Agroinsurance

NEWS

France - Plans to ease pesticide ban for sugar beet to curb crop losses

07.08.2020 758 views

The French government will propose lifting a ban on certain pesticides blamed for harming bees to protect sugar beet crops that have been ravaged by insects this year, the agriculture ministry said on Thursday. The government plans to support a legislative amendment in parliament later this year to exempt sugar beet for up to three years from a general ban on neonicotinoids, the ministry said in a statement following a meeting with sugar industry representatives. Sugar beet growers blame the ban on the neonicotinoid group of crop chemicals for insect attacks that could decimate yields this year and say this further threatens the French sugar sector after a price slump in recent years already led to factory closures. “French sugar beet producers are facing an unprecedented crisis: the jaundice virus transmitted by aphids has developed massively across France’s growing regions and is going to impact heavily sugar beet production,” the ministry said.

In addition to the proposed re-authorisation of neonicotinoid pesticides for sugar beet in time for next year’s spring planting, the ministry said 5 million euros ($5.9 million) would be offered to support research into alternatives to neonicotinoids. Farmers say outlawing these pesticides for sugar beet is not relevant to efforts to protect bees as the crop does not flower. They also blame the French authorities for applying a blanket ban on neonicotinoids whereas European Union regulations allow for exemptions. The ministry said the exemption for sugar beet would only apply to pre-treated seeds, with field-spraying of neonicotinoids to remain banned. For crop losses this year, which farmers say could reach 50% in the worst cases, the government will offer compensation to growers, the ministry added.

istanbul escort şişli escort tbilisi escort şişli escort şişli escort maslak escort istanbul escort beşiktaş escort taksim escort izmir escort ümraniye escort mecidiyeköy escort şişli escort

EVENTS

ScaleAgData Stakeholder Engagement Event

22.10.2024

The ScaleAgData project is pleased to invite you to our second stakeholder event. Building on the discussions and connections formed during our first webinar, this event will focus on fostering collaboration among stakeholders, providing updates on our project’s progress, and outlining future opportunities for engagement.

RISK EVENTS

Cyclone Alfred causes $11 million crop damage in Australia

20.03.2025

The Australian horticultural sector faced challenges following Cyclone Alfred's impact in late February.

Philippines seeks 500 million USD for engineered bamboo development

The project is currently at the concept stage, with feasibility studies expected to take five to six months and overall preparation about a year. Implementation could begin in 2027, pending loan approval.

28.04.2026

Insurance compensation of 186,000 manats paid to tobacco farmers in Azerbaijan

To date, 186,000 manats of insurance compensation have been paid to farmers and farms in the tobacco industry in Azerbaijan.

28.04.2026

USA - Climate Disasters Are Straining Hawaii’s Insurance System

Frequent and costly disasters are driving up premiums and leaving many properties uninsured or underinsured. 

28.04.2026

Brazil - São Paulo releases R$400 million in rural credit in a record package for farmers, agricultural insurance, machinery, and land regularization

The package announced at Agrishow in Ribeirão Preto combines rural credit, agricultural insurance, land tenure regularization, mechanization, inclusion of women, innovation, and environmental actions, with R$ 455 million in investments aimed at strengthening São Paulo’s agribusiness.

28.04.2026

When will Moldovan authorities announce a call for applications for subsidizing agrarian insurance?

To date, the MAIA Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry has not yet announced the start of the next stage of accepting applications for subsidies under agricultural risk insurance contracts concluded in the fall and winter period. While waiting for this announcement, some insurance companies are being "restrained" in the agricultural segment - they insure only livestock farms and perennial crop plantations of their regular customers.

28.04.2026

USA - USDA just doubled disaster payments, and gave farmers until August 12

SDRP disaster payment farmers 2026 just got a major upgrade. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced on April 24 in Higginsville, Missouri that USDA is raising the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program payment factor from 35 percent to 70 percent.

27.04.2026

India - Crop Ruined by Parrots is 'Damage by Wild Animals', says HC; Gives Relief

Holding that citizens cannot be forced to bear losses caused by protected wild animals, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has ruled that denying compensation to a farmer merely because parrots were omitted from a government list would breach principles of equality.

27.04.2026

The World Bank: Agri-risk management in Bulgaria

CAP has steered Bulgarian agriculture toward greater resilience, but the sector continues to suffer from an absence of a comprehensive risk management strategy and limited research on internal and external risks, the report concludes.