Agroinsurance

India - Why livestock insurance is yet to take off

One of the great success stories of rural India is its dairy sector. This is where resource-poor, small and marginal farmers, as well as landless labourers, have contributed to make the country the largest milk producer in the world. In 2017-18, India produced 176.35 million tonnes of milk. The value of milk in money terms now exceeds the value of wheat and rice taken together. While the Narendra Modi government’s crop insurance scheme has received a lot of attention, the risk coverage of milch animals continues to be largely ignored. This even though their owners suffer as much loss in a calamity like a flood or drought as farmers suffer due to loss of crop. In Kerala alone, 75,857 cattle are reported to have died due to floods and landslides in August 2018. Under State Disaster Relief Fund guidelines, the assistance of Rs 30,000 is provided for replacement of a cow, buffalo or camel and Rs 3000 for a sheep, goat or pig. The actual cost of replacement of milch animals is 2-3 times this amount. Insurance companies have been operating schemes for providing cover to indigenous, exotic or cross-bred milch cows or buffaloes, calves/heifers, stud bulls, bullocks (castrated bulls) and castrated male buffaloes. The sum insured under the policy is the market value of the animal. The basic premium rate per annum is up to 4% of the sum insured. The insurance policy provides coverage for death due to: Accident (Inclusive of fire, lightning, flood, inundation, storm, hurricane, earthquake, cyclone, tornado, tempest and famine) Diseases contracted or occurring during the period of this policy Surgeries Riot and strike Since May 2014, the Centre has been implementing risk management and insurance scheme in all the districts of India for all animals including non-milch ones. Under this scheme, 50% subsidy is provided on insurance premium – but it is restricted to five animals per beneficiary per household for all animals except sheep, goat, pig and rabbit. In the case of these four, a subsidy is available for 50 animals. The proposal for insurance is to be accompanied by a health certificate from a veterinarian giving age, identification marks, health status and market value of the animal. At the time of claim, most companies require a death certificate from a qualified veterinarian, post-mortem examination report and radio-frequency identification chip, which is inserted in the front left leg at the time of insuring the animal. Despite attractive terms, the insurance scheme for animals has not taken off. As per the reply given in Lok Sabha on March 13, 2018, in 2014-15, 14.80 lakh animals were insured. The number came down to 7.65 lakh in 2015-16 and 7.44 lakh in 2016-17. While 2.97 lakh animals were insured in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu insured 2.02 lakh animals. Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, which have witnessed most cases of cow-related violence in the last four years, did not insure a single animal. As per Census 2012, there were 122.9 million cows and 92.5 million female buffaloes in the country. While we do not have the break-up of animals insured for each species, we can assume that most of the insured animals would be cows or buffaloes. It is clear that the number is less than miniscule. Table 1: India is no country for animals Number of animals insured S/N State 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 1 Andhra Pradesh 102,876 891 2 Arunachal Pradesh 2,650 3 Assam 97,500 4 Chhattisgarh 3,663 846 5 Gujarat 0 6 Himachal Pradesh 7 Karnataka 540,000 92,166 8 Kerala – 9 Madhya Pradesh 481,826 37,486 59,113 10 Maharashtra 90,913 19,211 297,860 11 Odisha 60,000 – – 12 Punjab 50,000 13 Rajasthan 0 26,074 14 Sikkim – 15 Tamil Nadu 509,000 32,007 202,376 16 Telangana – 17 Uttarakhand 30,287 24,682 18 Uttar Pradesh 19 West Bengal 186,360 40,546 20 Puducherry 2,500 – Total 1,480,749 765,530 744,554 (Source: Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2827 answered on March 13, 2018) In case of crop insurance under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, one of the criticisms is that the scheme is compulsory for loanee farmers (for crops notified by a state government) and banks deduct the premium from the farmers’ Kisan Credit Card account. On the other hand, the animal insurance scheme is optional and that is the foremost reason for its failure. Banks are not involved in livestock insurance and due to a lack of awareness and the procedure required to purchase insurance, few farmers bother to insure their animals. For an insurance scheme to succeed, large numbers of buyers of insurance product are needed, who then support the few whose claims become payable. This keeps the premiums low for everyone. Unlike crop insurance, the individual assessment of loss is required in livestock insurance. Insurance companies must be finding it highly expensive to reach out to a large number of small and marginal farmers who rear a few animals. If the crop insurance scheme is also made optional and each farmer is asked to purchase insurance, it will possibly meet a similar fate as livestock insurance. The number of farmers may drastically go down and the actuarial premiums may actually go up substantially from current levels. Even in the case of tractors and motorcycles, it seems that few owners bother to renew even third-party insurance after the first year (Insurance in the first year is compulsory for registration and banks also insist on this while sanctioning loan). So, in order to provide risk coverage to farmers rearing animals, especially in flood-prone states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Bihar and east Uttar Pradesh, the coverage of livestock needs to be substantially expanded. Animal husbandry provides supplementary income to small and marginal farmers and it employs women in large numbers. Providing insurance coverage can protect them from losses in calamities. State governments and insurance companies need to do much more to popularise animal insurance products. If the flood-hit farmers of Kerala had taken animal insurance, they would have been able to minimise their losses. While livestock insurance stagnates, it is possible that as a farmer-friendly measure in the run-up to parliament election, the government may ask farmers just to pay a token amount of Rs 1 per acre for crop insurance. A similar push for livestock insurance may also be in order. Source - https://thewire.in

Rwanda - Will agriculture insurance unlock sector potential?

When floods hit the country last year, CORIMARU, cooperative of farmers growing rice in Rurambi Marshland in Bugesera District, sulfered significant losses. At least 9,412 hectares of crops were reported destroyed while 797 deaths of livestock were recorded due to flooding and landslides last year and over 5,111 hectares of crops were destroyed and 589 livestock killed in the previous year. In 2018, heavy rains inundated 558 hectares of rice plantations owned by CORIMARU cooperative with 1,801 members according to the cooperative President, Athanase Murenzi. Prior to the incident, the farmers had acquired loans worth about Rwf173M from banks and Rwf50M worth of credit from Mayange Rice, a rice processing factory in Mayange Sector in Bugesera district. In readiness for the planting season, the cooperative had also withdrawn Rwf105M from its coffers to help farmers buy fertilizers, seeds and pesticides to improve yields whereby they were expecting to harvest at least 3,000 tonnes of rice. However, their expectations were not met as they ended up incurring a losses estimated at over Rwf900 million due to the incidences. Murenzi told Business Timesthat after their rice plantation was affected they are yet to get solutions in terms of measures to curb flooding as well as build confidence among farmers. “We are about to harvest but floods had destroyed the feeder roads towards our farms and they are yet to be rehabilitated for us to transport our produce to market. We are also afraid that disasters might destroy our farmers’ produce again. 200 hectares of 600 hectares is yet to be drained,” he added. Emmanuel Ndayisaba, a farmer from Gisagara District said that their marshland was inundated by soil erosion which led them to losses. Besides effects of disasters and landslides on crops and livestock, other farmers are also affected by drought. During Agricultural Season A that started in September 2018, Ibyizabirimbere Cooperative from Kirehe District planted maize on 425 hectares but since only 112 hectares were irrigated. Unforeseen prolonged drought affected the unirrigated section according to the Evariste Tugirinshuti the President of the cooperative. The issue has been rampant for many years. In 2015; the first ever prolonged drought led 28,000 households to face hunger while 62,000 metric tonnes and 157,700 metric tonnes were respectively lost in Season A and B, records show. Faustin Uwajyiwabo, another farmer from Southern Province, said: “we wish that insurance is fast-tracked so that we can be aware of application procedures and work with fellow farmers to seek insurance. As we start to plant rice for another season, we would like more insights into agriculture insurance schemes.” Due to the unpredictability of returns from investments and high risk factors, farmers continue to face challenges accessing loans from banks, further necessitating introduction of crop insurance. Pacifique Muzima, in charge of Agriculture Finance at Urwego Bank, told Business Timesthat the agriculture sector is faced by multiple challenges which make it hard to provide loans to farmers. “Poor management of farmers cooperatives, lack of market by farmers’ cooperative, expectation of low production per ha and lack of insurance of crops discourages us from providing loans to farmers. We need to collaborate so that such challenges are addressed making it possible to provide finance to farmers,” he said According to National Cooperatives Confederation, one of the solutions to such woes is scaling up agriculture and livestock insurance scheme to farmers. Farmers’ woes have pushed government in this fiscal year to start a pilot phase for insuring their crops and livestock. The insurance scheme was recently approved by the cabinet. Laetitia Mahoro, the Agriculture Insurance specialist at the Ministry of Agriculture, said that this year the insurance is being piloted in insuring maize, rice and livestock. “We have started in the districts of Bugesera, Nyagatare, Gatsibo, Kirehe and Gisagara and others by insuring rice, maize and livestock. Government will pay 40 per cent of the insurance cost for those selected. The crop insurance is vital because we want that financial institutions to be open to agriculture sector and give loans to farmers,” she said. Livestock insurance is to be piloted in Nyanza, Gicumbi, Musanze, Rwamagana, Gatsibo, Ruhango, Nyagatare and Burera districts. A seven-year government programme (2017-2024) aims at increasing agriculture and livestock insurance as well as increasing agricultural loans from 5.2 per cent to 10.4 per cent by 2024. “Insurance companies have to sign agreements with banks because insurance firms will intervene in helping farmers to pay back loans to banks if they face losses due to various disasters. To insure crops, we have to mainly work with farmers’ cooperatives or big farmers with consolidated land, after a pilot phase, the scheme will be scaled up next fiscal year,” she said. Source - https://allafrica.com

Algeria - Thousands of sheep killed by disease

Since October 2018, this epidemic of ovine rinderpest has spread across 13 regional departments in Algeria, including El Bayadh, Tébessa, Béjaïa, Laghouat and Djelfa. Ovine rinderpest is a highly infectious disease that mainly affects sheep and goats. The disease is spread by close contact between animals. It is an airborne disease, so it can be transmitted by small respiratory droplets released when an infected animal coughs or sneezes. The disease is not dangerous to people. In 2008, several different cases were identified in Morocco. In August 2012, another small outbreak was reported in Tunisia. This is the first time, however, that this disease has been recorded in Algeria. On January 3, our Observer Noureddine Ben Cheikh went to the home of a livestock farmer, who had lost part of his flock in the region of El Abiodh Sidi Cheikh, in the steppes in western Algeria. This livestock farmer has lost 300 sheep since the epidemic started, a loss which totalled 4,500,000 dinars [equivalent to more than €33,000]. He told our Observer that he was angry at the government’s failure to respond to this crisis. Our Observer Noureddine Ben Cheikh filmed this video. Here is a transcription of what the livestock farmer said: “It’s a catastrophe. We’ve received no support from the government; the authorities are absent. We went to the department of agriculture [in the region, or wilaya, of El Bayadh], but they didn’t help us. I am going to burn the [dead] sheep so that this epidemic doesn’t spread throughout my flock.” This livestock farmer burned his dead sheep to reduce the risk of the disease spreading (as shown in the video below). "The epidemic has mostly spread in the Hautes Plaines region” Noureddine Ben Cheikh has spoken to many livestock farmers in the affected region. For the past few months, ovine rinderpest has killed thousands of sheep and the livestock farmers feel as if they have been abandoned to their fate. The epidemic has especially spread in the Hautes Plaines region. I’ve been speaking to several livestock farmers, who say that they haven’t received the vaccinations that are normally delivered by vaccination centres run by the Ministry of Agriculture. Where are these vaccines? "One vet for 500,000 sheep" Larbi Tahar, a farmer in the El Abiodh Sidi Cheikh region, was more lucky. For the time being, none of his sheep have succumbed to the disease – he believes this is because he was able to isolate his flock in an enclosure. He says that farmers in his region have not had enough support in dealing with this devastating epidemic. To keep my sheep from mixing with those belonging to other farmers, I keep them in their own enclosure. I also avoid bringing them to the pastures because I don’t want them to come into contact with other farmers' sheep. I went to the veterinary centre run by the Ministry of Agriculture a few days ago and they told me that there were no available vaccines. In our region, there is only one veterinarian for an estimated 500,000 sheep. And he doesn’t even have a car. In the region of Chréa, which is about 60 kilometres south of Algiers, a group of livestock farmers blocked a road with the bodies of dead sheep to protest the government’s failure to develop an emergency plan to contain this disease. WARNING: These videos contain images that some people may find upsetting. The top video shows the roadblock started by angry farmers. The second video shows livestock farmers burying the sheep killed by this epidemic. The authorities maintain that they have taken measures against the ovine rinderpest epidemic. The Ministry of Agriculture announced that about 3,000 sheep had died of the disease. In late December 2018, the Ministry announced that they had allocated 400 million Algerian dinars (around €3 million) to buy vaccines. On January 9, however, many livestock farmers, including those in El Abiodh Sidi Cheikh, had still not received the vaccinations, according to Observer Ben Cheikh. The Ministry of Agriculture announced that weekly markets would be closed until January 25. Unlike the authorities, a veterinarians' union does not think the situation is under control. “The authorities need to distribute 25 million vaccines in the next 15 days, otherwise eight million more sheep will die,” said the organisation’s spokesperson, Najib Dahmane, in a press statement. Source - https://observers.france24.com

Italy and Spain: Leaf lettuce partially damaged or destroyed

The weather conditions in the formerly "safe" growing areas of Italy and Spain are becoming increasingly extreme. Italy is struggling with considerable snowfall, parts of Spain have to deal with frost. Even if it only turns out to be a short period of frost or snow, the consequences are already noticeable within wholesale. Regarding the current harvest, there are quality and yield losses, especially for the vulnerable leafy lettuces. Growers and retailers are worrying about the remainder of the harvest. Current and upcoming harvests In some places, many lettuces froze in the Spanish and northern Italian fields. The fact is that many have to be cleared and thrown away. The lettuces are also much smaller than usual, confirms Enrico Savarese, from Stuttgart company Staiger GmbH. "In the case of the regrowing varieties, there is the additional problem that the whole plants are destroyed, which is why there is no growth anymore. This means that at these temperatures, there will hardly be any lettuces in about 3-4 weeks. So it's not just about the end product that freezes, but subsequent products are destroyed as well." According to Savarese, it will not come to a total crop failure, because growers can fall back on tunnel-grown goods. "But those take significantly more labor than open field vegetables, which is why they will come at higher prices. That's inevitably the consequence." Further losses and imported vegetables In Spain, iceberg lettuces is affected in particular, in Italy it is mainly the colorful lettuces (Lolo Rosso & Bionda). Classic winter lettuces such as endives and radicchio, on the other hand, are holding up somewhat better. But there will also be losses in this area if the weather stays the same. The same applies to vegetables such as eggplants, peppers and tomatoes. In some cases, however, alternative sources like Morocco and greenhouse products from the Netherlands and Belgium could be used to fill the gaps. "Last year, Spanish zucchini, for example, also saw a short supply and extreme price increases," recalls Savarese. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

South Africa - Country might have to import maize if drought continues

South Africa could be forced to import maize at exorbitant prices if drought continues to ravage two of the country’s best-producing regions. There are also fears that this could lead to food (price) inflation and that the country’s economic growth could be negatively affected as a result. Maize production was at a critical level in the maize-producing provinces of North West and Free State, with virtually no crop planted and the optimum planting date having passed. The two regions produce about 72 percent of the total white maize harvest in the country, according to agricultural economist Fanie Brink. However, he said there was no indication of the number of hectares already planted or that could still be planted. “This means that maize will have to be imported at much higher import parity prices, which will mainly be determined by the changes in international maize prices and the exchange rate,” said Brink. “As a result, these conditions may have a very negative impact on the economic growth rate for the second and third quarters in 2019 compared with the same quarters last year, as well as the inflation rate.” He said the average crop yield for this season could be lower than three tons per hectare. Brink said if 2 million hectares would be planted this season, that would mean a total crop of only 6 million tons, but if only 1.5 million ha would be planted, the total crop could be as low as 4.5 million tons. “According to these scenarios, the estimated 3.3 million tons of maize carryover stocks in the country for the new marketing year starting May 1, 2019, will not be enough for the country’s total demand of between 10 and 11 million tons and (of) our neighbouring countries Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho.” AgriSA deputy executive director Christo van der Rheede said the lobby group was quite concerned about the development. “Many of the farmers had a terrible drought in 2015 and 2016. They are still recovering from that drought. On top of that the maize price declined due to an oversupply in the US,” he said. “Farmers struggled with a lot of debt, due to the low price of maize. This year they are again faced with drought. We suspect many farmers will not be able to sustain themselves and we are very concerned about that.” Van der Rheede said AgriSA would call on the government and the banks to assist farmers where they can. “They must not be too harsh on them if they cannot pay their debt, because they use debt as an instrument to produce food for the country. The government must perhaps assist with a subsidy.” African Farmers Association of South Africa president Dr Vuyo Mahlati said this was a big issue for small-scale and emerging farmers. She said they had devised a three-pronged approach to address the issue – nudging the government to act; introducing the concept of crop insurance and embracing proactive approaches to climate change. “In the beginning we were shocked, but now it’s become very clear that climate change is a reality. Small-scale farmers and emerging farmers are struggling already,” said Mahlati. Absa Agribusiness senior agricultural economist Wessel Lemmer said if farmers could plant about 1.3 million ha, like they did in the 2015/16 season, and achieve crop yield of 4 tons per ha, the country may have to import 2 million tons of maize. Source - https://www.iafrica.com

USA - Local algae farmers impacted by farm bill

The farm bill signed into law by President Trump will impact agriculture in the Permian Basin, notably in algae production. The 800-page law passed on December 24th sets the country’s farm policy through 2023. Qualitas 60-acre algae farm is located in the town of Imperial in Pecos County, 30 miles outside of Fort Stockton. The farm has been testing and producing algae since 2013, according to the farm’s Director of Algae Production, Bart Reid. “Now the Farm Bill has moved along algae to be a legit and recognized form of agriculture and put right in the wheelhouse of the USDA [United States Department of Agriculture],” he said, Reid used to raise shrimp on the farm, but now grows Nannochloropsis algae, primarily for its Omega-3. Reid said West Texas has the perfect storm of natural and man-made amenities for farming algae. “West Texas is actually perfect for this, in that we have we’re desert semi-arid climate here 300 or so days of sunlight every year and inexpensive land. Thanks to the oilfield, we have the infrastructure, the electrical grid system, good roads, natural gas and then we have lots of brackish water in this part of West Texas. Lots of salty water, which is perfect. And the land would be useful for nothing else,” he said. The algae expert said West Texas sunshine, climate and abundance of salty water allows the plant to flourish. And thanks to the farm bill, Qualitas’ business can too. The farm produces 50 dried tons of Omega-3 a year, just a small fraction of its production capability, according to Reid. “If a guy takes his life savings and starts a farm. He has insurance in most agriculture to protect his investment if there’s a hail or terrible early freeze, if there’s some natural disaster. We never had access to anything like that, now we can develop a program,” he said. The Farm Bill paves the way for Federal Crop Insurance for algae farmers. It also opens pipes to research, creating a USDA algae research program to help with production. “Texas A&M has a giant experimental farm system that they can use for all kinds of crops that can be used now for algae. Then they can do the work that we, as a private company, can’t afford. Then the results of that we can use to improve our business directly to improve our crop,” he said. West Texas farmers can get a helping hand from a Biomass Crop Assistance Program, which allows farmers to receive financial and other help. “Your extension agent will have access to research and help an algae farm just like he goes to help an algae farm,” he said. And through the farm bill, algae farms can be started through a Biorefinery Loan Guarantee program. “We basically get to play in the same stadium as all the other agriculture,” he said. And Reid said the future for algae farmers is bright. “I think in five to 10 years, your life will have algae in it, one way or another. Either through the clothes you’re wearing, the food you eat,” he said. Algae farmers will see other benefits from the Farm Bill in the future. The Algae Biomass Organization posting the following major benefits on its website. • Crop Insurance– Algae are explicitly added under the definition of “agricultural commodity” for the purposes of federal crop insurance programs, paving the way for federal crop insurance for algae production • Algae Agriculture Research Program– Establishes a new USDA Algae Agriculture Research Program to address challenges in farm-scale algae. production and support development of algae-based agriculture solutions • Biomass Crop Assistance Program– Provides for the first time full eligibility to algae under the Biomass Crop Assistance Program. BCAP provides financial support to farmers for establishment, production and delivery of new biomass crops. • Biobased Markets Program (BioPreferred)– Directs USDA to establish methodology providing full credit for biobased content for products from biologically recycled carbon. Current USDA methodology excludes biobased products from recycled carbon. • Biorefinery Assistance (9003 Loan Guarantee) Program – Expands the section 9003 loan guarantee program to allow algae-based and other biorefinery projects for the manufacture of renewable chemicals and biobased products to qualify regardless of whether biofuels will be produced. • Carbon Capture and Use – Adds several provisions expanding CCU research, education and outreach at the Department of Agriculture. Source - https://www.cbs7.com

Spain - Murcia using thermal blankets to protect the crops

The frost alert raised in much of the region, with damages already caused to several crops, is keeping producers on their toes. Some of them have already decided to use thermal blankets on their plantations, especially in those with newly planted lettuce. The entry of a cold and dry mass of polar air will cause a sharp and widespread drop in temperatures, so frosts will be noticeable. The entire Region, with the exception of the coast, will suffer them at night between Thursday and Friday and between Friday and Saturday. The coldest day will be Friday and the coldest night will be that between Friday and Saturday, when the average temperature will drop as low as -6ºC. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

Bolivia - Almost 5,000 hectares of bananas affected by flooding

Nearly 5,000 hectares of bananas for export were affected by the overflow of the Sabala and Isarzama rivers in Puerto Villarroel. The water flooded the facilities of the Expoban packinghouse, causing the loss of 10,000 boxes of products that were ready to be exported to Argentina and Uruguay, reported Radio Fides. It is estimated that the economic losses are around 50 thousand dollars. The overflow of the rivers in this region also affected the Morales power plant, 1 de Mayo, Nueva Vida, and Nueva Luna, which have been isolated since yesterday. According to the report of the National Service of Hydrology and Meteorology (Senamhi) there might be more floods that could affect the populations of Puerto Villarroel, Puerto Grethel, Entre Rios, Bulo Bulo, Villa Tunari, Sinahota, Santa Rosa del Chapare, and Chimore among others, until January 11. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

Turkey - Heavy rains flooded the southern fields

The fields in the southern Turkish cities of Adana, Osmaniye and Hatay were flooded due to heavy rains in the eastern Mediterranean region. Ceyhan River in Adana flooded as a result of rains that lasted for at least a week and the fields were completely filled with water. After the rain, farmers in the neighborhoods of Misis and Esenler had to wade through the puddles trying to determine the cost of their damage. Mustafa Celik, representative of the Esenler neighborhood pointed out to the farmers' loss and said: "We will know about the actual damage once the water is drained away. Our farmers have a huge loss. There are 200 hectares of fields here and farmers grow citrus, lettuce, cauliflower among others. We have farmers who are insured and those who are not. Our farmers expect support form the government." It rained for 4 days in Osmaniye The fields of spinach and radish in Osmaniye's Kadirli district also flooded. Hanifi Ispir, head of the Kadirli Chamber of Agriculture said that that the heavy rains flooded rivers and irrigation channels. Ispir pointed out to the farmers' loss and the disruption of everyday life in town. "Heavy rainfall caused damage in spinach and radish fields. Now the fields look like lakes and the products are not visible. Our farmers are in a miserable situation. The overall damage needs to be assessed as soon as possible." said Ispir. Rainfall also hit Hatay The fields located in the Amik Valley were flooded after the heavy rains. Besides the crops, seasonal farmers' personal goods were also damaged by the flood. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

India - Farmers to get insurance for crop damage by animals

Farmers in two districts, to begin with, would have some respite from the crop damage and loss of yield and production with wild boars and monkeys attack from the next kharif season as the risk is set to be covered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). Although crop damage and production loss of food crops including cereals, millets, pulses and oilseeds as also horticulture crops due to wild boars, monkeys, peacocks, antelopes (deer), rabbits and rodents has become rampant in several pockets of the State in the recent years, the Centre has allowed the State Government to provide add-on risk covered due to two wild animals attack which is perceived to be substantial and identifiable. Notification “For Telangana, the additional risk cover under PMFBY would be from wild boar and monkey attacks. As it is done on pilot basis from the next kharif, two most vulnerable districts would be identified for risk cover after Sankranti and informed to the Ministry of Agriculture before issuance of notification for the next agriculture year 2019-20 that covers the next kharif and rabi seasons,” Agriculture Production Commissioner C. Parthasarathi said. The risk coverage would be on the same parameters as in case of regular crop insurance – the loss of yield against the notified indemnity level of the threshold yield. The indemnity level fixed for the State is 80% and the threshold yield is notified (calculated) based on the average yield of past seven years excluding a maximum of two calamity years as notified by the State Government. According to officials of the Agriculture Department, some farmers in the State have been suffering crop production loss ranging from 10% to 25% in most of the cases and much higher in some instances from wild animal attack. In the recent years, the menace of wild boars and monkeys before/during the harvesting stage has been high in crops such as maize and groundnut. Explaining the impact of wild animal attack on crops causing huge income loss to farmers, Mr. Parthasarathi said: “When I was District Collector of combined Karimnagar in the past, people at a village in Manakondur mandal requested the administration to help them deal with the monkey menace on maize crop, when they were asked about problems”. Alternative crops There were some pockets where the farmers were forced change the cropping patterns by giving up cultivation of crops like groundnut and maize attacked/damaged by wild animals frequently and going for alternative crops, Mr. Parthasarathi explained. The risk cover for wild animal attack on crops would insure the farmers against income loss, save costs for measures such as electric-fencing for the standing crop and prevents accidents of electrocution due to such fencing, agriculture officials said. Source - https://www.thehindu.com

Brazil - Dry weather casts doubt over soybean export potential

Recent dry weather conditions in several soybean planting areas in Brazil may cut volumes available for export in 2019, national grains exporters association ANEC said. “We already know the trend for the crop is lower than last season. Our export estimates can be revised down due to weather issues,” ANEC general manager Sergio Mendes said in an emailed statement. He said the ANEC projection currently remains at 73 million mt for 2019, unchanged from December and down from the record 83.6 million mt seen in 2018. Mendes added that data shows crop losses are expected in western Parana, southern Mato Grosso do Sul and some other areas in Brazil Center-West. Brazil, the world’s largest soybean exporter, started planting its 2018-19 crop at a breakneck pace in September and October. Dry weather, mostly in December, during a crucial development phase for the plants, raised questions about whether Brazil would fulfill its potential harvest of 120 million mt, as projected in December by the national crop agency Conab. Sources told S&P Global Platts that harvest is already in its initial stages in Mato Grosso, Brazil’s largest grains-producing state, but added that it is too early to evaluate any loss. No official data is available yet for Mato Grosso. In Parana state, the second-largest soybean producer in the country, state agriculture agency Deral said Wednesday that 5% of the area planted with soybeans has already been harvested, up from zero harvest at the same stage last year. Following the New Year holiday, a round of fresh crop estimates is expected to be released soon, including from Conab and private analyst Agroconsult on Thursday. Analyst AgRural will publish an updated estimate later on Wednesday. It is expected that weather-related losses could be incorporated in these new reports. ANEC said the US-China trade war, which increased demand for Brazilian soybeans in 2018, casts uncertainty over 2019 exports. “Despite the fact that Brazil benefited [from the trade war] with an extra volume of 10 million mt of soybeans imported by China, the unpredictability of the market in 2019 is not desirable for our industry,” said Mendes about the ongoing US-China negotiations, which could boost soybean exports from the US to China and cut demand from Brazil. “We already have to handle so many variables, like weather, currency fluctuations and internal logistics issues,” he said. To highlight the relevance of China for Brazilian agriculture, ANEC said 97% of the soybeans exported by Brazil in November were bound for China. CORN ANEC said it expects 2019 corn exports to total 31 million mt, unchanged from December and up from 23.56 million mt in 2018. Brazil plants two corn crops every year, the first being concurrent with the soybeans summer crop and mostly used for domestic consumption. A second or winter corn crop called “safrinha” is mostly destined for the export market. So far, the outlook for the second corn crop remains positive, as it will be planted in coming weeks, according to analysts. Source - https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com

China - Xinjiang reduces agricultural damage by modifying weather

Recently, north-west China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has adopted weather modification practices to protect its vast farmland from natural disasters - mainly hailstorms and drought. These weather modification practices helped reduce 70 percent of hail damage every year in the region, usually by firing silver iodine-packed shells into the sky to disrupt unfavorable weather fronts with hail cannons, officials said at a conference on Xinjiang weather modification. It also increased 900 million to 1.2 billion m3 of precipitation in drought-hit areas annually, said Jin Lyusheng, director of the weather modification office of the regional government. Xinjiang has a specific climate and rugged topography with complicated natural disasters, especially hail. It damages farming, forestry and fruit growing, and husbandry in the region where agriculture is a major industry. Currently, the area benefiting from weather modification in Xinjiang has increased from 340,000 square km to 500,000 square km, and the arable land area protected by hail cannons and other cloud seeding facilities has increased to 20,000 square km, according to Jin. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

Canada - Farmers say they need compensation for livestock killed by dogs

It’s a policy that started in the 1970s as a way to compensate regional farmers when neighbourhood dogs killed their animals. But a bylaw amendment is up for review by the CRD to end that practice. As Mary Griffin reports, one local farmer says the policy is key to continuing a way of life. A pregnant ewe was enjoying her lunch of hay on Tuesday. But last year, her owners were not sure she’d survive after a dog attack. “This year, we’ve probably had five incidents with two groups of dogs, and lost in the neighbourhood of twenty sheep.” John and Lorraine Buchanan started Parry Bay Sheep Farm in Metchosin nearly 40 years ago. But every year, they lose sheep to cougars and bears. Those losses are covered by the province. The Capital Regional District (CRD) also pays them when dogs kill their sheep. But an amendment before the CRD could change that. “There was a proposal going to the board on Wednesday that compensation for dog kills of sheep, and goats, any farm animal, was going to be discontinued. And it could affect us. It could affect all farming,” John Buchanan said. The proposal would stop paying farmers 75 per cent of the value of the livestock killed by dogs. But Metchosin Mayor John Ranns said even though it’s not a lot of money, it could hurt farming in the region. “I’ve seen this happen here before where so many sheep have been killed that farmers have gotten out of the business, and that’s unfortunate,” Ranns said. CRD director Mike Hicks said the item is on the agenda for the board’s meeting Wednesday. “It’s an old policy, so I asked for it to be dissolved, so we wouldn’t be paying anymore. Since then, the story’s come out in the news, I’ve received a lot of knowledge from my constituents, and farmers, saying, you know they need the support,” Hicks said. After initially putting forward the proposal, CRD director Mike Hicks said he now supports Buchanan and other farmers. “John explained to me that bear and cougar attacks are covered by the province, but dogs are covered, currently, by the CRD. And he just says that he needs that support because multiple incidents, the insurance companies don’t look favourably at that, and it could affect his insurance. To the point, he couldn’t be a farmer,” Hicks said. Hicks says the item remains on the agenda for Wednesday’s CRD meeting, but not expected to pass. Source - https://www.cheknews.ca

UK - Warmer winters endangering blackcurrants

The ever increasing warmer winters may not provide sufficient chill hours for blackcurrants in the UK, delaying the start of the growing season and resulting in reduced yields and lower fruit quality, researchers have found. Like many fruit crops and woody plants, blackcurrants require a period of chilling before they start to grow in spring. This reduces the risk of frost damage to new buds and ensures that buds burst rapidly in the spring and flower together, when pollinators are abundant. Speaking at the British Ecological Society’s annual meeting in Birmingham, a research group based at the James Hutton Institute highlighted that milder winters may cause blackcurrant crops to flower later in the year, produce fewer fruit and, over repeated years, have a reduced plant lifespan. ‘Blackcurrants have particularly high chill requirements and so are already seeing the effects of milder winters’, said Dr Katharine Preedy from Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland. A key crop worth about £10m a year to the UK economy, blackcurrants are primarily processed as an ingredient and juice for major brands like Ribena – a brand valued at £140m. Understanding how different blackcurrant varieties may respond to climate change is critical to farmers. About 35% of the crop currently grown is known to require 1,800 hours of chilling below 7°C. But some varieties need far lower temperatures – and others can tolerate warmer temperatures as long as the chilling lasts longer. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

Spain - More than 300 hectares in Murcia affected by first frosts

The first frosts of the winter have taken a toll on crops in the Spanish county of Guadalentín. Products such as artichokes, lettuce and broccoli have been affected by the temperature drop, raising concerns amongst growers in the municipalities of Alhama de Murcia, Lorca, Totana and Librilla. The Councilor of Agriculture in Murcia, Miguel Ángel del Amor, has confirmed that the frost has hit some 300 hectares of vegetables, especially in the Lorca region. Del Amor also recalled that the temperature is expected to fall to about 4 degrees below zero in the night between Thursday and Friday, and that this "could have a big impact on horticultural crops." Fruit trees currently in the dormant stage are not expected to suffer damages, according to the Councilor. José Manuel Ruiz, representative of the agricultural organization Coag Alhama, said that in the case of artichokes, the frost will negatively affect about 20% of the harvest. Growers are said to have lost the production of the coming 15 days. In this region, lettuce has suffered damages in the first three layers, resulting in smaller sizes. The price has also dropped and currently stands at around 20 cents per piece. "The frozen parts are removed, so the product becomes smaller, which results in a lower price," says Coag. Ruiz stated that "the price of lettuce will continue to rise in the coming days, before there is more frost." Growers in Guadalentín are also concerned about the possible consequences of this cold wave for nectarines, paraguayos or peaches. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com