04.10.2016

Taiwan - Typhoon losses have now hit US$82.4m

Agricultural losses from Typhoon Megi, which swept across Taiwan on Tuesday 27 Sept., have risen to NT$2.58 billion (US$82.4 million), according to the Council of Agriculture (COA) on Sunday 2 Oct. Crop damage accounted for most of the losses at about NT$2.22 billion, with rice farmers taking the biggest hit, suffering crop losses of NT$385.75 million, followed by growers of bananas, guavas, bamboo shoots and grapes. Chiayi County in the south suffered the heaviest losses at NT$492.19 million, followed by Yunlin County with NT$490.27 million, Kaohsiung with NT$287.20 million, Changhua County with NT$279.80 million, Taichung with NT$217.50 million and Yilan County with NT$203.24 million, the COA said. Typhoon Megi made landfall Tuesday in Hualien County in eastern Taiwan, causing seven deaths and 625 injuries and leaving 4.22 million households without power before moving westward toward mainland China early Wednesday. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

04.10.2016

Cyprus - Farmers to receive €19.28m in compensation

Farmers in Cyprus will receive compensation amounting to €19.28 million for damage sustained due to prolonged drought, hailstorms and frost, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Nicos Kouyialis said after a Council of Ministers meeting. "The amount was decided following estimates by Cyprus Agricultural Insurance Organisation (OGA) after claims made by the affected farmers and the payments will begin immediately,” said Kouyialis in statements following the meeting, according to an official press release. He said the payments will be given by priority to wheat producers, in a bid to actively assist the sowing period, citrus fruit producers, artichoke producers and azarole fruit producers who will receive 50% of the compensation with the remaining compensation to be paid gradually by the end of 2016. “This is substantial government support to the rural world at an admittedly challenging time because of the weather patterns that prevailed. The Government puts its hand deep in its pocket, because of the weakness of OGA, and stands by the efforts of our farmers to expand our rural economy, " Kouyialis concluded. Koyialis told the Parliament early in September that the government was forced to approve a supplementary budget as OGA`s cash reserves amounting to €2 million were just enough to cover only 10% of the total compensation. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

04.10.2016

India - More farmers covered under crop insurance scheme

The Centre appears to have scored some points on the success of the recently-launched Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana — the flagship insurance scheme for farmers. Going by the latest estimates of coverage and the sum insured it has seen a marginal increase vis-a-vis last year. “We are still compiling the numbers, but the latest number we have got is that about 3.15 crore farmers have been insured this kharif season as opposed to 3.08 crore last year. The sum insured has also increased and nearly doubled for some states. It is a big achievement as last year was a drought year and insurance was being sold till the end of the sowing season (September 30) by which time farmers knew that they would need it,” an Agriculture Ministry official told BusinessLine. No deadline extension As opposed to that, under the PMFBY, the deadline for insurance in most States is July 31, which was extended by ten days to August 10 this kharif as most States notified the new scheme late and the coverage was low. “It was a one-time extension that we allowed as the scheme was new and without the extension most farmers would have been left uncovered. In the rabi season, coverage would be higher as States now know about the scheme. It is unlikely that we will extend deadlines again as it spoils the premium calculations made by insurance companies,” the official said. The older insurance schemes were not very good insurance products as they were available for such a long period that the whole concept of safeguarding against risks was defeated. Premium for crops “As a result, the premium paid by the farmers was much higher and the sum insured was also low as the government could not afford to insure against large amounts,” the official said. The PMFBY, which replaced the older National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and the modified NAIS, seeks to provide comprehensive insurance to farmers against the vagaries of nature at very low premia of 2 per cent of the insured value for the kharif crop and 1.5 per cent for the rabi season. More important than increased coverage under the PMFBY this kharif is the increase in the sum insured this year. “Because there is no cap on the sum insured, the entire loss to a farmers’ crop can be covered. So, the sum insured has increased significantly and for about five-six States it has actually doubled,” the official said. More funds The Agriculture Ministry has approached the Finance Ministry for more funds as there is a “huge increase” in government support because higher coverage would mean higher claims and higher premium charged by insurance companies. The Centre and States share the burden of the difference between the premium charged by the insurance company and that paid by the farmer. The PMFBY has covered about 23 per cent of India’s farmers this kharif against a target of 30 per cent, but the coverage is likely to increase in the rabi season as States are expected to carry out bidding for insurance companies in time, the official said. The scheme seeks to cover 50 per cent of the country’s farmers in three years. Source - http://www.thehindubusinessline.com

03.10.2016

USA - NMSU researchers study hail damage to paprika chile with simulated storms

While watching a 15-minute hail storm on May 18 disintegrate the leaves on chile plants, Israel Calsoyas realized the importance of research she is conducting at New Mexico State University. “All you could see after the storm was the main branches left bare,” she recalled. “I thought about the farmers whose main income comes from a chile pepper crop and I realized that my research is really important.” Calsoyas, a College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences doctoral student studying plant physiology in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, is establishing data regarding the impact of hail damage on paprika chile pepper yield. Hail is one of the weather risks all farmers face, no matter what type of crop they are raising. It can demolish a crop in minutes. Across the country where hail is a frequent event, farmers often purchase a crop-hail insurance policy to protect high-yielding crops. “During the last 30 years, New Mexico has had an increase in incidents of severe hail damage, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration,” Calsoyas said. “Because of this, the National Crop Insurance Service and other insurance agencies are interested in data to help them calculate how to refund people for their crop yield loss.” In 2014, 1,466 of the 8,600 acres of chile peppers planted in New Mexico was insured for hail damage, according to National Crop Insurance Service. Chile is a broadleaf crop, so it is more sensitive to hail damage than a slender leaf crop, such as corn. For corn, the diameter of the hail has to be an inch or larger to cause damage. With chile it can be even less than that to cause damage. When hail damage occurs the farmer must decide whether to till the crop under and start over with a different crop, mow the chile pepper allowing it to grow back, or ride it out to see what type of yield they get. “Farmers want to know if hail hits their crop during the growing season how the plants are going to respond,” she said. “Is their yield going to be the same or is it going to be decreased?” Part of the equation for the farmer’s decision is when the damage occurs. “If it is early in the season, chile is actually really vigorous and will come back. Sometimes, growers will mow down the plants to within six inches of the ground, and the plant will come back.” Chile pepper plants’ growth is partially determined by the air temperature. Optimum growth occurs in the range of 64 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. In warmer temperature conditions plants develop at a slower pace, if at all. The farmer’s action is determined by whether there will be enough days in the optimum temperature range for the plant to recover and produce fruit after hail damage. To see how the plants recover from damage during the season, Calsoyas has simulated hail damage at three different points in the chile plants’ growth by using pressurized water sprayed on the plants at three different damage levels – slight, medium and high. “What we are trying to create is 30, 60 and 90 percent plant damage at different growth stages – first bloom, fruit setting on and fruit at full maturity,” she said. Simultaneously, the researcher is conducting a stand production trial where she will see how surviving plants response when a percentage of plants are removed from the plot. “Typically, research has shown, when you reduce the stand the remaining plants start to grow more vigorously because they have more space and less competition so they put on a lot of fruit and become more bush-like,” Calsoyas said. “However, other research has shown a field with a higher population of plants will produce more per acre than a field with a lower population, even though the field with a lower population may have more yield per plant.” While yield is important, for red paprika growers, the color of the pepper also is important because of the red oleoresin extracted from the chile, which is used in a variety of products. “We want to see how hail damage affects the color,” she said. “Since the color is factored into the value of the paprika chile, this information will help the grower while deciding what to do with their field: continue raising the plants or to till them under.” Paprika chile pepper harvest begins in late September in southern New Mexico. At that time Calsoyas will gather data regarding the yield of the different scenarios. Next year she will repeat the research to gather more information. “The information we are gathering will benefit the growers with their cropping decisions, as well as the insurance companies in compensating for the crop loss,” she said. “At the end of next year’s season, we should have final results that say how much the crop yield will be reduced depending on when the hail damage occurred and the severity of the hail event.” Source - https://newscenter.nmsu.edu

03.10.2016

Canada - Drones giving Alliston-area farmers edge on crop management

When it comes to figuring out where to spend time and resources managing crop fields, more farmers are discovering it helps to have an eye in the sky. Earlier this growing season, Ruth Ploeg, who farms chipping potatoes and other crops with her husband and parents near Alliston, hired a company that uses drones to provide detailed overhead maps of crop fields. Special sensors attached to the drones collect vital information to see where crops are doing well and struggling. The information obtained during the flyovers is used to produce colour-coded maps of each field so farmers can see where they need to do more irrigation or adjust their fertilizer input. For this trial run, maps were produced for about five potato fields, with the green areas showing where crops are fairing well, and red areas where plants are in trouble. “I think it’s worth it and I would do it again,” Ploeg said. “At least we’ll know which fields are uneven.” The biggest challenge this year for most farmers has been the drought. Ploeg and many of the farmers she’s spoken with agree it has been one of the worst years on record. “The last three years have been pretty easy on the irrigation, but this year we were doing it almost fulltime until the pond was empty,” Ploeg said. “It costs us a lot of money, electricity, fuel and labour,” Ploeg said. “We actually call it irritation.” Not enough water to go around means lower crop yields. In areas where plants haven’t had enough water, she said crop yields were down to 100 bags per acre, when the ideal amount is 300 bags. “It was impossible to keep up with the water,” Ploeg said. “It was just so hot and so dry, and we have limited water source.” In a season like this one, it helps to have as many tools as possible to manage crops, according to agronomist Stephanie Kowalski, whose family used to farm potatoes in the Glencairn area. While drones have been used by other industries like mining for many years, it’s a relatively new practice for agriculture. “They are fairly new in terms of being field applicable,” Kowalski said. “They’ve had drones around for a while now, but making them cost effective was the hardest part.” She noted that the drones used to fly over farmers’ fields are much more advanced then ones found at local retail outlets, costing anywhere between $15,000 to $25,000 depending on what type of sensors they have. Once a farmer has analyzed the crop maps, they can decide how to respond to the field conditions. Sometimes it’s not just a lack of water that is causing the problem. “When we look at the map and see it’s red, we don't know why it’s stressed,” Kowalski said. “It could be disease, it could be pests, it could be soil, or it could be heat it’s releasing.” While the maps offer a trove of information, she said farmers still have to take the time to walk through the fields to inspect the plants visually and take leaf samples. Once the issue is determined, a plan can be put in place to tackle the problem. In the event fertilizer is deemed to be the issue, Kowalski said information can be loaded onto a usb stick, which is then plugged into the machine that distributes the nutrients in the fields. “Automatically, as it drives down the field and hits the red spots, it changes the rate of fertilizer,” Kowalski said, adding the machine using GPS points to make adjustments on the fly. The cost benefits of using inputs more effectively is just one of the advantages of using this technology. “Being able to dial in your fertilizer rates is a big bonus for the environment,” Kowalski said. “Nutrient stewardship is a huge topic for farmers, phosphorus in the Great Lakes, things like that. So anytime we can manage these nutrients efficiently like this is a huge bonus.” While Ploeg is impressed with the advantages drone technology has to offer, she said it’s up to farmers to make the most of them. “It depends how you use it,” she said. “You can have as many maps as you want, but if you’re not reducing your fertilizer and using your nutrients more carefully, then the maps are just paper.” Source - http://www.simcoe.com

03.10.2016

USA - Crop insurance critical in flood areas

Crop insurance is seen as an important safety net for farmers, and that’s especially true during a disaster. Eastern and central Iowa farmers dealt with torrential rains and subsequent flooding last week. They’ve seen the devastation first-hand. Grassley recently surveyed the flood damage in several eastern Iowa cities, and discussed his experience on "I saw debris and damage left by receding floodwaters, many homes underwater, preparations to mitigate flooding downstream and farmers surveying their flooded crops," Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) said on Money Matters, a program on the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network. Grassley told host Ben Nuelle that crop insurance, which is partially funded by farmers and delivered by the private sector, will be crucial for farmers whose crops flooded this year so close to harvest. "With grain prices as low as they have been in years, that program will provide some relief to insure producers who will be forced to take a complete loss on their flooded fields,” Grassley said. “It is important reminder heading into the farm bill of the critical role crop insurance plays in the farm safety net." Source - http://www.porknetwork.com

03.10.2016

India - Massive crop loss in Marathwada

WITH rain refusing to relent in the last two days, Marathwada, which is facing unprecedented flood-like situation, has suffered a massive crop damage. According to initial official estimates, crop worth over Rs 500 crore has been damaged in at least three districts of Latur, Beed and Osmanabad, which had been under a severe grip of drought till recently for the fourth consecutive year. In all the three districts, soyabean is the major crop, followed by cotton, tur and moong. In Latur, crop on over 4 lakh hectares — sowing had been done on over 6 lakh hectares — has been damaged. “Soyabean crop has suffered complete damage on 4 lakh hectares,” said an agriculture official in Latur. Officials in the department put the loss at over Rs 300 crore. Manjara dam, the lifeline of Latur that had hit rock-bottom, is now 100 per cent full. All major rivers in the district are overflowing at present. Nana Barde, a farmer and sarpanch of Masurdi village in Ausa taluka that was among the worst affected by drought in Latur, said, “Over 400 farmer families, which had sown soyabean, tur, urad, til on 1,000 hectares of land have lost all the crop… For four years, we had severe drought and now this tragedy.” Beed District Collector Naval Kishore Ram said soyabean crop on 2 lakh hectares had been damaged. “Our initial estimation is that the crop worth around Rs 200 crore must have been damaged. But it is difficult to give out the exact figure,” said Ram. For the last couple of days, the officials claimed, the district administration had been busy rescuing people trapped in flood waters. “Scores of villagers, especially those living close to rivers, have been rescued in the last couple of days,” said Ram. Osmanabad district seems to be worst affected in Marathwada. District Collector Prashant Narnaware said his administration had been hard-pressed to bring the situation under control as all major dams were overflowing and rivers were in spate. According to initial estimates, Narnaware said, crop spread over close to 3 lakh hectares had been damaged. Sowing had been done on 3.5 lakh hectares. “But these are initial estimates… We estimate that the loss could be up to Rs 250 crore,” he said. Nanded Collector Suresh Kakani said crop loss in the district had been reported along the overflowing rivers. “Last night, we rescued 22 people near Limboti dam after there was discharge of water.” Both Ram and Narnaware said farmers should not worry as their crop had been insured. “We will carry out proper assessment and ensure that each and every farmer gets the insurance benefit,” said Ram. Narnaware said the Kharif crop might have been lost but this rain would benefit the Rabi crop. After a couple of days’ lull, the rain started pounding Marathwada from Friday. In the last two days, Latur, Beed and Osmanabad have received maximum rainfall. All three districts, which were once worst hit by drought, have recorded over 100 per cent rainfall so far, with Beed receiving maximum 125 per cent rain. In the last 24 hours, Latur has received 69.75 mm rain, followed by Beed (50.64 mm), Osmanabad (41.69 mm), Nanded (32.31 mm), Hingoli (38 mm), and Parbhani (29.9 mm). Collectively, all eight districts in Marathwada have received annual average rainfall of 107 per cent. Source - http://indianexpress.com

03.10.2016

Australia - Rural Business Support aids storm affected producers

Storm affected producers have been urged to seek assistance from Rural Business Support, with heavy rainfall, flooding and damaging winds impacting on many farmers and rural businesses across South Australia. While the initial response to any emergency is to firstly ensure the safety of people and livestock, Rural Business Support is prepared and ready to respond to an increasing number of requests for assistance. Reports of damage to hay and cereal crops have already been received, with the expectation that some crops will be lost or yields severely downgraded. Rural Business Support has a team of rural financial counsellors located across the state ready to work with primary producers who may face hardship as a result of the storms. Rural Business Support CEO Brett Smith said his team of professionally trained staff were able to work with businesses in all aspects of business analysis and could assist with applying for grants which may be available. “Many producers were optimistic of a good harvest this year following good rainfall and to have their hopes dashed just prior to harvest will be a disappointment for those affected. Those who hadn’t yet organised crop insurance will face some tough decisions on how to manage a period of tight cash flow," he said. “Talking with a Rural Financial Counsellor can help ease the stress of trying to work out how the farm business can recover from the storm event." Current support available includes emergency relief payments through the Department of Communities and Social Inclusion to eligible households. Farm businesses may also be eligible for the Farm Household Allowance - a fortnightly payment (up to three years) to assist farming families to get back on their feet. Community refuge centres have also been set up in affected regional locations. “Managing the recovery from a business shock can be a difficult time. Working with a Rural Financial Counsellor can provide clarity and a plan to return to normal business operations,” Mr Smith said. He urged producers to contact Rural Business Support for assistance. Source - http://www.transcontinental.com.au

03.10.2016

India - Heavy rains drown the hopes of farmers in Bidar

Heavy rainfall in Bidar on Friday night further crushed the hopes of farmers who were praying for recovery of crops damaged by floods in September. In just one night , the district received 64.5 mm of rainfall, as against the monthly average of 90.2 mm for October. This is very high for one day. This can further damage crops like red gram, said K. Ziaullah, Joint Director of Agriculture. If the crop suffers water logging for 3-4 days, it will suffer physiological death. Low to moderate rain is expected in the next two days. Even light showers will have to be considered excess as they will add to the flood discharge. Water will not percolate as it has breached the optimum level, he said. According to preliminary surveys by agriculture department, Soya has suffered nearly 100 per cent loss due to the dense showers in September. The district received over 1200 mm of rain in the first nine months, which is beyond the annual average of 900 mm. This caused widespread loss including breach of six tanks and loss of crop on over 1.6 lakh hectares. Rain related incidents caused the death of five persons, including a six-month-old child. As many as 19 bridges were submerged, cutting of around 120 villages from the main land. District administration officials had submitted a memorandum seeking input subsidy of Rs. 102 crore for crop loss affected farmers. Chief Minister Siddharamaiah who visited rain-hit areas, announced an interim relief of Rs. 50 crore. Source - http://www.thehindu.com

30.09.2016

USA - Heavy rainfall in mid September damages crops

The past several days has been filled with news reports, photos, and stories about the flooded roads, buildings, and towns across many areas of south central, southeast, and central Minnesota. Historic rainfall amounts occurred in a portion of that region on Sept. 21 and 22, with a large portion of the region receiving 4-6 inches of rainfall, and some areas receiving 10-14 inches of rainfall in a 48 hour period. Nearly every river, stream, and creek in that region has been flooded, and was out of its banks following the heavy rainfall event, causing millions of dollars of damage to homes, roads, bridges, and farm fields. This flooding event is comparable to the severe early fall flooding in many areas of south central Minnesota in September 2010. The flooding, which is among the worst ever in many areas, was caused by the 4-14 inches of rain across much of the region during the two days. This type of intense rainfall is very unusual in September, and is usually more likely to occur in the spring and early summer. Some locations across the region also had strong winds and hail, along with the heavy rains, which caused additional damage to some crops. The University of Minnesota Research and Outreach Center at Waseca recorded 10.16 inches of rainfall on Sept. 21-22, which is likely the highest 48-hour total ever recorded during September, in the over 100-year history of the Waseca site. As of Sept. 22, the U of M research site had recorded a total of 14.37 inches of rainfall in September, which is also the highest on record. The normal precipitation total for September at Waseca is 3.19 inches. The Waseca research site has now received a total of 48.68 inches of precipitation for 2016, which is 40 percent above the normal average precipitation of 34.70 inches for an entire year at Waseca. The Research Center has now recorded 35 inches of rainfall in the past three months, since July 1. Harvest delays In addition to the property and infrastructure damage caused by the extreme rainfall and flooding, there will likely be considerable crop loss, along with potential major delays in the 2016 corn and soybean harvest. The corn and soybean fields near any rivers, streams or creeks will likely be a total loss in most of the region, as will most other low lying, poorly drained portions of farm fields. Many of these fields had some fairly good yield potential prior to the storms and flooding; however, in some locations, portions of these fields had already been damaged from storms and heavy rains back in June. Most farmers in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa are now dealing with completely saturated soil conditions, which is likely to delay soybean and corn harvest across the entire region. A majority of soybeans in the region will soon be ready to harvest, as will a considerable amount of corn, once field conditions are fit for harvesting. In some areas it will be several days before combining can begin, while in other areas it will take a week or longer of dry conditions for fields to be fit. In many fields farmers will be forced to combine a portion of the field, leaving the balance until the fields dry out. Soybean harvesting is the number one concern right now for most producers. Once the soybeans are mature, they dry down rather rapidly in the field, especially with warm, sunny weather conditions. Once this occurs, the soybean pods can “pop open” in the field prior to harvest. There is also concern regarding the stem strength of the soybeans that were in partial standing water for several days. If field conditions remain too wet to harvest the soybeans for a long period, there is potential for considerable field loss during soybean harvest. The wet field conditions also increase corn harvest concerns in the region. Some corn has been damaged by strong winds and hail that occurred in severe storms during the 2016 growing season in some locations. The storm-damaged corn, together with a higher than normal incidence of stalk rots, increases the likelihood of more stalk breakage in corn this fall. This problem will likely increase later in the fall, especially in fields with considerable amounts of standing water. The crop damage and harvest delays are especially difficult for affected crop producers that are facing very tight profit margins in 2016. Farm operators were looking at some very good corn and soybean yield potential for this year’s crops in many locations. The soybean yield potential appeared especially solid across the region, with the corn yield potential being a bit more variable. Now, many producers are in a “wait and see” mode regarding corn and soybean harvest, hoping that the yields on a majority of the crop acres are strong enough, in order to offset yield losses in the fields and portions of fields that were lost to the heavy rains and flooding. Crop insurance considerations Farm operators with crop losses need to contact their crop insurance agent prior to harvesting fields with significant crop losses to make sure that those losses are reported and verified. Producers also need to keep good yield records, and follow crop insurance verification procedures, in order to maximize crop insurance indemnity payments on damaged crop acres. Crop insurance indemnity payments will vary from farm-to-farm, depending on the level and type of insurance coverage that was purchased for the 2016 crop year, and on the final 2016 corn and soybean yields. Producers facing significant crop losses that have “optional units” for crop insurance policies in 2016 could be in a position to collect considerable crop insurance indemnity payments on farm units with large losses. However, producers that have “enterprise units” for their 2016 crop insurance coverage may have more difficulty verifying sufficient crop losses to gain substantial indemnity payments for the 2016 crop year. “Optional units” insure crops on an individual farm basis, so a producer can collect crop insurance indemnity payments on one or two farm units, while not receiving payments on other farm units. “Enterprise Units” require all the crop land of a given crop in a County to show a crop loss, in order to receive crop insurance indemnity payments. Many producers have switched from “optional units” to “enterprise units” in the past few years, due to significant savings in the crop insurance premium costs with “enterprise units.” Source - http://www.minnesotafarmguide.com

30.09.2016

USA - Precision Farming and Crop Insurance

When crop insurance and precision farming technology are combined, improved risk management solutions will soon follow. Precision farming technology has been steadily growing for years and has provided significant gains in producer productivity and efficiency. Roughly six in ten production farmers are expected to adopt various precision technology solutions by 2018. From auto steer to variable rate applications, farmers have an abundance of new capabilities available to improve production farming. More recently, precision farming technology has been used by some farmers to simplify - and make more accurate - their crop planting and production information for required government reporting as a participant in the federal crop insurance program. Using the equipment GPS monitor and farm management software, producers are able to collect and report both planted and production acres without traditional paper records like planting logs and scale tickets. In short, by leveraging their precision farming technology capabilities, farmers are able to “digitize” their planting and production records, making it more accurate and easier to report and manage critical planting and production information. The creation of digitized farm data can also provide much greater insight into farming practices, including the ability to better understand crop production risk, particularly when combined with related data like weather, soil conditions, topography and more. When greater insight and understanding of crop production risk is developed, insurers are better able to not only offer more risk management solutions, but more accurately underwrite and price the risk. While crop insurance is significantly different than many other lines of insurance, it does share some fundamental principles similar to home and auto insurance. For example, auto insurance today is underwritten and priced significantly different than it was 10 years ago because of the use of telematics/GPS information obtained from the automobile. Auto insurers are able to more precisely underwrite and price auto insurance risk because telematics/GPS data generated from the automobile create better understanding of driver risk (i.e. speed, braking, etc.). Data generated from the automobile, combined with other traditional driver risk data, result in improved predictions of potential risk of an accident. In a similar fashion, precision farming technology can provide insurers with more precise and greater information about planting and production activity (i.e. seed spacing, etc.) that can improve the prediction of potential crop performance beyond what weather alone might cause. So how might precision technology and crop insurance solutions look in the future? Some solutions already exist. For example, Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance provides a discount on a crop hail insurance policy when a customer uses a combine head that integrates GPS technology from the combine. The GPS-enabled combine head is able to more effectively “pick-up” downed corn from a windstorm as the combine is more precisely guided along the row line obscured by flat corn stalks. Because less production loss is expected when using the GPS-guided head, insurance risk is less and a lower insurance premium can be applied. Significant potential exists to leverage farmers' use of precision farming technology to improve agricultural risk management, including crop insurance. Using precision farming technology to collect and organize field data can lead to greater insight into crop production risk. Working within a clearly defined environment where the farmer controls and owns their data, trusted advisors can help farmers to identify and obtain new solutions, including improved risk management tools that more accurately reflect individual farmer risk and the solutions desired to protect against the risk of loss. Source - http://www.agri-pulse.com

30.09.2016

Philippines - Senate bill seeks to expand crop insurance

A BILL filed in the Senate will seek to make crop insurance mandatory for certain classes of rice farmers and those cultivating other staples. Senate Bill 1171 or the Expanded Crop Insurance Bill was filed by Senator Francis N. Pangilinan, who noted how farmers routinely become indebted during times of calamity. “We should help our farmers ensure their sacrifices are not for naught, especially during typhoon season,” said Mr. Pangilinan Thursday. Under the bill, “crop insurance shall be compulsory for those with loans for palay under supervised credit programs and optional for self-financed farmers provided they agree to place themselves under the supervision of agricultural production technicians.” Mr. Pangilinan noted that farmers remain among the country’s poorest workers, with two-thirds of Filipinos directly or indirectly involved in agriculture. Yet, he said data from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. show only 3% of some P10 billion worth of crops were insured across 30 provinces. Source - http://www.bworldonline.com

30.09.2016

Taiwan - Typhoon ag losses hit almost US$32m

Taiwan's agricultural losses from Typhoon Megi have reached at least NT$1 billion (US$31.89 million) as of Wednesday 27 September, according to an initial estimate released by the Council of Agriculture (COA). As of 5 p.m., agricultural losses as a result of the damage caused by the storm had reached NT$1.03 billion, with Yunlin County in the central-south part of western Taiwan suffering the heaviest losses, the COA said. Typhoon Megi made landfall on Tuesday in Hualien County, eastern Taiwan, causing four deaths and 527 injuries and leaving more than 3.64 million households without power before moving away toward China early Wednesday. Farmers in Yunlin suffered NT$210.2 million in losses, or 20 percent of the national total, according to the COA figures. Kaohsiung reported at least NT$165.1 million in agricultural losses, ahead of Taichung, with NT$144.05 million in losses, and Tainan, with NT$76.06 million in losses, the COA data shows. Miaoli County reported NT$74 million in losses. Crop damage accounted for most of the losses, according to the COA, with 18,570 hectares of farmland and NT$964.75 million-worth of crops damaged. The COA said banana growers took the biggest hit, suffering crop losses of NT$136.51 million and damage to 294 hectares of farmland. Growers of rice and guavas, persimmons and taro also suffered heavy losses, the COA said. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

30.09.2016

Spain - Hail damages 2,720 hectares in Lleida

The hailstorm recorded in the afternoon of last Friday in several municipalities of the county of Segrià, Lleida, has caused damage to a total of 2,720 hectares of crops, as reported on Monday by the director of the Territorial Services of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food in Lleida, Ferran Noguera, who visited the areas affected. Llardecans, Aitona, Seròs, Massalcoreig, Torrebesses and Sarroca de Lleida are the most affected municipalities. In these towns, most of the damage to sweet fruit crops has affected the trees, as the harvest had almost been completed. 900 hectares have been hit; 400 in Seròs, 350 in Aitona and 150 in Massalcoreig. As for almonds, whose harvest was half way through, damage has been recorded to 110 hectares. The Plant Health Service of the DARP has recommended the application of treatments to minimise the risk of the spread of diseases in the plantations affected, and to ensure the good healing of the trees. The Department of Agriculture has reminded the municipalities hit by the storm to carry out a coordinated monitoring of the damage and to work together to expedite the aid to the affected farms. Also, another storm accompanied by hail was recorded on Sunday afternoon, which hit a total of 723 hectares of farmland south of the region of Urgell, Lleida, affecting the municipalities of Sant Martí de Riucorb, Omells de Na Gaia, Malda and Vallbona de les Monges. The most affected crops are olives, almonds and grapes. The most significant damage has been recorded by almond crops and grapes that had yet to be harvested, with up to 50% of the production affected. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

30.09.2016

Australia - Unusual frost affecting harvests in Wheatbelt, South West and Great Southern regions

Braden Grylls was cutting hay at his property west of Corrigin on Thursday morning, when he saw the frost start to build up across his paddock. "When we were cutting hay on a low paddock on one of our farms, we noticed the old white hay started coming in across the paddock and thought ... this is when it's going to start chilling down," he said. "All the ice starts forming on your cutter as you're going around the paddock .... every few minutes I kept looking back behind me and I'm going 'Oh yeah it's still building up, still building up'. "I walked out in the wheat paddock beside me where I was cutting hay and right up through the head of the wheat was frozen solid so I'd say no doubt we'll be cutting some low-lying areas of wheat down but it will be a week or two before we can really assess the damage." The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) had thought areas in the south-eastern agricultural district would be worst affected but temperatures actually dropped lower in areas to the Central and Western Wheatbelt. Some farmers have reported losing up to 50 per cent of their crops, while others have been virtually unaffected. Mr Grylls said it is disappointing given how well the crops were going. "It's one of those things, you have such a good year like you're having this year and you think well something's going to give," he said. "You just back on putting a crop in knowing you're going to get a frost .... we've been getting these three of four mil events and then you might get a frost the next morning which on a normal year, that's unheard of, it's just one of those things that's happening this year, on such a good year unfortunately," he said. The BoM has characterised the number of frosts as being unusual and said they were probably caused because of the state's unseasonably cold start to spring. 'Worst season for frost in 20 years' Further east, Hyden farmer Colin Nicholl was also out surveying the damage from what has been one of the worst seasons for frost in 20 years. His paddocks have already been hit by several cold snaps earlier this month. "You wouldn't get any yield out of this, the better value in this is now to cut it for hay and bail it up", Mr Nicholl said. Ironically, what was shaping up to be one of the most promising seasons in recent years has also proven to be vulnerable to the freezing conditions. "One of the vagaries of frost is that the better the crop the harder frost hits it," Mr Nicholl said. "We are now growing much higher yields than we have ever done before, but I think there are other factors in that, we just seem to be getting later frosts and frosts of more intensity than we ever used to before." Agronomist Helen Wyatt has seen widespread damage. "We're seeing varied levels of frost damage through out the region," she said. "In some areas its hard to tell the extent of the damage yet, there's been consecutive frost events and some this morning as well so we really won't see the full effect of that for another 7 to 10 days." While Colin Nicholl knows there are no guarantees or insurance against frost, after 50 years of farming he is philosophical. "It's all part and parcel of farming, while it's difficult to take, to be successful you can't just throw the towel in," he said. The state's grain handler, CBH has lowered its forecast for the season but said it would not know the true extent of the losses until harvest starts. Source - http://www.abc.net.au/

29.09.2016

USA - Heavy rainfall damages crops

The past several days has been filled with news reports, photos and stories about the flooded roads, buildings, and towns across many areas of south central, southeast and central Minnesota. Historic rainfall amounts occurred in a portion of that region on Sept. 21 and 22, with a large portion of the region receiving 4-6 inches of rainfall, and some areas receiving 10-14 inches of rainfall in a 4- hour period. Nearly every river, stream and creek in that region has been flooded, and was out of its banks following the heavy rainfall event, causing millions of dollars of damage to homes, roads, bridges and farm fields. This flooding event is comparable to the severe early fall flooding in many areas of south-central Minnesota in the September 2010. The flooding, which is among the worst ever in many areas, was caused by the 4-14 inches of rain across much of the region during the two days. This type of intense rainfall is very unusual in September, and is usually more likely to occur in the spring and early summer. Some locations across the region also had strong winds and hail, along with the heavy rains, which caused additional damage to some crops. The University of Minnesota Research and Outreach Center at Waseca recorded 10.16 inches of rainfall on Sept. 21 and 22, which is likely the highest 48-hour total ever recorded during September, in the over 100-year history of the Waseca site. As of Sept. 22, the U of M research site had recorded a total of 14.37 inches of rainfall in September, which is also the highest on record. The normal precipitation total for September at Waseca is 3.19 inches. The Waseca research site has now received a total of 48.68 inches of precipitation for 2016, which is 40 percent above the normal average precipitation of 34.70 inches for an entire year at Waseca. The Research Center has now recorded 35 inches of rainfall in the past three months, since July 1. HARVEST DELAYS In addition to the property and infrastructure damage caused by the extreme rainfall and flooding, there will likely be considerable crop loss, along with potential major delays in the 2016 corn and soybean harvest. The corn and soybean fields near any rivers, streams or creeks will likely be a total loss in most of the region, as will most other low lying, poorly drained portions of farm fields. Many of these fields had some fairly good yield potential prior to the storms and flooding; however, in some locations, portions of these fields had already been damaged from storms and heavy rains back in June. Most farmers in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa are now dealing with completely saturated soil conditions, which is likely to delay soybean and corn harvest across the entire region. A majority of soybeans in the region will soon be ready to harvest, as will a considerable amount of corn, once field conditions are fit for harvesting. In some areas it will be several days before combining can begin, while in other areas it will take a week or longer of dry conditions for fields to be fit. In many fields farmers will be forced to combine a portion of the field, leaving the balance until the fields dry out. Soybean harvesting is the No. 1 concern right now for most producers. Once the soybeans are mature, they dry down rather rapidly in the field, especially with warm, sunny weather conditions. Once this occurs, the soybean pods can “pop open” in the field prior to harvest. There is also concern regarding the stem strength of the soybeans that were in partial standing water for several days. If field conditions remain too wet to harvest the soybeans for a long period, there is potential for considerable field loss during soybean harvest. The wet field conditions also increase corn harvest concerns in the region. Some corn has been damaged by strong winds and hail that occurred in severe storms during the 2016 growing season in some locations. The storm-damaged corn, together with a higher than normal incidence of stalk rots, increases the likelihood of more stalk breakage in corn this fall. This problem will likely increase later in the fall, especially in fields with considerable amounts of standing water. The crop damage and harvest delays are especially difficult for affected crop producers that are facing very tight profit margins in 2016. Farm operators were looking at some very good corn and soybean yield potential for this year’s crops in many locations. The soybean yield potential appeared especially solid across the region, with the corn yield potential being a bit more variable. Now, many producers are in a “wait and see” mode regarding corn and soybean harvest, hoping that the yields on a majority of the crop acres are strong enough, in order to offset yield losses in the fields and portions of fields that were lost to the heavy rains and flooding. CROP INSURANCE CONSIDERATIONS Farm operators with crop losses need to contact their crop insurance agent prior to harvesting fields with significant crop losses to make sure that those losses are reported and verified. Producers also need to keep good yield records, and follow crop insurance verification procedures, in order to maximize crop insurance indemnity payments on damaged crop acres. Crop insurance indemnity payments will vary from farm-to-farm, depending on the level and type of insurance coverage that was purchased for the 2016 crop year, and on the final 2016 corn and soybean yields. Producers facing significant crop losses that have “optional units” for crop insurance policies in 2016 could be in a position to collect considerable crop insurance indemnity payments on farm units with large losses. However, producers that have “enterprise units” for their 2016 crop insurance coverage may have more difficulty verifying sufficient crop losses to gain substantial indemnity payments for the 2016 crop year. “Optional units” insure crops on an individual farm basis, so a producer can collect crop insurance indemnity payments on one or two farm units, while not receiving payments on other farm units. “Enterprise Units” require all the crop land of a given crop in a County to show a crop loss, in order to receive crop insurance indemnity payments. Many producers have switched from “optional units” to “enterprise units” in the past few years, due to significant savings in the crop insurance premium costs with “enterprise units”. Source - http://www.crowrivermedia.com