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

07.03.2018

Ireland - Farmers in south-east and east ‘bear brunt of Beast’ as claims stack-up

As farmers count the structural, livestock and income losses caused by Storm Emma, the south-east and eastern regions are emerging as the “most severely” affected, according to FBD Insurance. Farm organisations are demanding that farm inspections take account of the scale of the damage; while also calling for penalty restrictions on losses directly caused by the extreme weather conditions of recent days. With its claims surge plan in place – and 33 branches reopened countrywide – FBD is currently working extended hours to support its customer base. However, a spokesperson for the leading farm insurer said “it’s too early to quantify” the scale of the damage. Last month, the company revealed that Storm Ophelia cost the insurer €5.4 million in claim pay-outs. A clearer picture will emerge over the coming days and weeks as farmers claims are reported. At this early stage it would seem that the south-east and eastern regions are the most severely affected by Storm Emma. A Year Of Repairs Pat McCormack, president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA), said the time-frame to repair damage caused by the storm will vary from days – to possibly “over a year”. He is calling for the inspection regime to take full account of that reality. “Farmers are already in the busiest part of their year with cows calving; any repairs to structural damage are likely to be short-term measures until insurance claims can be dealt with, and farmers have sufficient time to put permanent solutions in place. For some farmers whose sheds have collapsed, it could take in excess of a year to get fully up-and-running again. The ICMSA is urging the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to instruct its inspectors over the coming 12-month period to take account of specific Storm Emma damage; and to rule out penalties being applied in such cases. “There is also a clear responsibility on the insurance companies to process and pay claims as quickly as possible. “Farmers who already have a huge workload at present are going to come under additional pressures in the coming days and weeks relating to the consequences of the storm. The very last thing they need are inspections and penalties arising for issues that are effectively out of their control. “Farmers must be given sufficient time to address such issues in a safe way and the department inspection regime must facilitate this,” he concluded. Losses Of Stock Meanwhile Joe Healy, president of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), has been on the ground speaking to farmers most impacted by the cruel snow event. “While the storm itself has moved on, farmers are now coming to terms with the impact of the weather at farm level. This storm came at the worst possible time with calving and lambing in full swing. In the south-east and parts of Kildare the situation is continuing to be extremely stressful for farmers with huge amounts of snow still on the ground. Healy highlighted the “very severe damage” to farm buildings; as well as losses of stock. In addition, he raised concerns on the negative impact on grass growth and “already tight” fodder supplies. Farmers are worried in relation to sheep on mountains and hills. Significant difficulties are also arising on lowland farms where farmers were unable to get ewes and new-born lambs out because of the conditions. “Many growers in the soft fruit and nursery stock sectors have also been very badly hit by the heavy snowfall; which, in cases, has caused tunnels and glass houses to collapse, destroying plants,” he said. Source - https://www.agriland.ie/

07.03.2018

USA - Recent freeze brings concern about state’s multibillion dollar almond crop

Whipsaw weather changes up and down the Golden State, including warm spells in January and early February, followed by Central Valley cold snaps in mid to late February, have almond growers and state agriculture officials concerned about freeze damage. How much damage has been done to California’s lucrative almond crop won’t be known until harvest time comes, August to October. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the 2016 California almond crop was worth $5.16 billion. An estimate for 2017 is not yet available. California produces about 80 percent of the world’s almonds on close to 1 million acres, from Tehama County to Kern County, Dave Kranz, communications and news division manager for the California Farm Bureau Federation, said Tuesday in a phone interview. Leading almond-producing counties in the Golden State include Kern, Fresno, Stanislaus, Merced and Madera, which represent more than 70 percent of producing acreage statewide, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Almond trees typically bloom in mid-February and this year they bloomed at least a few days early due to warmer than normal temperatures in January and early February, Kranz said. Damaging freeze Then came the freeze in mid-February to late February. That freeze was far more damaging than the cold storm of early March that brought rain to valley farms and significant snow to the Central Sierra. “We think the almond crop is probably the most affected by the freeze in mid to late February,” Kranz said. “That’s a concern because the almond trees were in bloom at that time and they were vulnerable to potential damage from the freeze.” Most other tree crops, including peaches, cherries, plums, and nectarines were dormant during the mid to late February freeze, and so were grapevines, Kranz said. “As we move forward in to March those fruit trees will begin to bloom and become vulnerable and the grapevines will begin to bloom,” Kranz said. The mid-February to late February freeze also caused some worry for citrus growers in the south San Joaquin Valley. Some trees were bearing fruit at the time and some were blooming. “When that freeze hit it was a concern for orange growers down south,” Kranz said. “Some citrus trees were in bloom so there may be some damage but that remains to be seen. They think they came through it ok.” The cold storm last week was probably more positive than negative for valley farmers because they need the rain and additional snowpack in the midst of a dry winter. Farmers would be concerned about rain and wind, but on the whole they’d prefer to have the rain because it’s been so dry. “Rain will help and snowpack will take some edge off the dry winter,” Kranz said. “We had hail in some places but it was scattered and we don’t know yet if it did much damage.” How much damage? It’s too early to tell how much California’s almond crop has been harmed by the freeze. Growers like Steve Van Duyn, who manages an orchard southeast of Galt, have cut into almond blossoms to determine if the February freeze killed blossoms. He found some dead blossoms and he found others with developing almonds in good health. “Everybody’s waiting to see,” Kranz said. “Growers recognize there has been damage but exactly the extent of it won’t be known for some months until the crop is harvested. There’s a lot of time between now and then.” Some growers recently treated their orchards in advance of rain last week, to prevent fungal disease that come with rains. No one knows if there’s going to be a shortage of almonds this year. Kranz said he can’t imagine there will be a shortage. He says growers produce a lot of almonds and they store a lot of almonds year to year. “I don’t think there will be a shortage,” Kranz said. “Everybody expects there to be impacts, but I don’t see a shortage.” Alicia Rockwell, director of corporate communication and public affairs for Blue Diamond Growers, a cooperative of about 3,500 California almond growers, said, “Regarding the crop, it is still too early to know the extent of any damage that may have been caused by the adverse weather past few weeks.” Field management teams are working closely with grower-owners to support their needs as the crop develops, Rockwell said. Asked for perspective on the freeze and potential crop damage, Carissa Sauer, industry communication manager for the Almond Board of California, described how vulnerable almond blossoms are key to producing the nuts. When they are pollinated by honey bees, almond blossoms begin growing into almonds. But if sustained, below-freezing temperatures come during the bloom period or early development stage that follows, each blossom or new almond is at risk of frost damage. It is too soon to tell how the late February cold snap will impact the coming almond crop, Sauer said. The threshold between minimal crop damage and total loss is just two degrees, Sauer said. So almond farmers try to manage freezing nighttime temperatures at bloom by turning on irrigation sprinklers to increase local temperatures; mowing vegetation growing in orchard rows which, if left in place, prevents heat from rising off the ground; and turning on orchard fans or wind machines to mix warmer higher air with cooler air near the ground, and increase the temperature in the orchard canopy. Sauer said almond growers can also choose orchard locations that are less prone to freezing temperatures, and they can select tree varieties that bloom later and are less likely to encounter frost. Over the past two decades, the total salable supply of California almonds has increased from 664.4 million pounds in 1998-99 to 2.49 billion pounds in 2016-17 and an estimated 2.6 billion pounds in 2017-18, according to the Almond Board of California, which is based in Modesto. According to the USDA, the estimated annual value of California’s almond crop fluctuates year to year. In 2012, the estimated value was $4.82 billion, in 2013 it was $6.38 billion, in 2014 it grew to $7.39 billion, in 2015 it fell to $5.87 billion, and in 2016 it came in at $5.16 billion. Source - http://www.uniondemocrat.com

07.03.2018

Thailand - Farmers install tracking system to prevent fruit theft

Important production areas in Chanthaburi, Thailand, have installed chips in the fruit from their banana and durian plantations. They have also installed a GPS tracking system to follow the chips. Bananas hanging from the tree It is reported that orchards in Chanthaburi province frequently suffer theft. This includes banana plantations and durian plantations. The plantation owners report the theft, but local police have no way of arresting the criminals. This causes plantation owners a big headache. Owners of banana  and durian plantations in Chanthaburi province and the farmers in that area have jointly adopted a new technology to prevent and put an end to the theft of their fruit. The tracking chips which are slipped into the fruit, and GPS tracking systems, are examples of such technology. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

07.03.2018

India - Tea production falls in January

Tea production during January this year declined to 17.15 million kilograms from 19.16 million kilograms in the same month of 2017, registering a fall of 10.49 per cent. According to Tea Board data, the decline in estimated tea production of 2.01 million kilograms was due to crop loss in north India. Assam's production in north India in January was almost flat at 1.32 million kgs, as compared to 1.31 million kgs produced in the corresponding month of 2017. West Bengal's production for the month stood at 3.33 million kgs, down by 25.66 per cent from 4.48 million kgs produced in the same month of 2017. In south India, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, the tea production decreased by 5.87 per cent to 12.34 million kgs in January 2018 as against 13.11 million kgs produced in same month last year. Source - http://businessworld.in

07.03.2018

USA - Predatory vultures attack calves in southern Illinois

Southern Illinois cattle farms are facing a threat from black vultures, according to cattle producers. The birds are preying on young calves on a growing number of cattle farms, The Southern Illinoisan in Carbondale reported. Gary Tretter II has a 60-cow herd near Murphysboro. He said he has lost four calves this year to vulture attacks. Several of his Jackson County neighbors also have experienced calf kills in which vultures are suspected. Tretter said the attacks are a concern not just because of economic loss, but because of the suffering the vultures inflict. “It appears that they get the eyes, and after they get the calf disoriented, a couple of them will go around to its rear end, and then the calf will bleed out,” Tretter said. “I feel so bad for the calves.” Newborn calves are at the most risk, but Tretter said vultures have attacked and killed calves in his herd as old as two weeks. Jeff Beasley, who farms near Carrier Mills, said birds have bothered cows in his herd. He said he keeps his animals close to the barn and is more vigilant during calving season. “When a cow passes her afterbirth, we try to pick it up and remove it from the field,” Beasley said. “I would say if we didn’t watch it closely, we would have lost a few calves over the years.” University of Illinois Extension beef educator Teresa Steckler said she doesn’t remember vultures being active during past calving seasons. “I don’t know if they’ve extended their range, but it does seem like numbers have increased somewhat,” Steckler said. Southern Illinois is at the northern point of the black vulture’s range in North America. The birds are part-time predators, known to gang up on young animals. Source - http://www.agrinews-pubs.com

07.03.2018

UK - Fresh produce sector counts cost of the snow

‘Beast from the east’ and Storm Emma disrupt harvesting, planting and supply in range of produce, causing some damage to polytunnels. Fresh produce growers and retailers across the UK are recovering from crop delays and supply disruption after last week’s snow disrupted normal operations. The ‘beast from the east’ and Storm Emma are estimated to have cost the UK economy £1 billion a day and could halve GDP growth in the first three months of the year, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research. Widespread stock shortages were reported at supermarkets up and down the country, with pictures of empty shelves at all the major retailers cropping up on social media. In the fresh produce industry, the impact of the storms has been widespread with carrot, brassica, onion, topfruit and soft fruit growers among those affected in some way. The Asparagus Growers Association reported two-week delays to both tunnel crops, caused “as much by the cold as by the snow”, and pre-season fieldwork, caused by snow and wet conditions as crops thawed. “Damage to polytunnel structures will add cost and take time to sort out,” the trade body added, but it said maincrop varieties were unlikely to be significantly affected unless the cold weather continues. In carrots, the main delays have been to planting, with the establishment of 2018 crop halted by last week’s weather. “With rain forecast, prospects for further drilling this week do not look good,” said the British Carrot Growers Association. “There may be some concerns over continuity of new season crop if drilling continues to be delayed significantly.” The harvesting of carrots and parsnips is reported to have continued through the worst of the weather, with straw cover helping to maintain crop quality and allow for picking. Despite this, delivery logistics were challenging, according to British Carrot Growers, and may have affected supply in parts of the country, particularly on packed product. Brassica producers also reported logistical problems, with “lorries held up in snow and some depots closed for one or two days”. This had an impact on deliveries to stores, the Brassica Growers Association added. In onions, planting and drilling was put on hold but most people continued to pack and produce, according to British Onions. Meanwhile in topfruit, packhouse production was “mostly unaffected” although planting was delayed and no harvesting activity was planned. The impact on supply was minimal, according to the outgoing chief executive of English Apples and Pears, Steven Munday, with demand for domestic apples declining steadily through the spring to the end of the season. In soft fruit, BerryWorld’s Chloe Butler said the company would “have to wait until the colder weather has abated” before it can assess its losses, if any, in tunnelled outdoor production. “Overall, the weather in February has very little impact on crop timing, as generally we experience low temperatures and don't see a great deal of growth during this period,” she added. Source - http://www.fruitnet.com

06.03.2018

USA - Storms and rain herald a return to winter

The last week has seen wintery conditions return to the United States. This follows a period of relatively mild weather and the arrival of spring-like conditions across many of the growing regions. The Northeast experienced a strong winter storm, while California and surrounds saw rainfall and close to freezing temperatures. These have affected crops in very different ways, but overall did not result in any significant losses or damage. Northeast storm Winter storm Riley passed relatively slowly in a line from Ohio through the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England. Coastal flooding and strong winds resulted in damage to coastal structures and also to La Guardia airport where some flights were cancelled. Overall, there was minimal impact on fresh produce. Around the New York City and New Jersey regions, transport delays did occur, both for land and air freight. "There have been a few trucks delayed and we have reduced the delivery area to keep drivers safe during the storm," said Patrick Ahern of Baldor Specialty Foods in New York. "Some air shipments from both Europe and California have been delayed by a day or two but this is mainly due to weather conditions at the points of origin. However, for the most part, it's business as usual." Parts of upstate New York received significant amounts of snowfall, especially along the Hudson River Valley, with up to 40 inches of snow reported. For the most part, average snowfall was close to 12 inches, a lot of which fell in the heart of New York State's apple growing region. The apple trees were not affected, however, as they have not emerged yet from their Winter dormancy. "The trees are still asleep," said a spokesperson from Hudson Valley Fruit Distributors. "There has been no damage to the crops as the trees are still getting ready for Spring and have not yet budded." Rain and cold in the Southwest Less than two weeks ago, growers in California and Arizona were reporting that crop production was very strong and were expecting an early finish to the season on numerous commodities from lettuce, to strawberries, to cabbage and broccoli, among others. However, cold and rainy weather in the last week has slammed the brakes on production. Many items are expected to now enter a period of tight supply, however the effects of the warm conditions from a few weeks ago means that the desert regions are still expected to see an early finish. "Last Monday, we saw ice across the desert regions followed by light rain on Tuesday," said Mark McBride of Coastline Family Farms. "Cooler conditions are continuing but the rain has stopped now. Above average temperatures throughout February resulted in strong production and brought everything ahead of schedule. The recent cooler conditions have slowed growth and disrupted normal harvesting schedules on many commodities. We expect that cauliflower will be the hardest hit, followed closely by broccoli, as both of these are very temperature sensitive. Most commodities will now enter a period of uncertainty in supply." "It is still anticipated that the desert region will finish early," he continued. "However, due to the erratic temperatures, we expect to see a disruption to supplies as well as a greater variation in sizing on the majority of items for the remainder of the desert deal." Rain welcome in Central Valley Up until the recent rainfall events, much of California was in near-drought conditions. In the Central Valley, although the rain has slowed down growth and may present some minor quality issues moving forward, many growers are welcoming the rain and are seeing the long term benefits. "The rain will certainly affect supplies in the immediate future and we may also see a small amount of light damage to fruit," said one Salinas based berry grower. "We feel as though we are having our winter now. However all this rain is very welcome as it will get some nitrogen into the soil. We were also on the brink of drought, so we are seeing the rainfall as a positive for the long term." Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

06.03.2018

Bolivia - Precipitation threatens Brazil nut production

Due to the current floods, the government in Bolivia has proclaimed a state of emergency, partially evacuating the province of Pando. This state of emergency has an impact on the value chain of Brazil nuts, one of Bolivia's most important products. Due to the fact that many factories were not able to ship their goods on time to the ports, there are already significant delivery delays in production. In addition, the local producers are currently not able to collect the products due to the floods in the rainforest, so the quality of the Brazil nuts will be impaired, says CEO Mario Ebel. “Brazil nuts only grow in the rainforest and can not be cultivated on plantations. This year we are having a lot of rain. Because of the floods, it takes an extremely long time to bring the raw nuts in the shell from the rainforest to the factories in the cities. There are significant delivery delays and backlogs in the factories.” In addition to the delivery delays the industry must expect potential quality problems. Ebel: “The harvest season usually starts together with the rainy season, from November to the beginning of April. Due to the floods many nuts are under water and therefore inaccessible to collectors. A big risk for the industry is that collectors will mix good and rotten produce in late April or early May." Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

06.03.2018

Mexico - Yellow squash production impacted by cold weather

Cold weather in the Mexican growing regions has affected production of yellow squash. Supplies have been light and there have also been some quality issues present. Producers have noted that this cold weather is unseasonable and is normally not seen at the end of February. "Yellow squash is currently being grown in Sonora as well as Sinaloa, Mexico," said Sergio Huerta of VP Fresh Produce. "These areas, especially around Hermosillo, have been impacted by cold weather recently. Supplies are now lighter and we have also seen some quality issues related to the cold weather." "Typically, these kind of conditions can occur at the end of December or early January," Huerta noted. "It's very rare for them to affect the region at the end of February. This region will be the primary source of yellow squash for at least another month, when supplies begin to reduce in April." Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

06.03.2018

India - Hailstorm damages crop worth Rs 3135 crore in Maharashtra

The Maharashtra government has estimated that the recent hailstorm in the state has damaged cops worth Rs 3135 crore. According to the state revenue department, the panchanama (damage assessment of crops) has been done and the report has already been submitted to the finance department. Jalgaon, Marathawada and Vidharbha are among the areas which are affected by the hailstorm. The total cost of crops damage in Jalgaon is Rs 96 lakh while Rs 1307 crore in Marathawada and Rs 1818 crore in Vidharbha. The total hailstorm affected area is 2.90 lakh hectares.Mostly rabbi crops such as wheat, orchid like mango, grapes and orange were damaged in the hailstorm in February. "We have received the report and will soon start releasing the compensation amount to the hailstorm affected farmers. Some of the compensations will be given through crops insurance and the remaining will be given by the government," Pandurang Phundkar, the agriculture minister told DNA. Maharashtra government has also issued the criteria for the eligibility of farmers to avail the benefits of the compensation. As per the notifications, at least 33 per cent crops of a farmer should be damaged for him/her to get a compensation for a maximum of two hectares of the damaged crops. The compensation amount will be released by district collectors after the damage assessment is conducted. Phundkar added that they are committed to extending help to the affected farmers. "In the winter session, we had promised that panchanama will be done and immediately the fund will be released. Now, things are working in right directions," said Phundkar. However, the opposition is unhappy with the state government. State opposition leader, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said, "The announced compensation by the government is inadequate to recover the losses. Therefore, we will raise this issue again in the budgetary session." Source - http://www.dnaindia.com