easier access to markets makes metros a choice.• The rural non-tax paying rich elite also choose to migrate to the metros for their glamour and proximity to centres of power, especially the state capitals. This is despite the fact that they build jazzy farm houses/bungalows guzzling millions of gallons of scarce water in drought hit areas.Source - http://www.moneylife.in/

25.03.2014

USA - Weekend Rain Improves Abnormally Dry Conditions

Heavy rains late last week helped to improve abnormally dry conditions for the state, according to a weekly crop weather report issued by the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture in coordination with the US Department of Agriculture.The report showed considerable rainfall with at least one location in the state — Laupāhoehoe on Hawaiʻi Island — receiving a daily rain total on Friday that exceeded three inches.On March 18, US Drought Monitor reported that 45.8% of the state was abnormally dry or drier, down more than 10% from the previous week, the report said.In Maui County, agricultural officials said some areas received continuous rainfall through Sunday with reservoirs supplying the Upcountry area reaching capacity.On Molokaʻi, the irrigation system was marked at 24 feet or 528 million gallons a day on Friday, up 1-foot from the previous week’s reading, according to the report.Weekly rain totals for the island of Maui for the week ending March 23, 2014, included: 0.62 inches in Hāna; 0.65 inches in Kula; 1.62 inches at Lahainaluna; and 0.91 inches in Wailuku.According to the report, harvesting and planting activities for orchards and vegetable farms continued in most areas, but heavy rain over the weekend hindered some field work on Maui.Source - http://mauinow.com/