Spain - Strong winds take a toll in the Canary Islands

12.01.2017 239 views
The wind storm that has affected several islands of the Archipelago in recent weeks has caused a devastating situation in various municipalities, especially in the western province, according to Asaja-Canarias technician Javier Gutiérrez. He acknowledged that the consequences will be noticeable in the coming months, when the harvest of the affected crops (especially bananas and avocados) starts and it becomes clear that the fruit has "lost quality."
Gutiérrez explained that in El Hierro, last week's winds "have made a bad situation worse." In La Gomera, the valley of Hermigua has been the most affected, and in Tenerife, the north eastern region has been the most hit, especially the meshes, which have not resisted the blows of the wind gusts.
The most affected municipality has been Hermigua, in La Gomera, with damage estimated to exceed 50% of the town's agricultural acreage. For this reason, the mayor, Pedro Negrín, has confirmed that "next Monday, 16 January, Hermigua will be declared a catastrophy zone." Some of the crops affected include bananas, avocados and potatoes.
Furthermore, he said that, according to what the technical reports show, the share of the acreage affected "will still increase, because the wind has not been normal; there have been seven consecutive days of very powerful bursts."
The storm has also taken a notable toll in other municipalities of La Gomera, such as Agulo and Vallehermoso. The mayor, Emiliano Coello, has revealed that in Vallehermoso one of the most affected areas has been La Dama. Bananas, potatoes and avocados have been the products that have suffered the most. It is, in his view, "a problem with an impact on both the economy and the landscape."
Source - cadenaser.com
09.09.2025

USA - Taylor County farmer arrested for crop insurance fraud

A man in Taylor County, KY, has been sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison for crop insurance fraud. Between 2014 and 2021, Hunt sold crops under the names of other people and significantly underreported his true production on crop insurance claim forms, resulting in over $1.6 million in fraudulent insurance overpayments.

09.09.2025

India - The changes aim to ensure that farmers are not denied crop insurance benefits due to the default of state governments

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced crucial modifications to the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), citing the Centre's experience with the previous Jagan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh. The changes aim to ensure that farmers are not denied crop insurance benefits due to the default of state governments.

13.08.2025

New area-yield index insurance helps farmers tackle climate risks

Land Bank Insurance Company has expanded its pilot “index insurance” product with the introduction of Area-Yield Index Insurance (AYII), designed to help farmers manage financial losses caused by large-scale climatic and environmental risks.

13.08.2025

Lithuania declares nationwide emergency over summer rainfall damage

Lithuania’s government on Wednesday declared a nationwide emergency after weeks of heavy summer rains caused widespread crop losses, following a proposal from the National Crisis Management Centre and the Agriculture Ministry.  

13.08.2025

Australia develops world-first biodegradable foot and mouth disease vaccine

The world’s first biodegradable vaccine for foot and mouth disease (FMD) has been developed in Australia, a country that remains free from the dreaded livestock

13.08.2025

USA - Researchers make breakthrough discovery that could transform agriculture: 'This research is important'

Scientists at Iowa State University have determined that co-locating solar panels and certain plants may be beneficial for crop production.  

13.08.2025

Fiji - Agriculture ministry tackles food waste

The Ministry of Agriculture is exploring an innovative new approach to reduce food waste by converting post-harvest losses and kitchen scraps into valuable resources like livestock feed and soil enhancers.  

13.08.2025

USA - Continuing drought affecting Vermont farmers, especially livestock farms

As dry conditions continue to spread across Vermont, one industry that is feeling the heat is the farms.