EastFruit analysts have conducted a thorough examination of the frost's repercussions on berry cultivation. As a reminder, the previous week concluded with numerous European nations reporting nocturnal air temperatures plummeting below the freezing point.
The Ministry of Agriculture released a report on Tuesday (April 30) detailing the agricultural damage caused by late April's heavy rains, revealing losses amounting to NT$11.84 million.
Recent cold snaps in Southwest Missouri have threatened this year’s crops for many farmers. A late frost could decimate this year’s harvest – and it has. Murphy Orchard in Marionville, Mo. has reported 60-80% crop loss on this year’s peaches. Fortunately, they say their other crops escaped the frost unharmed.
The organization Unió Llauradora expects the loquat production in the Region of Valencia to amount to around 10,000 tons, which entails a 30% drop compared to the previous campaign (14,000 tons). This is primarily due to the lack of rainfall.
There was low and medium level shower on Monday, which has terrorised the farmers as harvesting is going to be delayed. Farmer Salwinder Singh Randhawa, a resident of Pandori Rehmana, said Khalra, Khemkaran, Bhikhwind, Valtoha, Rajok, Harike, Chohla Sahib, Khadoor Sahib, Chabal and other parts were witnessing rain with speedy wind, which was causing heavy loss of the standing wheat crop.
With his farm almost entirely surrounded by the banks of the River Severn in northShropshire, Ed Tate is used to flooding on his land – but this year, the sheer level of rainfall is the worst he has ever seen.
Production of aromatic and medicinal plants in Morocco has suffered a severe blow this year due to persistent drought, leading to a drop in supply and the reconversion of many growers and exporters to other crops, according to Mehdi Benchekroun, owner of Domaines Mehdi Benchekroun.
Freezing temperatures have dealt a devastating blow to the fruit harvest in Czechia, with estimated damages surpassing 1 billion Czech crowns (40 million euros). Horticulturists report that the majority of fruit trees across the country have been damaged, resulting in a nearly complete loss of the harvest.
Unpredictable weather patterns during the spring of 2024 are posing additional challenges for farmers in Ukraine. After an unusual period of high temperatures, a sudden drop in temperatures, some below freezing, has occurred in certain regions.
“It’s the new public enemy number one.”That describes the latest noxious weed to arrive in the Big Horn Basin — Palmer amaranth — in the words of Josh Shorb, supervisor of the Park County Weed and Pest Control District.
The past ten nights were filled with anxiety for Belgian fruit growers. Wine grapes are being called a huge disaster due to frost. For apple and pear growers, though, the consequences seem to vary significantly by region.
At this stage of the season, whitefly has become the most threatening pest for citrus and kaki producers in the Spanish Region of Valencia. So much so, that the Valencian Association of Agricultural Producers (AVA-ASAJA) has described the whitefly outbreak as "an unprecedented invasion that has hit us extraordinarily early and abundantly in most of the producing regions, affecting more than 80% of the fields in some municipalities."
While the majority of Boro paddy have successfully formed rice grains, the remaining 20% in the flowering stage are at risk due to the ongoing heatwave across the country, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
At this time, Almeria's tomato campaign seems to be reaching its final stages in many farms. "At Caña y Retama, we are specialized in organic tomatoes, with our main specialty being tomatoes on the vine," says Emilio Jesús López.
In Poland, following an unseasonably warm spell, orchard and vineyard proprietors have resorted to igniting bonfires to mitigate the impact of a sudden cold snap on their crops. The preceding warm phase, with temperatures exceeding 25°C, induced premature blooming of plants, now susceptible to the recent plummet in temperatures to as low as -8°C.
Producers in Sweden have not had enough direct sunlight to grow much needed vegetables during spring, leading to a 30% drop in production. Peter Horvath, from Svenska Odlarlaget, one of the largest Producer Organizations in the country, "During Spring the average temperature has been around 0 degrees.
2024 AgroInsurance International Conference will take place on June 3-5, 2024 in Belgrade, Serbia, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Planet Labs (USA) and GAF AG (Germany) are sponsors of our conference. Agremo (Serbia) has been confirmed as the Organization Partner. More partners and sponsors to be announced in March 2024.
SEE ALLAgroInsurance Team is excited to announce the new dates and venue of the 2024 Agroinsurance International Conference. The event will be held on June 3-5, 2024 in Belgrade, Serbia. ‘Early Bird’ registration is already open.
Join us for a live webinar on December 6, 2023 featuring industry experts from Swiss Re, AXA Climate, Schweizer Hagel, AgroInsurance International and Planet. During this webinar we will discuss: The 2023 growing season, and prospects for 2024; The impact of El Niño and La Niña; Satellite data for loss adjustment - what works? What indices you can use - NDVI, soil moisture, and others
Join industry experts from Planet, Swiss Re, AXA Climate and AgroInsurance International for a look into how insurers are using satellite data to build products, measure crop conditions, and utilize indices that measure specific phenomena - like soil moisture and NDVI. We’ll also cover the key results of the recent Drought Survey by Planet and AgroInsurance.
More than three weeks after the Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted, the lava that continues to flow from its interior continues to devastate everything in its path, destroying houses, infrastructure, and banana plantations. The production of Platanos de Canarias is the economic engine of the island, accounting for 50% of its GDP and 30% of the jobs on the island.
SEE ALLWhile Vereinigte Hagelversicherung VVaG reported 30,000 hectares damaged just a few days ago, this figure has more than doubled within a few days. A good 66,000 hectares were registered for regulation from June 18 to 25. This is due to so-called supercells, which came from France through Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria to Austria and the Czech Republic, causing hailstorms over a length of several hundred kilometers. Local heavy rainfall with enormous amounts of rain from so-called "water bombs" and hailstones the size of tennis balls caused damage to almost all crops, often with total losses. On June 22 and again on June 24, the damage area stretched from Lake Starnberg via Munich to Passau. In Baden-Württemberg, the Neckar-Alb region was hardest hit on June 21 and, just two days later, the strip from Freiburg via Reutlingen to Esslingen. A locally intense area of damage extended along the North Sea coast in the Groningen-Norden-Aurich triangle on both the Dutch and German sides of the border. In addition, abroad, the polder areas on the IJsselmeer and the Baltic region were particularly affected. After the first surveys, Vereinigte Hagel now expects damage of about 20 to 23 million euros, a doubling compared to the beginning of last week. Supercells and what they are about - currently no end in sight The background to the now considerably higher damage figures are so-called supercells, which have a much higher damage potential than ordinary thunderstorms due to their rotation and longevity. "Their most important feature is the so-called "mesocyclone," a powerful rotating updraft. It creates a negative pressure on the ground so that, like a vacuum cleaner, warm and energetic air can be constantly sucked in at the ground and reach the upper edge of the troposphere (above 10 km altitude). There the warm air is sucked in and there is also the danger of possible tornadoes. Subsequently, in the area of the sinking cold air, it is not uncommon for extreme downbursts to reach the hurricane range. Over time, supercells develop a momentum of their own that prevents the sinking cold air (as compensation for the rising warm air) from entering the warm air area. Thus, the mesocyclone is fed with warm air for several hours. Due to the longevity and massive power of the rotating updraft, hailstones can be flung into the air several times, growing into large hailstones. From Monday through Thursday, conditions in southern Germany were ideal for these rotating monsters. A warm and humid air mass was stored in the lower atmosphere, so to speak the fuel for the engine of the rotating mesocyclones. In addition, the wind near the ground came from an easterly to northeasterly direction (which favored suction), veered nearly 180° to the southwest up to an altitude of about 5 kilometers, and increased significantly. In short, there was sufficient directional and velocity shear. This is a basic requirement for the formation of rotation in the updraft region and helps to prevent the sinking cold air from reaching the front of the thunderstorm cell." And it's set to continue. The DWD forecasts heavy thunderstorms in the south and southwest of Germany on Monday evening, as well as on Tuesday. Experts prepared for this, because in June or July such weather phenomena are not uncommon, as Vereinigte Hagel knows from almost 200 years of experience. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com
Hailstorms suddenly arrived in east China on 4 April to 5 April. Production areas in Pingdu, Laizhou, and Laiyang in Shandong suffered heavy damage. The hailstones damaged cherry trees, pear trees, peach trees, and apple trees. The cherry and peach trees in particular are in the middle of the flowering season, while apples are ripening on the trees. Some of the flowers have already begun to open in some of the warmer production areas. The impact of these hailstorms was disastrous for the upcoming production volume of cherries and peaches. The overall production volume will be greatly reduced and some farmers may have lost their entire harvest. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com
The freezing temperatures recently recorded in Ukraine could lead to the loss of up to 80% of the stone fruit production and up to 50% of the berry crops, said Kateryna Zvereva, Director for Development of the Ukrainian Fruit and Vegetable Association (UPAA). “Apricot and other stone fruit crops (peaches, sweet cherries and even some plum varieties) bloomed earlier than usual due to the high temperatures in March. However, night frosts that were fatal to stone fruit crops were recorded in late March, and the vast majority of growers in Ukraine don't yet have modern frost protection systems. Moreover, the cold weather during the flowering prevented the bees from pollinating the gardens," she said in a statement to Interfax-Ukraine. As for berries, the UPOA this week received several messages from Ukrainian blueberry producers, concerned about the serious damage caused by the lower air temperatures at the end of last month. “Due to the abnormally warm winter and significantly high temperatures in March, blueberries in many regions of Ukraine had almost started to bloom; however, frosts struck earlier this week. The situation worsened because frosts returned again after a short warm period,” said Zvereva. According to UPAA research, Chandler blueberries were the most affected, with potential crop losses estimated at more than 50% in some regions. The Duke variety, which is one of the most popular among domestic growers, was also significantly affected. “Losses in stone fruits could reach 80% of the potential production; in berries, perhaps 50%,” said the director for development of the UPOA. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com
The frequency of hailstorms is generally low in small geographic areas. In other words, it may be very likely that hailstorm occurrences will vary between neighboring locations within a short period of time. Besides, a newly launched insurance scheme lacks the data. It is, therefore, difficult to sustain a sound insurance program under these circumstances, with premium rates based on meteorological data without a complimentary adjustment process.
Last year, Malta’s local vegetable produce dropped by 7% when compared to the previous year. The total vegetables produced in tonnes amounted to 58,178, down by 7% when compared to 2017. Their value too diminished as the total produce was valued at €30 million, down by 13% over the previous year. The most significant drop was in potatoes, down by 27% over the previous year. Tomatoes and onions were the only vegetables to have increased in volume, by 3% and 4% respectively but their value diminished by 9% and 24% respectively. The figures were published by the National Statistics Office on the event of World Food Day 2019, which will be celebrated on Wednesday. Cauliflower, cabbage and lettuce produce dropped by 10%, 3%, and 12% respectively. In the realm of local fruit, a drop of produce was registered here too apart from strawberries, which experienced a whopping increase of 58% over 2017. Total fruit produced in 2018 amounted to 13,057 tonnes, down by 1% when compared to 2017. The total produce was valued at €10 million, a 3% increase in value. Peaches produced were down by 35% and the 376 tonnes of peaches cultivated amounted to €0.5 million in value. Orange produce dropped by 10% and lemon produce dropped by 14%. There was no change in the amount of grapes produced and the 3,642 tonnes of grapes produced in 2018 were valued at €2.3 million. 70% of fruit and vegetables consumed in Malta is imported. The drop in local produce could be the result of deleterious or unsuitable weather patterns. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com
While Florida and California accounted for 76 percent of U.S. production of field-grown tomatoes in 2016, greenhouse production and use of other protected-culture technologies help extend the growing season and make production feasible in a wider variety of geographic locations. Some greenhouse production is clustered in traditional field-grown-tomato-producing States like California. However, high concentrations of greenhouses are also located in Nebraska, Minnesota, New York, and other States that are not traditional market leaders. Among the benefits that greenhouse tomato producers can realize are greater market access both in the off-season and in northern retail produce markets, better product consistency, and improved yields. These benefits make greenhouse tomato production an increasingly attractive alternative to field production despite higher production costs. In addition to domestic production, a significant share of U.S. consumption of greenhouse tomatoes is satisfied by imports. In 2004, U.S., Mexican, and Canadian growers each contributed about 300 million pounds of greenhouse tomatoes annually to the U.S. fresh tomato market. Since then, Mexico’s share of the greenhouse tomato market has grown sharply, accounting for almost 84 percent (1.8 billion pounds) of the greenhouse volume coming into the U.S. market. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com
According to information from the USDA for the 2019-2020 season, world cherry production is expected to decrease slightly and amount to 3.6 million tons. This decline is due to the damages that the weather caused on cherry crops in the European Union. Even though Chile is expected to achieve a record export, world trade in cherries is expected to drop to 454,000 tons, based on lower shipments from Uzbekistan and the US. Turkey Turkey's production is expected to increase to 865,000. As a result of the strong export demand, producers continue to invest and improve their orchards, switching to high yield varieties and gradually expanding the surface for sweet cherries. More supplies are expected to increase exports to a record 78,000 tons, continuing its long upward trend. Chile Chile's production is forecast to increase from 30,000 tons to 231,000 as they have a larger area of mature trees. Between 2009/10 and 2018/19, the crop area has almost tripled, a trend that is expected to continue. The country is expected to export up to 205,000 tons in higher supplies. The percentage of exports destined for China has increased from 13 to almost 90% since 2009/10. China China's production is expected to increase by up to 24% and to amount to 420,000 tons, due to the recovery of the orchards that were damaged by frost last year. In addition, there are new crops that will go into production. Imports are expected to increase by 15,000 tons and to stand at 195,000 tons, as the increase in supplies from Chile will more than compensate for the lower shipments from the United States. Although higher tariffs are maintained for American cherries, the United States is expected to remain China's main supplier in the northern hemisphere. United States US production is expected to remain stable at 450,000 tons. Imports are expected to increase to 18,000 tons with more supplies available from Chile. Exports are forecast to decrease for the second consecutive year to 80,000 tons, as high retaliatory tariffs continue to suppress US shipments to China. If this happens, it will be the first time that US cherry exports experience a decrease in 2 consecutive years since 2002/03, when production suffered a fall of 44%. European Union EU production is projected to fall by more than 20%, remaining at 648,000 tons because of the hail that affected the early varieties in Italy, and the frost, low temperatures, and drought that caused a significant loss of fruit in Poland, the main producer. Lower supplies are expected to pressure exports to 15,000 tons and increase imports to 55,000 tons. Russia Russia's imports are expected to contract by 13,000 tons to 80,000 with lower supplies from Kazakhstan, Moldova, and Serbia. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com
