Agroinsurance

India - Inclement weather worries Kullu plum, peach growers

Orchard owners in the district are worried as the inclement weather may mar their prospects for a good crop.These days, peach and plum trees are in full bloom across the district. However, as these trees require pleasant weather during the flowering stage for a good yield, fluctuating temperature and rain are likely to affect fruit production.Over the last few days, the weather has been swinging between extremes, alternating between high day temperature due to clear skies and heavy rain and snow in the lower and upper reaches, respectively.Kullu orchardist Sanjay Kumar told HT that last year, his orchard yielded a good plum crop. He added that the crop was a good alternative to apple, which was cultivated by most people in the district and was their main source of income.“These days, the plum trees are blooming and I was hoping for a good crop. However, I fear that the changing weather conditions will spoil my chances,” he said.Daleep Kumar, who has an orchard in Lag valley, said plum was preferred as an alternative crop, and he had earned Rs. 15 to Rs. 18 per kg last year, considerably boosting his income. He added that the bad weather has shattered his hopes this year.District horticulture department deputy director BS Rana said the inclement weather may affect 20% or more of the stone fruit crop.“During the blossom period, pleasant weather is needed for a good crop, as pollen carriers, including bees and other insects, pollinate the flowers swiftly, leading to more yield. However, in cold weather, the carriers remain sheltered, affecting the process,” he added.In this district, most people are dependent on annual crops, including plum, peach, pear and apple, besides vegetables, for their livelihood.The horticulture official said 85% land in the district is under apple cultivation, while 15% is covered by other fruit crops.In 2013, 9,164 MT plum production was recorded in the district. This was more than that in the previous year, and farmers were forced to sell their crop at lower rates at the end of the season.Source - http://www.hindustantimes.com/

France - Early spring causes concern for farmers

Spring has come early, and despite temperatures being only slightly above the norm for the season, it is the sun that is making vegetation develop early. But producers fear frost could occur up to mid-May ( it snowed last year at the end of March). Alain Canet, Director of the association, Arbres et Paysages, says that ''the main risk is frost. This would cause crop losses and lead to production issues''. Farmers will lose produce and consumers will see fruit and vegetable prices rise. ''We have to hurry up to plant trees, because with the rainy periods we weren't ahead of ourselves. We now risk running late. For peach trees, these conditions could be a big problem. Also, the ground has been washed out, like last year. Strong rain has eroded it, it is less rich and has become more sensitive. We already have drought problems. Crusts have formed on the ground stopping plants growing properly. We have gone from a very, very humid system to a dry one. Those who planted vegetation cover have less problems. This regulates the excess. We have gone from a lake to a desert, we need to plant to regulate. We didn't invent ecosystems'!' continues Mr Canet. However gardeners and horticulturists are delighted by the weather, ''it is planting season, so we have a lot of customers'' the Jardinerie Embaloge in Mirande tells us, ''last year our profession was affected because people couldn't plant, it rained for six months.'' Meteo France reports that the average maximum temperatures for March in Auch (S.W. France) are 15.1°C, i.e. about the same as the temperatures at the moment. It should be dry until the end of March. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

USA - Cold Spring Temperatures Affect Winter Wheat

It's hurry up and wait for some farmers in Nebraska as they prepare for the outcome of winter wheat.Low snow levels in most parts of the state, combined with dry conditions and cold temperatures at the beginning of spring, have some farmers worried about their crops."Wheat has nine lives," said wheat farmer, Mike Bundy.But even with nine lives, some crops may not be able to outlive the cold temperatures early this spring."We're a little late on breaking dormancy around here because it's been so cold," said Bundy. "We didn't have much fall rain, we went into the fall dry, had some moisture and got a good start, but that's just the start."Finishing the process is what Bundy is counting on, but with low snow accumulations around the state, he says it's hard to be optimistic."We've had almost no snow cover," said Bundy. "It will act just like a blanket and keep the plant from getting cold. The longer you have a snow cover, the better it is."Without that cover, cold temperatures won't necessarily destroy the crop, but Bundy says it all depends on rainfall when the wheat breaks dormancy."It still needs a couple of really good rains at critical times, and one of those is when it breaks dormancy," he said.But with a chance for rain by the middle of this week, it could be coming at just the right time. Until the wheat breaks dormancy, Bundy said he'll just have to wait and see if cold temperatures affected his yield.Source - http://www.1011now.com/

India - Untimely hailstorm damages standing crops

Unseasonal hailstorm along with heavy showers that lashed the city on Monday damaged all the standing crops and vegetables sown in and around Jaipur. Already facing jolts of erratic weather, farmers had to witness yet another round of torrential rains and hailstorm that lasted for 30 minutes. It is the second time in less than a month that weather has changed suddenly. Showers that accompanied hailstorm have destroyed all the full grown rabi crop besides fruits and vegetables."Even a little water at this time will destroy any vegetable. Spinach, ladyfinger, round gourd (tinda) will be affected. If there is water clogging then crops of muskmelon and cucumber will also be destroyed completely and may not even come in the market," said Radheyshyam Phatak, president of Rajasthan Fruits and Vegetable Traders Association.Chomu which is the biggest supplier of vegetables in Jaipur during March-April received heavy downpour for the second consecutive day. Experts believe that this may lead to an increase in prices as flow from outside the state has largely been stagnant.Several parts of UP, MP, Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Haryana have received unseasonal rainfall. For Rajasthan these states remain major suppliers of vegetables and fruits.Similarly, production in Chomu which balances out any shortfall from outside is also likely to see downfall in production due to changing weather conditions," said Rajendra Agarwal, a trader in Muhana Mandi.Likewise, wheat, gram and mustard which were sown late too are likely to face damages. Though agriculture department officials assert that most of the crop has already been harvested and only a few patches are left where crops are to be reaped."We are yet to be identify the areas where hailstorm has taken place. But most of the crops have already been harvested. Wheat which was sown late may be slightly affected but the crop has the ability to absorb unexpected showers," said an official of agriculture department.Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

US crop insurance reformers fume as farmers sign up for 2014

US farmers this week finalised their crop insurance plans for spring planting with critics of the government-subsidised program saying insurers are set up for a bonanza after passage of the new five-year farm bill last month. Farmers who sign up for crop insurance by March 15 won't in fact enjoy the enhanced subsidies of the new federal law, which go into effect with the 2015 crop year. But grain farmers in 2014 will still see up to two-thirds of their insurance premiums paid for by the government. Private insurance companies will also still benefit from the government as their "reinsurer," an arrangement which critics say limits their losses while boosting underwriting gains. With the new farm bill, the government's largesse gets even bigger next year. "I think taxpayers lost on that farm bill for sure. There was lots of money that could have been saved to reduce the deficit but they chose not to," said Bruce Babcock, an agricultural economist at Iowa State University who has studied crop insurance for more than a decade. "The industry lobbies heavily," Babcock told Reuters. "It's just rub my back, I'll rub yours." A new farm bill was held up for more than a year by wrangling over cuts in food stamps and subsidised programs for the poor. Backers also touted cuts in direct payments to farmers estimated by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) at $40 billion over 10 years. But 80 percent of those savings - some $33 billion, according to CBO data - reappear in the new farm bill as "enhanced" crop insurance, reformers say. "The crop insurance program survived essentially unscathed in this farm bill," said Craig Cox of the Environmental Working Group, which sees US farm policies as wasteful to taxpayers. "This was the first farm bill where there was a lot of attention paid to trying to reform the crop insurance program. None of those reforms made it into the final bill." Crop insurers, on the other hand, praised the new law. "For the taxpayer, it eliminated direct payments and reduced some of the price support policies of the past in favour of expanding crop insurance, which is purchased by farmers on an individual basis," David Graves, president of the American Crop Insurance Association, said in a written response to questions. "For crop insurance companies, the farm bill underscored the fact that crop insurance is the top risk management tool for America's farmers and ranchers." Critics say it is not the theory but the economics of crop insurance they quarrel with. At the turn of the century crop insurance was still a minor part of US farm policy, averaging about $2 billion a year in the 1990s. By contrast, CBO estimates, even before the new farm bill government crop insurance costs will average $9 billion a year over the coming decade. The new law adds in another $3.3 billion a year to those costs, according to CBO data. Critics say no one knows if such 'savings' will actually be realised since most farmers today opt for insurance that covers expected crop revenue, due to lower prices or crop losses. "The new savings could turn out to be mythical. If prices decline from astronomical levels which USDA is projecting, these new subsidy programs could pay out far more than CBO estimates of their costs," Cox said. Pat Westhoff of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri said FAPRI now projects those additional costs at closer to $5 billion a year, not $3.3 billion, and comparable to the old direct payment program. "The new crop insurance provisions, all else equal, will push up the costs of the crop insurance program," he said. Reformers zero in on three costly aspects of the giant crop insurance scheme: subsidised premiums; billion-dollar government payments to insurers for "administrative and operational" costs; and the government's safety net as "reinsurer" of private insurers. Source - http://www.brecorder.com/

Africa - World Bank Approves US$60M For Agriculture

Part of the funds will be used to intensify farmer’s agricultural productivity as part of the strategy to reduce poverty and boost shared prosperity throughout the country.The World Bank, through International Development Association (IDA) has approved US$60.9Million (Over Rwf41billion) to improve Rwanda’s agriculture and infrastructure sectors.The funds will be used to upgrade road conditions in the country and intensify farmer’s agricultural productivity as part of the strategy to reduce poverty and boost shared prosperity throughout the country.The World Bank’s country Manager, Carolyn Turk said that the pledge is a result of Rwanda’s exceptional efforts in implementing programmes designed to fight poverty in the country.“The Rwandan Government has implemented several ambitious programs designed to improve and diversify the country’s agriculture sector as a key strategy to fight poverty. Today’s financing provides additional support to continue this success while helping to ensure food security, improve health, and reduce poverty for the country’s large rural population,” said Turk.The funds will be dispatched to the country’s rural areas to enhance crop productivity, rehabilitation of roads as well as boosting farmers’ incomes.The first US$45 million IDA credit supports the Feeder Roads Development Project (FRDP), designed to improve conditions on all-season roads that connect to major agricultural market centers.According to FRDP officials, the funds will support road works for about 270 kilometers of feeder roads in four of the country’s districts of Karongi and Nyamasheke in Western Province, Rwamagana in Eastern Province) and Gisagara in Southern province.Tesfamichael Nahusenay Mitiku, World Bank’s task team leader for FRDP project said that the funds will reduce costs incurred by farmers to access markets.“Insufficient all-season road connectivity has contributed to very high transport costs and created difficulties for farmers seeking to improve their agricultural productivity and incomes. The Feeder Roads Development Project will help make transport easier, improve food security, and provide opportunities for the most vulnerable to lift themselves out of poverty,” he saidThe FRDP is designed as an integral part of the agricultural support initiatives in Rwanda and will help farmers to transport key agricultural inputs, like seeds and Fertilizers and move their crops and products to market.The project, coupled with the ongoing agriculture projects, is expected to directly benefit about 439,000 people in the above Districts with approximately 50 percent female beneficiaries.The second IDA credit of US$15.9 million provides additional financing for the 3rd Rural Sector Support Project phase (RSSP 3), which is also focused on activities that will increase and diversify agriculture productivity, which comes as a boost to the country’s achievement of the Second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRSII) where vulnerable Rwandans are set to benefit from the programme. 101,500 rural residents are expected to benefit from RSSP 3rd phase by 2018.“Agriculture remains the backbone of Rwanda’s economy and the majority of households in the country are engaged in some sort of crop or livestock production activity,” said Valens Mwumvaneza, World Bank’s team leader for the RSSP 3.The official added that: “I look forward to continuing efforts to enhance agriculture productivity, which is widely regarded as the major catalyst for growth and poverty reduction in Rwanda.”Currently, RSSP3 extends and builds upon the results of RSSP 1 and 2, and will expand irrigation in cultivated marshlands, promote sustainable land management practices on hillsides, and rehabilitate and build infrastructure to support new agriculture-based products.The funds will also support capacity building for farmers’ organizations, cooperatives, and value chain development to support these results beyond the life of the project.The new approval of funds by the World Bank will extend the project to October 30, 2018 to ensure a smooth implementation of the additional resources.Source - http://www.newsofrwanda.com/

EU - French farmers sow 87 pct of spring barley area

French farmers had sown 87 percent of the spring barley area for this year's harvest by March 17, up sharply from 20 percent a week earlier, farm office FranceAgriMer said on Friday.Field work in France and elsewhere in western Europe has picked up this month after dry, sunny conditions broke a period of wet winter weather that initially held up the start of the spring sowing campaign.Spring barley sowing progress was above the 62 percent seen at the same point last year, FranceAgriMer's weekly crop report said. Winter cereal crops continued to show faster growth than last year.For soft wheat, 43 percent of crops had reached the 1-cm ear stage against just 3 percent a year earlier, while 37 percent of winter barley was at the same stage, also against 3 percent at the same point last year.Winter cereals in the European Union's largest grain producer and exporter remained mostly in good condition.The share of soft wheat rated good or excellent by March 17 was 75 percent, unchanged on the week and up from 67 percent a year ago. For winter barley, the good/excellent ratings were also unchanged on the week, at 71 percent, above 67 percent a year earlier, FranceAgriMer's data showed.Source - http://agri.eu/

USA - Cold, wet winter hurts corn crop

About 1 percent of Louisiana’s corn crop is in the ground. This is unusual for mid-March when farmers typically have much of the crop planted.LSU AgCenter corn specialist Dan Fromme said cold, wet weather has kept farmers out of their fields.“We always talk about planting corn when the soil temperature reaches 50 degrees. We’re now just starting to see some of that,” Fromme said.Farmers also like to see daytime temperatures in the 70s and lows in the 50s when they plant.Fromme said the window for planting corn will last about three more weeks. He projects the state could have around 600,000 acres — slightly less than last year. But with continued cooler conditions, some farmers may not plant corn.“I’ve already heard talk about that,” he said. “If they can’t get planted in the next week, they may shift to another crop.”Fromme said they may switch to grain sorghum or cotton.Source - http://www.shreveporttimes.com/

India - 2014 farm output at risk, CPI to spike again

India's hope rally appears to be at risk. Even if a reformist government comes to power in May, global weather forecasts seem to suggest that it will be faced with the prospect of a weak agriculture output and rise in food prices.For starters, the recent hailstorm is expected to affect output in the current year. The Street has already begun factoring in lower GDP growth for this reason. Also food prices, which dipped in February, may spike again.Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Jyotivardhan Jaipuria and Indranil Sen Gupta say: "The hailstorm could likely result in an estimated crop failure at about Rs 12,000 crore (0.1% of the full year GDP)." However, for the quarter, this would be 0.4% of the GDP (4.8% BofAML estimated base case) and 2-2.5% of the agri-growth (forecast is 3.5%).Added to this, the risks of an El Nino like situation are also building.El Nino is defined as irregularly recurring flow of warm waters from the Pacific Ocean towards the western coasts of South America, which disrupt global and regional weather conditions. There have been 16 El Ninos since 1984 and only four have been strong in the last 50 years. Even if the El Nino isn't strong, agriculture output is sure to decline. In the years when the El Nino effect has been strong, the agriculture output has fallen by 4.7%, while the best case scenario has seen farm output expand by 4% since 2003.This clearly highlights the risk the current year's El Nino forecast holds for the country's GDP growth.Predicting EL Nino and its effects are a little difficult now as accurate predictions are possible only after the summer is midway through.According to Jefferies, "Delayed monsoons are becoming increasingly frequent in the recent years. This then implies that even if El Nino is confirmed in mid-summer, the actual impact on monsoons will only be visible by mid-August."Source - http://www.business-standard.com/

USA - Frigid Fields Might Delay Planting

As people in the corridor are recovering from a long and frigid winter, farmers’ fields are also feeling the effects. Some farmers say if there isn’t uncharacteristically warm weather over the next month, it could push back their planting schedule. The tough conditions started with a drought at the end of last summer and only got worse when the winter frost rolling in. That means Iowa farm fields will be quiet for at least a few more weeks. "You see right there that screw driver, I have to push pretty hard to get it to penetrate into the ground, so if I try to pull anything up, it's pretty chunky,” said Linn County Farmer Brian Lensch as he poked his corn field with a screwdriver. That means while farmers want to be in their fields right now, prepping the land for planting, they’re sitting on their hands. "You can see the soil still has ice crystals on it so, it's a good two to three weeks,” said Lensch as he held a piece of frozen dirt. “Anything that has to require tillage or anything that goes in the ground, we're several weeks yet." Drought conditions at the end of summer meant winter’s frost packed an extra punch. Johnson County Farmer Steve Swenka had pipes freeze that are five feet underground. "Was that frost enhanced because the ground conditions were a little drier than usual? Yeah, I would say that definitely played a factor in getting the frost that deep." Even the moisture that could have come from melting snow couldn’t help. "Snow or rain on top of that frozen ground, as soon as it melts it's just going to run off, or a high percentage of that is just going to run off,” said Swenka. Meaning it’ll take more rain to get the soil to where it needs to be. Lensch says his planting schedule will likely be pushed back to the beginning of May, which is right when Swenka says he would likely be planting anyway. "There's reason to be optimistic,” said Swenka. “Maybe a better way to say that is I don't think there's reason to be pessimistic at this point.” Exactly when they put seeds in the ground has a lot to do with what Mother Nature has in store for the next month. "Whether we have a good crop, an average crop or a bumper crop, it's still anybody's guess,” said Swenka. Farmers say conditions are even worst in western Iowa where they’ve had a colder winter and even less rain.Source - http://www.cbs2iowa.com/

23.03.2014

Australia - Multi-peril crop insurance a reality

Multi Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) became a reality for WA growers last week when Latevo International with Allianz Australia offered its first policies for the 2014 season. In what has been described as a landmark achievement for Australian agriculture, WA growers will now be able to mitigate some of the risk in their farming enterprises in the coming season for the first time. The policy will protect growers against the effects of frost and drought for a cost of up to $10 a tonne with what has been termed "Certainty Insurance". Certainty Insurance is designed to protect growers against future catastrophic events that occur less than once in five years, and to ensure production costs are replaced in a poor season. Latevo International was forced to shut down its pilot program in 2013 when it offered its official policies too late in the season. At the time the company was not able to achieve the geographical spread required by its underwriters. Latevo International chief executive Andrew Trotter said the company had received significant inquiry, and had an additional 100 grower applications Australia-wide since Friday last week. When Latevo launched its pilot program in 2013, Mr Trotter said the company aimed to get 100 farm businesses on board in WA. And while he would not say how many farmers had taken up the policy in WA for the 2014 season, he noted good interest from throughout Australia. Mr Trotter said Latevo International was only running at almost 50 per cent of its initial capacity and expected the company could insure up to 200 farmers in WA this year. "We have had good coverage throughout WA but we are looking for more, we are a business," he said. "It is a good geographical spread and it is the banding model that works for the higher rainfall guys. "It is not just designed for the eastern Wheatbelt." Farmers entering the program will be offered 70pc of their five year average returns in their first year, which according to Mr Trotter would cover most business costs. He said farmers who had experienced a run of poor seasons, including those located in WA's marginal eastern Wheatbelt, could provide further long term data and information. "If you have had a one-in-30 year drought, and a one-in-20-year frost and they have happened two years in a row, analysis should not be based on the past five years but the five years before, then we can smooth the data out," he said. "That is why we are saying to people that have had a rough run they need to submit more data over a longer period of time to demonstrate they are actually a good risk profile." When asked whether coverage was subject to changeover time, Mr Trotter said the Certainty Insurance product was similar to car insurance, whereby fewer claims would result in improved pricing over time. "If you have poor seasons and claims, it will affect your five year average and your coverage will be adjusted according to your risk profile," he said. Farm Weekly asked Mr Trotter if the required up-front payment would be a hurdle for cash-strapped farmers. "It has been a hurdle for some but that is why we are offering a money-back guarantee to those people who aren't offered a policy," he said. But according to Mr Trotter there have not been any WA farmers who were not eligible for the cover. "Has everyone been offered the coverage they want, no, has everyone been eligible, yes," he said. "They might want coverage for $300/ha but they might only get $180/ha. "The variation from grower to grower is enormous, and that is why every grower has to be individually analysed." Mr Trotter said the application process took three weeks and required an independent audit which incurred an initial $5000 outlay by the grower. "It is a full audit of the business," he said. "It is a once-off, and it is no different to applying for a loan at the bank. "You have to be analysed to be eligible. Bunbury-based Latevo International manager Deane Allen said after wide industry consultation, the company had received good feedback. "People now understand the product," Mr Allen said. "I think the big issue I have found is there was a lot of misinterpretation about what the product is and how it works. "A lot of people thought it was yield-based but this is a dollar per hectare income base." Mr Allen also noted there were also a lot of people who believed the cost of the premium was a lot higher than it actually was. "A lot of people were overstating what the costs would be and thought it was a lot more expensive than that," he said. Mr Allen said cover offers for 2014 close on April 30. The WA Nationals called for the stamp duty payable on Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) products to be waived for the 2014 growing season in September 2013. WA Nationals members representing the Agricultural Region Shane Love, Mia Davies, Martin Aldridge and Paul Brown called for the waiver in an attempt to assist WA growers obtain a MPCI product this year. They said the removal of the stamp duty payable on MPCI products for two years would assist in maturing the market and improve uptake as new products were developed. At the time the group of MPs said swift action from the government on the matter would encourage more farmers to take out insurance for this growing season. It is understood the group wrote a letter to Minister for Agriculture Ken Baston calling for the waiver, which was then referred to the Treasury for advice. Now six months on, it is unclear if any progress has been made on the matter. Source - Farmweekly

23.03.2014

Brazil - Drought boosts crop insurance claims to record levels

Banco do Brasil e Mapfre, a major joint venture of crop insurance in Brazil, revealed this week that the country has set a new record of crop insurance claims from December of last year. Since then, 2,000 claims were made generating payments totaling R$ 275 million (nearly U.S. $117 million) to approximately 5,000 farmers.The main reason attributed to the record is the drought in grain planting areas of the southern part of the country. In 2012, a year that saw huge drought on soybean fields, 5,000 claims were made in the whole year.“The drought is more severe than previously thought. This is a new record of claims," Luis Carlos Guedes Pinto, director of crop insurance of the group, said in a press release. The latest National Supply Company report reduced the Brazilian production of soybeans by 5 million tons to 85.4 million tons.According to Bruno Kelly, an insurance broker based in Rio de Janeiro, there is a huge trend of growth of crop insurance in Brazil in the next few years and, therefore, claims if there are climate issues. His projection is that the country will triple insured farmers in 10 years - currently, 8% to 10% of the area of Brazilian farms are insured."It is a natural process. The Brazilian insurance programs are very similar to the U.S. programs. The big difference is that the government subsidies just started in the middle of 2003 in Brazil. It takes a while to grow, but indeed that will happen. The country has an agricultural vocation," Kelly said in an interview with Agriculture.com.Kelly also says that the culture around insurance in the country needs to change. "Brokers are still a lot more informed about car insurance. They need to get more interested about rural life to sell crop insurance. And farmers need to see insurance as a necessity, not a cost. It cannot be cut," summarized the broker, mentioning that price insurance started in Brazil as a product just two years ago. Currently, the Brazilian government pays up to 75% of single crop insurances – a total budget of R$ 700 million (U.S. $298 million).Brazil's new agriculture ministerBrazil's president Dilma Roussef announced this week the country's new minister of agriculture. Neri Geller was raised in Selbach, Rio Grande do Sul, and then moved to Lucas do Rio Verde, Mato Grosso, becoming a corn and soybean grower and a councilman of that municipality. Prior to taking the office, he was the secretary of agricultural policy and already was a member of the board of directors of Brazil's National Supply Company.For former minister Roberto Rodriguez, Geller represents a continuity of the Brazilian agricultural policy. Carlos Fávaro, president of the Association of Corn and Soybean Growers of Mato Grosso, commemorated the choice and stated that Geller has great skills on pressuring for the release of new agricultural products in the market.Source - Agriculture.com

USA - Potential Winterkill Across Kansas

As the Kansas wheat crop begins to break dormancy, concerns of winterkill are on the minds of producers. Two sub-zero events this winter with little to no snow cover may have frozen some wheat plants to death. In most areas it is still too early to determine damage but when a polar vortex strikes with little to no snow cover, especially combined with poor soil moisture, the risk of damage is high. While snow cover saved some areas from the freeze, Central Kansas lacked the protective white blanket for the extreme cold temperatures. "The wheat crop is currently more fragile than we would like because of drought and cold temperatures," said Aaron Harries, director of marketing for Kansas Wheat. Winter came earlier than expected this year leaving less time for wheat plants to develop before entering dormancy. Plants that are poorly developed going into winter, with few secondary roots and no tillers are more susceptible to winterkill. Risk of winterkill is often determined by how low soil temperatures get at the crown level of the plant. Dry areas are most susceptible to the cold as soil moisture can help soil retain heat, protecting the crop. The air temperature above the soil may be 5 to 10 degrees but in moist soil the temperatures can remain 20 to 25 degrees above zero. The ongoing drought has caused low topsoil moisture, increasing the risk for winterkill. Topsoil moisture supplies as of January 27 were rated 48 percent very short, 37 percent short and 15 percent adequate. Producers are advised to contact their crop insurance representative before making any management decisions on fields that have suspected winterkill injury. Jim Shroyer, Kansas State University extension agronomist suggests if large areas of the field have winterkill but other areas are fine, it is best to avoid applying topdress fertilizer to the area where the wheat has died. Plants that are killed outright will not turn green as the weather warms. Damaged plants will begin to green up then go backwards and die. There are enough nutrients in the crown to allow these plants to green up, but the winter injury causes vascular damage so the nutrients that are left cannot move, or root rot diseases move in and kill the plants. Shroyer says that this slow death is probably the most common result of winter injury on wheat. However, wheat is a hearty crop, built to withstand winter's storms. Last fall temperatures fell gradually, allowing the wheat crop to develop good winter hardiness. If the weather had gone from warm to extreme cold in a day, there would be more cause for worry. "One general rule is that producers should not make any quick decisions about the condition of their wheat crop after a freeze," writes Shroyer in this week's agronomy eUpdate. "It will take several days of warm weather following freezes to evaluate the condition of the crop and its yield potential. Even if some of the main tillers are injured or killed, producers should wait to see if enough other tillers have survived to compensate for the lost yield potential. Patience is key." For a successful wheat crop weather conditions need to remain moderate throughout the next few months with an increase in rainfall.Source - http://kticradio.com/

USA - Drought continues but improving

Drought will continue in the Enid area, but is expected to improve this spring, according to National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center.In Oklahoma, there is a narrow band in the center of the state stretching from the Kansas border to the Texas border where “drought remains but improves,” according to the Climate Prediction Center in its U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook for March 20 through June 30. That area includes Garfield County.The western third of Oklahoma is an area where “drought persists or intensifies,” according to CPC.“Climatologically, a significant fraction (55-60 percent) of the annual precipitation is received in this region during the (April-June) time frame,” according to CPC. “With no clear precipitation signal from the CPC outlooks, it is reasoned that the lower Plains is more susceptible to the influx of low-level Gulf moisture and frontal boundaries, and has the best odds of drought removal.”According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report, all of Garfield, Grant, Kingfisher and Blaine counties, as well as parts of Major, Alfalfa and Woods counties, are listed in moderate drought.Woodward County, most of Woods County and the western part of Major County are listed in severe drought, the third-worst category of drought, according to U.S. Drought Monitor.The southwest part of the state continues to be ravaged by drought. That area includes the only part of the state listed in exceptional drought, the worst category, according to U.S. Drought Monitor.The Mesonet weather-recording site at Breckinridge has recorded .75 of an inch of precipitation in March. That comes after recording .52 of an inch in February and just .05 of an inch in January.The Mesonet site at Lahoma has recorded .38 of an inch of precipitation in March. It recorded .43 of an inch in February and .03 of an inch in January.For the year, the north-central part of Oklahoma, which includes Garfield County, has recorded an average of 1.13 inches of rain, which is 30 percent of normal rainfall, according to Oklahoma Climatological Survey. That makes it the 12th driest year so far since 1921.The lack of rain is having an effect on crops in the area.Just one percent of Oklahoma’s wheat crop is listed in excellent condition, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Another 17 percent is listed in good condition, while 45 percent is in fair condition. Thirty-seven percent is listed in poor or very poor condition.For canola, 10 percent of the crop is listed in good condition, according to NASS, and 32 percent is in fair condition. More than half of the crop, 58 percent, is listed in poor or very poor condition.Pasture and range lands also are suffering across Oklahoma. One percent of those lands are listed in excellent condition, according to NASS. Another 13 percent are listed in good condition, and 42 percent in fair condition. Forty-four percent are listed in poor or very poor condition, according to NASS.Source - http://www.enidnews.com/

USA - Frozen Ground Threatens to Delay Planting

Frozen ground and snowpack threaten to delay corn planting in the northern U.S., while a lack of rain in California means drought conditions there will persist and the odds of wildfires will rise, forecasters said.Snow still covers many fields from Minnesota to Michigan, and in some places frost reaches down 5 or 6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 meters) into the soil, said Brad Rippey, a U.S. Department of Agriculture meteorologist in Washington.“Soils are going to be slow to warm, so I think we are facing prospect of delayed planting issues across the northern corn belt,” Rippey said on a conference call with reporters as the U.S. released its weather and flooding outlooks today, the first day of spring. “At this time, there are no real great concerns for crop reduction due to late planting.”Conditions to the south may be better, Rippey said.Seasonal rains are expected to improve drought conditions from Iowa and Missouri and across Nebraska, Kansas and eastern Oklahoma, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center said in its three-month outlook. Much of that region is either suffering from drought or is classified as abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor in Lincoln, Nebraska.“I think things will be more toward normal,” said Jon Gottschalck, head of forecast operations at the climate center in College Park, Maryland. “Normal precipitation you would see in the springtime.”In California and much of the western U.S. including Texas, drought is expected to persist or worsen, according to the center. Temperatures in that region will probably be above normal from April through June. California has an above-average chance of less rain than normal, affecting agriculture and the chance of wildfires, Gottschalck said.Rivers in half of the continental U.S. are at risk for moderate spring flooding, Gottschalck said.“The continuation of winter weather along with above-average snow pack, frozen ground and thick ice cover on streams and rivers will delay spring flooding into April in the upper Midwest through New England,” Gottschalck said. “Once the thaw begins, minor to moderate flooding is likely, with the severity of the flooding being driven by the pace of the snow melt and the intensity of the spring rainfall.”The worst flooding may occur in the southern parts of Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as in Illinois, Iowa and Indiana, Gottschalck said. The Illinois River and parts of the Mississippi in Iowa are most at risk.The Red River of the North, which flows through Fargo, North Dakota, may also flood. Gottschalck said there is chance of ice jams exacerbating flooding from the northern Great Plains to New England.Source - http://www.businessweek.com/