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USDA sends $9 million in conservation funds to help producers affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita USDA | September 30, 2005 Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced $9 million in Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) funds are now available for Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas producers to repair environmental damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and Rita. These funds are in addition to more than $20 million in ECP funding provided on September 7. These funds will help farmers and ranchers repair environmental damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Producers can use ECP funds to remove farmland debris, restor fences and repair conservation structures. It will also help pay for grading and shaping storm damaged farmland. NBCA: Relief needed for farms and ranches in the path of Hurricane Rita Cattle Network | September 29, 2005 While large cities along the GUlf Coast did not take a direct hit from Hurrican Rita, rural areas and small towns in the region are scrambling to recover from the brutal storm's aftermath. Farms and ranches in the region are particularly in need of supplies and assistance, especially in southwestern and south central Louisiana, and in eastern Texas. According to Jason Rowntree, coordinator of adult beef extension at Louisiana State University, about 175,000 head of cattle reside int he areas of his state hardest hit by Hurricane Rita. "We know thousands of beef cattle are stranded without hay or fresh water. These areas are in dire need of hay, range cubes, fencing supplies and portable corrals." Katrina and drought cause $2.2 billion in US farm losses Planet Ark | by Charles Abbott | September 21, 2005 Hurricane Katrina caused an estimated $900 million in crop and livestock losses in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, the US government said on Tuesday, while Corn Belt drought cut corn and soybeans by $1.3 billion. The USDA said its preliminary estimate did not include damage to buildings, fences, or power lines, and did not tally fuel-shortage or long-term costs. The USDA released its estimates at the same time Congress was considering a new round of post-hurricane aid. Farm-state lawmakers say the farm sector will get a share of disaster aid and that all 2005 losses from severe weather- not just Katrina - must be covered. Second-largest ever corn and soy crops expected The Globe and Mail | September 13, 2005 US farmers will harvest the second-largest US corn and soybean crops ever, despite drought and hurricane Katrina, the US government said yesterday, and market watchers said they expect low prices for months to come. Katrina caused comparatively minor damage to sugar and cotton crops in Southern states and will have only a short-term effect on the region's production and exports of chicken meat, the USDA said. Katrina rings alarm on climate change: World Bank Reuters | by Laura MacInnis | September 9, 2005 Hurricane Katrina may serve as a wake-up call on climate change for developing nations, many of which are vulnerable to devastation from global warming, the World Bank's top environmental official said on Thursday. "Just think of the catastrophic impact it's had in a country that's pretty well organized, pretty rich. Transfer that to a country that isn't and may not have the same level of capacity to deal with these sort of things," Johnson said. In order to protect vulnerable regions, the World Bank was seeking to increase reliance on water-resistant or drought resistant crops to maintain agricultural productivity should weather patterns change, he said, adding new insurance products could also help those who would otherwise lose everything in a disaster. Impacts de Katrina La Terre | 6 septembre, 2005 C'est dans le port de la Nouvelle-Orléans, fermé depuis le passage de l'ouragan Katrina, que plus de 50 % des exportations de céréales ameéricaines transigeaient. Les pertes agricoles attribuables à l'ouragon Katrina sont estimées pour l'instant à un milliard de dollars de pertes directes sur les récoltes et les animaux morts et un autre milliard pour les effets secondaires comme la hausse majeure du prix des carburants. La fermature du port de la Nouvelle-Orléans, dans le golfe du Mexique, pourrait cependant avoir un impact majeur puisque c'est par cet endroit que plus de 50% des expotations de céréales et notamment de blé, du maïs et de soya sont exportées hors des États-Unis. Farm Economy Feels The Hit As Shuttered Ports Halt Trade The Wall Street Journal | by Scott Kilman | September 1, 2005 Hurricane Katrina is taking some steam out of the farm economy. While the hurricane's wind and rain caused little damage to the nation's biggest crops, it has shut down grain-exporting ports around New Orleans for an indefinite period, depressing prices that Midwest farmers are fetching for corn, wheat and soybeans. Grain elevators have slashed the prices they are paying farmers for crops by as much as 15 cents a bushel -- or roughly 4% -- since Monday in large part to compensate for their soaring cost of booking space on river barges. A distribution system brought to its knees New York Times | by Alexei Barrionuevo and Claudia Deutsch | September 1, 2005 As ports remained closed from Louisiana to Florida on Wednesday, some 300 barges containing grains and other products were left homeless. Under the management of Cargill, a large agriculture producer and exporter, the barges were caught in a bottleneck caused by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Now they are floating on rivers north of New Orleans with nowhere to go. Two days after one of the worst storms ever ravaged the Gulf Coast, large parts of the nation's distribution system were feeling the effects. The result is that consumers, even those far from the storm's epicenter, might have to pay more for everything from coffee and bananas to paint and tires. Distant storm could chill Minnesota farm markets Star Tribune | by Thomas Lee | September 1, 2005 The shutdown of hurricane-ravaged New Orleans is depriving US agriculture of a vital shipping port just as Midwest farmers begin harvesting crops like corn and soybeans. Farmers usually send their grain and other agricultural commodities down the Mississippi River to New Orleans and other Gulf Coast ports, where most of the nation's corn, soybeans and wheat is shipped to markets around the world. September and October are typically the two biggest months for exporting corn. Critical US Supply line is disrupted Washington Post | by Neil Irwin | September 1, 2005 The effects of the monster storm that devastated the Gulf Coast spread through the nation's economy yesterday, disrupting shipping and rail networks and sending prices for lumber, coffee and other commodities soaring. New Orleans is underwater, and its future is uncertain - as is that of the $49 billion in goods, 60 percent of US grain exports, and 26 percent of the nation's natural gas supply and crude oil that flow through nearby ports each year. Soaking after drought only adds to crop woes Knight-Ridder Tribune | by Janet Patton | September 1, 2005 For Kentucky farmers, the remnants of Katrina might be too much, too late. Most of the summer drought has been a serious problem - some crops weren't planted because it was just too dry, others withered in the field. And cattle producers have had to resort to hay and feed to keep livestock alive. This week's rain, spread out over the last two months, would have kept the farm economy at good levels. But coming all at once at the end of August just compounded the problem for many crops. South Dade County, Fla., growers ask for state, federal relief Knight-Ridder Tribune | August 31, 2005 As an official delegation trudged through damaged nurseries and groves littered with drowned fruit trees Tuesday, South Miami-Dade growers pressed their demands for state and federal help to recover from Hurricane Katrina. "It was a hell of a hurricane," said Arturo DeLeon, owner of DeLeon Farms. "We need the help not only for the migrant people but for the farmers themselves." Congress must approve any federal disaster relief for stricken areas. But Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson said he would look into ways to locate state funds, working with lawmakers and the governor in Tallahassee. Hurricane Katrina's impact felt by Wisconsin's grain farmers Grand Forks Herald | by Ryan Foley | August 31, 2005 Rising fuel prices and delayed grain shipments mean Hurricane Katrina's impact will be felt in the farm fields of Wisconsin, industry experts said. Much of the Wisconsin-grown grain that is not used to feed livestock of produce ethanol gets shipped down the Mississippi River to the port of New Orleans, where is is exported around the world. The port has been closed after the hurricane crashed ashore this week. The cost of shipping grain on barges in the Mississippi River has increased up to 20 cents per bushel in the last few days. Katrina delays New Orleans Farm Shipments Washington Post | by Libby Quaid | August 31, 2005 Hurricane Katrina interrupted farm shipments through New Orleans, where more than half of the nation's grain exports depart for overseas. It's too early to know the damage to shipping terminals or other facilities, government officials said. In the worst-case scenario, snarled river traffic would force shippers to rely on rail or truck transportation, which are more expensive options, particularly with fuel costs rising. The Mississippi River is the cheapest route for shipping many crops and other commodities destined for overseas markets. The US exports a quarter of the grain it produces; of that amount, more than half departs from Mississippi Gulf ports hit by Katrina. USDA modifies sugar program to address market disruption caused by Hurricane Katrina USDA News Release | August 30, 2005 In response to the sugar market turmoil created by Hurricane Katrina, the US Department of Agriculture today further modified the FY 2005 sugar program. USDA is increasing the FY 2005 Overall Allotment Quantity (OAQ), which is the quantity of domestic sugar that may enter the market and announced early entry of the FY 2006 refined sugar tariff-rate quota, beginning September 8, 2005. The actions taken today are intended to boost refined sugar quantities immediately available to ameliorate already-tight domestic market conditions, exacerbated by the forced closure of two major sugar refineries by the hurricane. Wheat prices rise as dry weather may cut Ukraine, Russian crops Bloomberg | September 29, 2005 Wheat future in Chicago rose the most in a week on a speculation unusually dry weather in Russia and Ukraine will damage crops and increase demand for US grain. It hasn't rained in much of southwestern Russia and easter Ukraine in three weeks, and there's no rain expected for the next 10 days, said Drew Lerner, president of World Weather Inc. in Kansas City, Kansas. Rains are needed soon for recently planted seeds to develop root systems to survive the winter. Diminishing water supply threatens E. Washington farmers The Seattle Times | by Mark Schoesler | September 29, 2005 Without water, the Columbia Basin region would look like the sagebrush-covered desert it was before farmers and irrigators transformed it into some of the top-producing farmland in the United States. Thanks to water, 119 crops are grown in the Columbia Basin. But this region's future is endangered because of its diminishing water supply. Much of the region relies on the vast Odessa sub-area aquifer for its water. But more water is being withdrawn from the aquifer than is being recharged. Heat, fuel cost hurting NJ farmers SF Gate | by Linda Johnson | September 28, 2005 The intense heat wave and dry spell over the second half of the summer has left many New Jersey farmers burned up - just like some of their crops - over reduced yields. And, like farmers nationwide, Garden State growers are feeling the pinch of skyrocketing fuel prices, which are already more than double what they were a year ago. Rifkin said he's irrigated his fields of sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant twice as much as usual, and other costs have also skyrocketed, from delivery fees to the cost of operating each tractor - now $70 per day, up from $30 last summer. Bean crop bad in Manitoba Western Producer | by Sean Pratt | September 28, 2005 After a year in which they lost half of their crop, many Manitoba bean growers entered the 2005 season thinking things couldn't get any worse. They were wrong. Unprecedented June rains in many parts of southern Manitoba drowned hopes of a recovery. "I would suspect that there would be 20-30 percent of an average crop," said Lincoln Wolfe. "Our farm was completely wiped out. We had 2,700 acres of edible beans of which every acre was destroyed." Good yields but lousy prices, says Johnson Farm Market | by Hank Daniszewski | September 28, 2005 Despite searing heat and minimal rainfall, most crops in most of Southwestern Ontario fared surprisingly well this summer, says a provincial crop specialist. Peter Johnson, OMAFRA's cereals specialist, says most soybean, edible bean and corn crops received enough rain to thrive. But even a bountiful harvest won't save farmers from the economic impact of low grain prices, soaring petroleum prices and a rising loonie. Grain production rises; price fall hurts farmers China Daily | by Fu Jing | September 26, 2005 A continuous increase in China's grain output this year will ensure "food security," but falling crop prices will create difficulties for farmers, according to a top agricultural policy maker. The nation's grain production this year is expected to reach 475 million tons, up from 469.5 million tons in 2004. THere has been a continous rise in production since 2003, when China's grain output hit 430 million tons, a 14-year low. However, there is little chance of a grain price rise, and added to a rapid increase of production material costs, uncertainty in weather and frequent natural disasters, many CHinese farmers have not enjoyed a happy year. Large Canada crop strains handling system: CEO Reuters | by Roberta Rampton | September 26, 2005 Canadian grain exporters fear some of the country's large and delayed harvest may not get to export position on time for fall sales, the chief executive of James Richardson International Ltd. said in an interview. Canada's exportable grain supply is probably the biggest in five years, and shippers are having trouble securing rail cars to get the crop out of its land-locked Prairie region to ports more than 1,700 km away. Rain had stalled the harvest during the first two weeks of September in the heart of the country's grain belt. Now, farmers are rushing to deliver their grain to elevators, but exporters are concerned about grain quality because the harvest is only half completed. Weather extremes will wreak havoc on farms The Irish Independent | by Caroline Crawford | September 25, 2005 Ireland is locked into weather patterns that will see severe heatwaves and drought conditions in summer and could wreak havoc on our agricultural sector. Experts at a conference on climate change in Dublin warned that there is now nothing we can do to avert the disruptive weather we will face over the next 50 years. One victim of the erratic weather will be the agricultural sector. Ireland's staple produce, the potato, may no longer grow in Ireland by 2050 due to unsuitable weather. Droughtw will see the need for sophisticated irrigation systems and farmers will be forced to grow more barley to replace the potato. Climate change hurts Africa most, scientists say Planet Ark | September 23, 2005 Africa contributes least to global climate change, but is bearing the brunt of the phenomenon that is expected to exacerbate food shortages in the long term, scientists warned on Thursday. Global warming has been blamed for increased cycles of drought across Africa, where millions this year face hunger and starvation. "Poor developing countries are least developed to adapt to climate change, although most of them play and certainly will continue to play an insignificant role in causing it," said Shem Wandiga, chairman of the climate change research group System for Research ANalysis and Training (START). New crops that could help prevent famine launched Planet Ark | September 22, 2005 A research group on Wednesday launched newly developed fast-maturing and drought-resistant crops it said could help prevent the type of food shortages experienced in West and Central Africa. The India-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropecs (ICRISAT) said new varieties of "pearl millet" and "pigeon pea" crops were now available for use by porr farmers in semi-arid areas. "The famine in West Africa could have been averted or could have been reduced significantly with the use of science and technology," ICRISAT's West Africa director Saidou Koala told news conference in Nairobi during the crops' launch. Rain dampens harvest optimism Western Producer | by Karen Morrison | September 21, 2005 Electrical power returned to parts of southwestern Alberta this week while a damaged bridge remained closed near Porcupine Plain, Sask., after heavy rainfall halted harvest and forced several districts to declare themselves to declare disaster areas. Crops are sitting in wet fields, some swathed canola was washed away by floods and standing crop could end up rotting before it can be cut. Low commodity prices combined with high fuel and fertilizer costs have further dampened farmers' spirits. Europe's 2003 heatwave altered carbon cycle -study Reuters | by Patricia Reaney | September 21, 2005 Europe's devastating heat wave, which claimed 35,000 lives in 2003, also reduced plant growth across the continent by 30 percent and may have contributed to global warming, French researchers said on Wednesday. Hotter temperatures are usually thought to enhance plant growth by prolonging the growing season. They are also thought to slow the rate of climate change by increasing the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that vegetation and trees, so-called carbon sinks, absorb from the atmosphere. But low rainfall in eastern Europe in 2003 and extremely hot temperatures in western Europe combined to reduce plant growth in a way that was inprecendented during the last century. Napa Valley grape growers are seeing a bumper crop LA Times | September 20, 2005 Grape growers in Napa Valley are expecting their biggest harvest in four years. Napa Valley, the site of wineries including Robert Mondavi Winery and Beringer Vineyards, is in the midst of "the crush," as the annual harvest is know. Farmers say their cabernet and chardonnay crops are larger than they were in 2004, and prices may exceed last year's because favourable weather has improved the quality. California's wine grape crop may yield $1.8 billion this year, according to estimates by the state and farmers. That would be the best harvest since 2001, state Food and Agriculture Department records show. Futures deal to help get through dry times New Zealand Herald | September 19, 2005 The New South Wales government and the Sydney Futures Exchange are creating derivatives that will let farmers and their suppliers reduce the risk of financial losses from water shortages. The water future contracts will settle to an index that measures dam and reservoir levels, changing in value as water levels rise and fall, said Ken Chapman, the Sydney exchange's head of strategic development. Farmers can hedge their losses by selling futures and then buy them back at a lower price when the index declines. Grain harvest shrinks in rain Canadian Press | by Lori Fazari | September 19, 2005 In large parts of Saskatchewan and Alberta, high hopes nurtured by a good growing season have turned sour this month as rain keeps falling and the harvest falls behind. Yields are still expected to be good, according to the Canadian Wheat Board, but the quality of the yields is dropping as the moisture affects the crops. Also, what's left to harvest runs the risk of encountering frost later in the season. In Manitoba, many farmers never had a harvest, having watched fields flood under heavy rain before they could be seeded. That's led to a record crop insurance payout for excess moisture, and figures are still being tallied for the moisture damage suffered by the crops left standing this summer. Farmers must work the land News24 | September 18, 2005 As farming experts in Zimbabwe predict another dismal agricultural season, the country's vice president has threatened to take back farms from newly resettled black farmers if they do not fully use the land. Agricultural production in the country has rapidly declined since the launch five years ago of a controversial land reform programme to resettle white-owned farms with blacks. Before the land reform, commercial farmers produced more than 200 million kilos of tobacco - a key foreign currency earner. But last year production was less than 70 million kilos. The shortage of foreign currency has, along with poor rains, impacted heavily on agricultural production. Famine alert after drought, crop failures The Sunday Independent | by Meera Selva | September 18, 2005 In the bare fields around Chikwawa in the southern highlands of Malawi, people are still willing to stop for a chat. They are still smiling as they forage around the dried-up grasses to find some wild roots to chew on. But ask them what they're eating and their smiles fade. "We're living off air, all our crops have gone," said Lighton Kampira. "We planted at the right time, we waited for them to germinate and grow, but they wilted at knee high when the rains failed. Maize, sorghum, millet, it is all gone." Fuel prices continue to hurt farmers bottom line Farm Market | by Jeff Helsdon | September 17, 2005 As the gas prices fo up, farmers' profits are going down. Linda Lietaer, spokesperson for the Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers' Marketing Board, said this year's crop is one that required significant irrigation. Irrigation means expenses in equipment, labour and fuel. Irrigation has become a key part of the production of tobacco as higher quality is demanded by buyers. Strengthening strategy to aid farmers Farm Market | by Ron Bonnett | September 17, 2005 Piece by piece, elements of what Ontario agriculture needs to succeed in the future are coming into place. Just recently we received a letter from Hon. Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for Ontario, thanking me for my willingness to serve on the advisory committee. This will be an opportunity to provide direction and help plan profitability of the Ontario agriculture sector. Included in what we're asking for are predictable risk management and production insurance programs. Bt varieties holding their own in a 'buggy' year Farm Market | by Don Robinet | September 17, 2005 The hot and dry weather we've experienced this summer makes for prime breeding conditions for bugs, but Bt corn has been able to handle the challenge, according to a technical information manager with Pioneer Hi-Bred. For plants without the technology, corn borer infestation is running from about 30 to 100 percent. Summer encouraged the spread of the soybean cyst nematode Farm Market | by Don Robinet | September 17, 2005 This summer has provided ideal conditions for soybean cyst nematode. Hot and dry conditions have allowed it to flourish, says Brad Hedges, one of the presenters at Pioneer Hi-Bred's technology day. He says producers can look for damage including early death and stunted growth and can test the soil until the leaves drop. NK introduces own glyphosate-resistant corn hybrid Farm Market | by Peter Epp | September 17, 2005 The newest glyphosate resistant technology has been introduced by Syngenta and will be expressed in NK Seeds' corn hybrids next spring. Syngenta's GT, or glyphosate resistant hybrids, were formally introduced in London in mid-August, but were further explained at a technology learning day, held at NK's Arva research station on Sept. 8. Plant breeder said GT is Syngenta's answer to the Roundup Ready technology that has been on the market for several years. 'Old' genetics used for new aphid resistant variety Farm Market | by Peter Epp | September 17, 2005 Syngenta will be introducing an aphid-resistant soybean by 2008, using genetics from an ancestral variety that hasn't been grown in North America for decades. The new aphid-resistant variety, being developed for NK Seeds, will have the capacity to make the first generation of the pest impotent and unable to reproduce, says soybean breeder Don McClure. News of the experimental variety was revealed at a technology learning day, held at NK's Arva research station on Sept. 8. Une île sans OGM La Terre | 15 septembre, 2005 Greenpeace demande à l'île-du-Prince-Édouard de devenir la première province canadienne exempte d'organismes génétiquement modifiés (OGM). Greenpeace a profité de la tenue d'une consultation publique sur les OGM dans cette province pour suggérer au Comité sur l'agriculture et l'environnement de faire de l'île un territoire sans OGM. Pour Greenpeace, les OGM sont une menace directe à la biodiversité. L'organisme prône le principe de précaution. World community reacts slowly to locust swarms Western Producer | by Barbara Duckworth | September 14, 2005 Locust outbreaks in tropical countries are less severe than in the past, yet a recent situation in northern Africa revealed international agencies do not move quickly enough to avert a crisis, said Michel Lecoq of France's locust ecology and control unit. The specialist in locust management in tropical countries told a recent International Orthopterists Society meeting in Canmore that old control concepts focusing on the locust need to be replaced with new programs that manage the people who have the knowledge to effectively control the insects. World community reacts slowly to locust swamrs Western Producer | by Barbara Duckworth | September 14, 2005 Locust outbreaks in tropical countries are less severe than in the past, yet a recent situation in northern Africa revealed international agencies do not move quickly enough to avert a crisis, said Michel Lecoq of France's locust ecology and control unit. The specialist in locust management in tropical countries told a recent International Orthopterists Society meeting in Canmore that old control concepts focusing on the locust need to be replaced with new programs that manage the people who have the knowledge to effectively control the insects. EU ministers face up to the challenge of climate change for agriculture News Release from DEFRA | September, 2005 Sustainable agriculture and land-use can play a significant role in addressing climate change and still provide the economic and social benefits rural areas need, Margaret Beckett Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said today. Mrs. Beckett said "In the UK we are taking these issues forward with our Climate Change Programme Review and a policy framework for adaptation, to be published later this year. We have also established a high-level Rural Climate Change Forum to help us address these challenges effectively. Farmers can help to address the drastic impacts of climate change, for example through water management to reduce the risks of flooding." Drought cuts French wheat and maize crops Planet Ark | September 14, 2005 Severe drought in France this summer prompted the farm ministry to cut its forecast for the country's wheat and maize crops on Tuesday, with maize plunging almost 20 percent on last year's harvest. "The drought affected maize grain yields, and with quite a sharp decrease in the area, the harvest will be down almost 20 percent," the ministry's statistical arm SCEES said. SCEES put the maize crop (minus seeds) at 13.12 million tonnes, down from estimate in August of 13.49 million tonnes and 18.9 percent down on 2004. Rain delays harvest efforts Western Producer | by Karen Morrison | September 14, 2005 Eastend, Sask., farmer Greg Lundsten is feeling lucky after missing a prairie storm that dumped as much as 186 millimetres of rain over the weekend. He received only 25 mm of rain in his district where most farmers are nearing the end of their harvest. Farther north around Saskatoon and Humboldt, farmers have not been so lucky with recent weather. Joey Perrot reported hail and heavy rain around his farm at Spalding, where five inch (125 mm) rain gauges were overflowing. Warmer Britain will grow sunflowers, sweetcorn and tea The Guardian | by Juliette Jowir | September 11, 2005 The classic English landscape of Constable and Turner will be redrawn by the middle of this century as British farmers turn to mass crops of sunflowers, sweetcorn and elephant grass. The UK and other northern European countries are expected to become one of the breadbaskets of the world as commercial farming of once impossible-to--grow grain fodder and beans is made possible by climate change. Further south, however, landowners will struggle with water shortages and soil erosion, which could bankrupt them, resulting in a north-south European divide. Olives and bananas thrive among the heather in warming Scotland The Independent | by Severin Carrell | September 11, 2005 They have long been known for their luxuriant thistles, abundant heather and the most aggressive midges in northern Europe. But a more exotic future lies in wait for Scottish gardens, according to a major study by plant experts. Banana trees, olives and other heat-loving species can now survive as far north as Glasgow, they have concluded - further evidence that our climate is slowly but perceptibly getting warmer. In a year-long study, Gardening Which? magazine conducted the first UK-wide trials to test how tropical and exotic plants survived the winter, and uncovered further strong evidence about the shift in Britain's climate. EU ministers discuss climate change impacts on farming The Financial Times | by Fiona Harvey | September 10, 2005 The possibility of envronmental disaster, which could tear the European Union apart and leave much of its farmland abandoned while the rich retreat to gated rural communities, will be presented to Europe's agriculture and environment ministers this weekend, to stimulate action on tackling climate change. Margaret Beckett, the UK's environment secretary, who will chair the informal meeting under the British presidency, said the EU's agriculture and environment ministers had never before discussed the likely impact of climate change on European farming. She told the FT: "The [EU's] environment council rarely gives much thought to agriculture, and agriculture almost never thinks about climate change." Subsidy row taints EU debate on farming, climate change Agence France Presse | by Aude Genet | September 11, 2005 EU farm and environment ministers on Sunday debated the link between agriculture and global warming, at a meeting in London that failed to escape a cross-Channel row over farm subsidies. The weekend informal meeting, organized by the British presidency of the EU, dovetailed with Britain's efforts to put climate change at the top of the international agenda. "Climate change is the most serious and long-term challenge we face," said the Environment Secretary. "Farmers can help to address the drastic impacts of climate change, for example, through water management to reduce the risks of flooding." Global warming could hit India agriculture: study Reuters | September 8, 2005 Global warming will push temperatures in India up by 3-4 degrees Celsius by the turn of the century, hitting agriculture and infrastructure, a joint India-UK study said on Thursday. Rainfall will increase substantially in many areas while diseases such as malaria will spread, the report said. "The impact of climate change on agriculture could result in problems with food security and may threaten livelihood activities upon which much of the population depends," said the report. "Changes in certain crop can affect imports and exports." Storms threaten French wine harvest Beverage Daily | by Chris Mercer | September 8, 2005 Freak storms have ravaged France's Languedoc-Roussillon region, threatening to damage the new wine crop by leaving some vineyards under water at the crucial harvesting stage. Much of Montpellier turned into a ghost town late Tuesday as police told shops and cafes to shut after France's meteorological office put the whole region on a 'red alert' for extreme weather. The deluge that came was, in the end, less violent than expected, but still flung enough water to flood villages and vineyards in the region - just as wine makers had begun their annual grape harvest. US growers confident GM wheat holds hope Western Producer | by Adrian Ewins | September 7, 2005 A study suggesting US wheat growers would lose hundreds of millions of dollars from the introduction of Roundup Ready wheat hasn't dampened the enthusiasm of the US National Association of Wheat Growers for the new technology. NAWG president said he still believes genetically modified wheat is the answer to most of the wheat industry's problems. The industry can no longer sit back and do nothing in the face of declining acreage, competition from other GM crops, a crumbling infrastructure, flat yields, rising input costs and increased foreign competition, he said. Wild sanctuaries needed to ensure crops' survival; Climate change, new diseases could decimate crops, scientist warns Niagara This Week | by Mike Zettel | September 7, 2005 While modern farming practices have done wonders to increase crop yields and thereby feed more people, it has done so at the expense of plant diversity. There is a danger that modern farmers face: with crops dedicated to one species of plant there's no interaction with wild genes and no evolution taking place. While scientists have become quite skilled at locating genes for desired traits, such as disease resistance, their work is no substitute for the spontaneous mixing of genes that takes place in the wild. Were a new disease to come along or an extreme climate change, the wheat will not be able to adapt a defense against it. Climate change may fuel hunger The Calgary Sun | September 6, 2005 About 50 million more people, most of them in Africa, could be at risk of hunger by 2050 due to climate change and reduced crop yields, scientists predict. Roughly 500 million people worldwide already face hunger, but rising levels of greenhouse gases could make the problem worse. Professor Martin Parry told the British Association science conference it would take huge reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases - about 20 times those required by the Kyoto Protocol - to avoid the additional risk of hunger. Millions face climate change hunger crisis Ireland On Line | September 5, 2005 Climate change is likely to cause a hunger crisis far worse than most estimates predict, experts said today. About 500 million people in the world are now at risk of food deprivation, mostly in Africa. But scientists at Britain's Meteorological Office predict 50 million more will be facing hunger by 2050 even if greenhouse has emission targets are met. New studies show that having more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may not bolster crop yields as much as has been expected. Consequently it may do little to counteract the damaging effects of global warming on agriculture around the world. Saskatchewan hail claims increasing The Leader-Post | by Bruce Johnstone | September 2, 2005 Saskatchewan farmers have filed a total of more than 9,000 hail claims this year, up from about 7,500 two weeks ago, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association. The number of claims to date is about 25 percent below the five-year average. However, the average claim value ranges from $6,500 to $8,500, which is well above normal. Some hail insurance companies say this year's losses per claim are the highest ever. Des vendanges pleines de promesses La Terre| par Thierry Larivière | 1 septembre, 2005 "Il y en a trop, les poteaux lâchent," a lancé le vigneron Christian Bolduc du Vignoble d'Orford. Plusieurs vignerons estiment eux aussi que les vendages devraient être deux semaines en avance avec du raisin en abondance. Le mois do septembre sera critique parce que c'est pendant la véraison que le taux de sucre, le saveur et la couleur se précisent. "On a une quantité comme on a jamais eue. Il a même fallu égrapper pour que les raisins atteignent un meilleur taux de sucre." |
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