Agroinsurance

Ukraine - Decline in oilseed crops in 2015

RapeseedThe autumn agro-meteorological conditions were not very favorable for planting and initial growth of winter rape. Due to dry weather, early-sown rape failed to emerge in some fields and farmers had to reseed them. According to preliminary information, winter rape was planted on a total area of some 891 Th ha and emerged on 858 Th ha (96.3%).On December 25, 47.5% of winter rape crops were in good condition, 32.9% is satisfactory condition, and 19.6% were weak and sparse.Experts forecast rapeseed yield to average 2.1 MT/ha. The total harvest of winter rapeseed is expected at 1.68 MMT.SunseedAs before, sunflower continues to be the intrigue of the 2015 harvest. Sunflower acreage forecasts of market players vary within a wide range. Growers preliminarily plan to sow 4.55 Ml ha of sunflower in 2015 against 5.15 Ml ha in 2014. Traders’ forecasts differ quite widely from 5 to 5.7 Ml ha.Experts forecast that sunflower plantings will remain actually unchanged from 2014. This crop’s average yield will also be somewhat lower than last year: 1.93 MT/ha against 1.99 MT/ha in 2014.SoybeansThe only oilseed crop whose planted area expands in Ukraine from year to year is soy. Experts forecast that this crop’s plantings for 2015 will increase to 1.85 - 1.9 Ml ha.The main factors contributing to the expansion of soy planted acreage are as follows:- high profitability;- strong domestic and export demand;- favorable agro-climatic conditions etc.With an average yield of some 1.98 MT/ha, farmers may harvest more than 3.6 MMT of soybeans.LinseedNo significant changes are expected in Ukrainian linseed production in 2015. Experts forecast flax plantings at a total of 27 Th ha. With an average yield of 0.8 MT/ha, the harvest would be at most 21 KMT.Source - http://www.blackseagrain.net

England - Oilseed rape yields threatened by beetle damage

Oilseed rape growers are being urged to reassess the yield potential of their crops with large numbers of cabbage stem flea beetle larvae being found in plants.Last autumn saw beetle numbers swell in areas of eastern England and the damage from their larvae could leave crops open to other pest damage and lodging.Ryan Hudson, agronomist with distribution group Farmacy, explains that growers in the beetle hotspot areas are seeing some fields “riddled” with the larvae.“They could do a lot of damage – arguably more than the adults because we cannot control them now and I think we will find out the true extent this season,” he explains.This is the first season for growing oilseed rape following the European Union ban on neonicotinoid insecticide seed dressing, which has led to a sharp rise in beetle damage.There is little growers can do now as the only option of tackling the larvae is an autumn pyrethroid spray, so they must now focus on stimulating growth, according to Mr Hudson.“We’ve got the root structure, but with the pest damage we’re going to need to rebuild the green leaf area with early nitrogen applications,” he says.Mr Hudson explains keeping other pests at bay to allow the crop to regrow the new leaves in early spring will be vital.He says growers need to monitor slug and pigeon damage as the combination of the two can strip healthy crops, and leave open canopies where weeds can thrive.Independent entomologist Alan Dewar agrees that the hangover from beetle attacks last autumn could still have the potential to reduce yields.He says growers who are seeing more than five larvae a plant could see a dip in yield. He adds the large numbers could carry over into next season.Meanwhile, Sam Cook of Rothamsted Research says the damage can be severe in some crops as the larvae tunnels into the petiole and eats it from the inside out.“They can cause loss of plant vigour, which could cause particular problems in areas of low density,” she says.She also points out the plants can be more susceptible to lodging and be more exposed to fungal infection.Source - http://www.fwi.co.uk

India - Maharashtra Cabinet clears Rs 845cr aid for farmers

AURANGABAD: The state cabinet on Tuesday cleared the way for distribution of Rs 2,000 crore to the farmers from drought-hit belts of Maharashtra. The move was preceded by the government passing a resolution in this regard on January 7. Accordingly, the Aurangabad division has been allotted Rs 845.55 crore.As per the cabinet's decision, the amount shall be deposited in the farmers' bank accounts by January 26.The amount declared by the state Cabinet is compensation to the farmers affected by drought during the 2014 kharif season.According to the government resolution, the financial aid will be deposited in the bank accounts of the farmers and no cash will be given to them. If the farmers do not have bank accounts, a zero balance account will be opened under the Jan Dhan Yojana and the money will be deposited in it.A senior revenue official said on the condition of anonymity that earlier, the data consisting the total number of villages with less than 50% paisewari (a method used by the government to calculate crop yield and the intensity of drought), farmers holding less than five acres of land, those having over five acres of land and the ones eligible for compensation was sent to the state government.But now, the government has the revenue and agriculture departments to jointly send revised data of every farmer, the exact size of land he owns, the crop he had sown, if the farmer is dependent on monsoon, farmers cultivating throughout the year, details of orchards, farmers cultivating crops in the dry areas, etc.Altogether 8,004 of the total 8,536 villages in eight districts of Marathwada have registered less than 50% paisewari, according to a report released by the state government recently. Other such divisions are Nashik (1,782 villages), Pune (three villages) and Nagpur (2,029 villages). All 7,241 villages in Amravati division have reported less than 50% paisewari.Besides Aurangabad, the Nasik division has been allotted Rs 386.62 crore, Pune Rs 7.5 crore, Amravati Rs 500.93 crore and Nagpur Rs 259.4 crore.Officials said that depending on the size of the land, type of crop and availability of water, the farmers would be compensated in the range of Rs 4,500 to Rs 12,000 per hectare.Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Nepal - Uninsured farmers hit as disease strikes crops

Local farmers have been suffering massive losses from damage to their harvests as they have no idea about agricultural insurance. The government has been effortful to popularize crop insurance and even pays 75 percent of the premium.Farmers here have lost much of their potato and tomato harvests due to the outbreak of a disease known as Daduwa as a result of the cold. According to the District Agriculture Development Office (DADO), the disease has affected potato crops on 280 hectares and about 5 percent of the tomato production in the district. Farmers have planted potato and tomato on 5,000 hectares each.Last year, the government ordered insurance companies to provide compensation amounting up to Rs 90,000 to farmers who have insured their crops for Rs 100,000. Due to the 75 percent subsidy on the insurance premium, farmers pay Rs 1,250 while the remaining Rs 3,750 is paid by the government. However, most of the farmers here have not insured their agricultural products.DAO Chief Rajendra Pradhan said that farmers who have not insured their crops would not get compensation. “Despite the government’s support, none of the farmers has insured their products,” he said.Meanwhile, the production of tomato and potato is expected to drop this year due to the disease. An expected 15 tonnes of potatoes can be produced on a hectare of land. As per the DAO, output could go down to 8 tonnes per hectare.The outbreak of the disease has been blamed on the use of potato seeds not recommended by the government.As per the DAO, it has urged farmers to use the TPS variety of seeds which are said to be resistant to fungi. But the farmers had been using substandard seeds imported from India as they are cheaper compared to the local seeds.Mostly farms in Hirminiya, Kamdi, Udharapur, Paraspur, Udayapur, Nauwasta and Bageshwori are reported to have been affected by the disease. These places are known for commercial farming.DAO officials said that farmers could minimize the risk of the disease by using appropriate chemicals, doing proper weeding or supplying adequate amounts of water. According to them, farmers who use affected seeds for a long time are likely to suffer losses due to outbreaks of Daduwa disease.Source - http://www.ekantipur.com

Australia - Freak rain events drown a thousand tonnes of SA farmer's potatoes

A South Australian farmer has written off 1,000 tonnes of potatoes, worth $300,000, after two freak rain events drowned the mature crop.Terry Buckley received more than 120 millimetres of rain at his Mingbool property, in the state's south-east, and spent Tuesday afternoon frantically pumping knee-deep water out of paddocks to try and save what remained."We've only got 36 hours and they're done," he said."I'm digging a hole with the excavator and then have three little pumps that we use for this sort of thing."It's all about air. As soon as they get their air cut off, they suffocate and die."For about 50 of his total 900 acres, it's too late.Just three weeks out from harvest, the vivid green paddocks were turned to brown overnight."That should be 1,000 tonnes of potatoes, at $300 a tonne there," he said of three large paddocks."It's not good numbers."The distance between Mr Buckley's 15 paddocks, usually a logistical nuisance, became his saving grace."There are days like today you're really glad it's spread around as much as it is," he said."The trouble is, there's hardly enough margin in the industry to sustain the losses."If you've got a higher margin you can write the crop off now and again but the margin's really not high enough to do that."Mr Buckley was not covered by insurance, a protection measure he said was too expensive to justify."The cost of the insurance is so high, you just have to take the chance," he said."Whether it's time it was reinvestigated I'm not sure, but yeah, this is no fun doing what we're doing at the minute."During the first rain event, on January 7, Mr Buckley said, there was about 48 millimetres of rain in less than 20 minutes."I was at one of the paddocks, looking across, you couldn't see the soil anywhere," he said."It was just a sheet of water from one side to the other."I had hail half an inch across, banging on the top of my ute."A few days later, throughout the early morning of January 13, the same paddocks were hit by another 80-millimetre downpour."I've probably never seen rain that heavy around here before," he said."We already lost some spuds last week. Now we've added to that considerably."They're very hard to irrigate now 'cos you've got wet bits and dry bits and don't know when to start irrigating again. Life from here is very difficult."Sporadic rain started falling again on Tuesday afternoon, as a team of men worked to create impromptu dams in three separate locations."It's pretty depressing, but you can't dwell on it or you wouldn't go on," Mr Buckley said."I think I'm still better off than the people in western Queensland that haven't had any rain for five years."Fortunately [my] mother's lambs are paying well. We'll definitely need those."Source - http://www.abc.net.au

Mexico - Low temperatures, loss of blackberries

The low temperatures and high winds in recent days in the region of Los Reyes have caused blackberry losses of between 30% and 50%, reported some producers and some representatives of companies that sell this berry.The cold has not damaged the fruit at freezing level, but it has affected its development and maturity, as it develops later. The wind, however, has harmed the fruit, causing the thorns to damage, therefore the companies discard it.This has decreased the production volume but hasn't increased the blackberry's price, as a 2.2 kilogram box is still going for between 50 and 70 pesos; the price it reached 15 days ago when there was a spike in the volume of production that led to a decrease in prices.When the non-governmental representative of the Blackberry Product System (SPZ) of the Rural Development District 088, Gustavo Calleros Coloni, was asked why the price hadn't increased after the production volume decreased, he responded: "That's how it usually happens; the marketers are very quick to lower the price when there is an overproduction or the fruit is poor. However, when the situation is reversed, they always take their time to raise the price of the fruit."Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

Spain - Frosts cause losses for courgettes and peppers

The agricultural organisation COAG Almería believes that the latest frosts in the municipalities of Dalías and Berja may have destroyed whatever courgettes and peppers were left in those areas. This was stated by the provincial secretary, Andrés Góngora.To this we must add some damage to tomato crops in La Mojonera, as well as to tomatoes and courgettes in the region of Nijar. With regard to the former, Góngora has said that "only a percentage has been damaged"; however, in Níjar, "a lot of long cycle tomatoes have been lost, and there's nothing left to harvest from what was planted in April." Meanwhile, for courgettes, "many plantations, about 300 hectares, will have to be pulled up," according to COAG's estimations.While tomatoes, peppers and courgettes are the most affected crops, the frosts have taken a toll "on all products," hence the good prices being reached by virtually all of them, except cucumbers of the Almeria variety, which still remain below the 0.30 Euro per kilo.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

India - Pulivendula constituency in Kadapa is in the grip of a severe drought

Pulivendula constituency in Kadapa is in the grip of a severe drought, akin to that witnessed in 1967, and bengal gram, groundnut and coriander crops cultivated in Rabi season withered away in several thousands of acres in Simhadripuram, Pulivendula and Thondur mandals, Kadapa MP and YSR Congress leader Y.S. Avinash Reddy said on Monday.Borewells became defunct and not yielding water even at a depth of 1,500 feet, he said. Mr. Avinash Reddy and YSRC State Farmers Wing general secretary Aravindanatha Reddy inspected the dried-up bengal gram crop in Y. Kothapalli, Simhadripuram and Kasunur villages in Simhadripuram mandal this morning. Farmers told the leaders that they raised bengal gram crop in over 20,000 acres in Simhadripuram mandal and were in distress due to lack of rainfall and not getting even a handful of crop yield in return. The dried up crop was even unfit for use as fodder for cattle, they said. The farmers lamented that they invested more than Rs. 10,000 per acre and incurred debts to the tune of lakhs of rupees.As almost all borewells dried owing to severe drought, horticulturists were felling withered sweet lime trees. On finding that the crop had dried up at the plant stage with “zero yield”, Mr. Avinash Reddy spoke to Joint Director of Agriculture Gnanasekhar over telephone and sought disbursal of compensation of Rs. 20,000 an acre to the affected farmers.Source - http://www.thehindu.com

USA - Farms ‘buying up’ to raise crop insurance levels

ALBION — Losing half of a season’s worth of squash, strawberries or onions is surely a disaster, but the loss of 48 percent of a crop still hurts.The USDA’s insurance programs haven’t always seen it that way, with specialty crop growers receiving federal insurance only if weather-related losses topped 50 percent of expected production.Some local farms are trying to bridge the gap through a newly expanded Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.Joe Heberle of Kendall signed up Monday for NAP coverage for up to 65 percent of expected production — the maximum coverage allowed under the new federal guidelines.Heberle Farms, situated in the moderating weather zone along Lake Ontario in Kendall and Hamlin, has experienced times of reduced yields but rarely hit the guidelines for its catastrophic coverage.“With squash, we’ve never gotten an insurance payment,” Heberle said. “It’s really hard to lose 50 percent of a squash crop.”For $6,500, Heberle covered his main crop of squash and added coverage smaller crops of apricots, blueberries, cherries, pears, plumes, prunes and raspberries that he couldn’t have under his old plan.“Buying up” cost more, but Heberle preferred having a lower bar for triggering repayment.“Having more insurance gives us more of an opportunity to get over a loss,” Heberle said. “It’s tough to get through a medium-loss year with fuel and labor. Now we could get payments to cover those costs.”Heberle’s situation is a common one to Orleans County Farm Service Agency Director Larry Meyer, whose office is booked up as farms seek additional information or coverage ahead of Wednesday’s 2015 NAP deadline for stone fruits, garlic, honey and other early-spring produce.“There’s been quite a lot of interest,” Meyer said.”With anything new, and the short sign-up window, there’s a rush to get it implemented.”Meyer said the new guidelines, introduced this year after being included in the 2014 Farm Bill, can provide coverage levels that close the gap for crops running on a tight profit margin.“With the old program just covering catastrophic losses, people could lose a lot of money even if they had the policy,” Meyer said. “With our weather, it gets dry, it gets wet, but people can still get a part of their crop out. This gives a better chance for coverage.”Produce covered varies by county, with corn and apples the only locally-grown crop not offered in Orleans County. Sign-ups for vegetables like onions, radishes, lettuces and herbs will run through Feb. 1, with applications for all other available field crops due by March 15.The expanded program’s roll-out is less active in Wyoming County, where the main produced covered is hay, alfalfa and mixed forage.Wyoming County FSA Executive Director Kate Hemstreet expects that could change in 2016, when the program covers crop quality in addition to quantity.The revised guidelines would be beneficial for forage, which can produce similar yields but fewer nutrients due to poor growing weather conditions.“At this time, there’s not a ton of participation,” Hemstreet said. “Next year, they’re adding quality ... that’s a big thing when it comes to hay, but it’s not available yet.”Source - http://www.thedailynewsonline.com

USA - A new high-resolution device could clear up the picture about climate change’s impact on global rainfall

The system could play a key role in helping farmers choose crops to plant and when and where. When it comes to drought, agriculture assessments are often made based on experience and historical almanacs. But with SMAP, farmers can have near real-time assessments of their soil moisture and can better determine how severe the drought is affecting their fields.SMAP can also save lives if it can help predict where floods are more likely to occur.“Soils are like sponges, and they can hold a certain amount of water,” Kellogg said. “If we know the amount of water in the soils, and we know that there is a big rainstorm coming, and that the soils are near saturation, then we can predict that that area might be at risk for flooding.”SMAP’s wide-ranging antenna allow the satellite to collect data across a 621-mile swath of territory, meaning it can update moisture levels for the entire world every two to three days.With the new detailed information, scientists can also get a better understanding of how the world’s water supplies will react to climate change.Dara Entekhabi, SMAP science team leader, said he hopes the new data will give better answers to how global warming will affect the water cycle.“Today's computer models disagree on how the water cycle—precipitation, clouds, evaporation, runoff, soil water availability—will increase or decrease over time and in different regions as our world warms,” Entekhabi said in a statement. “SMAP's higher-resolution soil moisture data will improve the models used to make daily weather and longer-term climate predictions.”Source - http://www.takepart.com

Israel - Farmers suffer up to NIS 50m. in damages from storm

Much of the damage caused to the citrus and avocado trees, as well as to other crops, was the result of the heavy winds striking towns all over Israel.While Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee) reaped the benefits of the past week’s inclement weather, the country’s farmers may have suffered up to NIS 50 million in damage from the incessant storms.After receiving about 600 damage reports from the country’s growers over the past week, Kanat – Insurance Fund for Natural Risks in Agriculture estimated that the violent winds and rain caused about NIS 50m. in damage. Among the most heavily impacted were citrus and avocado trees, particularly those located in central Israel, according to Kanat.“This is only an initial evaluation and the exact extent of the damage will be clear in the coming days,” said Kanat CEO David Ginzburg.Much of the damage caused to the citrus and avocado trees, as well as to other crops, was the result of the heavy winds striking towns all over Israel, Kanat said. Additional damage due to greenhouse coverings tearing and subsequent flooding of crops within, the information continued.Other particular crops particularly affected include bananas, greenhouse tomatoes, and various flowers and leafy crops like parsley, coriander, and basil. Field crops like potatoes and onions also suffered from heavy hail in the South and Center of the country, Kanat data said.In the North, the Galilee Development Company estimated that farmers lost hundreds of thousands of shekels in damage due to the storm. Particularly overnight between Friday and Saturday, crops suffered frostbite due to an over nine-hour stretch in which temperatures were below freezing, the company said.The most significant damage in this region occurred to about 10 hectares of potato plots in the Shamir, Amir, Sde Nehemia, Misgav Am, and Kfar Szold kibbutzim.There, economic damage was estimated from about NIS 400,000-500,000, the company said. Even more resistant crops, like peas and broccoli, suffered during the extreme cold, which persisted overnight between Saturday and Sunday.In addition to damage caused to the agricultural sector, the week’s storm also took a heavy toll on the country’s building infrastructure.The Renovation Contractors Union in Israel estimated that a total of NIS 25m. worth of renovations would be necessary as a result of the storm.Dozens of solar water heaters collapsed due to the storm, while hundreds of solar panels were broken as objects flew through the air, the union said. Advertisement billboards that were not properly secured were also brought down by the heavy rain and winds, and plumbing systems also required repairs.Eran Siv, chairman of the Renovation Contractors Union in Israel, said that the water heaters that fell mostly did so due to improper maintenance and unstable installations.The dozens of water heaters that collapsed caused great damage to apartment buildings.Compared to their behavior during last year’s storm, however, local councils improved by pruning trees in advance, preventing tree branch breakage that caused considerable damage previously, according to the union. In addition, many residents were able to avoid damage by sealing roofs and walls prior to the storm, the union added.While storm conditions battered much of the country throughout the past week, the water level of Lake Kinneret rose 11 centimeters since the beginning of rainfall last Saturday, January 3, the Water Authority said. On Sunday morning, the basin sat at 212.73 meters below sea level, rising 2.5 centimeters in the previous day alone, the authority reported. Between 30 and 50 millimeters of rain fell overnight Saturday in the North and in the Center, the authority.In terms of rainfall, Water Authority officials considered the past several stormy days a “very good week,” Dr.Amir Givati, head of the surface water department at the authority’s Hydrological Services, told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.“We expected 10 centimeters, and we got 11 centimeters,” Givati said.Throughout the entire stormy week, the most precipitation fell along the coastal plain, where 100-150 millimeters of water accumulated from January 6 through 11, according to the Israel Meteorological Service. In the mountains of the North and Center and valleys of the North, between 80-170 millimeters fell, while the Lake Kinneret region received 60-90 millimeters and the northern and central Negev got 20-30 millimeters.Looking at typically quantities of rain for early January, in most regions the values either closely meet or exceed the averages for the time period, the IMS said.As far as snow is concerned, especially large amounts fell on the northern mountains during this wintry episode.On Mount Hermon and in the northern Golan Heights, snow fell intermittently for four days in a row, from the night between January 6-7 until the night between January 10-11, the IMS said. In the northern Golan, about half a meter to a meter of snow fell, while the Upper Galilee received 30-40 centimeters, the IMS reported.On January 9, snow even fell in lower spots in the northwest of the country, such as Nahariya, Pardes Hanna, and the Carmel neighborhoods around Haifa. The next day, snow fell on relatively low spots in the northeast of the country, such as Metulla, Kfar Giladi, and the Hula Valley, the IMS said.Snow has accumulated on the ground around the Hula only about four or five times since the early 1940s, the last time occurring in 1992, the IMS reported.While snow blanketed the North throughout the week, the amounts were much smaller in the central mountains, according to the IMS. On January 7, about 10 centimeters of snow fell on the peaks of Samaria and Gush Etzion, while 5 centimeters coated Jerusalem. This snow melted the next day, but resumed on January 9 in the afternoon – with 10-15 centimeters accumulating in Gush Etzion and another 5 centimeters in Jerusalem, the IMS said.Snow also brushed areas in the South of the country on January 9, with some accumulation in the Negev highland.Clear – and warmer – conditions are expected to remain for the next few days, until rain and lower temperatures are expected to return on Thursday, the IMS forecast.Source - http://www.jpost.com/

USA - Brutal winter led to some apple damage

Last year was a a tough one for apple growers across Minnesota, as orchards around the state came off one of the coldest winters in recent memory. That led to some winter damage to apple trees, which in turn affected the summer crop.That, according to David Bedford, a research scientist with the University of Minnesota, who spoke with orchardists at the 82nd annual Minnesota Apple Growers Association convention Thursday at the La Crosse Center.He said orchards around the state saw more winter injury than normal, and it happened to a number of varieties, such as Honeycrisp, Fireside and Sweet 16. However, there was little noticeable injury on other popular varieties such as Zestar and SweeTango. And young trees of any variety that were planted that same year also were most susceptible.Though the frigid temperatures contributed to the injury, many hearty Minnesota varieties are bred to withstand the cold. Factors leading up to the winter were more instrumental in setting up the adversity, Bedford said.In addition, 2013 saw a late ripening season -- meaning there was little time between the end of the harvest season where the tree is bearing fruit and the beginning of the stressful winter season. Honeycrisp, Bedford said, had a huge crop that year and those trees hung onto their leaves longer.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

Turkey - Problems ahead for farmers in 2015

Hundreds of farmers in several Turkish provinces are suffering heavy losses due to recent flooding and frost, threatening to repeat last year's troubles for the agriculture industry, a local union warned on Sunday.Turkish Union of Agricultural Chambers (TZOB) President Şemsi Bayraktar said in a written statement on Sunday that the union has been receiving reports of serious crop damage in different provinces, including Edirne, Muğla, Sakarya and Bursa. Bayraktar said farmers expect the government to offer measures to compensate them for the damage.Consumer unions last week warned that rain, snow and blizzards throughout the country would result in great yield losses and cause the price of fruits and vegetables to rise.Bayraktar added that new measures are needed to stop these problems from growing. Earlier, the government has said farmers and producers who lose at least 30 percent of their crops, animals, plants and greenhouses can defer their debts to Ziraat Bankası and the Turkish Agriculture Credit Cooperative Central Union (TTKKMB).During 2014, Turkish farmers had to deal with many weather-related problems and many demanded compensation from the state for financial losses they sustained. After severe drought and high temperatures, especially in January and February last year, trees bloomed earlier and became vulnerable to frost damage.Source - http://www.todayszaman.com/

Spain - Artichokes affected by frosts in Murcia

The valuation of the damage to crops in the municipality of Lorca, affected by frosts, has officially started. The sub-zero temperatures have been especially harmful for artichokes and lettuce, although actual losses have yet to be estimated.The president of COAG in Lorca, Miguel Padilla, explained that Agroseguro technicians have started early with the damage assessment, and have already confirmed that artichoke crops are "the most affected."Night frosts started being registered during the last week of December and have remained persistent, "so we decided to wait a few days before carrying out any assessments to see how the plants coped," he added.Miguel Padilla has stated that in the case of lettuce "it is sure that many outer leaves, which have been frosted, will have to be removed," consequently resulting in a reduction of calibres.The president of COAG in Lorca said that these are "the two most sensitive crops to cold temperatures," next to beans, while broccoli, which is also in full production, is more resistant to frosts, just like rainfed crops like almonds, since the cold slows down the flowering.The agricultural organisation's representative pointed out that what producers fear most "is for such cold temperatures to continue" in the municipalities of Valle del Guadalentín, the most affected region.The most severe frosts registered in the region in recent years took place in December 2010, with damages estimated at 23.3 million Euro after the loss of the entire artichoke harvest, some nine million kilos worth nine million EuroSource - http://www.freshplaza.com/

Lebanon - Zina wreaks havoc on crops

Lebanese farmers in the north and south lost around half of their citrus and banana crops in the snowstorm that swept Lebanon Wednesday, according to the Lebanese Farmers Association.“Farmers were harmed by the storm but we still cannot assess the value of the losses,” association head Antoine Howayek said.“Zina” ramped up Tuesday, bringing violent winds and heavy rain and hail throughout Lebanon, halting traffic at Beirut airport and prompting the government to order schools closed across the country.Trees were ripped from their roots and billboards torn off posts in different parts of the country, as Zina battered coastal towns and buried mountain roads under snow.The storm wreaked extensive damage to fruit crops, in particular banana and citrus fruits, across the north and the south. It also caused mild damage to plastic greenhouses.“Around 20 percent of plastic greenhouses were harmed, especially old ones,” Howayek said, adding that any snowstorms in the coming days is likely to have a deep impact on flowers and vegetables in plastic greenhouses.Anwar Franjieh, a farmer in Zgharta, said most of his citrus trees were toppled by the storm. He added that his losses amounted to around LL7 million over the past three days.The Agriculture Ministry declined to give details on the damage caused since Zina stormed the country, saying it still does not have proper figures. “We will receive the new figures in a few days,” said Abboud Freiha, an agricultural official in Mount Lebanon.“Alexa” struck Lebanon last year and wreaked havoc on the agricultural and fishing industries, with hundreds of families calling on the government to compensate them for their losses.Howayek said the storm washed away dozens of tents that housed grapes in some parts of the country last year, but the government did not compensate farmers.“The government did not compensate farmers last year and it will not do so this year as well because nothing has changed,” he said.The last time the government compensated farmers was in 2008, he added.“In 2008, the government decided to compensate farmers after one of the worst storms hit Lebanon in many years. But the security events in May of that year delayed this assistance and farmers had to adapt to their losses,” Howayek said, referring to Hezbollah’s response after illegal telephone lines were severed by the Cabinet.Howayek said the farmers association discussed with Parliament a decade ago the possibility of establishing a publicly run agricultural insurance organization.This institute would be financed by the government and farmers to compensate farmers for losses resulting from environmental disasters.“Unfortunately this organization was not created because our politicians do not have a direct interest in establishing such an entity,” Howayek said, citing a lack of political will.Zgharta farmer Franjieh echoed the need for a compensation fund. “I wish that such an institute would be created very soon because it would solve a big part of the problem,” he said.Likewise, Ramiz Osseiran, head of the farmers association in the south, said that the government must create a fund to compensate farmers for damage incurred as a result of natural disasters or security problems.“Such a fund can be financed by imposing around 1 or 2 percent tax on agriculture imports or by allocating some of the money given by [foreign] donors for this purpose,” he said.Osseiran added that while citrus crops in the south suffered greatly this year, he ruled out the possibility of receiving support from the government anytime soon.Source - http://www.dailystar.com.lb/