USA - Peach harvest in southwestern Michigan nearly wiped out by last winter’s polar vortex

10.06.2019 1747 views

The polar vortex that enveloped much of the Midwest early this year has nearly wiped out the peach crop in southwestern Michigan.

And it’s not just peaches, which Michigan is known for. Some of the region’s apricot, plum and apple crops also might be affected after the blast of polar air plummeted temperatures to minus 20 degrees in late January around the state.

Bill Shane, a tree fruit specialist at Michigan State University, says Michigan’s southwestern counties will suffer millions of dollars in losses from damage to fruit crops. The polar vortex also might have shortened the lifespan of trees that were severely damaged, according to Shane.

Bill Teichman recently inspected his peach trees at Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm, a 500-acre orchard in Eau Claire, Michigan, and found deep, vertical cracks in some of their trunks. Others were bleeding sap. Some were hardly able to produce leaves, Teichman said.

He said he doubts that his peach trees will be able to produce fruit at all this year and that he already can tell that several need to be replaced.

A peach tree in Eau Claire, Michigan, that was badly damaged by last winter’s polar vortex.
A peach tree in Eau Claire, Michigan, that was badly damaged by last winter’s polar vortex.
AP

He also found that some of his apple varieties aren’t bearing fruit, either. He hopes to help cover his losses through an insurance claim.

His farm is still recovering from a late cold snap in 2012 that killed the farm’s peach trees.

“We’ve lost our peach crop twice in the past seven years,” he said.

Ben Smith, who manages Hinkelman Farms in Benton Harbor, Michigan, said some of the farm’s grape varieties were killed. It could take a couple of years before it can get its grapes back to full production, according to Smith.

Source - https://chicago.suntimes.com
07.07.2026

Ukraine - Cold spring delayed soybean development and increased harvest loss risk

The cold spring and low temperatures at the beginning of sowing had a negative impact on the development of soybeans in Ukraine. 

07.07.2026

Severe storms drench China, leading to deaths and crop damage

China’s central and southern regions have been lashed by heavy rain that’s led to deaths and crop damage, with more extreme weather expected later this week from a strong typhoon heading toward the country’s east.

07.07.2026

Severe storms flooded roads and battered vineyards in northeastern Italy

Large hail and strong winds hit towns in Veneto and Friuli, raising fears of crop damage in a key wine-growing region.

07.07.2026

Australia - Bird flu compensation leaves business interruption insurance gap

The spread of H5 bird flu to a third Australian state has focused industry attention on a structural feature of the country’s animal-disease risk model that matters to underwriters and brokers: government compensation for avian influenza reimburses culled birds but excludes the business-interruption losses that often exceed them, leaving a coverage gap that the private market fills only partially and, brokers say, on tightening terms.

07.07.2026

Livestock insurance offers hope to drought-hit Somalia pastoralists

A record drought wiped out nearly half of Iido Abdikarin Abdille's herd in northern Somalia, but a livestock insurance programme is helping to ease the financial burden on pastoralists like her.

07.07.2026

Spain - The Board will sign an agreement with Enesa to share data in the management and control of aid for agricultural insurance

The Governing Council of the Junta de Extremadura has given the green light to the subscription of an administrative cooperation agreement between the regional administration and the State Agricultural Insurance Entity (Enesa), with the aim of facilitating the exchange of information for the management and supervision of subsidies for agricultural insurance contracts.

06.07.2026

Canada - Prairie Storms Expected to Generate Significant Crop Hail Claims

Golf-ball-sized hail reported in parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

06.07.2026

Bangladesh - Flood forecasting technology key to reducing crop losses: IEB president

Engineers and academics on Monday stressed the need for technology-driven flood forecasting and early warning systems to strengthen Bangladesh's resilience against floods and minimise damage to lives, livelihoods and agriculture.