16.03.2018

India - Elephants damage banana plantation in Erode district

Three elephants on Thursday morning entered into a two-acre banana field at Vellalapalayam near Bhavanisagar here and extensively damaged the crop cultivated there. The owner, M Palanisamy, estimated that the loss would be around Rs 2 lakh. The villagers said that such incidents were common in the area. “The loss incurred due to elephant attacks is affecting our livelihood,” said Palanisamy. “We urge the state government to provide compensation for the loss,” he added. After being informed, the forest officials reached the spot and estimated the extent of the damage. Source - https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

16.03.2018

USA - Walmart files patent for robotic "bee" drones

Walmart has filed 16 pages with the US government that outline six patents working towards farm automation. If all goes to plan, a fleet of drone bees could very well be on the horizon. Technically called “pollination drones", the autonomous robotic bees could help offset losses caused by declining bee populations by using sensors and cameras to carry pollen from one plant to another. But that’s only one patent. In plans for the other five, Walmart also outlines how to monitor crop damage using machine vision to track, spot, and identify pests and act as new-age “scarecrows or shiny devices” to shoo off pesky birds. Citing inefficiencies of crop dusting, another patent outlines plans to spray pesticides in a way that targets crops rather than the blanket approach used today. “Chemical spraying of crops is expensive and may not be looked upon favorably by some consumers,” reads the patent. The 16-page document outlines six patents, including ways to detect and deter pests, spray pesticides, and pollinate crops.  The patents were filed last fall, but it was just uncovered by CB Insights, who say the retail giant could be doing it to save costs by “vertically integrating its food supply chain” and manage crop yields more effectively. While it’s still unclear, some outlets speculate that the discount grocer might have plans to grow and control more of the food it sells. It seems like a logical next step considering Walmart just announced plans to expand its delivery service to more than 800 stores, serving more than 40 percent of American households. Then again, maybe the $80 billion corporation simply wants to do a bit of good in the world. Some scientists, however, say that while there may be potential for bee drones, we should work to protect the biodiversity that we still have rather than simply replace it with machines. Bees pollinate almost one-third of the food we eat, but have been dying at unprecedented rates in large part due to colony collapse disorder, although cases have declined in the last five years. According to the patent, bee declines lead to reduced fertility, biodiversity, and production of crops. In 2013, Harvard first introduced “RoboBees” that fly and hover in midair, but they had to be attached to a power source. Researchers said they could be used in crop pollination, search and rescue missions, surveillance, high-resolution weather, and climate and environmental monitoring. The drones can swim and even stick to surfaces using static electricity. But even Harvard hasn’t figured out a way to remotely control their electronic insects – something Walmart’s patents plan to do. Source - http://www.iflscience.com/ 

16.03.2018

Turkey - Greenhouse production increases by 55%

The amount of greenhouse vegetable and fruit production per capita in Turkey rose from 71.6 kilos to 97.3 kilos in the last decade. 87% of bananas, 61% of cucumbers, and 60% of green peppers is provided by greenhouse production. Turkey's Union of Chambers of Agriculture (TZOB) Chairman Semsi Bayraktar reported a 55.6 % increase in greenhouse fruit and vegetable production over a 10-year period where the production has risen from 5.53 million tons to 7.863 million tons. Bayraktar, in his written statement, noted that thanks to greenhouse production, many products are available on the market throughout the year. Bayraktar reminded that as of last year vegetable production in greenhouses reached 30,826 million tons, which covers 24% of all vegetable production in Turkey. This number has risen from 18.8% in 2007. Currently 7,384 million tons of vegetables are produced in greenhouses in Turkey, representing a 53.3% increase for the 2007–2017 period. Bayraktar also added that the share of greenhouse production in fruits also increased from 1.6% to 2.3%, from 235,000 tons to 479,000 tons. Bayraktar: “The share of tomatoes in greenhouse production is 48.7% of the total greenhouse production of fruits and vegetables and 51.9% of the vegetables produced in greenhouses. According to the 2017 data, 3,830 million tons of tomatoes, 1,122 tons of cucumber, 791,000 tons of watermelon, 186,000 tons of cantaloupe, 395,000 tons of green pepper, 101,000 tons of sweet pepper, 345,000 tons of eggplants, 219,000 tons of zucchini, 48,000 tons of green beans and 67,000 tons of lettuce is produced in Turkey in greenhouses. In fruits, over a 10-year period, greenhouse production of bananas has increased from 135,000 tons to 322,000 tons, whereas strawberry production has risen from 100,000 tons to 155,000 tons. Apricot, plum and nectarines are also produced in greenhouses across Turkey. 87% of bananas, 61% of cucumbers, 60% sweet pepper, 49% of zucchini, 42% of green pepper, 39% of eggplants and strawberries, 36% of lettuce and 30% of tomatoes in Turkey is grown in greenhouses. During the same 10-year period, the population of Turkey has increased from 70.5 million to 80.8 million, a 14.5% increase. For the same period, the growth rate in greenhouse production is 55.6%, which consequently led to an increase in the amount of greenhouse fruit and vegetable production per capita in Turkey from 71.6 kilos to 97.3 kilos. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

15.03.2018

Africa - Cereal crops under threat

Fall Armyworms (FAW) have emerged as new serious threat to over 80 crops as East Africa strives to control tropical and subtropical insects.The threat of the insect, scientifically known as Spodoptera frugiperda, comes as millions of smallholder farmers in the East African region have not yet recovered fully from last season's drought. The destructive and migratory pests attack economically key crops like maize, wheat, millet, sorghum, sugarcane and rice at all stages. The damage can lead to 100 per cent crop loss, subjecting the East African Community (EAC) countries and beyond to serious food security threat. Speaking to the 'Daily News East African Edition' here, the Technical Advisor tothe EA Regional Impact Centre, Mr Charles Bonaventure named some of the already affected African countries as Tanzania, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In Tanzania, FAW was discovered in March last year in Nkasi District and hitherto over 17 regions have been affected while by the end of last year, the insect had caused over 13.383 million US dollars (about 30bn/-) loss. "The invasion started in Tanzania in 2017, the armyworms were reported in the Southern border of the country... the moths of the armyworm are strong fliers and the species may have entered thecountry through flight from neighbouring Zambia. FAW is new in Africa and its caterpillars cause severe damage to over 80 plant species especially cereal crops like maize and rice at all stages and spreads fast in early stages. It's devastating once it develops into moth, posing greater risk to the growth of crops," said Mr Bonaventure. The agriculturist said although the species attack a wide range of crops, it poses particularly serious threat to grain farmers. "Unlike the African armyworm, the Fall Armyworm, which is dispersed by the wind, burrows inside maize stems and cobs, making it difficult to detect and can lay up to six generations of up to 50 eggs in one location, leading to rapid destruction. The pests, in case they attack maize, can lead to 100 per cent crop destruction," he said. The technical advisor noted that the government intervened by deploying agricultural experts, buying and distributing 133,439 US dollars (about 300m/-) and educated farmers on the worm fighting, managing to control the invasion bycountry was already affected, with most farmers incurring huge costs to contain them," he noted. In Kenya, Mr Boniventure said, the pest has been reported in 27 of the 47 counties, threatening over 200,000 hectares of maize. Ground control operations continued in all affected areas, with farmers assisted under the Agriculture Ministry coordination. "It's worth noting that most of the infestations in Kenya were reported in the western and Rift Valley parts of the country, suggesting that the pest might have migrated from Uganda," said the agriculturist. In Uganda, FAW outbreaks continued spreading, reaching 78 districts. The pest was detected in Moyo, Kotido, Karamajo and other districts in North Eastern part of the country where late rains were reported. The government has been distributing pesticides to the affected farmers and sprayers to model farmers to demonstrate appropriate control measures. Ugandan government puts the potential annual loss at 450,000 tons of maize due to unabated outbreaks of fall armyworms. Mr Boniventure said the government has developed a 1 million US dollar (over 2bn/-) action plan before the pest migrated to other districts and it's expected to have revised the plan should the pest continue affecting many districts. Rwanda has developed the 700,000 US dollar (over 1.5bn/-) plan, with 200,000 US dollars from its own sources. The country also used her soldiers to fight the pest. Burundi government had requested for an emergency technical assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which had to consider a Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) project to assist Bujumbura with fall armyworm.Tanzania has developed the action plan for surveillance and monitoring during the coming seasons. Source - http://allafrica.com

15.03.2018

Italy - Cold front damages stone fruit in Basilicata

50% of early nectarines in greenhouses have been damaged, while almost all of open-field orchards have been destroyed. It seems late varieties are safe. Producers located in the Policoro and Scanzano Jonico areas sustained the damage caused on 28th February 2018, when the temperature dropped to -5°C. "We've lost at least half of the early Garofà nectarine production. Big Bang recorded no problem as buds were still closed," explains Antonio Sabato. Covers mean production is 15 days earlier than in open fields. In this case, they even saved the crops. Antonio Sabato has been growing nectarines for 40 years. "I think Big Top are the nicest, but Big Bang also have a good flavour. In the past, white Caldesi 2000 nectarines have been quite popular as well." "Larger fruits are not only nicer to look at, but they're often also the nicest to eat. I believe that, if Northern Europe was to try larger fruits, they would actually prefer them to smaller ones." The producer sells his fruit through "Piraccini Secondo". Broad bean damaged by frost The broad bean crop has been lost, but raspberries are safe thanks to covers, which have kept the temperature 4°C higher than outside. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

15.03.2018

South Africa - Drought officially declared a national disaster

The drought that has gripped the Western Cape and other provinces has officially been declared a national disaster. The announcement was made at a briefing by the interministerial task team on Drought and Water Scarcity in Parliament on Tuesday morning. "Today we are announcing the declaration of the drought as a national state of disaster," the task team said. "The drought in South Africa is, in some provinces, showing no signs of abatement. "Reports show that draught and water scarcity has had a negative impact on all sectors of the economy such as livestock production, crop production, industrial and processing, tourism, food security, water supply, trade balance to mention but a few. It on this basis that in 2016 the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy noted that the impacts of droughts conditions cannot be considered in isolation from global markets and the wider macro-economic environment in which the country’s agricultural sector functions. "Three provinces which are extremely affected - Western Cape, some parts of the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape provinces are not yet showing comforting signs of improvement. "The manifestations of the drought can still be discerned in hydrological, agricultural and socio-economic impacts, driven by declining meteorological conditions, which are recorded to be the lowest since 1926. At this stage there is no indication to support rainfall that is more than twenty five miliemeters (25mm) for the Western and Northern Cape provinces, except perhaps a low likelihood along the south coastal areas. "The Western Cape is a winter rainfall region. It is expected that some rains will start coming as early as April. Measures taken to mitigate the situation in the province have notably started to bear fruit; these include curtailment and restrictions. "According to the report released by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), South Africa’s dams have last week, 06 March 2018, seen an improvement by a fraction of a percent (0.2%) compared to their levels a week before. The Department indicated that 'the levels went up from 63,2 percent to 63,4 percent'," the taks team said. It was crucial to "adopt integrated planning and coordinated implementation to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the overall drought response effort", the task team said, and in this regard, the National Joint Drought Coordinating Committee (NJDCC), convened by the National Disaster Management Centre was established to "provide the technical platform for cooperative governance by providing a forum for coordination and management of the drought by a wide range of stakeholders". The forum was to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday. The declaration of a national disaster is not primarily aimed at requesting additional funding, the task team said, but was rather for "activating extra-ordinary measures, which might include funding, based on the need and other relevant conditions to address the impact of such a disaster". Financial and technical resources should be mobilised by all spheres of government, the private sector, NGOs and communities to implement measures to recover from the drought. Source - https://www.iol.co.za

15.03.2018

Poor farmers need better protection from costly disasters: U.N.

Natural disasters such as drought and floods cost developing countries $96 billion in damage to crops and livestock between 2005 and 2015, highlighting the need to step up protection for poor farmers, the United Nations said. Half the total damage - $48 billion - occurred in Asia, according to a report from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched at a Hanoi conference on Thursday. “Asia is always, in terms of natural hazards, the most-hit area simply because so many tropical storms and heavy monsoon rains hit that region,” Stephan Baas, a risk advisor at FAO and one of the study’s authors, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Besides precipitation, Asian agriculture was also affected by earthquakes, tsunamis and extreme temperatures, the report said. Drought alone caused $29 billion of the damage to the agriculture sector across all developing countries, the study showed, making it a major threat to food security and incomes. In Africa, agricultural losses from natural disasters amounted to $26 billion over the decade, and in Latin America and the Caribbean, $22 billion. Drought was the costliest disaster for crops and livestock in those two regions. Crop pests and animal diseases caused about $6 billion of the losses to African farmers. Climate change is likely to worsen the threats and challenges from natural disasters, FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva said in a statement. Efforts to reduce the risks of disasters and manage them better must be part of modern agriculture if sustainable development is to be achieved, officials added. “The main purpose of the report is to give evidence to policymakers and planners so they know what can be avoided,” said Baas. Measures to curb risks include using seeds that are resilient to drought or floods, early warning systems for extreme weather, and access to insurance and finance for farmers, he added. The report, which excludes industrialized countries, will be updated every two years, and used as a tool to monitor global commitments to tackle poverty and climate change, noted Baas. Globally, about 2.5 billion people rely on agriculture for their livelihoods, the FAO report said. Source - https://www.reuters.com

15.03.2018

USA - Freezing temperatures have berry farmers concerned about crops

Temperatures are cold here Wednesday night across Southwest Georgia. These freezing temps. have some local farmers concerned about their strawberry and blueberry crops that are about to bloom. Some farmers say they're prepared to insulate their crops to protect them from harsh weather conditions. "There's no way you can look at it and not be nervous knowing that your that close to being where you could lose a whole crop," said farmer Bob Welker. Local farmer and Berry Good Farms owner Bob Welker says he's no stranger to the unpredictable weather here in Southwest Georgia. Although he says Wednesday's freezing temperatures have him concerned about his blueberry and strawberry crops. "32 and 31 degrees is not too much for a strawberry. But you can't count on that either, you know if it shoots down to 29 or 30, you'd have a total loss," said Welker. Luckily, he just replaced the water well that supplies water to his frost protection unit. The irrigation system freezes the field, allowing the internal temperature of crops to stay above 32 degrees. "Once you ice them down, they'll hold that temperature until you quite watering so that coat of ice actually saves most of the berries," said Welker. Farm owner Sheila Rice out of Calhoun Produce in Ashburn says she plans to use her frost water irrigation system Wednesday night as well. "It'll be a sheet of ice out here, everything will be frozen. Once you have a berry or a bloom out here, you want to keep that from going below 32 degrees," said Rice. Rice adds, without the water irrigation system, you could lose a whole crop and slow down the growing process. That's why she always keeps a careful eye on the weather. "When you have crops in the ground or picking crops, you have to watch the weather, I watch daily. I check it, it's on my phone cause you have to know," said Rice. Source - http://wfxl.com/

15.03.2018

USA - Almonds & cherries affected most by California's cold spring

California was experiencing a warm winter until recently, when cooler temperatures and rain brought about a cold start to spring. While this has caused a slowdown in the production of numerous current crops, growers of spring crops are waiting to see as to what extent their crops have suffered. Almond and cherry growers seem to have been the worst hit, and growers will be assessing the damage over the next few weeks. Almonds in particular are a high value crop for California, and the state is also a significant producer. Almond growers wait for assessments Almond growers will be assessing their orchards over the next couple of weeks. Losses are likely, but it's too early to put any numbers in terms of volume. California's almond producers had been looking forward to a favorable season up until the cold weather hit. "Almond crops have definitely seen some damage," said Eddie Hernandez of Del Mar Farms. "Over the next 2 weeks, farmers will be walking the orchards and producing estimates as to the extent of any losses. Early predictions are pointing to anywhere between a 5% - 18% downgrade on volumes. What is known is that the West side appears to have been less affected when compared with areas towards the East and South. It's disappointing as we were set up to have a great bloom and there was good early momentum in the market." Dawn Sanders, of DePalma Farms, agreed, observing that farmers further out appear to be most affected. She also noted that stone fruit seems to have escaped any significant damage, with the exception of cherries. "Some farmers have lost a lot of their crop," she said. "We have heard that growers out in places like Le Grand, Montpelier and Oakdale look to have suffered most, but it will be a couple of more weeks yet until this can be assessed more accurately. The good news is that later stone fruit varieties appear to be undamaged, although there have been reports on damage to the cherry crop." Cherries also appear to be badly affected While other stone fruit such as peaches and nectarines have not been as badly affected as first thought, cherry growers are concerned as initial inspections have indicated frost damage. Growers will be performing more thorough assessments ahead of a meeting between them in the next couple of weeks. "We're still figuring things out but the rain and cold has definitely had an impact," said Justin Bedwell of Bari Produce. "There has been freeze damage and some growers are estimating up to 50 percent losses already. Continued rain and cold weather is delaying proper inspections but we hope to get out early next week and walk the fields. Some of the apricots also will be checked, depending on what stage they're at in the bloom. At this stage, it looks as though other stone fruit has not been affected as badly." "Cherries are the most effected as the frost came at a bad time," Bedwell added. "Next week, growers will be gathering for a meeting where we will discuss more accurate figures. Until the fruit can be physically inspected, we won't know for sure." Rain will persist in California this week and into the weekend. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

14.03.2018

USA - Crop insurance reduces the need for ad-hoc disaster payments

When agricultural disasters occur, the federal government has traditionally responded in one of two ways: ad-hoc disaster payments or assistance in purchasing federal crop insurance. For nearly two decades the preferred delivery mechanism for a majority of agricultural products has been the federal crop insurance program. Ad-hoc payments do still occur, especially for commodities not widely covered by crop insurance. Such was the case in 2018 following devastating hurricanes, droughts, floods and wildfires across parts of the U.S. in 2017. However, as work on the 2018 farm bill ramps up, it’s appropriate to review the benefits of federal crop insurance programs compared to ad-hoc disaster payments. Today’s article compares the farm safety net protection provided by crop insurance to ad-hoc disaster payments, and reveals a negative correlation between the need for ad-hoc disaster assistance and the use of crop insurance tools. Types of Support Ad-hoc emergency payments are unanticipated financial outlays delivered to farmers following a natural disaster such as a disease outbreak or adverse weather. USDA also has authority to provide disaster assistance through conservation programs, i.e. emergency grazing, or using Commodity Credit Corporation funds. Not every natural disaster is immediately followed by ad-hoc payments. Many times, these ad-hoc payments are authorized months or years after a natural disaster. For example, 2017 included three major hurricanes, a severe drought in the Upper Midwest and more than 2 million acres of wildfires. Ad-hoc assistance following these disasters first occurred in early 2017, when USDA allowed emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program acres and then in early 2018 when the Bipartisan Budget Act appropriated $2.36 billion in disaster assistance. Federal crop insurance protects farmers from unavoidable risks associated with adverse weather, including crop losses and plant diseases, as well as insect infestations. Hundreds of crops, as well as livestock species, are protected under crop insurance. Policies are designed to insure against a number of risks including revenue declines, yield losses and increased feeding costs for livestock. Federal expenditures related to federal crop insurance programs come primarily in the form of premium subsidies – whereby the farmer and the federal government share in the costs of purchasing insurance. These subsidies do not go to farmers. Insurance premiums reflect the total liability and expected market risk and are highly correlated with the value of the commodities insured. Crop insurance is delivered through a private-sector delivery system, and in the event of a loss, these private insurance companies are primarily responsible for making the indemnity payments to farmers and ranchers. This consistent use of funds for premium subsidies provides certainty to farmers – and their lenders – that in the event of a crop loss, insurance claims can be distributed immediately following a financial loss. During the five-year period beginning in 1998 and ending in 2002 – and prior to meaningful crop insurance reform – the federal government made ad-hoc disaster payments of approximately $30 billion. As crop insurance policies improved, and enrollment increased, fewer ad-hoc disaster payments were made, and instead, the federal government provided support through subsidized insurance. By 2017 nearly 317 million acres were covered under a crop insurance policy. The correlation between ad-hoc disaster payments and crop insurance utilization is -54 percent, indicating that as crop insurance coverage has increased the need for ad-hoc disaster assistance has decreased, Figure 1. Crop Insurance Versus Ad-hoc Payments There are several benefits of crop insurance over ad-hoc disaster assistance. First, crop insurance provides certainty that in the event of a loss a farmer will be indemnified based on a portion of the value of the crop or livestock. Under crop insurance, farmers know what the losses are and indemnity payments are made directly to the farmer. With ad-hoc disaster packages, the compensation to an eligible farmer or rancher may not reflect the value of the loss. For example, in late 2009 USDA authorized $290 million in Dairy Economic Loss Assistance Payments to support dairy farmers. These ad-hoc payments were made to dairy farmers on up to 6 million pounds of milk and may not have fully covered the amount of milk production on the farm. Second, under crop insurance, when a farmer experiences a loss, an indemnity payment will be made within 30 days following the signing of the final loss paperwork. These claims are finalized through a private-sector delivery system. With ad-hoc disaster payments, the assistance payments may be delayed by several months or years following a loss. For farmers experiencing a revenue decline or a crop loss, timely indemnification provides an opportunity for growers to meet their financial obligations. Farmers do not have this same payment capacity with unanticipated emergency disaster payments. Third, under ad-hoc disaster payments, a farmer may not be required to prove a loss on the farm. Rather, farmers growing a specific crop or located in a specific part of the country may be eligible for ad-hoc disaster payments even if a loss was not experienced on the farm. Under crop insurance programs a farmer must suffer a financial loss, relative to the insurance guarantee, to qualify for indemnification  – commonly known in insurance principles as a deductible. This ensures that indemnity payments are targeted to areas impacted by a natural disaster such as a drought, hurricane or flood, and that payments are delivered directly to farmers and ranchers impacted by adverse weather. Summary The presence of federal crop insurance has significantly reduced the need for unbudgeted and unanticipated agricultural disaster payments. When crop losses occur, and for a variety of crops, the assistance comes primarily from private sector companies, not the federal government. This has proven to be a reliable delivery tool for farm safety net programs, and has significantly reduced the need for ad-hoc disaster payments. As the 2018 farm bill debate continues, attention will soon turn in earnest to crop insurance programs. The president’s budget in 2017 and 2018 both proposed substantial cuts to crop insurance. At a time when net farm income is at a 12-year low, and after farm programs have already experienced substantial cuts in recent years, now is not the time to turn away from the reliability of the crop insurance program in favor of ad-hoc disaster payments. When Mother Nature is the farmers’ business partner, access to affordable and dependable insurance products remains a critically important component to the financial stability of farmers and the U.S. farm economy. Source - https://www.fb.org

14.03.2018

Japan - Scary animatronic wolves being used to frighten wild boars

Texas isn't the only place with a wild boar problem. Japan is dealing with the issue in a unique and scary way. The Super Wolf is powered by solar-rechargeable batteries, has realistic fur, sharp fangs and glaring red eyes. The animatronic was created in hopes of scaring wild boars approaching crops. It seems the monster wolf is working. Japan Agricultural Cooperatives say crop losses have fallen in areas using the wolf. Below is a video that gives you a closer look at the Super Monster Wolf. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=21&v=midU58kUn98[/embed] Source - https://www.ksat.com

14.03.2018

Engineered crops use 25% less water

By increasing the levels of one protein coded by one single gene, researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have reduced crop water use by 25%. That is a substantial amount of water. Known as PsbS, this protein helps relay how much light is in the surrounding environment. By raising the levels of this specific protein, plants are tricked into thinking there isn’t enough light for photosynthesis to take place. When conditions aren’t ideal for photosynthesis, plants can close their stomata, which are pores normally used to intake carbon dioxide. Water also transpires from these pores, so partially closing them can help prevent water loss. According to the researchers, the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide level is enough to counteract the partially open stomata, allowing plants to get the food they need without compromising yield. The research was conducted on tobacco, but this gene is universal to all plants, so there’s potential to do the same in a number of different crops. Source - https://www.greenhousecanada.com

14.03.2018

Uganda - Farmers hire security guards as vanilla theft shoots up

As vanilla prices continue to soar in Sironko and surrounding districts in Bugisu Sub-region, farmers are reeling in frustration due to rampant theft. The farmers have now resorted to hiring security guards, each at Shs300,000 per month to protect their gardens. Farmers say because of the soaring vanilla prices, thieves harvest immature beans. Currently, a kilogramme of vanilla costs Shs300,000, up from Shs200,000 last year. Mr Abbas Ahmed Madoi, a resident of Buwodada Lower Village in Buteza Sub-county, says he lost more than 500kgs of vanilla to thieves between December and January. “I did not harvest anything despite the time and resources I injected in. The thieves used to come at night and steal immature vanilla beans but now, I have been forced to hire a security guard in order to minimise theft,” Mr Madoi says. “I have reported to police on several occasions but we managed to get the thieves using a sniffer dog and all the cases are still pending,” he says. Mr Robert Mulekwa, another farmer, says hiring security guards is costly but paying off. The loot is reportedly heaped in sacks and sold to buyers from Kampala. “It has become a risky venture because of thieves, who impersonate as owners of our gardens and sell our vanilla to buyers from Kampala at a cheap price of not more Shs100,000 [per kilogramme],” he says. Mr Alex Wobusa, a leader of vanilla farmers, says theft is frustrating farmers yet the profitable crop can help to eradicate poverty in households. “Farmers are making serious losses and this might force them to abandon the venture,” he says. Mr Wobusa says last season, they had planned to harvest 2,500kgs of the crop in the whole district but due to theft, they only harvested 178kgs. Ms Saphina Madoi, the leader of vanilla farmers in Elgon region, says two cases of vanilla theft are reported to police every week, especially in Buteza and Bufupa sub-counties. The district police commander, Mr Fredric Bagende, acknowledges the problem of vanilla theft. “It is true vanilla theft is rampant but we have instituted collaborative security measures with farmers to curb it,” he says. Mr Robert Nabenti, the assistant chief administrative officer, during a district security meeting on vanilla last week, said they are determined to protect farmers against theft. Mr Herbert Mulekwa, the district chairperson, says they will pass a by-law to protect and promote vanilla growing and harvesting. “As a district, we pledge full support to protect farmers from impersonators and also to ensure improved quality and quantity as well,” he says. The RDC, Mr Moses Wamoto, says his office will work with police to guarantee farmers security, saying theft is a sign of backwardness in the community. Source - http://www.monitor.co.ug/

14.03.2018

USA - Drought threat intensifies for winter wheat crop

Yield prospects are dimming for winter wheat in the breadbasket of the southern U.S. Plains, where the crop is emerging from dormancy and requiring moisture at a time when much of the region is gripped by drought, crop experts said. In Kansas, the top wheat-producing state, Governor Jeff Colyer on Tuesday declared a drought emergency in 28 counties and issued drought warnings and watches for the rest of the state. The emergency declarations allow affected counties to access water from certain fishing lakes. Nearly one-fifth of Kansas is under extreme to exceptional drought, the two most intense categories, conditions not seen in the state since 2014, according to U.S. Drought Monitor data. Winter wheat futures traded on the Chicago Board of Trade ramped to seven-month highs above $5 a bushel this month on fears an intensifying Plains drought would threaten crops at a time when planted acres are already at a 109-year low. “Across Kansas I would predict we are going to have a below-average wheat crop, even if we have rain from here on out, just because the potential has already been limited,” said Doug Keesling, who farms more than 1,000 acres of wheat in Chase, Kansas. Plains producers grow hard red winter wheat, a high-protein variety that is used for bread. Tight supplies of high-protein grain prompted flour millers to pay historically high premiums for top-quality wheat over the past year. Still, global wheat supplies remain plentiful following a record-large world harvest in 2017, a factor that has at times impeded U.S. exports. MINIMAL MOISTURE HRW wheat is seeded in the Plains in autumn and harvested in June and July. Precipitation has been minimal in portions of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas since October, preventing some plants from establishing strong roots. “You have so little soil moisture available to a crop that in some places didn’t even germinate, (or) it’s so poorly established that the root structure is in danger of just dying,” said David Streit, an agricultural meteorologist with the Commodity Weather Group. “I fear there is going to be a notable loss of plant population if we don’t see a rain event,” Streit said, adding he expected no significant storms in most of the region for the next couple of weeks. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday rated 53 percent of the Kansas wheat crop in poor to very poor condition, up from 50 percent the previous week. Just 12 percent of the wheat was rated good to excellent, down from 13 percent one week earlier. In neighboring Oklahoma, 72 percent of wheat was rated poor to very poor, a slight improvement from the prior week, the USDA said. A lag in crop maturity means wheat plants are running out of time to develop properly. “The issue is, we are behind. And the further south you are, the more serious it is because you have less time to make up the difference,” said Mark Hodges of Plains Grains, a wheat industry group based in Oklahoma. “If we don’t get significant moisture in those areas back to the west, and we get into the time frame when temperatures are mid to upper 80s (degrees Fahrenheit) ... we will start losing plants,” Hodges said. Source - https://www.reuters.com

14.03.2018

India - Is Narendra Modi’s crop insurance scheme running aground?

Despite the centre pumping more funds into its flagship crop insurance scheme, coverage among farmers is on the decline, according to figures released on Tuesday, indicating a decline in interest among farmers. The number of farmers (or farm holdings) covered under the prime minister’s crop insurance scheme fell to 47.9 million in 2017-18, from a high of 57.5 million the year before, a sharp decline of 17% in just a year, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The data further shows that while coverage among loanee farmers fell to 35 million in 2017-18 from 44 million the year before, coverage of non-loanee farmers fell marginally from 14 million to 13 million during this period. In 2016 and 2017, overall, the south-west monsoon which irrigates over half of India’s crop area was near normal, meaning rainfall had little role to play in determining insurance uptake by farmers. While the total number of holdings declined sharply over the past year, gross premium collected by insurance companies in 2017-18 is estimated at Rs24,352 crore, up 9.8% from Rs22,180 crore the year before, the government told the Rajya Sabha on 9 March. “It is unlikely that insurance coverage in terms of gross cropped area will improve in 2017-18 over the 30% coverage achieved in 2016-17,” said a top official with an insurance company who did not want to be named. “Achieving the government’s target of covering 50% of gross cropped area by 2018-19 will be a herculean task,” the person quoted above added. The official said that less than 40% of the premium due from state governments has reached insurance companies and that farmers are suffering due to the delay. Interestingly, the centre is yet to calculate the total claims filed by farmers in the current year ending March (2017-18), indicating long delays in settlement of claims. “The growth rate in agriculture credit fell sharply in the past few years... and due to rising indebtedness and delays in loan repayment by farmers expecting to benefit from loan waivers, it could be that banks are issuing less fresh loans. This could be bringing down the number of loanee accounts and therefore, the (mandatory) crop insurance enrolment numbers,” said Himanshu, associate professor of economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. Himanshu added that the scheme is also failing to interest non-loanee farmers due to delays in claim settlements. Studies released by Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment in July 2017, and another last month by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, Delhi, showed that the Prime Minister’s crop insurance scheme is beset with problems like delays in assessment of crop loss and claim settlement, high actuarial premiums charged by insurance companies, and lack of officers monitoring a scheme which gets as much as a third of the budget of the department of agriculture (Rs13,000 crore budgeted in 2018-19). Source - http://www.livemint.com

13.03.2018

USA - Late-winter rain, cold may significantly affect some California crops

Early spring in California can be a time of agricultural beauty as trees awaken from their winter slumber in an explosion of white and pink blossoms. After enduring much of a dormant season without rain or significant chilling hours, the weather changed just in time for early stone fruit and almond pollination. The effect of freezing temperatures, followed by rain, won’t be known in almonds or early stone fruit for a few months, but chances are there will be some significant damage in places. Even late-winter row crops like asparagus were affected by the freezing temperatures. Los Banos farmer Joe Del Bosque said he had significant losses in his early organic asparagus, which he classifies as a “high-value crop.” Ian LeMay of the California Fresh Fruit Association says it’s too early to know the effects in stone fruit and almond companies like Blue Diamond must also wait  to assess the losses from freezing weather during bloom time. Not only did the cold temperatures kill developing nuts, but they kept bees from pollinating the blossoms. Source - http://www.westernfarmpress.com