Following yet another unusual spring with too much rain and not enough sun, the European fruit processing industry has strong concerns about its raw material supply. Climate change is here, is real, and its impact appears to make "normal years" the exception.
As heavy storms have continued over recent weeks and months, the effects of the increased rainfall on the pomelo industry have been drastic. Pomelo production regions in southern China have been hit particularly hard by this year's flooding, with yields projected to drop by up to 50% below prior periods.
Atypically low temperatures over South Africa – plunging to –6oC just before daybreak in parts of the Bushveld – have left collapsed fields of vegetables and even frozen citrus fruit and orchards across widespread areas of Limpopo Province. Low-lying orchards and fields in the Limpopo River Valley have sustained big losses.
Chicory will find its way into our salads during the summer months, yet Belgian chicory growers are a bit concerned. "Marketing is going well at the moment, but it has nevertheless been very difficult on the supply side. Also, in future, there will be more and more pressure on chicory cultivation," explains Charles Cattoir of Primalof.
Jagdev Singh, a cotton farmer, has faced three consecutive years of hardship. Since 2021, severe pink bollworm (PBW) infestations have significantly impacted his income from his 0.6-hectare cotton field. However, this year brings a glimmer of hope.
India will launch a new farm crop insurance scheme early next year and use drones and other technologies to assess crop damage, the agriculture minister said on Wednesday, in what could be Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first major move to address rural hardship.
In fiscal year 2024 (FY 2024), India’s general insurers reduced their exposure to crop insurance due to the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), despite the government’s efforts to bolster coverage in the farming industry. Thanks to crop losses from floods and unseasonal rains and heatwaves, the gross direct premium underwritten by insurers fell 4.2%, whilst crop insurance premium underwritten climbed 8.7% in the previous year (FY 2023).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding crop insurance options for specialty and organic growers starting in 2025. The Risk Management Agency (RMA) will offer new coverage options, including enterprise units for organic practices and additional eligibility for several crops. This expansion includes coverage for crops like almonds, citrus, walnuts, and avocados, and introduces policies for younger almond trees. Sunburned damaged walnuts will also be eligible for indemnity payments through the expansion.
Persistent rainfall in France is reducing soft wheat production, resulting in a high decrease in the overall harvest and substantial losses for individual farmers. At Guillaume Lefort's farm in Larchant (Seine-et-Marne), soft wheat growth is uneven across his 70-hectare plot. Some ears are still green, and his harvest will start later than usual. He expects a 20% loss compared with a normal year.
A beef specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach says cattle producers affected by recent flooding will most likely experience financial stress, and should contact their local Farm Service Agency office immediately. "FSA offices are gathering information pertaining to flood damage,” said Beth Doran. "This includes any livestock losses, forage/grazing losses or damagedpastures due to recent flooding.”
Jamaicans will contend with food shortages in theaftermath of Hurricane Beryl, which is estimated to have destroyed over $6.4 million in food crops and supporting infrastructure, officials in Jamaica said on Monday.
Climate change and its associated climate variability are posing significant challenges for farmers worldwide. In Romania, particularly in the agriculturally productive Romanian Plain, the frequency, intensity, and duration of heatwaves and droughts have increased over the past two decades. This has necessitated the need for farmers to adapt to these extreme environmental conditions.
On July 10, President Joseph Nyumah Boakai will unveil the National Agriculture Development Plan (NADP) in Monrovia, aiming to enhance agricultural growth throughout his tenure, according to Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah.
The European Commission has proposed to mobilise €77 million from the agricultural reserve to support farmers from the fruit, vegetables and wine sectors of Austria, Czechia, Poland who have recently suffered from adverse climatic events of unprecedented magnitude, as well as Portuguese wine producers who face serious market disturbances.
Ukrainian producers are seriously concerned about the situation in the melon market: due to low demand, watermelon prices are rapidly falling, and the harvest is under serious threat of destruction due to abnormally hot weather, report analysts from the EastFruit project.
The supply of bananas in the U.S. from across Latin America is low right now. "In both Mexico and Guatemala, there have been some storms that have damaged a lot of surface area.