An aerial snapshot of Hale County, Texas, tells the story best. A year of minimal rain and extreme heat has produced a scene that looks more like the dead of winter instead of peak summer.
Farmers in the cotton belt of Haryana, comprising Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar districts, are fearing crop loss for the third year in a row due to the threat of whitefly and pink bollworm, besides inundation due to heavy rains.
Dry weather conditions across southern Ontario are wreaking havoc on some farmers’ ability to produce sweet corn this season. “Early and mid-season sweet corn, I think we're looking at roughly, possibly a total crop failure,” said Robert Foreman with 100 Mile Produce.
Standing crop damage in seven Vidarbha districts and two in Marathwada is the severest due to the heavy rain that lashed Maharashtra early this month for a prolonged period.
UK growers are counting their losses following the heatwave in late July that saw temperatures reach around 40°C in large swathes of the UK. Temperatures were highest in Coningsby, Lincolnshire on 19 July, reaching 40.3°C while other key growing areas such as Cambridgeshire, East Anglia and Kent also saw temperatures of 39°C.
Erratic monsoon rains have severely impacted planting of paddy, the main kharif crop, shows data released by the agriculture ministry Friday. The area planted under paddy, a staple grown and consumed across India, is 13 per cent less this year compared to the last.
Another dry week for the majority of the region has caused some setbacks for crops. Canola experienced heat blasting and all crops have started to go backwards. More rain will be needed to ensure crops can hold on till usual harvest time, a large jump in development will result in poorer yields than producers would like.
Wild winds that hit northern Alberta on Friday caused power outages and structural damage across a rural community. Greg Mason was barely inside a minute when the storm hit his Hines Creek home.
A new project is exploring using the “science of light” to reduce pesticide use. Researchers at Aston University and Harper Adams University are planning to develop “photonics nose” technology to monitor crops for pest infestations and plant disease.
The UK heatwave has caused fruit and vegetables to die on the vine as growers fear the drought and further hot temperatures could ruin harvests this year. Fruit and vegetable suppliers have been counting their losses after record temperatures in July caused crops to fail.
The market hates uncertainty and we are entering perhaps the most ambiguous period of this growing season, as the trade attempts to determine if there will be enough moisture to get crops through August.
Brouwer Berries of rural Raymond announced to its customers this June that it could not welcome them to pick the crop. For the second year in a row, the nine-acre, you-pick farm suffered a crop failure, according to a social media post by owners Sarah and Dan Brouwer.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it is extending the deadline for producers to return the pre-filled applications for the first phase of the Emergency Relief Program.
A Kansas agronomist says timely rains have created some optimism for this year’s corn harvest in part of the state. Kris Young with AgriGold tells Brownfield corn in the northeast and northcentral area has had good grain set and the forecast is promising.
Crop insurance adjusters have been out in full force across Western Canada after storms earlier this month damaged crops across the region. Due to storms that occurred between July 4 and 11, the Canadian Crop Hail Association is investigating more than 1,102 claims of crop damage during the period.
Ghana is heading for its smallest cocoa crop in 12 years after drought withered pods and illegal gold miners damaged plantations, according to people with knowledge of the matter.