Greece - Heavy snowfall, could lead to higher kiwi volumes

07.01.2019 625 views
Greece suddenly has to deal with major snowfall. Although this could be a bad thing for many growers of various fruits and veggies, for Zeus the snow couldn’t have come at a better time. The harvesting of the kiwis has been over for quite some time, but the cold temperature means the company has a great year to look forward to. Dangerous weather, that’s what local news outlets are calling it. Heavy snowfall, freezing temperatures and heavy winds, that will continue over the weekend. Christina Manossis, Marketing Manager for Zeus, claims the weather is not the worst thing ever for the company: “There are no effects on the kiwi plantations, as there was no heavy snowfall in the Pieria region, where Zeus is situated and 45% of the national kiwi production is grown,” she explains. “However, if these low minus temperatures continue to persist, this will result in higher volumes of kiwifruit for the coming crop 2019-2020. Kiwi trees need low temperatures during the winter to bear production.”   The weather does make for a grim sight at Zeus’ packhouse though: “If you stand in front of our packhouse, you would normally see mount Olympus. At the moment though, mount Olympus has completely disappeared, due to the heavy clouds and snow.” Manossis says. “So far we haven’t encountered any problems with transporting kiwis for export though, so unless the weather increases in intensity we should be okay.” Source - https://www.freshplaza.com
26.08.2026

Lithuania declares nationwide emergency after storm causes heavy damage

Lithuania’s government declared a nationwide “extreme situation” Wednesday following a severe weekend storm that caused extensive damage to crops, livestock and agricultural infrastructure.

26.08.2026

Cameroon Sets 2026 Planting Windows to Help Southern Farmers Reduce Crop Losses

Planting too early or too late can cost farmers part of their harvest. Cameroon’s National Observatory on Climate Change, or ONACC, has now set rainfall and planting windows for the second 2026 farming season across the country’s southern regions, giving producers a tool to reduce weather-related crop losses.

26.08.2026

Taiwan - Rains cause agricultural losses of NT$108m

Continuous heavy rains this past week have caused widespread agricultural damage across Taiwan, with nationwide losses of about NT$108 million (US$3.4 million) recorded as of 11am today, the Ministry of Agriculture said.

26.08.2026

USA - Eastern Shore farmers press state for more help with deer crop damage

Some Eastern Shore farmers are trying to make their voices heard about deer crop damage, saying they aren't getting enough help from the state to manage the problem.

26.08.2026

USA - A device that smells plants? How this small patch could help prevent crop loss

The ongoing fallout from the drought is impacting farmers’ crops across our state. Yield loss isn’t anything new, but technology made in our state can help prevent crop loss. 

26.08.2026

Ethiopia secures €4 million EIB climate insurance financing to protect 210,000 smallholder farmers

Ethiopia is set to receive up to €4 million from the European Investment Bank’s development arm, EIB Global, to develop and expand climate-risk insurance for about 210,000 smallholder farmers, as the country seeks to close a persistent gap in agricultural finance and protect rural incomes from droughts, floods and other weather-related shocks.

25.08.2026

Avocado growers in New Zealand assess crop losses after -5°C frost

New Zealand avocado growers are assessing crop losses after temperatures fell to around -5°C on the nights of August 5 and 6. The frost affected orchards in several growing regions, including the Bay of Plenty, as the harvest was building.

25.08.2026

Insurtech Veltha builds AI claims adjuster for workers’ comp and crop insurance

Veltha, a Y Combinator S26 Insurtech startup, is building an AI claims adjuster for regulated insurance markets, starting with workers’ compensation and crop insurance.