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12.03.2018

Pakistan - Farmers see room for improvement in crop loan insurance scheme

In Pakistan, agriculture production challenges primarily stem from environmental and climate-induced disasters. Pakistan’s economy faced 133 natural disasters since 1995 to 2015, which caused losses of $38.23 billion to the national economy. About 36 districts of the country are highly vulnerable to risks posed by natural disasters, 68 have medium vulnerability and 52 have low vulnerability against floods and droughts combined. Along with the threat and disasters caused by climate change, farmers are facing issues of salinity, water scarcity and decreasing groundwater levels which slash their income from crop harvests. Such issues have made it more difficult for them to repay their debt. With the growing challenges, the demand for agriculture credit from the farmers has gone up in an attempt to improve their harvests. Provision of credit to the agriculture sector reached Rs704.5 billion in fiscal year 2016-17, up 17.8% compared to the previous year. However, some loopholes have been found in the credit policy, especially in the Crop Loan Insurance Scheme (CLIS). Sargodha district, which is well known for the production of kinnow, sugarcane and bamboo, is facing the threat of climate change and flooding. Hundreds of villages in the district had been hurt by flooding in Chenab and Jhelum Rivers in 2014. According to the annual flood report, Sargodha also faced damages from the flood protection structures in 2016. Among credit policies, the CLIS is a unique scheme launched in 2008. It provides credit for five major crops, namely, wheat, rice, sugarcane, cotton and maize. This is accompanied with insurance against natural disasters like flood, drought, hailstorm, pest attack and fire damage. With support of the government, the insurance premium is subsidised for subsistence farmers, defined as those having up to 25 acres of land for cultivation. However, inefficiencies in the scheme were highlighted by the farmers during a survey conducted in the flood-prone tehsils of Sargodha. Majority of the farmers have avoided taking formal credit because of their own savings and easy access to loans from informal sources. Some farmers are interested in insurance policy alone, but CLIS offers crop insurance to only those that borrow from banks. Finally, some of them do not consider insurance policy to be in line with Islamic principles. Farmers say borrowing from informal sources like individual lenders in their areas is easy and quick. They do not even face any difficulty in paying back the loans as these are mostly interest-free. Policy drawbacks Highlighting the inefficiencies in the formal insurance policy, they point to the late declaration of calamity by the government as a major issue. After that, the bank or insurance company concerned sends their representative or an independent consultant to assess the loss. This causes a delay of around six months. Owing to the delay, the assessment of field losses is not accurate. The assessors, most of the time, rely on prediction rather than actual data. After the assessment, slow disbursement of insurance claims takes at least another month. These drawbacks force the farmers to borrow from informal sources for planting their next crop. The money paid in insurance claims is also meagre that neither covers the loss nor the input cost. Moreover, political influence is another hidden factor found during consultation with the farmers as such influences play a role in whether or not a village should be declared calamity-stricken. Apart from these, absence of political support leads to negligence of villages that are severely affected by disasters but are never declared calamity-hit. Farmers also complain about lower resilience against natural disasters and climate change, which is the outcome of a lack of proper guidance by agriculture extension officers and ineffective early warning system. How to improve things Though the benefits of CLIS cannot be denied, there is always room for improvement. Suggestions given by the farmers can provide useful input for the policymakers and economists and help the growers to cope with multiple challenges. In order to bring improvement, the farmers recommend effective assessment of individual loss, quick settlement of insurance claims, increase in the amount of claims and giving cover to horticulture as well, especially oranges orchards and vegetable crops. While Sargodha produces 90% of oranges in the country and generates millions of dollars from exports, the government should also consider including excessive or erratic rains, hailstorms and pest attacks along with floods in CLIS. One of the key suggestions is to provide crop insurance without linking it with formal credit at least in major growing areas. The current CLIS mechanism depends on damage-based insurance, but it can be improved by developing a weather or yield-based index. Such agriculture credit policies are successfully functioning in neighbouring countries such as India. They will help speed up the process of effective and individual loss assessment to clear the way for releasing claims before the start of plantations in the next season. Such changes will bolster farmers and help them achieve sustainable agriculture growth including citrus production in Sargodha. Source - https://tribune.com.pk

12.03.2018

Global warming could cut essential crop harvests in half

Production of some of the most important food crops – wheat, soybean and maize – could be reduced by up to 50 per cent by the end of the century as the world gets warmer, a new study has found. Researchers developed a computer simulation of how crops responded to rising temperatures, then tested this against real-world examples. They found they could accurately predict how various different plants would respond. And their findings were stark. Without significant reductions in emissions, maize yields in the US could fall by nearly 50 per cent by 2100. And soybean crops could see a 40 per cent reduction, while a 20 per cent reduction in wheat was also possible. The US is one of the world’s largest exporters of crops. A dramatic cut in yields would have a serious effect on food prices around the world, causing food shortages in the poorest countries. This could increase migration as people go in search of food and create conflict and, potentially, full-blown wars. Bernhard Schauberger, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, who led the study by an international team of scientists, said: “We know from observations that high temperatures can harm crops, but now we have a much better understanding of the processes. “The computer simulations that we do are based on robust knowledge from physics, chemistry, biology; on a lot of data and elaborate algorithms. “But they of course cannot represent the entire complexity of the crop system, hence we call them models. “In our study, they have passed a critical test.” However the researchers said that farmers could off-set the losses by increasing irrigation – if there was enough water available. “The losses got substantially reduced when we increased irrigation of fields in the simulation, so water stress resulting from temperature increase seems to be a bigger factor than the heat itself,” said researcher Joshua Elliott, of Chicago University. “Irrigation therefore could be an important means of adaptation to dampen the most severe effects of warming. “However, this is of course limited by the lack of water resources in some regions.” California has already been suffering significant droughts for some time, prompting restrictions on water use. The models took account of an array of different factors, from water supply and fertiliser use to the levels of carbon dioxide – which causes global warming but is also absorbed by plants to grow – and, of course, the temperature. For each day above 30C, maize and soybean plants can lose about 5 per cent of their harvest. And the models found that even small increases above this temperature could result in “abrupt and substantial yield losses”, according to a statement about the research issued by the Potsdam Institute. Climate sceptics have trumpeted one effect of increased carbon dioxide in the air, known as “global greening”. This happens because plant growth is boosted by the extra carbon. However, the researchers said the extra fertilisation from atmospheric carbon was not strong enough to counter the drop in crop yields because of the rising temperatures. The researchers did not exam the effect of “extremely high temperatures above 36C”, which would likely hit yields even harder. Source - http://www.independent.co.uk

12.03.2018

USA - Early morning freeze kills portion of peach crop

Friday morning’s big chill left Georgia peach growers out in the cold. In middle Georgia, a grower said the freezing temperatures killed up to 50 percent of the blooms that would have been the first peaches of the season. In the metro, losses are likely up to 10 percent. Hall County grower Drew Echols said if he tore open every flower on his 120 acres of peach trees, he would find that one in 10 did not survive the weather. "This little black spot right in the center is a dead peach,” Echols said. At Jaemor Farms in Alto, temperatures dropped as low as 28 degrees and were under 32 for nearly eight hours. "That many hours below freezing is kind of touch and go,” Echols said. It triggered bad memories of a year ago, when the Jaemor crews turned on huge fans to stir up the air, and ran all the sprinklers to protect the trees with an insulating layer of ice. Echols now has a new UGA Weather Station on the farm that gives him the current temperature, humidity and wind chill. "I've got it saved in my phone. I can go right to it and immediately see what's happening on the farm. So far, it's been very accurate,” Echols said. Echols said next week may tell the tale for this year’s peach crop. The trees will be closer to full bloom, and there’s another threat for temperatures to drop below freezing. "I'm waiting on Katie Walls and Glenn Burns to tell me that we're good. That's what I'm waiting on, 70 degree temperatures,” Echols said. Source - http://www.wsbtv.com/

12.03.2018

Australia - Queensland floods are a mixed blessing

The Queensland Farmers' Federation says it is too early to tell exactly what impact this week's heavy rain in the north and west of the state on horticultural production. Rainfalls were recorded of up to 500mm in some areas, which includes some of Queensland's major fruit and vegetable crops. "Yes, there will be an impact," QFF project manager, Ross Henry said. "Flood water across paddocks will cause lots of damage; cane will be pushed over (lodged) horticulture crops could be lost. But it's too early to say what will be impacted. Anything is a risk to anything in the ground, but floodwater effects fallow country more than planted country. There are also flow on effects with road and transport routes expected to be cut, if they are not already, which will impact getting fresh produce out to market. However, Mr Henry says it could be a case of short term pain for long term gain, with the rainfall occurring where it is needed most. "The last week has been mixed fortunes for farmers across the state, there is flooding in the north and north-west, but generally, after 6-years of drought, much of the rain will be welcome," he said. "Weekly totals of 400mm plus and even a couple of 500mm plus have been recorded, that's a lot of water. The river systems and flood warning are out across the state, but on the plus side dams and aquifers will be filling up." He adds that some impact reports in the west of the state are telling a positive story about "good rain". While there is currently significant flood, Mr Henry says the nature of the country out there means its manageable and the benefits outweigh the negatives. But in other areas the QFF warn that river levels are still predicted to rise even further over the coming days. "Central and northern QLD coast will be the area to watch for our members," Mr Henry said. "A lot of rain has fallen along the coast and in the upper catchments, so as this makes its way downstream we will have to watch creek and river levels to anticipate flood risk - the Herbert River in particular." The industry body is also reminding farmers to put their own safety first and not take any risks trying to save assets. "Flood waters are dangerous," Mr Henry said. "Make your plans and prepare ahead of time if possible. Record damage to feed into government impact assessments. If it's flooded, forget it." Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

12.03.2018

USA - Drought in HRW area intensifies to most severe rating

Drought across HRW growing regions in the US intensified in the week to March 6 as precipitation remained below average, according to the USDA’s weekly drought monitor released Thursday, leaving lingering questions over the viability of the coming crop. The Southern Plains are suffering the effects of one of the worst winter droughts in living memory with the North Oklahoma/Southern Kansas border region upgraded to a “D4” or “Exceptional” rating this week – the most severe intensity on the scale. “Unirrigated winter wheat in the Texas Panhandle and adjoining areas is almost a total loss,” the USDA wrote. Nationwide, 39% of winter wheat production is within an area experiencing drought, while the bulk of the US’ major HRW growing region is suffering even more. “Continued dryness with periods of strong winds and low humidity led to broad deterioration from the Texas Panhandle and northeastern New Mexico northeastward into the central Plains,” it wrote. “This resulted in broad D3 expansion across western sections of the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles... These areas received less than 10 percent of normal precipitation during the last 90 days and generally under half of normal precipitation since late autumn.” The market has responded to the deteriorating conditions since the start of the year, with prices for new crop wheat on the Kansas City HRW contract rallying almost 30% from a December low to top out at $5.65/bu at the beginning of March. Prices have come off about 5% since then on the back of a bearish USDA supply and demand report and some relief in the form of rains in eastern Oklahoma. Nonetheless, the prospect for HRW remains precarious, with the general forecast for most growing areas in the Southern Plains showing rain well-below average until the end of next week at the earliest. Source - https://www.agricensus.com

09.03.2018

Italy - Ortoclima against frost

During winter, producers are increasingly put to the test by extreme weather conditions. The latest cold fronts have a significant impact on crops, which need to be protected. Every small detail must be paid attention to and all varieties must be supported with high-quality fabrics. Agrintech has been meeting market needs with the Ortoclima non-woven fabric range. It's a UV ray stabilised product that lets light, air and water through while constituting an effective barrier against wind, parasites and frost up to -5°C. Ortoclima is applied on small plantlets after sowing, leaving enough space to let them grow without impediment. It can be left in place until right before harvesting. As for late varieties, it can also be used in October to protect crops against frost, making it possible to delay harvesting thus meeting market needs. It can be used on a wide range of products: salad, radishes, carrot and cabbage remain covered until 4-6 days before harvesting cucumbers and melons are covered until 4-6 weeks after sowing strawberries (uncovered before blossoming to favour pollination), potatoes, cauliflower, leek and celery. In addition to protecting crops against the cold, it can also be used against harmful insects and viruses. Ortoclima is available at standard widths between 1 and 3.20 m, with the option of combining nets up to 22 m. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

09.03.2018

Namibia - Govt loses N$15,2m to armyworm

Government has lost approximately N$15,2 million as a result of the fall armyworm outbreak at its main green schemes since late 2016. Agriculture minister Alpheus !Naruseb said this in the National Assembly on Tuesday. He said the maize output of the affected green schemes dropped from 17 829 metric tonnes recorded in 2015/16 to 14 437 metric tonnes in 2016/17. "This decrease is equivalent to 19% of the expected production, and in monetary terms, this represents a loss of approximately N$15,2 million," he stated. Green schemes were still badly affected by the armyworm this year. The armyworm has been detected at green scheme projects at Shadikongoro, Shitemo, Ndonga Linena, Uvhungu-vhungu, Sikondo, Musese and Etunda. !Naruseb said the "degree of infestation on average" ranged between 10% and 40%, with Etunda in the Omusati region the hardest-hit. The ministry would thus need financial assistance to control the spread of the armyworm at the seven affected government green schemes. This would include funding to intensify spraying programmes to control the adult moths that lay the eggs at the farms, as well as to restock the affected projects. According to the minister, the envisaged aerial spraying programme at Etunda would cost about N$1,1 million for the 1 200 hectares of the irrigation project. The seven affected green schemes cover a combined 6 465 hectares. The minister said a contingency plan has been developed, entailing the establishment of a national task force, an early warning system, the procurement of pesticides, as well as the training of farmers and technicians. The ministry also provided small-scale farmers, particularly at Etunda, with chemicals to combat the outbreak. Some green schemes, such as Etunda, were forced to suspend the production of some crops, while implementing crop rotation at others, while other schemes such as Musese replanted "almost the whole field" of about 450 hectares. !Naruseb said the challenging factors in fighting the pest were the high cost of chemicals, and the fact that "some recommended programmes are unaffordable, particularly to small-scale farmers". "As a classical example, one of the recommended chemicals, called Warlock, costs N$339 per hectare, and the recommended rate or dosage is one litre per hectare," he said, adding that it was recommended that every farm undergoes "four rounds" of spraying. "In view of the looming drought, we strongly recommend that government sets aside sufficient funds, estimated at N$72 million, to buy up grains for the national strategic food reserves," the minister continued. Despite the challenges posed by the fall armyworm outbreak, the harvest outlook remained positive for green schemes. According to !Naruseb, the estimated harvest for this season would be 16 019 metric tonnes, with the exclusion of Musese, which supplies maize to its own milling plant at Rundu. Source - http://allafrica.com

09.03.2018

India - GPS-based survey helps Karnataka assess crop loss accurately

Geo-tagging of agricultural plots and employing modern techniques to assess cultivated area or crop loss are yielding unexpected benefits for the state. The GPS- based crop survey, which was conducted for the first time for crops during the end of 2017, has revealed that conventional crop surveys showed huge variations in the extent of standing crops — ranging from 30 to 300% — as against the survey conducted by Crop Survey app. Crop survey using an app was initiated for the first time in November 2017,  where farmers were to provide details of crop cultivated on their fields. Using the app, farmers were to upload pictures of standing crops on their land, which was then stored on government servers. Based on the crop condition, compensation or insurance amount was released by the government, directly into beneficiary accounts. With the new initiative, the state is expected to get a better picture of ground conditions of agricultural crops, so that accurate reports of crop loss can be compiled and sent to the Centre for compensation. Moreover, it is also expected to reduce corruption while distributing compensation. Minister for agriculture Krishna Byre Gowda said that the crop survey was conducted in 1.6 crore of the 2.2 crore agricultural plots spread across the state. “Following the survey, we noticed huge variation in reporting the extent of standing crops. The variance was in the range of 30% to 300%  when compared with the traditional methods of crop surveys undertaken as per Department of Economics and Statistics methodology,” he said. Such variation would result in a faulty assessment of crop loss in plots of land, subsequently leading to several errors in providing compensation for farmers. However, with tech-based interventions such errors are being minimised. Apart from it, the GPS-based crop survey has provided several other benefits to the Department of Agriculture as well. “Since most of the agricultural plots have GPS tags, the data need not be entered all over again during the next crop survey. Considering the inputs provided at the farmer’s end, we only have to apply some formulas to assess the extent of crop damage. Based on this, input subsidy or compensation for crop loss can be transferred directly to farmers’ accounts,” he said. He was speaking at a national conference on ‘drought management strategies’ organised by the state government and Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Cell. Sources in Agriculture Department said that one of the main factors for the variation observed in the two methods of crop survey was chiefly attributed to human errors. “Earlier, officials of the revenue department, who were entrusted with the responsibility of crop surveys introduced errors into the data. Many entries were made without actually visiting the plot, resulting in the variation,” an official added. Source - http://www.newindianexpress.com

09.03.2018

USA - Citrus industry continues to struggle six months after Hurricane Irma

Florida’s citrus industry continues to suffer nearly six months after Hurricane Irma devastated the current season’s citrus crop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture released on Thursday its monthly citrus crop forecast for the 2017-2018 season. The USDA estimates the current crop will yield 45 million boxes. That’s down nine million boxes than the 54 million boxes forecast at the beginning of the season. It represents a drop of more than 80 percent in citrus production since the industry’s peak in the 1997-1998 season when 244 million boxes were harvested. “Florida’s citrus growers are still recovering from Hurricane Irma’s unprecedented damage, which today’s forecast shows is still unfolding in many groves six months later,” said Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. “Thankfully, Congress recently provided more than $2.3 billion for agricultural assistance, a critical first step to finally getting Florida’s growers long-awaited and desperately needed relief.” Irma ripped through the Florida back in September making two landfalls–one in the Keys and the other in the Naples area–before moving up the state’s west coast, impacting just about the entire state. The storm caused more than an estimated $2 billion in damage to Florida agriculture, $760 of that specifically to citrus. Irma’s winds, which reached up to 120 miles per hour tore citrus from tree limbs and its heavy rains flooded orchards causing widespread damage to trees. A survey of growers conducted by the Florida Citrus Mutual shortly after Irma hit showed total fruit loss at more than 65 percent. Some growers in southwest Florida reported 100 percent fruit loss. Putnam, Gov. Rick Scott and members of Florida’s Congressional Delegation spent months fighting for a federal disaster relief package for the state’s agriculture industry. A $2.3 billion dollar relief package was passed by Congress in early February. “I will continue to work with the leadership of the USDA, Governor Scott, our congressional delegation and industry representatives to get our growers the relief they need to fully recover,” Putnam said. Source - https://thecapitolist.com

09.03.2018

Ghana - Agro insurance crucial in government agricultural transformation agenda

Government’s agricultural transformation agenda cannot be realized without agro insurance, according to General Manager of Ghana Agricultural Insurance Pool, Alhaji Ali Muhammad Katu. He says flagship programmes such as Planting for Food and Jobs should be backed with interventions to deal with potential risk. “In case of crop failure the farmer should not go and sell his assets; he should be compensated,” Alhaji Katu emphasizes. Ghana is a signatory to the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihood. Commitment Six requires enhancing resilience system for vulnerable groups in Africa. The Ghana Agricultural Insurance Programme has since inception in 2011, developed the first agricultural insurance for Ghana. It also initiated a key adaptation measure to climate change. Nineteen Ghanaian insurance companies which form the Ghana Agricultural Insurance Pool, ensure a solid financial foundation. Alhaji Katu bemoans the level of patronage but says the programme has trained agricultural extension officers to sensitize farmers on insurance. The group presented two cheques for a total of 1, 480,716. Ghana cedis to Premium Foods at Jachie Pramso in the Ashanti Region. It covers benefits for losses the company suffered in 2017 major season on its farms at Afram Plains and Agogo. Procurement Manager, Prince Andoh, is happy Ghana’s rain-fed agricultural finally has relief for excessive floods and fall army worm. Source - http://myjoyonline.com

09.03.2018

USA - Lower premiums set for 2018 crop insurance

Risk Management Agency sets final rates, with costs for corn and soybean coverage lower than last year. Less volatility in corn and soybean prices recently means most farmers are paying slightly lower crop insurance premiums for 2018. Iowa farmers will benefit from these lower premiums. In February, USDA’s Risk Management Agency began tracking December 2018 corn and November 2018 soybean futures price averages for the month. Those are the figures used to calculate projected prices for crop insurance. The final prices became official after March 1 and are $3.96 per bushel for corn and $10.16 per bushel for soybeans. That’s the same as the 2017 projected price for corn and slightly lower than the $10.19 for soybeans. However, another factor used to determine final premiums is price volatility for December corn and November soybean futures options. It’s this volatility factor during the last five trading days of February that is used to determine final premiums. In early February, volatility for corn was 4 points lower compared to 2017 and 3 points lower for soybeans. The volatility factors for corn were at some of the lowest levels in the past 20 years. March 15 deadline to change coverage How much did the lower volatility factors impact the final 2018 crop insurance premiums? The corn rates will be discounted by nearly 3% in high-risk counties in the Corn Belt and roughly 15% in low-risk counties. Now that the final premiums for 2018 are known, farmers should communicate with their crop insurance agent before the March 15 final sales closing date for spring-planted crops. Some growers may consider buying crop insurance at higher levels in 2018 since they are saving money with lower premiums. You can take some of the money you budgeted previously for crop insurance and increase your coverage. If you have any questions or concerns about 2018 coverage, call your agent today for an appointment. Other crop insurance considerations Some additional 2018 changes in crop insurance coverage include: • If you are adding ground in a new county, you must notify your crop insurance agent before the March 15 deadline. • The period deemed "practical to replant" was shortened from 25 to 10 days after the final planting dates. In Iowa, the new practical-to-plant periods will run from May 31 through June 10 for corn and June 15 through June 25 for soybeans. • The rules regarding damage to a crop from actions caused by a third party such as dicamba drift have changed. The insured farmer can protect his or her actual production history for the affected farm. Insured farmers will still need to provide timely notice of loss, and this will only affect production and acres damaged. Example: A neighbor negligently applies a chemical and the resulting spray drift damages the insured farmer’s crop. While the loss is not covered by crop insurance, the insured farmer can still benefit by eliminating the production and acres impacted from the loss and used to determine the farmer’s APH database. Use of Revenue Protection Iowa farmers annually select Revenue Protection Crop Insurance on over 95% of all insured row crop acres in Iowa. Insured farmers are guaranteed revenue per acre using their APH yields times a price guarantee. This price guarantee is determined annually as the higher of the projected price (February simple average) or harvest price (October simple average) for December corn futures and November soybean futures prices. Farmers can choose annually a coverage level by crop and county between 50% and 85% of that revenue guarantee. Source - http://www.wallacesfarmer.com

08.03.2018

Ukraine - Country can lose up to 70% of crop due to drought

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts that Ukraine can lose from 10% up to 70% of the crop due to the drought and other unfavorable weather conditions as the press service of the organization reported. ‘The losses of the crop due to the unfavorable weather conditions can make from 10% up to 70% and the main cause of them are the droughts’, the FAO noted. Moreover, it is noted that the global rise of air and ocean temperature can facilitate the increase of the frequency of heavy rains or snowfalls, the appearance of the large-scale floods and high waters, gales, extreme heat. Also, according to many predictions, the migration of the ‘south’ pests will begin as well as the diseases of the forests and agronomic crops. At the moment, the FAO prepared the program document that contains the priority directions for the prevention of the climate changes in Ukraine and the appropriate complex of the events. It provides the optimal combination and consistency of the events that aim to decrease the greenhouse gases emission in the agricultural sector, fish farming, and foresty department. The presentation of the document and actions plan is planned for June 2018. Earlier the UN FAO claimed that the climate in Ukraine changes faster than in other countries and forests suffer from this. Source - https://112.international

08.03.2018

India - How inaccurate weather forecasts are adding to farmers’ woes in Maharashtra

On February 21, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast thunderstorms and hailstorms in northern Maharashtra and western Madhya Pradesh on February 23 and 24. Gusty winds, hailstorms and thunderstorms over ‘isolated places’ in Pune, Nandurbar, Dhule, Jalgaon, Nashik and Ahmednagar were predicted. It created panic among the grape farmers in Nashik as the crop is highly sensitive to rain. In view of the hailstorm warning, the farmers advanced the harvest by two-three days to avoid crop loss.  There is lot riding on Nashik, which exports 100,000 metric tonnes of grapes that have defined specifications when it comes to sweetness and size. In a dramatic turn of events, the IMD withdrew the warning saying the trough over the Himalayan region has weakened. But by that time, the Nashik farmers had wasted both money and manpower by working round-the-clock to protect their crops and going for early harvesting. This is not the first time that incorrect hailstorm advisory by the IMD affected Maharashtra farmers. On February 11, hailstorm had destroyed several villages in central Maharashtra and Vidarbha, destroying standing crops in Marathwada and Vidarbha worth Rs 313 crore across an area of over 300,000 hectares. While the weather forecast issued by the IMD on February 9 did mention that “thunderstorm accompanied with hailstorm very likely at isolated places” over Marathwada, the prediction was for February 12. It failed to make any such prediction for February 10 and 11.  However, the weather advisory issued by the Maharashtra government was more specific, flagging concern over possibility of hailstorms affecting farmlands in Gadchiroli, Gondia, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Nagpur, Wardha, Nanded and Latur apart from parts of Amravati and Yavatmal districts. “IMD bulletins are changing their forecast too fast for the farmers to respond. The farmers rely on IMD forecasts, even though they are not always accurate, but these sudden changes in advisories make it difficult for poor farmers to adapt to those changes. Moreover, their advisories and very generic, lacking district-level specifications, which do not help farmers in their preparedness,” says Akshay Deoras, an independent weather forecaster. In one of the latest examples of such swift change in weather advisories and sudden u-turn in predictions made, the IMD, on March 4, forecast thunderstorms and hailstorms at "isolated places" of North Madhya Maharashtra and Vidarbha on March 8. However, the bulletin issued on March 5 at 1 PM has removed all the warnings of hailstorms and thunderstorms in Maharashtra. “I just held a press conference to inform farmers about the possibility of hailstorm on March 8. Now, I have to again clarify it to them that the warning has been withdrawn,” says B Radhakrishnan, Collector of Nashik district. Although the farmers cannot really do much other than advancing the harvest, these inaccurate predictions, according to him, do create panic among them. “The farmers need more accurate weather forecast, and the meteorological department needs to be made accountable for making inaccurate forecasts. Right now, no one fixes responsibility to the IMD every time it goes wrong. It gradually erodes people’s faith in the institution,” adds Deoras. In India, where rain-fed farming dominates the agriculture sector and farmers sow seeds based on the IMD forecast, the institution’s capacity to accurately forecast weather in a small geographical area needs to improve drastically and the weathermen should be held accountable for causing stress to farmers and people at large by providing incorrect forecast. Source - http://www.downtoearth.org.in

08.03.2018

Nigeria - 17,400 farmers to benefit from N4bn CBN loan in Katsina

Alhaji Shaibu Wakili, Chairman, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in Katsina State has said that 17,400 farmers had been registered to benefit from the N4 billion loan package for dry season farming. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has recently approved N4 billion loan package for dry season rice farmers in the state to enable them boost their production. Fielding questions with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, Wakili said under the facility, each farmer was expected to cultivate between one and five hectares of land. He said that each farmer would receive inputs, worth N276, 200 for the cultivation of the crop. The inputs include seeds, fertiliser, spraying machine, liquid fertiliser, insecticide, water pumping machine and empty bags among others. According to him, the companies contracted to supply inputs had delivered over 70 per cent of the items to various centres. He listed the centres to include Katsina, Daura, Kankia, Dutsin-ma, Malumfashi and Funtua. Wakili said the programme aimed at improving rice production, reducing poverty and empowering the farmers. He said the farmers would start to repay the loan after harvesting their produce. The chairman said RIFAN had conducted a survey on the location and size of farmlands of the registered beneficiaries. “We have captured information about farmers pertaining to the location of their farm and what they are entitled to,’’ he said. He said that with the success of the programme, Nigeria could be able to produce enough rice for domestic consumption and for export. “We want to ensure that we produce the rice we consume in Nigeria by empowering our local farmers through the programme.’’ He told NAN that a two per cent insurance cover is expected to be paid to the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Cooperation (NAIC) by each benefiting farmer. Source - https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com

08.03.2018

UK - Robots could replace human crop pickers

Robots may one day replace human crop pickers in the UK in light of a decline in the seasonal labor market. GummiArm, a soft robot capable of crop picking, is the brainchild of researchers from the University of Plymouth. Academics from the institution and producers from Cornwall have worked together to create robots which could work alongside existing employees in the crop picking industry through the Automated Brassica harvest in Cornwall (ABC) project. The aim of the project is to develop "cutting-edge technology to help with the cauliflower harvest and potentially other fieldwork operations." The GummiArm was born from this need, especially in light of labor market fluctuations following the decision on Brexit. The UK relies on migrant labor during the picking season, and over the course of the last year, there has been a 29 percent decline in worker volumes with thousands of vacancies being left unfilled. The researchers think that robots, working alongside what is left of the labor force, could potentially fill the gap. The team, led by robotics lecturer Dr. Martin Stoelen, came up with the GummiArm, which has two arms and soft joints. Cameras and sensors built into the robot's 'hands' produce 3D models of objects in real-time, allowing the robot to assess which produce -- such as cauliflower, cabbage, or broccoli -- to pick or to leave. Soft joints and appendages backed up by robotic materials can provide the strength to pick without damaging crops. With support from ABC, Stoelen hopes to create another array of machines dubbed "little helpers" which could also assist manual laborers. Weeding, pesticide application, and data gathering are all possibilities to reduce the manual workload required to operate a successful farm. It is hoped that these robotic designs will be ready for commercialization within the next two to three years. With farms already feeling the pressure, however, using these robots will only prove fruitful if their services can be afforded. As they are likely to be expensive to manufacture, a lease model is being considered for UK farmers to cut costs and increase productivity -- as well as recoup the financial losses already caused by the labor shortage. "On a global scale, it could bring massive efficiencies and improve the industry's safety record as there would be fewer people working so closely with large, moving machinery," Stoelen says. "Agriculture has been underestimated as a potential area for applying advanced robotics, but now could be its time." Source - http://www.zdnet.com

08.03.2018

USA - Cherry buds sustain light freeze damage

Cherry buds from Quincy south to the Tri-Cities received a light thinning while apricots took a harder hit from a mid-February freeze that followed a streak of warm weather. That’s a preliminary assessment from B.J. Thurlby, president of Northwest Cherry Growers and the Washington State Fruit Commission, both in Yakima. “So far, most folks assume they still have a full cherry crop. I think apricots, peaches and nectarines in the early districts were hit the hardest,” Thurlby said, adding some growers in the Tri-Cities and up the Snake River Valley believe they’ve lost 20 percent of apricot buds. Apples and pears are more cold hearty than apricots and cherries. Everything north from Chelan is fine because the region is so far behind Wenatchee and the south in degree days (the accumulation of daytime temperatures above 43 degrees since Jan. 1), Thurlby said. Apricots are a minor crop compared to cherries. “A big crop of cots is 7,000 tons. A normal crop is closer to 5,500 tons and I would guess this year’s will be 5,000 or a little less,” Thurlby said. Cherries probably took a more widespread light thinning of less than 5 percent, rather than spotty damage, he said. Loss is really close to negligible but could have been worse had the warm period lasted any longer before the freeze, he said. A full crop would be 22 million to 23 million, 20-pound boxes while last year’s record 26.4-million-box crop was abnormally high due to perfect pollination weather, he said. There were more five to seven cherries per bud last year versus what looks like a normal one to three this season, he said. The warm weather ran from Jan. 24 through Feb. 8 with Pasco 10 degrees above normal and then 20 degrees above normal for a couple days, said Nicholas Loyd, meteorologist at the Washington State University AgWeatherNet in Prosser. The region high was 69 degrees in Yakima on Feb. 8. The cold snap took Yakima’s nighttime low to 11 on Feb. 23. Regional temperatures averaged 15 degrees below normal from Feb. 19 to 23, Loyd said. It was the warmest early warm spell since 2005 and has set up a long frost season, Thurlby said. Growers used a lot of wind machines and propane heaters to warm buds during the freeze, he said. “A grower in Selah, using fans and heating, had interior orchard temperatures of 15 degrees and felt 13 was kill. If guys were heating they were probably perfectly fine,” Thurlby said. John Doebler, owner of the state’s earliest cherry orchard in Mattawa, said he lost 3 to 5 percent of his Chelan cherry buds and 2 percent of his Bings. “It’s awfully early. I hate to be losing anything, but I’m not losing sleep over it,” Doebler said. “We ran wind machines and burned our fair share of propane.” He said he finished winter pruning on time because of less lowland snow than last year. Scott McDougall, president of McDougall & Sons in Wenatchee, said he had minimal site-specific cherry damage in Mattawa. Brenda Thomas, president of Orchard View Farms in The Dalles, Ore., said it’s been a great winter for getting work done and that the company is on or ahead of schedule on pruning. “We possibly have some damage on early blocks (lowland orchards) but everything else looks fine,” she said. Kevin Corliss, vice president of viticulture in Patterson for Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, said wine grape buds are fine because they lag behind tree fruit. Source - http://www.capitalpress.com

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