Agroinsurance

USA - Updated damage assessments from hurricane Michael released

New and updated damage assessments continue to show unprecedented losses for Georgia’s number one industry. “These estimations are a clear indicator of the unfortunate devastation many of our farmers and farm families have had to endure,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black. “These staggering numbers are tough to read, but Georgia farmers have shown great resilience through this unsettling time and we will continue to stand with them.” University of Georgia Extension reported an updated damage assessment of $550 to $600 million in cotton crop loss due to Hurricane Michael. This further narrows the initial estimate of $300 to $800 million released last week. Last year, cotton was one of the leading cash row crops in Georgia producing 2.25 million bales of cotton lint at an estimated market value of $794.9 million. “This was shaping up to be the best cotton crop ever. Ever. I’ve never seen a cotton crop this good,” said Georgia State Representative Clay Pirkle. “I’ve only been farming about 25 years. My dad has been farming 50. He’s never seen anything like this, in terms of the devastation or the potential crop that we had.” Numerical losses to the landscape and green industry have been added to the amass of damage from Hurricane Michael. University of Georgia Extension estimates a $13 million loss to this growing sector in Georgia’s economy. However, some of the updates have brought better than expected news. The Georgia Forestry Commission released a detailed analysis showing damage to more than two million acres of forestland, resulting in a $374 million total loss, a significant decrease from the initial estimates of $1 billion. Georgia Forestry Commission Director Chuck Williams reported that about 79,000 acres of forest are a complete loss with the most severe damage documented in the southwest counties where the storm entered the state. In 2017, Georgia led the nation in the volume of annual timber harvested. “Once our crews were able to get on the ground and conduct a thorough assessment, we were able to provide a value estimate that is much less than anticipated, thankfully,” Director Williams said. “A couple of factors affected the lesser valuations – the hardest hit areas weren’t as densely forested, and more forested acres fell into the “moderate damage” classification.” Further assessments of Georgia’s other commodities are ongoing, but previous estimates on produce, pecans and poultry continue to remain steady. Georgia’s high-yielding vegetables, sweet corn, cucumbers, squash, peppers, tomatoes and peas are estimated to have received a $480 million loss. Georgia pecan farmers in southwest Georgia continue to salvage what they can of a commodity that took an estimated $560 million loss that many are describing as a generational loss. Hurricane Michael will also have a lasting impact on Georgia’s poultry industry with the loss of 97 houses and more than 2 million chickens. The losses calculate to an estimated $25 million. Estimations of peanut losses are still ongoing. The ability and time it takes to repair infrastructure and restore power will serve as a major factor on the final loss estimates which currently range from $10 to $20 million. “As president of Georgia Farm Bureau, I want to encourage our people, the farmers, to be patient, said farmer and president of the Georgia Farm Bureau, Gerald Long. “We’re at one of our lowest moments in life, and patience is tough right now.” Governor Nathan Deal has called for a special legislative session set to convene on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Governor Deal is urging the state legislature to take immediate action in spurring rapid economic recovery for southwest Georgia communities impacted by Hurricane Michael. Source - http://southeastagnet.com

Australia - New fruit fly handbook and website

The Australian handbook for the identification of fruit flies has always been popular with fruit fly diagnosticians, biosecurity workers, and the general fruit fly community. Now that it has been fully revised and updated it’s an even more valuable resource. Additional online information has also been developed via the companion website Fruit Fly Identification Australia. The leader of the research project that produced these resources, dr Mark Schutze: “This new resource represents a complete overhaul of The Australian handbook for the identification of fruit flies. We’ve updated all the fruit fly images using fresh material and produced new, tailor-made, molecular diagnostic tools that have emerged from our investment in next generation genomic research." “Both the hard copy handbook and online resource will, I’m sure, become an invaluable tool for Australia’s front-line diagnosticians to help protect our horticultural and agricultural industries from exotic fruit flies via more accurate and rapid diagnostics.” Click here for THE AUSTRALIAN HANDBOOK FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF FRUIT FLIES - Version 3.1 Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

Spain - Heavy rainfall has so far not caused significant damage to crops

Because of the heavy rainfall recorded in Castellon last Thursday, many areas on the coast have been flooded. Consequently, agricultural activities have almost ground to a halt. So far, however, no significant damage to crops has been recorded. According to Pascual Pla, of the NULEXPORT cooperative in Nules, the activities in the area's citrus packaging plants have come to a standstill because the flooded plantations are not accessible. The grower says that the rainfall is actually "a blessing." The earliest varieties have already been harvested and the Clemenules, the most planted variety in the province of Castellon, has seen a considerable delay in the harvest and is still green at the moment. This rainfall will thus contribute to the Clemenules reaching better sizes, which is desperately needed," explains Pascual Pla. The agricultural infrastructure has received the most damage. There are many inaccessible roads, which means there's no way to reach the plots, with the result that the daily tasks cannot be carried out and no harvesting work can take place. According to Ramón Mampel, of the agricultural organization Unió de Llauradors, it will only possible to have a final balance of the situation when the rains are over. He says, however, that "no serious damage has been caused so far to any of the various crops." When it comes to vegetable cultivation, especially of lettuce, fungal problems could arise if the products remain under water for several days. As for citrus fruits, there is, according to Mampel, a "certain concern because of the likelihood of root swelling having taken place due to the flooding. There is also the possibility of strong temperature rises after the heavy rainfall, and this could result in phytosanitary problems in the form of mold." Nevertheless, the rainfall of the last few hours has mostly contributed to saving irrigation water, filling the water supply and cleaning the trees (protecting them from pests). In any case, we'll have to keep an eye on the rainfall over the next few days." Insurances La Unió explains that having a combined agricultural insurance covers the losses caused by the following: ✔ Decay, dragging of material or mudflows on the insured property. ✔ Root entanglement, dragging, uprooting or burying of trees. ✔ The inability to harvest during the rainfall or in the 10 days thereafter. ✔ Pests and diseases recorded in the 10 days after the rain in places where it is not feasible to carry out the necessary treatments because of the plot being inaccessible. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

USA - USDA approves new crop insurance provider

Look for new firms to join the ranks of only 15 approved crop insurance providers for next year. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) approved Church Mutual Insurance Company (CMIC) as a Standard Reinsurance Agreement holder, combined with Precision Risk Management, LLC (PRM) as its managing general agency (MGA) for the 2019 crop season. “We are very excited and honored to be a part of the delivery system of the Federal Crop Insurance Program,” Jeff Svennes, chairman of PRM, said in a release. Svennes is the owner of Svennes Crop Insurance Agency in Sioux Falls, S.D. To be approved, Church and PRM were required to demonstrate the necessary financial, organizational resources including technical skills, leadership and experience in the field of crop insurance. “Our commitment is to provide the needed crop insurance solutions to manage production risk with a keen focus on leveraging the latest farming technology to simplify, increase accuracy and make more efficient, the entire insurance experience for ranchers and farmers" said Don Preusser, president of PRM. Preusser has a long history in the insurance industry, serving as president of John Deere Insurance Company from 2006 to 2015 and, most recently, as executive vice president at Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance. The Moline, Ill.-based John Deere sold John Deere Insurance Co. and John Deere Risk Protection to Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance in 2015, reducing the number of approved providers to 15. “This partnership to provide crop insurance to Midwestern farmers really aligns with our mission to serve and support those who serve others,” said Rich Poirier, president and chief executive officer of Church Mutual. Precision Risk Management is licensed in 16 Midwestern states and is headquartered in Sioux Falls, S.D. Source - https://www.agri-pulse.com

India - Maharashtra government declares drought in 180 tehsils

Barring five districts —Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban District, Thane, Dhule and Gadchiroli — all the districts in Maharashtra are facing a drought-like situation. The Maharashtra government on Tuesday declared 31 out of 36 districts in the state are drought hit. These talukas were identified on the basis of norms laid down by the Centre, said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The situation has arisen as the state received only 77 per cent of its average rainfall this year, he added. Announcing drought-like situation in 180 talukas of the state, Fadnavis said that his government will assist the affected farmers, including providing concessions in land revenue, irrigation pumps, waiver of power bills and educational fees, continuous power supply, and also ensure availability of tankers for drinking water in these talukas. Fadnavis also said that a central government team will visit the drought-hit regions soon make its own assessment and declare assistance. Speaking to media, Fadnavis said that these tehsils were selected after following scientific norms set by the Government of India; various mitigation measures will be implemented in these villages after verifying the ground situation by the central team. Stating that at present there is no need to start fodder camps for cattle, Fadnavis informed that the instructions have been passed to revenue machinery to start fodder camps when required. Fadnavis informed that there are a few Talukas which do not qualify for announcing drought-like situation but the farmers are severy hit due to crop damage owing to inadequate rains and inadequate water. Crop insurance benefits would be extended to those farmers, he assured. He informed that officials of the power department have been directed against disconnecting the agricultural power pumps of the farmers in these talukas. He said that measures like giving a stay on recovery of agricultural loan, providing revenue tax waiver on land, examination fee waiver for school and college students are being taken in these Talukas. He informed that the criterion for employment guarantee scheme would be relaxed for these Talukas, water tankers are being provided to all these Talukas for drinking water purpose. RELIEF PROMISED Concessions in land revenue Farm loan waivers Concessions in power bills and continuous power supply Examination fee waiver for students Availability of tankers for drinking water Source - https://www.dnaindia.com

Canada - Better flood protection on the way for Manitoba cattle producers

Beef producers in flood-prone areas of Manitoba are looking forward to the construction of new outlet channels that should help to prevent a repeat of the devastating floods of 2011 and 2014, which caused mass evacuations of people and livestock, affected millions of hectares of farmland and cost billions of dollars in compensation. At a June news conference at St. Laurent, Man., the Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba announced combined funding of $540 million towards flood protection projects for Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin. The federal government is providing $247.5 million for the Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin Outlet Channels Project, under the recently launched Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund. Manitoba will provide matching funds in the amount of $247.5 million, plus an additional $45 million in order to complete the project. “These are major flood management projects and will be as essential as the Red River Floodway and the Portage Diversion in provincial flood-fighting efforts,” said Manitoba Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler. “Manitoba is a collection point of major watersheds that start outside of the province but can result in widespread flooding, devastation, costly cleanup and years of restoration.” In a phone interview, Manitoba Beef Producer (MBP) past president Ben Fox said the organization is pleased with the commitment of the Manitoba and Canadian governments to move forward with the project. “I think that once we have these outlet channels in place, it will offer those producers most affected by these weather events some stability and relief in knowing that no matter what comes at them they are still going to be safe, and they will produce on the acres that they have been managing already,” said Fox. Floods have lingering effects Tom Teichrob, who raises cattle on the west side of Lake Manitoba in the Langruth area, was also pleased at the announcement. Teichrob had to evacuate his cattle during the flood of 2011 when flood waters completely inundated his farm. Another major flood in 2014 took out the feed production acres the farm had just reclaimed and obliterated much of the infrastructure, such as fences and corrals, replaced from the previous flood. “I think this announcement is extremely important for all of Manitoba and the rest of Canada,” says Teichrob. “When you look at personal losses (of producers), that is one story, but when you multiply that by the amount of producers, businesses and homeowners who were impacted around the lake and around the province, and the compensation dollars, lost infrastructure that will never be replaced and people who have moved away and the lost tax revenue, there is a massive price tab that has been handed down to the rest of Canadians. Taxpayers are now investing in infrastructure that they are all capturing the value from.” Hard to have confidence A lot of the fragile native grassland closest to the lake has never recovered on Art Jonasson’s farm near Volgar on the east side of Lake Manitoba, and as a result he’s had to downsize. “Our land isn’t able to carry the animals that it did before,” says Jonasson. “The 2011 flood was devastating to us, but the 2014 flood was devastating to our grasses because there was a seed bank there that, after two years, had started to come back. Then it flooded again and it’s taken a long time for those grasses to recover because I don’t think there was any seed bank left.” The Jonassons were dependent on that land for half their feed and they finally got fed up with running all over the province to find hay or pasture, so in 2015 they made the decision to sell half their cows. Jonasson admits that for them it wasn’t a hard decision because they are getting closer to retirement, but for some younger producers in the area the ongoing affects of the floods meant lost opportunities. “One young guy told us that he lost out on a lot of years of expansion when the cattle prices were good,” he says. “Every time a flood happens it shakes your confidence about going forward.” – Art Jonasson But by far the biggest impact of any flood is shaken confidence. “Every time a flood happens it shakes your confidence about going forward,” says Jonasson. “Should we do renovations or put in a pile of work to try to get this land back to being able to support our cow herd if it’s going to flood again in another three or four years? A lot of farms have changed hands, some are not nearly as productive as they were and some people have just left.” The proposed outlet channel will go a long way to restoring the confidence of people who live and make a living in the region, he adds. “If they build that extra outlet, the rules of operation of it sound very promising. It’s the first time they’re taking into consideration the level of Lake Manitoba in the operating of any of the control structures,” says Jonasson. Source - https://www.canadiancattlemen.ca

USA - Hurricane Michael may be costliest disaster for Georgia agriculture

With damages estimated so far at $3 billion or more, Hurricane Michael is "the most expensive disaster Georgia has ever seen," Georgia Commissioner of Public Health Patrick O'Neal recently said. After devastating parts of the Florida panhandle when it made landfall Oct. 10, Michael continued its path of destruction through Southwest Georgia, and officials are still adding up the losses. Some of the biggest losses are in agriculture, according to Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black. "These are generational losses that are unprecedented, and it will take unprecedented ideas and actions to help our farm families and rural communities recover," Black said in a statement. Counting timber, agricultural losses will total close to $3 billion, according to estimates so far, he said. Timber was the hardest hit: 1 million acres and $1 billion worth of timber destroyed, he said. Cotton was also hard-hit, with losses estimated at between $300 million and $800 million. Damage suffered by pecan growers was smaller initially, but will add up over time; a $100 million loss in this year's crop, plus $260 million in lost trees and $200 million more in lost future profits, estimated University of Georgia Extension Service pecan specialist Lenny Wells. Georgia Commissioner of Insurance Ralph Hudgens has also released a preliminary estimate for property related insurance claims, not including crop losses. "Our preliminary estimate today is $250 million in damage across Georgia. That figure may likely rise as new claims are submitted," Hudgens said in a news release. O'Neal, speaking at the UGA College of Public Health "State of the Public's Health" conference Thursday, said the disaster is taxing public health departments in affected areas; one office only got its power restored on Tuesday, a week after the powerful storm moved through. Overall, including damages in other states, Michael's insured property losses could reach $8 billion, according to one insurance industry estimate. Here are damage estimates for several Georgia crops, summarized by Sharon Dowdy of the University of Georgia: PECANS The state's pecan industry suffered what might be the most long-term loss from the storm, with a $100 million loss from this year's crop plus $260 million in lost trees. An additional $200 million in future profits will be lost over the next decade as new orchards are planted and existing orchards are reestablished, said Lenny Wells, UGA Extension pecan specialist. Between 30 and 40 percent of the pecan trees were destroyed in Dougherty, Lee and Mitchell counties, where 30 percent of Georgia's pecan crop is produced. In areas less severely affected by the storm, growers with trees that are still standing will be able to harvest a lot of the nuts that were blown to the ground, Wells said. Overall, Wells believes that half of Georgia's pecan crop has been lost for this year. COTTON Cotton fields that promised near-record harvests were destroyed by the hurricane; some fields in southwest Georgia have been declared a complete loss with all the cotton now blown off the plants and lying on the ground. The hurricane crushed the prospects of 1,500 to 1,800 pounds of dryland cotton for some cotton growers, who suffered losses of 80 to 90 percent in some fields. "It's much worse than I thought it would be," said Jared Whitaker, UGA Extension cotton agronomist. "Southwest of (Tifton, Georgia), it's terrible, in Bainbridge and Donalsonville ... pictures I've received from Washington County will make you feel sick." While farmers in southeast Georgia slipped by with as little as 15 percent loss, some southwest Georgia farmers are looking at total losses in some fields, he said. "I think what we do from here on out is going to vary in a lot of places. In some places I've seen, I don't think we'll even pull a picker in there to harvest the crop. I think we lost so much cotton that it wouldn't be profitable to even harvest it," Whitaker said. The fact that the storm struck when the cotton was near harvest made the impact even more severe. Whitaker estimates that only 15 percent of this year's crop was already picked before Hurricane Michael arrived, while a small portion of the crop was planted late enough to be relatively safe. Georgia cotton crop loss estimates vary widely, from $300 to $800 million in lost lint and seed. PEANUTS The loss to Georgia's peanut crop is estimated to be between $10 and $20 million. The hurricane dealt a devastating blow to local buying points and peanut shellers when it traveled through Bainbridge, Donalsonville, Camilla, Albany and Cordele, Georgia, which represent a significant portion of the state's peanut-producing community. "In the western part of the state, there has been significant damage to drying shelters and elevators that will slow the harvest down. Ultimately, growers may have to field-dry peanuts until repairs are made," said UGA Extension peanut agronomist Scott Monfort. "The loss of elevators could also cause a backlog of trailers for farmers who are trying to drop off their crop. This will again slow down harvest at a time when producers are trying to get their peanuts out of the field." Before the storm, 40 to 45 percent of Georgia's peanut crop was still in the field, he said. Now growers must harvest the remaining crop without losing too much in weight and quality. Some nuts will be lost due to overmaturity or disease as growers could not dig peanuts due to the storm, Monfort said. VEGETABLES Georgia's late summer and fall vegetable crop was also close to harvest or in the midst of harvest when Hurricane Michael arrived. The damage varies significantly across southwestern Georgia counties, but the loss is estimated at more than $480 million. Some vegetable farmers in the direct path of the storm lost close to 90 percent, while others on the edges of the storm lost around 20 to 30 percent. A 20 percent loss is quite significant for an individual farmer, said Greg Fonsah, the UGA Cooperative Extension agricultural economist who was charged with calculating the crop loss and its economic impact. Sweet corn producers, many of which were in the direct path of the storm, were hardest hit, with losses of up to 100 percent of their remaining crop. In Mitchell and Decatur counties, where the bulk of the state's fall sweet corn is planted, much of the crop was destroyed, said Timothy Coolong, UGA Extension vegetable horticulture specialist. Plants that were fully loaded with produce were pushed down by 60 mph winds with gusts from 80 to 100 mph. This phenomenon, known as lodging, not only makes produce hard to harvest, it exposes the fruit to the sun, which causes sunburn, a condition that makes the fruit unmarketable. Many of the state's cool-season vegetables, which were just transplanted, were spared. Although some damage is expected, most of the plants were small enough to be somewhat sheltered from the hurricane's winds. POULTRY, LIVESTOCK, TIMBER AND SOYBEANS The poultry industry losses are estimated at $30 million in lost birds and houses. A million acres of timberland were hit by Hurricane Michael, resulting in the potential loss of $1 billion worth of timber. Soybean growers suffered a $10 to $20 million loss. Livestock and dairy farmers suffered infrastructure losses, like fencing and forage, but UGA Extension economists have no real estimate for livestock losses. Dairy farmers lost milk production due to power outages, which prevented them from milking cows and storing their milk safely. Source - https://insurancenewsnet.com

India - Staring at a drought year[:ru]n

The four months of southwest (SW) monsoon season, June to September, ended just three weeks back and some parts of the country are already staring at drought-like conditions. States such as Maharashtra, whose semi-arid Marathwada region is infamous for recurring droughts and has recorded a deficient rainfall of minus 22 per cent this monsoon, has already started the exercise of 'ground truthing' for drought assessment and kharif (summer) crop yield losses. As per preliminary list, 201 blocks (179 blocks, claim some news reports) in 32 districts of the state seem affected by drought. Situation seems worrisome in Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkand, parts of Telangana and Chhattisgarh, and in the Northeast region, which have received deficient rainfall in the SW monsoon. The soil moisture index in these regions is also in the negative, thus signalling a possible onset of drought. Bihar government has already declared 206 blocks in 23 districts drought-hit with immediate drought-relief worth Rs 1,500 crore. As per the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) rainfall data, at an all India level, the rainfall departure between June 1 and September 30 this year, is minus 9 per cent, which is 'below normal' monsoon rainfall. Of the total 36 meteorological subdivisions in the country, 23 received 'normal' rainfall, whereas 12 had 'deficient' rainfall. Only Kerala, which faced unprecedented floods in mid-August, has recorded 'excess' rainfall this SW monsoon season. At the state-level, as against a 'normal' monsoon rainfall of 672.7mm, Gujarat received 484.6mm rainfall, thus 'deficient' rainfall of minus 28 per cent. Bihar and Jharkhand have recorded 'deficient' rainfall of minus 25 per cent and minus 28 per cent, respectively. North interior Karnataka and Rayalaseema subdivisions are in 'deficient' rainfall category, too. In Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, rainfall departure is as high as minus 54 per cent and minus 32 per cent, respectively. According to Dr M Rajeevan, secretary, Union ministry of earth sciences, this year's 'below normal' rainfall is mainly because of an unprecedented deficient rainfall over Northeast India. Only four times in the past, there has been rainfall deficiency exceeding 20 per cent over Northeast India, he added. It must be noted that in its 2nd stage long-range forecast for SW monsoon rainfall this year, issued on May 30, the IMD had predicted a 'normal' monsoon. On August 3, it issued a press release, informing "quantitatively, the rainfall for the country as a whole during the second half of the season (August and September) is likely to be 95 per cent of LPA [long period average] with a model error of ±8 per cent." Whereas month-wise rainfall forecast for August and September (and the actual rainfall of 94 per cent of LPA received in June and July) clearly suggested the country was headed towards a 'below normal' monsoon rainfall, it wasn't officially stated. But, deficient monsoon rainfall alone doesn't lead to drought. Other indicators — agriculture, soil moisture, hydrology, and remote sensing (health of crops) — are taken into consideration for drought declaration. These are listed under the Centre's Manual for Drought Management 2016, a primary document for drought assessment and drought declaration in the country. As per the South Asia Drought Monitor managed by Water & Climate Lab at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar, as of October 17, several regions in the country have negative soil moisture index and heading towards short-term or long-term drought. The deficit in soil moisture can be due to deficient monsoon rainfall or an increase in temperature. Dr Vimal Mishra, associate professor at IIT Gandhinagar informed that lack of soil moisture impacts crop growth and will affect rabi sowing this year. These impacts have already started to reflect in kharif crop yields in Maharashtra. According to Mohan Bhise, former agricultural officer of Latur, the entire Marathwada region is in the grips of drought. Soybean crop in Latur district has reported crop yield losses between 25 per cent to 50 per cent. Old plantations of sugarcane in Latur, too, have suffered 65-70 per cent yield loss. In villages of Parbhani in Marathwada, farmers have reported up to 60 per cent reduction in Bt cotton crop yield, informed Manik Kadam, president of Marathwada division of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana. Official crop loss estimation is underway in the state and drought may be declared by this month end. Along with rainfall and soil moisture content, availability of water in reservoirs is also crucial. According to the live water storage data of Maharashtra Water Resources Department, as of October 19, large projects in Marathwada have only 26.38 per cent water. Last year, same time, they were 78.70 per cent full. Majalgaon and Manjara projects in Beed district have zero live water storage. Lack of adequate rainfall and low soil moisture content is expected to translate into additional pressure on the groundwater, which largely remains unregulated and mismanaged. Various state governments have already announced incentives on agricultural pumpsets, which may lead to mindless exploitation of groundwater, a key to our future water security. Without waiting any longer, states affected by deficient rainfall and low soil moisture content, and with limited irrigation facilities need to keep their respective drought response plans ready. The existing water sources need to be secured and rationed carefully as the next SW monsoon is more than seven months away. There is also an urgent need to regulate groundwater use. With reports of building up of El Niño in the Pacific Ocean, which impacts global weather patterns, including our SW monsoon, the situation may turn more difficult next year. Source - https://www.dnaindia.com

USA - 26,000 ducks killed in barn fire with $2 million loss

A massive barn fire killed about 26,000 ducks in Franklin County over the weekend, according to reports. The fire occurred around 10 a.m. Saturday, at a poultry barn on Buttermilk Road in Quincy Township. The 65 by 600 foot barn was destroyed, with the total loss at an estimated $2 million. Mont Alto Fire Department Lt. Dan Shearer told that there were no injuries other than the livestock, and no damage to other structures. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Crews were on scene fighting the fire for nearly five hours on Saturday. Source - https://www.pennlive.com

Ukraine - Insufficient soil moisture for winter grains

On October 11-19, most of the country was dominated by typical weather for this time: unstable, with significant air temperature fluctuation, extraordinarily warm and dry. The average daily air temperature varied from +9.5 to +16.3⁰С, i.e. it was 5.4-7.0°С above normal. However, a wide swing between maximum and minimum air temperatures was observed in this period. No precipitation occurred at the time. As a result of dry, sunny and warm weather, soil moisture available to winter crops decreased in most regions. As of October 10, the estimated content of productive moisture in the 0-20-cm layer in winter crops was insufficient, locally poor. The topsoil was absolutely dry in some fields in Kherson and Odesa regions. The conditions were generally favorable for emergence, development and establishment of winter crops. Only in single areas across Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kherson regions the topsoil moisture content became insufficient for seed germination and further plant growth. Winter rape plants continued to develop leaf rosettes, while late-sown ones in the south were at the emergence stage. Rape crops were sparse in some southern areas due to drought. Plant condition is good and fair. Source - http://www.blackseagrain.net

Australia - Wheat production, exports forecast to be lowest in 11 years

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Oct. 12 forecast Australian wheat production and exports in 2018-19 to be the lowest since 2007-08. The USDA forecast Australian wheat production in 2018-19 at 18.5 million tonnes, down 1.5 million tonnes from the September outlook, down 2.8 million tonnes, or 13%, from 21.3 million tonnes in 2017-18 and compared with a record 31.8 million tonnes in 2016-17. The USDA’s initial forecast for the 2018-19 Australian crop, which was issued in May of this year, was 24 million tonnes. The Australian crop was forecast to be the smallest since 13.6 million tonnes in 2007-08. That crop came on the heels of a disastrous outturn of 10.8 million tonnes in 2006-07. The USDA in its October Wheat Outlook said, “Exceptionally dry, warm weather, particularly during the critical month of September, shriveled wheat in most growing regions of eastern Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, at the national level, it was the driest month of September on record.” New South Wales, which in some years accounts for up to 40% of Australia’s wheat crop, has endured sustained drought. Wheat yields in the state were expected to be the lowest since the 2007 drought. The USDA said precipitation beyond this point may only marginally help a fraction of the crop that was planted later in the season “but is unlikely in any substantial way to improve yields of a crop which is mostly beyond its reproductive period and is going through the final states of maturity.” The USDA observed conditions had been much more favorable in Western Australia, but poor precipitation there in September reduced yield potential. October rains in the state stabilized yield prospects, but frost was reported recently, and the extent of possible damage to the crop was unclear. Wheat production in Western Australia will not be able to offset crop losses in the eastern states, the USDA said. Some private analysts suggested Australian wheat production may fall below the USDA forecast by as much as 2 million tonnes. The USDA forecast Australian wheat exports in 2018-19 at 13 million tonnes, down 1 million tonnes from the September outlook, down 1.5 million tonnes, or 10%, from 14.5 million tonnes in 2017-18 and compared with 22.6 million tonnes in 2016-17. Australia exported a record 24.7 million tonnes of wheat in 2011-12. The forecast outgo for 2018-19 was the lowest since 7.5 million tonnes was exported in 2007-08. The initial USDA forecast for Australian wheat exports in 2018-19, issued in May, was 17 million tonnes. The USDA observed, “Not only are Australian wheat supplies diminished, but it is also unlikely that the eastern states will export any substantial amount of wheat. Additionally, wheat originating in Western Australia that under normal conditions would be exported is going to be transported from Western Australia to New South Wales and Queensland. These two states greatly need animal feed this year, as the drought not only shrank their wheat harvest, but also destroyed pastures.” Source - https://world-grain.com

USA - Ag survey reports nearly $28M in damages caused by eruption

Less than 50 Big Island farmers reported nearly $28 million in total agricultural damages in a survey of farmers affected by the Kilauea eruption published last week. Beginning in August, the University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources conducted a survey of farmers affected by the Kilauea eruption. The 46 respondents reported that they had collectively lost approximately $27.9 million in destroyed property. Of the total damages reported, nearly two thirds — $17 million — were specifically damage to crops, while destroyed land, buildings and inventory accounted for $4.1 million, $3.3 million and $3 million in losses, respectively. A statement by the Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association, which requested the University conduct the survey, advised that the data from the survey is not “all-inclusive” but provides a snapshot of how devastating the eruption was for the island’s agricultural industries. The survey found that $13.3 million of the reported damages were from the floriculture industry, with another $6.5 from the papaya industry and $2.5 from the macadamia nut industry. Eric Tanouye, president of the Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association, said the Kapoho region, now mostly buried in lava, had ideal conditions for orchid growers. After the eruption, Tanouye estimated that 10 percent of the Association’s roughly 300 statewide members had been affected. Even though Tanouye said some new nurseries are beginning to see new growth, it can take up to two years to grow an orchid from seed to salable plant under ideal conditions, during which time farmers starting out will have no cash flow. “It’s a big decision for anyone to choose to go back into debt,” Tanouye said. “Every farmer is going to have to make that ultimate decision themselves.” Beyond the economic impact, the loss of equipment, land viability and inventory for the affected industries has left their future in doubt. “It’s hard to put into dollars and cents,” said Eric Wienert, president of the Hawaii Papaya Industry Association. Wienert said he estimated that around 30 to 40 percent of the Big Island’s papaya production has been destroyed or rendered inaccessible, resulting in immediate economic damage to the industry. However, he also estimated that approximately 700 acres of “the best growing area for papayas in maybe the world” have been buried by lava, raising long-term questions about the industry’s future. Independent papaya grower Justin Manuel said two of his three fields have been compromised by the eruption. One 13-acre field in Opihikao was downwind of the volcanic fissures, leaving hundreds of trees withered by exposure to sulfur dioxide; another field in Pohoiki was undamaged, but is inaccessible. “It used to be our weekly average from the three fields was about 32 bins, at 700 pounds each,” Manuel said. “Now it’s two bins.” “When you’ve been farming a long time, you accumulate so much stuff,” Manuel, who has been an independent farmer for 10 years, continued. “So you base your farm’s value on all of that and then it’s all gone at once.” Wienert said the majority of the destroyed crop was destined for Oahu or Canada, while most of the Japanese and mainland export growing lands were largely unaffected. However, those farmers who lost growing land may not be able to find replacements, although the survey suggested that most inundated farmers would be willing to buy new land. Some lands on the Big Island have appropriate conditions for papayas to grow, Wienert said, but the cost of clearing the land would not be economically feasible for most operations. Meanwhile, like the orchids, papayas take time to grow — about a year — while unemployment insurance runs out after six months, Wienert said. Wienert said the farming community has discussed legislation extending unemployment insurance long enough to cover growing periods, but was not optimistic. “There’s an underlying tone of resignation [among farmers],” Wienert said. “Despite all the rhetoric, nothing seems to ever happen at the state level.” Even so, Tanouye said he hopes the survey results can help farmers to obtain the funding they need. Source - https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com

India - Climate change is a threat to coffee plantations

There seems to be no end to the concerns of Srini, a young planter who has recently started growing Arabica and Robusta plants at his small estate in Chikmangalur, Karnataka, one of the most important coffee destinations in India. His problems seem to be endless: delayed rains, heavy rains, increasing pollution, and increased temperature this year, and finally, floods. There has been a drop in the yield over the years and a complete washout because of this year’s floods. Srini is one of the several farmers worried about the sustainability of his estate. India produces more than 300,000 tonnes of coffee with Karnataka contributing to 85% of this produce. Coffee in India has a rich history of 300 years, offering livelihood to more than 15 lakh families. India grows mainly Robustas (70%) with Arabica accounting for the rest. However, the real worry has been declining yield by 20% over the years and depleting margins for the farmers. Coffee is one of the most valuable commodities on earth in terms of utility and commercial value. Challenges of yield and margins are not just specific to India, they are global concerns. With very high utility and commercial value, the coffee business is well leveraged, spread across the world and prides itself on being a robust ecosystem. However, decreasing yields and depleting margins can affect the community as a whole. The challenges don’t just affect farmers, but the entire community. Lower yields mean reduced availability of coffee, increasing costs and shrinking margins, resulting in job losses in the industry. Arabica coffee is sensitive to even slight fluctuations in temperature, humidity and sunlight. Both coffee yield and plants, when the temperature grows beyond 23-30 degrees Celsius, are threatened. Robusta is slightly more resistant to higher temperatures but can get badly affected when the temperature falls below 15 degrees C or when there’s no adequate rain. Coffee plantations are natural ecosystems that won’t contribute to environmental degradation. These plantations help the environment by attracting increased numbers of animal and bird species, carbon sequestration, by preventing soil erosion, by holding the soil, by improving pollination. The coffee plant is shade-grown crop, which flourishes in its natural habitat and environment. The ideal conditions include natural shade, 2-4 months of dry season and around 70 inches of rain through the year. Over time, coffee plantations, in fact, have fallen victims to environmental degradation. In the last 10 years, the international prices of coffee have increased by over 25%. While this is bad news for consumers, the cost of cultivation has increased by 250% as well. This depletes the margin for coffee plantations. Reduced margins force lack of investment in infrastructure, thus initiating a downward spiral. With small growers constituting 98% of the growers, all this only adds to cash flow issues of the farmers threatening the whole industry. A close look at the problem brings up these reasons for the degrading of the ecosystem and reducing yields of coffee. Firstly, the loss of forest cover has taken a toll. Reduced rainfall and depleting irrigation sources, and man-animal conflict (for example, wildlife straying into estates) have also contributed to the crisis. The loss of their natural habitat has caused a decline in the bee population near coffee plantations, and bees are extremely critical for pollination. The general effects of climate change should also be considered: how rising temperatures have caused droughts and floods in many of the coffee-rich regions. Besides all this, the global rainfall volumes have been increasing (maximum daily rainfall is rising by 0.3% per annum, mainly due to the burning of oil and gas, and deforestation), but not in a predictable manner. Few regions receive too much rain, causing not just crop loss, but more serious problems like soil erosion and landslides. The effect can be better understood from the fact that nearly 50% of the regions that grow coffee today can become barren lands in the next 30 years because of climate change. Further, it should be noted that when rainfall is abundant throughout the year, or when there is no dry period, coffee yields are still lower than usual as flower buds require 2-4 months of dry season. Another notable point is that when rainfall is more than 10% above average, widespread floods occur, and when rainfall is more than 10% below average, droughts occur. Unlike many industries, the coffee industry has been far more proactive in its efforts to address these challenges. But more must be done to support the industry. Solutions include promoting “coffee tourism” to supplement poor plantation incomes. To help the farmers grow other commercial crops, which again are subject to the same challenges as coffee. And to increase planters’ profitability by helping them to sell processed beans of world-class quality instead of raw cherry. Source - https://www.sundayguardianlive.com

Drone technology to reduce water consumption by 90 percent

Subsistence farming using bullocks was replaced with tractors and mechanized harvesters and using GMOs to improve crop immunity. And the now the next stage in the evolution of farming is a large-scale single crop unit that would give unparalleled output because of the ‘drones’ that would be deployed for various functions. A Chinese company Eagle Brother Co Ltd from Hubei Province is currently testing a platform for spraying crops with the help of drones. The platform will be launched in very soon. It is said that modern technology will minimize water consumption by 90% and increase productivity to 50 percent. It is specified that farmers themselves will be able to indicate information on varieties and types of crops, the size of the farm and the necessary pesticides, and the spraying process with the help of drones will be performed by the operators already in place. Earlier a similar test of the drone by American scientists to spray herbicides was conducted in North Dakota. In Nong'an, a major grain-producing county in northeast China's Jilin Province, a drone flies above the crop fields, spraying a white mist of chemicals. "Drone spraying is five times more efficient than tractor sprayers, let alone manual spraying," said Wen Yesheng, head of Zhongyi agricultural machinery cooperative. "That's the power of modern agriculture." Wen's greenhouse is even more high-tech. In the past, he had to roll up the curtains to lower the temperature or burn coal for heating. Now an automated exhaust system and solar energy equipment are in place. The increased use of large machinery and high-tech equipment has also helped Chinese farmers reduce grain losses in harvesting. A cooperative in Minyue Village, Songyuan City, started using an advanced corn harvester this year, which can cut the plant and separate the seeds from the cob while processing and spreading the corn stover over the field. "The traditional harvester collected corn and transported them to a storage house for further separation work. Around 1 percent of seeds was lost during the process," said Zhang Zhifeng, Party chief of the village. "The new machine has higher efficiency and can greatly reduce the losses of harvest," Zhang said. The agriculture mechanization rate of main crops in Jilin is more than 80 percent. The province owns around 600,000 large and medium-sized tractors. Jilin is just one example of China's push to develop modern agriculture. The country had 1.14 million combine harvesters and 14.31 million items of irrigation and drainage equipment by the end of 2016, up 105.3 percent and 6.1 percent respectively compared with a decade ago, according to results of the country's third national agricultural survey. Li Weiguo, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said that China would advance the scientific and technological innovation of agricultural machines, providing efficient equipment and technical support for the upgrading of its agricultural mechanization. The big market has attracted foreign brands. World famous equipment manufacturers such as John Deere and AGCO from the United States and Italy's SDF Group are frequent visitors of machinery exhibitions and agricultural fairs held in China. Accompanying the increasing use of machinery is the growth of scale farming. Around 2 million specialized farmer's cooperatives were registered in China by the end of November, 76 times the number a decade ago, according to the ministry. Currently, the cooperatives have over 100 million rural households participating, which account for 46.8 percent of the country's total. Through specialized cooperatives, farmers engaged in the same kind of agricultural production are able to pool resources and increase productivity. "The development of farmers' cooperatives in China will accelerate its land circulation, heralding greater demands for agricultural machinery and fierce competition among equipment manufacturers home and abroad," said Liu Xiaoran, an expert with the China National Association of Grain Sector. Source - https://krishijagran.com

China - Gansu onions damaged by weather

Due to the poor storage conditions and heavy rain in August, the temperature plummeted, and some onions in Gansu Province have been damaged and gone rotten. Due to the expansion of planting areas, the onion market took a downturn in August. When the farmers were not willing sell, the onions were stored but many were damaged by the moist atmosphere. The onion production this year has been reduced by about 20% compared to previous years. Nowadays, the price is low and the storage cost is high. As the climate is cooling down, and the trade costs of growers and storage companies are high. Due to long-term storage, peeling and rot were observed in the onions stored in the package. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com