Agroinsurance

Belgium - Shorter cherry season due to quick flowering season

The cherry acreage of the Belgische Fruitveiling, or BFV, has shown a rising line for years. The importance of covered production in particular is increasing. This year the cooperative expects a short and challenging season. The cherry season once again started for the BFV mid-June. The harvesting period is less long than usual this year because of the shorter flowering season. “We’re dealing with exceptional factors this season. Because of the high temperatures, there was a quick and short-lived flowering. Pollination of some cherry varieties wasn’t optimal because of this, which influences setting of the fruit,” says Diether Everaerts of the commercial service early in June. “This is mostly the case for the Regina variety. We were told the harvest of this variety is 50 to 60 per cent smaller than usually. Expectations are good for the other varieties, though. A good pollination is very important for cherries, and it went slightly too quickly due to the warm and dry weather this year.” BFV’s cherry production has been increasing for years, and this season it amounts to 350 hectares. This concerns outdoor production, 20 to 25 per cent of which is covered. Diether mentions protected production is aimed for from BFV because of the harvest security and a better production. “With outdoor production, it’s common when there’s two good harvests in five years, and three poorer harvests. Besides the harvest security of protected production, quality definitely also plays its part, because there’s less chance of cracks and decay. Cherries can remain on trees longer when they’re covered, so they can continue colouring without the risk of damages. This results in better-looking and larger cherries.” Covering a must Of all varieties grown by BFV’s growers, Kordia, Regina, Lapins and Sweetheart are the four main varieties with the largest volumes. “These are dark-coloured flavour varieties, which are looked forward to each year, and which are best known among consumers,” the salesman adds. He explains Lapins is the most productive variety with the highest yield per tree. “However, it’s also the most fragile variety. The cherries can’t stay on the trees long enough to properly colour because the risk of cracks or decay is too large. If these orchards were covered, Lapins would be a good alternative to all other dark cherries, should a shortage ever occur.” Combined with early varieties Burlat and Samba, BFV is trying to reach a spread of six to seven weeks. “The past taught us Belgian and Dutch wholesalers establish programmes abroad, such as in France, Greece, Turkey or Spain, where they have higher harvest security than here. To persuade wholesalers to choose local production, it’s important to have good varieties, harvest security and a good spreading. Ten years ago, the cherry season lasted four weeks at most. We’re trying to expand this to six or seven weeks.” As said before, this won’t happen this season, because of the short flowering season as a consequence of the warm and dry weather. The cooperative expects a season of five weeks at most. Mid-June, the first Burlat and Samba’s will be harvested, and late July, the season will be closed by Sweetheart. In total, the cooperative’s growers will be able to harvest more than three million kilos of cherries. Hydro-cooling for better shelf life Part of the cherries is sorted by the growers themselves, but production is increasingly mechanically sorted by BFV, which results in a more homogenous and uniform product according to Diether. “We can handle a fairly high capacity. During the high season, we operate in two shifts so that we can centrally sort more than one million kilos in that period. Besides, it’s important supply takes place within three hours after the harvest so that the cherries can be hydro-cooled before being sorted. Field heat has to be brought down as soon as possible. This can make a major difference particularly when temperatures are high. By hydro-cooling, shelf life is improved and the stems stay green longer, which is also to the benefit of their shelf life.” BFV’s cherries are packed under the Truval and Sira brands. Only the premium cherries are marketed under Truval, while the better quality cherries are offered in Sira packaging. Diether explains the importance of a fitting packaging: “Wholesalers want to offer a uniform product and guarantee continuity in this. Consumers are thus encouraged to make repeat purchases. It’s conducive when consumers can find the product in the same conditions and packaging as the week before. Depending on the season, sizes 28+ and 30+ are mostly meant for wholesalers and retail in Belgium. France is also a major buyer of these sizes. For that matter, the French prefer a clear difference between small and larger sizes, and therefore completely ignore the size 26+. When production is covered, it’s easy to achieve sizes 28+, 30+ and even 32+, because these cherries can stay on the trees longer. That’s an additional advantage of protected production.” About 40 per cent of BFV’s cherries is sent to department stores, about 20 per cent is sold to wholesalers and the rest is for export. Challenging sales season At the time of writing, the cherry season hadn’t started yet for BFV. Diether expects the season to start within two weeks. He talks about how some cherries already have a yellow shine, which means that when it doesn’t become colder and start to rain, the cherries won’t get a chance to get larger. Yet he hopes for a few more millimetres in the following weeks. “Its’ very important how we market the first cherries. If it’s warm everywhere and all European production countries are on the market, sales will be quite difficult, resulting in lower prices. We can see this with strawberries now, which are all entering the market at the same time, resulting in lower prices. We’re hoping to be able to make good price agreements in advance, but there will be some pressure on prices.” Normally, Europe has a good spreading regarding cherry supply. This season is exceptional and it’s indeed looking as if everything will arrive at the same time. “It will be challenging, but I think we’ll manage. A good season never actually has too many cherries. Moreover, the Belgian cherries have a unique position, and there are all sorts of (sporting) events that boost sales. All in all, we’re definitely feeling positive.” BFV also expects to continue expanding their cherry acreage in coming years, although this growth will be less rapid than in previous years. In the end, the cherry acreage will amount to 400 hectares. “We’re fully dedicating ourselves to protected production in the coming years. We’re hoping to cover at least 40 to 50 per cent in coming years. Protected production gives more security, which will become a necessity rather than an advantage regarding the ever more extreme weather circumstances.” Diether confirms the high cost of covering the orchards. The cooperative is looking into ways to help growers with this. For example, there’s a plan to buy the material together and develop investment programmes to this end. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

Spain - Extremadura is having the worst fruit campaign in three years

Plums, nectarines, peaches and cherries, in that order, are the most produced fruits in Extremadura in terms of volume. Plums are the flagship fruit. Between 60 and 70% of the Spanish production comes from Extremadura. In fact, Extremadura is also the main producing region in Europe. With a production capacity of 120,000 tonnes, it is normal for between 90,000 and 100,000 tonnes to be produced in the 7,000 hectares that are cultivated in the fertile plains of the Guadiana River. Extremadura has a total of 25,000 hectares devoted to fruit trees. Of these, 14,000 correspond to cherries and are located almost exclusively in the Jerte Valley. "2015 was a good year in terms of both production and prices, and since then, we have had some difficult campaigns, but without a doubt, this year's has been the most difficult," says Miguel Ángel Gómez, manager of the Association of Fruit Growers of Extremadura (Afruex), which brings together 90% of the region's fruit producers. Gómez talks about an overlap of negative factors as it hadn't been seen for a long time, and which has had a negative impact not only on the producers, but also on the volume of labour generated during the campaign. In March/April, there was a poor fruit setting due to excess water and too cold temperatures at specific times. In May, there was the impact of hailstorms. Factors The report prepared by the Council for the Environment and Agrarian Policies to ask the government for the area to be declared as seriously affected by emergencies (a former catastrophic area) is devastating. The storms in May caused damage to crops worth 32,039,477 Euro and the loss of 675,769 wages. Moreover, of the 36,343.47 hectares that have been affected, 14,823.76 hectares have suffered the full destruction of their production. A significant part of these hectares are fruit trees. These are outstanding figures for a subsector (Extremadura's fruit) which generates "a huge turnover, totalling about 300 million Euro per year, and 70% of that money is generated from sales abroad," explains the head of Afruex. Extremadura's latest data on the income generated from fruit exports are remarkable. In 2017, 169.5 million Euro worth of fruit were shipped to foreign markets, but in 2016, that figure had been even higher: 178.9 million Euro. It was also better in 2015, as Extremadura's fruit growers made 203.5 million Euro from the sale of their products outside of Spain. This statistic is from the Spanish Federation of Producers and Exporters of Fruits and Vegetables (Fepex), based in turn on data from the General Directorate of Customs. The turnover is obviously linked to the production and prices each year. These two factors are now negative, "although it will all depend on how plums do. The first variety is already in the market and the last one will arrive in September. If good prices are paid for the plums, we will be able to salvage the campaign," says Gómez. So far, the peach and nectarine production has been around 20% smaller compared to a normal harvest. That percentage rises to 50% in the case of plums. "Plums are the key, and we'll still have to wait a few more days to know how big the production will be and whether the price will go up, as it should," says José Aurelio García. An analysis from Fepex reveals that weather-related problems have caused great losses, especially hailstorms and frost. "These bad weather conditions are also taking a toll on stone fruit consumption. Still, there is widespread concern in the sector, because besides the impact from the cold temperatures, consumption has been falling in recent years," concludes the organization in a report released at its general assembly, held at the end of spring in Villanueva de la Serena. "It is true that in Europe, as well as in other foreign markets that are essential for us, we've had a cold spring and that does not exactly make early stone fruit varieties appealing. Now we have to wait and see how the fruit does in summer," stresses Gómez. "From mid-June, it was hot in Europe and consumption didn't increase. I think that the lower consumption alone is not enough reason to explain the low prices. Now we'll see whether the heat leads to a market revival," says García. "We started fifteen days later than usual and the harvest is currently smaller, but the quality, at least in my plot, is better than in other campaigns," concludes Ramos. The producer points out that the growing costs are high and that low prices, together with a significant decrease in production, "could cause many problems." Miguel Ángel Gómez points out that getting stable prices in the stone fruit sector is almost impossible. "We suffer price oscillations that other agricultural sectors never have to face. The problem is not that prices change every on a weekly basis, or every two week, there can be huge variations in a matter of days, or hours," he stresses. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

USA - Growing drought squeezing Arkansas cattle producers

Drought has put its grip on nearly 80 percent of Arkansas and the state’s ranchers are having to make decisions to handle rapidly dwindling amounts of forage for their cattle. The U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday showed the 79.83 percent of the state with some drought rating. Severe drought appeared in 2.19 percent of the state. Moderate drought covered some 35.85 percent of Arkansas. The six to 10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center showed a better than 40 percent chance all of the state would see above normal temperatures through July 15, but normal odds of getting rain over the same period. However, the chances for some precipitation were in the forecast from Sunday through Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service at Little Rock. “Within the last week, week-and-a-half, I’ve been getting calls and emails from people looking for hay,” Brian See, interim Marion County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said Friday. He recounted a recent visit to a client who asked See to look at his pasture. “It was just crunchy. Just burned up,” See said. “There was nothing green except for patches of crabgrass. He hadn’t had rain in a month.” “Some people hadn’t even gotten their first cutting of hay,” he said. “Some did and it was half of normal.” So far, ponds have been holding, See said. “I haven’t heard of any water problems yet.” John Jennings, extension forage specialist for the Division of Agriculture, said that even with the scattered showers of the last few days, “pasture recovery will require more than a few rain showers due to the dry soil profile and continued high temperatures.” Ranchers will need to make management decisions quickly during drought to maintain enough forage to feed the herd. “Culling poor performing animals is one choice to reduce the amount of forage needed, but improving pasture management can also be effective,” he said. “Producers who plan ahead get themselves into a position to take advantage of better growing conditions when those conditions eventually arrive.” Where pastures still have forage, Jennings recommended “protecting any remaining standing forage by shutting pasture gates or by using temporary electric fencing. Manage it like standing hay and feed it a few acres at a time to make it last as long as possible.” Rotational grazing is a good drought management tool. Rotational grazing helps maintain forage growth longer into a drought period than continuous grazing. Overgrazing weakens plants and leads to shortened root systems causing them to respond more slowly to rain and fertilizer than do healthier plants. Rotating pastures during drought conditions can help protect the pastures that will be needed for summer production. Although all forages produce yield less during drought, some species including bermudagrass and KY-31 tall fescue, can tolerate heavy grazing and still survive. Manage grazing pressure carefully during prolonged dry weather to prevent loss of high quality forage species such as novel endophyte fescue, clover, and orchardgrass. Feeding hay and limit grazing during dry weather can stretch available forage on drought-stressed pastures. If all pastures are already grazed short and no regrowth is being produced then cattle can be shut in a single pasture and fed hay until better growing conditions arrive. This practice may be detrimental to that pasture, but it helps protect forage in other pastures that will needed for later grazing. Where pastures are grazed down to the soil and ranchers are feeding hay, “management strategies must focus on drought recovery.” Don Hubbell, head of the Livestock and Forestry Station in Batesville, said now “is also a good time for producers to be thinking about stockpiling fescue and bermudagrass for winter feeding. “I know they are thinking about today, but we need to also be looking ahead to set up our fall pasture plans,” he said. “Rotational grazing will help set up the stockpiling scenario. If the dry weather ends, rotational grazing will promote more forage growth, distribute manure and urine more evenly and possibly reduce fertilizer cost.” Source - http://www.hpj.com

Philippines - Rice inventories decline

RICE inventories as of June 1 were estimated at 2.36 million metric tons (MT), down on a year-on-year and month-on-month basis, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said. In PSA’s “Rice and Corn Stocks Inventory” released Tuesday, rice stocks fell 8.24% from a year earlier and were down 18.85% from a month earlier. Some 46.39% of the total was held by households, while 53.56% was held by commercial rice dealers. The remaining 0.09% consisted of inventory held by the National Food Authority (NFA). The overall rice inventory is considered sufficient for nearly 74 days’ demand. NFA stock is good for less than a day. The NFA is mandated to maintain at least 15 days’ worth of buffer stock at any given time and at least 30 days’ worth of buffer stock for lean months, which start on July. Household stocks rose 1.47% year on year while commercial and NFA inventories fell 1.92% and 98.99%, respectively. Month on month, commercial stocks fell 16.65%, household inventories were down 21.20% and NFA inventory fell 40.29%. Rice stocks are expected to pick up with the arrival of 250,000 MT of imported rice to replenish the NFA’s holdings, with other imports also en route via private deals. Corn stocks as of June 1 amounted to 592,010 MT, up 74.99% month on month and down 39.50% year on year. Commercial entities held 92.13% of the inventory while 7.87% was held by households. On a year-on-year basis commercial holdings fell 38.07% while those of households declined 49.22%. Source - http://www.blackseagrain.net

Germany - Grain yields tumble in the heat

Germany has scaled back grain yield estimations for the 2018-19 season by 10 per cent, as Europe suffers the effects of an ongoing dry spell. The July International Grains Council grain market report showed a forecasted drop in world wheat and coarse grain production for 2017-18, with adverse weather conditions in Europe hammering prospects for wheat, maize, and barley. In a statement last week, the German Farmers Association said the nation’s grain harvest for 2018-19 is a forecasted 41 million tonnes, a 4.5 million tonne drop from the previous season. German Farmers Association president Joachim Rukwied said some farmers were yet to harvest their crops because of the drought. “We will again have a harvest that is far below the average,” he said. The IGC Grains and Oilseeds Index dropped by about 9 per cent month on month, with the biggest declines noted for wheat, maize, and soyabeans. Commonwealth Bank analyst Tobin Gorey said the global grain community was in the midst of processing the news coming out of Europe late last week. “These are big cutbacks,” he said. “The prices are already reasonably high for canola. It means there is going to be less canola supplies in the world, and it’ll affect world supply, and will leave a demand for other oilseeds elsewhere.” Mr Gorey said Europe’s preference for non-GM canola might limit their options. “There possibly could be a boom in Australia, particularly for those growing non-GM,” he said. Australian Oilseeds Federation executive officer Nick Goddard said European grain yields this season were not what farmers were expecting. “The European climate is great if you’re on holiday, but if you’re trying to grow a crop it’s not so crash hot,” Mr Goddard said. “Europe has planted an area typical to what they’d normally do to rapeseed, but the yields are expected to not come through.” Mr Goddard said while Europe was scaling back yield estimations, carry-over stocks from last year would help create a buffer against a possible rapeseed shortage. While Europe’s grains industry suffers the blow of dry weather, Mr Goddard said it won’t struggle to find sources of canola for import, naming Ukraine as a key provider. “They’re a good supplier into Europe,” he said. “The Argentinians are also supplying soyabean oil and biodiesel directly shipped to Europe, so the demand for canola in Europe has fallen back slightly. “I don’t think Europe will go short of canola as a result of lower production.” Source - http://www.blackseagrain.net

UK - Harvest conditions ‘driest in living memory’

Conditions are dryer than the fabled summer of 1976 and its putting UK farms at high risk of devastating fires. The UK has basked in prolonged sunshine for weeks as the mercury sits comfortably above 25 degrees Celsius. But the heatwave has triggered numerous warnings from the agricultural industry that the tinder dry conditions can easily spark fires. The dry weather makes it more important than ever for farmers during harvest to maintain their buildings and equipment to reduce the risk of a fire breaking out, according to rural insurer NFU Mutual. Because of the increased risk, having evacuation and fire-fighting plans prepared and shared with family members and staff is a must. NFU Mutual’s Rural Affairs Specialist, Tim Price has warned that combines in particular are at heightened risk. “May and June’s good weather means that harvesting is already under way, weeks earlier than usual,” Mr Price said. “NFU Mutual is urging farmers to reduce the risk of fire by making sure that fire extinguishers on combine harvesters are serviced before harvest starts, and to make sure regular maintenance and cleaning to remove chaff is carried out.” In terms of maintaining the combine, farmers should tend to any oil or fuel leaks and replace worn bearings. Mr Price added: “Cleaning chaff off the combine is the obvious place to start, particularly in these dusty, dry conditions. If the combine does have a fire, it’s important to have a good set of fire extinguishers on board. “If a fire does occur the first priority is to ensure people and livestock are safe. However, with training and the right sort of fire extinguishers in place, it is often possible for farmers to tackle a small fire and prevent it turning into a major blaze without putting themselves at risk.” Source - https://www.farminguk.com

India - Big changes could be seen with simple shift in grains

A recent study demonstrates that India can grow more nutritious food and decrease water use simply by switching the cereals farmers produce. Currently, 7.3 billion people live on Earth, and the world population is expected to rise to 9.7 billion by 2050. Technological innovations have helped keep up with population growth in the past, but new research shows we might not need fancy tech for nutritional purposes. Lead researcher Kyle Frankel Davis from Columbia University told VOA, "A lot of my research interests stem from trying to better align food security and environmental goals. And the Green Revolution is a good example of how we haven't been able to do that historically." The Green Revolution is the name given to the development of high-yielding rice and wheat in the 1960s. These crops dramatically boosted food supplies in India and elsewhere; however, they required large amounts of water and fertilizer. With water supplies being strained and fertilizer pollution problems growing in many parts of the world, experts are encouraging farmers to consider less needy crops. Davis and his co-authors wanted to test whether a shift from rice and wheat to maize, sorghum or millet could lead to better nutritional balance and less water use. Working district by district, they used computer models to replace rice and wheat with other cereals that were grown in the district, but on a smaller scale. That ensured there was local agricultural knowledge about the alternative grain, and that the shift would be feasible. The authors went through this process twice. One model chose grains that would increase the balance of nutritional content among calories, protein, iron and zinc, and the second model reduced irrigation demands. In both cases, replacing rice with another grain like sorghum, millet or maize led to better water efficiency and more nutritious output. Maize, in particular, performed generally well as a nutritious alterative, but was even better at reducing water use. 'Win-win situations' The researchers' "small changes lead to big impacts," according to the Environmental Defense Fund's Kritee Kritee, who studies climate-smart agriculture. She added, "This study really brings attention to [alternative grains] and encourages both Indian scientists and international partners to do more research on the ground." "I think I was a bit surprised with the magnitude of potential water savings that could occur," Davis acknowledged. "We estimated that water demand could be reduced by about one-third, which is a really substantial volume. "I was also surprised that there are these win-win solutions sitting there," said Davis. "But it doesn't seem like they've been adopted historically and that has raised a lot of interesting questions as to why that hasn't been the case." Subsidies One potential explanation could be the governmental subsidies that are placed on some grains and not others. Davis thinks these state-level subsidies might explain the reliance on wheat and rice over other alternatives. Currently, most grains are grown in Punjab and Haryana. The computer models indicated that shifting cereals would create less regional dependence, which could protect against local crop failure, although the models did not take into account soil fertility. That is a major reason those two districts are considered bread baskets. Kritee agrees that while governmental policies are important, they aren't the only drivers of what crops farmers choose to cultivate. "India has 100 million small farms less than two to five acres and people making less than $2 a day. Behavior is not driven just by government prices. Behavior is driven by small-scale farmers managing their livelihood, and government-supported prices are only one way you can try to tweak that behavior." This study, published in Science Advances, is part of a larger research program to address multiple aspects of agriculture in India. The researchers are interested in observing how climate change, land use, and other factors affect farming practices, with the aim of increasing yield without damaging the environment. Davis hopes to translate these research findings into policy, saying, "In developing these solutions for a specific place, it's also vital that researchers work closely with government officials and local experts to really tailor the solutions and the research questions to what's important to the people in that place of interest." Source - www.blackseagrain.net

USA - Texas crop and weather report

Cotton producers who planted Bt pest-resistant varieties in some parts of the state are seeing damage from bollworms, so vigilant monitoring and management may be necessary to prevent losses, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Bollworm in cotton boll. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service courtesy Dr. David Kerns) Dr. David Kerns, AgriLife Extension integrated pest management state coordinator in College Station, said there has been a “huge” bollworm egg lay throughout much of the Upper Gulf Coast and central Blacklands areas. The bollworm in cotton, known as the earworm in corn and the headworm in sorghum, feed as larvae on cotton fruit and grain on corn and sorghum. This pest represents one of the most damaging for Texas agricultural producers, Kerns said. Infestations are airborne, arriving with the migration of moths that lay eggs in the three crops. Over the last two weeks, large numbers of eggs have been spotted in cotton fields. Kerns said the bollworms appeared to have moved into cotton primarily from the previous generation that had infested corn. It is thought the current bollworm generation has developed some resistance to some cotton Bt technologies by feeding on similar technologies in corn. Bacillus thuringiensis, referenced as Bt, is a spore-forming soil bacterium that produces protein crystals toxic to many types of insects. “Bollworms have shown a lot of resistance the last few years, and they’re persisting this year,” Kerns said. “We’ve seen a lot of damage in fields that have Bt technology. All of the cotton Bt technologies had experienced some degree of failure, except for varieties containing Bt-Vip technology, which seems to be holding up very well.” Bt cotton was genetically modified with resistance targeting tobacco budworm in 1996, Kerns said. Since then the primary pest of concern has shifted to the bollworm. Bt technology in cotton started with one toxin, then evolved to include two toxins and most recently three Bt toxins. The larvae that feed on the plant expressing the Bt die. Current Bt in cotton is specific towards caterpillar pests and is harmless to beneficial insects, Kerns said. But like many pests, the bollworms’ resistance to toxins has evolved as well, and the data demonstrates that bollworms have developed resistance to all the Bt toxins in cotton except the Vip toxin, he said. Kerns said cotton varieties containing Vip technology also include two additional Bt Cry toxins, and the combination of these toxins appears to be working on bollworms. “It appears that any variety with just two Cry toxins is having problems and those with the addition of Vip look good,” he said. “We’re seeing extensive damage in test plots, but cotton producers are aware of the problem and are treating cotton as needed to prevent yield loss.” Kerns said dryland fields that received moisture bounced back well, but infestations could put yields in jeopardy if not properly managed. Bollworm eggs typically hatch in three to four days, and the larval stage continues for almost two weeks, he said. Most producers are monitoring for bollworm and staying on top of the situation in individual fields, Kerns said. But multiple egg lays mean producers in the area need to monitor and producers in the northern Blacklands need to be watching their fields closely as moths produced from corn begin to emerge there. Kerns said producers should not assume Bt cotton will prevent bollworm damage and they should stay vigilant and note numbers, especially in non-Vip Bt cotton fields. Treatment of fields with insecticides early before the worms make their way to the fruit is the best tactic for optimal control. In areas where Bt resistance has been previously noted, spraying on large egg lay areas has proven highly effective. But Kerns said treatment of Vip cotton varieties should be based solely on damaged fruit with larvae present because treating those fields in most often not necessary. “In non-Vip cotton in areas where we have had Bt-resistance issues, if I have a large egg lay, I’m going to spray,” he said. “With Vip cotton, they tend to work, so you can avoid the added cost of spray treatments by just letting them do their job.” However, even Vip cotton can experience unacceptable injury from bollworms under certain conditions, and should be treated once 6 percent or more fruit injury occurs with larvae present, he said. ROLLING PLAINS: Weather in the district remained hot, dry and windy with some spotty showers. Cotton farmers wrapped up planting, however some acres were replanted due to weather conditions. Early planted cotton acres avoided the disastrous weather and were in good condition but needed rain. Pastures and rangelands were in good condition but also needed rain. Grasses were drying out, and wildfires were becoming a concern. One county reported over 1,500 acres burned. Hay was being used as a supplement in dry pastures. Grasshopper damage was occurring in pastures and yards. CENTRAL: Recent rains were not enough to keep pastures from burning up, and most producers didn’t get a second cutting on hay. Hay production was down drastically. Row crops were suffering and livestock were being supplemented. A lot of grain sorghum was cut for hay because heads were not making grain. A little more than half of the counties reported fair soil moisture. Overall crop, rangeland and pasture conditions were fair in more than half of the counties. COASTAL BEND: Scattered showers limited access to fields to harvest sorghum and corn. Harvest-aid applications to prevent lodging were delayed on some sorghum. Moisture levels fluctuated in grain day to day from 13 percent to 18 percent following a tropical front. Cotton bolls were opening, and a few early planted cotton fields were defoliated. Herbicide application continued as weather allowed. Some hay was being made, but conditions were not great. Livestock were doing well. EAST: Scattered showers eased dry soil conditions in many areas across the district. Water levels were still down in most lakes and ponds in Gregg and Cherokee counties, which caused difficulties for many livestock producers. Cherokee County was still in drought. Trinity County reported hard winds dried out soil following rains. Producers were still trying to find hay to purchase outside of Trinity County, and Smith County’s supply was running very low. Marion County reported some producers were having to start feeding hay and Gregg County producers continued hay feeding. Pasture and rangeland conditions were in fair to good condition throughout the district. Marion County gardens were drying up unless they were being watered. Subsoil and topsoil conditions were short. Livestock were in fair to good condition. Fly and mosquito numbers remained high in Henderson and Houston counties. Wild pigs continued to cause a lot of damage in Henderson County. SOUTH PLAINS: Hot, dry weather kept subsoil and topsoil moisture levels low despite spotty showers. Most areas were still in extreme drought. Cotton fleahopper numbers continued to be very low to non-existent. Some early planted cotton was blooming, and areas fortunate enough to receive moisture looked good. Remaining cotton fields were struggling, and growers were going back in failed acres with either cotton or sorghum. There were no signs of sugarcane aphids in sorghum. Weed and pest control remained priority No. 1 for producers. Pastures and rangelands needed rain. Peanuts were doing very well with most fields in bloom and beginning to set pegs. PANHANDLE: Temperatures were near average, but soil moisture was mostly short. Some moisture was received in parts of the district. Deaf Smith County producers all but wrapped up wheat harvest. Producers continued to run water on corn and cotton. Field work was ongoing with compost and manure trucks starting to operate. Mild weather and scattered showers in Moore County improved crop outlooks. Producers in Ochiltree County plowed and sprayed fallow ground and crops to control weeds. Sorghum planting was complete. Rangeland and pastures in some areas were in very good condition after heavy rains in June. Recent hail and high winds severely damaged or destroyed a large number of cotton acres in Wheeler County. NORTH: Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels were mostly short due to extremely high temperatures and lack of measurable rainfall. Wheat harvest was completed, and yields averaged about 50 bushels per acre. Hay harvest continued, but yields were about half what they were last year due to lack of moisture. Cotton began to bloom. Pastures and hay meadows were stressed from no rain. Wild pig activity was low. FAR WEST: Temperature highs were in the upper 90s with lows in the high 60s. Most parts of the district received rainfall ranging from trace amounts to more than 3 inches. Multiple pop-up rain showers combined with cooler temperatures and helped perk cotton up. Very few cotton acres survived, but acres that survived looked decent. Pest numbers increased. Spider mites were infesting corn and sorghum. Watermelon harvest was in full swing. Producers continued to water all crops. Shipping of kid and lambs was finishing up. Fire danger was less, but a few small grass fires occurred. WEST CENTRAL: Conditions were hot and dry with isolated rain showers. Rain amounts ranged from a trace to 2 inches. Cotton planting was complete. Substantial cotton acres showed little to no emergence due to drought conditions, though some areas provided marginal stands. Some storm damage occurred in crops. Overall crop conditions were fair. Sorghum fields were in fair to good condition. Forage sorghum and hay fields were in fair to good condition, but were showing drought stress. Rangeland and pasture conditions were mostly poor to fair. Tank levels were still low, but rains helped. SOUTHEAST: Parts of the district received significant rainfall while others received limited amounts. Galveston County received heavy rains, and some areas flooded. Walker County received scattered rains that helped soil moisture conditions. Moisture should help forages and vegetables. Livestock and crops were in good condition. Rangelands and pastures were very poor to excellent with fair ratings being most common. Soil moisture levels ranged from adequate to surplus with adequate being most common. SOUTHWEST: Almost all counties reported rainfall and cooler temperatures. Conditions were so poor, little improvement was noted. Without more rainfall, pasture and rangeland conditions will continue to deteriorate. Areas severely damaged by drought will likely not recover immediately. Wildlife were expected to benefit from the rains. SOUTH: Northern parts of the district reported continued hot, dry weather conditions with short to adequate moisture levels. Southern, eastern and western parts of the district reported hot weather, wet conditions and short to adequate soil moisture levels. Rain amounts in parts of the district ranged from 0.5 of an inch to 5 inches. Grain corn harvest began. Watermelon and food corn harvests continued. Cotton benefited most from rains and was setting bolls and making good progress. Some cotton acres were being prepared for harvest. Sorghum harvest was expected to begin soon. Some sorghum in drier parts of the district were plowed under. Pasture and rangeland conditions were poor, and supplemental feeding of livestock continued in drier areas. Areas that received rain reported improved pasture and rangeland conditions and reduced supplemental feeding. Cattle conditions remained fair. The live cattle market continued an upward trend. Source - https://today.agrilife.org

USA - Drought grips cattle farmers

Drought has put its grip on nearly 80 percent of Arkansas and the state’s ranchers are having to make decisions to handle rapidly dwindling amounts of forage for their cattle. The U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday showed the 79.83 percent of the state with some drought rating. Severe drought appeared in 2.19 percent of the state. Moderate drought covered some 35.85 percent of Arkansas. Extension has a comprehensive guide to drought management and livestock. The 6-10 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center showed a better than 40 percent chance all of the state would see above normal temperatures through July 15, but normal odds of getting rain over the same period. However, the chances for some precipitation were in the forecast from Sunday through Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service at Little Rock. “Within the last week, week-and-a-half, I’ve been getting calls and emails from people looking for hay,” Brian See, interim Marion County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said Friday. He recounted a recent visit to a client who asked See to look at his pasture. “It was just crunchy. Just burned up,” See said. “There was nothing green except for patches of crabgrass. He hadn’t had rain in a month.” “Some people hadn’t even gotten their first cutting of hay,” he said. “Some did and it was half of normal.” So far, ponds have been holding, See said. “I haven’t heard of any water problems yet.” John Jennings, extension forage specialist for the Division of Agriculture, said that even with the scattered showers of the last few days, “pasture recovery will require more than a few rain showers due to the dry soil profile and continued high temperatures.” Ranchers will need to make management decisions quickly during drought to maintain enough forage to feed the herd. “Culling poor performing animals is one choice to reduce the amount of forage needed, but improving pasture management can also be effective,” he said. “Producers who plan ahead get themselves into a position to take advantage of better growing conditions when those conditions eventually arrive.” Where pastures still have forage, Jennings recommended “protecting any remaining standing forage by shutting pasture gates or by using temporary electric fencing. Manage it like standing hay and feed it a few acres at a time to make it last as long as possible.” Other practices for managing during drought: • Rotational grazing is a good drought management tool. Rotational grazing helps maintain forage growth longer into a drought period than continuous grazing. Overgrazing weakens plants and leads to shortened root systems causing them to respond more slowly to rain and fertilizer than do healthier plants. Rotating pastures during drought conditions can help protect the pastures that will be needed for summer production. • Although all forages produce yield less during drought, some species including bermudagrass and KY-31 tall fescue, can tolerate heavy grazing and still survive. Manage grazing pressure carefully during prolonged dry weather to prevent loss of high quality forage species such as novel endophyte fescue, clover, and orchardgrass. • Feeding hay and limit grazing during dry weather can stretch available forage on drought-stressed pastures. If all pastures are already grazed short and no regrowth is being produced then cattle can be shut in a single pasture and fed hay until better growing conditions arrive. This practice may be detrimental to that pasture, but it helps protect forage in other pastures that will needed for later grazing. Where pastures are grazed down to the soil and ranchers are feeding hay, “management strategies must focus on drought recovery.” Don Hubbell, head of the Livestock and Forestry Station in Batesville, said now “is also a good time for producers to be thinking about stockpiling fescue and bermudagrass for winter feeding. Source - http://harrisondaily.com

Russia - Harvest will be no more than 114 mln tonnes of grains

In 2018, the general harvest of grain crops in Russia will total nearly 113.9 mln tonnes, reported analysts of the agency SovEcon on July 9. At the same time, the updated estimations of the Agency lowered compared with the previous forecast, which totaled 118.6 mln tonnes. In particular, SovEcon reduced the forecasts of production for all major crops: wheat — to 69.6 mln tonnes, against 72.5 mln tonnes; barley — 16.9 mln tonnes, against 17.8 mln tonnes; corn — 12.5 mln tonnes, against 12.7 mln tonnes. According to the announcement, the forecast reduced, due to coming of the first news about the yield of wheat and barley in southern regions of the Russian Federation, as well as the current drought weather conditions in most regions of the Volga Federal District. Source - https://www.apk-inform.com

Lower E.U. cereal production expected for 2018-2019

Due to dry conditions in late spring in various regions across Europe, E.U. cereal production is estimated below average in 2018-19, according to a European Commission report published on July 5. The report highlights that E.U. total cereal production for 2018-19 is expected to be at 299.3 million tonnes, a decrease of 2.5% in comparison with 2017-18. More specifically, soft and durum wheat productions are forecasted to decline by 3% and 5%, respectively, compared to last year. As for maize, it is still early to predict its harvest as crops develop later in the summer but the increase in area suggests that 2018-19 harvest could be close to 64 million tonnes for the third consecutive year. “Nonetheless, E.U. and global cereal stocks are ample and despite strong global demand, it is premature to anticipate any significant rise of world prices,” the European Commission said. E.U. oilseed production should decrease by 4.6% compared to last year’s record harvest, forecasted at 33.3 million tonnes in 2018. Source - http://www.blackseagrain.net

USA - Fire destroys livestock structures in Filer

The Filer and Buhl fire departments saved a home Monday evening north of the Twin Falls County Fairgrounds. A neighbor spotted fire at 241 N. Fair Ave. at about 6 p.m. and called 911. When the Filer Fire Department arrived, “there were flames everywhere,” Fire Chief Bud Compher said. A large haystack, a 50-by-100 shed and three outbuildings were burning — and flames were licking at a double-car garage next to the home. “We kept the fire from the house and saved the garage,” Compher said Tuesday. “Other than that, the four other structures were a total loss.” The unidentified owners of the 5-acre property were home and assisted in extinguishing the fire, the chief said. The owners’ sheep and chickens also escaped the fire. Compher called in the Buhl Fire Department to relieve his own men working in the 90-degree heat, he said. “I pulled them in to give us a hand.” The fire, doused and cleaned up by 10:30, is still under investigation.

USA - Winter honeybee die-off in Virginia could bring lower honey production and affect crop pollination

After the highest rate of winter honeybee colony loss in Virginia since 2000, honey production is expected to be lower this year, state apiarist Keith Tignor said. Agriculture and crop pollination could be affected along with honey production. With fewer honeybee pollinators, crops that depend on these insects, including apples, blueberries and oranges, could suffer, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The losses of honeybee colonies over this past winter were almost 60 percent, Tignor said. That’s about double the normal average of 30 percent per year and the highest loss rate since 2000, when the state began monitoring the data. To combat colony loss, the state agriculture department is encouraging newcomers to enter the beekeeping industry and is urging current apiarists to add to their hives. The general public also can plant pollinator gardens and window boxes to benefit pollinator species. “It’s not just honeybees we’re concerned about — it’s all our pollinators,” Tignor said. “We want to make sure they have lots of food out there. Whether it’s garden size or yard size or even a window box, it would be helpful.” As an incentive to encourage beekeeping, the Virginia General Assembly created the Beehive Distribution Program, which began effective July 1, to provide beehive equipment directly to beekeepers. Those who apply for the program can receive up to three basic beehive units per year, made up of a hive box or boxes and frames, among other components. That program is replacing the Virginia Beehive Grant program and fund, implemented in 2013, which allowed anyone who purchased a new hive or materials to construct a new hive to apply for a grant from the fund. “When you lose your flowery fields, you lose your food for the bees,” said Elaine Lidholm, director of communications for the state agriculture department. “In other years, we’ve determined that it’s a combination of environmental conditions as well as disease.” For fruits and vegetables that require insect pollination, honeybee losses can bring severe challenges. In Virginia alone, about 80 crops depend on insect pollinators for growth, Tignor said. Globally, between $235 billion and $577 billion worth of annual food production relies on direct contributions by pollinators, according to an estimate from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. “In Virginia, about a third of our crops have to be pollinated to produce or produce well,” Lidholm said. “If you take three bites of food, and if you have no pollinators, you have to take one of those away.” Though the causes of honeybee loss are numerous, the state has seen high rates of varroa mites and nosema infections recently, according to the state agriculture department. Both can shorten the lifespan of bees and result in greater losses. “It’s not an issue of whether you have the parasitic mite, it’s how badly you’re affected,” said Wayne Surles, president of the Richmond Beekeepers Association. “Hardly any hives are free of that particular parasite.” For some beekeepers in the Richmond area, a cold snap in January also contributed to widespread starvation — the main cause of colony loss in their hives. In the winter, honeybees will cluster inside the hive into a tight-knit ball of sorts to generate heat, with the center of the cluster reaching upward of 90 degrees, said Ed Mekalian, a beekeeper with 12 hives in Henrico, Goochland and Hanover counties. Over the course of winter, the external layers of bees in the cluster will begin to die off, resulting in a cluster that grows smaller, he said. Once the cluster reaches a certain critical mass, the bees are unable to break cluster any longer, meaning the bees will no longer be able to reach the honey inside the hive, even if it’s an inch away. “For me, the biggest cause [of bee loss] was not preparing well enough for the severe winter,” said Mike Church, who has 124 hives located mainly in King George County. “There were a few that just starved to death. Most were small colonies that just were not big enough. The large colonies did great.” Lidholm said that although crop pollination is the foremost job of the bee, honey production also can be affected in times of severe colony loss. For a hive that’s well-kept and healthy, the potential honey yield could surpass 100 pounds a year, though that number is far from the norm, Mekalian said. In the past several years, Mekalian said, he’s been thrilled if a hive of his has exceeded 50 pounds of honey production annually. “Our bees don’t really have the wealth of forage to produce a lot of honey,” said Mekalian, who sells honey via his website. “If you look out your window at home, what colors do you see? The general answer is green, brown and black. Back in the day, when there was suburban farmland and [home gardens], a person could put a hive up in their own backyard and easily get 50 to 100 pounds off of it without even trying.” Though honey may be in shorter supply, the number of consumers looking to purchase it is far from shrinking, said Church, who usually sells 60 to 100 gallons of honey per year. A hundred gallons is equal to about 1,200 pounds of honey. A large proportion of local honey consumers, he said, are allergy sufferers seeking relief. A widespread idea among this group is that since honey can contain flower pollen, a common allergen, sufferers may experience a reduction in symptoms after continued exposure to small doses of the allergen, according to the Mayo Clinic. “[Honey] is the easiest thing in the world right now to sell,” said Church, a member of Gateway Beekeepers Association in King George and the Northern Neck Beekeepers Club. “Once word gets out that you have honey to sell, it seems like everyone’s looking for local honey.” For these local apiarists, however, beekeeping and selling honey are hobbies, not full-time business ventures. Church and Mekalian said they typically hover around the breakeven point on expenses and revenue. Mekalian sells a 12-ounce jar of honey for $11. Years ago, Mekalian said, beekeepers could expect to yield enough profit to pay for a summer vacation or other extravagances. Now, Mekalian said that if he can meet his expenses, it’s a good year. “There’s a saying in beekeeping,” said Mekalian, a member of the Richmond Beekeepers Association and the Virginia State Beekeepers Association. “If you want to make a small fortune in beekeeping, start with a large fortune.” Source - https://www.richmond.com/

UK - The future of farming is small robots

According to both the Government and farmers, the future of farming is one in which small robots will have a crucial role to play. Both Government and the farming industry are looking to use robots to bring efficiencies and benefits to farms, as well as ending some of the more back-breaking jobs handled by farm employees. A growing number of ‘farmbots’ are under development, which are capable of complex tasks that have not been possible with traditional large-scale agricultural machinery. One company involved in developing agricultural robots is the Small Robot Company, a start-up focused on ‘revolutionising’ the way in which robots and artifical intelligence (AI) are being deployed and used. Set up by Ben Scott-Robinson, an experienced entrepreneur and technologist, and Sam Watson-Jones, a fourth-generation farmer, the company has been inspired by the work of Professor Simon Blackmore who lectures at the National Centre for Precision Farming at Harper Adams. “Professor Blackmore has been heavily involved in developing the concept of ‘precision farming’, the aim of which is to raise productivity by using technology to influence the growth of individual plants,” explains Joe Allnutt, head of the technical team at Small Robots. Prof Blackmore has a vision in which the work done by tractors in fields will be replaced with a series of highly accurate, smart, lightweight robots that will be able to use, for example, optical recognition for harvesting, ‘spot’ application of herbicides and weeding techniques using low-energy lasers. Despite considerable investment going into things like plant breeding, biotechnology and chemicals, little has been spent on new mechanisation systems and, when it comes to agricultural robots, too many companies seem more interested in the technology rather than the solution. “Small Robot is different. It came about from the specific needs of an individual farmer. One of our founders, Watson-Jones, is a farmer and, as a result, approached technology out of necessity. When he crunched the numbers, he realised that without a radically different approach to farming, the economics of arable farming weren’t sustainable.” The costs for farmers are increasing and arable farmers are faced with shrinking margins. Talking to farmers and technologists, Watson-Jones concluded that most farmers felt they were being poorly served by existing machinery manufacturers and new technology, whether in the form of hardware or software. His research suggested that the farming community has a very mixed relationship with technology. “Farmers have been sold a lot of technology in the past. Bigger machines covering larger areas, but now that scaling-up is no longer delivering the returns they need to remain economic. We found a community increasingly frustrated with the support manufacturers were offering them,” suggests Allnutt. From the farming community Smart Robot is of, and from, the farming community, says Allnutt. “Our focus is on delivering precision farming which involves caring for the crop at a level of detail never previously possible. And, crucially, it will involve little input from the farmer. “Precision farming and the use of robots to deliver that will mean crops will be healthier, the soil from which they are grown will be in a better condition, and yields will be significantly higher. Bills for fuel and chemicals will be reduced dramatically and farmers will no longer have to do basic farm work, rather they will be able to concentrate on getting the most out of their crops and farm.” The research carried out by Watson-Jones showed that there was a ‘clear appetite’ among farmers for working with early stage technology, but only if it could be accessed in a way that limited their exposure to the risk of functional failure and obsolescence. Above: Harry provides precision drilling and planting for per plant accuracy “They’re pragmatic and want technology that’s good for their business and not a risk. What they don’t want is a technological solution that’s a burden, goes wrong, or causes problems when it’s deployed. “So, when you offer them a solution that combines robotics with AI, they don’t want to have the responsibility for operating or maintaining it,” Allnutt explains. “To address that, we’re offering Farming as a Service (FaaS) model. It links together a series of robots which collect accurate and up-to-date information about a crop, plant by plant. “By ‘digitising the field’ the information generated can be automatically analysed using data and then used to give instructions on what should happen to each plant, and each patch of soil for other robots to carry out.” As for the robots, they are called Tom, Dick and Harry. “Tom autonomously monitors the crop and soil, and keeps an eye on weeds. It monitors on a plant-by-plant basis, “Allnutt explains. ”Dick and Harry then take care of all the feeding, seeding, and weeding. When one of these robots is needed, it turns up and does its job. When it is finished, we can take it away – they are easy to transport.” Because of the work they are assigned, the Dick and Harry robots need to be bigger. “The tools they need and the way they interact with the ground mean that they need bigger platforms,” Allnutt explains, “but they are smaller than the farm machinery used at present.” Tom can be left on a farm, where it can be charged and where the data generated can be collected and then analysed. Tom works alongside a comprehensive digital crop data model, in combination with WILMA, the company’s AI driven operating system. “WILMA, which is the brains of the system, is predominantly Cloud based. It provides the farmer with access, via a portal, to the data being generated by the robots, as well as the ability to interact with the robots and take actions. WILMA combines and draws on extensive farming knowledge, and applies it to the information gathered about the crop.” Tom, which is currently undergoing extensive field trials, knows exactly where plants are, whether they germinated, what they need, and identifies what fertiliser or chemical is required to support the health and growth of individual plants. All three robots use GPS and sensors to give an accurate fix on the ground. “The robot’s autonomous navigation system does require an Internet connection, so if farmers can provide access to a 3G or 4G network, that’s great. If not, we can use a local radio beacon. We don’t need high bandwidth when pulling data off our robots and local decisions can be made on the device. The majority of image processing is done afterwards, having been retrieved from a USB drive.” “Our focus is on delivering precision farming which involves caring for the crop at a level of detail never previously possible.” - Joe Allnutt Small Robots looks to use lots of ‘small robots’ working long hours in the field. “They have less environmental impact, they’re smaller and lighter, and don’t damage the soil. By using multiple small machines, we can better manage their deployment and ensure that only those needed are deployed.” The use of robots in the field and the development of Tom, Dick and Harry have not been without their challenges, according to Allnutt. “While there were plenty ‘run of the mill’ problems to contend with, the breadth of the problems was a challenge – we’re not just dealing with robotics, we’re having to address AI, Cloud computing, practical engineering and data handling. “The robotics industry, however, has a strong open source community to call on, which means that we’ve been able to leverage technology more easily.” While farmers are certainly open to using technology, it needs to be able to address an economic need, providing them with real savings; it needs to make the farmer’s life simpler, and it has to have the embedded knowledge within it to allow it to do the jobs that they want it to do – and in a smart way. Source - http://www.newelectronics.co.uk/

Indonesia - Hailstorm threatens potato harvest in Central Java

Hundreds of hectares of potato fields in Dieng, the Banjarnegara regency (Central Java) suffered from hail last Friday. Such a weather phenomenon would usually kill the potato plants, said local farmers. According to residents, the temperature dropped to -5o Celsius early on Friday morning, causing hail that was more intense and more widespread than a few days before. Slamet Raharjo, the village head of Dieng Kulon, said the hail would usually recur. “Considering this is only the beginning of the dry season, it will continue. This morning it was -5o Celsius in Dieng. Usually the lowest we have is -3o Celsius,” he said. After being covered by hail, Dieng potatoes and vegetables will yellow and wither, which explains why residents refer to the hail as a “poisonous dew”. “Thirty hectares of my potato fields have been affected, and I’m sure they are dead now. It is merciless, I have to replant after this cold spell is over,” said a local farmer. “Farmers could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of produce to the hail.” Source - http://www.freshplaza.com