Agroinsurance

Philippines - Rice pest causes P2.4-M crop damage in Negros

The Rice Grain Bug, an emerging rice pest in Negros Occidental, continues to infest more areas as the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) recorded another P2.4 million worth of damage in two municipalities. Pontevedra town and Himamaylan City lost P2,445,536 worth of rice crops due to infestation in January, records from OPA released to the media Wednesday showed. Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said apart from Pontevedra and Himamaylan, OPA is waiting for the reports from towns in the sixth district, Candoni and Hinobaan, where infestations were also reported. Pontevedra belongs to the fourth district while Himamaylan in the fifth district, both located in the southern part of Bacolod. This is the first reported Rice Grain Bug infestation this year, Masculino said. Pontevedra has P2,053,760 worth of damage covering 59 hectares and affecting 33 farmers. OPA noted that last year, the town had the biggest rice production yield in the province with 7.1 tons per hectare. Himamaylan has P391,776 worth of damage covering 9.04 has. affecting nine farmers. The bug sucks the contents of rice grains in the milking stage, causing moisture loss and discoloration. The pest has a dirty-brown color and is half the size of the Rice Black Bug, with bigger front legs. The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation recently included them in the insurance coverage for RGB damages this year after the provincial government submitted a letter to its president Jovy Bernabe last December. Masculino said experts from Bureau of Plant Industry and the University of the Philippines-Los Baños will be coming in Negros to study the spreading of the pest that was discovered to be infesting rice areas last August. In the second half of 2017, cases of RGB infestation in south Negros were reported with damage placed at P8.4 million. About 31 packs of bio-controlling fungi Metarhizium anisopliae from the Department of Agriculture-Western Visayas Regional Crop Protection Center were distributed to Pontevedra and Himamaylan, Masculino said. He advised farmers to adopt the synchronous planting of rice to minimize pest damage. Source - https://news.mb.com.ph

Philippines - Damage to agriculture due to Mayon now at P185 million

Some P185 million in crops have been destroyed in Albay due to Mayon volcano's eruptions, affecting at least 9,791 farmers and around 7,131 hectares of land here. Che Rebeta, provincial agricultural officer of the Albay Public Safety Emergency Management Office (Apsemo) office, reported the damages to agricultural crops reached P185,281,979. This was up from P94 million last January 26. The provincial agricultural office reported rice plantations covering 5,375.95 hectares and worth about P160,496,550 was lost. The rice losses affected 5,750 farmers. The next badly-affected plantations were vegetable plantations covering 958.51 hectares of land and affecting 3,092 farmers. Corn plantation losses affected 706.25 hectares of land and 773 farmers, while 90.75 hectares of land with fruit bearing trees, affecting 176 farmers was also lost. Rebeta said the number of affected farmers facing economic disaster is likely to increase as Mayon volcano continues to erupt. Farmers in the second and third districts were the most affected by ashfall. Due to the ashfall, crop prices spiked, specifically vegetables in the local public markets of Legazpi City in Albay. This was despite a prize freeze following the declaration of a state of calamity by the provincial government. Albay governor Al Francis Bichara called on the Department of Agriculture to look into the sudden increase of vegetable prices as vendors might be taking advantage of the situation for profit. Source - https://www.rappler.com

India - Erratic rainfall in 2017 affects vegetable crops in Nilgiris dist

Even as the Nilgiris district had received 1600mm of rainfall in 2017, which was close to the normal rainfall of 1700mm, the rainfall pattern was erratic affecting vegetable farmers. In March the normal rainfall used to be 24mm but last year the rain received was 100mm. Likewise the rain received during July and September was 206mm and 338mm respectively against the normal rain of 405mm and 152mm respectively. "Excess and erratic rain in March and September last year had damaged the standing vegetable crops causing huge loss to farmers," said N Viswanathan, a member of Nilgiri Farmers' Association. "Heavy rain during sowing and harvesting season also caused heavy loss last year," he added. During the last September harvest, the farmers who had cultivated vegetables like carrot, cabbage and cauliflower saw their crops rot in the field. According to officials, about 30% of total yield of last year was lost due the rain. The farming in the hill district is rain-fed, says Shiva Subramaniam Samraj, joint director of horticulture (in charge). "Erratic rain last year affected the crops. If this year rainfall is also erratic, it will be a disaster for farmers. We cannot predict the rain pattern to take precautionary measures," he adds. However, tea plantations were not affected by the erratic rain. "As tea crops were planted on slopes, they were not affected by heavy and erratic rain. Last year rain would faciliate good yield," said Arjunan, a farmer. Viswanathan suggested instead of sowing three times every year, farmers should sow twice. "Giving rest to the land during November and December would be beneficial as the weeds and worms would die in the winter weather," he said. Source - https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Australia - Multi-peril crop insurance: No tax breaks for cover

The Federal Government has ruled out offering tax breaks to encourage farmers to take up multi-peril crop insurance. It comes as the results of a review into the Government’s failed multi-peril crop insurance program are expected in the coming weeks. Former agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce announced $20.2 million for the MPCI program in 2016, offering eligible farmers $2500 rebates for the upfront costs of applying for and securing the insurance. Just 67 farmers have claimed rebates totalling $147,500 since then. Industry had been calling for tax breaks on MPCI premiums of up to 150 per cent as a way to increase interest in the products but Agriculture Minister David Littleproud’s office this week ruled it out. “The Coalition Government has been clear tax breaks — such as a 150 per cent depreciation — are not being considered,” a spokesman for Mr Littleproud said. “The review of the program is finishing and we expect to see advice on it in coming weeks.” The Department of Agriculture began its review last August, while the Government cut $5 million from the program’s budget in December, leaving about $6 million for its final two years. A department spokesman said the review, which also examined barriers to MPCI, was being finalised. Analysis published by consultants Deloitte, which the department hired to provide advice and run industry consultations, states high insurance premiums as the top reason preventing MPCI uptake, with an estimated 1 per cent of NSW’s winter crop farmers buying the product. Grain Producers Australia chairman Andrew Weidemann said tax breaks for farmers could have helped to “significantly establish MPCI in Australia”. “It looks like it is coming to an abrupt end,” Mr Weidemann said. “Clearly the current program isn’t working to deliver the outcomes we were expecting.” Source - https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au

USA - Crop insurance reaches 311 million acres

The number of acres enrolled in crop insurance reached 311 million, an area roughly the size of California, Texas and New York, a key crop insurance industry official said this week during the Crop Insurance Industry Convention. "Today, crop insurance protects around 90 percent of the insurable land and more than 130 different kinds of crops," said Mike Day, who chairs National Crop Insurance Services, an industry support group and heads Rural Community Insurance Services for Zurich North America. "Congress made crop insurance the cornerstone of farm policy, and it is important not just for farmers and rural communities, but for taxpayers and consumers alike," Day added. He also told the group insurers backed more than $106 billion worth of crops in 2017, up $6 billion since 2016. Farmers paid $3.7 billion out of their own pockets for insurance protection — a more than $250 million increase from the year before. The federal government pays about 62 percent of the cost of crop insurance premiums. Day said critics are "angling to cut crop insurance funding in the upcoming farm bill debate" and said that any action to make crop insurance less affordable would "undo all the progress that has been made over the past three decades" in using the program to stabilize farm income. NCIS President Tom Zacharias said the farmers and industry worked together to defend crop insurance as farmers' primary risk management tool, and urged his colleagues to maintain their vigilance in providing customer service and coordinating with the Agriculture Department's Risk Management Agency, which oversees the program. "Farmers must continue to realize the economic value of today's crop insurance system and have confidence that both government and the private sector are committed to its continued success," Zacharias said. In a separate session, Ashley Hungerford of the USDA Office of the Chief Economist said farmers' enrollment in crop insurance continued to grow and there was particularly strong growth in policies to protect pasture and rangeland. The impact of the Trump administration's decision to eliminate policies that allowed farmers to purchase a 10 percent buy-up option for prevented planting is unknown, she said. The 10 percent buy-up option as known for being particularly popular in North Dakota and South Dakota, but rice growers and corn and soybean growers took out more buy-up prevented planting policies than is usually recognized. Hungerford said the 5 percent buy-up policies for prevented planting are still available. Source - https://www.thefencepost.com

India - Farmers seek crop protection from wild animals

Over 70 farmers belonging to Apolitical Association of Farmers today urged the Government to take steps to protect their crops being damaged by wild animals which at times also killed humans. It haf become a daily affair with elephants, boars and birds like peacock entering fields and destroying crops, resulting in heavy loss, said R Vellinigiri, a farmer and former DSP who led a demonstration. The Government should take immediate steps, including bringing in a legislation, to protect the farmers, he said, adding that earlier too they had represented the District Collector and forest department, but got no response. The man-animal conflict was not confined to Coimbatore alone, but the entire State, he said.Seeking waiver of farm loans, they wanted the Government to immediately implement the long-pending Athikadavu-Avanashi water scheme to help the farmers in the region. Source - https://www.covaipost.com

India - Insurance pitch for fish farmers

The state government is looking into a proposal to introduce an insurance scheme for fish farmers on the lines of crop insurance. The animal and fish resources department is working out details. As of now, fish farmers do not have any such insurance cover. This financial security can also help avail of loans from banks even after issuance of Kisan credit cards to fishermen, as proposed by the Union budget presented on February 1. "We are working out details of the proposal and the same would be sent for the state government's approval," a senior official of the state fisheries directorate told. "This insurance cover can prove to be a game-changer for fish farmers in the state, as it would give banks confidence to provide loans to fish farmers once Kisan credit cards are issued." According to insurance sector norms, insurance cover is given for fish culture if the farmer is rearing fish in a captive water body, like a pond. Out of Bihar's total annual fish production of 5.10 lakh metric tonnes, around 3.6 lakh metric tonnes are produced in ponds spread across 93,000 hectares. If one takes into account the number of fishermen who will benefit from the insurance scheme, the number is a huge 4 lakh fishermen associated with 457 fishermen cooperative societies set up at the block level. These farmers practice fish culture in private- and government-owned ponds. It is not that Bihar has not tried its hand at giving insurance cover to fish farming. A beginning was made in 2009-10 when an insurance scheme was launched in which one public sector insurance company was roped in to provide the service. "The effort didn't succeed as the premium rate was quite high," said the fisheries directorate official. "While half of the premium amount was being paid by the state government, the balance had to be paid by the fish farmers. As it didn't prove economical, only four to five big farmers opted for the scheme and it was subsequently discontinued." Now, the directorate was working on a proposal to ensure that a major chunk of the premium cost is borne equally by the Centre and the state while the fish farmers has to pay only 10 to 12 per cent of the insurance premium amount. Source - https://www.telegraphindia.com

USA - Santa Barbara county growers suffered $20M in losses from fires, flood so far

Santa Barbara County Ag Commissioner Cathy Fisher on gave a preliminary peek at the damage sustained by growers due to recent fires and floods, estimating during a forum in Santa Maria that losses so far have totaled nearly $20 million. “We’ve had a tough time in this county the last couple of years,” Fisher said, noting the Alamo, Whittier and Thomas fires that burned in 2017. There were 39 farmers who suffered a combined $12 million or more in direct losses from the Thomas Fire, Fisher said. “I anticipate this number will go up,” she said. Last month’s flooding and mudslide caused more than $6 million in losses and affected 37 farms, many of which were also affected by the fire, she added. “Actually, a couple of farmers, they’re looking at 90-percent losses, which they may never recover from,” she added. Other challenges facing the ag industry include the advent of legalized marijuana, she added. “It will be interesting how this new industry will settle in our country and the role the ag department will have,” she said. The state has issued more than 170 temporary licenses to potential cannabis businesses looking to launch in Santa Barbara County, with that number putting the county behind only Humboldt County, Fisher added. She said her staff has started gathering data to produce the 2017 crop report, using information provided by growers and used by various sectors, including financial institutions and disaster relief. Source - https://www.noozhawk.com

Canada - OFA asks members for feedback on wildlife compensation program

Government consultations begin this week for Ontario’s Wildlife Damage Compensation Program. The program provides financial compensation to producers whose livestock, poultry or honey bees are damaged or killed by wildlife. New program guidelines were introduced last year that have created problems for livestock producers making claims and municipal investigators who are responsible for investigating claims. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has heard clearly that a similar program is needed for crop and horticulture producers to provide compensation for damage caused by wildlife. Crop insurance is not a sufficient tool to address this type of damage. However, this review is focused on improving the existing wildlife damage program for livestock producers. Ontario’s Wildlife Damage Compensation Program is important to livestock producers and OFA is participating in the government consultations by addressing concerns with the new guidelines. To help us deliver the most effective feedback we’re asking OFA members for help. OFA has been working with livestock groups to address issues with Ontario’s Wildlife Damage Compensation Program, but we need to hear from members to learn more about your experiences with the claims process and the preventative measures you’re taking to deter predators. OFA member experiences, examples and reports will help us make our case to the government in an effort to make necessary changes. If you’ve participated in the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program or have experience managing wildlife and the costs associated with this task, we’d love to hear from you. Please share your experiences by emailing wildlifedamage@ofa.on.ca. OFA is aware that the biggest problems facing Ontario livestock producers are the strict requirements under the new guidelines for investigators to prove that an animal was killed or injured from an eligible predator. This has led to a sharp increase in the number of producer claims that have been denied. We know it’s not the need to provide evidence of predation that Ontario livestock producers are disputing, it’s the standards of proof under the current program guidelines that are creating problems and they need to be expanded. OFA, together with Ontario livestock groups have put together recommendations to restore producer and municipal investigator confidence in the program and will be presenting that through the government’s consultation process. In the meantime, we encourage OFA members to share their experiences to help us build our case together to make program and policy changes to make Ontario’s Wildlife Damage Compensation Program more effective for everyone. Source - https://nationvalleynews.com

ASEAN countries initiate pilot project to reduce post-harvest losses

Delegates from ASEAN countries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jump-start a cooperation pilot project on the reduction of post-harvest losses during a regional consultation meeting on Monday in Bogor, West Java. The cooperation was one of the ASEAN Projects that was initiated at the Senior Officials Meeting of the 2012 ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry in Manila. The project was named the ASEAN Secretariat Program last October, with funding from the Japan ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF). The regional consultation meeting in Bogor saw the attendance of experts and officials on agriculture as well as representatives from farmers groups and the private sector. The meeting was opened by the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister's food and agricultural coordination deputy, Musdhalifah Machmud. In her opening remarks, Musdhalifah said major progress must be made, as one-third of the world’s available food was lost during the post-harvest chain, an amount that could feed 868 million people. She said post-harvest losses in Indonesia remained high, with average losses of over 20 percent. Musdhalifah stressed that because of this, agriculture was still a priority for Indonesia. “The government is developing rural and agricultural infrastructure that facilitate not only production, but also procurement, processing, preservation and trade,” she said. She said the source of food loss was split evenly in the post-harvest chain across the stages of production, distribution and consumption. “Reducing post-harvest losses, especially in developing countries, could be a sustainable solution to increasing food availability,” she said. Source - http://www.thejakartapost.com

Argentina - Dry weather returns, drops soybean estimate

The Buenos Aires Cereal Exchange has dropped its Argentine soybean production estimate. Farmers in Argentina are now expected to produce 51 million metric tons of soybeans, in 2018, below a September estimate of 54.0 million metric tons on a total planted area of 44.4 million acres. In comparison, the USDA still has Argentina's 2018 soybean production estimated at 56 million metric tons. In different regions of the country, the situation varies. Nearly 34.6% of the fields are considered by the Exchange to have a regular or bad condition, while 53% are under regular or dry prospects. Approximately 31.5% of the surface is at the stage that defines yields. The short-term perspectives do not foresee any relief, in terms of weather. There was planting incorporation that still was not counted in this latest estimate by last week in the northern parts of the country. The early planted fields have crops that are finishing the growth stages, awaiting the beginning of the harvest in the coming weeks. For meteorologist José Luis Aiello from the Rosario Board of Trade, one of the reasons for the lower crop estimate is the lack of rainfall seen for the next 10 days, in the key producing regions. Even though planting has finished in the provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, and Córdoba the lack of rains can affect the crop development there. “The distribution of high pressure centers of high pressure centers in the Pacific and the Atlantic generate a situation that will limit the water supply during at least 10 days in Argentina and the south of Brazil,” said Aiello. Source - https://www.agriculture.com

India - Weeds cause annual crop loss of $11 billion

Weeds lead to India losing an average of $11 billion each year in 10 major crops, shows data from 1,581 farm trials in 18 states. “Weeds are notorious yield reducers that are, in many situations, economically more harmful than insects, fungi or other crop pests,” said a study, published in the journal, Crop Protection. “Insects, diseases and weeds are the three main biological factors for losing crop yield and causing economic loss to farmers. Unlike the visible impact of diseases and insects, the impact of weeds goes unnoticed,” said Dr Yogita Gharde, lead author of the paper and scientist at the directorate of weed research at Indian Council of Agriculture Research. “If weed growth is not stopped at a critical time, it results in massive crop loss, sometimes as high as 70%,” said Gharde. The study reviewed three types of fields – where weeds were left uncontrolled, where weeds were controlled using local practices , and fields where weeds were controlled completely. “We calculated the yield loss and then used the government’s minimum selling price to calculate the economic loss to the farmers,” she said. Source - https://www.hindustantimes.com

Ukraine - Survival rate of winter cereals at 95-98%

The January 21-31 weather featured sharply changing air temperatures and minor precipitation. After January 20, snow cover was 2-20 cm thick almost all over the country. It had been gone in most fields by the end of the month due to risen air temperatures. Only the eastern and northern regions of the country were still snow-covered (5-16 cm). As of the reporting date, the soil was frozen to a depth of 10 to 40 cm with an upper thawed layer of 8-16 cm. The soil temperature at the tillering node depth was -0-80С that is far above its killing level even for underdeveloped plants. According to calculations of the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center, the killing temperature for well-developed winter wheat of medium hardiness was -13-180С on January 21-31. The results of plant growing tests indicated that the survival rate of winter cereals (wheat, rye, triticale) equaled 95-98% as of the reporting date. Source - http://www.blackseagrain.net

Philippines - House OKs bill granting financial aid to farmers in case of calamities

The House of Representatives unanimously approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to grant financial aid to farmers under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program in the event of natural calamities. House Bill 6686 will amend Section 14 of Republic Act No. 9700, or the "Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension With Reforms." In a statement, the lower chamber said full insurance coverage would be provided to CARP beneficiaries who lost crops to typhoons, flood, drought, earthquake, volcanic eruption, and plant diseases among others. The insurance covers those who plant rice, corn, sugarcane, coconut and tobacco, as well as those in the aquaculture and livestock industries, and non-crop agricultural assets. The bill mandates the agriculture and agrarian reform departments to include the operation in their agency's programs. "The initial funding shall be charged against the allocated funds by the General Appropriations Act to the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. for the RSBSA (Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture)," the measure read. A congressional oversight committee on full insurance coverage to agrarian reform beneficiaries will also be created to monitor the implementation of the bill. Source - http://news.abs-cbn.com

China - Citrus greening disease causes drop of 70%-80% for Gannan Navel orange

Navel orange is at present the most expensive, native agricultural brand. At the height of its development the total surface area devoted to Navel orange plantations doubled to 107 thousand hectares. At first the three major production areas were Anyuan, Xunwu, and Xinfeng. These three places were the first to start Navel orange production and they did so on the largest scale. Since 2012, however, these areas have suffered from a widespread outbreak of citrus greening disease, and in recent years their production volume has decreased with 70%-80%. This is according to Mr. Gu Yuanfeng of Shenzhen Mu Tian Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. At present, the entire Gannan Navel orange production area has already moved to Ningdu, Xingguo, Ruijin, and Chongyi. The main advantage of these production areas is that the weather is relatively cold, which limits the spread of citrus greening disease. Another important advantage is that after years of accumulated experience with citrus greening disease, even though it is still a citrus disease that can not be cured, farmers in all production areas have gradually deepened their understanding of this disease. They are able to adopt effective management in regular seasons for the prevention of plant diseases and insect pests, including citrus greening disease, as well as sensible use of fertilizer. As far as the nationwide, overall market conditions in 2017 are concerned, the market selling price of Navel oranges is still as strong as before. The price of 2 yuan [0.32 USD] per 0.5 kg at the beginning of the production season has increased to 3 yuan [0.48 USD] per 0.5 kg at present. The overall production volume is also relatively stable. On the one hand, Gannan Navel orange production has decreased to about 1/3 as a result of citrus greening disease. On the other hand, the Navel orange production of Hubei, Hunan, and Guangxi show significant expansion of plantations and production volume has increased substantially as a result of this expansion. Government departments continuously implement severe measures to restore the production of production areas that have suffered greatly from citrus greening disease. In the next few years, Gannan will restore and increase Navel orange production. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com