Agroinsurance

Costa Rica - Most crops escape heavy damage despite acid rain, volcanic ash

Farmers north of Cartago continue working despite ongoing activity at the Turrialba Volcano. The area has not been affected by ash or gases as wind carries most of it to the west.An agricultural area larger than 228 football fields has been affected by volcanic eruptions in Costa Rica that began on Oct. 29, according to Felipe Arguedas, director of extension services at the Agriculture and Livestock Ministry, or MAG. As farmers wait to see how much of their crop is salvageable, the Turrialba Volcano’s relative calm continues.On Wednesday, Carlos Ramírez, a volcanologist at the University of Costa Rica, told The Tico Times that the volcano was relatively calm but that the crater was still belching a fumarole 500 meters high of steam and ash. Volcanologists have been monitoring eight seismic stations in and around the crater for any signs of increasing activity. Last week, the Turrialba Volcano, located 60 kilometres northeast of the capital, saw its largest eruption in 150 years.Arguedas said that 70 hectares of farmland have been affected by ash and acid rain within a 6-kilometer radius from the crater. The MAG official told The Tico Times that 40 hectares worth of potatoes already were late into the season and would likely see a successful harvest. The same could not be said for another 30 hectares of delicate leafed plants, such as lettuce, strawberries and carrots planted along and near the nutrient-rich slopes of the volcano.Ramírez said falling ash and acid rain had burned the leaves of plants in the area. The volcanologist pointed out that several years of lesser activity at the Turrialba Volcano have made more acidic rain part of the ecosystem, and he said there currently is no reason to worry about long-term consequences for human health.MAG still does not have an estimate for what the economic cost of the eruptions could be for the area’s farmers and ranchers.The National Water and Sewer Institute reported Tuesday evening that the water supply in the San José Greater Metropolitan Area had not been contaminated by falling ash. Likewise for streams and wells closer to the volcano.Brenes said the CNE had 23 rescue workers, 15 vehicles and two ambulances on standby, alongside firefighters and National Police in the event of an emergency.President Luis Guillermo Solís is set to make his second visit to the affected communities near the volcano on Thursday.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

India - Over 60% kharif villages record 50% crop yield loss

Erratic rain and a 16% drop in the 2014 monsoon has had its effect on scores of hamlets across eight talukas of the district as 63% of kharif villages reflect the drop in crop yield by 50% - highest since 2012.A preliminary survey carried out by agriculture department and finalised by the revenue department shows 1,065 of the 1,677 kharif villages have reflected a drop in the crop yield below 50 paise.Anewari is a measure of crop yield in the farms through an experiment and the villages showing less than 50 paise anewari are likely to face shortage of water and scarcity or drought-like situations.There is a rise in the number of villages falling the below 50 paise anewari category this year as against last year. In 2013, there were 213 such villages.This year, the number is 1,065 villages, much higher that 803 villages in 2012 when rainfall was very low and the state was reeling from drought-like conditions.As many as 50% of the district - eight out of 15 talukas, including Peth, Surgana, Deola, Chandwad, Nandgaon, Malegaon, Sinnar and Yeola accounting to 923 villages - do not have a single village that has a yield higher than 50%.Agriculture officials attribute this to erratic and inconsistent rainfall that failed on timely arrival. "The first issue was late arrival of monsoon, following which the first and almost second sowing was wiped off. Though rain came in later, there were many dry spells. This caused a harsh climate affecting the crops. The result was major loss for the farming community," an official said.On the groundwater levels being better this time as against last year's, the official said, "This was a positive sign for the rabi season. The groundwater has recorded 0.16 m over the last five-year average, when it was -0.85 m below the average. This means that the groundwater levels have been recharged. This will largely come into play during the rabi season."Asked if scarcity or drought will be announced in these areas, the official said it would be too early to comment."The yield indicates towards a scarcity, but groundwater conditions and other factors will also be taken into consideration before arriving at any conclusion," the official added.Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

USA - 2015 Crop Reporting Deadlines

Producers who file accurate and timely reports for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage can prevent the potential loss of FSA program benefits. Please pay close attention to the acreage reporting dates.Producers of perennial forage and fall-seeded small grains must submit their 2015 acreage report for those crops to both the Farm Service Agency, and to their crop insurance agent, by November 15, 2014. This includes fall-seeded wheat, alfalfa, pasture for grazing, and grass that you intend to hay.In prior years, reports for these crops were not due to FSA until late June/early July.According to Dan Steinkruger, Nebraska FSA State Executive Director, “This change is part of an initiative at the national level to align acreage reporting dates between FSA and the Risk Management Agency (RMA), and reduce the crop reporting burden on producers."Crop acreage reports are essential to maintaining eligibility for multiple FSA program benefits, and establishing a record of historical cropping. Currently proposed Farm Bill legislation continues the crop reporting requirement. Timely acreage reporting not only maintains your eligibility for traditional conservation, price support and production program benefits, but is also a requirement for critical disaster program assistance.It is very important that producers accurately report the crop, crop acreage, intended use, irrigation practice, planting date and producer shares. Prevented planted acres must be reported within 15 days of the final planting date.Failed acres must be reported to FSA within 15 days of when the loss becomes apparent for non-insurable crops, or otherwise prior to disposition of the crop.Source - http://beatricedailysun.com/

India - Toxic air cuts crop yields

Air pollution in India has become so severe that crop yields are being cut by almost half, scientists have found.Researchers analysed yields for wheat and rice alongside pollution data, and concluded significant decreases in yield could be attributed to two air pollutants, black carbon and ground-level ozone. The finding has implications for global food security as India is a major rice exporter.Black carbon is mostly caused by rural cooking stoves, and ozone forms as a result of motor vehicle exhausts, industrial emissions and chemical solvents reacting in the atmosphere in the presence of sunlight. Both are “short-lived climate pollutants” that exist in the atmosphere for weeks to months, with ozone damaging plants’ leaves and black carbon reducing the amount of sunlight they receive.“While temperature’s gone up in the last three decades, the levels of smog and pollution have changed much more dramatically,” says Jennifer Burney, an environmental scientist at University of California, San Diego, and co-author of the paper, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “But this was the first time anyone looked at historical data to show that these pollutants are having tremendous impacts on crops.”Comparing crop yields in 2010 to what they would be expected to be if temperature, rainfall and pollution remained at their 1980 levels, the researchers showed that crop yields for wheat were on average 36% lower than they otherwise would have been, and rice production had decreased by up to 20%. In some higher-population states, wheat yields were as much as 50% lower. Using modelling to account for the effects of temperature increase and precipitation changes in that time, they were able to show that 90% of this loss is attributable to the impact of the two pollutants.The results are specific to India’s seasonal patterns, the crops, and its high pollution levels, but may extend to other places with similar problems, such as China.Previous studies had used experimental data that look at the impacts of ozone on plants to extrapolate potential losses, but this is the first ever study to use actual historical agricultural and emissions data to account for lower crop yields.Source - http://mg.co.za/

Russia - Cold weather suspends harvesting of potatoes in North Ossetia

Cold snap has forced farmers of North Ossetia to suspend harvesting of potatoes; however, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic still expects the harvest to keep up with the level of last year.According to the head of the Department of Agriculture, Vadim Karaev, the suspended harvesting will be resumed once the temperature rises. 57,700 MT of potatoes have been harvested so far.Despite cold weather conditions, the potato needs of the republic will be satisfied," assured Karaev.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

Argentina - More credit restrictions are imposed

The government of Argentina has imposed new restrictions on the access of farmers to bank loans. Farmers of the Pampa Húmeda region did not have financing releases in the last fifteen days. The measure was taken by the government to force producers to sell soybeans. Last December, state-run bank Banco Nación reduced the loans to farmers on 20 percent. Last again, again the bank announced a new measure to cut more 20 percent on new contracts.The problems of credit access in the most producing regions of Argentina were confirmed by farmers interviewed by La Nación. According to the Confederation of Rural Associations of Buenos Aires and La Pampa, the limitations have resulted on a 50 percent fall of the rural producers purchasing power.Source - http://www.blackseagrain.net/

Spain - Number of hectares affected by fire blight in Lleida doubles

As reported by the General Director of Agriculture and Livestock of Catalonia's Council of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Food and Natural Environment, the Council has had to pull up 71 hectares of fruit trees in Lleida, which were affected by fire blight outbreaks; this is more than double the figure reached in 2013, when 31 hectares had to be destroyed.A total of 27 outbreaks have been registered this season, of which 15 are the same as last year.Given this increase in hectares affected, the Council had two alternatives to the current strategy against fire blight. The one chosen has been to review the amounts given in compensation and to reinforce the prospecting actions.The sector and the Council have also decided to create a working group in which the Government and representatives of leading industry organisations will take part.Fresh fruit harvestThe Government has also presented the fresh fruit harvest balance of the 2014 season in Catalonia, which has confirmed the upward trend in terms of production for stonefruit and apples, and a downward one for pears, as it's also the case in the rest of the European Union.The closure of the Russian market in early August has had a negative impact on the campaign and is currently affecting prices, especially for peaches and nectarines, which registered significant drops in July and August.However, according to the Council, Catalan exports up to 31 August show positive values, given the good figures recorded until July.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

Canada - Wet weather hampers harvest in northeastern Ontario

Wet weather is hampering the harvest for farmers in northeastern Ontario and some say the value of lost crops could be in the millions of dollars if the weather doesn't improve.Excessive rain this fall has made it nearly impossible for Norm Koch to harvest the grain on his fields. Koch and his family farm about 10,000 acres in the Temiskaming and Cochrane areas."Suppose we don't get anymore crop off after today then we are talking hundreds of thousands of dollars [lost]," he said."We have to hope and pray that we do get some weather yet that we will get the grain off."Environment Canada numbers show far more rain than average has fallen in northeastern Ontario since June.Sudbury has seen the most rain at 540 millimetres. That's well above the average for the city of 434 millimetres. The Temiskaming region has also seen above average rainfall of 504 millimetres since June.According to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, there are roughly 2,800 farms in northern Ontario which contribute about $190 million annually to the economy.Worst harvest in decadesBut this year, some of those millions of dollars may rot in the fields, said Daniel Tassé, an agricultural representative for the ministry."The fields are just too wet, they are saturated,' he said. "And also the quality has gone down because of the moisture, the excessive rain this fall."Many farmers will have to rely on crop insurance, which will only cover part of their losses," Tassé said.There are $14 million worth of insured acres of soy beans alone in the Temiskaming region, most of which has not yet been harvested, he noted, adding if the weather doesn't improve in a hurry, that represents about $5 million in losses.Tassé said 2014 has been one of the worst harvest seasons he has seen in his 30 year career."It's going to be a year that we will remember, 2014, for sure."Source - http://www.cbc.ca/

India - Cotton yield drops by 60 per cent in kharif

Cotton farmers are the worst hit this kharif what with the cotton bolls getting withered due to pest attack in Nizamabad district which might lead to a drastic fall in the yield. Cotton was sown in 3. 33 lakh hectares in Nizamabad district this kharif and some of the farmers were even forced to go for sowing for a fourth time due to drought conditions which resulted in a rise in the investment. However, the problems of the farmers continued even when the plants were growing.The dry weather and erratic power supply led to damage of the standing crop. Farmers are likely to get only 30-40 per cent yield this kharif which might not enable them get back the invested amount at least, forget about the profits.Further, the low price being offered by the private cotton traders is adding to their woes. The private traders are offering just RS 3,700 per quintal cotton while the farmers had invested nearly Rs 20,000 on cultivation of the crop in an acre.When provided with irrigation facility, farmers used to get an average of 10 quintal cotton per acre in black soil but this year, they might get only 4-5 quintal.In rain-fed land, farmers used to get 4 quintals of cotton but this year, they are expected to get only 2 quintal per acre which means they would be forced incur a loss of Rs10,000 per acre.Kodicharla Vishwanath, a farmer of Anandpur village in Jainad mandal, said there was only 2 quintal yield per acre in his three-acre cotton farm and that he had suffered huge loss this season.Similar situation is prevailing in many places in Adilabad division, where cotton cultivation is predominant, even though it is grown in other areas in the district.It is only a handful of farmers, having adequate irrigation facilities, who got a considerable yield in Tamsi, Talamadugu, Jainad and Adilabad mandals.The late sowing and drought conditions affected the growth the cotton plants, bolls and it even delayed the harvesting.Source - http://www.deccanchronicle.com/

India - Harvest time is here, and so are elephants

Elephants have started raiding agricultural fields on forest fringes near Mysuru. In less than two weeks, over a dozen entered villages in separate incidents. There has been no major crop loss so far in the region, but farmers continue to live in fear since it's harvest time.Forest officials are having a tough time controlling elephants, which come out through porous areas in Omkar and N Begur ranges of Bandipur National Park. They can easily enter human habitats and city areas. Since elephants migrate at night, there's every chance of the animals entering urban Mysuru.Nearly a year ago, a herd of nine elephants wandered close to Mysuru's Outer Ring Road and after two days, officials succeeded in driving them back into the woods. Luckily, the herd didn't harm any lives but crops were destroyed on a large scale. Elephants are capable of causing great damage when disturbed, an official explained.This harvest season, territorial forest officials are not taking any chances regarding the safety and protection of life and property. They have identified sensitive zones and deployed men to stop elephants, and also sought the cooperation of villagers and farmers. They have asked residents not to adopt any unusual methods like bursting crackers and flashing torches to drive elephants away from their fields.An officer claimed that elephant-proof trenches in these regions have collapsed, solar fencing has turned ineffective and installing railings all along the forest border is still pending. With this situation, it is impossible to prevent elephants coming out of forests. It is common during this season but of late, there has been an increase in human-animal conflict.DCF V Karikalan confirmed to TOI that around 15 elephants were driven into the forests recently. The problem peaks in November and December, and villagers too are cautious about protecting crops by adopting unscientific methods. "This may lead to another difficulty. We have formed seven temporary anti-depredation camps and personnel have been stationed at vantage points in three territorial forest ranges round the clock to keep an eye on elephant movements. These personnel will work along with eight anti-poaching camp personnel. We have also roped in villagers and told forest personnel to cancel all leave till December," Karikalan said.Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

New Zealand - Hail wrecks apple, kiwifruit crop

A devastating hailstorm has destroyed apple and kiwifruit crops in Tasman district, wiping out orchard incomes, and staff are already being laid off.The hail hammered the area around Lower Moutere, Motueka and Riwaka, west of Nelson, for 20 minutes from 9.30pm last night, collapsing hail nets and blanketing the ground with hailstones.Grower Rod Fry described it as "the worst in living memory".He estimated that 15 to 20 orchards were seriously affected."Some places are a complete writeoff. It's chaos, devastating."This morning he was surveying his 20 hectares of apples and 30ha of kiwifruit, with the hail still on the ground."The kiwifruit had just started flowering and now the vines are stripped. The apples are a writeoff."He was to hold a staff meeting this morning.Growers across the district would have to reassess their staffing, Fry said."Some staff will have to go - there's nothing for them to do. I'm not sure how many long-term staff will be affected."It would also affect harvest jobs next year, including those of Pacific Island workers brought in under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme, he said. Last year nearly 1000 RSE workers were employed in the Nelson region.Fry said most pipfruit growers would have hail insurance, and kiwifruit growers would have insurance of about $2 a tray. However, in many cases it would only cover costs up to now and would not cover the loss of the potential crop."It's going to be a skinny year."The impact would flow on to many others in the community, he said.Another orchardist, who declined to be named, said he had lost his entire year's income. "You take your salary away for a year and try and live."Fruit on his 12ha block that was about 12 to 15 millimetres in diameter had been destroyed, and the leaves looked as if a shotgun had been fired through the orchard, he said. The hail was still underneath his trees 10 hours later.He said John Mathieson of Nelson Weather Service had accurately forecast the hail, but there was nothing growers could do but pray.The pipfruit industry is worth about $150 million each year to the region, and kiwifruit about $22m.The hail was "a bloody disaster", said Steve Moriarty, operations manager for Enza's 157ha of producing orchards at Riwaka.Hail nets collapsed under the weight of the hail, which lasted about an hour on and off from 9.30pm, he said.The hail "started as pea-sized and ended as marble-sized"."It breaks your heart".Surveying the damage this morning, Moriarty pointed out a cable that held up a hail net, which had "snapped like a carrot". It had been rigged to take 2.5 tonnes. Trees had also broken under the weight of collapsed nets.He said his staff would try to save some blocks but others were "completely stuffed. We'll get a digger and pull it all out".Although it was too early to accurately assess the scale of the damage, he estimated that 65 to 75 per cent of the orchards had been affected. He would be assessing blocks over the next two weeks, and deciding where to try to save the crop by thinning and where to abandon it.Lower Moutere orchardist Ian Palmer said two of his four blocks had hail insurance, but he knew growers who did not have it, and they would be in "serious trouble".He compared it a hailstorm 18 years ago, also on November 4, which wiped out his crop. The same freakish weather had destroyed what was then the Inglis hop farm at Riwaka, where the hail had come from the west and lasted for an hour, compared to a more typical five-minute hailstorm.Even at 9am today, the hail was 10 centimetres thick on the ground in parts of Riwaka. Inspecting the damage was engineer Nathan Gibbs, who lives next door to Enza orchards. He said his neighbour had been skiing down Swamp Rd, which was completely white, at 11.30pm.Source - http://www.stuff.co.nz/

USA - Crop insurance takes larger role in drought aid

The combination of the drought and the recently adopted federal farm bill means new decisions for farmers and ranchers. The 2014 Farm Bill requires farmers to rely more on crop insurance as their primary risk-management tool."I'm finding that those who have risk-management plans in place are in tune with their insurance needs in this drought year," said Josh Rolph of the California Farm Bureau Federation Federal Policy Division, who monitors federal crop insurance and assistance programs. "There is definite interest in new policies as seen by the data in California. We are analyzing that to determine how Farm Bureau can get more involved and in what areas."Jeff Yasui, who manages the regional office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency in Davis, said the department "provides many programs and products that assist growers to develop their farm safety net and risk-management plans."California crop insurance policies cover 6.7 million acres and more than $7.6 billion of liability for 55 different crops. Specific to drought, so far this year more than $88 million has been paid to growers who were prevented from planting a crop due to drought, Yasui said. Crops with prevented-planting provisions include barley, corn, cotton, dry beans, grain sorghum, oats, onions, potatoes, rice, safflower, sugar beets and wheat.In addition, farmers with insured crops have received more than $122 million so far for losses caused by hot, dry weather, and those losses continue to accumulate, Yasui said. Crop insurance programs are administered by insurance agencies and overseen by the USDA agency. Insurance companies also provide private insurance programs that are not government-reinsured.For the available crop insurance programs in California, farmers must purchase coverage prior to sales closing dates for each crop from their crop insurance agent. Growers must pay a premium, based on the amount of liability and options they select. Yasui said premiums are partially subsidized to encourage participation and keep the cost at an affordable level. As with other forms of insurance, the amount of coverage is flexible, and there are options to enhance coverage or reduce costs to fit individual needs. The premium rates and availability of the insurance are the same, he said, regardless of the agent or crop insurance company for federal crop insurance policies."Crop insurance policies that are reinsured by USDA cover nearly all adverse weather events, natural disasters or related losses," Yasui said. "Policies for many of the annual crops include prevented-planting coverage to offset losses from the drought, and a few of the crops provide revenue protection against price declines."In addition to coverage for specific crops, farmers may also participate in the Whole Farm Revenue Protection program. This new farm bill program will indemnify against revenue losses, including losses as a result of drought, by providing coverage for an entire farming operation, including crops not covered by policies. Historical revenue records of all agricultural commodities produced on the farm will be used to determine if there are eligible losses.Crop insurance options are also available to ranchers to provide coverage for rainfall deficits, compared to historical data in the area or surrounding areas, under the Pasture Rangeland and Forage or PRF policy. In California, there are 2.9 million acres covered under the PRF policy, and Yasui said more than $8.6 million has been paid in indemnities thus far in 2014 as a result of rainfall deficits.Todd Snider, an agent for Personal Ag Management Insurance Services in Bakersfield, said farmers use crop insurance as a precautionary measure for poor prices or for major disasters, such as a freeze in citrus or poor pollination in pistachios."We have definitely seen more people take an interest in these types of (crop insurance) programs (this year)," said Snider, who is also a Kern County Farm Bureau director. "Many of these growers have had a few good years without any decrease in production and now, if they are relying on their groundwater, they are at the mercy of Mother Nature and the water table. With that risk, they have to consider the worst-case scenario—and without crop insurance, that worst case scenario would be zero."Looking ahead to next year, Snider suggested that farmers "pray for rain, make sure your wells are up to par, figure out the depth of your water table and develop a risk-management plan in case of a worst case scenario."Source - http://agalert.com/

India - Hailstone destroys crop worth over Rs 130 million

Hailstone that battered the seven Village Development Committees (VDCs) of Mugu district on October 25 destroyed crop worth over Rs 130 million, the District Agriculture Development Office (DADO) said.This statistics related to the crop loss in the district was presented by the DADO in the meeting of the District Natural Disaster Rescue and Relief Committee on Monday.The DADO´s preliminary estimate put the crop loss at Rs 130 million and 565 thousand in Shreenagar, Kakrkibada, Seri, Shreekot, Gamtha, Khamale and Kotdanda VDCs.The hailstone destroyed the paddy and other crops that were ready for harvest.Source - http://www.myrepublica.com/

Drones waiting in the wings to come into orchards and vineyards

Robots have not made a deep penetration into tree fruit and vineyard operations. There have been some efforts to develop robotic pruners and to perfect a mechanical hand that can pick fruit. But how about flying robots?It could take pictures in your orchard and send them to you, nearly a half mile away, using the same kind of WiFi system that hooks you up to the Internet while you’re in the coffee shop.Researchers from at least four universities are studying agricultural applications. Ken Giles at the University of California-Davis is working with a fixed wing model in grape vineyard applications, the only fruit-related effort under way. Washington State University is studying the use of UAVs for chasing away birds.To many farmers, a call for government regulation may seem like asking for trouble. But that’s what the UAV industry is doing. It’s seeking to be integrated into the airspace.The potential benefits for UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) should not be underestimated, said Michael Toscano, president for the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. “Whether it is helping farmers improve crop yields, assisting first responders with search and rescue missions, or advancing scientific research, UAS are capable of saving time, saving money and, most importantly, saving lives.”In an economic impact study, the organization estimated that this new industry will create more than 100,000 jobs and $82 billion in economic impact during the first decade following integration into the airspace.Fruit applicationsBruce Prenguber, an independent agricultural economics consultant at Globalwise in Vancouver, Washington, said that “many people are speaking highly of the technology as the new big tool in agriculture.”Applications in tree fruits and grapes might include scouting orchards—looking for outbreaks of insects or diseases, scaring off birds attacking fruit, locating wildlife damaging trees or posing a food safety threat, monitoring irrigation equipment, and doing early estimates of fruit yields. They could be used for precision spraying of small areas or for spreading pollen during bloom.Prenguber says it’ll probably be companies and consultants, rather than farmers themselves, who develop the systems and programs that will be used in orchards and vineyards. Like apps for smartphones, programs will be developed, but they will need to be quite sophisticated. “Ultimately,” he said, “data systems will be established to record data for each individual tree and metered space of trees grown in high-density hedgerows.”One of the exciting things about UAVs is that they can be programmed to fly in patterns, and they can fly the same pattern repeatedly. They can do things like the row crops people are doing with precision agriculture, putting the right kind and amount of fertilizer in an area based on yield potential or crop load, for example.With the right interpretation of data, fruit crop size could be measured repeatedly from bloom on and the information used to schedule bins and pickers in the right amount to various orchard blocks and estimate crop value based on supply and condition.The fixed-wing aircraft UAVs fly faster, but the helicopters are more capable of getting close and homing in. A good camera could focus on a single apple or a single insect monitoring trap, and a good wireless transmitter could send a closeup picture to a computer screen in the office.Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/

India - Saffron crop damage estimated at Rs 860 cr

This year's saffron production in Kashmir is expected to be one-third of what was estimated by the Jammu & Kashmir agriculture department.Mushtaq Ahmed Shah, the director of the department, told that the recent flash floods have taken a heavy toll on the crop and about 70 per cent of the crop has been damaged.The state government had projected a crop size of 15 tonnes on the basis of last year’s output, but close to 10 tonnes had been lost in the floods, he said. The total loss might work out to Rs 860 crore. The price of saffron is assessed in terms of the stigma (stigmas are used in cuisines as a seasoning and colouring agent) and the corms (the bulb of the plant used as seed). The state government has estimated a loss of about Rs 168 crore of the stigma and 693 for the corms.Saffron is sown once in 10-15 years. However, with bulbs or plants grossly damaged in floods, resowing has to be done in the next season and seeds for that will be available from the crop that could be saved. Hence, there could be scarcity of Kashmir saffron for some more years. Farmers have not been able to assess their losses. In India, saffron is grown only in Kashmir, so seeds are not available in the open market and farmers will have to multiply their own seeds.The average price of saffron (with stem) this year is Rs 1,500 per 10 g, said a farmer. The average price last year was about Rs 1,300 per 10 g. Iranian saffron is significantly cheaper than Kashmir saffron and is imported to bridge the demand-supply gap in India. The annual consumption in India is 40 tonnes and major consumers are pharmaceutical and food processing companies.Major saffron-growing areas of Kashmir are: Pulwama, Budgam and Kishtwar. Pampore in district Pulwama has the maximum number of saffron fields and this area is worst-affected.Some farmers said 90 per cent of their crop was damaged. Abdul Mijid Vani, a saffron grower, has lost his entire crop, as his field remained inundated for many days.Hilal Magray, a farmer and owner of Zamindar Kesar Company at Pampore, has lost most of his crop. Saffron doesn't need high moisture. The state government has sought at least 50 per cent compensation for saffron growers.Source - http://www.business-standard.com/