Agricultural damage caused by the El Niño phenomenon has surged to P2.63 billion, while the government has distributed P1.1 billion in assistance.In its latest bulletin, the Department of Agriculture said the weather phenomenon had affected 53,879 hectares (ha) of farmland, equivalent to 116,792 metric tons (MT) of production volume.
The climate crisis has exacerbated the impacts of what is otherwise the naturally occuring El Niño weather phenomenon (a warming of the surface of the eastern Pacific ocean) — the result being the driest conditions in the region in over four decades and widespread crop failures in countries including Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.
Several mango orchards in Karimangalam in Dharmapuri district have been infested by hopper pests. While horticulture officials have prescribed pesticides to tackle the infestation, farmers feel that production could be affected in the upcoming season.
Extreme drought is endangering millions of people in several countries across Africa, ranging from Angola to Mozambique. Fueled by the El Nino phenomenon, the southern part of the continent has experienced dry conditions and lack of rainfall, as well as water shortages and crop losses.
With higher temperatures this winter, some local farmers are concerned about the effect it will have on their crops.Typically, once the temperature reaches mid-40s for multiple days, a plant will come out of dormancy and the bud starts to appear, according to the Michigan State University Extension.
The Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 2 (DA-RFO2) reported that damage to agriculture caused by El Niño from February 7 to March 7 has reached P560.9 million.
To get an idea of the financial toll extreme weather is taking on this country's agriculture industry, look no further than the government of Saskatchewan's books.The Prairie province had forecast a surplus of more than $1 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, but fresh budget documents released last month show that surplus has completely evaporated, leaving Saskatchewan with an approximate $482-million deficit for the year instead.
Potato farming represents a cornerstone of global agriculture, with the humble tuber serving as a staple food source for hundreds of millions of people around the world. As one of the most widely grown and consumed crops, its agricultural significance is underscored by its ranking as the world’s fourth-largest food crop following maize, wheat, and rice.
La Nina refers to the periodic cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific. This change in the surface temperature gradient is due to the periodic change in air mass and the shifting of the inter-tropical conversion zone (ITCZ).
A Jamaican family is on edge after a mysterious creature crept onto their property and inexplicably stripped the bark from their banana trees, but left all of the fruit untouched.
Met Éireann's farming forecast indicates that rainfall in Ireland will continue, with amounts ranging from two to four times the normal levels in the coming days. This unsettled weather pattern, characterized by showers, rain, and occasional heavy downpours, is expected to exacerbate soil conditions in agricultural fields.
In light of the prevailing drought-like situations in Telangana, it has been reported that the state government has initiated the process of enumerating crop losses. The government is keen to gather details of crop losses from the ground level, particularly as opposition parties continue to make allegations regularly.
In a note published on March 28th, the French food, environmental and occupational health safety agency (ANSES) warned of a risk of long-term establishment of Asian fruit flies in France. The agency recommends increased surveillance, as "the number of flies caught by traps set up as part of official surveillance has increased significantly in recent years."
Michigan fruit growers are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst after record-warm temperatures in February turned to freezing overnights and snow in March.The Schell Family Farm in Pinckney lost most of its crop last year due to storms and hail in June.
The dry spell across Kodagu is worsening by the day as the district has not received rainfall since January.The spice crop of pepper, which recorded low crop loss last monsoon, is now severely threatened by the scorching heat.
An unseasonal rain accompanied by a hailstorm has wreaked havoc on crops at villages in Bankura district of West Bengal. Standing watermelon crops on several acres of land have been damaged, shattering farmers' hopes of a high yield. The crop loss has pushed the farmers into distress as they stare at a bleak future ahead.