03.03.2014

USA - March 17 deadline to purchase 2014 NAP coverage

Carl Josefy, County Executive Director of the Jackson County Farm Service Agency in Altus, Oklahoma, would like to remind producers that they have until Monday March 17 to purchase and sign up for 2014 Non-insured Assistance Program (NAP) coverage for spring and summer planted crops. This deadline applies to warm season grasses and mixed forages intended for grazing as well as spring and summer planted crops such as: forage sorghum, peas, soybeans, sunflowers, pumpkins, melons and all other spring and summer planted specialty crops grown for food or fiber where they are not insurable.NAP covers losses caused by damaging weather conditions. Producers receive a payment when the loss is in excess of 50 percent. Losses are generally determined by the percentage of loss compared to the producer’s Actual Production History (APH). Grazing losses are determined by comparison of actual harvested production from similar forage acreage or by two or more independent assessments from grazing experts if forage production is not available. Eligible production losses are paid at 55 percent of the established value for the crop.The service fee is $250 per crop per county or $750 per producer per county. The fee cannot exceed a total of $1,875 per producer with farming interests in multiple counties. Limited resource producers may request a waiver of service fees.“Producers who currently have NAP coverage or who are interested in coverage are encouraged to keep accurate harvested production records,” said Josefy. “Accurate production records are required to be submitted to FSA each year for mechanically harvested or hand-picked crops with NAP coverage. Keeping good records of production and reporting losses timely are the key to maintain eligibility when losses occur,” Josefy added.Source - http://www.altustimes.com/

28.02.2014

USA - Winter likely to keep a frigid grip on Indiana into late March

Despite a couple of recent mild weather days that made us think spring could be near, the Indiana State Climate Office says winter isn't going away anytime soon.While it isn't abnormal in Indiana for snow and cold temperatures to linger into mid-March, current weather models suggest spring weather might not move in until even later."A few days with temperatures in the 50s and 60s might have led us to believe spring is right around the corner," said Ken Scheeringa, associate state climatologist for the Indiana State Climate Office based at Purdue University."Not so fast," he quickly added. "The snow and cold of winter usually continues into the first half of March. Based on the latest weather outlook, it could even persist late into the month."Monthly and seasonal weather outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center show a colder-than-normal, but mostly dry start to March. The cold trend is likely to continue throughout the month, but forecasters are less certain about precipitation later in March.Moving on to spring, the outlook calls for a slight chance of a colder-than-normal spring in northern Indiana and wetter-than-normal conditions in the southern part of the state.Early March temperatures in Indiana typically range from 40 degrees in the north to 50 degrees in the south and increase toward the end of the month to a range of mid-50s in the north to the mid-60s in the south. March precipitation normally varies from about 2.5 inches in far northern Indiana to about 4.2 inches in the far southwest.If winter weather sticks around later than normal, farmers antsy to start planting their corn and soybean crops might have to wait a little bit longer for optimal planting conditions, including soil temperatures of at least 50 degrees at seeding depth.But according to Purdue Extension corn specialist Bob Nielsen, while a colder March could affect planting dates, the bulk of the state's farmers don't get serious about planting corn until the third week of April. That means weather in early April is likely to influence planting far more heavily than the weather in March."The fact that March is colder than normal might or might not impact planting dates, depending on how cold we're talking," he said. "But if we get to a point where it looks like planting might be delayed, it's important to remember that planting date is only one of many factors that influence crop yields."As an example, Nielsen compared the 2012 cropping year, when farmers planted one of the earliest crops on record before drought decimated yields, with the 2013 cropping year, which started off with delayed planting and ended with above-trendline yields.In Indiana, the earliest dates farmers can plant corn and still be eligible for crop insurance are April 1 in southern Indiana, April 5 in central and April 10 in northern. Soybean dates are April 15 in southern Indiana, April 20 in central and April 24 in northern. That means farmers have much more time to wait and see how the weather actually plays out.Forecasters will continue to watch long-range weather models, which Scheeringa said take into account global weather signals, including storm activity in the far west Pacific, surface ocean temperatures and conditions over North America. So far, water temperatures are normal in the Pacific Ocean with a lack of El Niño - a rise in surface water temperatures near the Equator - and La Niña - a drop in surface water temperatures in the same region."Neutral El Niño and La Niña ocean patterns are expected to continue as non-players in the spring forecast," Scheeringa said. "But storm activity in the western Pacific should impact the path of the jet stream in the eastern Pacific and over North America. The path would re-establish the old dominant winter pattern of warm conditions in western states and unusual cold east of the Rocky Mountains."Source - http://www.purdue.edu/

28.02.2014

El Nino to Impact Americas, Australia, India, China This Summer

An El Nino weather event is forecast to develop which should create ideal growing crop conditions in the US, but drier weather is expected in Brazil, Australia, India and China, writes Sarah Mikesell, 5m senior editor.“Warm water is pooling off the coast of Washington and Oregon; water is running about 2-3°C above normal and that’s the set-up for El Nino,” said Dr Art Douglas, Professor Emeritus at Creighton University, speaking at the National Cattlemen’s Association meeting during the CattleFax session in Nashville, Tennessee, US.“In South America, you can see warm water developing off the coast of Peru and Ecuador. This is the first stage of El Nino developing across the equator,” Dr Douglas said.Both the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) climate models forecast moderate El Nino conditions by mid-summer, according to Dr Douglas.This is an early developing El Nino that is likely to become stronger by the fall and winter 2014. Ocean temperatures around the world are starting to take on El Nino-like characteristics that will have broad scale impacts on world weather patterns.Since the demise of the last El Nino in early 2010, severe drought conditions migrated across the central and western US. The movement of this drought has been in response to fluctuating La Nina (cold) conditions along the Equator.Drought has become more frequent in the US since the central North Pacific entered a warm phase in 1998 and the North Atlantic entered a broad warm phase in 1995.A cold equatorial Pacific (La Nina) intensified the 2011 drought in Texas by diminishing the subtropical jet and favoring a drought high in the Southern Plains.In 2012, the Plains and Midwest droughts were tied to broad cooling from Baja to Hawaii. This cooling favored the formation of strong drought high pressures in the Pacific and the central US.This past summer the equator and Baja slowly warmed and moisture improved in Texas and the Midwest, while the main area of drought moved into the West. With the developing El Nino this year, the main area of drought will be pushed in the Pacific Northwest by fall.Developing El Ninos favor warming across much of the US by the end of winter and into spring. Moisture is expected to improve from east Texas north into the Midwest, with above normal rainfall likely through the upper Midwest. Planting in the western Corn Belt could be delayed due to excess moisture, while temperatures in the Midwest should remain warmer than normal through spring.In the drought-stricken West, precipitation is expected to slowly increase to normal levels by mid-February and reach above-normal levels in March, After a warm mid-winter, temperatures in the West will drop to below-normal levels March through May.“Overall, an ideal forecast for improved moisture and warmer temperatures which should help folks get out and plant early,” he said.Summer calls for fairly ideal crop weather across the Midwest, with the only threat of drier weather being in the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys. Temperatures are likely to start warmer than normal in the Midwest and cool by late summer as El Nino effects increase.The Southwest monsoon typically starts earlier than normal with an El Nino, but expect rainfall to decrease as a late summer drought reaches this region and Mexico. The El Nino should suppress Atlantic hurricane activity while east Pacific hurricane activity should increase off Baja.Global ImpactWith a developing El Nino expect drier weather for the next six months in Brazil, Australia and India. Argentina should see slow improvement in moisture conditions as the region approaches winter.“Australia generally has a really severe drought during an El Nino,” he said. “If we go into their winter wheat area July through September, it’s also quite dry. Current vegetation shows that the Eastern portion of Australia is under very severe drought – in fact, worse drought that what they were under last year. So Australia is not going to come into an El Nino in a good situation.”Forecasts for Asia indicate that from February to May, India and southern Asia will be wetter than normal but as you get into early May, this indicates that they’ll get some early rains throughout India and portions of China.“But more importantly, as you go into July to September, El Nino forecasts drought for most of India and a good portion of China. So don’t expect good growing conditions as you go into the summer season – we are likely to have major drought problems in in west central India and the north China plains,” he said.India has had ideal winter wheat conditions and will continue to but as we go into summer it is likely to turn dry.Global Warming?Dr Douglas closed with a graphic indicating that Arctic ice has stabilized and Antarctica ice is increasing.“These are long term trends. The Arctic has stabilized over the last 10 years and the Antarctica is actually increasing it’s amount of ice. The problem is that increasing CO2 amounts could not allow you to have this graph. So I don’t think we need to worry about global warming as being a fact,” Douglas said.Obviously, this is one indicator of global warming but the farmers and ranchers attending were fired up by this statement.Source - http://www.thepoultrysite.com/

28.02.2014

USA - Harsh winter hurts winter wheat

It has been a tough winter for the Midwest and Great Plains and another winter blast is set to sweep across much of the country's winter wheat belt."Wheat is a crop that has nine lives but certainly in some of areas some of those lives have been used by the harsh winter conditions," said Agriculture Department Meteorologist Brad Rippey.Winter wheat in the Southern Plains is dealing with a fourth year of drought. Texas is the only state reporting wheat condition.This fall, it wasn't that bad, 28 percent of the crop was rated in "poor" to "very poor condition."But that changed this week."Not good, we see 47 percent of the winter wheat crop rated ‘very poor' to ‘poor' in Texas," said Rippey.Meanwhile, from South Dakota to Oklahoma and Nebraska, it's not so much drought, but harsh winter conditions affecting the wheat – wild temperature fluctuations from the 60s and 70s, down below zero, and then back up again, plus a lot of snow cover at times and rough winds.Rippey said the wheat was in pretty good shape going in to dormancy."But coming out we have some concerns that we will have had some winter kill, especially in Nebraska where it was a little colder and a little less snow covered than some of the neighboring areas," said Rippey.We won't really know until the crop starts to green up.Source - http://www.rfdtv.com/

28.02.2014

Australia - Bumper wheat crop seen, but lack of rain a risk

Australia will issue its 2014/15 wheat production forecast next week, but with hot, dry weather across its east coast and the threat of a dry El Nino weather pattern developing, the supply picture from the world's second largest exporter is uncertain.The Australian Bureau of Agriculture, Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) will publish its wheat forecast on Tuesday, with analysts expecting an estimate of around 25 million tonnes, which if realised would be the country's fifth largest crop.A bumper Australian crop would add a bearish tone to prices. Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures have fallen more than 5 percent in the last three sessions amid concerns that U.S. wheat is are more expensive than rivals, denting export prospects.However, analysts said that with much of Queensland and New South Wales states recording near record low rain in the last three months, conditions are less than ideal for east coast farmers as they approach the start of the growing season in May."The financial incentives to plant are there for Australian farmers ahead of the 2014/15 season," said Luke Mathews, commodities strategist, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, who sees production at around 25 million tonnes.While global wheat prices hit multi-year lows, a record low in Australian beef prices and weaker canola futures are incentives for growers to maintain wheat acreage.RISK OF EL NINOThe Australian Bureau of Meteorology says the outlook for Queensland is for drier conditions in the next three months and weather models show an increased chance of El Nino, which if realised could see warmer, drier conditions across the east coast, exacerbating drought conditions in Queensland.An El Nino can have a devastating impact on Australian grain production, with wheat production falling as low as two-thirds from typical harvest seasons in strong El Nino years.Australian farmers on the east coast could plant in May without rains, but dry planting wheat is less than ideal. The amount of rain the crop receives in September, a key time in the growing season before end-of-year harvesting, is the biggest factor in determining a crop's success.Western Australia state, the largest wheat producing state accounting for more than a third of national production, has a much better weather outlook."Weather models are suggesting wetter than average conditions for Western Australia but the outlook for the east coast will depend on whether we get that weather break, which they really need," said Mathews.Many cattle farmers on the east coast have already been bought to their knees by a two-year drought in the country's prime beef producing state Queensland.Without rain, grass growth in Queensland, home to half the country's 28 million head, will remain stunted, and the dry weather could also weigh on beef quality.Drier conditions will lead to higher protein wheat production, shrinking the amount of feed grade wheat available to farmers, who have had to turn to grain to keep starving animals alive.Source - http://www.reuters.com/

28.02.2014

India - Untimely rains, hailstones disturb horticulture in Maharashtra

Untimely rains and hailstones have damaged horticulture crops like grapes and oranges and onions on a wide scale in Maharashtra. According to preliminary estimates of the state government , crops on 1.40 lakh hectare have been damaged. The state government has promised to announce a relief package in the next cabinet meeting Large parts of central India, including Vidarbha and Marathwada have been receiving rainfall coupled with hailstones from the past four days. This has damaged oranges in Vidarbha, grapes and onions in north Maharashtra and jowar in other parts of the state. Umakant Dangat, commissioner agriculture, Maharashtra , said, "According to preliminary estimates, the crop on 1.40 lakh hectare has been damaged . Wheat, jowar, grapes, onion , oranges in Nagpur region are some of the most affected crops." The problem of hailstones was severe in Vidarbha region. Fruit-bearing orange orchards were ready for harvesting . "About 90 per cent fruits of the current Mruga Bahar in Nagpur, Amaravati and Wardha have been damaged by the rainfall ," said Shridhar Thakre, executive director , Mahaorange, an organisation of orange growers from Maharashtra. Growers were getting a good rate of Rs 25/kg as the crop was low due to the past year's drought. Now, prices are expected to increase as very little crop has remained in good condition. Grape growers have suffered a setback at a time when demand for the fruit had just started increasing with increase in temperature in different parts of the country. Kishor Mohite, president of Nashik district grape growers association said, "About 35 per cent of the orchards in the Vadner Bhairav region in Chandvad taluka , which mostly supplies grapes to Bangladesh, have been badly damaged. In other parts of the district, cracking of grapes has happened due to heavy rainfall." Grape exporters are also assessing the damage. "We have to figure out how the damage will affect our export commitments," said a grower exporter on anonymity condition. The state has started field surveys to review the situation and provide relief to farmers. Source - http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

28.02.2014

Climate change puts wheat crops at risk of disease

There is a risk that severity of epidemics of some wheat diseases may increase within the next ten to twenty years due to the impacts of climate change according to a study by international researchers led by the University of Hertfordshire.The researchers carried out a survey in China to establish a link between weather and the severity of epidemics of fusarium ear blight on the wheat crops. This weather-based model was then used to predict the impact on severity of the disease of future weather scenarios for the period from 2020 to 2050.Professor Bruce Fitt, professor of plant pathology at the University of Hertfordshire’s School of Medical and Life Sciences, said: “There is considerable debate about the impact of climate change on crop production – and making sure that we have sufficient food to feed the ever-growing global population is key to our future food security.”Wheat, one of the world’s most important crops for human food, is milled for use in bread, breakfast cereals, cakes, pizzas, confectionery, soups and many other foodstuffs. Fusarium ear blight is a serious disease affecting wheat across many areas of the world. During severe epidemics, wheat crop losses can be as much as sixty per cent. These losses can become larger as, under certain conditions, the fusarium pathogen produces toxic chemicals known as mycotoxins. The levels of mycotoxins present in the grain may render it unsuitable for either human or animal consumption – the mycotoxin safe levels being controlled by legislation.Professor Fitt continued: “We know that the weather plays a big part in the development of the disease on the wheat crops – the incidence of the disease is determined by temperature and the occurrence of wet weather at the flowering or anthesis of the wheat crops.”When the weather-based model developed at Rothamsted Research was used to predict how climate change may affect the wheat crops, it was predicted that wheat flowering dates will generally be earlier and the incidence of the ear blight disease on the wheat crops will substantially increase.The research suggests that climate change will increase the risk of serious ear blight epidemics on winter wheat in Central China by the middle of this century (2020-2050).Similar conclusions were reached about impacts of climate change on wheat in the UK, where climate change models are predicting warmer, wetter winters for the country. This suggests that the UK too will suffer a greater incidence of fusarium ear blight on wheat crops – greatly affecting one of our biggest staple crops.In a world where more than one billion people do not have enough to eat, and our future food security is threatened by climate change and an ever-growing population, it is essential to improve the control of crop diseases like fusarium ear blight around the globe.Source - http://www.farminglife.com/

27.02.2014

Malaysia, Singapore grapple with prolonged dry spell

Singapore and Malaysia are grappling with some of the driest weather they have ever seen, forcing the tiny city-state to ramp up supplies of recycled water while its neighbour rations reserves amid disruptions to farming and fisheries.Singapore, which experiences tropical downpours on most days, suffered its longest dry spell on record between Jan 13 and Feb 8 and has had little rain since.Shares in Hyflux Ltd , which operates desalination and water recycling operations there, have risen 3.5 pct over the past month.In peninsular Malaysia, 15 areas have not had rainfall in more than 20 days, with some of them dry for more than a month, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department.The dry spell in the Southeast Asian neighbours is expected to run for another two weeks, forecasters say.The Indonesian province of Riau has also been hit, with part of the region wreathed in smog, usually caused by farmers setting fires to illegally clear land. Poor visibility has disrupted flights to and from the airport in Pekanbaru.Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak was due to discuss the drought at a regular cabinet meeting on Wednesday that would decide whether to declare a national emergency, according to state news agency Bernama.While some dry weather is expected at this time of year, the abnormal lack of rain is raising concerns about the pace of climate change in the region."The concern is that these uncommon weather events may be happening more frequently sooner rather than later," said National University of Singapore weather researcher Winston Chow.PALM OIL PRICES HITMalaysia is the world's second-largest producer of palm oil and planters say dry weather lasting more than two months can hurt yields six months to two years down the line, affecting output and fuelling benchmark Kuala Lumpur prices.Concerns that dry weather will hurt production have helped push up palm oil prices about 8 percent in February, setting the market on track for its biggest monthly gain in four months.The lack of rain is also believed to have caused extensive damage to the rice crop.In Singapore the dry weather is being blamed in part for the mass death of fish stocks at several offshore farms. Around 160 tonnes of fish have died in recent weeks because of a lack of oxygen in the water.The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) said it had received more than 7,000 calls involving forest and bush fires nationwide since the beginning of February, due to the hot weather, five times higher than in the same period last year.Selangor, Malaysia's richest and most industrialized state, began limited water rationing on Tuesday as levels in its dams plunged to critical lows."We pledge that every consumer will receive water, but it will be rationed to ensure supply every two days," Bernama quoted state chief minister Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as saying."In a week, consumers will receive water for four days."The state of Negeri Sembilan near the capital, Kuala Lumpur, declared a "state of crisis" last week as water in its dams fell to critical levels.In Singapore, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) has boosted the supply of recycled water, known as NEWater, and desalinated supplies, in order to keep up reservoir levels.Singapore's national security concerns mean it has developed into one of the world leaders in water technology as it tries to cut reliance on imported supplies from Malaysia.Around 55 percent of Singapore's water is now desalinated or recycled, in line with an aim to be self-sufficient by 2061, when a 1962 agreement to buy 250 million gallons per day from Malaysia ends, according to the PUB.The deal lets Singapore buy 250 million gallons of water a day from Malaysia at 0.03 ringgit per 1,000 gallons, and sell back treated water for 0.50 ringgit per 1,000 gallons.Johor, the southern Malaysian state that borders Singapore, has been urging an early re-negotiation, saying the deal is too advantageous to the city-state."The talks should begin immediately," Hasni Mohammad, chairman of a state public works panel, told Bernama in an interview on Feb 18."We have long been in a losing position when we sell raw water to Singapore at three sen (for 1,000 gallons)," he said, adding that the price of treated water was too high.Source - http://sg.news.yahoo.com/

27.02.2014

USA - California Drought Leads to Early Removal of Almonds

Faced with severe water shortages, growers of nut crops such as almonds, walnuts and pistachios are making tough decisions that include removing orchards, using just enough irrigation to keep their trees alive, or taking their chances with growing a crop.An almond farmer in the Westlands Water District who expects no surface water, Barry Baker, said he is destroying 1,000 acres of almond trees and has earmarked another 1,000 acres for removal."I don't know what else to do," said Baker, who farms west of Firebaugh. "The trees are between 20 and 24 years old, but we still got close to 3,000 pounds to the acre on them last year and at $3.50 a pound, you definitely wouldn't pick now to pull them out if it wasn't for the drought."Baker is not the only one. He said a neighbor has removed 300 acres of almonds and may pull another 300."It's pretty serious," Baker said. "I think a lot of these guys are going to hold out as long as they can, but I think you are going to see a lot more trees come out next year, because a lot of them aren't going to make it all of the way through."Farmer Don Davis of McFarland said some almond growers who are without water will use this year to accelerate removal of older trees and get a jump on planting new orchards."I'm seeing people who have trees that are 18 or 20 years old, they've got another seven years of production left, but to make use of this year they can bulldoze the orchard, deep rip it, put soil amendments on, fix up the irrigation system and get it all prepped and marked, and then next winter plant baby trees," Davis said. "Yeah, you get no crop and it's premature to knock down an 18-year-old orchard, but it is something you can do without water that moves the ball forward."In other cases, farmers use a technique called deficit irrigation, which keeps the trees alive but without producing a crop."They've decided to stress the trees, so instead of watering every 10 days, they may be watering trees every 40 days, which will kill the crop, but it won't kill the trees," Davis said. "What the grower is doing is he is giving up on this year's crop, but he's not giving up on next year."For his own almond crop, Davis said he is hopeful that the groundwater in the Delano-Bakersfield area will hold out.David Doll, a University of California pomology farm advisor in Merced County, said farm advisors generally recommend that if growers were planning to remove blocks of trees in the next two years, they do that now and divert water from those blocks to younger, more productive trees."If they have a water deduction due to the drought this year, there's a considerable hangover effect into the second year. If they are only able to apply 50 percent of the water this year, they are going to see crop reduction this year, but even into next year, they will see even a steeper, dramatic reduction and that is mainly due to the fact that they are not redeveloping any new canopy or any new vegetative growth," Doll said. "That is why it may be best to divert that water to a more vigorous, younger block."Doll said California almond growers generally cycle through 30,000 to 40,000 acres of replanted trees each year, which is between 4 and 5 percent of total acreage. Because of severe water shortages this year, he estimated removals could increase to 50,000 to 60,000 acres, or 6 to 8 percent.Doll advised almond growers not to dehorn trees, cut off scaffolds or dramatically thin the crop in order to save water. This changes how the sugars are allocated in the tree, increases vegetative growth and increases the tree's water usage, he said.When it comes to irrigation, Doll recommended that growers spread the water out evenly throughout the year. If a farmer only has 50 percent of the water, he should irrigate at 50 percent consistently.He also recommended that farmers covered by crop insurance meet with an agent before proceeding."Many will provide coverage for a drought, but one aspect is the grower has to maintain general, recommended orchard practices," Doll said.Regarding walnuts, new acreage has been on the rise due to strong demand. Jack Mariani, a partner in Mariani Nut Co. of Winters, said his farm has doubled its walnut plantings in the past 15 years, yet he remains concerned about the drought's impact on the future."It's certainly not as drastic at the moment as almonds are, but we're still very concerned," Mariani said. "The majority of the walnuts are grown in areas where the water supplies are a little bit better, but with walnuts the deep roots need that deep water penetration for optimal health. Our concerns are probably more long-term than short-term right now."Some concerns exist in walnuts, Doll said, because they are not drought-tolerant and do not handle water stress well. He said walnut trees that don't receive enough water would likely show reduced yields both this year and next.Pistachios are the most drought-tolerant of the state's nut crops, yet Doll said consecutive drought years make the situation more problematic.At a recent meeting of the American Pistachio Growers, Executive Director Richard Matoian said water shortages would likely delay growth in pistachio production that had been estimated to reach 1 billion pounds between 2018 and 2020.Retired UC farm advisor Robert Beede said that, because a pistachio kernel grows in stages with the shell produced first and the kernel then filling the shell, there are times when growers can reduce water usage, and times when they shouldn't."We have learned that we can deficit irrigate, but starting at the end of June to early July, when the meat or the kernel actually fills the shell, we have to meet full (evapotranspiration) to have this kernel grow at a sufficient rate to break the shell," Beede said.UC studies conducted by Beede and others showed that pistachios can survive three years of drought, but this does not address the tree's ability to produce a crop.Source - http://goldrushcam.com/

27.02.2014

Slovakia - Farmers troubled by mild winter

Farmers in Slovakia are not particularly happy about February’s mild weather, as it means they will have to spend more money on eradicating a worse than usual outbreak of pests brought on by the warmer temperatures."These pests don't only include the usual field animals, such as field mice, hamsters and other types of mice, but also various maggots, eggs, caterpillars, aphids and snails,” Slovak Agricultural and Food Chamber (SPPK) spokesman Stanislav Nemec told. “A serious risk is also posed by fungi, for which the current high temperatures are fertile ground.”SPPK has not registered a significant shortage of moisture in the soil. This may emerge later, however, as snow has been scarce this winter and has melted quickly."If March, April and May have less precipitation, the [usual] spring snowmelt will certainly be missed in the moisture balance of Slovak fields," Nemec says.The mild winter may also affect certain fruit trees, but nature is usually able to handle such anomalies, noted Nemec. Nonetheless, fruit growers are afraid that the warm weather may be followed by frost, which may jeopardise the future crop."As far as winter field plants are concerned, wheat, barley and rapeseed appear to be in a good condition, but this still needs to be verified by spring inspections," said Nemec.The unusually warm weather is also confusing bees, who have begun to come out of hibernation prematurely. They may not be able to maintain their appropriate temperature levels on cold nights, added Nemec.Source - http://spectator.sme.sk/

27.02.2014

USA - Farmers plan to cut expenses, strongly oppose RFS changes

Farmers expect to see weaker financial returns in 2014 and will adjust their expenditures - spending less on fertilizer and equipment but more on crop insurance - according to the Agri-Pulse Farm Opinion Poll launched this week in partnership with the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA). Nearly 80 percent expect their 2014 farm financial outlook to worsen - 47 percent expect it to worsen “slightly” while 32 percent expect it to worsen “a great deal.” Poll respondents said they also expect the value of their farmland to drop this year, with 75 percent expecting values to decrease. Eighty-seven percent of the farmers' surveyed plan to either purchase more or continue about the same level of crop insurance as last year. The majority view crop insurance as the most important Farm Bill “tool” for maintaining their profitability this year.The importance of crop insurance came through when farmers were asked what aspect of the Agricultural Act of 2014 will be most important in helping their financial situation this year. More than 62 percent chose crop insurance as more important to their operations than other aspects of the just-passed Farm Bill. The poll was taken Feb. 23 with more than 130 Iowa farmers responding to the unaided 12-question poll. ISA President Brian Kemp of Sibley, Iowa said he and other farmers in northwest Iowa are working diligently to understand new crop insurance provisions and enrollment procedures while keeping an eye on rising fertilizer prices.“These findings reflect the uncertainty caused by softening grain prices and two consecutive years of challenging growing conditions in Iowa and many parts of the country,” said Kemp. “As farmers prepare for a new crop year that will likely feature tightening margins, many will scrutinize provisions included in the new Farm Bill as well as farm-related expenses.”As for cutting expenses, 58 percent of the Iowa farmers targeted reductions in farm equipment expenditures. About one-third of the respondents (32 percent) will cut back on fertilizer while 15 percent cited “crop chemicals.” The lowest cut is in seed expenses, with only 8 percent of farmers saying that input is where they'll tighten expenditures.Agri-Pulse Editor Sara Wyant said the perspective provided by Iowa soybean farmers reflects the U.S. Department of Agriculture's forecast of a 30 percent decline in 2014 net farm income.Other poll findings:More than one-half (57 percent) think cash rent values will stay about the same. Two-thirds (68 percent) intend to purchase about the same amount of crop insurance this year and almost half (48 percent) expect to spend about the same on farm expenses. A similar amount (45 percent) think they'll spend less than before.Ninety-two percent of farmers polled oppose the Environmental Protection Agency's recently proposed lowering of the amount of corn-based ethanol and biodiesel that is required to be blended in the nation's fuel as part of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Almost three out of five farmers responding (58 percent) said that, of several national issues including the Farm Bill, trade, tax codes and immigration, the RFS is most important to the future profitability of their farms.Farmers were more divided on trade issues. When asked if they support Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) to provide President Barack Obama with fast-track negotiating authority on future trade agreements, 46 percent said yes, 28 percent said no and about 25 percent had no opinion or did not answer the question.More than one-half of respondents (57 percent) aren't very confident that the Trans-Pacific Partnership, opening up trade with Pacific Rim countries, will be approved in 2014.Only 2.3 percent are very confident. More than one-quarter (27 percent) are somewhat confident.Source - http://www.agri-pulse.com/

27.02.2014

Endangered forests - Google has released the world forests map: Global Forest Watch

Google, in collaboration with the Institute of World Resources and 40 other organizations, has developed a new project called Global Forest Watch, which provides view on tendency of forestlands decrease and increase worldwide.One can find on the project’s website photos from NASA satellites for the last 13 years of observations. Image processing algorithm performs a detailed calculation of felling and planting of forests worldwide. For example, Russia for 2000-2013 felled 36.5 million hectares and planted only 16.2 million hectares (1st place in the world for the forest losses); Ukraine: -565 hectares and +353 hectares, Belarus: -416 hectares and +375 hectares.Deforestation concerns a great number of countries worldwide. Project’s summary shows that over the last 13 years, only few countries managed to increase forestlands."By the time we learn about deforestation it can be too late to do anything - Google says in press release. - Scientists have been studying forest regeneration for centuries, pointing to the vital importance of this ecosystem to human society. However, most of us still do not have updated and accurate information about where, when and why forests are disappearing. And Global Forest Watch project should change it».The $25 million project will provide necessary information to ecologists and activists about what is happening in their country and surrounding areas. Project’s site plans an option of notification about deforestation in a given location, in the nearest future.Source - www.agroinsurance.com

27.02.2014

Climate Change May Lead to Greater Severity in Wheat Crop Disease

Climate change may lead to an increased risk in severity of wheat crop diseases in the next two decades, according to a new study.Scientists from University of Hertfordshire led the research, which was conducted in China to establish whether there is a link between weather and the severity of epidemics of fusarium ear blight on the wheat crops there. When epidemics of fusarium ear blight are big enough, upwards of 60 percent of a wheat crop can be lost to the disease. The blight also produces a toxin that renders the crop unsuitable for human or animal consumption."There is considerable debate about the impact of climate change on crop production -- and making sure that we have sufficient food to feed the ever-growing global population is key to our future food security," said Bruce Fitt, professor of plant pathology at the University of Hertfordshire's School of Medical and Life Sciences."We know that the weather plays a big part in the development of the disease on the wheat crops -- the incidence of the disease is determined by temperature and the occurrence of wet weather at the flowering or anthesis of the wheat crops," he said.As climate change continues, the researchers expect that wheat crops may be affected by flowering earlier, which will lead to an increase of the ear blight disease on wheat crops. This increased blight is expected to be observed on winter wheat in China by the middle of this century, between 2020 and 2050. Similar projection have been made for the UK.A healthy wheat crop is essential for global food security, the researchers said, noting that the grain is found in many common foods such as bread, breakfast cereals, cakes, pizzas, confectionery, soups and many other food items. "In a world where more than one billion people do not have enough to eat, and our future food security is threatened by climate change and an ever-growing population, it is essential to improve the control of crop diseases like fusarium ear blight around the globe," the researchers said in a statement.Source - http://www.natureworldnews.com/

27.02.2014

South Africa - Bad weather clouds Santam’s margins

South Africa’s largest short-term insurer Santam faced another tough year of weather-related claims, putting the company’s underwriting margins under pressure for its full year ended December.Santam’s underwriting margin of 2.8% for the full year remains below the insurer’s medium-term target of 5%-7%, it said on Wednesday. The underwriting margin is a key measure of financial performance in an insurance firm.However, the insurer grew diluted headline earnings per share from R9.84 to R10.23 last year, while it paid more than R13bn in claims.This was the second year in a row insurers faced difficult conditions, with extreme hail storms and flooding resulting in a high number of claims, while the 24% decline in the rand-dollar exchange rate raised the cost of imported car parts.Santam CEO Ian Kirk said weather-related costs made up 2% of the underwriting margin, while a weaker rand cost 1.5% of the margin. "We made 3%, so if you added these together we would have achieved 6.5% underwriting margin, well within our target," said Mr Kirk.Floods in Limpopo in January last year and in the Western Cape in November, together with major hail storms in November, the second of which was said to have been the most severe yet experienced in South Africa, cost the insurance industry more than R1.6bn in claims.Santam’s total gross claims for these catastrophes were more than R400m, for the second year in a row.However, the net reinsurance loss for the group was only R215m, as it purchased additional reinsurance cover last year.Mr Kirk said that Santam sent SMS warnings to clients about approaching hail storms, which made a difference.A Johannesburg-based analyst said the short-term insurance industry would continue to face tough conditions as the rand remained volatile in a highly competitive sector that cannot raise premiums easily without losing customers.The insurers’ gross written premium was more than R20bn.Santam’s underwriting margin was also hurt by a R142m underwriting loss in crop insurance, compared with a R38m profit the previous year.Source - http://www.bdlive.co.za/

26.02.2014

USA - Changes in Corn Insurance Expected

Corn growers will notice a couple of major changes in crop insurance for 2014. The lower price of corn and lower volatility in the market will combine to make crop insurance premiums lower for the 2014 crop, said Matthew Diersen, SDSU Extension Risk/Business Management Specialist.Diersen added that another change is insurance will now be available for non-irrigated corn for grain in several more western counties."Growers in those counties now have the ability to directly insure corn using either Yield Protection (YP) or Revenue Protection (RP)," Diersen said. "Growers and insurance agents are likely aware of the general way those products work, as they have been available for wheat in those counties."The price level for corn insurance in South Dakota is the average of the December 2014 futures contract price during the month of February. At the end of January, Diersen said that price was $4.50 per bushel, down sharply from last year."That lower price level means that the cost of insurance will also decline," he said. Volatility in the futures market is the other cost driver, Diersen explained.As growers make corn marketing decisions, Diersen said it is helpful to remember that the crop insurance settles to the average of the December 2014 futures contract price during October.Source - http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/

26.02.2014

India - Unseasonal rain damages crops

NASHIK: Unseasonal rains accompanied by hail storms that lashed parts of Nashik district on Monday have damaged standing crops such as onion, tomato and wheat and cash crops like grapes and pomegranates, district revenue officials said on Tuesday."Parts of the district received heavy rainfall accompanied by hail storms and thunder that claimed the life of a bullock in Malegaon taluka and affected crops in some of the talukas. The orders to carry out panchanama of the damaged crops have been given. The picture is likely to be clear in the next few days," said Jitendra Kakusthe, resident deputy collector.Talukas such as Nashik, Igatpuri, Malegaon, Nandgaon, Satana, Kalwan, Baglan, Surgana and Niphad received rainfall and thunder storms on Monday evening. In all, the district received total rainfall of 26.4 mm."It is about time to harvest rabbi crop. The crops are fully laden and mature. At some places, harvesting at grape and pomegranate orchards was about to begin. The unseasonal rainfall from January 21 to 23 also caused extensive damage in the district," said Sanjeev Patil, a farmer from the Kalwan taluka, which recorded the heaviest rainfall at 15.2 mm.Heavy rainfall between January 21 and 23 had damaged crops on over 4,000 hectares of land across Nandgaon, Kalwan, Baglan and Yeola talukas. The estimated loss was Rs 29 crore. Altogether 20 villages in Nandgaon were affected, as crops on 2,378 of land were damaged. "No other damage to life and property was reported from the district. As far as crop damage is concerned, the agriculture and revenue departments will carry out joint survey to ascertain the damage," Kakusthe said.According to the officials, the damage is likely to be in crores considering the fact that the crops were ready for harvesting.Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/