Agroinsurance

USA - Indoor farming is about producing an economic product by using technology

"The mistake many in our industry make is to attribute the success of indoor farming solely to LED. LED makes indoor farming viable. But if you want to make indoor farming scalable, you have to think in trends that are happening in robotics, automation, computer vision and machine learning." So says Irving Fain, CEO with Bowery Farming. Yesterday the company announced a $90 million funding round, led by GV (formerly Google Ventures). Additional investors in this round include Temasek (the global investment company headquartered in Singapore), Dara Khosrowshahi (CEO of Uber), David Barber’s fund Almanac, First Round Capital, GGV Capital and General Catalyst. What's their secret? “Bowery Farming isn’t just about focusing on growing indoors, it is also about producing an economical product by using technology.” Indoor farming Indoor Farming is a hot topic these days. With on one hand companies going through the roof and on the other hand companies having to give up their activities, there's obviously both opportunities as well as major challenges in the industry. "Overall it has been an exciting time for our industry of indoor farming. We work in ways that ten years ago weren’t possible," Irving Fain with Bowery Farming explains. The company opened up their first farm in 2017 in New York. "Indoor farming is not just putting up four walls. It is controlling the environment to provide the growing population in cities with fresh food.” To Bowery Farming, the line between techniques and producing food is a thin one. In totally controlled environments they are able to grow consistently, pesticide-free and year-round, regardless of the climate. “Given the level of control, we are not only growing twice as fast as the field, we are getting more yield of every crop cycle, as well as more crop cycles per year than the field does. We can grow a lot faster while saving over 95% of water.” Then there’s traceability, producing local and food safety – especially in these days an important reason to keep an eye out for indoor farms. Bowery’s farms are SQF certified, the highest level of food safety, and they implement stringent food safety policies so that retail partners and customers can be confident purchasing produce that has gone through the highest levels of food safety and quality testing. Want to take a peek into the farm? Bowery's head of R&D and BoweryOS, Henry Sztul, sat down with Fluence Bioengineering to share how they are able to cultivate food 365 days a year in a highly productive and efficient way. Software control One of the unique points of Bowery Farming specifically is their own software control system: BoweryOS. “We are not only a farm, but also a tech company. We’ve built a proprietary software system that uses automation, machine learning and vision systems and sensors to monitor our plants 24/7 and collect millions of data points. This allows us to constantly iterate on each varietal, tweak flavor profiles, provide each crop exactly what it needs to thrive, and harvest each crop at the exact right time. BoweryOS will also tell the farmer what to do, when and how, which means that we don’t necessarily need to hire experienced farmers.” According to Irving, the lack of need for skilled labour is one of the points that will assure Bowery Farming of a future not touched by the troubles many indoor farms are in. Viable indoor farming “We honor the innovation that’s been going on for decades in places like the Netherlands. The Dutch growers have been innovators in agriculture for a long time. With what we are building here, we take the knowledge of all those years and innovate on top of that,” says Irving. As an example, he recalls the developments in LED lighting, making indoor farming possible in a way that hasn’t been before. “Part of the indoor farming developments occurred thanks to LED. LEDS were expensive for a long time. In the last seven years they have dropped in cost by 85% and doubled in efficiency. And even more interesting: they are dropping again and will become twice as efficient as today,” he confirms. But if you want to make a solid business case, indoor farming has to be scalable. Therefore you have to think in trends that are happening in robotics, automation, computer vision and machine learning. These are the things that allow the economics of the business to change in various ways. Bowery Farming isn’t just about focusing on growing indoors, it is also about producing an economic product by using technology.” Proof of concept With the first Bowery farm, Irving has delivered his proof of concept in the last couple of years, both tech wise as in the market. The company supplies to a number of retail outlets like Whole Foods and has increased distribution with the opening of the new farm. “Together we’re expanding in the market: we deliver to a number of Whole Foods and Foragers in the area and continue to grow. We’ve also opened up some foodservice partnerships with Temple Court, sweetgreen and Dig Inn in the New York area.” According to Irving, the growth isn’t over. “Our biggest challenge is to get people to really believe in this industry and in the importance of what we’re doing.” This might be pretty easy with the current circumstances – the E.coli outbreak. But there’s more, Irving explains. “Thanks to our efficient use of supplies and nearby growing, we’re offering a product that’s premium in terms of quality, but pricewise equivalent to field produce.” Selling the system? Even though he’s currently occupied fully with the recent opening of their new farm, the eyes at Bowery are set on the horizon. “The opening of our second farm is just the beginning. The roadmap is enormous, we have plenty more opportunities. We have a lot of interest both from consumer and retailer. Although we focus on succeeding in the New York market, the growing popularity of people moving into cities is not only an issue in the US but everywhere. Ultimately I see Bowery Farming all around the world using our technology to provide fresh food to urban environments.” The recent $90 million funding is to contribute to this. Prior to this round, Bowery raised $27.5 million from investors. Bowery plans to use the capital to scale their operation in new cities across the country and open multiple farms by the end of 2019. This funding will also enable them to continue growing the team, investing in technology and innovation across the company. Does he consider expanding by selling their technique instead of opening up new farms on their own? For now the answer is no. “For now there is so much learning to be done. We fully focus on building and designing to put us in a better position.” He explains why that remains important. “We are a technology company, but our product is food.” It sounds simple, but to Irving it is important to not lose sight on that. “At the end of the day we are growing food for people. They bring it home to their families, are at the dinner table. That’s a topic we should never let out of sight. While we are developing all this great technology, the end result has to be good food.” Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

South Africa - Drier conditions spook maize traders

The spot price of white maize smashed through R3 000 a ton this week, up 51% from its mid-2017 harvest low. Similarly, yellow maize has touched R2 800 a ton, up from R1 850 in 2017. The prices are rising as the window for planting maize for South Africa’s 2019 season narrows in the absence of good rains in parts of Gauteng, the upper Free State and the North West province. Higher maize prices will directly affect input costs at companies like Pioneer Foods and Tiger Brands as well as chicken producers such as Quantum, Astral and Rainbow. “These prices reflect a significant increase,” says independent analyst Anthony Clark, who tracks the price of soft commodities closely. “It will be difficult for manufacturers and protein producers to recover these costs from the consumer.” Yellow maize is the biggest input cost for chicken producers like Astral and Quantum Foods, which purchase between 800 000 and one million tons of the grain a year. In its annual report released in mid-December Astral Foods chairman Theuns Eloff notes that between April/May 2018 and mid-September there was a steady decrease in commodity prices. However, this is changing and the short-term trend is up, he says. Global food prices on the up Global food prices, he adds, are projected to increase in 2018 by 2.3%, and by a further 1.7% in 2019. Astral, the country’s biggest producer of chicken products, has benefited from the positive growing and trading environment that continued from the second half of 2017 well into 2018. This was mainly driven by record maize crop conditions leading to significantly lower pricing levels. During 2016/2017, South Africa harvested a record maize crop of 16.8 million tons, followed by an above-average crop of 12.9 million tons in 2018. High stock levels of maize resulted in lower local maize prices in a global market characterised by an adequate supply of corn. Feed costs reduced markedly in the second half of Astral’s financial 2017 year, and remained low, assisting its earnings for the full year. “Feed cost remains the key driver of profitability, representing about 67% of the live cost of a broiler chicken,” says Eloff. Clark adds that weather disruptions add further risk to the maize forecast. In August the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration put the chances of El Niño – which makes conditions drier and hotter – during winter 2018/19 at 70%. US trade conflicts add risk A deepening of the trade conflict between the United States, the world’s largest food exporter, and several of its key trading partners adds to the risks. In a blog on his website agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo notes the growing concerns that the dry weather conditions in most parts of South Africa could lead to a lower maize harvest in the 2018/19 production season, and higher spot prices for maize and sunflowers in the interim. “October to February is the period, from planting to pollination, where the weather becomes an important factor in the South African grains and oilseeds market and, to some extent, one of the major driving forces of price. So, the current dry weather conditions in the central and western parts of South Africa are the primary reason for the recent sharp increases in maize and sunflower seed prices,” he says. Fortunately, the production expectations for the season have not been reduced to the acute levels seen in the 2015/16 drought periods where South African maize production amounted to 8.2 million tons — turning the country into a net importer of maize. Figures released by the US Department of Agriculture show that South Africa’s maize harvest could amount to 12 million tons, down 8% from November’s estimate and 11% from the 2017/18 production season. While the country still has a surplus of maize, this is being drawn down which could lead to a tight supply and demand position next year, says Clark. The situation remains fluid, however. Should good rains come between now and January, the situation will change completely, he adds. In the meantime, prices on the SA Futures Exchange (Safex) are indicating that traders are worried about next year. Source - https://www.moneyweb.co.za

Australia - Storm hits more than 600ha at Cunderdin

A storm early last week claimed more than 600 hectares of crop for the Jenzen family, North Cunderdin. A whole crop of lupins was wiped out, with the majority of damage on nearby wheat crops. Norm Jenzen said they received 45 millimetres of rain on the southern block and only 18mm at the main shed, 10 kilometres north. “Our neighbours’ pasture paddock had run down and put silt up the side of our wheat crop because the rain just came down so quick and heavy,” Norm said. “We had rain for a good half an hour prior to the hail, so I think it might have softened the heads a little bit. “If it had been straight hail then we might have lost a bit more.” Norm said it was a challenging year and there was not much they could do about it. “It could have been worse,” he said. Norm said hail hit the same line and the same paddock about six years ago. “It seems to follow a valley,” he said. “But we have a lot more crop in these days.” He said in earlier days they ran sheep and didn’t notice the frost or hail damage as much, because the risk was spread. “Now we won’t even harvest the lupins because they are absolutely gone with just the pods on the ground,” he said. “It looks like we have harvested it and it’s just stubble left.” Norm’s oldest son Nick is working full-time on the farm and witnessed the horrific storm first-hand. “The way we look at it is you can’t sit there and cry about it,” Nick said. “It’s not going to make it better, is it? “We just need to get in and get it off and to try to see the positive, if there is any.” Nick said in a worst-case scenario they have insurance cover on the crop. Other areas east, including Tammin, were hit harder. “They had the hail storm at the start of November as well, so we were pretty good here I think,” Nick said. “You can see it all laying on the ground, which isn’t too pretty.” Remaining positive Nick said, “we can’t do anything about it and we were pretty lucky to only lose that much”. This year’s program has 2500ha of Scepter wheat, 800ha of barley, 800ha of canola, 400ha of lupins and 200ha of oats for hay. The Jenzens are aiming to finish by Christmas. “We are doing about 1000ha a week when the weather is good and the conditions are right,” Nick said. “But I don’t know how much wheat we will have left south of here. “We have to have the damage assessed, but we will still harvest all the wheat that’s there and we should at least get something back.” Norm said yield-wise the crops were looking thin, but yielding well. “It looks like a two-tonne crop but it’s more like a three-tonne crop,” he said. “Even the barley was heavy but nothing has protein this year. “You can’t have protein and yield.” When Farm Weekly visited the Jenzens last Wednesday there was a concerted effort to strip the last 200ha of lupins that were going into a silo. Nick said it was rare for everyone to be there at once, but due to the wet weather they hadn’t been working night shift and his brother Damian was home from shifts on the mines. Nick said he usually worked from 1pm to 1am with harvest casual worker Billy Schorer, while Norm and sister Jess worked the day shift. “Then my brother Damian and his girlfriend Georgia come up and give us a hand when Damian isn’t up on the mines with his job as an auto electrician,” Nick said. The Jenzens also have a full-time worker who drives the truck at harvest. “So it’s flat out all the time and we have a good few laughs,” Nick said. Source - https://www.farmweekly.com.au

Italy - Peppers and artichokes are performing well, but oranges and grapes are not

Milan is one of the biggest cities in Italy. Therefore, its fruit and vegetable wholesale market is a landmark on a national level – regardless of the structural and managerial issues. The wholesaler Salvatore Musso said, “Some produce is going great, others less great but still well: artichokes have high prices, as there is not much production. In Sardinia, the weather damaged 50% of the crop. In Sicily, the situation is definitely better and farmers can benefit from good prices. In some cases, Sardinian artichokes are sold for 1 euro per piece.” With regard to the pepper, the market is quite constant and the price is of 1.50 euros/kg for quality produce. The wholesaler added, “The quality of Italian peppers is way higher than Spanish peppers’. However, exporting is cheaper for Spain. In any case, I work extremely well with Sicilian producers. Prices are not particularly exciting, but they are not bad at all. Also, leafy vegetables can rely on a constant trend, not bad or good.” Yet, there is some bad news, “Although Christmas is approaching and the temperatures are colder, orange and clementine are not going well. Red-oranges are actually performing well, but the rest is quite disappointing. In both of the cases, the Spanish produce represents quite an obstacle for national productions”. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

USA - Trump signs Farm Bill and legalizes hemp, boosting Tennessee’s newest cash crop

President Donald Trump signed Congress’ omnibus Farm Bill into law on Thursday, legalizing hemp at the federal level in a move that will surely bolster Tennessee’s burgeoning hemp and CBD industry. The new law will make it possible to buy crop insurance for hemp, erasing some of the risk for farmers who want to expand into the new market, and allow hemp to be moved across state lines, expanding options for exports and sales. "That would be ginormous," said Billy Wall, who farms 70 acres of hemp in Franklin and owns a hemp processing lab in Murfreesboro. "It would finally put us on equal footing with regular farmers. It would be huge for all of us." Hemp, which is closely related to marijuana but has no psychoactive effect, has been classified as a controlled substance under federal law for decades. The Farm Bill removes this designation and reclassifies hemp as an agricultural product, legally distancing hemp from pot, which is still illegal to grow in most states. Trump called the Farm Bill a “tremendous victory for the American farmer” during a scattershot signing ceremony during which the president boasted about recent bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation, called former FBI Director James Comey a "liar" and attacked Democrats for their objection to his proposed border wall. Source - https://www.wbir.com

India - Horticulture crop loss in East Godavari 7.45 cr

High velocity gales during Phethai cyclone this week damaged horticulture crops in many areas East Godavari. According to preliminary assessment by horticulture authorities, banana, vegetables, papaya, flowers, chilli, onion and tapioca crops have been damaged in the district and losses are estimated to be Rs 7.45 crore Banana crop was damaged in Kothapeta and Atreyapuram in the district to the maximum extent. Vegetable crops were hit in Mummidivaram, Rowtulapudi and Gollaprolu mandals. The coconut was effected in Katrenikona, Inavilli and Mamdikuduru mandals. The horticulture crops were damaged in an area of 3,399 hectare and the coconut trees numbering 958 were uprooted across the district effecting 498 farmers. According to assistant director, horticulture, B V.Ramana, the government announced compensation to the affected farmers. The crop-wise compensation is Rs 25,000 for banana in one hectare, Rs 15,000 for vegetables, Rs 15,000 for papaya. Rs 15,000 flowers , Rs 15,000 for chilli and onion each and Rs 7,500 for tapioca. For losses to coconut crop, Rs 1,500 per each tree to 496 farmers who lost the crop in all the three horticulture divisions in Kakinada, Amalapuram and Rajamahendravaram in the district, the assistant director said. Source - https://www.thehansindia.com

USA - Area farmers eligible for loans to cover Hurricane Michael losses

Farmers in several area counties are eligible for low-interest loans to cover losses they sustained due to Hurricane Michael. The eligible counties, designated primary natural disaster areas by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue include Burke, Glascock, Emanuel, Hancock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Screven and Washington. Also eligible are farmers in the contiguous counties of Richmond, Taliaferro and Warren as well as Aiken and Barnwell counties in South Carolina, according to a news release. The state’s pecan producers lost an estimated $100 million on the year’s crop and $260 million in lost trees, according to previous Chronicle reports. Michael’s winds destroyed up to $800 million of the state’s cotton crop, $1 billion in timber land and an estimated $480 million in vegetables, the reports said. In an emergency session called by Gov. Nathan Deal after the hurricane, the Georgia General Assembly last month approved $200 million in income tax credits for timber and pecan farmers, $55 million to assist farmers with crop losses and $20 million to assist with cleanup and recovery by timber farmers. Source - https://www.augustachronicle.com

Spain - The worst citrus season in 25 years

Francisco Climent owns plantations in Nules that yield 24,000 kilos of Clemenules, the flagship citrus variety in Castellon. He retired a month ago and is now distressed about the sector's situation. "The campaign is disastrous," he says. Pascual Pla, president of the Nulexport cooperative, claims that it is the "worst season in 25 years." Producers and cooperatives agree and explain that there has been a "perfect storm", with pressure from South African imports, rain and falling consumption in Europe. Agrarian organizations, irrigators, cooperatives and exporters are holding protests this Tuesday in 15 municipalities of La Plana Baixa to demand a revision of the agreement between the European Union and South Africa, as they blame the decline in prices and sales to the competition of imports from this country. Climent and Pla explain that, in addition to the South African issue, "everything seems to have happened at the same time. Not only South Africa has had an impact, but also the rains, the blockades on the French border by the yellow vests, or the fact that temperatures in Europe have not been adequate and consumption has suffered. Supermarkets say that sales have dropped by 30%," explains the president of Nulexport, who says that, at this point, exports have dropped by 25% compared to the same period of 2017. According to Climent, in the first part of the campaign (in October), "there was nothing to do. The oranges from South Africa have been entering until the end of November without any kind of phytosanitary controls." Last year, there was less production and purchases were made in August; this year, traders have waited until October, and that's when the rains came," says the Nules-based producer, who also recalls that "there is now a lot of Clemenules for the short two months we have for the harvest." The head of Nulexport believes that the initial projections are correct, but that "sales are not going as well as in 2017," and points out that in this season, given the lower production, "people may not may as willing to buy as last year." The producer from Nules warns that 30% of Clemenules may be left unharvested. As a sign of the fall in prices, he points out that in October he sold one kilo for 0.27 Euro, and in December he sold the same fruit for 0.21 Euro. "The problem is that if you don't harvest the fruit, the tree won't bloom in the next campaign, so there are people who sell for almost nothing, just 0.15 Euro per kilo, only to clear the tree," says Climent, adding that in the past, the harvest lasted four months and now it only lasts two. The most pressing issue for the sector is to change the South African treaty with the EU. "The first part of the campaign has been severely affected by the imports from South Africa. With the previous agreement, South African mandarins could enter until November; now they can do so until December, becoming a direct competitor for us, but without having to adhere to the same phytosanitary requirements," says Pla. "Our exports have tougher phytosanitary conditions in other countries than those set by the EU for South Africa, and they can also go to markets such as Russia, which is banned for Spain," he says. Influence of large retailers The imports from South Africa have had a fatal influence on the citrus fruits from Castellon, but at the same time, they have brought to light the endemic problems that this activity has been dragging on for years. "In the past, oranges were sold in auctions; now, however, supermarket chains dominate 80% of the European market and they set the price, not the cooperative or the grower," says the president of Nulexport, who regrets that the number of cooperatives has been reduced significantly in recent years. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com

India - Climate change impacts agriculture in the northern Himalayas

India - Cyclone Phethai causes Rs 51-crore crop loss in Godavari

Though the impact of cyclone Phethai was not as damaging as expected by the State government, it still caused losses to the farmers in both Godavari delta and Krishna delta. The preliminary estimation by agriculture and horticulture departments have put the crop losses in an extent of 10,856 hectare (agriculture) and 405 hectare (horticulture). Paddy crop in 5,857 hectare suffered damage and majority of it was in Krishna district. Maize crop in 3,988 hectare was damaged and most of it was in West Godavari district. Tobacco in 596 hectare was in West Godavari district and pulses crop in 596 hectare of West Godavari district was also damaged. Agriculture department officials put the monetary value of the crop loss at Rs 51.86 crore and said the required input subsidy is Rs 14.78 crore. According to them, agriculture crops in 9,36,819 hectares were not harvested. They said there was no crop damage either in East Godavari district or in Guntur district. On the other hand, West Godavari and Krishna districts suffered much damage and the extent of the crop loss was same — 3,983 hectare. While it was multiple crops in West Godavari, it was only paddy in Krishna. A total of 98 mandals (agriculture-wise) were affected due to phethai. The paddy procurement that was intensified four days before the cyclone made landfall has safeguarded the interests of the farmers. A total 11,81,079.160 MT of paddy was procured till December 17. On the other hand, 1,027 horticulture farmers suffered losses with crop loss in around 405 hectare. The monetary value of the crop loss was put at Rs 9.64 crore of which the required input subsidy is Rs 0.96 crore. The Animal Husbandry department said 300 sheep were also lost to the cyclone. Meanwhile, Agriculture department has decided to employ drones to assess the damages more elaborately once the rains subside. They plan to use 60 to 70 drones. Source - http://www.newindianexpress.com

UK - 2018 was one of the worst potato harvests in recent years

Figures published this week by AHDB Potatoes confirm that 2018 was one of the worst Great Britain potato harvests in recent years, with volumes significantly lower than average and processors noting a direct impact on the quality of available raw materials. Although the 2018 harvest is now complete, UK potato processors (crisp and French fry manufacturers) anticipate that the impacts of this year’s weather conditions will continue to be felt by the sector until at least summer 2019, when the early potato crop starts to be lifted. At the start of the year cold and wet weather conditions, due to the ‘The Beast from the East’, contributed to late planting of crops in many areas. Problems were then compounded by unseasonably high spring and summer temperatures (including 10 consecutive days in July where recorded temperatures rose above 300C) and a complete lack of rainfall in some areas. Since mid-August weather conditions have improved, with growers making the best of a difficult season. However, these latest figures from AHDB confirm that there will be serious issues in terms of availability and quality of potatoes for processing through the first half of 2019. As well as lower volumes of crop put into storage, the adverse growing conditions has impacted upon the quality of the potatoes and therefore the amount of useable crop. Potato size, defects and colour are the most notable impacts driven by levels of dry matter, secondary growth, cracking and bruising. In addition, the combination of in field stress caused by the weather conditions, and the fact that some crops were harvested later than normal (to allow more time for them to grow), is likely to mean an increase in the volume of materials encountering an early dormancy break. This has significant implications for sprouting, which will lead to increased weight loss from stored tubers, increased sugars and will particularly impact on long term storage. Similar adverse weather conditions were observed across many parts of mainland Europe, and this will limit surplus materials available for import. The lack of a definitive position on potato and potato seed importation, post-EU exit on 29 March 2019 only adds to the challenges faced by the sector. UK potato processors are working with growers on scheduling to ensure maximum use of the usable crop and the whole of the supply chain is working together to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality finished products. Processors are limited, to an extent, by the physical characteristics of specific varieties required for crisp and French fry production, but will take a pragmatic and flexible approach on specifications wherever possible. Source - https://potatonewstoday.com

USA - Weather hit farmers hard this year

A difficult year of weather plagued area farmers, dealing with late snow in April, an unusual dry period near the beginning of the summer, and strong winds disrupting the harvest. Rick Anderson, the grain merchandiser for Ag Partners, said this year's yields "were good, not great." Anderson said they won't know the final numbers until the state releases them sometime next month, but says it won't be a record-setting year. "I think it was little surprising when we got into fall," Anderson said. "Especially the corn yields were a little more disappointing. We were hoping for better." Ag Partners has Farm Stores in Cannon Falls, Lake City and Pine Island, as well as Ellsworth, Wis., among other areas in southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Anderson said inclement weather put farmers at a disadvantage with wet conditions. Areas including southwestern Minnesota were affected more harshly, losing many acres to high water. In the summer, Gov. Mark Dayton issued an executive order that allowed 36 counties hit with torrential rains and strong winds to state receive assistance in the form of a zero percent Disaster Loan, along with help from the state. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service 2018 crop progress review found corn planting was two weeks behind 2017 and almost three weeks behind the five-year average. Corn harvesting was 58 percent complete by Oct. 28, with 96 percent being finished less than a month later. For soybeans, the crop progress review found they were slightly behind the previous year and over a week behind the average, while 37 percent of soybeans were planted, finishing near the end of June. Harvesting was at 87 percent on Oct. 28, going as far as 99 percent by Nov. 25. Anderson also said the harvest isn't over, with some places in the area still trying to finish up. The harvest was a more drawn-out process than expected, according to Anderson. Minnesota has seen strong yields from corn and soybeans, with Anderson saying they should be able to get close to previous numbers. In 2017, Minnesota produced just over 380.2 million bushels of soybeans, according NASS. This number is not far off from the 2016 and 2015 totals, with farmers collecting 389.5 million and 377.5 million bushels of soybeans respectively during those years. In Goodhue County, many farmers were able to exceed 55 bushels of soybeans per acre. Similarly, corn has cultivated high yields. The NASS reported in 2017 alone farmers around the state harvested 1.48 billion bushels of corn. Last year was the third consecutive year the state had record years. In Goodhue County, farmers exceeded 205 bushels per acre. While farmers have harvested record bushels in some cases, prices haven't necessarily reflected those trends. At one point this year, soybean prices dropped as much as $2 per bushel. Corn prices continued to stay low, fluctuating like soybeans throughout the summer. Anderson said ongoing trade discussions with China, a country that purchased 825 million bushels of soybeans, equaling around 70 percent of the total soybeans sold, from the United States, according to the USDA. From farmers' standpoint, Anderson said they try to get the best prices they can, although the prices before dropping weren't going to make farmers highly profitable either. Anderson reiterated that until they learn the final yields from the state in 2019, it's difficult to pinpoint a final result. You also have to factor in that some farmers might tell you it was their best harvest, and others will say it's their worst ever. Source - https://www.republican-eagle.com

India - Climate change impacts agriculture in the northern Himalayas

Unseasonal rain and snowfall is the main reason for agriculture failing in Himachal Pradesh. “Hailstorms or torrential rains are usually destructive to our crops while snowfall is not,” said Uma Devi of Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, when speaking to Mongabay-India. However, the post-monsoon heavy snowfall in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, which came in two heavy spells in late September as well as early November 2018, were exceptions, and are now attributed to exacerbated climate change in the Himalayan region. Tourists were escaping the hot plains and flocking to the mountains to see snowfall. But the snowfall at this time of year was unexpected and is a calamity for the farming communities in these mountainous terrains. In Lahaul district of Himachal Pradesh, located at around 3300 metres, snowfall in late September was disastrous for the summer crop of potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage as well as apples, pears, plums and cherries. Farmers of the district suffered a collective loss of more than Rs. 300 million. The last time such untimely, heavy snowfall occurred was in 1955. In Jammu and Kashmir, the government has declared the early November snowfall as a natural calamity. Such heavy snowfall in these early months came as a total surprise and has not occurred in the last 20 years. In Doda, situated above 1500 m in the Chenab valley, stories have emerged of destroyed maize crops as well as destruction to apple, walnut and persimmon orchards that were awaiting pruning in early December. At the same time, late September was the time that pastoralists from the nomadic Gaddi tribe were to descend from the higher Dhauladhar mountains in the Kangra and Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh with their flocks of goats and sheep to begin their journey towards the Punjab region. This year many shepherds were stuck, loss of life to cattle and horses were in the hundreds and many awaited evacuation near the treacherous Bara Bhangal pass, at around 4000 m, while the state responded to mainly foreign tourists stranded near Manali. Farmers demand compensation “While the state government has offered a compensation of Rs. 370 million for apple damage, so far there is no compensation on potato crop,” said Rakesh Chand of the Lahaul Potato Grower’s collective, a network of 2,000 potato growers. “Lahaul farmers are cut off from the rest of the state when the Rohtang pass closes, unlike Spiti which is still connected through Kinnaur. The livelihood of 80 percent of Lahaul relies on potato sales, for seed purposes to Gujarat and West Bengal and as food to the rest of the country. At this time potato farmers are protesting that the West Bengal state government has blocked their potato for seed purposes saying that there is an illness. We are asking that this blockade be lifted.” Untimely snowfall has not just blocked the Rohtang road out to markets for pahadi (mountain-based) farmers but also changed the reputation of their otherwise highly acknowledged crop. As farmers from Lahaul marched to the the District Collector’s office to demand compensation, emergency compensation was sanctioned by the State Disaster Response Fund of Jammu & Kashmir. Mohammed Afzal Parray of the CPI (M) issued a statement saying that, “The government should provided compensation keeping in view the recurring losses to the farmers. A tree takes at least a decade to mature and the snowfall has ruined the hard work of years of farmers.” Farmers in the Kashmir Valley are now rallying for better crop insurance schemes. While compensation is the need of the hour, it is important in the context of climate change to not jump to a conclusion that snowfall is always destructive to agriculture. Instead, it is necessary to evaluate the historic connection between snowfall and agriculture, and furthermore the role that a rightly timed snowfall played in agriculture. The benefits of seasonal snowfall In Kandbari village in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, which stands at around 1,400 m above sea level, Balak Ram blissfully remembers snowfall. He says, “It used to snow and cover the base of the wheat crop. The snow protected the wheat from insects or rotting. It was only snowfall that didn’t require us to spray our crops. Nowadays, given the lack of snow, we need to spray chemicals.” In neighbouring Nain village, Roshan Lal shares that less snow means less nutrition for the wheat crop. “If snow falls between December and February it is beneficial to our wheat and kidney bean crops. The seeds lie dormant, the roots develop, until the moment the snow melts and the seeds sprout. However, if it snows at the wrong time, it is very problematic.” According to scientists, normal snowfall at the right time is beneficial to winter crops in more ways than one. Snowfall of one foot, depending on the density, is equivalent to one inch of rain and provides a lot of moisture. Unlike rainfall, snow allows root development. Even when the top of the crop lies dormant, if the roots are well developed, the crop receives more nutrition. Furthermore, snow prevents the soil from being washed away with heavy rainfall and it has an insulating temperature as it takes longer for moist soil to get cold than dry soil. In Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, located at around 4,200 m, Tsering Dawa Duni shares that “there is only one growing season as in this dry desert, the winters from December-March are too cold for agriculture. The main crops grown here are sorghum (jowar), other millets and green peas is our major cash crop. Some farmers in lower Spiti who have begun to grow wheat and rice, grow both in the summer months.” As snow fell here in early November, the agricultural work had majorly wrapped up, yet the snowfall came as an early surprise and has cut out connectivity in the region. Duni said that there are two regions in Spiti (Upper and Lower) where the lower is closer to Kaza (the city). Farmers in Spiti, particularly upper Spiti are used to snowfall from late November onwards. This year it caught us by surprise as it came earlier. Villagers for generations have dried vegetables and meat, depended on cheese and barley porridge to survive the winters. Other farmers, who live close to the city, depend on buying pulses and vegetables and suffer much more with untimely climatic phenomenon as they cannot buy from anywhere and have no stock of food to rely on, he added. Climate change and agriculture in the Himalayas The Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE), located near Manali in Himachal Pradesh, has recorded that in the last 25 years, while rainfall has increased, snowfall has decreased. Their study, however, does not delve into untimely snowfall. Furthermore, the research shows that while in the northern Himalayan region overall we can see a trend of global warming, yet the minimum temperatures in the have seen a sharp decrease. The change from seasonal rain and snow to flash storms and untimely snow has also meant the growth of pests in crops. The wheat crop in Himachal Pradesh currently has a huge aphid problem, aphids being a big sentinel of climate change. According to crop scientists at Palampur Krishi Vigyan Kendra, tuber crops which were always more hardy and resistant are also seeing a new pest in the form of the “tuber moth.” Additionally, villagers of Rakkar, Kangra district shared that the majority of Himalayan farmers get their water for consumptive and irrigation use from glaciers. Snowfall that occurs at the right time of year, for example from late-November to February and in the right quantity, can also increase the stability of the glacier water system. Untimely snowfall in September-early November melts quickly, as the surrounding atmospheric temperatures are still relatively high and serves no real purpose. An ongoing study conducted by Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun shows that in farmers in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand have stopped growing close to 30 traditional crops, including millets and local vegetables, owing to climate change. At the same time, the state government through “climate-sensitive agriculture” is encouraging farmers to grow off-season vegetables such as tomatoes, green peas, cauliflower so as to supply them to the plains areas. Additionally, given the decline of apple orchards, farmers are encouraged to grow tropical fruits such as kiwis, pomegranates and pineapples. All in all, this increases farmers’ dependence on the market, which in times of climate change, means that farmers have less sovereignty, self-sufficiency and therefore are dependent on monetary economy. It is also the loss of food sovereignty that bites deep just like the snow bite in current times. In Tandi village, Kullu district that stands at around 2,000 metres above sea level, Daleep Ram says, “Snow forms a natural fertiliser when it mixes with the soil. In the olden days, this layer of snow on the soil was very beneficial. Nowadays, the snow has reduced and the wheat crop is not as strong. This also means that we have to work harder to grow our crop. Many people are now not working their lands and instead setting up home-stays or leaving the village in search of jobs. ” Climate change is estranging mountain farmers from their lands, driving youth away from agriculture seeking other employment and therefore it is necessary to amplify farmer’s demands for monetary compensation and crop insurance. At the same time, in the long-run, given the prediction for more climatic disasters, especially in the northern Himalayas, it is equally vital to strengthen farmer sovereignty and local food systems in the region. Source - https://india.mongabay.com

Drones measure climate change’s impact on agriculture

To have a better understanding of the climate change impacts, we often need to access remote and inaccessible areas. Whether it’s scouting, mapping, spraying, or data collecting, drones are proving to be a vital tool in assessing and mitigating the effects of climate change. Hurricane Impacts on Agriculture On Wednesday, September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall, cutting across the island of Puerto Rico as a Category 4 hurricane, causing major damage to infrastructure, agriculture, and natural ecosystems. The Department of Agriculture estimates Maria took 80% of Puerto Rico’s crops, causing a projected $780 million in agricultural losses. The coffee crop was among the hardest hit. Caribbean islands are highly vulnerable to hurricanes and recent models of the effects of climate change predict substantial increases in the intensity and the frequency of the most intense tropical cyclones in the Atlantic¹. Hurricane Maria damage in Puerto Rico. Photo credit: Erica Reyes, SCA Agriculture, in particular is highly impacted by hurricanes in this region and it is of critical importance to future planning to monitor precisely how agriculture and ecosystems recover from hurricanes and other weather events. Coffee, as one of the most important crops in Puerto Rico and as a perennial crop, has been ideal for the study of resistance and resilience of agroecosystems to hurricane disturbance. The main question addressed in the study was if the style of production makes a difference with regard to the damage caused by hurricanes and how this damage affects production, biomass, and biodiversity, as well as their recovery. Project Details Embry-Riddle Gaetz Aerospace Institute together with University of Michigan have been working on a joint project of assessing the resilience of an agroecosystem to catastrophic damage. The project aimed to map three coffee farms per day in the impacted areas, over six days in July, 2018. Data capture with eBee. To test the rapid assessment method with existing off-the-shelf technology, each farm was mapped with the Parrot Sequoia camera connected to either the senseFly eBee or DJI Inspire 1 with a homemade mount. In addition, the team attempted to map the farms with either the 4k camera on the Inspire 1 or using the SODA with the eBee, resulting in at least two data sets per farm. They covered 14 farms: the largest being a little under 100 acres and the smallest was about 10 acres. Overcoming Project Challenges with Drones While all farms in the study were successfully mapped, the team faced some challenges along the way. These included: Terrain: all of the coffee farms the Gaez/Michigan team mapped were located on the side of mountains. In situations like these the team saw the real usefulness of drones in accessing remote areas. Terrain elevation: the terrain quickly changed elevation and was covered in trees jutting out of the middle of the farm. This made it extremely hard to map without having the drone help from above. Weather: unpredictable random rainstorms and non-stop changing winds coming from the valleys and mountain tops. Farm access: most of the farms that were affected by the hurricane were in inaccessible areas. However, even the farms that were accessible a month after the hurricane, were difficult to work with due to the local farmers’ distress. Assessing Farm Health Once the team was back at the university they uploaded all the images to the Pix4D software and started the analysis process. Collected multispectral images were used to produce high-resolution reflectance and vegetation index maps. Reflectance map. Processing the raw imagery to create a digital surface model (DSM) and orthomosaics allowed the team, when coupled with ground collected data, to estimate canopy cover, leaf area index (LAI), above ground biomass, NDVI, and land cover classifications. NDVI map. In addition, they could share the maps with other members of the team in different locations as well as flag the areas on maps with annotations that needed more on-site inspection when the team returns to the site in the following years. Annotation map. Another of the team’s favorite software’s features is the timeline. As the research will continue, the team will be returning to work on the Puerto Rico farms later next year. It will be important to have a side-by-side comparison of the same farm at different points in time. At the moment the team is looking through the maps to find trends. The Importance of Drones in Damage Assessment Because of the severe and major damage to transportation and infrastructure, farm access has been extremely difficult. Most of the farms are located in the central mountainous region, the area most affected by the hurricane. Some farms have been so severely damaged it has been hard to establish plots and sample them. With the help of drones and drone imagery it has been and will be possible to sample these farms in a more efficient and easier way. The Project Continues Mapping the farms in this use case is only part of a larger project planned for the next two years. The overall goal is to select 30 of the 70+ farms, perform sampling along the entire range from high shade/biodiversity to low shade/biodiversity. The team will fly four times on each of 30 selected farms over the two-year period (eight months after the hurricane and every six months thereafter). The value of agriculture drone mapping software for this project is in the accurate data processing and analysis outputs like vegetation index maps and digital surface models. Additional tools like annotations and timeline become a tremendous asset when comparing same farms in different times over the course of two years the project will take place. Source - https://www.precisionag.com

France - Mango production threatened by flies

The mango season has barely started on Réunion island but the harvest is already threatened by Asian fruit flies. This small insect lodges in the fruit and multiplies very rapidly. “If we do not destroy the mango, the larvae it contains will go out and spread to the other fruit,” explains Jean-Bernard Gonthier, president of the Chamber of Agriculture. The fly stings the fruit and destroys the local production. Some orchards claim to have lost 80% of their production. “This is going to be a complicated year. In the coming years, we should breed tiny wasps to colonize the flies and also search for mushrooms to find a solution.” Source - https://www.freshplaza.com