Agroinsurance

India - Weather based crop insurance scheme for rabi crop in Himachal

A weather-based crop insurance scheme (WBICS) for this year's Rabi season in Himachal Pradesh has received Union Agriculture Ministry's approval.The Agriculture Insurance Company (AIC) would be the implementing agency of WBICS in Solan district for tomato while ICICI Lombard GIC will be the implementing agency in Kangra for potato produce, an official spokesman said.Weather perils including frost, chill, wind, scanty and excess rainfall, that were likely to cause adverse effects leading to crop loss, would be covered under the scheme.The premium rates for tomato and potato produce, have been calculated at 11.5 per cent by AIC India, by using standard premium methodology and 50 per cent of the total premium would be payable by insured cultivator.The balance premium would be borne by the Centre and the state government on 50:50 basis.Lead banks, cooperative banks, AIC -- which are the implementing agencies -- would take necessary action to ensure implementation of the scheme in the state.The scheme would operate on the principle of 'Area Approach' in the selected notified reference unit areas.The cut-off dates for accepting the crop insurance proposal from non-loanee and loanee farmers are March 10 and March 15, 2015 while the cut of date for tomato and potato produce was January 5, 2014 and December 31, 2014 respectively.No insurance coverage would be allowed after the due date.Source - http://www.business-standard.com/

India - Rain wreaks havoc on Marathwada farmers

A sense of imminent calamity envelops farmers in Deolali village in Maharashtra’s Osmanabad district. After having borne drought for consecutive years, they now face the ravages of unseasonal rain.While 2012 and 2013 were bad-rainfall years, recent showers in the rain-shadow Marathwada region have extensively ruined acres of soybean crop across the district with its farmers struggling to keep the wolf from the door. wreakThe irregular bouts of rain, coupled with a flash hailstorm in March that wreaked havoc on Osmanabad’s horticulture and agriculture, has driven Deolali’s 700-odd families to a perilous hand-to-mouth existence.“A 10 quintal-bag of soybean (approx 30 kg) yields an average Rs. 2500- Rs. 2700. But this time, we expect less than half the market price owing to the poor quality of corn, made wet by rainwater,” says Prithviraj Tambe, whose better part of his 16 acre-farmland was hit by unseasonal rain, which destroyed his cotton, jowar and fruit crops.“The paltry revenue I earn from the damaged soybean crop will have to see off my family till the next kharif season,” he says stoically.However, those not so stoic, like 55-year-old Madhukar Tambe, caved in and committed suicide on his farm. “He was found hanging from a tree near his field last week. “He had borrowed heavily from his friends,” said Anand Tambe, Madhukar’s nephew.“The burden of guilt weighed heavily on my father. He was ashamed,” remarks his eldest son, Neminath, in a poignant tone.Less than a fortnight earlier, Dadasaheb Bharati, another farmer committed suicide in the village of Tandulwadi in the district’s Paranada taluk, allegedly stunned by the loss of his soybean and mango crop.In March, after the devastating hailstorm attack ruined crops on his 12-acre farm, Rajendra Lomte of Deolali attempted to immolate himself in a fit of despair, sustaining 70 per cent burns in the process.According to official figures, more than 200 farmers have taken their lives in Marathwada in the last six months. A majority of them, reeling under the onslaught of elemental forces, saddled with heavy debts, have taken the extreme step. Osmanabad district accounts for more than 30 deaths during this period.“Every farmer, big or small, owes some debt to the local moneylender. With the rain gods playing truant and then descending on us in an unwelcome fashion, there is no other alternative,” says Yuvraj Tambe.Most farmers in the village steer clear of the decrepit Osmanabad District Cooperative Bank, headed by the shadowy former NCP MP, Padamsinh Patil.While recent showers have solved the drinking water problem to an extent, the main water source for the district, the Sina-Kolegaon dam, continues to be nearly empty in a region suffering a 42 per cent rainfall deficit.“After experiencing two crushing seasons of drought, we thought the showers in August would see the Rabi crop through this year. When the rains returned in October, we knew our hope was a fragile seed,” says Phulchand Tambe, whose two-acre soybean crop was ruined by the unseasonal rain.Source - http://www.thehindu.com/

USA - Cotton crop survives early frost

Most of Georgia’s cotton crop emerged from this year’s early frost with minimal losses, according to University of Georgia Extension cotton agronomist Guy Collins. However, there’s no escaping the harsh reality of the current cotton prices.Due to the bulk of the state’s cotton crop maturing earlier than normal, the frost that hit Georgia in early November, and more severely during the week of Nov. 17, did not cause much damage to the state’s top row crop.“The large majority of [unharvested] acres are those that farmers just haven’t gotten to yet. This year, especially, I don’t see a major negative impact from the frost, because normally we have cotton [in the field] a lot later than what we do this year,” Collins said.Collins estimates that, of the 1.3 million acres planted annually, approximately 55 percent are dryland acres, or those without irrigation. These plants fared better than their irrigated neighbors, Collins said.The drought-like conditions that impacted Georgia in July and August led to cotton plants maturing more rapidly than normal, which resulted in fewer immature, moisture-laden upper bolls and, thus, less-than-normal impact from below-freezing temperatures, Collins said.Because of early maturity, farmers had harvested more of their crop than they usually have harvested at this time of year. About 70 percent of the state’s crop has already been picked, which puts farmers about 18 to 20 percent of ahead of their normal schedule.The early maturation of plants and the early harvest helped to protect the crop from what Collins described as an abnormally early frost. Georgia’s first frosts are generally expected after Nov. 10, and those are typically spotty across southwest Georgia. This year the frost was seven to 10 days earlier and felt statewide, he added.Depending on the severity of the frost, cold temperatures can cause nearly mature bolls to open, and also can lead to bolls burning and rotting in the field.While dryland farmers may have dodged the late season frost, they are still coping with the impact of the drought conditions late this summer and of low cotton prices, Collins said.Cotton prices have been extremely low this year, currently at 58 cents per pound. Farmers are hoping to counter those low prices with high yields.“We had drought stress return, so the cotton could have been better in a lot of situations,” Collins said. “The price is down now, so that’s what people are really upset over at this point. Irrigated cotton did pretty well across the state. It’s very much an irrigated year. Overall, it could have been worse, but it wasn’t a home run year, especially for dryland growers.”Source - http://www.albanyherald.com/

Pakistan - Rs 10 billion subsidy for basmati growers being announced in Punjab

Punjab Agriculture Minister Dr Farrukh Javed has said that 10 billion rupees subsidy is being announced for Basmati rice growers keeping in view the downward trend in its prices. Growers will be given 5000 rupees per acre subsidy to help them meeting their losses.Dr Farrukh Javed disclosed this while talking to a delegation of growers here on Wednesday. He said that the government is continuing its pro-farmer policies. He said that growers had already been given a subsidy of 22 billion rupees in electricity prices and it would be continued. He said growers would get subsidised rates of electricity at the rate of Rs 10.35 per unit.The Punjab government has also finalised an agreement with a German company to convert tube wells in the province on biogas and a pilot project will soon be initiated. The government will be bearing a subsidy of 200,000 rupees per tube well, the Minister added. The Minister claimed that present government had introduced farmer friendly policies and historic subsidy packages. He said that the province had a production of over 19.5 million tons last year owing to hard work of growers and co-operation of the government extended to them.He said some progressive growers achieved production up to 98 maund per acre establishing a new national record. He said the government had fixed new support price for wheat at Rs 1300 per maund to help the growers and shed the bad impact of low international wheat prices on local market. He said government had fixed urea fertilizer bag at Rs 1765 per bag and its availability on this rate is being ensured. He said that the government had also increased the research funds for agricultural sector by 200 percent and it would continue to introduce more lucrative packages as per available resources to facilitate the farmers.Source - http://www.blackseagrain.net/

Australia - Near average crops after tough spring

Improved farming practices have been given credit for farmers across Australia salvaging near average yields in spite of a tough spring in many areas.“Everyone is a bit surprised about production, it has been that little bit better than expected in our area,” said Garry Hansen, farmer in South Australia’s upper south-east at Coomandook and president of Grain Producers South Australia (GPSA).“Following the poor spring we were bracing ourselves for a disaster, but yields have been just below average.“I’ve been chatting to a few fellows about it and we are just attributing it to modern farming practices and moisture retention.”It is a scenario being repeated on a macro scale, with analysts generally predicting a solid, slightly below average national wheat crop of between 22 and 24 million tonnes.While down on early season forecasts of 25 million tonnes plus, it is far from a genuine drought production figure.Farmers are also buoyed by prices for Australian Premium White (APW) wheat of between $328 per tonne in the Brisbane port zone and $277/t in the Port Lincoln zone.South AustraliaThroughout the rest of South Australia, Mr Hansen said anywhere not hit by frost damage had some grain to harvest.“I haven’t heard of too many thumping crops in the east of the State but there are no real disaster areas either, especially with prices holding relatively firm.”In his local area, Mr Hansen said cereal yields were between 2-2.5 tonnes a hectare with generally reasonable quality.Yorke Peninsula grower Jamie Smith said yields on the two peninsulas in SA had been very good.“The Yorke Peninsula is very good, with cereal yields between 3.5 and 6 tonned per hectare, while another exceptional area has been the far western Eyre Peninsula, where growers have harvested up to 2.5 tonnes per hectare, which is double their average.”He said lentils had been a standout crop in terms of gross margins.“There are lentils crops going 3 tonnes a hectare, and with prices in excess of $900 a tonne, you are looking at gross margins of nearly $2500 a hectare.”Durum wheat, with prices of up to $600/t, is another crop well and truly paying the bills, he said.However, canola has proved an expensive rotational choice for many.“Growers have been hit with beet western yellow virus, then the poor spring.“With the high cost of hybrid canola seed, we’re talking about losses of $500 a hectare.”Mr Smith agreed no-till, controlled traffic and stubble retention systems had allowed crop roots to push down to access moisture.“I wouldn’t be surprised if there are wheat roots down 1.5 metres this year.”He also said in spite of the low rainfall tallies in spring, the temperature never soared consistently.“That allowed crops to finish better.”Western AustraliaWestern Australia has generally seen the most favourable season this year.Calingiri farmer Leon Bradley said yields were generally good in his area north-east of Perth.“Yields are above average and we’re happy to see the strong basis in WA.”However, he said yields were slightly below visual assessments pre-harvest and added that areas to the north had suffered from a lack of spring rain.“The dry spring has had an impact in the northern wheatbelt from what we’re seeing.“A few kilometres makes all the difference in yield, just according to where rain fell.”Wheat in his area is around 3t/ha while canola is coming in at generally 1.5t/ha.In the south of WA, Kojonup South farmer Rob Warburton is enduring a frustrating harvest period.“We’re yet to really get going due to ongoing wet conditions.”His farm bore the brunt of a heavy hail storm in late October.“We’ve had 700 hectares of canola that has been damaged by the hail, we won’t really know how bad it is until we get into it, there may be some pods intact or they may not have filled after the plant was smashed over.”He said the canola would be direct-headed as it was too matted after the hail to swathe.Cereals will fare better, but Mr Warburton said all crops suffered from the wet winter somewhat.“We had 250 millimetres over 10 weeks in winter here.“Canola has been the worst hit, the cereals should be OK.”New South WalesIn NSW, Dan Cooper, chairman of the NSW Farmers grains committee, said the State as a whole was likely to be below average.“The south looked the best, but where I am (between Grenfell and West Wyalong), we only had 18 millimetres for spring, so that really hit hard.”He said there were strong variations over just a couple of kilometres, based on thunderstorm activity and soil type.“At home, the red ground has yielded reasonably well, around 3 tonnes a hectare, but that drops by more than half on the black soil where crops just didn’t have the moisture to finish.”He said there were some pockets of good yields in the central west around Forbes and into the south-eastern Riverina, however, overall the State was below average.“It hasn’t been a great year, but I think our water use efficiencies have been very good, so most people have got something.“Summing it up, I would say in general the crop will pay the bills and allow people to go around again, but when you talk in terms of the potential we had in the south in July it is a bit disappointing.”According to Mr Cooper, quality has generally been “okay”, although there were localised issues, which he attributed to both variety and soil type.VictoriaVictorian Farmers Federation (VFF) grains group president Brett Hosking said farmers worst impacted by the dry spring had largely finished harvest.“Yields were poor, as expected, but in general quality has been sound, so that is something.”He said while the focus of Victoria’s production worries had been the southern Mallee, Wimmera growers may end up having the toughest time.“While the Wimmera guys are getting something, it is probably lower in terms of a percentage of average than those in the Mallee.“With production costs that much higher in the Wimmera, growers there will do it tough.”Mr Hosking said there were issues with quality in the Wimmera, with reports of low quality feed barley coming in.Further east, yields improve, although thunderstorms earlier in the week to the east of Bendigo caused sporadic damage.QueenslandAgForce grains section president Wayne Newton said although the season had been disappointing there were some mildly positive results.“We’ve seen some wheat go between 2 and 3 tonnes to the hectare on the Darling Downs which, given the season, is a good result.“There have also been chickpeas going up to 2.5 tonnes a hectare, there was just a little rain at the end of August and that all went to yield.”Source - http://www.farmweekly.com.au/

Russia - In 2015 the losses of winter crops areas to reach 2.7 mln ha

In Russia in 2015 the losses of planted areas under winter crops may vary within 1.7 -2.7 mln ha, due to adverse weather conditions, declared Igor Pavensky, Deputy Director of the strategic marketing department of Rusagrotrans CJSC, on November 25.The international agencies which monitor the weather and crop conditions, noted the dominance of droughtly weather with lowering of the average air temperatures in the European part of Russia.The expert added that despite the significant growth of crops planted areas - from 15.2 mln ha in 2013, to 16.6 mln ha in 2014, the situation with winter crops areas will reduce the yield potential. Therefore, I.Pavensky reduced the preliminary crop forecast for 2015 from 96-104 mln tonnes to 91-97 mln tonnes. Also, he did not rule out the possible fall of the general grain harvest below 90 mln tonnes in case of a negative scenario.Source - http://www.apk-inform.com/

Climate change could send cost of crop insurance soaring

Climate change could double losses to crops and property by the year 2100 according to a recent report from the non-partisan Government Accountability Office. When farmers lose more crops, it costs taxpayers more to subsidize their crop insurance.Chris Anderson, assistant director of Iowa State University’s Climate Science Program, says farmers can work to adapt to wetter springs and hotter summers. Such weather events, which have been considered anomalies in the early 2000s, are likely to become the norm by mid-century. But he says farmers will have to weigh the costs of building up resilience to a changing climate against other farm expenses.“That’s where this thinking has to happen,” Anderson said, “is understanding how to be creative about funding those climate adaptation measures.”What’s more, Anderson says the current crop insurance program is designed to help farmers on a year-to-year basis, not over the long term. The GAO report found that system could inadvertently serve as a disincentive for farmers to implement long-term strategies.But Anderson says changing crop insurance to help farmers adapt to climate change would mean turning it into a hazard mitigation program. And that would be expensive, at least in the short run.“If crop insurance were expanded to keep farmers in business for the next decade, or two decades, as they pay for adapting to climate change,” Anderson said, “then the exposure of public funding for that program would grow immensely.”Anderson says farmers can put in new ponds and use cover crops to help prevent future losses. But they may not see a return on those investments for many years. And the GAO report stops short of suggesting that such adaptation strategies become a prerequisite for subsidized crop insurance.Source - http://hppr.org/

Mexico - Significant losses for peach producers

The President of the State's Peach Product System, Abel Hernandez Lima, said peach growers lost about 2.1 million pesos because of the damage caused by the excess water.The rains had a significant impact because producers lost 300 to 350 tons of peaches and, since peach prices were established between 6 and 7 pesos per kilogram, producers lost a good amount of money.Fortunately, Hernandez Lima said, there was a very good production, between 5,000 and 6,000 tons, and approximately 80 percent of it was well placed in markets.This harvest allowed the industry to recover from last year's losses, caused by weather issues and the investment made for the 2014 planting period. We had a favourable outcome, he said.Hernandez Lima stated that 80 percent of the production corresponded to different varieties, such Atlas, Frost and Dew, because they are more resistant to the weather and crop management.He said that producers had been cautious in 2014 because of their experience in 2013. Last year there was virtually no harvest, as it only amounted to about 100 to 150 tons, as a result of the frost that hit the fields of Tlaxcalteca in March.Hernandez Lima said there had been adverse factors for the peach, such as the ice fall between October and March, which affected the plants' flowering; and the hailstorms during the rainy season.Other setbacks are the fruit's price fluctuations in the market and the lack of organization for marketing, emphasized Hernandez Lima, who insisted they had to work to overcome such obstacles."Organizing producers, making better use of our capacity, getting specialized technical assistance, appropriate technology, mixing resources from the federal and state governments as well as from the growers are key factors for our success," he said.The sector also needs to expand its irrigation area, install anti-hail nets, construct warehouses, a packaging system for washing, brushing and waxing the fruit, cold rooms, modern equipment and to consolidate breeding.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

Indonesia - Farmers mourn steep decline in crops

Farmers in Karo regency, North Sumatra, are suffering huge losses due to a drop in production and the falling prices of vegetables and fruits following the Mount Sinabung eruption.Depari farming community member Basmi Ginting said the volcanic ash had reduced yields for four consecutive harvest seasons. “Before the eruption, I could yield up to 7 tons of corn per hectare. Now I only get 4 tons,” Basmi said during a farmers gathering recently.He said the eruption had also affected the price of agricultural commodities, as farmers were often forced to sell crops at low prices.He gave the example of corn, which now sold between Rp 2,000 (16 US cents) and Rp 2,200 per kilogram, compared to Rp 2,700 before the eruptions.Basmi said farmers were also facing fertilizer shortages. When fertilizer was available, he added, it was overly priced.“Who can afford to buy fertilizer at Rp 139,000 per bag when the condition of farmers is so low?” Basmi said, adding that normally, a bag of fertilizer sold for Rp 90,000.He said farmers in Karo had yet to receive counseling from the local agriculture officers, nor had they received government assistance.Resna Pelawi, 56, another farmer in Singgamanik village, said he had suffered harvest failures following the Mount Sinabung eruptions.“I was frustrated, and at one point I wanted to stop being a farmer due to the continuous crop failures from volcanic ash. However, my family kept encouraging me, so I’m still surviving as a farmer,” said Resna, who cultivates corn on a three ha plot.Karo regency has long been known as a center for corn production in North Sumatra.Karo Agriculture Agency head Agustoni Tarigan said corn farms in Karo spanned 69,604 ha and had an annual production capacity of 425,994 tons. Agustoni acknowledged that conditions for farmers had deteriorated in the wake of the eruptions.“Prices of commodities, including corn, have dropped. The condition has further worsened farmers’ well-being here,” he said.Earlier this year, the regency reported Rp 712.2 billion in crop losses since Mt. Sinabung’s first eruption in September last year.According to official data, 12,040 ha of agricultural land went arid due to the eruptions: 1,837 ha of food crops, 5,716 ha of horticulture crops, 1,630 ha of fruit crops, 1.7 ha of biopharmaceutical crops and 2,856 ha of plantations.Source - http://www.thejakartapost.com/

Italy - Bad weather and pests ruin olive harvest

Bad weather and pests have devastated much of Italy's olive harvest this year, meaning the much sought-after oil is only going to get pricier. But Pamela Sheldon Johns, an olive oil producer, says there is some room for optimism.Rumours began circulating in October that other artisanal producers here in southern Tuscany weren’t picking the olives this year.It seemed impossible, so I went to check every one of our 800 trees. All bad. Olives on the ground, others still on the tree but withered. Not even a few olives to make an oil for our own use. For the first time in fourteen years, we would not bring out the nets.We can blame the weather: no winter temperatures that killed off pests. There was no summer, just rain. We can also blame the Bactrocera oleae (also known as Dacus oleae), a fly that took advantage of the bad weather and proliferated to an astounding degree in a large area of central Italy.A puncture by the fly to deposit her egg is enough to start the degeneration of the olive, and, of course, after the worm hatches, the olive is ruined.Some diehards picked anyway. Many olive mills turned them away. The only chance was for the few olives that were still green and may have missed the fly’s egg-laying season, or were not affected due to the high phenols in a green olive that deter the fly.Those who did pick tried to filter and reprocess, but ended up with an oil deprived of flavour and nutrition. The oleic acids are too high to be considered an extra-virgin olive oil, and the flavour and shelf life will be less due to high peroxide levels. The taste of this oil is called "grubby", as in grubs, and has a distinctive rancid taste like stale nuts or rancid butter.Meanwhile, in Puglia's Salento, a region that produces a third of Italy’s oil, trees have been hit with a bacteria called Xylella fastidiosa,which causes leaves to wither and die. Some sources say that over 70,000 acres have been affected.According to Coldiretti, the national agricultural association, 8,000 hectares have been quarantined and a mile-wide strip from east to west will be burned to keep the problem from spreading, a heartbreaking consideration, given that many of those trees are hundreds of years old.Interestingly, this problem was previously contained in the Americas, infecting a hundred different host plants including oleander, grapes, citrus, and almonds, but has somehow now arrived in southern Italy and victimized the olive tree.The leaf-hopping insects that carry it from plant to plant may be moving via the oleanders that border many roads.In an already bad economic year for Italy, this has had a trickle-down effect, with losses for the olive mills, the suppliers of tins and bottles, the printers of labels, and we tiny producers who labour all year for the crowning moment. However, this year the olive has abdicated.Spain, which produces nearly half the world’s supply of olive oil, has suffered losses as well with the drought this year. The overall prediction for Italy is 35 percent less oil than normal.Prices will continue to go up as supply diminishes. Your best bet is to buy up what remains of the 2013 harvest, which will still be great if it has been stored in a cool, dark place.Let’s be optimistic. We in Tuscany are preparing ourselves to combat the reproduction of the fly. In my case, I'm studying organic options, such as pheromone attractants, which won’t harm the beneficial insect population and other preemptive treatments allowed by our certifying agency.We’re also hoping for a normal winter with temperatures low enough to interupt the cycle. As farmers for many generations know, it comes down to weather, and over that we have little control.Source - http://www.thelocal.it/

Australia - Crop insurance key to drought help

The managing director of a business management firm believes the fledgling multi-peril crop insurance (MPCI) sector in Australia has the ability to provide a central plank in a solution to the vexed question of government drought assistance.Jay Horton, of Sydney-based Strategis Partners, said farmers, agribusiness and government would all benefit from a working multi-peril system.And after years of being unable to get commercial MPCI products off the ground, he is optimistic that the tide is turning.“There have been some successes in the space, such as Latevo’s product, which has had a lot of publicity and I think a lot of people are starting to take notice of that.“I think it will be a really good tool, especially for growers with higher risk levels to mitigate that risk.”Down the track, according to Mr Horton, such products could create a more sustainable farming system.“There is no reason a no-plant product could not be developed to allow growers cash flow even though they choose not to plant in a poor season.“I see that as being particularly useful in more marginal, low-rainfall areas, where the best system long term may be planting two years out of every three.”He said it could play a huge role in freeing up farm equity.“If there was something there that could allow the banks to cut out that risk premium in their financing it would be a big saving.“I see MPCI as having a crucial role in how the farm is financed.”Benefits of a brand new systemMr Horton said starting with a brand new system would allow Australia to avoid the mistakes of North American and European MPCI systems, which are heavily reliant on government subsidies.“Obviously for farmers in those places the schemes are very generous, even though half of the insurance makes it back to producers, the rest being chewed up with administrative costs, but I think overall they are very costly for taxpayers.“The other side-effect has been that the government assisted programs have crowded the market, stifling private investment.”Mr Horton said he felt government’s role should be to stimulate use of MPCI programs, perhaps through tax incentives, rather than participating in the market in its own right.He said the difference in getting MPCI products up and running in Australia now compared to previously is the availability of better data.“There is now a good amount of data around the farm itself, in terms of performance and operation that allows insurance providers to deliver customised products according to the individual farmer’s situation.”One of the problems identified in setting up a strong Australian MPCI sector has been the lack of critical mass, with our relatively small number of growers.However, Mr Horton said there diversity within the geographic spread in Australia, and international insurance companies would love to participate in a country that is counter-seasonal to the US.“The El Nino-La Nina cycle that is influential on our seasons also has an impact in North America, the rough rule is when we have good years they have bad ones and vice versa, so it is an attractive prospect for insurers looking to spread their risk.”Down the track, Mr Horton said there was no reason multi-peril insurance could not work in other agricultural sectors such as horticulture, dairying or livestock.MPCI good for governmentMPCI benefits will also extend beyond growers, according to Mr Horton.“From a cost-benefit analysis, a well-functioning private insurance program can save governments money.“In the best-case scenario it would mean an end to expensive drought interest rate subsidies and other government programs.“At present our drought policy is all wrong, we’re chasing the ambulance to hospital. A strong MPCI sector would allow growers to be resilient throughout periods of climatic variability on their own two feet.“That’s not to mention the inherently arbitrary nature of region-based drought assistance packages where one side of a road is eligible, but the other is not.”He said the major hurdle would be getting growers to participate in a MPCI project to start with, however, he said government could help get growers involved through encouraging them to trial a product through tax incentives or other schemes.“I don’t know yet what the best format for that would be, whether it be a straight tax incentive, or whether it is funding to allow growers to improve their farm records to get them up to the standard required by the insurance sector, but that is how I see government involvement in this space, just a light touch.”Source - http://www.stockandland.com.au/

India - Telangana cover for mango crop

The Telangana government has decided to provide Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme for the mango crop this Rabi season in eight districts of the state. The insurance will be applicable in the districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Ranga Reddy, Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda, Medak and Warangal. All the cultivators (including sharecroppers and tenant cultivators) growing mango are eligible for this cover.PoonamMalakondaiah, principal secretary to government, agriculture and cooperation department said the Union government is aiding the state to extend the cover.The risk period will be from December 15, 2014, to May 31, 2015. The insurance will cover excess, unseasonal rainfall, pests and diseases and daily temperature fluctuation.Source - http://www.deccanchronicle.com/

USA - 'January' weather halts field work; no more tilling until spring

Weather more like January than November stopped farmers from completing field work in Wisconsin last week, with frozen ground putting off fall tillage until next spring.The crop progress report through Nov. 23 said overnight lows below zero in northern Wisconsin put a halt to field work, and subsequent warmer temperatures during the weekend caused new problems, with rain driving up grain and soil moisture.The report comes from the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service."It was 20 below on Thursday morning, with what looked like permanent snow cover, then snow was mostly gone and in the 40s on Sunday," a Rusk County report said. "Not sure what's going to happen next."In Waupaca County, "Farmers are anxious to get crops out of the fields before more losses due to wind and snow damage."The crop report showed corn for grain was 73 percent harvested, with grain moisture at harvest averaging 21 percent."With grain moistures still high, reporters commented that driers were struggling to keep up with demand," the report said.Ninety-five percent of soybeans had been harvested and winter wheat was 91 percent emerged, with the condition of winter wheat 66 percent good to excellent.Source - http://host.madison.com/

Rwanda (Africa) - Financial sector urged to support agriculture

The financial sector has been urged to support the agriculture industry, especially by funding farmers, agro-dealers and processors to help the sector grow.Raphael Rurangwa, the in charge of planning and finance at the Ministry of Agriculture, said there was need for joint efforts to help improve agriculture productivity, noting that the sector plays a key role in the country's development and "should be given priority".The agriculture sector contributes about 34 per cent, which he said is low. "We need to work together, change the way we are currently doing things to enhance agro-productivity," he said.Agro-dealers, for instance, must provide farmers with the quality seeds and fertilisers and other inputs to spur productivity. "That's why the financial industry and private sector must become key partners for us to realise this goal," Rurangwa said.He was speaking during a workshop organised by the International Fertiliser Development Centre-Privatisation of Rwanda's Fertiliser Import and Distribution System (IFDC-PReFER) and the agriculture and finance ministries to raise awareness among financial institutions of the opportunities to expand loans to agriculture industry. It was attended by farmers, agro-dealers, banks, Saccos, insurance firms and policy-makers.Dr Charles Murekezi, the in charge of fertiliser programme at the ministry of Agriculture, said the government encourages farmers to apply fertilisers to boost crop output. He noted that since the liberalisation of trade was privatised last year, more farmers are able to access the input as the number of importers and distributors has gone up.He said Rwf2.961 billion was invested in fertiliser trade in the current season (season 2014A) compared to Rwf2.1 billion in a similar period last year.He urged banks and insurance firms to develop tailor-made products for farmers and input dealers, a move that would help uplift the sector.Jean Paul Sindabeza, a fertiliser dealer in Rutsiro District, decried lack of collateral and urged Business Development Fund to support rural agro-dealers.Agriculture employs 80 per cent of Rwandan population and generates about 45 per cent of the country's exports.Source - http://allafrica.com/

Australia - ‘Tornado’ hits farms and brings down powerlines at Gol Go

Millions of dollars of damage was done to horticultural properties near Mildura when a tornado-like storm hit on the weekend. Farms at Gol Gol North were “devastated” by ferocious winds and hailstones on Saturday afternoon.Wentworth Shire Council mayor Don McKinnon said damage to crops spanned about 120ha and costs would run into the millions. Cr McKinnon said wine, table and dried grapes had been affected, as well as citrus orchards and vegetables crops.“The Gol Gol North horticultural region were just devastated,” Cr McKinnon said. “There was a 2km strip that was battered. The wind was horizontal and stripped all of the vines of about three quarters of their leaves and any fruit that was starting to set.”Citrus Australia chief executive Judith Damiani said there had been significant damage to citrus farms in the Gol Gol North, Buronga, Mourquong and Curlwaa districts — all citrus growing areas.“We are still in the process of estimating damage and losses in order to support a natural disaster declaration and unfortunately there will be an impact on next year’s citrus crop,” Ms Damiani said.The Bureau of Meteorology is yet to confirm if the weather event was a actually a tornado, or another type of storm. BOM senior forecaster for Victoria, Richard Carlyon, said no agents had been out to Gol Gol to check the damage.“We’ve been bombarded by storms all over the place so we’ve been very busy,” Mr Carlyon said. “We haven’t had a chance to look at the radar yet, but someone will have a look tomorrow when it’s quieter.”Mr Carlyon said it was hard to categorise the storm without photos or video.“It sounds like a tornado but without any more information it’s hard to categorise,” he said.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/