International aid requested as nearly eight million people in Zimbabwe, or half its population, are declared food insecure
The combination of a cyclone and three years of drought in large parts of southern Africa has created a humanitarian crisis in that part of the world. The World Food Programme is calling on countries to step up assistance to Zimbabwe where nearly eight million people, or half of the country’s population, are food insecure. […] Read moreTag Archives Drought
Australia cuts 2019/20 wheat production forecast by nearly 20% due to drought
SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Australia on Tuesday cut its wheat production forecast by nearly 20 percent for the year through June 2020, as an unrelenting drought across the country’s east coast will likely see output fall to an 11-year low. As Australian farmers were harvesting crops, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences […] Read more
Deadly drought hammers farmers in Australia
An old proverb says a picture is worth a thousand words. That apparently holds true for an image of Australian cattle farmer Jason Wright as he battles a headful of emotions in front of his young son while feeding their 1,000 strong beef herd in the midst of a years-long drought. He is suffering from […] Read more
Continued dryness threatens Manitoba crops
Clayton Harder has plenty of experience with fungicides. That’s because he farms near Winnipeg, one of the wettest regions in Western Canada. But this year he isn’t spraying fungicides on his canola, soybeans, wheat and other crops because conditions are severely dry on his farm north of Winnipeg. “I spoke to a couple of other […] Read more
Drought forces producers to sell cattle
Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan asks government for a drought-related AgriRecovery assessment
Puddles. The sight of them in fields near Camrose, Alta., pleased Alberta rancher Brad Osadczuk as he drove home from last week’s Alberta Beef Producers meeting in Edmonton. He hasn’t seen a puddle since last year on his ranch near Jenner, Alta., the western side of a widespread drought affecting southeastern Alberta, most of Saskatchewan […] Read more
APAS proposes drought relief measures
Farm group wants action on Agri-Recovery and help with water supplies
Saskatchewan’s general farm organization is calling for immediate government action to help the province’s farmers and ranchers cope with drought. The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan has proposed several steps to help the province’s crop and livestock cope with current drought conditions that are affecting much of the province. According to a June 12 news […] Read more
Drought becomes top-of-mind issue for farmers
It’s an awful start to the growing season. Western Canada is on the brink of a major crop failure and a severe feed shortage. Miraculous turnarounds have occurred in past years and it’s amazing how much can sometimes be produced with very little rain, but the situation is quickly becoming serious. It’s not rare to […] Read more
Profit runs dry at Australia’s GrainCorp as drought withers crops
SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) — Australia’s biggest listed bulk grain handler, GrainCorp Ltd., has reported a larger-than-expected half-yearly loss as severe drought withers crops in one of the world’s top exporters of commodities such as wheat. The firm also cut its dividend as it grapples with the fallout from the driest conditions in a century with […] Read more
Taking a rain check: Australian farmers shun fertilizer purchases as drought lingers
SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Australian farmers are postponing buying fertilizer and other products they typically use to protect their crops as a drought across the country’s east coast darkens the outlook for the rural sector in one of the world’s top exporters of grains. Australia is the world’s sixth largest canola producer. Farmers usually begin sowing […] Read more
Dry conditions to curb Australia’s wheat crop for 3rd year – forecaster
SINGAPORE, (Reuters) – Dry conditions for up to six months in parts of Australia’s east coast are set to curb wheat crop yields for a third straight year in the world’s No.4 exporter of the grain, a private U.S.-based weather forecaster said on Wednesday. Australia has been grappling with successive years of drought that have […] Read more
