16.12.2016

India - Weather-based crop insurance: 14 reinsurers under lens for non-payment of over Rs 1,000 cr tax

At least 14 public and private re-insurance firms are being probed by the Director General of Central Excise Intelligence (DGCEI) for non-payment of service tax of over Rs 1,000 crore on re-insurance of weather-based crop insurance provided to farmers in Maharashtra between 2011 and 2016. The service tax department has issued show-cause notices to General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) and New India Assurance. The department has demanded Rs 388 crore from GIC and Rs 45 crore from New India Assurance. “Weather-based crop insurance is a government scheme… exempt from service tax. But the insurers have reinsured the insurance by other insurers. That reinsurance is not exempt from service tax. We are asking them to pay service tax on the premium which is being paid,” said a source. “While the probe is complete in three cases, as of now notice has been issued to two insurers. Apart from these 11 other companies are being investigated,” the source said. The weather-based crop insurance scheme provides coverage and financial support to farmers in the event of failure of crops due to adverse weather. The DGCEI is now planning to write to its Delhi headquarters requesting the agency to probe all re-insurance of weather-based crop insurance across the country, said sources. “In reply to the show-cause notice, GIC has defended its stand for not acknowledging the service tax liability on the strength of the exemption notifications issued by Centre from time to time,” said the official spokesperson of GIC. GIC said that before July 2017, the central government exempted the taxable services in relation to general insurance provided under the Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme or the modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme, approved by the Government of India and implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, from the whole of service tax leviable under Section 66 of the Act. From July 2012, the government “exempted certain services of general insurance business provided under various schemes from service tax, one of which is Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme or the Modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme”. “Further Service tax being an indirect tax, if levied on re-insurance transaction would be collected from the insurance firm directly collecting premium from the customers. This service tax charged would be a cost for the insurance company since the credit of the same would not be allowed under Rule 6 (1) of the CENVAT Credit Rules, 2004. If these services were taxable, the premium payable by the farmer or the central/state government would have been higher,” said the officials spokesperson of GIC. According to the service tax department, under section 66 F 1 of the Service Tax Act unless specified, reference to a main service cannot not include reference to a service which is used for providing main service. Since re-insurance is not specified in the Act it is not exempt from service tax. Email and phone calls to New India Assurance did not elicit any response. Source - indianexpress.com

16.12.2016

USA - Farmers need crop insurance protection

Crop insurance is the cornerstone of any farmer's business plan. "Times are not good. The USDA's net farm income projection is continuing to go down," reported Doug Yoder, crop agency manager for Country Financial, who spoke to farmers at a crop seminar held recently in Princeton. "My point is this is not the time to go without protection. The revenues are not going to be where you (farmers) are going to be able to break even," he added. "I agree that farmers are going to have to sharpen their pencils and cut costs. This is not the time to cut crop insurance in my opinion. This is your safety net. "We are in bad times. They (crop insurance payments) are designed to kick in during bad times," Yoder told farmers. "You are capped at 10 percent and get it on 85 percent of your base acres." No payments were made through this program during the good times with record markets, but payments kick in during bad times when the markets are down as they are now, stated Yoder. Payments go down when markets go up, and payments go up when markets go down as Congress designed this program in the 2014 Farm Bill. Price Loss Coverage (PLC) paid for the first time in 2015 due to the grain markets being too high in 2014 for farmers to get a payment through the Farm Bill. This year the markets dipped enough that corn was paid 9 cents a bushel on a farmer's established yield on 85 percent of their acreage, he reported. There were no payments for beans because the market was too high for this year's crop to get any payments from FSA. Only two of the 102 counties in Illinois didn't get a payment through Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC-Co.) with 98 percent of Illinois farmers taking ARC-Co., obviously the most popular choice, added Yoder. For beans, 79 counties got a payment from last year's crop,and 91 counties in the state got a payment for wheat. There was a net of $74 an acre in corn after all the cuts were computed, $43 in beans and $32 in wheat for Bureau County farmers. Yoder believes crop insurance has two deductibles for farmers besides the program's maximum coverage of 85 percent, a 15 percent deductible. "In my opinion, you also have a second deductible of APH (actual production history). There are 10 years of crop yields in your database, and that means the records could go back 20 years if you rotate corn and soybeans on a field," he said. "The yields you got 20 years ago aren't as good as you are getting now because of higher yields with better producing varieties. This means a farmer's APH will be impacted by the lower yields they got many years ago." Yield exclusion allows farmers to drop from their APH database when the county average yield for that crop year is at least 50 percent below the 10 previous consecutive crop years' rolling county average. Illinois had the highest number of producers utilize yield exclusion in 2015 in corn and soybeans, the first year this option was available under the current Farm Bill established in 2014 by Congress, he said. Farm level Chapter 11 bankruptcies are up 20 percent in the last two years, showing the hard times that farmers are facing in today's marketplace. Source - http://www.bcrnews.com

15.12.2016

India - Lukewarm response to Centre’s crop insurance schemes

Gopi, a farmer hailing from Wayanad district, was expecting a bumper crop from his paddy fields, but unfortunately things went awry and he suffered heavy losses at the end of the harvest. Blame it on the deficient monsoon rains, which resulted in low yield. Like Gopi, there are several farmers across the state who have suffered monetary losses after crop failures. Startlingly, even such adverse conditions have failed to rouse the state ryots to take up the Centre’s flagship crop insurance schemes - Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) and the newly-introduced Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). While PMFBY scheme is still in the implementation stage in the state, data shows that only around 22,000 farmers in Kerala have enrolled under the restructured WBCIS during the Kharif 2016 season for which the notification was issued by the State Government in July 2016. “I have suffered monetary losses for the second year running owing to poor rainfall. I’m a medium-scale farmer and have never thought of taking insurance cover before. But with unpredictable weather conditions becoming the order of the day, I think the time has come for farmers like me to enroll under the insurance schemes to compensate for the losses,” says Gopi. Sources said that of the total enrolments so far in the state, majority are loanee farmers for whom taking crop insurance is mandatory. When contacted, officials with the Agriculture Insurance Company (AIC), which is the implementing agency in the state, blamed the State Government for the tepid response from the part of farmers towards the insurance schemes. “Kharif 2016 was the first season after the Centre launched the PMFBY along with restructured WBCIS. There was an initial delay from the part of the State Government in issuing the notifications. We hope more farmers will become part of the insurance schemes, once the schemes are implemented in full scale,” said a senior official with the Agriculture Insurance Company (AIC). While the official data stands at 22,000, AIC officials said the number of farmers enrolled under the WBCIS in the state has gone up to 35,000 in recent days. Source - http://www.newindianexpress.com

15.12.2016

Kenya - Tea estates in Nandi face Sh150m annual loss after protesting workers burn farms

Multinational tea companies in Nandi County stand to lose Sh150 million annually for the next four years after protesting workers set 70 acres of tea bushes on fire following a pay row. The managements of the affected tea plantations have disclosed that the burning of the two farms last week has impacted negatively on their revenue generation and operations. “The two tea plantations generate an average of Sh12.5 million monthly translating to Sh150 million yearly and it will take four years before the burnt tea bushes regenerate,” said a senior manager who requested not to be named since is not authorised to speak to the media. The companies are still assessing the damaged tea plantations to determine whether they will be uprooted and replaced with fresh crop or they will be left to regenerate. However, normal tea picking and processing have resumed at Kapsumbeiwo Tea Factory that was hard hit by the protests by the workers who were demanding the implementation of a 30 per cent salary increment. The workers were awarded the pay rise six months ago by the Industrial court in Nairobi. The pay rise was to be implemented in two phases of 15 per cent each. But some tea companies moved to court to challenge the pay rise arguing that it will lead to increased operational costs and subject them to losses. Independent sources indicated that over 700 workers were sacked at Kapsumbeiwo Tea Estate for participating in the strike and absconding from duty. More than 2,000 permanent and casual workers were sacked by the tea companies and ordered to vacate company houses. But the workers' union obtained orders from the Industrial court restraining the tea companies from sacking more workers. REINSTATE SACKED WORKERS The court further ordered the tea companies to reinstate the over 2,000 sacked workers and restrained them from evicting the employees from company houses. Justice Njagi Marete stopped Eastern Produce Kenya (EPK) from dismissing more workers. The Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) moved to court last week after Kapsumbeiwo Tea Estate sacked some of the workers who participated in two-day protest to demand pay rise. The union’s national deputy secretary general Thomas Kemboi and Nandi branch secretary Eliakim Ochieng sought the court orders after the tea companies summarily dismissed some the permanent and casual employees for participating in the strike. Kenya - http://www.nation.co.ke

15.12.2016

Australia - Satellites and scanners to boost mango harvest

Researchers and Northern Territory mango growers are combining high-resolution satellite imagery with data from hand-held fruit-scanning guns to better map variations in tree health, crop yield and fruit maturity. If successful, the results could help growers more easily determine optimum picking times, and ensure the most efficient use of labour. The trial research, which is supported through Horticulture Innovation Australia as part of the Federal Government’s Rural R&D for Profit program, is taking place across two Northern Territory farms. Horticulture Innovation Australia Chief Executive, John Lloyd, said the application of the Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) gun – which measures fruit dry matter content, and therefore maturity – with satellite imagery is an exciting prospect. “Now the Top End mango season is in full swing, researchers are gathering vital ground and satellite data that could make future harvests a little easier in the not-too-distant future.” he said. Mr Lloyd said crop monitoring tools such as the NIRS gun and satellite technology are evolving rapidly. As such, this trial provides a unique opportunity to not only integrate these technologies for more comprehensive results, but also to ensure the Australian mango industry ‘keeps up with the Jones’s’ in terms of evaluating and adopting new technologies. “There’s a huge potential for efficiencies through this research. Growers could save time and money by easily directing pickers to the most mature, highest yielding areas of their farms just by looking at a map,” he said. “The potential is also there to more accurately predict yields weeks before harvest to help guide marketing decisions and address any weak spots in crops prior to the season kicking off.” Grower Tou Saramat Ruchkaew, who has had the researchers on her farm the past three weeks, said the potential for efficiencies is exciting: “If we could predict our production we would be able to plan everything: ordering boxes, transport, telling suppliers and organising labour. At the moment we have to respond on the spot.” Fellow grower and trial site owner Martina Matzner said she is highly supportive of bringing new ideas to horticultural research on farms: “Using this sort of modern technology could make farming a more attractive business to work in – and I want to be part of that.” The research combines the collaborative efforts of co-investors the University of New England (UNE) and Central Queensland University (CQU), with input from the Northern Territory Government, growers and the Australian Mango Industry Association. CQU Professor Kerry Walsh, who has conducted extensive work developing the NIRS gun technology, said the research provides a taste of what is yet to come: “We are really only scratching the surface. This latest development is an easy-to-review data map that hasn’t previously been available to farmers. Next, we’ll look to relate differences to field variables and expand into other crops, including avocados.” Project leader, UNE Associate Professor Andrew Robson, said this trial complements a national initiative that is investigating a range of technologies, including satellite imagery, as accurate tools for mapping tree health, yield, quality, pest and disease across a number of tree crops including mango, avocado, macadamia and banana. ”We’re happy to arm Australian horticulture growers with NIRS satellites and guns if we can demonstrate that these technologies can improve productivity as well as on-farm efficiencies,” he said. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

15.12.2016

India - Farmers upset over delay in settlement of insurance claims

Resentment prevails among apple growers over delay in settlement of claims under the Weather-Based Crop Insurance (WBCI) scheme for the financial year 2015-16. Farmers rue the claims finalised by the insurance companies were negligible despite poor crop yield. The state produced 2.10 cartons of apple this year. Sources said as many as 1.28 lakh farmers had sought insurance claims under the WBCI scheme in 2015-16, for which the state government had engaged the AIC, HDFC, ICICI Lombard and IFFCO. Lakshman Thakur, chairman, Ecohort Society of Farmers, Nandpur, said, “It is shocking we are not getting even half of the premium paid to the companies this year under the WBCI scheme. It was one of the leanest crop years as the weather remained dry from December 2015-July 2016.” Farmers claimed lack of mandatory chilling hours, rains and snowfall along with high velocity winds and hailstorms damaged apple trees in Shimla, Kullu, Mandi and Kinnaur districts. They rued the claims finalised by the insurance companies were too little. They further maintained damage due to fire was not covered under the WBCI scheme despite the fact that dry weather conditions led to outbreak of wild fires. BS Guleria, deputy director, Horticulture Department, said the claims would be paid by December end and the list was being finalised. “We covered the risk of crop loss due to high velocity winds, but not wild fire”, he said. He said the claims were finalised on the basis of weather data, adding, the policy aimed to cover the risks, notified by the government, the loanee farmers suffered due to adverse weather.Meanwhile, the Agricultural Insurance Company Ltd has blamed the state government for delay in settlement of claims stating it has not paid 50 per cent of its share to the company. Jaspal Singh, regional manager, AIC, Chandigarh, said, “The state government has not sent any information about the claims finalised by the other private insurance companies engaged by the state for the year 2015-16 so far.” The state government has asked farmers to pay the premium for FY 2016-17. Its deadline expires on December 20. Source - http://www.tribuneindia.com

15.12.2016

USA - System to detect CBS in citrus groves

The Citrus Black Spot (CBS), caused by fungus Guignardia citricarpa, was detected in Florida, near Immokalee, in the spring of 2010. It is a disease that affects both quality and yield, so much so that it is considered the most destructive citrus fruit fungus in the world. The symptoms are the black spots and lesions on the skin, and that is why fruit affected cannot be sold on the fresh market. In addition, the most serious infections could lead to drops, thus drastically reducing yields. Even the fruit that does not show symptoms when harvested can still develop the disease during transport or storage. CBS lesions often appear during ripening, as early as two months before harvesting. In addition, warm temperatures and sunlight can increase the number of lesions. The two main sources of inoculum are infected decomposing leaves left in the grove and lesions on branches, fruit and leaves. The disease can be transmitted to healthy plants through wind and water. In order to monitor the disease, infected trees should be identified, preferably during the first stages of the infection, so specific effective treatments can be employed. Image sensor (5-band cameras). (a): two mirrorless Canon M10 cameras on a bracket and shutter controller. (b): 5-band imaging system mounted on a robot for autonomous field inspections. Researchers at the University of Florida introduced a detection system based on a multi-spectral NIR imaging system that can identify fruit with CBS lesions directly at the grove. In the lab, the system identified infected citrus fruit with a 100% precision using only information on colour. An image analysis algorithm was developed to distinguish potential spots and confirm whether they are CBS lesions. Morphological characteristics were taken from potential spots in all their colour components. The algorithm can determine whether a fruit is CBS negative or positive. This method can diagnose CBS directly in groves and it is not only effective but also economically accessible. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

15.12.2016

USA - Insurance industry expanding drone use

The use of drones is enhancing the ability to spot issues developing in farm fields. Country Financial is among the insurance companies looking for the most ways to benefit from the capabilities of drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles or UAV's. The company held a seminar Tuesday at the Macon County Farm Bureau office in Decatur to update area farmers on its latest uses for drone technology and possible changes to crop insurance coverage. The ability to use drones is helping to identify issues in fields more quickly than traditional scouting methods from the ground and share the gathered information with customers, said Todd Manning, a Country crops claims coordinator. “We're still going to have boots on the ground,” Manning said. “What we see will ease the peace of mind that everything is being looked at. It keeps getting better but it won't replace people in the field.” Manning said drones have been used to see areas of damage in the middle of corn fields that can't readily be spotted from the road and guide those interested to that area for further inspection. “We didn't see any of this,” Manning said while showing a photo of a field with evidence from the air of grain snap and wind damage. “It looked like a healthy corn field.” It's not always easy to reach some areas on the ground, as hazards such as flooding could get in the way, he said. Besides agriculture, Manning said other potential uses of drones for insurance companies include inspections on roofs of buildings. Drones in general are increasing in usage as regulations of who can operate the systems has changed, Manning said. New regulations allow for system operators for commercial purposes to pass a test and receive a certificate rather than being a licensed pilot. As the use of technology used in identifying claims expands, farmers also have more information to consider when choosing amounts crop insurance coverage. Farmers have been protected by the ability to choose higher levels of coverage, said Doug Yoder, Country crop agency manager. More insurance plans now can be based on an enterprise level rather than relying on county numbers, Yoder said. That allows for farmers to benefit from more cost savings, Yoder said. “We know we need the coverage,” Yoder said. “We don't lose a third of the crop very often in this area. Farmers shouldn't voluntarily lower coverage levels. We're going to need every dollar we can get.” Farmers have until March 15 to buy crop insurance for the next growing season. Yoder said crop insurance will once again be in question as discussion on the next Farm Bill begins. The Farm Bill enacted in 2014 is due to expire in 2018. Source - http://herald-review.com

14.12.2016

Peru - Drought threatens mangos and avocados in Casma

A water shortage has jeopardized the mango and avocado Hass seasons in the province of Casma, said the mayor of this jurisdiction, Joseph Perez Mimbela. He said that the delay in the rains had affected at least 12,000 hectares of mango and 6,000 hectares of hass avocado. Perez Mimbela stated that the crops where drying due to the lack of water, which put the investment made by rural men in this part of the region at risk. "Not all farmers have access to irrigation technology," he said. He also said that 11 districts had formed the Commonwealth of Municipalities of the Casma River Basin. Source - diariocorreo.pe

14.12.2016

Zimbabwe and climate change

As climate change is looking to cause major problems around the world in the distant future, a village in Zimbabwe is already feeling the impact. Chibuwe receives the least amount of rainfall in the country, with levels ranging from 300mm to 500mm per year. This is causing droughts in the area and is leading to difficulties farming. At present, some can get by farming bananas but that isn't a long term solution. Bananas are also susceptible to the ever increasing droughts, making for an unreliable crop. All is not without hope, however. There is a multi-million dollar strategy from the government looking to aid affected areas. Climate Change Director in the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate, Mr Washigton Zhakata has applied to the green climate fund for funding of $80 million. The funds are to go towards a project which is planned to begin in 2018. It boasts the potential to benefit 1.5 million people directly, once in full motion. The plan is to increase the climate resistance for farmers by retrofitting existing irrigation systems and building new ones to create more dependable water access for farmers. They also hope the project will increase the number of small, self-run farms in the area and increase food surplus. By doing this they hope to increase the well being of selected communities. Source - herald.co.zw

14.12.2016

USA - SC Peanut Growers, Buying Stations Talk Crop Loss After Hurricane

Hurricane Matthew created a second year of tough harvest conditions for South Carolina farmers. Producers say the damage in the northeastern part of the state was mostly concentrated in cotton and peanuts. A new batch of runner peanuts are disappearing into the pit unloading at Pee Dee Peanut, a buying station in Mullins, S.C. It’s a sight co-owner Dupree Atkinson is thankful he’s seeing, considering tough back-to-back harvests for peanut growers. “This is probably the most historic rain event I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime,” said Dupree Atkinson. “This year coupled with last year is a difficult hardship for farmers around here.” The southeast experienced extreme heat as well as a hurricane in 2016. “We didn’t lose a lot of soybeans; we lost peanuts and cotton from this flood,” said Johnson Atkinson, a relationship manager with Arbor One Farm Credit. Growers like Neal Baxley couldn’t dig in time. “It’s really disappointing on the peanuts,” said Baxley. “We had such a promising crop.” In September, Baxley said his area in Marion County received 15 inches of rain. When Hurricane Matthew hit a month later, that same area saw 20 inches in 24 hours. While 2016 hasn’t been easy, the hardships started back in 2015. Growers in northeast South Carolina had too much rain and it didn’t end until December. This year, growers say the rain stopped after Matthew. In 2015, the peanut crop experienced a quality issue, according to Dupree Atkinson. In 2016, the problem was quantity. “30 to 50 percent of our peanuts were going Seg. 2,” said Dupree Atkinson. “Farmers were losing $300 a ton. Whereas this year, farmer who were picking peanuts before the storm were averaging right at 3,800 [pounds] to two tons to the acre.” The two tough years is a reduction for buying stations. Dupree Atkinson said Pee Dee Peanut is experiencing roughly 38 percent loss of peanut volume this year. It was roughly 20 percent loss of volume last year from expected yield. “If you take out last year, this station was buying pretty much two tons of the acre,” said Dupree Atkinson. “This year, we’re going to buy 2,800 pounds of the acre.” As trucks continue to unload, Dupree Atkinson is thankful but hopeful for a new season. “There’s just something different about the breed of a farmer that makes them want to go and do and challenge of trying again,” said Dupree Atkinson. It’s a feat growers continue to tackle year after year and hope Mother Nature cooperates. The area had so many Seg. 2 peanuts last year which were unmarketable, however, China made a huge purchase which helped clean the market out. Atkinson said one peanut loss per square foot is a 40-pound loss per acre of runner peanuts. He said the station saw those losses this year. Source - http://www.agweb.com

14.12.2016

India - Farmers urged to apply for crop insurance

With the government declaring six taluks of the district drought-hit, Deputy Commissioner P. Meghannavar has urged the farmers to apply for crop insurance scheme under the Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana. Speaking after inaugurating a seminar on the new scheme here on Monday, he said that the farmers should make use of the scheme to get higher compensation, mainly when the district was facing drought. “The insurance scheme primarily helps the farmers during natural calamities. Therefore, the district which is already reeling under drought, the loss could be recovered to a considerable extent if the farmers apply for the scheme,” he said. He directed revenue officials to hold extensive awareness programmes in all the 198 gram panchayats of the district to bring more farmers under the cover. He said that the officials must hold the meeting like a gram sabha where farmers should be encouraged to participate in large numbers. During the meeting, the farmers should be told how to fill up the form and complete other formalities. Mr. Meghannavar said that already of the targeted 2 lakh hectares, sowing was completed on 1.87 lakh hectares, and said that since it was feared that a significant part of the crop may wither away, it was strongly recommended to the farmers to apply for insurance. He said that for rabi crop, the last date for paying premium was December 31 and for kharif, the date was February 28, 2017. He said that since a limited time left for Rabi season, the officials should not waste time and get on to work to ensure most of the farmers apply for the scheme. He however informed that those who have obtained crop loan, the insurance was mandatory for them. Mr. Meghannavar said that those officials who get at least 500 farmers cover under the scheme in a gram panchayat, would be felicitated in the Republic Day programme. ZP, CEO Vikas Suralkar, JD Agriculture, Ramesh Kumar and other revenue officials were present. Source - http://www.thehindu.com

14.12.2016

Chile - Fruit exporters are worried about the rain

The President of the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile AG (Asoex), Ronald Bown, said the industry was evaluating the situation in the production areas that were affected by yesterday's rainfall, which lasted until this morning, mainly in the regions of Atacama, Coquimbo, Valparaiso, Metropolitana, and in the northern part of the region of O'Higgins. Bown said that according to the report prepared by the Fruit Development Foundation (FDF) based on data from Agroclima, the rains were moderate and had volumes that ranged between 1 mm and 9 mm in Cabildo, Petorca, Quillota, La Cruz, Quillota, Casablanca, Llay-Llay, and other surrounding areas. Meanwhile, the rainfall reached 10 mm to 21 mm until 10:00 hours in the areas of Putaendo, Calle Larga, Rinconada, Curimon, Santa Maria, San Felipe, and Los Andes,. Moreover, in the Andean foothills of San Esteban, agroclima.cl, recorded 45 mm of rainfall. "The main concern in this region (Valparaiso) focuses on the situation of the first varieties of table grapes that will start being harvested at the end of the year, mainly in the Aconcagua Valley. Hopefully, the rains won't have significantly affected the crops because the harvest hasn't begun. However, the damage will be evaluated during the next few days. In addition, we should check if it's necessary to conduct preventive measures against possible rots, which would mean an additional cost for producers," Ronald Bown said. In the Metropolitan Region, the highest rainfall was concentrated in the residential areas at the foot of the mountains, while the communes of Buin, Paine, Melipilla, and Huelquén, only received 1 mm to 7 mm of rainfall. Pirque, however, recorded 16 mm of rainfall. "The blueberry and cherry harvest is almost complete in this region. Producers of stone fruit, kiwi, and table grapes should also conduct appropriate preventive actions to avoid rots, as these harvests occur in spring and summer," said Bown. In the North The rainfall recorded in the Region of Atacama, specifically in Copiapo, indicates that the rains had a low intensity in the mid-Valley sector and in the fields of Alianza with 0, 6 mm and in Hornitos with near 3.5 mm. Meanwhile, the rainfall in the upper valley was a little more intense, especially in the high mountains where producers also expect snowfalls. As a result, the crops in this area are on hold pending the corresponding applications. According to reports, the rain in the Region of Coquimbo, in the areas where the table grapes are being harvested, such as El Palqui, was not very intense and only averaged 0.5 to 0.6 mm. The rains in the high mountains were stronger, so the sector expects that there will be a greater accumulation of water in the region's irrigation dams. To the South According to Agroclima, the rain in the Southern regions, such as in O'Higgins, were very low and there was a weak drizzle in Rapel, San Francisco de Mostazal, and La Estrella, with recorded levels below 1 mm. South of O'Higgins, the rains didn't affect the fruit producing areas. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

14.12.2016

Spain - High tech irrigation system a success

The fruit cooperatives of Girona have been adapting to climate change for several years. The reduction of water resources and the rising temperatures have forced the agricultural sector to react to these changes that are directly affecting their activity. One of the sector's adaptations has been to implement the Giroreg irrigation programming system at the plot level, which is based on high frequency measurement of the soil's water content, and that is managed with the criterion of the Internet of things. The system, which is already being increasingly implemented, systematically measures the soil's water content in the most diverse climate, soil, and varietal diversities in 42 pilot farms. This information is then transmitted via GPRS technology to an  expert cloud system called Aquafruit. This system integrates the weather forecast for the next seven days and plans the irrigation schedules of the pilot farms based on data from the probes installed in them. It also creates irrigation schedules for farms that don't have the probes installed, by integrating the information it receives from the pilot farms. In some cases, this expert system automatically programs the farms irrigation system, without the intervention of the farmer. This system allows producers to save more than 20% of their water without affecting the production's quality or quantity.   Anti-hail nets in summer to prevent damage from solar radiation  Producers of sweet fruits from Girona cover their crops with anti-hail meshes during the summer months to significantly reduce the damage that solar radiation has on apples. Currently, nearly 50% of the apple production area the Poma de Girona IGP is under these protective meshes. Source - iagua.es

13.12.2016

India - CropIn improves farmers’ lives with data analytics and digital apps

Ramesh, a farmer in the southern region of Punjab grows potatoes in his farm. Today, he gets accurate information on when to sow the crop, the temperature around his farm, the right mix of chemicals required, how to tackle crop infection, if any, and finally the time when the potatoes will be ready to harvest along with their quality, size and the overall quantity of yield. The application that Ramesh uses is called SmartFarm, a data-driven farming solution created by Bengaluru-based CropIn Technology. For farmers like Ramesh, and other large companies like ITC, Mahindra & Mahindra, McCain etc., the solution is transforming a once cumbersome and unreliable process—into something intuitive and, crucially, effective. Ad: 67% of IT professionals believe mobility will affect businesses as much as the 90s internet boom. Has your business embraced mobility? “There were great developments happening in ICT solutions in the last two decades. However, there was no company that offered solutions for agri business. That’s when we decided to bring cutting-edge technology for every acre of farm and provide access of it to every farmer possible,” says Krishna Kumar, Founder and Chief Executive, CropIn Technology Solutions. Ripe for the picking CropIn created a web and mobile application that includes enterprise resource planning and business intelligence for the agriculture sector. Using geo-tagging, analytics and data science tools, the solution provides insights like field management consultation and technical assistance on agricultural data to farmers, contract farming companies, NGOs and government bodies to help them improve their crop productivity. Ad: India is among the key global cloud markets that is set to be worth $10 billion in 2020. Have you invested in cloud yet? For contract based farming companies or NGOs, there are field managers who constantly assess the produce and the harvest and identify the problems. For example, if there are pests in the farm, the farmer takes picture of the damaged crops, records a voice message and shares it with the experts for diagnosis, who then respond without visiting the farm. “Farmers are now getting better quality and more produce from their farms. Banks and insurers are ready to provide them with crop loans or insurance. For export companies they now have a tool to manage their operations, make crops traceable so that harvested crops meet global quality standards,” says Chittaranjan Jena, CTO, CropIn. With their predictive data analysis to farmers the company has been able to cut down farmer revenue losses by 18 percent. “There is benefit for every player in this ecosystem, be it the farmer, or a contract farming company, or an insurer,” says Kumar who envisages that around 20 million farmers in the next five years will use their technology from the current one million. Ad: Moving to the cloud has helped 82% of enterprises save money! Has it helped yours? CropIn is currently working in 18 states in India and plans to be in around 18 countries in the next 12 months. “Our client retention rate is at 92 percent and is spread across geographies and around 100 varieties of crops. With current solutions of our applications, we are defining the norms of product traceability in India and globally. Our apps can be customized to help small farmers and large corporates intuitive to use,” says Siddhartha Choudhary, Chief Revenue Officer, CropIn Technology. The company is also working on an artificial neural network model for farmers. Ad: 56% of IT workers calling the shots believe BYOD has transformed their work culture. Has your organisation witnessed this change? “We will have enough data for a localized area, for example, last ten years of weather information, crop trends, satellite images etc. This data will get enriched over a period of time, and the model will be self learning. It will provide value to farmers in and around that localized area, and also to others across India and the globe to reap farming benefits,” explains Kumar. Source - http://cio.economictimes.indiatimes.com

13.12.2016

India - New crop insurance policy to help grape growers

A recent change in policy for crop insurance is providing a much needed relief for grape growers in Karnataka, India. The new policy changes crop coverage due to weather related losses, which have recently affected many farmers in the area. According to the amendment, the insurance company would consider the gram panchayat as a base area for assessing the damage, not the taluk. Farmers are also happy to see a smaller premium than usual on the insurance. Normally they would have to pay a much higher premium but this year the number is 5%. The Union government is planning to shoulder the remaining costs on the farmers' behalf.  One farmer said that, till last year, grape farmers had to pay nearly Rs. 25,000 an acre as insurance, but from this year it will be around Rs. 9,000 for around 2.47 acres. He also stated that of the 21,000 hectares in the State under grape cultivation, over 10,000 hectares of land is in Vijayapura. “We hope the new scheme will help grape farmers who have had to grapple with natural calamities for years in the drought-prone north Karnataka region," Source - thehindu.com