23.01.2019

Canada - 2019 record year for AgriInsurance in Manitoba

Manitoba farmers will see enhancements to coverage through AgriInsurance in the upcoming year. “Our government understands the importance of stability and proactively managing risks that threaten the viability of the farm,” said federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay. “These enhancements to AgriInsurance offer Manitoba farmers greater options to help them protect their operations against the financial impact of crop losses.” AgriInsurance coverage for 2019 is expected to exceed $2.8 billion on 9.5 million acres in Manitoba, the highest level of coverage on record. With premium rates down by an average of more than seven per cent compared to last year, and dollar values up slightly, producers will receive more coverage for less premium in 2019. “Flexible and affordable insurance for our farmers is critical to combat potential financial losses,” said Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler. “These enhancements to AgriInsurance were made directly in response to our industry and producers’ needs.” Program changes for the 2019 growing season include: • introduction of separate yield coverage for hybrid and open pollinated fall rye, which will ensure producers have coverage that is more reflective of the productive capacity of their fall rye crop; • a higher dollar value for seed potatoes to account for the higher cost of production and higher market value; • the list of crops eligible for organic insurance will be expanded to include barley, field peas and hemp grain; • dollar values for organic crops will increase due to an update in how the dollar values are determined; and • livestock and forage producers will benefit from a change in the way poor quality forages are adjusted for claim purposes, which will result in payments that better reflect actual losses due to low quality. More than 8,000 farms are enrolled in AgriInsurance. Manitoba has the highest level of AgriInsurance participation in Canada with over 90 per cent of annual crop acres enrolled. AgriInsurance is provided for over 70 different annual crops and forages during establishment and production, as well as the inability to seed land in the spring due to wet conditions. Under AgriInsurance, premiums for most programs are shared 40 per cent by participating producers, 36 per cent by the Government of Canada and 24 per cent by the Manitoba government. AgriInsurance is a risk management program administered by the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC). Source - https://www.pembinavalleyonline.com

23.01.2019

India - New web-based platform to help with micro irrigation

A team of interdisciplinary scientists have come out with an online system that promises to substantially ease the process of planning and implementing micro-irrigation systems for agricultural fields. With water increasingly becoming a scarce commodity, farmers and other stakeholders in agricultural sector have been seeking novel ideas to grow more crops from the same amount of water. Micro-irrigation systems involving sprinklers, drippers and other such tools are being increasingly deployed. A major challenge has been in designing them. There is a need to take into account several aspects such as how much water would be required, the layout, capacity and size of the water pipe networks and the number of sprinklers and drippers that needs to be deployed. It is a tedious process and involves lot of calculations. The new system developed by the research team addresses this issue. Called DOMIS (short form for Design of Micro-irrigation System), it is a web-based application and helps design customised micro-irrigation systems for individual agricultural fields under different agro-climatic conditions and circumstances for any crop. DOMIS, which has an interactive graphical interface, works through three major steps. It first partitions the entire field into blocks of specific dimensions. It then determines the most appropriate layout plan for the pipes. Finally, it estimates the water requirements of the field and crops, based on local agro-climatic and conditions. It does its calculations based on a variety of factors including agro-climatic data of the region, type and density of crops and soil type, besides the field size. The design offers solutions with regards to several aspects including size of the pipes as well as type and number of sprinklers that are needed. It can also come out with an estimate of the largest fraction of the field which can be irrigated in one go. Besides, it can give an estimate of expenditure which a farmer or grower would need to install this whole system in his field. Speaking to India Science Wire, Dr Neelam Patel, who headed the team, said, “India has a potential of about 69 million hectares which can be covered through micro-irrigation methods and the Government of India has also allotted about Rs 5,000 crore for a programme to set them up. However, presently, putting up a micro-irrigation requires considerable expertise which is not easily available to a common farmer. This application solves the problem. It can be can be accessed through computers as well as smart-phones.” The online platform, she said, is also designed to provide information about various government schemes in agricultural sector, agencies promoting and implementing micro-irrigation in different states of India. Its database has information with regards to aspects like agro-climatic conditions, major crops grown, crop characteristics, ground water availability, soil types for about 642 districts of 29 states and 7 union territories of the country. Source - https://www.downtoearth.org.in

23.01.2019

USA - Hemp bills introduced in Washington Legislature

Washington’s slow move into hemp has reached another crossroads. Bills in the Washington Senate and House seek to capitalize on the federal decriminalization of hemp, but as introduced differ on details. Key issues include license fees, competition with marijuana and CBD oil, a market now closed to hemp farmers in Washington. To plant this year, farmers will need confidence about what the rules will be when they harvest, said Industrial Hemp Association of Washington lobbyist Bonny Jo Peterson, who supports the House bill. “From discussions I’ve had, there’s going to be thousands of acres grown this year if everything is in place,” she said. “But I’m not giving any guarantees whatsoever.” The Farm Bill passed in December took hemp plants and viable hemp seeds off the federal list of controlled substances. Washington’s small number of hemp farmers and processors, however, are still operating under state Department of Agriculture rules written when federal law made no distinction between hemp and marijuana. The state rules impose thousands of dollars in fees, prohibit growing hemp within 4 miles of marijuana and bans the production of CBD oil, sold as a health supplement and one of the more lucrative hemp products for producers. Washington has lagged far behind other states, including Oregon, in cultivating and processing hemp. Last year, the Colville Tribe in northeast Washington was the only state-licensed hemp grower. The low number of hemp farmers and processors will make licensing and inspecting hemp operations impossible without a sharp increase in fees or taxpayer support, according to the state Department of Agriculture. House Bill 1401 proposes a $300,000 subsidy to keep the hemp program going for two more years. Senate Bill 5276 would charge growers an acreage fee: $10 for 1 acre, $20 for 1 to 5 acres, $150 for 5 to 25 acres; and $7 for every additional acre. Under current agriculture department regulations, hemp can’t be grown within 4 miles of marijuana. Hemp farmers must yield even if they were there first. HB 1401 would give the farmer who was there first the right to stay. It directs the agriculture department and State Liquor and Cannabis Board to review the 4-mile buffer and consider changing it, but does not order its elimination. SB 5276 does not directly address the buffer, but would repeal the law that gave the agriculture department authority to write the rule. Hemp advocate Stephen Rowland of Lynwood, a Seattle suburb, said he is interested in processing hemp for building materials, but the buffer has prevented cultivation in the region. “All of Western Washington has been made off-limits because of the four-mile buffer,” he said. “We just want the rules the federal government has on the books.” The Senate bill leaves in place the prohibition on manufacturing CBD oil from hemp grown in Washington. The House bill would allow it. The House bill would require farmers to plant hemp varieties approved by the agriculture department. Under the Senate bill, farmers would report the type of seeds they planted solely for record-keeping purposes. Under any legislation, hemp will not be treated like any other crop. Plants will continue to be subject to testing to ensure they remain low in THC, the intoxicating chemical in marijuana. The Senate bill is shorter and simpler. The House bill would set up a legislative task force to study making crop insurance available to hemp farmers. It’s a sign hemp may be poised to move into the Olympia mainstream. Source - https://www.capitalpress.com

22.01.2019

China germinates a cotton seed on the Moon

China has managed to have a seed sprout on the moon for the first time. A small cotton plant has germinated in a tube prepared for this purpose aboard the Chang'e 4 probe, the first to land on the hidden side of our satellite in the history of space exploration. These plants were not the first to grow in space: as some zinnias from a team from NASA had already bloomed on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2016. Before that, they had also grown peas, wheat, and other green leafy vegetables. The astronauts of the orbital platform also ate a rich lettuce salad that was grown in a microgravity environment. However, as scientists at Chongqing University (southeast China) have explained, this is the first successful biosphere experiment on the Moon. The Chang'e 4 probe, which on January 3 landed on the dark side of the moon, took with it cotton, rapeseed, potato, and arabidopsis seeds (a model plant for experiments), as well as fruit fly eggs and some yeasts to create a simple mini-biosphere, according to the state news agency Xinhua. The goal was to test agricultural capacity in an extreme environment, crucial for future long-term space missions, such as a colony on the Moon or the conquest of Mars. The images sent by Chang'e 4 showed a cotton bud that had grown successfully, the only seed that has managed to germinate so far. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

22.01.2019

Spain - Frosts cause damage in specific areas of Valencia

The frosts recorded in some areas of the Region of Valencia have so far caused some damages to crops like artichokes and citrus fruits, especially in cold areas of the counties of Camp de Turia and Canal de Navarrés, in the province of Valencia, and in the Vega Baja, in Alicante. The Valencian Association of Agricultural Producers (AVA-Asaja) reports that it is only aware of these damages and that it doesn't seem a widespread or alarming problem. It also believes that we should wait and see how things develop in the coming days before making a more accurate assessment. For now, AVA is aware of damages to artichokes in Camp de Turia and to citrus fruits in this county, in the Pedralba area, and in Canal de Navarrés (Xàtiva and Canals). In the Vega Baja, there has been widespread, but not very intense damage to artichokes, beans and potatoes due to minimum temperatures that have dropped to -2 degrees Celsius, as explained by the secretary of La Unió in this region, José Manuel Pamies. In the case of artichokes, too much cold burns the leaves, making the product unsuitable for marketing at a time when the prices and quality of this vegetable were starting to rebound. In the case of beans, the cold blackens the grains. As for potatoes, the low temperatures cause the plant to freeze. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

22.01.2019

USA - Ranch family suffers heavy sheep losses in fire

A Nisland ranch family lost more than 300 ewes and yearling sheep when fire engulfed their lambing sheds early on Jan. 3. According to Stan Lewis, chief of Nisland-Arpan Volunteer Fire & Rescue, the fire was reported at 12:05 a.m. at the James Mickelson ranch, located two miles east of Nisland on Highway 212. By the time firefighters arrived, Lewis said, the sheds, consisting of an older barn immediately adjacent to a newer structure, were fully involved in flames and nothing could be done to rescue the animals. The timing and the ferocity of the blaze contributed to the heavy losses. “It burned fast, at a bad time. Nobody happened to be up. It was a bad situation,” he said. “We kept the fire from spreading, but the barns were a total loss.” Ironically, all ewes and yearlings were in the sheds to protect them from the cold. “It’s the lambing season and they were all locked in, so the babies would be born under protection,” he said. Another nearby barn was saved. A number of buck sheep (males) were not in the shed and were spared, he said. Lewis said volunteer fire departments from Newell, Vale and Belle Fourche also provided mutual aid, with brush trucks, pumpers and tenders providing water. “That’s what we’re used to,” Lewis said. “In rural areas water is a limited deal.” About 18 firefighters were on scene controlling the blaze and preventing its spread to other buildings until about 4 a.m., he said. Weather aided firefighting efforts, with little or no wind to push the flames. No injuries were reported among firefighters, he said. Lewis said a preliminary investigation indicated an electrical malfunction as a probable cause. Messages left with the Mickelson family for comment were not returned by news deadline. However, Journal files indicate the family ranch also suffered the loss of more than 30 sheep in a July 2015 hailstorm that swept through Butte County. “These guys are my neighbors,” Lewis said. “We suffer alongside everybody else. We’re all livestock producers.” Lewis, who also raises sheep, remembers other lambing shed fires with significant loss of livestock, but he doesn’t recall a loss of this magnitude. “It was terrible,” he said. Source - https://rapidcityjournal.com

22.01.2019

Italy - Bad season for the Sicilian artichokes

The main Sicilian artichoke producers are facing a very unpleasant situation. Enzo Rametta told about the current campaign trend, which is indicative of a bad season for the second year in a row. Rametta explained, “For the second year in a row, the artichoke campaign is just a disaster. Last year, the season was characterised by summer drought, which affected the whole season. In December, the situation got worse as the cold temperatures blocked the plants’ growth”. “This year, the persistent rains in October and November flooded our fields thus causing artichokes’ root asphyxiation which affected their quality”. The entrepreneur continued, “Also, a few weeks ago, the frost and the intense cold represented other big issues”. “Therefore, the marketable produce is not much aesthetically pleasing. Once again, we lost part of our income. Many producers will face really hard times, considering the high costs we usually pay. Also, the similarly bad watermelon campaign did not help them, at all”. Rametta concluded, “The economic damage is consistent. 3.000 artichoke hectares lost 40% of the production. The low prices are another factor which is eroding us, as well”. This year’s cold in Sicily has been unusual both in terms of duration and intensity. Because of this, prices are increasing, and the consumption is going down. The red cauliflower is probably the clearest example according to Stefano Fiore, “which reached 15 euros per box”. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

22.01.2019

Bolivia - Up to 10,000 hectares of bananas affected by floods

At least 10 thousand hectares of banana plantations were flooded in the Cochabamba tropic, causing millions in losses to the community and producers, the representatives of the Banana Union of the Cochabamba Tropic (Unaban) and the Agricultural Chamber of Cochabamba (CAC) reported. The governor of Cochabamba, Ivan Canelas, stated that according to reports the last rains and floods had affected about 5 thousand hectares and some 7,500 families in the Cochabamba tropic. Shortly after, CAC coordinator Rolando Morales said the number was 7 thousand hectares, but finally the legal representative of Unaban, Andy Choque, who was arriving from Chapare, where he and representatives of the National Integral Development Fund (Fonadin) had carried out an inspection, declared that there were at least 10 thousand hectares flooded. According to Choque, the initial figures (about 7 thousand hectares) only took into consideration the hectares that grew banana for export, while the 10 thousand hectares also includes the fruit destined for the domestic market. Both Morales and Choque said that the area affected also included palm, pineapple, and citrus crops, but that practically 95 percent of the affected crops corresponded to bananas. "We calculate about 3 thousand dollars of investment per hectare," said Choque, who considered that if these figures were verified, there would be about 30 million dollars of losses. According to Choque, the problem with bananas is the deep stress that the plant undergoes when receiving excess water and then violently returning to a warm climate. Morales, in turn, said they had also received reports that some 15,000 boxes for export, which had already been harvested, had also been lost. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

22.01.2019

Zimbabwe - Wrong pesticide destroys 2 hectares tobacco

A Headlands farmer is  counting his losses after using a wrong chemical which damaged almost two hectares of his tobacco crop in an attempt to control aphids and budworms. All was well for Wilson Tsviku’s flourishing tobacco crop until last week when his farm workers applied a wrong chemical which destroyed over two hectares of the gold leaf. The farmer intended to apply a herbicide called Thunder but his workers mistakenly used a systemic herbicide, Stell Star, which is harmful to the tobacco crop. “I made a blunder, I gave my workers the wrong chemical which had no label, and they mistakenly applied Stella Star instead of Thunder. My crop was of high quality after putting all the fertilizer and other inputs but all hope is lost because almost over one and half hectares of my tobacco has gone to waste,” narrated Tsviku. The unfortunate case of this tobacco farmer should provide critical lessons to other farmers to strictly follow instructions and labels on chemical containers and train their workers on the use of herbicides approved by the relevant authorities. “This is a total loss. We advised the farmer to stop wasting time and resources by applying any fertilisers because the chemical has damaged the crop to an extent that it will not recover. We advise other farmers to learn from this and follow the labels on containers before applying chemicals. This loss is not only to the farmer by to the nation,” TIMB Field Officer, Aid Taruvinga said. The farmer, who has benefitted under the TIMB inputs support scheme, was expecting about 2800kgs per hectare. Estimates by TIMB show that the farmer has lost almost 3640kgs of the golden leaf with a market value of about US$ 13 100. Source - http://www.zbc.co.zw

17.01.2019

India - Fundamental flaws in crop insurance scheme’s design makes it ineffective

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), the flagship programme launched with much fanfare in 2016, has run into rough weather. With both the area covered and the number of enrolled farmers declining, the country’s premium crop insurance scheme is certainly in need of an overhaul. While Parliament’s committee on estimates, chaired by senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi, has in its latest report called for re-formulation of the agricultural insurance scheme, seeking transparency in its working and asking for more financial allocations to attract increasing participation from farmers, there are fundamental flaws in the design of the scheme that renders it rather ineffective. At a time when farm gate prices had remained subdued over the past few years, and when fluctuating climatic conditions—drought, floods, as well as freak weather patterns, including hailstorm and strong winds—had flattened the standing crop at many places, PMFBY could have come as the much-needed safety net. But a badly designed crop insurance programme has failed to come to the rescue of the beleaguered farming community. Take the case of Haryana, where standing crops on 1.85 lakh acres across 15 districts were damaged in September due to heavy rains and resulting floods. Interestingly, while the revenue estimates of the crop damage are ready, the crop losses suffered do not tally with the crops that were insured by the private crop insurance companies. This is because the insurance companies just collected the premium amounts from the banks without actually doing a ground assessment to know what crops were under cultivation. The government perhaps did not visualize that there were serious problems in the way the scheme was designed. The methodology itself was faulty. No wonder, some estimates show the enrolment under PMFBY has declined by 17%, from 40.2 million in 2016 to 33.2 million by 2018. Instead of rectifying the forcible enrolment, as a result of which the premium amount is automatically deducted from the bank accounts of loanee farmers, the banks have now been asked to provide the premium amount (in case of irregular accounts) by giving an overdraft for which the farmers will also have to pay interest. The basic objective was to show an increase in the number of farmers enrolled. Once the premiums are collected, a threshold limit is ascribed for the maximum claim in the event of a crop loss. In other words, if the threshold limit is low, the claim a farmer makes would get him a fraction of the loss he incurs. To illustrate, let’s look at an example from Bundli district in Rajasthan. A study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had shown that for soybean crop farmers were insured for a maximum of ₹16,539 per hectare against a maximum output value of ₹50,000. Similarly for paddy, the maximum a farmer could be compensated for was ₹17,096 whereas the output value stood at ₹65,000. This is also linked to the process of auction that is adopted while estimating the losses to be insured. Companies first give their preference of the regions where they want to operate, and then an open bidding is held. As a result of selective bidding, the gross premium swells. Such a flawed system of estimating premium amounts does not operate anywhere in the world. I have never understood the rationale of treating village or village panchayat as a unit of insurance. Why can’t the compensation be paid treating the farm as a unit? Of course, the insurance companies would not like to undertake this arduous exercise, but at a time when remote sensing and drone technology are available, there is no reason why the insurance companies should not be directed to treat an individual farm as the base for insurance claims. Further, since 24 crop-cutting experiments are mandated for each district, four for major crops and eight for other crops, a total of 4 million crop-cutting experiments are required to be held every year. This could have been a huge employment generation opportunity if the government had insisted that the companies create its own workforce rather than allowing outsourcing of its agricultural officials for the purpose. But then, who wouldn’t like making profits without making adequate investments. Source - https://www.livemint.com

17.01.2019

Australia - Extreme temperatures burn stone fruit from inside out

Extreme heat in South Australia is leading to heavy losses for stone fruit growers. Dried Tree Fruits Australia chairman Kris Werner, who grows stone fruit at his property in Waikerie, between Adelaide and Mildura, said many growers were losing their fruit to 'stone burn' due to the heat. "The stone burns them, which means they burn on the inside, they become squashy and you can't use them," Mr Werner said. The extreme heat has cost Renmark stone fruit grower and packer Dino Cerrachi up to 30 per cent of some stone fruit varieties this season. Cerrachi says the extreme heat and direct sunlight cooks the fruit and makes it go ‘jammy’: "It's extremely hot and we are expecting 46o, possibly 47o [Celsius].” Riverland stone fruit grower Dino Cerrachi says they expect to see crop losses of 25 to 30 per cent for some of their varieties due to the extreme heat. He added that he is racing against the clock, trying to get as much fruit off the trees as possible, before the extreme heat hits throughout the day. "We are harvesting peaches and nectarines, both white and yellow, and we only have from daybreak until about 10.30-11 o'clock to pick all of that fruit and five varieties," he told. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

17.01.2019

Spain - The first frosts cause more than €3.7 million in losses for Murcia's crops

The first frosts of winter affected a total of 6,548 hectares and caused damage worth more than 3.7 million euros, stated the Minister of Agriculture, Miguel Angel del Amor. The economic damage amounted to more than 3,760,000 euros, which is a very high figure for the first wave of cold, according to the minister. The most affected municipalities were Lorca, with 3,800 hectares affected and damages for 1.2 million; it was followed by Totana with more than 1,100 hectares affected, Fuente Alamo with 560 hectares, and Alhama with 498 hectares affected. There were also some damages in the municipality of Yecla. The most affected crops were green beans, artichokes, lettuce, and some early fruits, he stated. Del Amor said that the Ministry damages in 350 hectares on the first day, 3,000 on the second day, and damages in 6,500 hectares on the third day, but that there were municipalities that hadn't been affected by this first frost, such as the area of Campo de Cartagena or San Pedro del Pinatar. Finally, he said that the county offices had previously informed farmers what they could do before and during frost to minimize damages, adding that the best tool to weather this type of incident was having an agricultural insurance. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

17.01.2019

Philippines - Farmers are bracing for El Niño

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) has stated that Visayas -one of the three principal geographical divisions of the nation- will experience a dry season in the first quarter of the year. Therefore, the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) urged farmers to shift to high-value crops in preparation for the El Niño phenomenon. Instead of planting rice, Iloilo provincial agriculturist Ildefonso Toledo advised the farmers to grow “alternative crops” that will not demand too much water. Although the province experiences light rains brought by the Low Pressure Area (LPA), Toledo said the amount of rainfall is still insufficient to support rice cropping. Bulb onions, garlic and sweet potato are some of the high-value crops the farmers should consider growing. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

17.01.2019

USA - Alpaca farmer says dog attacks happen regularly on her farm

Meghan Arriola has had an East El Paso farm in her family for generations. During that time, one situation has happened a lot more than she’d like to see. “Out here on the farm we do experience dog attacks,” Arriola said. She told she understands how the owners of Licon Dairy feel after two dogs slaughtered 10 of their animals. “It’s just so upsetting and heartbreaking seeing someone’s dogs here killing your animals,” Arriola said. “You feel the loss. You feel the pain. These animals die very horrific ways.” She says a pack of dogs came into her farm and killed an alpaca and five or six chickens on Dec. 13, 2018. There is one method she swears by to prevent more of the alpaca from being killed. “In fact, I have two llamas that protected a herd of female alpacas from being killed that night,” Arriola said. “They protected them. They moved them away from the area where this attack was happening. It’s hard to be everywhere when you’re on a farm so you need as much help as you can get.” Those llamas are considered livestock guardians. Arriola said animals like dogs, llamas and donkeys can be bred and taught to protect livestock on a farm. One of her other livestock guardians, a Great Pyrenees, was killed during the attack. These guardians are helpful. But there’s no surefire guarantee for any livestock’s safety, according to Arriola. “My animals are locked up at night in dog-proof pens. But it’s hard to say something is dog-proof,” Arriola said. “Because like Licon Dairy, you have all this fencing up and if you have a really big dog that wants to get in they will.” The city of El Paso’s Animal Services told KFOX14 that it does remind people to secure their pets properly. If an animal is found unsecured on another person’s property or in a neighborhood, it can result in a class C misdemeanor and a fine of up to $2,000. Source - https://kfoxtv.com

17.01.2019

Africa - Pest threatens citrus industry

According to recent research, East Africa could be facing the threat of a citrus fruit sap-sucking pest with the potential to collapse its entire regional fruit industry. The pest is called the Asian citrus psyllid and it transmits the bacterium that causes citrus greening disease, which deforms fruits and reduces their commercial value enormously. According to the FAO, the disease - which causes crop losses of up to 100 per cent - is the most devastating citrus disease globally because of how fast it spreads, the difficulty of diagnosing it and the damage it causes. Smallholders are the hardest hit because they lack the capital to manage the disease, the FAO adds. Sunday Ekesi, director of research and partnerships at the Kenya-headquartered International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, also called 'icipe': "The icipe is working closely with relevant regulatory authorities and providing them with methods, tools and technologies such as traps, attractants, sampling design and methods to monitor and detect the pest early to guide intervention and minimise spread.” "We are advocating efforts to keep the pest out of a geographical area that it has not invaded… and implementing intense management measures to keep the insect population low and curtail spread." In a recent interview, Ekesi said that in East Africa the pest which was first detected in Ethiopia in 2010. But scientists also detected the pest in Tanzania and Kenya in 2015 and 2016 respectively. "The Asian citrus psyllid can survive in both high and low climate areas because it can tolerate temperatures up to 30oCelsius as opposed to the African psyllid that is sensitive to heat and can only develop at temperatures between 22 to 25oCelsius," explains Ekesi. If the matter is not looked into, then within five years we are going to have an epidemic of the Asian citrus psyllid across Africa. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

16.01.2019

Cambodia - Farmers urged to get crop insurance

The German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) held a workshop last week to raise farmers’ awareness of the importance of insuring crops, as the Kingdom’s journey to implement a full crop insurance policy to help rice farmers at risk of losing crops drags on. GIZ Country Director Günter Riethmacher said crop insurance is a shelter for farmers, mitigating the risk of having their fields destroyed by flooding and drought. “With this security, farmers can recover quickly and are able to continue production [after their crops are destroyed], concentrate more on quality of production, invest in agricultural land and thus increase productivity,” he said, adding that policies can be obtained through the government or private insurance companies. He said GIZ, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, have come to realise that there many challenges that need to be solved. As reported in a previous report, flooding cost Cambodia some $356 million in 2013. In the second half of 2015, the Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC) implemented a two-year pilot project, the Cambodia Micro Agriculture Insurance Scheme (CAMAIS), aiming to support local smallholder farmers by providing insurance payouts to those affected by severe weather-related events. Say Sopheatra, a former CAMAIS project manager, said the scheme needs more funding, while farmers’ understanding of crop insurance remains limited and more time is required to build up awareness. “We have no more funds to continue. Operation costs are higher and the sector needs at least five years’ investment." “Seventy per cent of farmers have expressed their willingness to join the project,” she said. Rice farmers who join the micro-insurance scheme pay a premium at the start of the growing season based on the size of their farm, type of crop grown and technical tools used. In return, they receive consultation on farming techniques and an insurance payout if their crop is damaged by flood or drought. During the project’s two-year operation, 48 farmers out of a total 157 members made claims. The scheme was launched with $96,000 of funding from the Netherlands-based Achmea Foundation and was implemented in nine districts across Kampong Chhnang, Takeo and Kampong Speu provinces. Youk Chamroeunrith, managing director of Forte Insurance (Cambodia) Plc, which has been running a pilot project on crop insurance since 2015, said that while the scheme is important for agriculture, challenges remain. “While we have already researched and enacted the crop insurance pilot project, the results so far are a bit slow and success is hard to come by." “There is a lack of awareness of crop insurance among stakeholders and farmers, as well as a lack of support from the government,” he said. Since 2015, Chamroeunrith said, Forte’s crop insurance pilot scheme, which focused on paddy rice production, has benefited 200 households in Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Thom, Pursat and Siem Reap provinces. The company is yet to make a profit from the project, having collected $5,200 in premiums per season but paying out approximately $7,000, he said. Chamroeunrith said that for crop insurance to be a success, the sector needs to be subsidised by the government. “It still needs time to implement crop insurance successfully. We need to build the framework, study costs and comply with government policy and law. We need at least 3 to 5 years more to promote awareness of crop insurance." “Promotion from traders and inclusion of crop insurance into contract farming schemes will [help],” he said. Agriculture ministry secretary of state Mam Amnot said crop insurance is already part of government policy to promote the agriculture sector. However, he says the policy needs time. “The government intends to make crop insurance happen. We need to study the framework. The first step is to establish the challenges and build farmers’ trust,” he said. Source - https://www.phnompenhpost.com