05.07.2018

India - Govt's MSP hike to have little impact on crop insurance market

The government’s move to increase the minimum support price (MSP) for 14 kharif crops will have minimal effect on the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) as well as the crop insurance market, according to insurance company executives. “The underwriting process for PMFBY does not depend on the prices or MSP for a crop. Instead, we look at the results of crop cutting experiments, historical yield data, irrigation, drought, and other factors, to price the premium,” said the head of a underwriting and claims department at a private insurance company. Last year, during the 2017 kharif season, 32.7 million farmers paid Rs 30.3 billion towards to PMFBY, while the central and state governments contributed Rs 81.5 billion to the scheme, bringing the total premium revenue for insurance companies to Rs 193.8 billion. Two insurance executives told Business Standard that PMFBY only provides an insurance cover on damaged crops prior to or after harvest which has been caused by various extraneous reasons. There won’t be any direct effect on the premiums charged under the scheme, they said. An insurance executive said, “Some farmers have taken specific crop insurance covers to provide a security against monetary losses that arise when these crops sell in agri-markets below the MSP.” "The only direct effect of the revised MSP is that it might provide an incentive for more farmers to enroll in PMFBY. The existing PMFBY enrolments may increase the size of their cover under the scheme,” said the underwriting and claims executive. Source - https://www.business-standard.com

05.07.2018

France - Excessive temperature gaps

Bernard Mascot founded the company Food Development Services (FDS) in 2006. The company markets the products of different producers. One of the producers is Bernard's son, Nicolas, who produces organic lettuce, tomatoes, and aubergines on a 12 hectare farm called Biomajolan. According to Bernard, this year hasn’t been easy so far: "The climatic conditions are not controllable." "We had a rather complicated start of the year: the farm is located near Bordeaux, where it rained a lot, and it was impossible to enter the plots. And on top of that, there was a lack of sun as well," Bernard continues. Currently, the sun has come out quite a lot more, but there are significant thermal differences. "The gaps are excessive; one day it’s 18 degrees, the day after it’s 40 degrees. The plants suffer enormously, and develop diseases because of the rain. We don’t always have the necessary organic means to treat these diseases.” "We are not the only ones in the Bordeaux region with climate problems; almost all of France had the same problem. Production is late, and everything is harvested at the same time, while consumers aren’t ready for it yet. Therefore, the prices are very low." Bernard and his son grow eight different lettuce varieties. "Among other things, we offer green and red Batavia lettuce, Sucrine, and green and red Oak Leaf. These varieties are among the typical products of the French market. We also offer some smaller varieties, such as the mixed incised Salanova, and the mixed multi-leaf Salanova. There’s a strong demand for organic lettuce in France. Organic consumption is increasing; that goes for lettuce as well." The lettuce is available in bulk and in bags for the mass distribution, and is exported to several European countries. "During the winter, we grow our leafy greens in greenhouses. We offer spinach 10 months out of 12, and Sucrine all year round." Bernard’s son’s exploitation was founded 7 years ago, and is 100% organic. "We grow leaf vegetables on 9 hectares, and in summer we grow an additional 1 hectare of tomatoes in our greenhouse and aubergines in the tunnel as well. The aubergines are Global GAP certified. "When we got certified, the tomato plants and the leafy greens were too small, due to the weather conditions; we’re still waiting for the certification for these two products." Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

04.07.2018

USA - Iowa crop conditions slip last week

Too much rain and strong winds have taken a toll on more fields as July starts. Heavy rain and strong winds damaged crops, trees and farm buildings in central and west-central Iowa this past weekend. These areas received 5 to 10 inches of rain Saturday night. Strong winds also caused corn to suffer “green snap” in some fields. “Unfortunately, we saw a series of storms move across the state over the past week that have flooded fields and caused significant damage. Hopefully, the weather this week will allow the state to dry out so farmers can get into their fields to evaluate conditions and view any damage,” says Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. Statewide, USDA’s weekly survey as of July 1 shows crop conditions didn’t improve compared to the previous week. Iowa’s corn crop is now rated 78% in good-to-excellent condition, down from 81% on June 24. Soybeans are 76% good-to-excellent compared to 79% a week ago. Notify crop insurance agent of damage If you experienced flooding over the weekend, check out the disaster recovery resources and information compiled by Iowa State University Extension. What should producers do if their planted crops are affected by flooding, wind or hail? Notify your crop insurance agent or insurance carrier within 72 hours of the loss. The agent’s company will assign a crop insurance adjuster who will work directly with the insured. The complete weekly Iowa Crop Progress & Weather Report is available on the Iowa Department of Ag and Land Stewardship website at iowaagriculture.gov or on USDA’s site, nass.usda.gov/ia. The report summary follows. Crop report Strong storms brought damaging winds and heavy precipitation to much of Iowa, resulting in just 3.2 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 1, according to USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service. Activities for the week included assessing crop damage and harvesting hay when the weather permitted. Wind and intermittent showers prohibited spraying activity to a large degree. Topsoil moisture levels rated 1% very short, 5% short, 68% adequate and 26% surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 3% very short, 9% short, 66% adequate and 22% surplus. Heavy rainfall left many fields and pastures ponded. In south-central Iowa, the subsoil moisture supplies rated adequate to surplus increased to 46%, the highest percentage in these categories since the week ending July 9, 2017 — nearly a year ago. As of July 1, the survey shows 7% of the corn crop has silked, a week ahead of both last year and the five-year average. It rated 78% of the corn crop in good-to-excellent condition. Also, 21% of the soybean crop has bloomed, four days ahead of last year and six days ahead of the average. Iowa’s soybean crop is rated 76% in good-to-excellent condition. The oat crop is 93% headed, two days ahead of average, while 25% of the oat crop is turning color, a day ahead of average. Iowa’s oat crop is 80% in good-to-excellent condition. The second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 24% complete, a day behind last year and three days ahead of the average. Frequent storms continued to make putting up hay a challenge this week. Hay condition is rated 74% good-to-excellent. Pasture conditions rate 66% good-to-excellent. Heat and high humidity continued to stress livestock. Flooding limited access to pastures and muddy conditions continued to make feedlot operations difficult. Weather summary According to Justin Glisan, IDALS climatologist, last week began as a continuation of the previous week’s active weather pattern across much of Iowa. A low-pressure system over Nebraska streamed moisture and instability into the region, leading to widespread thunderstorms over the western two-thirds of the state June 25. Flash flood warnings were still active in northwest Iowa from the weekend. In the early evening, Delphos in Ringgold County reported a rain-wrapped tornado lofting debris into the air. This thunderstorm moved northward into central Iowa. However, no damage occurred. Many stations in central Iowa reported rainfall of up to 2.5 inches from a slow-moving line on June 26, as Iowa’s eastern third saw spotty thunderstorms. Waterloo reported 1.87 inches of rain. Temperatures were cooler than normal, with average highs departing by 3 to 6 degrees F east to west through June 27. Audubon in western Iowa recorded a high temperature that was 12 degrees below normal, at 71 degrees. A cluster of severe storms rapidly moved through the state June 28 from Harrison County in western Iowa all the way to Lee County in the state’s southeast corner, leaving behind over 40 reports of severe straight-line winds and hail. Torrential rain soaked central Iowa June 30 Heat returned to the state late in the week and through the weekend, with highs in the mid-90s June 29-30 across a large portion of Iowa. Heat indices reach the triple digits across Iowa’s southern half. The town of Logan in Harrison County had the week’s high temperature at 98 degrees on June 29. Thunderstorms, many with severe wind and hail reports, returned on June 30 as a cold front moved across the state. In central Iowa, Ankeny, in Polk County, reported 10 inches, as torrential rainfall covered much of the Des Moines metro area. July 1 was the nicest day of the week. Temperatures moderated into the low-to-mid 80s in the northwest to low 90s in southeast Iowa, with ample sunshine. Source - http://www.wallacesfarmer.com

04.07.2018

Europe - Situation with iceberg shortage only going to get worse

Just as in the rest of Europe, vegetable production, especially for greens like iceberg lettuce and baby spinach, have been hit but the unpredictable weather this spring and summer. "The weather has been really difficult this season, with temperatures around 29 during the day and dropping down to 10 degrees (or lower) at night. The weather has affected our production because a lot of the iceberg lettuce has been affected by tipburn, which makes it unacceptable for sale," shared Hubert Bisialski from Primavega. Tipburn is a feature of rapidly growing summer lettuce (but it can also occur in spring and autumn) and reflects the inability of plants to move sufficient water and nutrients to the rapidly growing leaf tissues enclosed in the heart of the lettuce plant. "Luckily we do have enough lettuce to supply our contracts, but any additional exports and sales are no longer possible. The coming 2 to 3 weeks is expected to stay dry and warm and I am afraid that the situation is only going to get worst. We supply a lot of our exports to Italy, but I think that the UK and Ireland are going to be feeling the shortage most," Hubert lamented. According to Hubert, current prices have doubled from what they were this time last year. This year we are getting EUR 6-/per box this year, compared to EUR 3- last year. Although lettuce is currently an issue, Hubert said that the situation with baby spinach could become even worse. "With 100% of our production being open ground, we are very vulnerable when the weather acts up, which has been the case this year. Right now there is not much that we can do, bar continually checking and reassessing the situation on the fields daily." Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

04.07.2018

Canada - Weekend Rainfall Helps Crop Development

Rainfall over the weekend was quite varied around the Province, but was a welcome site for many farmers and ranchers. One of the drier areas in Saskatchewan has been in the South West. It rained Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, but according to Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, the showers were a bit deceiving. "There was some good shower and thundershower activity well over the weekend on and off, but it actually didn't add up to all that much," she said. "Airport came in with just under 14 millimetres and one of our volunteers observes came in with 15.5 millimetres, so all of that rain didn't add up to that much." Shannon Chant, a Crops Extension Specialist with the Swift Current Regional Office, says the rain was good to see. “It's kinda nice to know it still can rain, because it was very, very dry depending on your area in June.  She adds, some of the canola crops are probably flowering a week or two early, but canola is a very flexible crop that can compensate really, really well. So, there probably will be a bit of a yield setback, compared to ideal conditions but this rain definitely should help.” Depending on the area you’re in and when you got the crop in the grounds has an impact on crop staging. She says the timing of the rainfall is important now with some of the peas and canola crops flowering. “If the plant is starting flowering or even into podding that’s when the seed is developing. So it’s great timing to help that out and get that process going, because obviously you need moisture to fill seeds. Some of the cereal crops, I’ve seen some that just had kind of the awns coming out of the boot. So, that was about a week ago” She says there’s probably going to be a bit of a yield setback compared to ideal conditions, but the rain should help. Source - https://www.swiftcurrentonline.com

04.07.2018

India - Karnataka: Changing climate has left Tahrs on the brink

A new study published has said most of the existing habitats of the Nilgiri Tahr in the Western Ghats will not be suitable due to global warming effects. There are only 3,000 Nilgiri Thars left in the country. The study, which published in Ecological Engineering, looked into climate scenarios over a course of three time-frames (2030s (2021–2050), 2050s (2040–2069) and 2080s (2070–2099)). The study looked at 10 Tahr habitats during 2010-2011. The Nilgiri Tahr is an endangered, hoofed mammal endemic to the Western Ghats. The Nilgiri Tahr is the only mountain ungulate in the country among 12 other similar species. Historically, the Nilgiri Tahr has been found everywhere in the Western Ghats, but currently only 3,000 exist and their habitat is restricted to one tenth of their original range. Currently, they are found only in southern Western Ghats in an altitude range of 1100 mt to 2600 mt. The study comes at a significant time as there has been a continuous decline in Tahr population, owing to hunting, conflict with livestock, grazing and habitat loss over the years and no study till date has looked into the likely effect of climate change on Nilgiri Tahrs. The study, authored by R K Sony and Sandeep Sen of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment and co-authored by Sunil Kumar, Monalisa Sen and KM Jayahari, is the first-of-its kind to use the ecological niche model to predict the species distribution of Tahr in varying climate scenarios. The model uses the relationship between a species and its habitat to identify potential species distribution. The future climate projections in the study were based on two scenarios, the first scenario represented an optimistic emission rate, with peaking of emissions by 2040, while the second scenario represented continuous rise in emissions all through the 21st century. The study predicted a maximum habitat loss of 61.2 per cent, 61.4 per cent and 63 per cent for 2030, 2050 and 2080 respectively if emissions did not reduce. “The present study has to be observed against the backdrop of this identified vulnerability of the species to local extinction. In the absence of the data on the movements of these animals between the high-altitude forest grasslands separated by thick forest barriers, the possible impacts on the habitat suitability are increasing the chances of local extinction since the animals may then not be able to move to suitable habitats from the existing ones,” said, Jayahari KM, principal investigator of the study. According to the study, the protected areas are expected to experience a drastic habitat loss owing to climate change. While the protected area network within the Western Ghats is suitable for the Nilgiri Tahr in the current scenario, the study predicted that over 60 per cent of this network will become unsuitable due to warming. RK Sony, one of the authors of the study, said, “Conservation and management of suitable habitats outside the existing protected area network will be helpful to curb the effect of climate change on Tahr as well as its associated species.” “The outcomes are extremely warning in nature even though GIS-based modelling studies are not conclusive. Our study unearths the possibilities of severe threat to the natural habitats of these species, which demands a comprehensive species management plan. Detailed habitat based ecological observations and Genetics studies are inevitable for development of such management strategies,” said, Sandeep Sen, co-author of the paper. The study also forewarns that the existing protected area network might not be effective in conserving the Tahr if climate mitigation measures are not adopted in management plans of protected areas. Source - https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com

03.07.2018

Turkmenistan - Preps more than a million tons of wheat

Turkmenistan has received over a million tons of wheat due to harvesting, local television channel Altyn Asyr reported on Friday. In the report it was said that government subsidies and tax incentives serve as an incentive for agricultural producers. In particular, for farmers there is a minimum payment for land, they are completely exempt from taxes. Provision of machinery, seeds, mineral fertilizers, irrigation water and other types of services are also provided on preferential terms. This year it is planned to collect some 1.6 million tons of grain from 760,000 hectares of land. This includes Akhal region (450.000 tons), Mary region (380.000 tons), Lebap region (350.000 tons), Dashoguz region (300.000 tons) and the Balkan region (120,000 tons). The works involves 1,700 combine harvesters from John Deere and CLAAS. In July 2017, it was reported that in the country about 1 million tons of wheat were harvested. Turkmenistan was previously awarded a special award by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations for achievements in the field of ensuring food security. Source - www.blackseagrain.net

03.07.2018

Ukraine - UK agree to work together to strengthen trade relations

Ukraine and the UK have welcomed ongoing consultations on ensuring the implementation of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, which includes a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA), facilitating trade worth $2.35 billion between the two countries after the UK leaves the EU. This is reported by the press service of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine. "As the UK is in the process of exiting the EU, Ukraine welcomed the UK’s intention to avoid any disruption to trade. In particular, both countries welcomed ongoing discussions to ensure continuity of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, which includes a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA), which facilitates more than $2.35 billion in trade between the two countries, once the UK leaves the EU," the report reads. The UK informed Ukraine on the UK-EU agreement, reached at the March European Council that the UK is to be treated as a member state for the purposes of international agreements during the EU-UK Implementation Period. This should provide further certainty to both British and Ukrainian traders that there will be no disruption to the existing trading relationship during the Implementation Period, and that in particular the preferential terms of EU-Ukraine DCFTA will continue to apply to both parties during the Implementation Period. Both countries agreed to work together to strengthen UK-Ukrainian trade. Source - http://www.blackseagrain.net

03.07.2018

Global agricultural crop insurance market share analysis 2018

Global Agricultural Crop Insurance Market report 2018 delivers valuable insights on how the said market will perform in assessment period 2018 – 2025. The agricultural crop insurance market forecast relies on important metrics such as market analysis from 2013 to 2017, a current market scenario for agricultural crop insurance and key driving factors impacts on the growth of the market. The report is a useful buisiness tool for manufacturers of agricultural crop insurance and investors in the global market, the study can help them to make critical business decisions on production techniques, agricultural crop insurance raw materials procurement, and to increase industry chain cycle of agricultural crop insurance market across the globe. The first section of the report dedicates to market overview which offers agricultural crop insurance product definition, classification, market statistics information in the form value U.S.dollars and volume millions of units. In the next section, the report discusses on agricultural crop insurance market taxonomy, buisiness growth factors, latest market trends, supply and demand side drivers, threats, upcoming techniques in agricultural crop insurance production and opportunities for newcomers and established players in the agricultural crop insurance market. The report also analyses various market channels, raw material suppliers and buyers of agricultural crop insurance, worldwide import and export scenario, manufacturing process and cost structure of agricultural crop insurance, emerging market for the agricultural crop insurance. Furthermore, the report offers detailed revenue segmentation of the global agricultural crop insurance market based on product type, applications, and regions. The key section of the report provides extensive data on the key players operating in agricultural crop insurance market and the competition standing in the global market. The section involves agricultural crop insurance new product innovations, company overview, marketing strategies applied by the key players, financials details such as agricultural crop insurance market share, sales profit, company development plans, mergers and acquisitions between international and local vendors. Moreover, agricultural crop insurance research offers SWOT analysis of key players to plan effective growth strategies. Furthermore, the report adds a separate section on agricultural crop insurance market segments to identify growth opportunities based on product type, end-user applications, and regions. These segment wise definition of agricultural crop insurance gives market share by individual segment and its dominance over the projected period. The agricultural crop insurance report also offers details on latest trends across the globe, the growth potential of the agricultural crop insurance market in a particular region, emerging economies and their industrial policies. Geographical coverage of agricultural crop insurance market is based on Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, South America, Middle East & Africa. Source - https://faircolumnist.com

03.07.2018

USA - Timely heat, rain boost corn crop past knee high

A brief Sunday afternoon downpour cooled off the corn fields just in time for the Star Courier’s annual “Knee High by the Fourth of July” measurement. The traditional adage was once used by farmers to gauge the progress of the crop, but corn hasn’t been anywhere near knee high in the nearly 30 years the newspaper has been taking the tape to the field. This year, we visited the Roseleib family farm just outside of Hooppole on Sunday, July 1, where Wes and Ronelle’s 18-year-old daughter, Bailey, did the honors as the 2018 “Knee High Girl.“ This year’s official measurement was 6 feet 8 inches from soggy soil to the tip of the tassel. Roseleib said the Wyffels 5516 variety was planted April 28. “We’re about 10 days ahead of last year,” Roselieb said, pointing out that tassels and silk began to emerge from the stalks and ears last week in many fields. According to the USDA’s June 25 Illinois Crop Condition and Progress Report, corn silking reached 2 percent, compared to 1 percent for the 5-year average. Corn condition was rated at 1 percent very poor, 2 percent poor, 14 percent fair, 54 percent good and 29 percent excellent across the state. The extreme heat stress caused protective spindling of the leaves but recent rains have relaxed the plants at a crtical time for corn pollination. Like most other producers in the area, Roselieb said he has some fields where hybrid corn varieties are a little taller, and some where they are shorter, depending on where the rains fell. The field used for the measurement is “about average.“ Bailey Roselieb is a 2018 graduate of Annawan High School who is enrolled at Black Hawk East this fall where she will major in ag business. She plans to continue her education at Western Illinois University. She has been showing hogs raised on the family farm since she was 8, her first year in 4-H. She showed at the Henry County Fair last month, will show this weekend at the Section 3 FFA Fair, as well as other area county fairs and at the Illinois State Fair in August. She has been an officer in both the Annawan All-Stars 4-H Club and the Annawan FFA Chapter, where she served as president this past year. Bailey has earned scholarships from the Henry County Pork Producers, River Valley Co-op, and, at commencement, she received two scholarships, one presented in memory of longtime Annawan ag teacher Gary Taets, and the other established in memory of local poultryman “Chicken Bob” Croegeart. In addition to her chores at home, Bailey has been earning extra money this summer tending to chickens and a cow for two neighbors who are away for the summer. One is a school teacher who, with their daughter, is spending time with her husband stationed in the military in Florida. Source - http://www.starcourier.com

03.07.2018

Australia - Rain in the Northern Tablelands has been useful but not enough

There has been useful rain on the Northern Tablelands in the last couple of days although it hasn’t been enough in most places to run much water. Ensuring good quality water for livestock is an ongoing part of managing livestock at all times but becomes particularly relevant when water supplies are limited in dry times. Water is one of the most important factors in livestock production.  If water quality is poor, livestock may drink less than they need or stop drinking altogether. When they drink less they eat less, lose condition and if they are lactating, milk production can be reduced.  Ensuring livestock have access to good quality water when feeding helps you get the most out of the investment in fodder and keeps animals in better health. Factors that contribute to poor water quality: Contamination from dust, feed, manures, pollutants. If you did receive run-off, be mindful that these pollutants may affect water quality in dams. Algal growth  Acidity  Salinity Clean troughs regularly, position troughs away from feeding areas to avoid contamination and correct problems with salt and pH to maintain water quality. If reliant upon dam water consider restricting stock access to dams to minimise contamination and prevent livestock from getting bogged. Water can be piped from the dam into a trough to maintain water quality.  As water supplies evaporate concentrations of salt and contaminants can increase so water of marginal quality may become unsatisfactory. The diet of livestock has a large influence on their water requirements. During drought periods water requirements of livestock increase as they are forced to select more fibrous and less digestible feed.  Feeding salt or salt based lick blocks during dry periods also increase livestock water requirements.  Water requirements are also impacted by the size of animals, the stage of production, activity levels and weather conditions. When assessing farm water supplies for forward planning, the consumption per head per day in litres of the following livestock classes can be a used as a general guide to livestock water requirements: Weaner sheep             2 - 4 litres Adult dry sheep           2 - 6 litres Ewes with lambs         4 - 10 litres Lactating cows            40 - 100 litres Young stock                25 - 50 litres Dry stock                     35 - 80 litres Horses                        40 - 50 litres Source - https://www.inverelltimes.com.au

03.07.2018

USA - Storm brings rain, hail, crop destruction and funnel sightings

Storms on Saturday across the southwest part of Hub Territory brought blessings in widespread rains of an inch or more, fear in funnel clouds that hung low and briefly touched down north of Wilcox and misery for farmers in Loomis, Funk and other areas to the southwest as hail shredded corn and soybean crops. “It covered a lot of miles, but it wasn’t very wide. I think it was about two miles wide,” Loomis farmer Rook Thorell said this morning about the wind-blown hail that hit eight quarter-sections of his farm. “For four or five, there’s just no recovering from it. “The trouble is it’s at the start of hail season,” he added. Thorell said the storm started to the southwest in the Arapahoe and southern Gosper County area, before moving east-northeast toward Loomis, starting with fields south of the school and running down Highway 23. “Soybeans in the worst areas look like pencil sticks,” he said. “Corn, it’s just shredded to the point there is no recovery at all.” Kearney County Emergency Manager Jeff England said the storm’s hail ranged in size from quarter to baseball. Additionally, an unconfirmed tornado touched down Saturday in the Keene area, which damaged pivots, trees and crops, England reported. Phelps County Sheriff Gene Samuelson said funnel clouds were spotted in Phelps County, but there were no reported tornadoes. “We had several sightings of funnel clouds coming down and back up,” England said. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Educator Todd Whitney, whose focus area is Furnas, Harlan, Gosper and Phelps counties, said the timing is worse for Saturday’s hailstorm than for another storm a few weeks ago in a larger area of east-central Harlan County. Whitney said the corn and soybean crops that weren’t a total loss in Harlan County are showing some recovery. “We’re getting really close to the critical (growth) time, such as tassel ... which is of more of a concern for corn,” he said, adding that soybeans still standing and with some leaves after Saturday’s storm may have some level of recovery. Whitney was preparing this morning to go to the Loomis and Funk areas to get a better idea of the acres and severity of crop damage. Other Hub Territory residents in parts of Gosper, Harlan, Phelps and Kearney counties spent part of late Saturday afternoon in shelters after the National Weather Service issued tornado warnings. The warnings initially were based on radar-identified cloud rotations and then, in southeast Kearney County, spotter observations of funnel clouds. One of the observers was storm photographer Ryan McGinnis of Kearney, who said he photographed three funnel clouds in southeastern Kearney County, including two north of Wilcox. Those clouds were observed around 3:45-4:15 p.m. Saturday and then continued to move mostly east, staying south of Highway 6. Source - https://www.kearneyhub.com

02.07.2018

USA - Farmers concerned about crop and nitrogen loss with flooding

Farmers are concerned about crop loss and denitrification of fertilizer due to flooding after Mother Nature dropped several inches of rain on portions of Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota the last two weeks. Craig Andersen farms near Centerville, S.D. and says starting the week of June 18, rain totals in his area have exceeded eight inches. This resulted in flooding along the Vermillion River and adjacent cropland. Several of the fields in his operation now look like lakes and it's nearly impossible to determine what was planted. "Between the boys and I, 400 acres are completely under water," Andersen says. However, there are also many other fields that have areas of ponding that will have lower production potential. "As for yield loss and everything, we'll probably say 25 percent without much trouble," he says. Southwest Minnesota and northwest Iowa were also hit hard with heavy rains and flooding, especially along the Floyd and Rock Rivers. Steve Abma farms near Rock Valley, Iowa. He says rain totals the last week have been nearly 11 inches on his farm and there is more rain in the forecast. He and other farmers in his area have a few hundred acres of cropland under water and there is more throughout the county. Where the water has receded, Abma anticipates a yield hit. "I would expect somewhere the water did flow, as it's going to knock down the corn plants," he says. In his soybean fields, disease will also be an issue. "It's always a concern. When the beans are stressed a little bit they're more vulnerable," he adds. Both Andersen and Abma says this isn't the first time they've experienced flooding on their farms, mainly due to their proximity to area rivers. "We go through this it seems like more and more. We just get some of these big rain events," Andersen says. Abma says he has lived on his farm since he was a kid and has rarely seen the flooding this bad. "This is the second worst flooding I've ever seen only surpassed by four years ago," he says. The losses will be partially covered by crop insurance or the farm program, but to what level is yet unknown. "Insurance maybe will cover some of it, depending on how you have it structured," Andersen says. He says those with enterprise units may do better than those with individual coverage because enterprise units are figured on the county yield. "It depends on what level of crop insurance you had and what percentage of your full operation it is, or if you have each individual field covered," Abma says. He says insurance will be the most helpful in the areas where the entire farm is under water. The main questions farmers are asking agronomists include: How long can crops stay submerged in water before they die, and once the water recedes, how much nitrogen will be lost? Pioneer Field Agronomist Curt Hoffbeck says while soybeans can remain underwater longer than corn, neither crop can stay submerged for more than a few days without a complete loss. "For corn I have rule of thumb of two to four days, but it's highly dependent on the air temperature and the amount of direct sunlight," he says. "If it's really high temperature and direct sun, it will be more to the two days. If it's cloudy and cool, more to the four days." Hoffbeck says soybeans can tolerate flooding better than corn. The biggest problem with soybeans after being under water is the increased likelihood of soil-borne diseases like pythium and phytopthera. The other issue is the loss of nitrogen, but Hoffbeck says just because a field is flooded doesn't mean total denitrification. He says if farmers just got done applying urea or UAN at 28 percent, it will not all be converted to the nitrate form. "Only about 50 to 60 percent of those are in the nitrate form three weeks after application and about three-fourths of it is in the nitrate form and susceptible to leeching six weeks after application," he says. So, not all recent applications are completely vulnerable. He says the amount of nitrogen loss also depends on soil temperature and the number of days the field is saturated. Hoffbeck says if a soil test comes back with nitrogen levels at less than 20 parts per million, farmers need to add 5 to 7 pounds per part to get back to the required level for optimum yield. Source - http://www.inforum.com

02.07.2018

India - Continuous rain: Coffee planters fear crop loss

Coffee planters have been fearing a huge crop loss as the coffee fruits have started withering due to continuous and heavy rain. On the other hand, areca farmers, too, are worried as they are not able to spray insecticides to the plants. During the the current year, most of the coffee plants were healthy and the planters expected more gain compared to the earlier year. But the continuous rain has been affecting the crop. In June month alone, 1,100 mm of rainfall has been recorded, resulting in an increase in the level of humidity in the soil, which could turn fatal to the coffee plants. In order to provide a scope for the plants to carry out respiration and to prevent fruit rot disease, the planters need to remove the weeds, prune the branches and should remove the withered leaves, facilitating the movement of air near the roots. Urea should be provided to plants, once the rain recedes, the coffee board officials have said. Providing of Potash in the equal quantity will control the withering of coffee fruits, according to some experienced growers. Acera planters are worried as the rain is not taking a break. The farmers are not able to carry out pest control measures in areca plantations, said Dharanendra, an areca planter. The unavailability of labourers who spray insecticides has also added to the problem. Source - https://www.deccanherald.com

02.07.2018

Kenya - These flies will eat your animals alive

This would sound strange and scary. Do you know that there are flies that can feed on you and your animals as you go about your business? The flies cause an ailment known as myiasis, which is one of the neglected diseases in the world resulting in people having little knowledge of its presence. My search on myiasis in Kenya only returned one short case report of the disease in a free ranging wild eland, published by scientists at the Kenya Wildlife Service in 2013. The authors concluded their report showed myiasis exists in Kenya. The disease is a parasitic infestation of livestock or human beings by fly larvae (maggots) that grow inside the host while feeding on its tissue. Two weeks ago, I visited three sub-counties of Kitui County and the presence of myiasis in dogs and goat kids was surprisingly high. The disease is locally called “mienya”. Almost every dog I encountered had the ugly skin condition. A few adult goats also showed infection but the kids were more affected. I was told by a number of dog owners that the disease has been common and more severe during this rainy season. In some cases, some children had also been affected but not as severely as the dogs and goat kids. Source - https://www.nation.co.ke

02.07.2018

Kenya - Impact study confirms the solidity of the Kenya Livestock Insurance Programme

The Kenya Livestock Insurance Programme (KLIP) is a pioneering effort launched in 2015 by the Kenyan Government to help herders keep their animals alive during extreme drought. On 17-20 April 2018, key stakeholders supported by the Strategic Alliance on Climate Risk Transfer Solutions (STA) of GIZ and Swiss Re organised a workshop with public officials in Mombasa, Kenya, to take stock of KLIP's progress and lessons learned. Informing the assessment was an impact study commissioned by the STA and conducted by the University of Mannheim. The study shows that KLIP is fulfilling its intended purpose and identifies areas for improvement. Based on its success, the Kenyan government plans to extend both the reach and the scope of the programme over the next two years. Pastoral communities in northern Kenya keep livestock as their main economic activity. Every 3-5 years, however, huge numbers of cows, goats, sheep and camels die of starvation and lack of water because of severe drought. In the period between 2008 and 2011 this cost the country's economy more than USD 12 billion overall, with 70% of that amount attributed to livestock losses. Thousands of pastoralists lost their livelihoods, which in turn increased their dependence on government and donor relief programmes. In response to their plight, the Kenyan government launched the Kenya Livestock Insurance Programme (KLIP) in 2015 and has since continued to invest, thereby helping the pastoralists to cope better with the effects of drought on their livestock. KLIP's success builds on the work and lessons learned from a pilot conducted in Marsabit and Wajir counties under the Index Based Livestock Insurance Program - IBLI. After a successful start KLIP was then extended to cover six more counties and a total of 18 000 pastoralists representing over 80 000 beneficiaries. The 2016/17 drought was the worst in Kenya in 16 years and KLIP paid out USD 5.3m to 14 000 pastoralists. During the Mombasa workshop, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri noted that livestock insurance has stabilised the pastoral livelihood system, reduced dependency on relief aid and post-disaster responses, while restoring dignity of the mainstream pastoralists. County governments, donors as well as other stakeholders have been requested to complement the national government’s efforts in cushioning Kenyans from extreme shocks resulting from drought. The Principal Secretary, State Department of Livestock, Mr Harry Kimutai, revealed that the government plans to roll it out to all fourteen of Kenya's arid and semi-arid counties in the next two years in support of the livestock development agenda under the Big Four Plan. As with every pioneering programme, there are also areas for improvement. The study identifies the need to strengthen the logistical process and platforms enabling speed and ease of claims payments as well as knowledge about insurance in general and KLIP in particular among the target population. Isaac Magina, Client Manager EMEA Global Partnerships, is pleased by the positive outcome of the impact study. "It was important for us to conduct this study with GIZ through the University of Mannheim to get proper insight into what is working well in the context of the efficiency of the claims process, the beneficiaries understanding of insurance and their propensity for adopting individual insurance policies down the line and what needs to be improved for the continued success of KLIP." Source - http://www.swissre.com