Agroinsurance

USA - Heavy snowfall puts Ohio harvests behind schedule

The first heavy snowfall in the state has put Ohio harvests behind schedule after an already difficult growing season due to last winter's brutal cold.The Dayton Daily News reports heavy snow blanketed much of Ohio before one-fifth of the state's corn crop could be harvested. The wintry conditions mean farmers might have to work into December to complete their harvests. Miami County Farm Bureau President Bill Wilkins says farmers are running late when they're still harvesting after Thanksgiving.Soybeans are also running late, with about 7 percent of the crop still to be harvested.Farmers may also face a loss of yield from the wintry weather. Wilkins says soybean pods are at risk of opening in cold temperatures, and the weight of snow can cause cornstalks to collapse.Source - http://www.morningjournalnews.com/

USA - Cold weather expected to affect wheat

The sudden sharp drop in temperatures across Kansas during the week of Nov. 10 to 15 will cause the wheat crop to go into dormancy, according to Jim Shroyer, K-State Research and Extension crop production specialist at Manhattan.Whether the intense cold spell has injured the wheat depends on several factors, Shroyer said.The moisture level in the topsoil is important. Soil moisture was generally good going into October, but the warm temperatures in October allowed the wheat to grow and put on excessive amounts of top growth, which dried out the soil.Plants that showed drought stress are more likely to be injured. Dry soils get colder more easily than wet soils.Another important factor is whether the wheat had time to become properly cold hardened. Hopefully, there may have been enough cold nights in October and early November to allow the wheat to develop cold hardiness.Shroyer said the extent of the unusually large and rapid drop in temperatures from well above normal to well below normal is a concern. Without cold hardiness, the wheat is susceptible to injury.“We likely won’t know for sure about cold injury until next spring as the wheat comes out of dormancy,” he said.The deciding factor will be whether the crown below the soil surface remains alive. Having a well-developed secondary root system will help the plants survive, Shroyer said.Source - http://www.blackseagrain.net/

USA - Strawberry farmers prepare for hard freeze on Northshore

As the mercury dips lower, a precious commodity is in jeopardy on the Northshore. With a hard freeze warning issued for St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes, the Ponchatoula strawberry farmers are now bracing for the second cold snap in less than a week."We should be picking right now and harvesting a lot more, and we should have had two more weeks before this came," said Eric Morrow of Morrow Farms in Ponchatoula.Instead, he and other strawberry farmers in Ponchatoula are covering their crop as the frigid freezing temperatures threaten to harm their precious harvest.His farm has 8 acres of strawberries. His one acre of early berries, which were planted in mid-September, can produce from 2,500 to 3,000 flats, which he plans to sell at farmers markets throughout the winter. "I think it'll be a good crop, but it'll be a lighter crop. It'll be a traditional strawberry season crop by March and April," he said.Morrow said if the temperature dips too low for too long, it could burn the blooms they have now, so he is hoping the floating row covers he put down will shield the berries from the cold. "They'll hold it down pretty good. It depends on how long it stays cold. If it's more than 12 hours, it'll be tough," Morrow said.With the freezing temps coming twice this early in the season, they have already seen some damage to other produce on the farm."It really knocked our tomato crop out that we were picking. It's kind of hurting a little bit of everything," he said. "It costs a lot of money to go ahead and cover everything up, and really do all this stuff when we're not really ready to do it."It is precious time that is costing them money and their precious crop. Morrow said they are also concerned about the corn and green beans. The corn leaves have a bit of burning from last week's freeze, but he said they will start picking those Tuesday and continue until they finish.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

Canada - Half of Ontario's grain corn is buried by snow

With snow piling up across much of Southern Ontario, farmers are struggling to get one of the province’s main cash crops out of the field.Half of Ontario’s grain corn crop remains unharvested and about 10% of the soybean crop has yet to be harvested, Ontario Agriculture Ministry crop specialist Peter Johnson said Thursday.“It has been a sporadic harvest here, there and everywhere. Everything is just incredibly delayed,” Johnson said.It is possible for corn to withstand winter conditions and be harvested in good condition in the spring, he said.“It is all about standability. As long as it stands, you can combine in the spring. You will have some increased yield-loss because there will be deer eating and birds eating, but it is not generally a huge issue.”But farmers could face substantial harvest losses if heavy snowfall knocks down the corn stalks.“If it is laying on the ground, you just can’t get it into the combine to harvest,” Johnson said.There have been reports of snowdrifts in some parts of Huron and Perth Counties that are above the level of the cob on the corn plant.That situation is always bad news, Johnson said.“If you get snow above the cob when that snow melts it seems to sit heavy on the cob and it will just suck that corn straight down and yield-loss in those scenarios are very significant,” he said.The growing season started with substantial planting delays because of cool, wet weather. With a cooler-than-normal summer corn never caught up, pushing harvest into mid to late November.“That is always a dicey time of year to be harvesting any crop,” Johnson said.Source - http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/

Biological agent that fights apple scab may soon be available

Apple scab, caused by the Venturia inaequalis fungus, is, economically speaking, the most damaging disease in apple production worldwide. In order to fight against apple scab, repeated chemical fungicides must be administered in the spring and summer. Over the past two years H39, a potential antagonist based on a specific kind of Cladosporium fungus, has been tested in several European field trails. H39 appeared to be very successful in reducing apple scab on leaves and fruit. The antagonist was able to produce the same results as the conventional chemical fungicide sprays. Currently, a biological pesticide company is investigating the commercial application possibilities of H39. This is an important step because the development of a commercial product can lead to a reduced dependence on chemical pesticides.Without fighting against it, apple scab can cause huge losses in yields (70% or more) in areas with moist, cool weather during the spring and summer. The losses are caused by damage from diseased and damaged fruit, and also by leaf loss, which can lead to reduced tree growth and lower fruit yields.Using chemical fungicidesIn the current fight against apple scab, chemical fungicides are repeatedly used in the orchards. This is used not only in a preventative way, but also as a cure. In recent years, Venturia inaequalis fungus (the fungus that causes apple scab) has developed a resistance to many chemical fungicides in important apple growing areas. In addition, the use of chemical pesticides is being limited by governmental measures, including within the European Union. The increasing demand for fruit with little to no pesticide residues is another reason why alternatives to chemicals are needed.H39The antagonist, Cladosporium cladosporioides H39, appears to greatly reduce the spread of the Venturia fungus. Various research institutions have tested the capabilities of this antagonistic isolate over the last two years in orchards with various apple breeds in Hungary, Poland, Germany and the Netherlands. Treatments were carried out with H39 as a calendar spray or in post-infection periods. Trials in the Netherlands (Randwijk) were focused on how the timing of the application effected the situation; so trials were carried out both before and after infection occurred.The results of the trials have shown, for the first time, that the use of H39 can reduce apple scab in leaves and fruit in a consistent manner. This was demonstrated in both an organic cultivation environment as well as in the conventional regimented orchards in the spring and summer. The same results achieved with conventional chemical control schemes can also be achieved using H39. Leaf scabs were reduced by 42-98% and fruit scabs were reduced by 41-94%.The next step is developing H39 into a commercial biological crop protection agent. One company has already started researching the possible commercial application of the H39 antagonist.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

Trinidad (South America) - Spoilt tomatoes

Ramsubhag said between 3,000 to 4,000 pounds of tomatoes were spoilt because of the floods. The watermelons were between eight to ten pounds each but would have weighed up to 20 pounds if allowed to mature, he said.The wholesale price for the watermelons is $2.50 per pound. Other farmers in the area would have planted similar crops including cucumber, he said. Ramsubhag said rain continued to fall incessantly in that area, which prevented them from doing much work at this time.Ramsubhag’s father, Bridgelal Ramsubhag, said he would have lost at least $100,000 in produce. Ramsubhag (B), a former president of the County Agricultural Consultative Committee, said farmers would normally claim for compensation at the Ministry of Food Production Rio Claro Demonstration Station.However compensation was not guaranteed and, if given, amounted to “next to nothing”, he said.Minister of Food Production Devant Maharaj said staff from the ministry was doing assessments in affected areas.However, he said the ministry received more complaints of crop losses from Las Lomas and Plum Mitan, Mayaro.In Cedar Grove Road, approximately 500 chickens died in the floods.Source - http://www.trinidadexpress.com/

Canada - Manitoba to compensate some flooded-out farmers

The Manitoba government is compensating farmers $1.15 million as a result of operating the Portage Diversion this past summer and flooding their farm land.Payments will be made to crop and forage producers in the immediate vicinity of the Portage Diversion for lost production and land restoration, adding more than 2,500 acres are expected to be eligible.“The government recognizes this decision led to flooding on agricultural land and losses for producers. This compensation will be targeted to farmers affected by the use of the diversion and support their land restoration efforts,” said Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Minister Ron Kostyshyn.Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) will contact affected producers to arrange payment, or producers can also contact their local MASC office for information.The diversion was operated to decrease water levels on the Assiniboine River and divert the flow around the city of Portage la Prairie.Source - http://www.chrisd.ca/

Canada - Expanding agricultural production insurance

Ontario is proposing amendments to the Crop Insurance Act, 1996, that would, if passed, allow more types of agricultural products to be covered by production insurance.Production insurance is part of a suite of business risk management programs designed to help farmers manage losses due to events like weather, pests and disease. The costs of these programs are predictable, stable and shared by producers and the provincial and federal governments.Currently, production insurance is available for almost 90 commercially grown crops, including grains, oilseeds and certain fruits and vegetables. However, Ontario is the only province in Canada without the authority to expand production insurance beyond crops to the broader agricultural sector.If passed, the proposed Agriculture Insurance Act would give Ontario the authority to expand insurance to support the agri-food industry in the event of unexpected loss of production for agriculture products.Expanding the number of products eligible for production insurance and strengthening the agri-food industry is part of the government's economic plan for Ontario.Quick Facts- In 2013, there were more than 14,000 producers insured under Ontario’s Production Insurance program, representing more than five million acres in crop land.- By allowing more types of products to be covered by production insurance, Ontario is fulfilling a commitment made to farmers under the Growing Forward 2 agreement in 2013.Source - http://www.northumberlandview.ca/

Canada - Snow interrupts grain harvest

This week’s blast of winter weather has put a substantial portion of the soybean and corn harvest in southern Ontario at risk.Thousands of acres are buried in snow in fields that are inaccessible to combines, grain buggies and transport trailers.The outlook for the stranded corn is better than for the soybeans. Corn stalks and kernels are bred for durability. So long as stalks stand up to the stiff wind, corn can be harvested as late as March if the ground is solid.Soybeans are at a comparative disadvantage. Soybeans are shorter, not as deeply rooted as corn, and have weaker stalks. With the heavy snow that has accumulated in Norfolk County and surrounding area since Sunday, there’s a strong possibility beans stranded in the field will be flattened.Todd Austin, marketing manager for the Grain Farmers of Ontario, says 10% of the province’s soybean crop has yet to be harvested. This 10%, he added, is concentrated in areas that were held back by this summer’s moist, cool conditions.“A standing field of soybeans doesn’t do very well with a cover of snow,” Austin said. “If there are too many more delays, it’s going to be tough getting off what’s left.”Cash crop farmer Chris Van Paassen, chair of Norfolk’s Alternative Land Use Services committee, said problems arise when beans are low to the ground. The header of a combine requires a certain amount of clearance to work properly. Headers are not designed to scrape grain out of the dirt.“Corn is not so bad,” Van Paassen said Wednesday. “It stays standing up pretty well. Beans are a little tougher. If the snow is heavy, it will push them down and it’ll be hard for the combine to get at them.”Farmers with stranded crops should know where they stand next week. According to the Environment Canada forecast, the latest blast of cold air releases its grip Saturday with a sudden spike in temperatures and several days of rain. Under a best-case scenario, the rain washes the snow away, beans are left standing and another cold wave freezes the ground so equipment can operate without getting stuck. The next few days will tell the tale.“Our guys are ready to roll,” Austin said. “It’s amazing how many acres they can get off in one day. The key is to get on the fields and harvest what you can.”Extreme cold temperatures this week have also played havoc with other crops. Many root crops are left in the ground as long as possible for maximum freshness. Most can take a little cold, but not the Arctic-like temperatures of the past few days.Larry Davis, Norfolk, Haldimand and Brant’s representative to the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, says parsnips and carrots should be okay. However, he has heard reports of cold destroying potatoes. The last cabbage has also suffered.“Cabbage likes a little cold, but not this much,” Davis said. “So yeah, there will be some losses in the farm community this year.”Farmers who can’t harvest their crops due to bad weather are advised to contact their insurance adjustor before plowing them under. On Wednesday, corn was selling in the low $4 per bushel range while soybeans were in the range of $11 per bushel.Source - http://www.simcoereformer.ca/

USA - Early winter conditions hurting Wisconsin farmers

Frigid arctic air and the first heavy snow accumulations last week created a boom-or-bust scenario for many Wisconsin farmers.According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's weekly crop progress report released Monday, the new snow cover created “treacherous or impassable” field conditions in some areas.“However,” USDA officials said, “areas missed by heavy snow saw the ground freeze solid enough to support machinery, a welcome event where harvest has been delayed by muddy soils.”Field reporters said that between the deep snow and frozen ground, most remaining fall tillage will be left unfinished. And with the winter weather seemingly here to stay, grain moistures are running high, leaving many farmers facing some tough decisions.“Harvest activities forged ahead wherever standing crops were accessible,” USDA officials added. “Manure spreading necessary to clear pits for winter was also going full force, though the operation was hampered by wet conditions in some areas.”As of Nov. 16, USDA reported that 96 percent of the state's corn crop was mature — two weeks behind the five-year average. Corn for grain was 64 percent harvested with moisture hovering around 22 percent on average.Corn grain harvest in south central Wisconsin, though, was reportedly 86 percent complete by last week's end, which is 12 points ahead of the five-year average.“Crop season is basically over for 2014,” said a Dane County field reporter. “Lots of liquid manure still going on – trying to beat the frozen ground and work it in. Still a few fields of corn standing.”“Farmers had been enjoying near ideal fall harvest conditions and were making good progress on getting crops off the field,” added a Sawyer County reporter. “The storm left over 12 inches of snow across the entire county and will definitely slow the remaining harvest.”Approximately 93 percent of the state's soybean crop has been harvested, which is on-target with the five-year average. Nearly 100 percent of beans have been collected in the south central region.Winter wheat was 96 percent planted and 84 percent emerged as of Nov. 16. The crop was rated as 66 percent in good to excellent condition.USDA said fall tillage was 60 percent statewide last week, which is four percent higher than the five-year mark.“Waiting to see if conditions will allow corn combining,” a Langlade County reporter said. “Beans and manure application appears done.”Average temperatures last week across USDA's five weather reporting stations varied from 14 degrees below normal at Eau Claire (21degrees) to eight below in Madison (30 degrees) and Milwaukee (33 degrees).Snowfall totals also ranged greatly last week, from 23 inches in Oneida County and 18 inches in Burnett County, down to eight inches in Eau Claire County less than two inches in Dane County.Madison has received 5.34 inches of precipitation since Sept. 1, which is more than one-inch below normal. Year-to-date the capital city has recorded 33.15 inches of precipitation, 3.02 inches above normal.Source - http://www.hngnews.com/

India - Drought spells doom for mango trees

Scientists and experts from Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR), New Delhi, Gandhi Krishi Vijnana Kendra, Bengaluru and Horticulture Department have inspected the withering mango trees in Srinivasapur taluk in Kolar district on Monday.The members of the team have confirmed that lack of water owing to continuous drought situation in the region was the main reason for the drying up of the mangroves.A report had been published on the 15th of October detailing the damage caused to the mango trees and how the panicked mango growers are felling the trees. Mango trees cultivated on around 4,500 acre land in district has withered due to the drought. Among them, 3500 acre located in Srinivasapur taluk alone, which is considered Mango Barn of Karnataka.Addressing the farmers at Tadigol after inspecting the damaged trees, ICAR scientist B.K. Pande said scanty rain and collapse of ground water are the main reasons for the withering of mango trees. A report prepared by the officials of agriculture and horticulture departments would be submitted to the State government and the Centre, he said.Y.T. R. Reddy, another member of the team counselled farmers to adopt alternative crops such as vegetable and cashew to withstand the loss due to damage to mango trees.A consultation meeting was held at Horticulture Research Centre located at Hogalagere in Srinovasapur taluk in the presence of local MLA R. Ramesh Kumar.Expressing grave concern about the huge damage to mango trees, Mr. Kumar said mango crop is the main livelihood for the people in the taluk. He urged the government to provide compensation to the cultivators without differentiating between small and big farmers.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

New Zealand - Hail damage to kiwi production limited

During early November, three kiwifruit-growing regions in New Zealand were struck by hail, Although it was feared that the hail may have adversely affected the kiwifruit growing season, the damage to the country’s largest horticultural export should be limited, according to Oliver Broad of Zespri.“We expect the loss to be less than 1%, so not a significant loss of the total crop. According to many growers, hail at this time of year is unusual, so it did come as a surprise. For green kiwifruit in particular we are pre-fruit set, so we don’t have fruit on the vine yet, so where there has been an impact it is due to buds being knocked off, or damage to the leaf cover.“The two main regions affected were Nelson and the Bay of Plenty, in the Tauranga and Welcome Bay areas. We’ve had notifications from growers that 110 orchards were affected by the hail damage. Whilst this can be significant for the individuals, we don’t expect significant impact on a national scale. The hail insurance scheme we have for Zespri has however kicked into place for our growers and we are working through that now.“The rest of the season so far has been good, and we are looking forward to a December estimate, which will give us a more accurate forecast of production volumes. In the large scheme of things, as a company, we are expecting to increase our production this year, and to continue to do so with significant volumes over the next few years, especially with Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit.“The total supply from Zespri during 2014 was over 90 million trays of kiwifruit, and the outlook for this season is to the tune of 100 million trays, with strong increases in volume over the coming years.The main driver of our volume growth is the increase in supply of gold kiwifruit, which will reach around 30 million trays in 2015 and over 50 million trays by 2018.”Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

New Zealand - Cool spring takes toll on apricot crop

A cool spring has added to a ''real tough'' start to the fruit season for some Central Otago orchardists and taken its toll on the apricot crop, which will be lighter than usual.Roxburgh fruit grower and Summerfruit New Zealand chairman Gary Bennetts said although blossom had opened earlier than usual, cold weather since then had slowed the season down. The cool weather had affected pollination as temperatures over 15degC were needed for pollen to transfer. Mr Bennetts said the apricot crop seemed lighter than usual as a result.Summerfruit vice-chairman and general manager of 45 South Tim Jones, of Cromwell, said it was still early days in the fruit season but the start was ''real tough''. ''It's been cold with lots of frosts so we look forward to some fine weather. We've been teased by the odd fine day.''The company's orchard had been on the edge of a hailstorm which hit Cromwell and Bannockburn last week. ''That was a bit of a nervy time but it didn't cause too much damage to our cherry blocks. When hail hits cherries, because they're on a stem, they swing , so they don't take the full impact of the hail,'' Mr Jones said.However, some of the orchard's apples and nectarines were affected. Kevin Paulin, of Clyde Orchards, estimated the season was 10 days behind this time last year.Fruit grown by the company at Bannockburn - mostly flat peaches and nectarines - had been ''quite severely damaged'' by the hailstorm.Cromwell orchardist Mark Jackson said his early cherries would not be ready to harvest until next week, about a week later than last year. His orchard was also on the edge of the hailstorm and he said cherries had enough leaf cover to protect them. About 3% of his apple and nectarine crop had received some hail damage.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

South America - Farmers told: file flood claims

Farmers in Las Lomas, Cunupia and other parts of central Trinidad who have lost crops in last weekend’s floods are being advised to file claims for relief at the agricultural extension offices in their areas.Meanwhile, Las Lomas farmer, Vishnu Sayneeram told that farmers in his area and Cunupia have lost several acres of lands that were under cultivation. Some crops were almost ready to reap.Sayneeram said the losses will lead to an increase in the price of greens and vegetables on the market. “We can expect some prices to go up,” he said. Already, the price of some items like tomatoes are already high because of the inconsistent rainfall and floods.“I have lost all my crops,” Sayneeram said. This includes one and a half acres of bhaigan, three acres of hot peppers and pimento, and four acres of ochroes, he said.Sayneeram said that between 15 to 20 farmers in Las Lomas alone were affected like him. Many lost crops planted on lands from two to five acres. They grow tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, patchoi, bodi and other crops.No one from the Food Production Ministry, he said, has visited to see the devastation.Another farmer in El Carmen who did not want his name mentioned, said that he has lost all his poultry (ducks and fowls). He said that compensation from the State will not bring him any relief, because it is too small.Food Production Minister, Devant Maharaj told crews from the ministry were in the fields over the weekend working with some farmers to pump water out of their farms in a bid to salvage some crops.Yesterday, he said crews were in the fields beginning assessing some of the damage done in Plum Mitan. Farmers need to file their claims for relief at the extension offices in their areas. Staff from the ministry he said would also be making the rounds to assess the claims. He said that farmers need to file relief claims at the extension offices in their areas.A number of farmers have claimed that the relief they get, cannot compensate for their losses. Maharaj said he has taken a recommendation for a farmers’ crop insurance to Cabinet in a note which is currently before the Ministry of Finance for consideration. The crop insurance, he said, will provide for natural disasters, such as floods, and praedial larceny among other areas. Ask to provide further details on the insurance, he would not divulge more information at the time except to say that, “the ministry is looking at the numbers.”Source - http://www.newsday.co.tt/

India - Maharashtra declares drought like situation in 19,069 villages India - Maharashtra declares drought like situation in 19,069 villages

Barely 20 days after it assumed office, the cash-strapped Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Maharashtra faces a major challenge to tackle the crop loss owing to scarcity in as well as untimely rain in various districts. The state Cabinet, which met on Tuesday, declared a drought-like situation in a record 19,069 of the total 39,134 villages where crop yield per acre fell below 50 paise.Between June 1 and October 31, 2014, the state received an average 71.9 per cent rainfall. The low rainfall has severely damaged paddy, banana, soybean, pomegranate, grapes and other crops spread over 50,000 hectares.The state government, which faces fund crunch, will ask the Centre to send teams to conduct field visits. It might also demand a financial aid of Rs 10,000 crore to tide over the situation. According to government officials, expenses on relief operations will put an additional burden on the state exchequer, especially when the revenue deficit in the past four months has sharply increased to Rs 26,000 crore from Rs 4,500 crore.Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified that the crop loss was due to agricultural drought and not due to hydrological drought. He said he would visit the affected villages between November 27 and 29.“A detailed memorandum will be sent to the Centre within a week to provide assistance to farmers,” Fadnavis said. He added the Cabinet sub-committee was formed to conduct regular review of crop and farm conditions in those villages.The government’s announcement comes close on the heels of the strong demand from the opposition parties including Shiv Sena and Congress, for immediate relief to farmers hit by the drought-like situation. The Nationalist Congress Party, which has extended support from outside to the Fadnavis-led government, has also made a strong case for declaring drought and implementing relief measures to farmers.Source - http://www.business-standard.com/