26.02.2014

Canada - Cold takes toll on peaches

PORT DOVER - Fresh peaches could be in short supply this summer thanks to the hard winter we’re enduring.Tender fruit crops like peaches, cherries, apricots, plums, and nectarines are notoriously sensitive to the weather. However, when it comes to the cold, peach trees are the most sensitive of all. “Peaches are in bad shape,” says farmer Murray Porteous, owner of a 40-acre orchard near Waterford. “They just can’t handle this cold. It was down to -28°C and that’s just too cold for them. There isn’t much of a crop left now.” Along with the -28°C, Porteous has recorded five nights where the mercury dipped to -23°C.The problem is the Polar Vortex, a phenomenon where the jet stream sags and allows arctic air to spill into the Great Lakes basin and beyond. It has happened twice this winter and will peak for a third time this week with a forecast low in Simcoe Thursday of -24°C. The forecast low Saturday is -20°C.Porteous estimates the cold has destroyed more than 90% of his peach buds. There has been damage elsewhere, but not as severe. Sarah Marshall, manager of the Ontario Tender Fruit Producers Marketing Board, says field surveys suggest the Niagara Region remains on target for a normal crop. Nearly 85% of Ontario’s peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots and cherries come from the Niagara area. “From the standpoint of Ontario’s major producing area, we’re fine,” Marshall said Tuesday.Porteous is cautiously optimistic that local apples, pears and cherries will escape this winter unscathed. But another large producer – Marshall Schuyler of Simcoe – isn’t so sure. Tuesday, he said the cherry situation is touch and go. Schuyler is heartened that area orchards experienced a gradual cool down last fall before the deep freeze arrived. Schuyler is also encouraged that the bud set on his cherry trees remains tight and dormant.But the cold has been severe enough to make him wonder. Cold becomes an issue for sour cherry trees when the temperature dips into the range of -25°C. “We’re in uncharted territory,” Schuyler said. “I’ll know in the spring. My gut feeling is we’re OK, but I wouldn’t want to bet the farm on it.”Alfalfa and wheat farmers will also be looking for damage. For them, cold isn’t the problem so much as the occasional freeze and thaw that puts low, poorly drained areas under water. Affected areas at this point will be iced over. “It’s not the cold that’s detrimental,” says Larry Davis of Burford, the local area’s representative to the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. “It’s the ups and downs in temperature. That’s when we suffer. These crops need to breathe. If they can’t, they suffocate and die.”Davis this week is attending the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s annual conference in Ottawa. While there, he heard vineyards in Ontario have suffered from the extreme cold. The threshold temperature for grape growers is in the range of -19°C.Normal daytime highs at the end of February are in the freezing range. In years past, some producers of maple syrup are already harvesting sap by this time. Ideal conditions include above freezing temperatures during the day and below freezing temperatures at night.According to the latest Environment Canada forecast, it could be another week before the weather returns to seasonal norms. Even so, producer Marvin Chambers, of Rockford, says it shouldn’t be a problem.“Just as long as we can get going in two weeks, that’s all,” he said Tuesday. “I think it’s going to turn really fast on us. It can happen overnight. Everybody’s primed up and ready to get at it.”Source - http://www.simcoereformer.ca/

26.02.2014

UK - Floods leave farms underwater, and farmers under pressure

I’ve been talking to farmers all this week, many of whom have had their fields underwater for a month or more. It is quite soul destroying to see the natural assets of your business, on which you depend on for your livelihood and to support the rich wildlife of the countryside, being slowly suffocated under a blanket of filthy water.One farmer said that, where the floods had receded, his fields are filled with all kinds of rubbish and debris. His first task is to decide how to remove all this, before he can begin to examine the effects the floodwaters have had on his crops and on the soil. I’d imagine he already knows what the answer will be with any crops planted last autumn: they will not have survived. But what condition the soil is in, and any long-lasting impact on it will take longer to fully understand.Farmers' ability to produce food rests upon a plentiful, but not excessive, supply of sunlight and rainfall. Indeed, almost all of nature depends on these resources in equal measure. And while livestock can be moved to higher ground where possible, wildlife may not be so lucky. Populations of badgers, hedgehogs, voles and other small mammals, not to mention beetles and other insects, will have been devastated in those areas worst hit by the floods. And fewer insects means less food for birds and other creatures higher up the food chain.Changing and adapting farming systems to accommodate water now may help rescue crops from flooding in the future, but farmers will have to bear the costs now, of losing land to non-cash crops, or sourcing forage for their animals to replace their own that’s been lost. This will cut into profitability and cash flow – hard after several seasons where profit margins have been low or even negative. Bad weather and lack of sunlight throughout the summer of 2012 was followed by poor weather during planting season at the end of 2013 as crops were getting established. Farmers may survive a buffeting from the vagaries of nature for a time, but will need to rely on sympathetic bank managers and landlords in the months to come.In the long term, we need to identify a way we can address inconsistent rainfall, lack of sunlight at key times in the growing cycle, and the effects of heavy rains and being submerged on soil quality. One way would be to improve food security through resilient supply chains, so that any crop losses can be made up from other sources, but it also needs to be considered that the land serves many purposes, both in terms of financial stability for those that live and work on it, and the social benefits to others too, and how these can be best supported.The impact of extreme weather on wildlife is of great concern, especially when it comes to soil quality and providing habitat for insects, as these are vital for pollinating crops. Some farms have been involved in the the Government’s higher level stewardship to support increasing natural and social benefits for the nation and communities. However the funding of this mechanism alone cannot achieve what’s required.We need to combine new social policy with structural “hard" solutions, such as water retention and detention areas There is no quick fix, which makes it difficult for all those involved. Many may have to sacrifice short term objectives for long term benefits.What is sure is that if farms cannot make a profit then they cannot care for and manage the countryside’s natural capital, nor sustain our food supply. So it’s time that we considered this issue collectively, not in a polarised town vs country fashion, nor as farmer vs environmentalist.Source - http://theconversation.com/

26.02.2014

Zambia - Climate change threatens Zambia's farmers

LUSAKA, Zambia - Climate change, which has manifested itself in changing rainfall patterns and higher temperatures, is posing a threat to farming communities in Zambia, a landlocked country in southern Africa. "In the past, we used to plant our crops after the first rains in late October and early November, " Philip Mulendema, a farmer from Kalomo, a town in the country`s south, told Anadolu Agency. "But the trend has changed of late," he added. "Now the rains begin in December – or even in January."Places badly hit by climate change are Kalomo, Choma, Gwembe and Sinazongwe in Zambia`s Southern Province, where many families are reportedly starving. The rural population along the Kafue sub-basin, which covers Zambia`s Southern, Lusaka and Central Provinces, remain the most vulnerable to regular floods and droughts. "Temperatures nowadays are higher than before and this isn`t good for crop production," Joseph K. Kanyanga, chief meteorologist at the Zambia Meteorological Department, told AA.Ezekiel Phiri, a 76-year-old farmer in Kabwe, capital of Central Province, said most of his crops had been destroyed by heavy rainfall. He lamented that there was only limited time to begin replanting. "Even our animals have been affected by this climate change," Phiri told AA. Pamela Chisanga, Zambia Country Director for ActionAid, an international NGO, said the recent climatic changes had forced many farmers to switch to hybrid crops. "Long-season local maize varieties are no longer preferred," she told AA. According to Chisanga, maize crops, traditionally grown in November, are now being grown in December – sometimes even in January. She expressed worry that climate change was adversely affecting crop production. "Drought and flooding is causing damage, not only to life but [is also causing] a drop in crop production," she said.According to the Zambia National Farmers Union, erratic rainfall and shifting weather patterns are making it increasingly difficult for farmers to plan their harvests. "This, paired with soil fertility loss due to flooding and expanding deserts, plus depletion of groundwater reserves due to prolonged droughts and wide proliferation on crops and livestock pests, will lead to drops in crop yields," farmers union president Jervis Zimba told AA. Chisanga, the Action-Aid activist, underlined the need to provide farmers with the necessary information and technological know-how to improve local farming techniques. "For now, farmers in Zambia lack the necessary support and information to surmount the problem they`re facing," she said. "The government, for instance, must collaborate closely with research institutions to come up with drought-tolerant and fast-maturing crop seeds," added Chisanga.She went on to say that Zambian farmers "must be encouraged to diversify in order to keep pace with the changing climate and grow crops that suit their regions." To help farmers adapt to new weather patterns, she recommended stepped-up investment in irrigation and agriculture infrastructure. Michael Zulu, a climate change specialist at Zambia`s Mwekera Agricultural Research Institute, underlined the importance of strengthening farmers` capacities and making new crop varieties available to them.Source - http://www.turkishpress.com/

26.02.2014

India - Hailstorm flattens crop in 100-odd Seoni villages

JABALPUR: Hailstorm on two consecutive nights — Saturday and Sunday — has taken its toll on rabi crop in Mahakaushal region. With reports trickling in, Jabalpur division seems to have been worst-hit along with part of Satpura belt. And even as official teams have been dispatched to assess and evaluate ground situation, Seoni district has reported extensive damage up to 100%, according to official information reaching here.Talking to TOI on Monday, Jabalpur divisional commissioner Deepak Khandekar said though acerage of the affected area is yet to be ascertained nature's vagary dealt the worst blow to 100 villages in Seoni. The Satpura belt, comprising Chhindwara, Betul and Seoni, is known for faring worst due to higher altitude and suffering most from weather swings. This time too, it has lived up to its reputation as well.The estimated damage, an officer said, could be anything between 50% and 100%. Since the hailstorm that wrecked the district has left sheets of solid ice covering fields, no realistic assessment can be made till the ice melts. But going by reports so far and fears, rabi crop in the belt seems to be fully damaged.Luckily, the damage in Jabalpur and Katni is not widespread and extensive. The damage suffered in Jabalpur is confined to dozen-odd villages and in Katni, the number is slightly higher at 15, Official reports report. Sources said hailstones weighing 50 to 100 gram were seen strewn around fields in Vijayraghavgarh, Umariapan and Bohoriband in Katni district. Teams are also out in fields surveying the scene in Mandla, which recorded heaviest rainfall at 3 cm, Narsinghpur and Dindori to evaluate the ground situation.In Jabalpur city, untimely rainfall brought down temperature by 3.5 degrees celsius. Though Monday proved to be partially sunny, sky was far from clear. Weather affected flight schedule and delay of six hours reported. Dense fog led to jam on national highways and frequent blackouts made life difficult on the city's outskirts.Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

26.02.2014

India - Wet spell again

Patnaites woke up to a sunny morning on Tuesday, but the sky soon turned partly cloudy. The maximum temperature in the city increased to settle at 26 degree Celsius while the minimum temperature hovered around 13 degree Celsius.Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)-Patna director AK Sen said Wednesday would also be a partly cloudy day. But on Thursday and Friday, most of the areas of south Bihar will receive light to moderate rainfall.Western disturbances have been hitting the state quite frequently this year, resulting in light to moderate rainfall almost every week. This rainfall in turn creates cold conditions and the mercury plummets below normal. The four cyclones which hit coastal areas in the month of September-October are causing huge moisture incursion, which leads to frequent upper air cyclonic circulations forming over Central India, the weatherman explained.An IMD-Delhi report also says wind confluence and moisture incursion will take place over Central India from Wednesday onwards which will again combine with fresh western disturbance and draw a lot of moisture from the Bay of Bengal, causing rain in Bihar and eastern UP. This western disturbance is passing through lower latitude, which will bring in rain and even thunder showers in south Bihar areas, said Sen.Bright sunshine is forecast only from Saturday. There are several more western disturbances in queue which are ready to hit the state. However, their impact will depend on the height of latitude they pass. "Unless there is a break from wet spell for at least 10 days, we can't say the winter is over," said the Met official.According to Bihar's deputy director (horticulture) Nitesh Kumar Rai, frequent showers have damaged not only potato but most of the flower cultivation. In a way, this weekly rain is bad for floriculture. Mango flowers too have been damaged. To some extent it has also damaged the lentils, especially 'masoor' crop.Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

26.02.2014

USA - USDA adjusts organic insurance program

The USDA Risk Management Agency has made adjustments to its crop insurance programs to better reflect the prices organic crops garner.Adjustments to crop insurance programs will better reflect the value of organic farm products, the director of the Spokane office of the USDA Risk Management Agency says.“One of the complaints we’d always get is producers (would say), ‘I raise this organic crop because I can get more for it,’ but our prices weren’t representative, they felt, of the organic prices,” said Dave Paul, RMA director in Spokane.Paul said the agency continues to tailor organic provisions of policies to better meet producers’ needs.For the 2014 crop year, the agency eliminated a 5 percent premium surcharge for organic crops.For many commodities, RMA is publishing transitional yields for organic practices for growers who don’t have enough records to establish coverage on their own.“We’re trying to use the data that’s available to make the organic crop insurance program represent the organic industry, versus a mixture of conventional and organic,” Paul said.For many crops, RMA is now publishing specific price elections for organics alongside conventional prices. This includes crops like mint, blueberries, grapes, apples, pears and other stone fruit crops, oats, corn and soybeans.“Producers who want to insure their organics at a higher price can do so for those different commodities,” Paul said.The agency has added a contract price addendum for organic producers growing crops under guaranteed contracts. The addendum allows organic farmers who receive a contract price to get a crop insurance guarantee that reflects the actual value of their crop, Paul said.Paul expects changes in the organic program to continue. RMA has an agreement with the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service to collect organic-specific data.“I think you’re going to see changes every year for several years,” he said.Paul advises organic farmers meet with their crop insurance agent before the March 17 sales closing date and inquire about the options available to them.“There’s a lot more options this year than there were last year for organic producers,” Paul said. “The beauty for the organic grower is now these programs are becoming tailored more and more to the organic practice versus the conventional practice, so they should be very happy about that.”Source - http://www.capitalpress.com/

25.02.2014

Canada - New crops and climates drive crop insurance changes

As anyone who has ever bought insurance knows, it’s an exercise in “pay and pray” — that is, pray that you won’t need it. Crop insurance is certainly no different but, as climates change and localized weather patterns become predictably more unpredictable, few farmers these days can afford to be without it.That’s certainly true in Manitoba, where over 90 per cent of farmers participate in Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation’s (MASC) crop insurance programs. The participation rate is high in the other Prairie provinces too. In Saskatchewan the benchmark measure is insured acres, which in 2013 was 27 million acres or around 77 per cent of the total seeded acres in the province. In Alberta, around 76 per cent of eligible annual crop acres are insured each year.Most crop insurance programs are federal programs delivered by provincial insurance agencies and cost-shared by federal and provincial governments. Consequently the programs are fundamentally the same in each province, although there are some regional variations.Changing 
insurance programsCrop insurance programs are constantly re-evaluated and re-designed to meet the changing realities of production in each province and to be reflective of markets. “We work with industry and producer associations to determine what changes are required to our programs,” says Jeff Morrow, vice-president of Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC). “We have a good relationship with our industry associations.”A big change in some provinces, especially Manitoba, has been the rapid spread in the last couple of years of crops like corn and soybeans into areas that traditionally couldn’t grow them. With earlier maturating, shorter season varieties being rapidly introduced and grown on more acres, new crop insurance programs for corn and soybeans have been introduced in Manitoba and expanded in Saskatchewan.“For a number of years producers outside of the traditional corn and soybean areas have been asking for insurance because they wanted to try these crops and were reluctant to do so without any type of protection,” says David Van Deynze, MASC manager of claim services. “Over time we’ve developed insurance test areas to allow producers and ourselves to get some experience with how these crops perform in what used to be considered fringe growing areas. This year is a record year for soybeans in Manitoba, and more and more producers have been trying these crops well beyond the traditional areas.”As of 2013 Manitoba producers are able to purchase insurance on corn and soybeans grown outside of traditional growing areas. “It has provided producers with at least some level of coverage in the event of crop failure,” says Van Deynze. “Prior to this year, if they were going to grow those crops they were doing it without any kind of insurance protection at all.”Saskatchewan introduced coverage for soybeans in the southeast corner of the province in 2010 but this year the coverage area increased, and more than half the province is now insurable for soybeans. SCIC also expanded its Corn Heat Unit program in 2013 to allow for coverage across a larger area, reflecting where farmers are growing corn in the province. As a result SCIC reports an increase of over 100,000 acres of insured corn and soybeans in 2013.In Alberta the jury is still out in terms of whether new soybean varieties will mature early enough for Alberta growing conditions, and expansion of soybean acres is slower than in the other two Prairie provinces, but Agriculture Financial Service Corporation (AFSC), which delivers crop insurance in Alberta, is keeping a close eye on developments in this area.“Soybeans haven’t taken off in Alberta like they have in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, but we are working closely with the Alberta Pulse Growers so that when they do become a viable crop, we will have a program in place for them,” says Chris Dyck, senior manager of research and corporate data management at AFSC.Alberta has also expanded the number of the weather stations available for its corn heat unit programs. “There are shorter season varieties of corn coming out all the time, and the area where corn is being grown is definitely expanding, so we’ve expanded our area as well,” says Dyck. “I think we’ll probably see some new products coming in the next couple of years.”Insuring winter wheatKeeping crop insurance programs in line with production realities is reflected in the changes to Manitoba’s winter wheat program. The indemnity available for re-seeding winter wheat has been reduced in Manitoba this fall to 25 per cent of coverage from the previous 75 per cent if the crop fails before June 20 of next year. As an example, in the past a farmer insuring his winter wheat at the level of $200 an acre could get $150 re-seeding benefit if the crop failed before June 20, but would now only get $50 an acre.Van Deynze says the changes are more reflective of what actually happens in reality if a winter wheat crop fails. “If a producer planted winter wheat in the fall and had a crop failure first thing in the spring they were eligible for potentially 75 per cent of the coverage, which from our perspective created a bit of moral hazard,” says Van Deynze. “In some cases producers were willing to work down their winter wheat a little sooner than we thought they should because getting 75 per cent coverage, and planting canola on May 10 is a pretty attractive proposition for producers because they really don’t lose any yield when they plant canola at that time. Reducing the coverage to 25 per cent, if they have a winter wheat failure early in the spring, should cover seed and input costs from the previous fall. We believe it will still adequately cover producers and not be such a drain on the program.”Crop insurance premiums and coverage levels fluctuate to try and reflect changing market realities and predicting future markets can be a challenge but is essential to provide a good program for farmers that will cover them for production losses at fair market value, says Van Deynze. “Every year we try and predict what the market will be so we have to set our prices in January based on what we predict prices will be fall of that year, so we use whatever market indicators we have to help us set that price,” says Van Deynze. “Our programs are designed to try and be reactive to what the markets are doing.”Source - http://www.grainews.ca/

25.02.2014

Brazil - Sunburn sizzles apple crop

Hot weather in the weeks leading up to the start of Brazil’s apple season will cause volume to fall slightly this year, according to the president of the Brazilian Apple Growers and Exporters Association (ABPM).Although the full extent of the damage is difficult to predict, Pierre Nicolas Pérès told that output will likely fall by more 10% due to sunburn on the fruit.“Analyses show that there is probably a 15-20% decrease in Royal Galas, which will reduce the overall crop by 9-12%,” he explained.“Fujis were not affected, however, as their season starts a month later.”In mid-February, the World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA) announced that Brazil’s apple production would total 1,180,000 tonnes this year, up from 1,051,000 tonnes in 2013.Although the recent inclement weather will reduce that figure, Pérès noted that far fewer hailstorms this year, except for in the region of Caxias, could mean that Brazil’s overall volume will not be too far off initial predictions.Pérès, who is also the general manager of Brazilian apple supplier Pomagri, described the three weeks before the start of picking on Jan. 27 as difficult.“The weather conditions were not good – there was a shortage of rainfall, temperatures were extreme, ranging from 22-35°C (71.6-95°F), and the nights were warm too,” he explained.“The hot weather has caused sunburn on the fruit, while in some areas the fruit has fallen from the trees due to heat stress.”The weather conditions varied depending on the production area, according to Pérès. Although the shortage of rainfall in Fraiburgo was not that bad, he said the impact was more critical in Vacaria and São Joaquim, while Caxias was hit by thunderstorms which brought hailstones.Quality outlookFollowing a difficult season last year – when a huge frost at the beginning of the blooming period burnt the best flowers – WAPA’s 2014 forecast puts Brazil’s apple crop back to the level achieved in 2012.Although the weather conditions have not been perfect this season either, Pérès said most growers were looking forward to a good crop.“Sizes will be medium to small as usual for Brazil,” Pérès clarified.“We’ll have clean, quality apples with no russeting.”“The fruit is very crunchy this year, and the flavor and brix are both good. For controlled-atmosphere shipments it looks like the quality will be outstanding if the fruit is picked with the correct pressure.”Export refocusAccording to ABPM, Brazil’s 2014 apple exports should be slightly higher than last year thanks to a better exchange rate with external markets.However, Pérès pointed out the export market was demanding big sizes – of which Brazil has little volume – so most fruit will be sold on the domestic market where prices and demand are still very high.By focusing on the hugely attractive and relatively risk-free domestic market, in recent years the apple sector has been able to cope with the ongoing economic challenges in Brazil posed by an often unfavourable exchange rate as well as rising production and labor costs.Meanwhile, the remainder of Brazil’s apple production still heads to traditional European receivers, although each year exports are rising to Asia and the Middle East, which prefer the smaller-sized apples that Brazil produces.“Brazilian exporters are continuing to develop these markets and that trend will remain in 2014,” Pérès explained.“Certainly Bangladesh will be a very important market this year – probably the second-largest for Brazilian apples.”Other destinations in the region include India, Singapore, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Qatar, Kuwait, Sudan and Equatorial Guinea.Nevertheless, Pérès said Europe remains an important market for Brazilian apples since importers there are starting to pay more.“It’s not perfect yet. But the Netherlands is still the number one importer of Brazilian apples in the world, while the U.K. is third, France fourth and Germany fifth.”Varietal developmentWhile Royal Gala accounts for 60% of Brazil’s apple crop, followed by Fuji, the sector is continuing to investigate the potential of new varieties, such as Monalisa.“Monalisa is a promising new variety that will probably be developed over the next three years now that trials have been made.“It’s a good looking apple, it stores very well, and it has a good balance between sugars and acidity. But we need to carry out tastings with consumers. If it’s accepted then it will be ready for large scale planting.”Source - http://www.freshfruitportal.com/

25.02.2014

Australia - Heat ruins WA's southern mango crop

Western Australia's southern mango growers have lost nearly a quarter of their crop due to sunburn.The mango plantations just north of Perth were experiencing good growing conditions until a period of 42-degree days damaged the fruit.Southern Mango Growers Association president Tony Maddern says he has just started picking his fruit and estimates the damage has cost about $40,000."Well, it is edible but it means you've got to cut a fair portion of it out, which people don't want to do, so unfortunately most of that will probably go to pig food."Despite the crop losses, Mr Maddern says he expects good prices of about $45 per tray when the mangoes hit the floor of the Canningvale markets this week.A tray of mangoes is approximately seven kilograms, comprising about 16 pieces of fruit.Mr Maddern says unfavourable mango growing conditions in the north of the state around Kununurra have driven prices up this season.Source - http://www.abc.net.au/

25.02.2014

USA - Winter wheat growth slightly behind

The growth of this year's winter wheat crop is slightly behind compared to last year thanks to freezing temperatures and wet conditions in October.According to Gary Mayfield, area manager for Beachner Grain, because of the limited amount of moisture and cold weather the local winter wheat has been kept dormant.“Normally by now the winter wheat is up and growing,” he said.Mayfield said the wheat is usually green this time of year but it is still looking brown. This, he said, is due in part to late planting because the land was too wet in October and November. Some planting had to be done as late as the first of December, Mayfield said.He said it is slightly dryer this year than last year, but added that wheat likes dry weather. He also said even though last year's winter wheat crop was good, it is still too early to tell how this year's crop will do.Mayfield said he will know more in the latter part of March and harvest will likely be in June.Source - http://www.miamiok.com/

25.02.2014

India - Orange belt major casualty, hailstorm damage in crores

NAGPUR: The severe hailstorm, that lashed several parts of Vidarbha on Sunday, dealt its worst blow to the orange belt of Katol, Narkhed, Kalmeshwar, Mohpa extending to Saoner devastating around 60% of Mrig orange crop ready to be plucked. It also damaged standing crop of wheat and chana (gram). The loss could run into hundreds of crores, initial reports indicate.Food and civil supplies minister Anil Deshmukh rushed back from Mumbai on Sunday evening and also skipped the first day of the four-day interim-budget session on Monday. After visiting around 30 villages in Katol-Narkhed tehsils of the Assembly constituency he represents, Deshmukh said: "The damage is severe. Lemon-sized hail descended in full force ripping off oranges and mausambi (sweet lemon) from the plants. I will take up the matter with the chief minister. After a hectic day of consoling stricken farmers, Deshmukh was to take a late evening flight to Mumbai."Early reports suggest the hailstorm caused damage in 35,000 hectares in the district," said district collector Abhishek Krishna. He accompanied Deshmukh on inspection of some Katol villages in the morning and later visited Kamptee tehsil where damage was more widespread - in 13,000ha.Krishna said hailstorm also hit 4,700ha in Katol, 1,830ha in Kalmeshwar, 2,085ha in Narkhed, 3,488ha in Kuhi and 10,000ha in Mouda. He said crop damage figures will take at least two weeks to be worked out after a full survey of affected areas.Nagpuri Santra Utpadak Sangh (orange growers association) secretary Manoj Jawanjal said the Mrig crop was devastated to the extent of 60 to 70% in around 30,000ha extending from Warud to Saoner in the hailstorm since Saturday night. "Fruit damage is extensive. Those left on plants will also be lost as the hail strike has damaged the fruit which will now start decaying. Whatever is salvaged will have to be sold at throwaway price because of sudden glut in market," said Jawanjal."Average per hectare orange yield fetches 4.5 lakh. But even 60% damage in 30,000 hectares means losses to the tune of hundreds of crores," he said. "It may sound shocking but as per insurance company norms finalized by the government, hail damage does not qualify for claims. So despite paying up insurance premium to the tune of 900 crore in the cotton belt, we cannot expect any compensation from insurance claims," lamented former MLA Sunil Shinde, who is spearheading the orange growers' interest. Shinde said at least 80 villages in the district were hit. "Kavelu (roof tiles) were broken and several roofs were blown away leaving people shelter less in several villages," said Shinde.Jawanjal said a similar hailstorm in January had damaged crop in 70,000ha in Amravati district's Warud and Morshi areas. "So it's a very bad year for orange, citrus fruit growers of Vidarbha. Shinde has demanded that the state should pay at least 30,000 per hectare to farmers to cover the huge loss caused by the nature.Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

25.02.2014

UK floods 'haven't dented crop prospects much'

The wettest month for the southern UK on record, which has left large areas of farmland under water, has caused only minor damage to the country's crop prospects, European Union researchers said, warning of greater hard to flooding in parts of Italy.Researchers at the EU's Mars agricultural research unit acknowledged that 2014 had in the UK got off to its wettest start on their own records, which date back to 1975, "with repeated periods of continuous rainfall".And while plants are usually in winter, being dormant, resilient to waterlogging, Mars cautioned that this year could be worse given relatively high temperatures that have accompanied the rains."This implies that soil oxygen is relatively rapidly consumed by roots and microbial activity leading to root asphyxia," the unit said."Depending on local conditions, the effects can vary from a slight impact on growth… to total crop loss and areas that have to be completely resown."Moreover, excessive rain implies nutrient losses, and affected areas could be more susceptible to disease outbreaks."'Limited impacts'However, in the UK and Ireland, the damage to crops had been curtailed by flooding hitting mostly livestock farms, rather than arable enterprises."Grassland areas are relatively more affected than croplands," Mars said in a report."At the national level the impacts on production are expected to be limited."The UK is the EU's third-ranked wheat producer.Damage appears to be "more serious in several areas of northern and central Italy, for which a relatively large share of arable land has been subject to prolonged rains combined with very mild temperatures".'Very limited winterkill'The briefing also noted the prospect for some "localised" damage from heavy rains in France, where southern areas and Brittany have suffered, and in north western Spain, where Associated British Foods separately highlighted setbacks to the sugar beet harvest.However, the report also said that frost damage to European crops had been "very limited so far", thanks to warmer-than-usual conditions, with "no significant" winterkill threat on the horizon into early March.Source - http://www.agrimoney.com/

25.02.2014

USA - The latest wheat winterkill prognosis

Tired of winter yet? If you're a wheat farmer, your crop probably is, too.The last few weeks have seen hard red winter wheat conditions slumping in the heart of the nation’s Wheat Belt. Many areas have lacked the snow cover to keep the young wheat crop protected from the subzero temperatures. But wheat’s a tough crop, and quite a few acres that farmers and crop-watchers once thought might not make it through the winter are sticking it out. Now, just because Old Man Winter’s packing up and moving out, the weather concerns -- namely how they could bring on winterkill, a fear that’s been strong throughout winter -- aren’t over. In fact, winterkill dangers will be greater in the next month or so than now, even though temperatures have been far colder than they will be by late March and early April. “My biggest concern is for early April, when wheat will be emerging from dormancy. The temperature outlook is still well below normal, and as we saw last year, that’s the time period when a freeze can really do some damage,” says MDA Weather Services senior ag meteorologist Don Keeney.Though winterkill concerns were greatest in the western Plains in 2013, Keeney says the eastern Plains and western Midwest is "the most vulnerable area" for potential late-winter and early-spring winterkill damage.Repeated periods of temperatures 20 degrees below normal have weighed hard on the young wheat crop. In late January and early February, some areas in the central Plains did see winterkill damage, but as the Arctic vortex continues to swing south in later subzero bouts, the damage has been lighter, Keeney says. Now, Mother Nature is shaping up to deliver a couple of potentially painful blows; farmers should remain wary of these. First, Keeney says any severe temperature dips could hamper yields most from about northeastern Kansas through Illinois and into western Indiana. Meanwhile, the chilly temperatures for which the winter of 2014 will be remembered will have just as tough an effect on the other wheat crop: spring wheat in the northern Plains. “With the persistent cold pattern in the northern Plains through April and even into early May, soil temperatures up there will remain quite cold, so I do think we’re going to see some considerable planting and emergence delays,” Keeney says.Layer the overriding concern for both the spring and winter wheat crops on top of the lingering potential for winterkill damage: Drought. Even if temperatures do make their way out of the winterkill potential zone, dryness continues to pose a threat to the crop’s yield potential and, in some areas, basic survival. “Virtually all of the Plains states are in some kind of drought status; moderate temps and spring rains will be critical to get this crop going after a stressful winter,” says Louise Gartner, wheat specialist and analyst with Spectrum Commodities, adding that the weather has helped keep a solid floor under wheat prices in the last few weeks. “The growing season is gearing up, and we’ll just have to see what the weather brings."Source - http://www.agriculture.com/

25.02.2014

Europe - Top fruit season only reaches a peak during harvest

The top fruit season started later last year and according to Tony Derwael, if the weather stays like this, this year will start earlier. As a result, the marketing year will shorten. "We should not be pessimistic, but realistic. There are indeed several signs that this season is not going to end well. Almost every variety ended in a low note. If we look at the situation from harvest, the prices only went down. And I do not expect them to come back up. In a good year the season ends with good prices and this will not be the case this year."To much product.He goes on to note that there have only been a few highlights. "For apples and pears we have always had the highest prices at harvest. Except for the big pears, for them we received at least 75 to 80 cents, but even here there is pressure on the market now. There is a surplus of most products just now, or too little demand. Currently the market is fairly stable. For the exhibition in Berlin there was a revival but then it decreased again." With apples there was, according to Tony, only normal pricing going on with Elstar. "Between 70 and 80 cents is not bad, unfortunately in Belgium we are not specialists in Elstar. Jonagold was disappointing, because part of it was picked too late and the conditions were not great. So we have got to live with that. When it comes to volumes, I think we are still on schedule in Belgium. If we go on like this I estimate we will still have 100 million kilos of pears in Belgium. I do not have the insight when it comes to apples.Lots to Europe overseasThe southern hemisphere top fruit season has started with pears. "These are now more expensive than our Conference, but I have the impression that this could change quickly. This season I expect a lot of imports from overseas, because the exchange rate is interesting. The euro and the pound are quite strong and stable, especially against the Ruble, which is low. I think less is sent to Russia and more to Europe. I also hear that the Middle East are closing less agreements and contracts overseas, for both apples and pears. That's saying something. I fear more is sent to Europe because the experiences of last year were not so bad. Good prices were made for the imported fruit at that time."Decreased sales seasonWhat exactly will happen is not clear yet. "that is the interesting part of this trade, nobody knows. You just have a gut feeling. But what I can say is that there is certainly no reason for over-optimism. The main factors that can work against us are the exchange rates and the European harvest will likely be earlier than other years. Last year in Holland Conference pears were held until August, but this year I would not recommend this to anyone. We have had no winter, and if the weather holds, then there will be early flowering and thus an early harvest. Therefore the marketing year will be shortened. Last year we had a late harvest and we lost three weeks of sales. This year, we may lose a few more weeks. These are things that we can not control.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

25.02.2014

India - Govt to come up with contingency plan to tackle possible El Nino effect

Amid grim prediction that El Nino conditions may possibly impact Monsoon this year, triggering drought in parts of India, the government plans to ask agricultural institutions, farm scientists, water resource managers and policy makers to come out with a contingency plan to tackle below-normal rain situation during June-August. Government's precautionary approach for the next season will be articulated by the Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar during a two-day national conference on 'Kharif Campaign 2014', beginning here on February 26. Though India is set to report record food-grain production with an estimate of 263 million tonnes during 2013-14 and there is adequate buffer stock to continue government's food security scheme, the recent prediction on El Nino has put the policy makers on the edge. El Nino, which refers to the warming of the central and east Pacific and cooling of the West, occurs every four to 12 years. It had last hit India's Monsoon in 2009, leading to the worst drought in the country in nearly four decades. The Australia's Bureau of Meteorology, the US Climate Prediction Center and other global weather institutions have already predicted possibility of less rain in India during Monsoon this year due to El Nino effect. Although the intensity of the El Nino condition is still being debated among scientists, the policy makers can certainly not take a chance. "El Nino conditions may or may not hit India. But, government institutions and policy makers cannot afford to ignore the prediction," said Pramod K Aggarwal, senior scientist, engaged with research programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). He said though India had enough food-grain stock to meet any drought situation, there was a need to take precautionary measures to protect the vulnerable farmers. Extending effective insurance cover, timely availability of weather information and proper distribution of water, seeds and other ingredients are some of the measures which will help the country in adverse situation, he said. The Conference, which is to chalk out strategies for the coming season in the backdrop of the recent prediction, will take stock of the water reservoir position and preparedness for timely distribution of seeds and fertilizers and other inputs during the coming Kharif season. Overall strategy for enhancing crop production, adoption of improved technologies for use of water and fertilizers and issues relating to marketing of pulses, oilseeds and coarse cereals will also be discussed during the two-day meet. "States will be advised to promote scientific use of water, nutrients and pesticides. The progress of monsoon will be closely monitored and immediate action as per the contingency plan will be made operational in advance," said an official. Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

24.02.2014

USA - Preventing trich vital for cattle ranchers

USA - Preventing trich vital for cattle ranchersExcellent rainfall during 2013 across much of Oklahoma allowed drought-stressed pastures to rebound. These rainfall events in central and eastern parts of our state saw many ranchers rebuilding cattle numbers. While rebuilding, many producers have had to make decisions about bulls for the next breeding season. While doing so, herd health and reproductive disease have been major considerations in the context of what age and type of bulls are being purchased.Excellent rainfall during 2013 across much of Oklahoma allowed drought-stressed pastures to rebound. These rainfall events in central and eastern parts of our state saw many ranchers rebuilding cattle numbers. While rebuilding, many producers have had to make decisions about bulls for the next breeding season. While doing so, herd health and reproductive disease have been major considerations in the context of what age and type of bulls are being purchased. Perhaps the one reproductive disease for which bulls play a critical role in transmission is that of Trichomoniasis, or “trich.” This disease has been around for generations and, for many years, was thought to be something only states west of the Rocky Mountains had to be concerned with. This is not the case today; many states now have this disease within their borders. Trich is a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease in cattle that results in abortions and infertility and is caused by a microscopic protozoan parasite Tritrichomonas foetus. The organism colonizes in both bulls and cows, and as bulls age, conditions on the surface of reproductive organs are more conducive for this protozoa to survive and multiply. Infected bulls and cows look and act normal. The only way to confirm Trichomoniasis infection is by testing. Typically, cattle producers become aware of a problem when cows are pregnancy checked and there are too many open cows, a prolonged calving period or noticeably reduced calf crop. Reabsorption of the fetus or abortion usually occurs early (one to four months) in pregnancy and females become temporarily infertile. Late-term abortions have been reported but are not common. The majority of infected cows will clear the infection within four to five months of sexual rest. Immunity to Trichomoniasis is short-lived, and cows are susceptible to reinfection and abortion the following season. Some cows will not clear the infection. Bulls become infected with the Trichomoniasis protozoa when breeding infected females. Those bulls younger than 3 may clear the infection, but bulls older than 3 are generally permanently infected. Although the primary impact of Trichomoniasis is reduced fertility in cows and cows spread the infection to bulls, Oklahoma Trichomoniasis regulations center on bulls. Bulls act as a reservoir for this organism and are the primary method of transmission. Identification of infected bulls is critical. Producers should work closely with a veterinarian who is certified to collect samples for the necessary testing to identify any Trichomoniasis infected bulls in their herds. The most effective way to control Trichomoniasis is to prevent the introduction of the organism into a herd. This is primarily accomplished through testing all new bulls prior to entry into the herd and preventing unwanted bulls from entering through damaged fence lines. Keeping young bulls rather than older ones and testing all bulls prior to each breeding season are also important tools. Establishing a defined breeding season and early pregnancy diagnosis will aid in rapid detection of reproductive losses caused by Trichomoniasis. As with most infectious diseases, a biosecurity plan is critical to preventing introduction and/or controlling the organism within a herd. A vaccine for Trichomoniasis is available and labeled for use in controlling the disease in cows. The vaccine will reduce the reproductive losses associated with the disease and may reduce the time it takes a cow to clear the infection. However, in most herds, managing the risk factors for Trichomoniasis through biosecurity is less more effective than vaccination. Producers are encouraged to work with their veterinarian to develop appropriate protocols for controlling Trichomoniasis and other reproductive diseases in their herds. For bulls entering Oklahoma, applicable tuberculosis and/or brucellosis entry, requirements must be met and the shipment must have a valid Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. Source - http://www.normantranscript.com/