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
Drones to be tested against Africa’s locust swarms
U.N.'s FAO testing drones to detect, spray pests
Gaza farmers return to lands along volatile Israeli border
Gaza | Reuters — Returning to his fields for the first time in 14 years, Palestinian farmer Naser Abu Isaeed surveyed the toll taken by conflict on formerly productive soil. “I saw an empty area full of holes and dry weeds,” said Abu Isaeed, who once grew fruit on the tracts along Gaza’s volatile border […] Read more
Lots on offer at agronomy update in New Year
Reading Time: < 1 minute Registration is now open for Agronomy Update 2020, which runs from Jan. 7-8 in Red Deer. True to its name, the conference features a host of presentations — most 20 to 30 minutes long — on a wide range of agronomy issues. While the speaker lineup is still being confirmed, presentations will cover diseases in […] Read more
Alberta snow further delays canola harvest, boosts prices
MarketsFarm — Canola futures finished up at Monday’s close, boosted by a weather premium after a low-pressure system brought considerable snowfall to parts of Alberta over the weekend. Snow was mostly concentrated in the southern region of the province. Calgary and surrounding areas received around 30 centimetres of snow, according to preliminary results from Environment […] Read more
Statistics Canada boosts crop production estimates
MarketsFarm — Updated model-based production estimates on Thursday from Statistics Canada expect larger yields for most of the major crops grown in the country — and while harvest operations are still ongoing, the actual crops may end up larger still. “All of the numbers are bigger, whether it’s durum, spring wheat, canola,” said analyst Mike […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: India’s monsoons catch up, but crops still at risk
MarketsFarm — Heavy rains in recent weeks have brought India’s monsoon rainfall back to normal levels after a slow, dry start to the season, according to reports out of the country. However, flooding and uneven distribution of moisture could still hurt crop production. A normal monsoon is defined as 96-104 per cent of the 50-year […] Read more
Protein supercluster backs Calgary oilseed processor
Industry will match PIC's $4 million
Reading Time: 2 minutes A Calgary company that has developed a unique way to process oil from canola, hemp, sunflower, and safflower seeds is the first recipient of funding from a protein ‘supercluster.’ Protein Industries Canada, one of five federally backed research and innovation superclusters, is putting in $4 million to commercialize plant protein processing technology developed by Botaneco […] Read more
Flexibility available for farmers on FCC loan payments
Farm Credit Canada says it remains willing to work around the various forces majeures standing between its farmer clients and their cash flows this year. The Crown lending agency reiterated Monday it will work with customers “to come up with solutions for their operations on a case-by-case basis” in view of this spring’s weather worries […] Read more
U.S. EPA wins new chance to argue against pesticide ban
Reuters — The Trump administration has persuaded a U.S. appeals court to reconsider its recent decision ordering the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the widely-used pesticide chlorpyrifos, which critics say can harm children and farmers. In an order on Wednesday, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said it will again review former EPA administrator […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, wheat surpass one-month highs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and wheat futures jumped on Monday to their highest levels in over a month on technical buying as well as concerns about rain stalling the country’s autumn harvests. Soybean futures slumped as China — the world’s top buyer of the oilseed — and the U.S. imposed fresh tariffs on […] Read more
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