Jagdev Singh, a cotton farmer, has faced three consecutive years of hardship. Since 2021, severe pink bollworm (PBW) infestations have significantly impacted his income from his 0.6-hectare cotton field. However, this year brings a glimmer of hope.
India will launch a new farm crop insurance scheme early next year and use drones and other technologies to assess crop damage, the agriculture minister said on Wednesday, in what could be Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first major move to address rural hardship.
In fiscal year 2024 (FY 2024), India’s general insurers reduced their exposure to crop insurance due to the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), despite the government’s efforts to bolster coverage in the farming industry. Thanks to crop losses from floods and unseasonal rains and heatwaves, the gross direct premium underwritten by insurers fell 4.2%, whilst crop insurance premium underwritten climbed 8.7% in the previous year (FY 2023).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding crop insurance options for specialty and organic growers starting in 2025. The Risk Management Agency (RMA) will offer new coverage options, including enterprise units for organic practices and additional eligibility for several crops. This expansion includes coverage for crops like almonds, citrus, walnuts, and avocados, and introduces policies for younger almond trees. Sunburned damaged walnuts will also be eligible for indemnity payments through the expansion.
Persistent rainfall in France is reducing soft wheat production, resulting in a high decrease in the overall harvest and substantial losses for individual farmers. At Guillaume Lefort's farm in Larchant (Seine-et-Marne), soft wheat growth is uneven across his 70-hectare plot. Some ears are still green, and his harvest will start later than usual. He expects a 20% loss compared with a normal year.
A beef specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach says cattle producers affected by recent flooding will most likely experience financial stress, and should contact their local Farm Service Agency office immediately. "FSA offices are gathering information pertaining to flood damage,” said Beth Doran. "This includes any livestock losses, forage/grazing losses or damagedpastures due to recent flooding.”
Jamaicans will contend with food shortages in theaftermath of Hurricane Beryl, which is estimated to have destroyed over $6.4 million in food crops and supporting infrastructure, officials in Jamaica said on Monday.
Climate change and its associated climate variability are posing significant challenges for farmers worldwide. In Romania, particularly in the agriculturally productive Romanian Plain, the frequency, intensity, and duration of heatwaves and droughts have increased over the past two decades. This has necessitated the need for farmers to adapt to these extreme environmental conditions.
On July 10, President Joseph Nyumah Boakai will unveil the National Agriculture Development Plan (NADP) in Monrovia, aiming to enhance agricultural growth throughout his tenure, according to Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah.
The European Commission has proposed to mobilise €77 million from the agricultural reserve to support farmers from the fruit, vegetables and wine sectors of Austria, Czechia, Poland who have recently suffered from adverse climatic events of unprecedented magnitude, as well as Portuguese wine producers who face serious market disturbances.
Ukrainian producers are seriously concerned about the situation in the melon market: due to low demand, watermelon prices are rapidly falling, and the harvest is under serious threat of destruction due to abnormally hot weather, report analysts from the EastFruit project.
The supply of bananas in the U.S. from across Latin America is low right now. "In both Mexico and Guatemala, there have been some storms that have damaged a lot of surface area.
Greece has confirmed the first detection of the oriental fruit fly in its territory.Bactrocera dorsalishas been classified as one of the twenty priority pests that present the most serious economic, environmental, and social threat to EU countries.
Researchers studying plant activity from space have discovered a pattern that could predict the onset of flash droughts.According toPhys.org, instruments aboard NASA's satellites — known as Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 and Soil Moisture Active Passive — have provided surprising details regarding plant behavior leading up to aflash drought.
In a recent update from the Carolinas, ag officials expressed grave concerns over worsening drought conditions and their devastating impact on crops.According to the Director of the North Carolina Farm Service Agency, the damage to crops, particularly the corn crop, is extensive and irreversible due to the prolonged dry spell.
Several areas, particularly in eastern Nebraska, encountered severe storms this week. Rainfall reports ranged from three to seven-plus inches of rainfall overnight. Some areas fared relatively well, while others are still waiting for waters to recede to assess the damage.