Agroinsurance

USA - Hail, rain and strong wind produce woes for Red River Valley farmers

Kyle Funseth said he has seen hail damage crops in his five years of farming, but nothing like the hail that pummeled his soybean crop Saturday near his home west of Hatton. "A storm of this size, especially with such a wide swath of hail, is very unusual," he said, adding hail is often localized. As a fifth-generation farmer, Funseth farms about 1,000 acres. Hail from Saturday hit almost all of his land, but the damage came in patches. Marble- to golf ball-sized hail damaged the 50 acres of soybeans near his house, leaving virtually nothing but stems. "Certain crops are better at recovering from injuries than others," he said. "Some farmers got hit harder than others." About 10 percent of eastern North Dakota was hit by hail, according to some estimates, but 35 percent of Traill County, just west of Funseth's farm, suffered crop damage in Saturday's hail storm, Traill County Extension Agent Alyssa Scheve said. The hail is one of multiple weather problems farmers in the region have faced this season. Several storms over the past weeks have brought more than enough rain to the Red River Valley, causing standing water to drown portions of crops. Heavy winds also have damaged plants, some to the point of falling over, Grand Forks County Extension Agent Michael Knudson said. "The hardest-hit part of the county is the northwestern part of the county and moving into the north central part of the county," he said. "There's a lot of windbreaks and tree rows that blew down and are lying on the edge of the fields. There are many fields that are flooded out. Some of them had to be replanted. Some of them were left fallow." Drought broken It's a stark contrast to spring, when growers and experts feared a drought was on the way. With little snowpack from the winter melting into the soil combined with a dry spell, at least 85 percent of the state experienced some type of drought from mid-March to mid-April, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Neb. "This time of year we are usually burning up," Funseth said. A microblast in late May brought much-need moisture to the Grand Forks area, and the last 10 days of that month saw 3.7 inches of rain, bringing year-to-date totals back to normal. June rain was on par with normal levels, but July storms has pushed most of North Dakota into the above-average range, Greg Gust of the National Weather Service in Grand Forks said. Precipitation has varied across the region, he said. Grand Forks and Devils Lake saw about 1½ to 2 inches of rain over the weekend, but parts in southeastern North Dakota, including near Fargo, saw as much as 8 inches of rain in the last three days. "Much of that area, especially the Fargo area and south, was roughly 4 inches below normal for the calendar year," Gust said, adding most of the state is caught up on rainfall. About 80 percent of the state was classified as having no drought as of July 5, and Gust said he expected that number to shrink after this weekend's storms. In the northeastern corner of the state, crops are well saturated, and some areas are as much as 12 inches above normal for year-to-date precipitation. "That scenario is really exasperated this year," Knudson said. "We've gone back and forth with 'It's dry, we need more rain,' and 'OK, we don't need anymore rain.' " The flooding and wind damage seem to be sporadic in Traill County, but the weather from this weekend likely will affect crop yields, Scheve said. "With those fields that maybe weren't as impacted by hail, there will be added disease pressure for those damaged crops because they are more susceptible to those diseases," she said. The Grand Forks area likely won't get much sunshine over the next week. The National Weather Service forecast rain for Wednesday and Thursday, with thunderstorms possible this weekend. Overall, the harvest should be average, if not above average, this year, at least for Grand Forks County, Knudson said. The southeast corner could have slightly above-average yields and farmers in the northwest could suffer from the excess rain and wind, he said. "It's going to more affect individual farmers and where their farms are geographically located," he said. Funseth said most of his crops should bounce back from the hail, though he expects 10 percent will be zeroed out by insurance adjusters. As for how the moisture will affect the harvest, farmers will have to wait and see. "I'd imagine we will start to see some crop loss show up this week or next week because it is too wet," Funseth said. Source - http://www.grandforksherald.com

USA - Strong winds pummel area crops

Last week’s severe thunderstorm featured wind gusts of 70-80 mph, strong enough to uproot trees and knock down power lines. For area corn producers, the storm's timing couldn't have been worse, according to Steve Nelson, an agronomist with Tri County Ag Service in Schuyler. “From knee-high corn to tassel corn, that’s when corn is the most vulnerable to green snap,” said Nelson. “And that’s where virtually all our corn was.” Green snap is the term for when cornstalks are broken, in this case by high winds. Once a stalk snaps, there’s no going back. “Big thing on corn is, once that plant’s broken its zero yield on that plant,” Nelson said. “It’s not going to produce an ear.” At this point, experts from Platte and Colfax counties say it’s hard to tell how much damage was done, partly because of the breadth and endurance of the storm. “(The storm) cut a swath across from Columbus through lower Colfax County,” said Nelson. “About 15 miles wide, and it kind of angled from Columbus to Scribner, cuts right into Dodge County and heads into Iowa.” Nelson just got started evaluating fields around Richland on Monday and said he’s seen fields with 5 to 10 percent green snap and others with more extensive damage. “One field had 25-50 percent broken off. That’d be a 50- to 100-bushel yield. That’s huge,” he said. “That’s $300 to $400 an acre.” Bruce Coffey, executive director at the Colfax County Farm Service Agency, said he’s seen fields with as much as 75 percent green snap. “There’s not a lot that have 75 percent green snap, but there’s some,” he said. Chris Hoffman, executive director at the Platte County Farm Service Agency, said that while snapped stalks are a definite loss, bent stalks are harder to call at this point. “A lot of the corn that laid down came back up,” said Hoffman. “We won’t know until we get further into the growing season.” In some cases, Coffey said, bent stalks produce ears of corn. “Some laid over and didn’t snap, but the agronomist doesn’t know if it’s going to produce,” he said. “But time will tell.” What can be fatal to some stalks could be an opportunity for others, according to Colfax County Extension educator Aaron Nygren. “If the other plants are broken, that stalk may have more sunlight,” Nygren said. “Some of the (standing) plants may put out a slightly larger ear to compensate.” Nygren said he's also received reports of damaged farm structures and overturned irrigation pivots. According to Coffey, the threshold for emergency assistance for farmers is 25 percent crop loss. At this point, crop loss is only estimated at 15 percent. In a year when grain producers are already expecting a loss, Coffey said a producer’s outcome after this storm may be determined by whether they bought crop insurance. “(Producers with insurance) won’t be devastated. They’ll come out OK. They’ll survive,” said Coffey. “But if they don’t have insurance, they’ll be hurting.” “Hopefully we don’t get any more storms,” he added. Source - http://columbustelegram.com

USA - Considerations for hail-damaged cherries after storms

Cherry orchards were impacted by hail on July 8, 2016, and growers should carefully weigh options to determine future management strategies. First, growers should assess the level of damage as the outcome of this assessment will determine the next steps. If the damage was fairly extensive, and if the grower has crop insurance, Michigan State University Extensionrecommends growers call their crop insurance agent as soon as possible. Particularly if the damage was widespread and rendered the crop unmarketable, growers should discuss the options with the crop insurance agency. If the crop is unmarketable, growers should consider minimizing management applications to reduce costs in these blocks. Even with the threat of spotted wing Drosophila (SWD), more insecticide applications will obviously increase costs in a block that will not provide income. Growers need to keep leaves on for next year, so continue managing for cherry leaf spot. If growers minimize insecticide and fungicide applications, they should communicate this decision to neighboring farmers. As we have mentioned in the past, SWD populations can build quickly in unsprayed fruit and move into blocks that are intended for harvest. Growers should also consider removing the crop from the trees to minimize infestation from SWD. More information on removing cherries from the tree and strategies for minimizing SWD infestations are forthcoming based on ongoing trials at the Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center. Secondly, if the fruit is on the borderline of marketability, we recommend growers contact their processors to discuss options for this damaged, but potentially harvestable fruit. Processors that have a juice market may want growers to continue managing this fruit for this particular market. Growers should also consider other processors that may be interested in the juice market. However, if the fruit will be used for juice, cherries will likely need to hang for longer to increase brix levels. The longer the fruit hangs, the longer management will be needed. Growers will need to decide if fruit will make it to harvest and be worth the extra sprays and costs associated with these applications. Growers need to be realistic if they can justify continuing management if the crop will not ultimately be marketable in the end. Again, growers should be assessing the level of damage to tart and sweet cherries, particularly if harvest is still quite far off. The northwest region is predicted to harvest 165 million pounds of tart cherries, and removing that size of crop even under optimal conditions would have been a challenge. After this storm, there are varying levels of damage to sweet and tart cherries, and growers need to decide if they will make it to harvest with a marketable crop or if they should stop management now. If the fruit has minor damage, growers will likely be able to manage insects and diseases to make it to harvest time. More intense damage will be more difficult to keep clean moving forward, and growers need to consider if they can make it to harvest with clean, disease-free fruit. If growers chose to move forward with harvesting damaged blocks, the quicker the damaged blocks can be harvested, the better. Damaged fruit will be more likely to be infested by insects, particularly SWD. Spray programs in damaged blocks will need to be ramped up to prevent infestation. This scenario may be difficult to swallow and particularly challenging for growers as they are already spraying diligently to prevent SWD infestation. However, wounded or cracked flesh of a ripe cherry will provide an easy entry point for SWD egglaying; therefore, growers will need to be even more thorough in managing SWD. Laboratory studies conducted at the Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center have shown SWD females prefer to lay eggs into cracked or smashed fruit compared to intact fruit (Photo 1). Damaged fruit and SWD fruit infestation trial Methods: Ripening fruit were collected from sweet cherry trees June 22, 2016. Fruit was dividing into nine treatments: Intact fruit Partially crushed/cracked by gently squeezing between fingers Crushed and laid singly Crushed and laid in pile Photo 1. Treatments 1-3 as listed above (intact, partially crushed, and crushed and laid singly). To simulate mechanically crushing or mashing of fruit by a farm implement, we positioned fruit in front of truck tires in the orchard row and drove over the piles of fruit (Photo 2). Some fruit were picked up singly and others in piles. All fruit was brought back to the lab and set up into bioassay containers (Photo 3). Each treatment was replicated five times where five fruit were added along with five male and five female SWD. Bioassay containers are allowed to sit at room temperature for 10 days before the number of newly emerged SWD are counted. Photo 2. Driving over fruit to simulate mechanical crushing. Photo 3. Fruit in bioassay containers. Results show that cracked fruit squeezed gently by hand had the most SWD that survived until adulthood; they could produce multiple generations in this fruit (Figure 1). These fruit would be similar to fruit that was cracked or damaged by hail in the recent storm. Therefore, we conclude that cracked fruit, such as those that are damaged or cracked by hail, are preferred by SWD and can rapidly increase the SWD populations in an orchard. Cracked fruit are the most susceptible fruit to SWD infestation. Figure 1. Number of spotted wing Drosophila (SWD) adults in damaged and non-damaged cherries. Additionally, damaged fruit will be more susceptible to diseases, such as American brown rot and Alternaria. American brown rot is a particular concern in blocks that have been damaged. If the fruit will not be harvested, justifying the cost of continuing management programs is difficult. On the other hand, minimizing the potential for brown rot in orchards this season will reduce inoculum for next season. An SDHI fungicide (Merivon or Luna Sensation) tank-mixed with Captan is the best option for controlling American brown rot at this point in the season. However, one spray may not provide enough control through harvest, particularly if harvest goes long. In this case, growers should follow the SDHI application with 12 ounces of Indar tank-mixed with Captan. Again, cracked fruit are more susceptible to American brown rot infection than intact fruit. Lastly, the current restriction on the tart cherry crop is 29 percent, and as a result, fruit may have been put on the ground even without the recent damage. However, we remind growers that the fruit used for diversion needs to be marketable. The level of damage may influence the decision if the crop is marketable or not. We recommend that if growers intend to divert partial or whole blocks, they continue to adequately manage for insects and diseases to ultimately have marketable cherries. Source - http://msue.anr.msu.edu

UK - Drone development in the manufacturing sector

Drone development has huge potential for the manufacturing sector but it’s not without various insurance issues and risks, as Peter Forshaw explains. In some ways, the UK has lagged behind certain other countries in respect of the development and use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) or drones. Countries like Japan have been using drones, for example in its agricultural sector, for approximately 30 years, whereas in the UK their use is a relatively recent phenomenon. The Queen’s Speech and the proposed regulation under the Modern Transport Bill will however hopefully achieve its objective to introduce new regulation to “bring safe commercial and personal drone flight for households and businesses a step closer”, thereby putting Britain at the cutting edge of safe technology to rival other countries. Such opportunities for drone development will clearly benefit the manufacturing sector two-fold. Manufacturers of such UAVs will clearly benefit financially from the increased popularity and widespread use of drones particularly in sectors like transport and logistics, where DHL has recently completed a three month-long test of its parcelcopter delivery system, and Network Rail considers drones for rail infrastructure inspection. However, drones being used or considered in industries as diverse as aviation (EasyJet using drones to inspect aircraft), construction, utilities, the emergency services, security and surveillance, film production, agriculture, advertising, retail, advertising, real estate agency, loss adjusting in the insurance sector show how lucrative this market is for UAV manufacturers. Currently a number of inter-related factors operate to restrict the widespread use of drones in various jurisdictions, not least the various legal restrictions on usage, flight paths and coverage, combined with public unease over the intrusive use of drones, as highlighted by a survey last year for Munich Re in the States. As development and usage is encouraged through clearer legislation, demand for drone manufacture will increase, bringing huge financial rewards for those designing and building such vehicles. DJI, one of the world’s leading commercial drone manufacturers, received investment of $75 million dollars in mid-2015, increasing its total valuation to $10 billion. Similarly a report by the Congressional Research Service in September 2015 estimated that by 2025 worldwide production of unmanned aircraft systems will rise from $4 billion to $14 billion annually. The rewards are huge. Beyond those manufacturing drones, such vehicles have significant potential for manufacturers generally, with the ability to transform the production process. Drones are already part of the food and beverage manufacturer’s supply chain globally. Juniper research suggests that the agricultural sector will account for 48 percent of all commercial drone sales in 2016, as such vehicles are able to survey, monitor, protect and treat crop areas quicker than traditional methods. It is envisaged that drones will be used to design and implement a palletising process, as trialled by Qimarox in the Netherlands over the past couple of years, allowing greater scale and flexibility than doing it by hand. Drones have the ability to speed up internal delivery processes between production points and enhance storage perhaps in less accessible factory space. Some commentators predict drones in conjunction with more flexible robotics will also transform the car manufacturing production line for similar reasons. It remains to be seen whether these various benefits will outweigh the emerging risks and challenges to manufacturers, and their insurers when underwriting suitable cover. Manufacturers and operators will need to ensure that such devices are used within legislative permissions, given that those failing to comply with the Civil Aviation Authority’s requirements - which currently include tight airspace restrictions - face prosecution, and unlimited fines and/or imprisonment. Similarly, insurers will need to decide to what extent the use of such devices is underwritten and the extent of any insurance protection offered. For those manufacturing such devices, the risk of product liability is significant. The technological aspects of drones can lead to product malfunction, exposing manufacturers, designers, and insurers to liability for losses resulting from identified defects, either in the drone itself or the computer technology within it. Such litigation is liable to be complex and costly, requiring the identification of the specific relevant cause and determination of whether such liability should rest with the manufacturer, the programmer, the operator or a combination of these, with consideration of which (of potentially various) insurance policies or laws may apply, particularly where the design, and manufacture of different components and of the overall drone itself, take place in different jurisdictions by different organisations. Manufacturers and designers will need to test and give clear guidance as to the maximum weight and shapes with which the drones can be used, and the appropriate weather conditions which can be withstood. They will also need to ensure that the production is compliant with design specifications, that the installed technology is kept updated and suitable to ensure safe, trackable navigation away from people, property and other aerial vehicles. Similarly, such software will need cyber protection, capable of withstanding hacking. As drones become more common place, manufacturers, suppliers and insurers may find themselves involved in product recall of such devices, a process which brings direct cost to a business but also wider impact on brand and sales. Equally, retailers and other operators may face claims for business interruption from those impacted, and suffer such impositions to their own business, in the event of defective drone use. In many cases, recoveries will be pursued back to the manufacturer. In addition to the above, manufacturers operating drones, and their insurers, will need to respond to a number of other potential risks as the use of drones becomes more widespread: Public liability – the aerial reach of drones makes negligent collision with people, buildings, and other aircraft, leading to property damage, personal injury and possible loss of life in extreme cases a real possibility (with the resultant liability in civil claims or criminal prosecution); Nuisance – fines or imprisonment may result from actions for public and private nuisance, trespass, or applications for injunctions to restrict operators’ use of drones; Privacy - Drone operators may inadvertently breach legislation such as the Data Protection Act , the Human Rights Act , the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and the Sexual Offences Act. The end result is likely to be the call for manufacturers and operators to (either voluntarily or compulsorily) purchase more extensive insurance going forwards, such as public liability, product liability, professional indemnity, cargo liability, cyber and D&O cover. While many of these emerging risk factors can only be dealt with once the likes of the Modern Transport Bill are put on the statute book, and the drone technology develops accordingly, manufacturers and insurers will need to start thinking now about different types of exposure in largely unchartered areas, and the impact of cross jurisdictional challenges. Source - http://www.manufacturingglobal.com

India - Rain ruins crops, veg prices soar

In Ranchi, the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand, rain is destroying vegetable crops, causing the price of certain produce to almost double, due to the reduction in arrivals. Tomato and capsicum prices have doubled in the past week. The prices of other green vegetables have also increased. Satyendra Prasad, a vegetable vendor at Lalpur market, said, "Heavy rain has damaged crops and vegetables have started rotting, thus reducing the total produce. The wedding season has also started, which will inevitably lead to an increase in the demand for vegetables. The supply shortage, coupled with a demand hike, has led to a price rise." The price of capsicum, which was sold for anywhere between Rs 30 and Rs 40 has increased to Rs 120 per kg in the past few weeks. Similarly, tomatoes, which were sold for Rs 20 per kg have gone up to Rs 50 per kg. The price of lady's finger has increased from Rs 15 to Rs 25 per kg, while the price of pointed gourd (parval) has shot up from Rs 14 to Rs 25 per kg. Coriander, which was sold for Rs 30 a week ago, now costs Rs 160 per kg. Another vendor, Madan Kumar, said "With prices soaring, residents who would normally buy a kilogram of a particular vegetable are now buying only half a kg. Meanwhile, daily wage earners who earn between Rs 150 and Rs 200 a day are not buying vegetables at all." Source - timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Philippines - OPA to insure farmers vs. pest attacks on crops

The Negros Occidental Office of the Provincial Agriculturist is planning to assist farmers owning armyworm-infested corn fields in San Carlos City by enrolling them in the Negros First Universal Crop Insurance Program. Armando Abaño, OPA senior agriculturist and crop protection coordinator, said yesterday that among the actions to be taken is assisting the farmers in the NFUCIP enrolment after they have re-established their crops. A total of 31.78 hectares in barangays Guadalupe, Palampas and Nataban were infested by armyworms causing production losses estimated at P254,240, the OPA Pest Monitoring Report for June 27 to July 5 said. Crops in Sitios Gigalaman, Butaan, Gabon and Handalago in Brgy. Guadalupe were severely damaged with 31.1 hectares or 100 percent of the total plantation; Sitio Abaca, Barangay Palampas, 0.44 hectare, and; 0.24 hectare in Sitios Masapod and Anagsing in Brgy. Nataban, it said. OPA will also check if some of the corn farms are already listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture-Agricultural Insurance Program, of the Budget and Management and the Agriculture Department and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation, Abaño said. He said OPA has recommended giving assistance in the form of corn seeds in Guadalupe, and other climate change appropriate crops in other barangays. He added that it is still the beginning of the cropping season so the affected farmers can still utilize the favorable weather condition for starting over again. The farmers have already employed massive spraying operations after the city government gas provided pesticides to stop the spread of the pests that damaged crops in their vegetative state. OPA and San Carlos CAO are conducting technical orientations on armyworms and other pests in nearby areas with history of infestation for possible recurrence, he said. The city government, together with OPA, is also reinforcing the community-based crop protection or Bantay Peste Brigade to back up the monitoring efforts. OPA is also commending the quick response of the San Carlos CAO and City Mayor Gerardo Valmayor Jr., who extended their services up to the weekend. Meanwhile, OPA has intensified the Integrated Pest Management efforts in areas in District 4 that were previously infested by rice black bug. He said they are following the flight pattern from Pontevedra of the black bug which needs monitoring and surveillance every cropping season. OPA is also closely monitoring areas in North and Central Negros and some areas in the 5 th and 6 th Districts for possible pest recurrences. Abaño assured the farmers that the city and municipal agriculturists are trained and competent in Integrated Pest Management.*KBC Source - http://www.visayandailystar.com/

Vietnamese billionaires investing in agriculture

Five years ago, on the back of the real estate market freezing, Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group (HAGL) owned by Doan Nguyen Duc, one of the most influential businessmen in Vietnam, announced its plan to invest in an agricultural project to seek more sustainable development. This made the group the first big conglomerate in Vietnam to make a strong commitment to invest in the agriculture sector. The second stock billionaire who jumped on the bandwagon was Pham Nhat Vuong, the richest Vietnamese stock billionaire and dollar billionaire recognized by Forbes. Vingroup, which decided to pour VND2 trillion into agricultural production, now develops closed production chains which grow clean vegetables for domestic consumption and export. Vuong, at the 2016 shareholders’ meeting said that the revenue from the real estate sector in 5-10 years, would account for less than 50 percent of the group’s total revenue, and that agriculture would be one of the business fields to maintain growth. While HAGL and Vingroup decided to develop agriculture projects from the very beginning, others have jumped into the field through merger and acquisition (M&A) deals. (1 Vietnamese Dong=0.000045 US Dollar) Source - english.vietnamnet.vn

Taiwan - Ag losses from typhoon surpass NT$1 billion

As of Monday 11 July, the agricultural losses in Taiwan from Typhoon Nepartak rose to an estimated NT$1.07 billion (US$33.4 million), announced the Council of Agriculture (COA). The most heavily damaged crop was custard apples, with 4,198 hectares ravaged, amounting to losses of NT$467.17 million, the COA said, adding that bananas and papayas also took a major beating. The COA said the eastern county of Taitung suffered the biggest agricultural losses, estimated at NT$731.39 million or 73 percent of the total. It was followed by the southern county of Pingtung with NT$127.03 million or 13 percent of the total losses, and Kaohsiung with NT$108.77 million or 11 percent of the total. Losses in agricultural produce were estimated at NT$838.21 million, with 9,963 hectares of crops affected. COA Vice Minister Chen Chi-chung said that Taitung, Pingtung and Kaohsiung have been listed as areas where the COA will offer cash assistance to the farmers who suffered losses in the typhoon and grant them loans with low interest rates, in order to help them return to normal production as soon as possible. Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

USA - Hail damage claims on the rise for crop insurance program

State officials say damage claims for Montana crops due to hail are nearly double what they've been in recent years. The Billings Gazette reports the state Department of Agriculture's Walt Anseth says farmers submitted 200 insurance claims from January to May. Claims from June haven't yet been counted, but officials usually receive only about 100 claims through early July. Federal data shows Montana has had 266 reports of hail at least three-quarters of an inch in size this year. That's a little more than the 20-year average of 263 reports of hail that size a year. Anseth says the department's hail program will cover the claims. The program had provided refunds to farmers for years up until 2013, when storms in central Montana and the Hi-Line raised claims. Source - http://www.heraldcourier.com

Bolivia - Frost damages vegetables in Tarija

The low temperatures recorded these days in the department of Tarija caused heavy snow and frost in several municipalities, which wiped out the little agricultural production left in the rural communities of the central valley and the highland area of the region. According to a report by the leaders of the provincial centrals, the strong cold affected up to one hundred percent of the production of vegetables, potatoes, onions, large peppers, pepper, and other crops in the communities of Yunchara, El Puente , Cercado, San Lorenzo, Uriondo, and Padcaya. The leader of the upper area, Isaiah Condori, said the low temperatures recorded in Yunchara and El Puente, were temperatures were as low as six degrees below zero, affected at least 90 percent of several vegetable, chamomile, alpha, barley, potato, and other crops. Meanwhile, the leader of the central valley of Tarija, Osvaldo Yucra, said the frost had been more critical in the municipalities of Uriondo, Padcaya, and part of Cercado, where the frost burned all of the agricultural products. "Thousands of families are in dire straits because of this situation as they lost their entire crops of tomatoes, large peppers, vegetables, lettuce, radish, potato, and corn, among other products," said the leader of Cercado. The leadership of the agricultural sector asked the departmental and municipal authorities to expedite the aid against natural disasters that they have been waiting for since the last management. Authorities are concerned about the natural phenomena in the department of Tarija, however, they have been unable to issue a declaration of emergency to date because of some technical adjustments made to the reports submitted by the municipalities. Source - elpaisonline.com

New Zealand - Crop pest attacking wasp creates a buzz

The release of a new wasp from Mexico and the United States might be the key to controlling tomato potato psyllid in New Zealand. The Environmental Protection Authority has approved an application to release the wasp, Tamarixia triozae. The application was made by HortNZ on behalf of industry groups including Potatoes New Zealand, Tomatoes NZ, Vegetables New Zealand, the NZ Tamarillo Growers Association and Heinz-Wattie's NZ The psyllid has caused enormous problems for potato, tomato, capsicum and tamarillo growers in New Zealand since it was discovered in 2006. Potatoes New Zealand chief executive Chris Claridge said the wasp should help growers. "But it early days yet. We know it'll be useful, but biological agents such as this, can take time." Market Access Solution Vegetable Research and Innovation co-ordinator, Sally Anderson, said horticultural industry groups that supported the biological control application would initially like to do small scale field releases into potato crops. She said the industry groups had a three year funding from the Ministry for Primary Industry's Sustainable Farming Fund to carry out the releases and follow-up monitoring to understand how the small wasp survived in a New Zealand cropping environment. "In the longer-term, Tamarixia will be raised by commercial operators for release. The preferred option for using Tamarixia in New Zealand is to release it into areas where potato, outdoor tomato, and tamarillo are growing. We hope it will establish in these areas and provide ongoing control of [the psyllid] by reducing the numbers of tomato potato psyllid that survive the winter and fly into crops." Source - http://www.freshplaza.com

USA - Farmer loses about 90% of crops from wild weather

Imagine if nearly everything you worked for was destroyed within moments. That's exactly what local farmers are going through as severe weather wiped out crops across the WDAZ area. One farmer went to sleep, only to wake up and his find crops were gone. John Monson's family has farmed near Hatton, North Dakota for nearly 100 years. After Saturday evening, his livelihood is in jeopardy. Monson: "It's just an unbelievable event that guys should get so totally wiped out in one evening you know with the hail." Hail the size of golf balls rained on his 1,300-acre farm as winds blew through the crops, splitting most of his corn stalks and drowning many of his soybeans. He says his future depends on his insurance adjuster. Monson: "If they tell me that I have to harvest this there's just no way we can exist another year. We'd have to make some other plans." Now, with his future in jeopardy, this former Farmer of the Year is considering scaling back, and custom farming more of his land where another company plants the crops on his land, because this is something no farmer wants to go through. Monson: "600 acres of soybeans that are really banged up, and about 375 of corn that's pretty well totaled out." Monson is still waiting on his insurance company to come out and assess the damages he estimates are greater than $200,000. He says several other farmers in the area are dealing with the same situation. Source - http://www.wdaz.com

USA - Severe hail damage reported

Saturday night's hail storm took quite a toll on crops in parts of the Red River Valley. Wayne Lee is a crop insurance agent with offices in Ada and Moorhead. He's seen a lot of storms and damage, but Lee says this may be worst ever in this region. Lee, who toured the crop damage Sunday, says it covers a swath approximately 10 miles wide and 40 miles long, stretching across parts of Traill, Norman, and northern portions of Cass and Clay counties. Source - http://kfgo.com

USA - USDA Finalizes Crop Insurance Provisions of 2014 Farm Bill

The USDA Risk Management Agency announced on June 29 that the final safety net provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill are now in place. With this announcement, RMA has finalized an interim rule that completes provisions such as enterprise units for irrigated and nonirrigated crops, adjustment in actual production history to establish insurable yields, crop production on native sod, beginning farmer provisions, coverage levels by practice, and the authority to correct errors. “The Farm Bill directed us to make some changes that would strengthen the safety net we provide for America’s farmers and ranchers,” said Brandon Willis, RMA’s administrator. RMA began implementing the provisions under an interim rule for the 2015 crop year. The recent action enables RMA to continue to offer and expand on the Farm Bill provisions for the federal crop insurance program. USDA received more than 350 public comments on the interim rule published July 1, 2014. Based on that feedback, RMA made changes to one part of the rule — the native sod provisions. The final rule clarifies an exception that allows producers to break up to 5 acres of native sod and not receive reduced premium subsidy on coverage of native sod acreage. All other provisions of the final rule remain unchanged. Source - http://www.lancasterfarming.com

Canada - Hail damage in Saskatchewan higher than last year

The toll from hail storms in Saskatchewan is higher this year compared to last year at this time. Murray Bantle, chair of the Canadian Crop Hail Association, says the worst storms hit the July first long weekend, damaging crops in many parts of the province. He says more farmers have taken out crop insurance this year because crops are looking good. Bantle says crops are one to two weeks ahead of normal development, which means damage from storms in early July are more devastating than usual. Source - http://www.620ckrm.com