30.12.2014

Australia - No rain relief in sight for drought devastated farmers

Despite rain consistently falling over parts of South East Queensland, drought is still ravaging western parts of the state. In fact, while Brisbane is getting greener and greener, a staggering 80% of Queensland is 'drought' declared.The Mayor of the Barcaldine Shire, Councillor Rob Chandler, says farmers out west are doing it tough."From Barcaldine, west to Longreach, up to Winton and out to the Diamantina country, it's aweful. There's people that haven't had a decent (rain) fall in three years," he said."Graziers are a pretty tough mob and they know how to handle a drought, but when you get these droughts that are close to the worst in history, it's bad," Cr. Chandler said.He says some farmers have avoided planting crops this year because of the drought, and won't have any means of making an income until the next season rolls around."Those people that are in the cropping business, they just vritually have to wait another full year. They miss one, they have to sit back and wait for the season again."But, he says the various loss prevention methods being adopted by farmers across Western Queensland can have bitter consequences, leaving farmers in a quandry."As for graziers that have de-stocked and are sitting there, waiting for rain; their options when it does rain are quite difficult, because prices will be sky high and having to borrow the funds to buy cattle at very high prices - well, it's going to take them a long time to get out of it (the debt)," he said.Councillor Chandler says farmers are desperately hoping that 2015 brings them some drenching rain."We look for that general rain that can sweep over the country from a northern depression, like a cyclone or something. January, February and March is where we're looking for that general rain that will prop everybody up.""At the moment, it's heartbreaking. It's sort of that hit and miss stuff, you know. The neighbour gets two-and-a-half-inches and you get none. It just drives that nail a bit further," Councillor Chandler said.He says that during their darkest days, those farmers in the country that are doing it especially tough have recieved a lot of support from people in the city.Source - http://www.4bc.com.au/

30.12.2014

Model shows wheat harvest may fall with global warming

New research in the UK using models predicts a six per cent reduction in global wheat harvest for each 1°C of global warming.An international consortium of researchers has used big data sets to predict the effects climate change on global wheat yields.Their multi-model predictions indicated global wheat production losses of six per cent for each degree centigrade of global warming with increased variability of yield across regions and seasons. The study is published in Nature Climate Change.The researchers, including from Rothamsted Research, which is strategically supported by BBSRC, used for the first time systematic multi-model testing with field and artificial heating experiments to focus on wheat responses to high temperatures.Understanding how different climate factors impact food production is essential for adaptation and mitigation to climate change.Thirty wheat crop models were compared within the Agricultural Model Inter-comparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) with two previously unpublished data sets from field experiments in which wheat was exposed to growing season mean temperatures ranging from 15 to 32°C.Extrapolating the multi-model ensemble's predictions indicated global wheat production losses of six per cent for each degree centigrade of global warming with increased variability of yield across regions and seasons.Dr Mikhail Semenov, whose team at Rothamsted Research contributed to this research, said: "Options exist to adapt and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on global wheat production."Breeding for late maturing cultivars with longer grain filling to recapture the temperature-induced loss of biomass and grain yield could be beneficial as long as exposure to heat stress and terminal drought does not become counter-productive. Optimising this trade-off should be region specific, and crop modelling is a key exploration tool to underpin crop adaptation for a changing climate."Professor Martin Parry, leading the Wheat Institute Strategic Programme at Rothamsted Research commented: "This is an excellent example of collaborative research which will help ensure that we have the knowledge needed to develop the crops for the future environments."Source - http://www.thecropsite.com/

29.12.2014

USA - Relief for fruit, vegetable growers

Traditionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has focused on the traditional commodity crops of corn, soybeans and wheat when it comes to crop disaster assistance, but under the 2014 farm bill, growers of several nontraditional crops will receive expanded protection.Greater coverage is now available under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program for specialty crops such as vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, floriculture, ornamental nursery, aquaculture (fish hatcheries), turf grass, ginseng, honey, syrup and energy crops (for use in biofuels).“For years, commodity crop farmers have had the ability to purchase insurance to keep their crops protected, and it only makes sense that fruit and vegetable, and other specialty crop growers, should be able to purchase similar levels of protection,” U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.The program previously offered coverage at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses exceeding 50 percent of expected production. Coverage up to 65 percent of expected production at 100 percent of the average market price will now be available, with fee waivers and premium reductions for beginning producers, as well as those with limited resources.To determine whether crops are eligible for coverage and for other information, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/nap or contact your local Farm Service Agency office at offices.usda.gov.Producers will have until Jan. 14 to choose expanded coverage through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.Corn harvest qualityThis crop year, like most years, was highly variable nationwide, according to the U.S. Grains Council’s corn harvest quality report for 2014-15.After a cool, wet planting season, a similarly cool summer slowed maturation. Then frequent spells of rain in the fall slowed the harvest, which was especially the case in north central Ohio.Still, overall corn quality was good, the Grains Council reported, with record high yields for the U.S. as a whole.That translated into lower protein and higher starch concentrations than in recent years and a test weight — at 57.6 pounds per bushel — below both last year and the three-year average. Still, 77.4 percent tested above the weight for No. 1 grade corn.The council said incidences of aflatoxins were roughly equivalent to last year and well below 2012’s levels, with 100 percent of the samples testing below the Food and Drug Administration’s aflatoxin action level.Young Farm Leader of the YearRyan Rhoades, of Marion County, has been named the 2014 Beck’s Young Farm Leader of the Year by the Ohio Soybean Association and Beck’s Hybrids for demonstrating significant leadership in his community and developing a foundation for farming success.Rhoades, a 2002 graduate of Wilmington College in Ohio, operates Rhoades Farms with his father in a partnership, growing 2,300 acres of soybeans, corn and wheat with a livestock operation. He is a member of Fite Memorial Baptist Church in Marion and is a county committee member of the Delaware County Farm Service Agency.Ag statisticsOhio’s dairy herds produced 435 million pounds of milk in November, said Cheryl Turner, state statistician of the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Ohio Field Office, up 1.4 percent from a year earlier.The state’s dairy herd was estimated at 267,000 head last month, 1,000 head lower than a year ago.Meanwhile, total hog and pig inventory in the state as of Dec. 1 was an estimated 2.15 million head, Turner said. That’s 50,000 head lower than the same point in 2013.Market hog inventory in Ohio, at 1.98 million head, was 2.5 percent lower than last year, whereas breeding hog inventory of 170,000 head was unchanged from last December.Wyandot Agronomy DayThe Ohio State University Extension’s Wyandot Agronomy Day, with presentations on everything from the Lake Erie nutrient situation, drones and drift concerns to insect and disease management, soil strategies and weed control, will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Wyandot County Fairgrounds’ Masters Building.What’s more, by attending, participants can complete their commercial fertilizer certification for free. State law now requires any producer who applies commercial fertilizer to 50 or more acres to be certified no later than Sept. 30, 2017.Participants also can become recertified for pesticide application, for a $50 fee.Registration is required by Jan. 22.Source - http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/

29.12.2014

Agricultural development in Thailand

For many years I had been waiting for a visit to Thailand. I heard about its all-round development, especially in the agricultural sector, and thus wanted to see the land.In November, my dream came true and as part of an eleven-member Bangladesh team I went to that country to attend an international seminar with the theme "Replication and pilot testing of risk management strategies and tools in agricultural lending for smallholder farmers, traders and entrepreneurs". It was an exposure visit sponsored by IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) and supported by APRACA (Asia-Pacific Rural Agricultural Cooperative Association) project. APRACA is a regional project on enhancing the access of poor rural people to sustainable financial services through policy dialogue, capacity-building and knowledge-sharing in rural finance. Representatives from Bangladesh Bank (BB), Microcredit Regularity Authority (MRA), Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), ASA and BRAC attended the event. I have participated in the seminar as a BRAC participant working with the farmers development project Borga Chashi Unnyon Project (BCUP) funded by BB.In Thailand, the Bangladesh team had the opportunity to get acquainted with many activities of Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative (BAAC) at Bang Beng district in Chonburi province and Khlong Luang in Pathum Thani province from 17th November to 20th November, 2014. We were surprised to see the progress in the Thai farmer's development, the agricultural market cooperative system and the value chain marketing process. BAAC covers almost all 95 per cent of the total farm households in Thailand (Source: www.baac.or.th).During the trip we were able to learn about how we can practise the Thai style of work in Bangladesh. It could be carried out either by government organisations or NGOs, or through a collaboration of the two parties for the sake of agriculture, especially targeting small tenants and marginal farmers. For smooth lending of money all kinds of banks, financing institutions and private companies preserve the national identification numbers of all Thai farmers. If anyone goes to any lending organisation to borrow money, the officials concerned can identify the borrower's status. Thus the system operates with a harmonised national database. But in Bangladesh, borrowers can take loans from more than one organisation at a time, leading to financial complications between borrowers and lenders. In Bangladesh, we have the National Identity Card (NID) which can be used in various activities of our life. If the Thai style of a database could be introduced in our country, it would check many financial irregularities.In Thailand, BAAC has many deposit projects (Muslim Pilgrim Scheme, periodical and non-periodical saving deposit system for all levels of people etc). Banks disburse coupons to the clients as per their deposit balance. The banks encourage savings by promoting 'lucky draws' every six months at district and nation levels. They award cash, cars, motorbikes, domestic goods etc. Encouraging the Thai people's savings deposit habit is a pragmatic way of attracting them to sustainable socio-economic development process. We can take up these kinds of schemes in Bangladesh.BAAC controls and provides support to the Agricultural Marketing Cooperative (AMC). AMC supplies quality seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, financial and technical supports for agricultural production; and facilitates collaboration between factories and wholesale markets to provide the optimum price for the agro-products through a responsive value chain process. After harvesting agro-products, the farmers process them into many grades and sell them in markets. Their storage management is also directly controlled by BAAC. BAAC plays a vital role in maintaining cordial relationship among farmers, producers and consumers through AMC. Moreover, BAAC provides financial support to AMC to help produce agro-based processed foods and sell them in the national market. With backing from BAAC, AMC supervises the agro-product grading systems, price tagging on the goods and laboratory testing system before marketing. Bangladesh does not have a financial institution like BAAC. The country has two specialised banks (Bangladesh Krishi Bank and Rajshahi Krishi Unnyon Bank) for agriculture, both of them being run by the government, and a considerable number of commercial institutions and NGOs. Bangladesh Bank can play a vital role in setting up institutions like AMC. Government organisations, NGOs and other relevant stakeholders can also take initiatives to assure farmers of fair price of agricultural products by a controlled value chain and marketing policy. Thus farmers can get their proper share of profit, which is now mostly being enjoyed by the middlemen.In Thailand, farmers enjoy the crop insurance policy. The agricultural department suggests people to produce crops, which are suitable for a specific region, with the help of meteorological statistics. Disaster-affected farmers get subsidy right after the agriculture department conducts surveys and submits their results to the provincial governor. The Thai government and BAAC jointly pay insurance claims. Disaster-hit farmers get soft loans, and they reschedule their outstanding ones. Rice, maize and other crop producers get crop insurance facility. In Bangladesh, we can provide the facility immediately to the livestock sector, and later it may be provided to rice and maize cultivation in some areas as a pilot programme.BAAC has 'funeral associations', which consist of BAAC beneficiaries and also the people out of its periphery. As per the funeral regulation, members subscribe a fixed premium every year as per their age-groups. If anyone dies after giving a certain premium, inheritors will get the full payment of policy (what the person has deposited; and the remaining amount to be paid by all the association members). It is executed by a funeral association executive committee. In Bangladesh, BRAC provides insurance policy of grants to its borrowers from its own fund without taking additional premiums. It gives Taka five thousand for its clients' funeral purpose immediately to their nominated persons, and waives Taka twenty thousand in outstanding loans after investigation by BRAC's local management. Coming to premium-taking system as a form of welfare which is run by a few organisations, irregularities are detected too. Sometimes, relatives of dead persons want to avail support of two or more non-government organisations at a time. It is a malpractice and is occurring due to the lack of national database system and also less integration within the lenders and borrowers.There are many insurance companies working in Bangladesh. But they do not cover the farmers in their project areas focused on agriculture and aquaculture. They even have no plan for this in the future. Bangladesh Bank has some policies in favour of the farmers (National Agricultural Policy -- NAP) saying banks and financial institutions have to spend some portions of their lending in agriculture. But, practically, the institutions have less special support projects for farmers and they are making allies with NGOs. The government may take initiatives to provide insurance supports to promote farmers' development.Thailand is now standing on three pillars of development, which are manufacturing, agriculture and tourism. Many international companies are investing in the manufacturing sector. Thai people are educated by around 93 per cent. Only 3 per cent unemployed educated people are there, and their per capita income is about fifteen thousand US dollars. Many tourists from all around the globe visit Thailand every year. Security in Thailand for tourists and natives are high. Shopping malls, hotels and easy transport systems are available everywhere. People are cooperative and hospitable. In Bangladesh, we do have many tourist spots. But the security, transportation, accommodation and safety measures are not equal to the international level like Thailand.The Bangladesh team has visited many manufacturing plants, shopping malls, cultural and historical sites in Thailand. They seem to be more patriot than us as they prefer not to speak English which many Thais know well. The visit has enabled us to know about what the Southeast Asian country has achieved, especially in 1985-1997. They are fast coming up, despite some jolts. The Thais are committed to standing firmly in the ASEAN forum.We have a lot of opportunities to make Bangladesh a fast-emerging country with its existing resources. To do so, national integrity, patriotism and political commitment to socio-economic uplift are the only prerequisites.Source - http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/

29.12.2014

USA - 2014 Agricultural Year in Review

Chris Miller of Circle M Farms in Bridgewater says its been a dry year, which makes the year a nightmare for any Valley farmer."When you have a 30 day run with no water, no rain, you know pretty much then that it's going to be a bad year," said Miller.The dry spell had very noticeable consequences for his cash crops."The corn and our soybean crop, that we had, really suffered," added Miller.He harvested only about half of what he had in 2013. He says the disappointing part is having so little to show for so much work and expense."It costs so much to plant it and then it costs so much to spray it to keep the weeds and stuff out and then we're at the mercy of the weather," said Miller."You know you're hoping for a big rain storm, but it can go up the mountain, down or go around you- luck of the draw."All wasn't a loss, however. Balance came to the farm when the price of cattle skyrocketed."I've never seen them as high as they are now," said Miller.He said that although he hasn't seen a loss of corn like this since the 80s, at least in 2014, his cows could go for $1,000 to $3,000, significantly helping his end-of-year profits.Source - http://www.whsv.com/

29.12.2014

Global warming: The future of available agricultural cropland

Most of the available agricultural land on Earth are already being cultivated. The ecological factors such as climate, soil quality, water supply and topography determine which land is appropriate or not for agriculture.Global warming will cause areas of the earth that are now suitable for agriculture losing quality, in some cases failing to be profitable, while others that are now little or no suitable will become arable. Some countries will lose agricultural capacity and others win.Areas to be expanded its area of ​​arable land include those in the high latitudes of the North. Among those who will be affected in their area of ​​arable land include tropical regions.In a new study, the team of Florian Zabel, Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich, Germany, has focused on the likely impacts of climate change on the availability of land suitable for 16 major crops for food or energy throughout the world, including those staples such as rice, corn, soy (soy) and wheat.These scientists simulated the impact of climate change on agricultural production along the XXI century and the results indicate that the climate change will most likely increase the availability of arable land in countries like Russia, Canada and China, in the course of the next 100 years.In case of the absence of adaptation measures, such as increased irrigation, simulation projects a noticeable loss of suitable agricultural land in the Mediterranean regions and in areas of sub-Saharan Africa.The situation is not as simple as that farmland is lost somewhere earn in another. Many of the new arable lands will be only moderately acceptable for agricultural use, so the proportion of fertile land used for crop production decrease. There will be more arable land, but quality mediocre. Furthermore, in the tropical regions of Brazil, Asia and Central Africa, climate change will reduce significantly the chance to get multiple harvests per year.“In the context of current projections, which predict that the demand for food will double by 2050 as a result of increasing population, our results are quite alarming,” says Zabel.Source - http://www.smnweekly.com/

29.12.2014

India - Wild elephants raid farms, damage crops

A herd of wild elephants have entered the farmlands in the villages in Chikkagrahara and caused extensive damage to crops. The elephants have been damaging crops for the last nine days. As a result, coffee and arecanut trees worth lakh of rupees have been lost.Farmer C K Lakshman Gowda of Aduvalli in Chikkagrahara said “I had cultivated arecanut and coffee on four acre land. An elephant and two calves have damaged around 600 arecanut trees along with coffee plants from December 16. I have incurred a loss of over Rs 10 lakh. In fact, the elephants have damaged fence laid at a cost of Rs one lakh.”He said “elephants had damaged crops on three acre land 15 years ago. As a result, I had to borrow loan of Rs four lakh from a bank and re planted arecanut trees. I was expecting good crop this year and wanted to repay all the pending loans and lead a happy life.”“I saw elephants damaging crops right in front of my eyes. On an average, they have uprooted 30 to 40 arecanut trees in a day. I tried to chase elephants by bursting crackers. All my efforts went in vain,” he said.Forest department officials, JD(S) State unit Vice President H T Rajendra, Malnad Development Board B C Geetha have promised of distributing compensation for the loss.“I had reared the trees like my children. If the government fails to come forward to help, then I have no other option but to end my life,” said farmer.JD(S) taluk President Hosoor Suresh said the government should announce compensation for the loss of crops.Solar fence should be laid in villages situated on the periphery of the forest to prevent the entry of elephants. Trenches should be dug inside the forest.Farmers of Aaduvalli, Chikkagrahara, Hennangi, Bellangi, Hosoor are in distress with the wild elephants damaging the crops.Koppa Forest Division DCF Malathi Priya said “there is shortage of fund and staff to check wild elephant menace. A proposal to lay solar fence has been submitted to the government. The State government has increased the amount of compensation to be paid for the farmers. The department provides subsidy for the farmers to lay solar fence.”Source - http://www.deccanherald.com/

26.12.2014

Will citrus remain profitable in 2015?

Canker, greening, freezes, hurricanes, federal immigration problems that limit picking crews.But through all the problems of the past decades, the citrus industry hasn’t just survived, it has thrived.A study presented last week to the Florida Citrus Commission revealed the orange, tangerine and grapefruit industry was valued at $10.7 billion and employed more than 62,000 people in 2012-13.The latest study updated a 2007-08 report examining the economic impact of Florida’s largest agricultural crop on the state’s economy, which was then valued at $9 billion. When adjusted for inflation, that figure is equal to $10.8 billion in 2012-13, according to Dr. Alan Hodges, a University of Florida extension scientist and lead author of the study.That means that despite an 18 percent job loss during the period, the industry has shrunk $100 million, less than 1 percent.“We’re producing a whole lot less. We’re picking less, but we’re getting more for it,” explained Ben Albritton, who chaired the citrus commission before he was elected to the House of Representatives.In 2003, Americans drank about 62 million gallons of juice and paid about $4.25 per gallon. In 2013, about 39 million gallons were sold for an average of $6.19 per gallon.Hodges attributed the small change in value to higher market prices and the ongoing investments that growers are making due to citrus greening.“Grove and processing plant owners and employees turn around and spend that money in the local economy, and it has a multiplier effect,” Hodges said. “Over $10 billion in sales in all sectors of the Florida economy can be somehow attributed to the Florida citrus industry. That includes about $5.3 billion in value added or contributions to the gross domestic product of the state of Florida.“I believe that we’re at the bottom,” said Albritton, whose family owns Albritton Groves. “We’ve learned a lot about how to battle this disease. Solutions are around the corner. Thousands of trees are being planted, and we’re about to move back up. Which means we should be able to spend less on production costs.”Grove owners, pickers, truck drivers, processing plant owners and their employees spend the money they earn in the local economy.“It has a multiplier effect,” Hodges said. “Over $10 billion in sales in all sectors of the Florida economy can be somehow attributed to the Florida citrus industry. That includes about $5.3 billion in value added or contributions to the gross domestic product of the state of Florida.But, Albritton said, the market won’t endure higher and higher prices forever. “What I learned while I was on the commission is that we all live and die on market demand.”Orange juice consumption will continue only if the price is affordable, Albritton said. “Consumption has fallen, but it hasn’t fallen as quickly and the prices have gone up.”“Here’s the issue we’re going to struggle with, though. That’s not a sustainable trend, as the price gets higher in the grocery story, the price will drive the lower consumption,” Albritton said.But today, citrus producers are still making a profit, Albritton said. “Nobody is killing it though. The number of boxes per acre is way down.” That’s a result of greening: up to one-third of the fruit falls off the trees before it’s picked, rots, and is attacked by insects.Hodges said that citrus’ impact on the economy has remained strong. His study confirmed other economic impacts citrus greening, or HLB, has had on the industry. HLB has caused a loss of more than $2.9 billion in grower revenues between 2006-07 and 2013-14, the study reports. This resulted in an average annual loss of more than 7,500 jobs and $975 million in industry output.Source - http://highlandstoday.com/

26.12.2014

India - Thummalacheruvu drying up due to scanty rainfall

The famous Thummalacheruvu, the lake which was constructed during the time of the Kakatiya king Pratapa Rudra, has a hoary past. Spread over an area of 1,000 acres, the 26 feet deep lake is being used for irrigating 10,000 acres of land by 20,000 farmers. The lake is totally dependent on rain water for filling.During the earlier centuries, when the district was covered by a thick forest area, there used to be bountiful rainfall. But the rainfall had become scanty over the decades as it lost large areas of forest cover. The lakebed has not been filled up for the last three to four years as there was deficit rainfall. Earlier the farmers, who used to cultivate two crops, were now not in a position to grow even one crop. Some of the farmers said that though the lake is situated at a distance of five km from River Godavari, they were not in a position to utilize the river waters.The farmers said that the late Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy assured them that lift irrigation would be provided for diverting the Godavari river water to the lake so that the farmers would be in a position to sow two crops. But till now, the promise was not fulfilled, they lamented. Although the rulers have changed, the condition of Thummalacheruvu has not changed. Even the present TRS government has not taken any serious measure to develop the lake though the NABARD has sanctioned funds worth Rs one crore.Source - http://www.thehansindia.com/

26.12.2014

Belgium extends poultry quarantine

Belgium has extended the quarantine of all poultry by 30 days till Jan 20th, 2015. All other preventive measures now also apply till the same date.According to the country's food safety agency FAVV, the precautionary measure is necessary because of recent new outbreaks of H5N8 avian influenza in Germany and Italy. "These new outbreaks once again show the risk of the introduction of high-pathogenic avian influenza from wild birds. These birds, and particularly water birds, are known to be reservoirs for AI-viruses," the agency says. The FAVV and federal minister for agriculture Willy Borsus have discussed the decision with the relevant farmers organisations.All poultry at professional farms in Belgium has to be kept indoors or remain protected by nets in order to prevent contact with wild birds. Feeding is only allowed indoors. The FAVV stresses again that so far there have been no cases of AI in Belgium itself. The agency also underlines that there is no risk for consumers and that chicken, turkey and other poultry meat as well as eggs are safe to eat.Source - http://www.blackseagrain.net/

26.12.2014

Turkey - 2014 wheat, barley production falls

Turkey's grain production fell in 2014, official figures showed on Thursday, hit by the Middle East's driest weather in more than a decade, forcing the country to raise its grain imports.Wheat production was down by 13.8 percent to 19 million tonnes while barley production was at 6.3 million tonnes, down more than 20 percent from 2013, the Statistics Institute said.Corn output was up slightly by 0.8 percent at 6 million tonnes.Turkey has seen food prices soaring this year, the main driver of a stubbornly high inflation, as a region-wide drought hit crop yields in several countries.Deputy Prime Minister Babacan said Turkey had had the driest summer in 154 years and both the drought and frost earlier in the year had limited supply and pushed up food prices.Latest official figures for Turkey's wheat and barley imports are not yet available but European traders say state-grain agency TMO has regularly opened tenders due the country's drought-reduced harvest.The country imported just over 4 million tonnes of wheat last year, according to a TMO report.Source - http://www.blackseagrain.net/

26.12.2014

Bulgaria - FAS USDA cut its wheat crop forecast

Rainy weather in November 2014 prevented Bulgarian farmers from planting winter crops to a full extent, reads a report published by the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (FAS USDA). They ended up with a 150-200 Th ha smaller wheat area than projected. As a result, the forecast for next year’s total crop of Bulgarian wheat was cut to 4.6 MMT that is below the 2014 level of 4.92 MMT.The place of winter wheat in the fields will be given to corn and sunflower, which will be sown in spring. FAS USDA forecasts that this crop’s acreage will expand by at least 440 Th ha against the current year due to the shortfall of winter crop plantings and attractive corn prices.Source - http://www.blackseagrain.net/

25.12.2014

India - Agriculture at a glance 2014

The Immediate challenge to the Ministry of Agriculture when the new Government had taken over, was to sustain the increasing agricultural output of the country in the face of impending deficit rainfall in this year 2014-15. All the requisite preparatory measures were made in coordination with the State governments to have the District-wise contingency action plans in place and to bring in flexibility in the various schemes in order that the States are enabled to cope with any desired changes in the Approved Action Plans for tackling the situation arising out of deficit rainfall. With the perspective the Central Research Institute for Dry Land Agriculture (CRIDA) in collaboration with State Agricultural Universities and the State Governments has prepared crop contingency plans in respect of 576 districts across the country. Further, all necessary and appropriate steps have been taken to meet the seed and fertilizer requirement and to disseminate information and on suitable farming practices to be followed in such a situation.INDIAN AGRICULTURE AT A GLANCE- Agriculture continues to be the backbone of Indian economy.- Agriculture sector employs 54.6% of the total workforce.- The total Share of Agriculture & Allied Sectors (Including Agriculture, Livestock, forestry and fishery sub sectors) in terms of percentage of Gross Domestic Product is 13.9 percent during 2013-14 at 2004-05 prices. [As per the estimates released by Central Statistics Office]- For the 12th Plan (2012-17), a growth target of 4 percent has been set for the Agriculture Sector- As per the 4th Advance Estimates of Production of food grains for 2013-14, total food grain production is estimated to be 264.77 Million Tonnes.GROWTH STRATEGYIn order to keep up the momentum gained during the 11th Plan and achieve the targeted growth rate of 4% during the 12th Five Year Plan as also the ensure focused approach and to avoid overlap, all the ongoing 51 schemes of the Department have been restructured into five missions viz. National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture Mission (MIDH), National Mission on Oil Seed and Oil Palm (NMOOP), National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), and National Mission on Agricultural Extension & Technology (NMAET); five Central Sector Schemes viz. National Crop Insurance Programme (NCIP), Intergrated Scheme on Agri-Census & Statistics (ISAC&S), Integrated Scheme of Agriculture Marketing (ISAM), Integrated Scheme of Agriculture Cooperation (ISAC) and Secretariat Economic Service; and one State Plan Scheme viz. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.Recognizing the importance of Agriculture Sector, the Government during the budget 2014-15 took a number of steps for sustainable development of Agriculture. These steps include enhanced institutional credit to farmers; promotion of scientific warehousing infrastructure including cold storages and cold chains in the country for increasing shelf life of agricultural produce; Improved access to irrigation through Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichayee Yojana; provision of Price Stabilisation Fund to mitigate price volatality in agricultural produce; Mission mode scheme for Soil Health Card; Setting up of Agri-tech Infrastructure fund for making farming competitive and profitable; provide institutional finance to joint farming groups of “Bhoomi Heen Kisan” through NABARD; development of indigenous cattle breeds and promoting inland fisheries and other non-farm activities to supplement the income of farmers.Details of the Initiatives are as follows:Rashtriya Gokul MissionIndia ranks first among the world’s milk producing Nations are such 1998 and milk production peaked at 137.97 million tonnes in 2013-14. India has the largest bovine population in the world. The bovine genetic resource of India is represented by 37 well recognized indigenous Breeds of cattle and 13 breeds of buffaloes. Indigenous bovines are robust and resilient and are particularly suited to the climate and environment of their respective breeding tracts. Rashtriya Gokul Mission a project under the National Program for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development is being launched with the objective of conserving and developing indigenous Breeds in a focused and scientific manner. The potential to enhance the productivity of the indigenous breeds through professional farm management and superior nutrition, as well as gradation of indigenous bovine germplasm will be done with an outlay of Rs. 550 crores.Rail Milk NetworkIn order to promote Agri Rail Network for transportation of milk, overs have been placed by AMUL and NDDB on behalf of Dairy Cooperative Federations for procurement of 36 new Rail Milk Tankers and will be made available by Railways. This will help in movement of milk from milk surplus areas to areas of demand providing dairy farmers with greater market areas.- An allocation of Rs. 50 crore for development of indigenous cattle breed has been provided.- ‘Blue Revolution’ for development of inland fisheries being initiated with a sum of Rs. 50 crore- Target for providing institutional agricultural credit to farmers during 2014-15 has been enhanced to Rs. 8 lakh crore which is expected to surpass.- Agriculture credit at a concessional rate of 7% with an interest subvention of 3% for timely repayment will continue during 2014-15.- An allocation of Rs. 5,000 crore for 2014-15 has been made for scientific warehousing infrastructure for increasing shelf life of agricultural produce and thereby increasing the earning capacity of farmers.- A higher allocation of Rs. 25,000 crore has been made to the corpus of Rural Infrastructure Development Fund during 2014-15 which helps in creation of infrastructure in agriculture and rural sectors.- An initial corpus of Rs. 4,000 crore is being created to set up long term rural credit fund in NABARD to give a boost to long term investment credit in agriculture.- For ensuring increased and uninterrupted credit flow to farmers and to avoid high cost market borrowings by NABARD an amount of Rs. 50,000 crore during 2014-15 has been made for Short Term Cooperative Rural Credit (STCRC-refinance fund).- To improve access to irrigation, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichayee Yojana has been initiated with a sum of Rs. 1,000 crore in the year 2014-15.- To mitigate price volatility in the agricultural produce a sum of Rs. 500 crore has been provided for Price Stabilization Fund.- Government has initiated a scheme for Soil Health Card for every farmer in a mission mode with an initial allocation of Rs. 100 crore in 2014-15.- An additional amount of Rs. 56 crore has been made to set up 100 mobile soil testing laboratories countrywide.- National Adaptation Fund for climate change has been established with an initial allocation of Rs. 100 crore.- To protect landless farmers from money lenders 5 lakh joint farming groups of Bhoomiheen Kisan will be financed through NABARD in the current financial year.- A Kisan TV - Channel dedicated to agriculture will be launched with the initial allocation of Rs. 100 crores in the current financial year.- An initial allocation of Rs. 200 crore has been allocated for establishing Agriculture Universities in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan and Horticulture Universities in Telangana and Haryana.- An allocation of Rs. 100 crore has been made in the current financial year for setting up of two institutions of excellence in Assam and Jharkhand which will be at par with Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa.- An allocation of Rs.100 crore is made for 2014-15 for setting up Agri-tech Infrastructure Fund with a view to increasing public and private investments in agriculture and making farming competitive and profitable.- Various initiatives taken by Government to support agriculture and allied sectors is to sustain the growth rate at 4%.- In order to increase profitability for small and marginal farmers, Rs. 200 crore has been earmarked for setting up of 2000 Farmer Producer Organisations.- Wage employment under MGNREGA will be mainly used for more productive asset creation substantially linked to agriculture & allied activities.- Sum of Rs. 14,389 crore for Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana for 2014-15 which will improve access for rural population including farmers.- With a view to promoting farmers and consumers interest setting up of a national market will be accelerated by encouraging States to modify their APMC Act and other market reforms.- With a view to develop commercial organic farming in the North Eastern Region a sum of Rs. 100 crore has been allocated.Central Government recognizes and discharges its responsibility to assist State Governments in overall development of Agriculture sector. Effective policy measures are in position to improve agricultural production and productivity and address problems of farmers. State Governments are also impressed upon to allocate adequate funds for development of agriculture sector in State plan, as well as initiate other measures required for achieving targeted agricultural growth rate and address problem of farmers.Source - http://www.thehansindia.com/

25.12.2014

Turkey - Weather cuts back citrus production 2014

Citrus production in Turkey has steadily increased over the last 15 years, and gains were good in 2013 on the back of some favourable weather. But unfavourable weather in 2014 made for drops in production for almost all of Turkey's citrus varieties.Grapefruit production is estimated at 205,000 metric tons for 2014, according to a report from the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service. If it pans out, that would be 13 percent lighter than the previous year's crop, when favourable weather conditions made for good yields.Similarly, lemon production for 2014 is expected to decrease from 2013's numbers. While good growing conditions led to a 760,000 MT lemon crop last year, at 680,000 MT, 2014's crop is expected to be 11 percent lighter. The same story holds for oranges, with this year's production expected to reach 1.55 MMT. If that holds true, it would be nine percent smaller than 2013's orange crop of 1.70 MMT.The sole citrus commodity that bucked the trend this year was tangerines. Because tangerines in Turkey are grown in areas that were spared most of this year's bad weather, production actually increased in 2014 from the previous year's production. At 960,000 MT, the 2014 Turkish tangerine crop is expected to be 10 percent larger than 2013's crop.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

25.12.2014

Spain - Damaged clementine province Castellón

The recent heavy rainfall on the Mediterranean coast may have ended months of drought in Spain, but it has caused a lot of damage to the clementines.Particularly the Clemenules variety, with large quantities still to be harvested, has been hit hard. If this variety hangs on trees for a significant amount of time while ripe, combined with high humidity and relatively high environmental temperatures, the fruits go bad.The province of Castellón has seen the most damage, but the provinces of Valencia and Tarragona were also affected. According to experts, however, there are still enough healthy clementines available for export.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

25.12.2014

Mexico - Citrus affected by weather

Hurricanes hitting different parts of Mexico's citrus-producing regions could lead to lighter crops for the 2014-2015 season.Orange production in Mexico, most of which is centred in the state of Veracruz, is forecast at 4.3 million metric tons, according to a report from the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service. Production for the previous season is estimated at 4.3 MMT, and the report points to cold weather and drought conditions as factors in the slight decline. In fact, dry conditions, as well as rising production costs and volatile returns, have caused many growers to abandon their orange groves this year. Yields are expected to reach 13.3 metric tons per hectare for the 2014-2015 season, while the previous season's yields reached 13.6 metric tons per hectare.The lime crop for 2014-2015 is expected to be about the same as the one from the previous season. Both crops are estimated at 2.2 MMT. Grapefruit production is expected to reach 420,000 MT for the 2014-2015 season, a slight drop from the previous season's production. Yields are also expected to take a dip, with 2014-2015 grapefruit yields forecast at 24.2 metric tons per hectare, while the previous season's yields are estimated at 24.7 metric tons per hectare.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/