European wheat production forecast at 12-year low. Corn, barley, oilseeds also down on year.
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Tag Archives maize
EU cuts wheat crop estimate to 12-year low
Ukraine could lack seed for years, French producers warn
Paris | Reuters — Reduced production of crop seed in Ukraine due to war with Russia could affect the country’s grain production for several years, a French seed industry group said on Thursday. Ukraine, one of the world’s largest grain exporters, is widely expected to see its harvest shrink this year as Russia’s invasion disrupts […] Read more
U.S. farming body, Zambian firm partner aim to boost crop yields
Country rebuilding drought-battered ag sector
Lusaka | Reuters — A U.S. non-profit organization has launched a US$40 million joint venture with one of Zambia’s top farm suppliers to boost crop yields and food security as farmers struggle to access finance amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the local company said on Sunday. The chairman of African Green Resources (AGR), Zuneid Yousuf, said […] Read more
Waiting on cold corn
There’s optimism for early-planted corn, despite its long time in the ground
Corn planted early this spring saw some chilly spells while still in the ground, but OMAFRA corn specialist Ben Rosser says that although a bit behind, it will still make it through. Why it matters: Compared to spring of 2019, farmers are on the ground much earlier this year. But cold spells throughout this spring […] Read more
Drones to be tested against Africa’s locust swarms
U.N.'s FAO testing drones to detect, spray pests
Nairobi | Thomson Reuters Foundation — The United Nations is to test drones equipped with mapping sensors and atomizers to spray pesticides in parts of east Africa battling an invasion of desert locusts that are ravaging crops and exacerbating a hunger crisis. Hundreds of millions of the voracious insects have swept across Ethiopia, Somalia and […] Read more
Zimbabwe says grain stocks running out after drought
Harare | Reuters — Zimbabwe has only 100,000 tonnes of grain in its strategic reserves, enough to last just over a month, as the southern African nation suffers the effects of a severe drought, according to the agriculture minister. More than half the country’s population faces food shortages after maize harvests halved last year. The […] Read more
Zambia president orders air force to help fight maize pest
Lusaka, Reuters – Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu has enlisted the country’s air force to join other government agencies in an emergency operation to contain the spread of pests that have invaded maize fields in many parts of the country. The armyworms, which feast on young maize plants and are capable of wiping out entire fields, […] Read more
France bolsters ban on genetically modified crops
Paris | Reuters — France is to use a new European opt-out scheme to ensure a ban on the cultivation of genetically modified crops in the country remains in place, it said on Thursday. The European Union’s largest grain grower and exporter has asked the European Commission for France to be excluded from some GM […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
