Chongqing | Reuters — As the tinder-dry countryside along China’s Yangtze river basin withers under a heatwave that has lasted more than two months, veteran farmer Chen Xiaohua recalled the last severe drought to hit his crops more than 60 years ago. “This year is drier than 1960,” said Chen, 68, from his plot of […] Read more
Tag Archives weatherfarm news — page 23
China’s farmers struggle to save crops as heatwave, drought drag on
Soil quality critical to help crops weather heat stress
Science Notes: Study analyzed 30 years of data on four major crops
The capacity of soil to hold water will be critical to determine how well farms in some regions of the United States manage prolonged heat stress due to climate change, a new study suggests. The journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems published the finding, based on analyses of 30 years of data on four major crops — […] Read more
Iqaluit declares state of emergency over water shortage
Ottawa | Reuters — The northern Canadian city of Iqaluit declared a state of emergency on Friday after scarce rain this year left water levels in the local Apex River at a four-decade low. Iqaluit warned it may not have enough water in its reservoir to sustain its population of about 7,800 when a freeze-up […] Read more
La Nina conditions to continue, but odds lower into winter
Reuters — Chances for La Niña are expected to gradually decrease from 86 per cent in the coming season to 60 per cent during December to February in 2022-23, a U.S. government weather forecaster said on Thursday. The La Niña weather pattern is characterized by unusually cold temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. According to […] Read more
Dry weather forces assessment of southwestern Ontario forage strategies
Timely rains in east should ease concerns about hay availability in that region
Dry weather has affected hay and pasture yields in southwestern Ontario but the impact should be mitigated by a strong hay inventory and some bumper crops in eastern Ontario and Quebec. Ontario Forage Council (OFC) President Terry Nuhn said most areas west of a line running roughly from Toronto to Barrie have been persistently dry. […] Read more
Give thanks to drought-tolerant corn hybrids
Modern genetics and management should help keep corn yields in the three-digit range despite prolonged dry conditions
Extended dryness is affecting corn and soybean fields across much of Ontario’s main growing regions. Such conditions allow decades of improvements in drought tolerance genetics to shine. “I remember in 1988, the tap was basically off until early July. It was two months of the driest early season on record,” says Russ Barker, Pioneer sales […] Read more
More than 200 people die as drought ravages northeast Uganda
Kampala | Reuters — More than 200 people have died from hunger this month in northeastern Uganda, where a prolonged drought and rampant insecurity have left more than half a million facing starvation, a local official and a charity worker said. Inhabited by nomadic pastoralists, the semi-arid and remote Karamoja region on the border with […] Read more
Saskatchewan shores up disaster program for bigger farms
Program extends PDAP aid to higher-revenue farm businesses
Saskatchewan farmers whose operations took damage from storms in April, but whose gross revenues overtopped the maximum for disaster assistance, will now be able to get in on that program. The province on June 16 announced “supplemental relief” via the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program to help farmers who didn’t qualify under PDAP’s usual eligibility rules. […] Read more
Heat, humidity kill at least 2,000 Kansas cattle, state says
Chicago | Reuters — Extreme heat and humidity killed thousands of cattle in Kansas in recent days, the state said, and sizzling temperatures continue to threaten livestock. The deaths add pain to the U.S. cattle industry as producers have reduced herds due to drought and grappled with feed costs that climbed as Russia’s invasion of […] Read more
Derecho dealt a heavy blow to beekeepers, maple syrup producers
Extreme weather and climate change could impact insurance in the future
A path of uprooted trees and domino-effect toppling was the result of a Derecho that whipped through Jamie Fortune’s Almonte, Ont.- area maple forests last month. “Practically, as maple farmers and forest managers, we respect natural forces, but they create danger and a lot of work and expense,” said the owner of Fortune Farms. On […] Read more
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