Western Cape flooded for second time in three months

Major roads leading into the Cape Town metropolitan area have been closed due to the heavy flooding, as rain continues with winds of 46km/h on Heritage Day, a public holiday in South Africa. Waves battering the Kalk Bay lighthouses yesterday (photo: Annemarie Ross) A humanitarian aid group says it has…

70% of farmers have already seen large impacts of climate change on their farm

More than 70% of farmers have already seen large impacts of climate change on their farm, new global research across eight countries reveals. Climate impacts estimated to have reduced farmer incomes by 15.7% on average over the past two years. Most pressing short-term challenges dominated by economic uncertainty…

Azura Group and Foundation donating €1.5m to Moroccan earthquake relief fund

Following the earthquake that hit Morocco on Friday, September 8, 2023, the Azura Group and Foundation contributed to supporting the impacted and suffering populations through…

Arequipa's garlic production could be at risk because of the drought and El Niño

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Global El Niño phenomenon together with the effects of climate change, which are already noticeable in Arequipa where 70% of…

“We predict a significant increase in the pitahaya production in Spain”

Pitahaya cultivation is expanding in various areas of Spain and its supply is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. The Valencian company Alta Native, specialized in the production and marketing of Asian fruits and vegetables, decided to bet on it four years ago, perceiving it as a good…

Nova Scotia tree fruit growers reassured following Tropical Storm Lee

Nova Scotia apple growers are breathing a sigh of relief following the weekend’s Tropical Storm Lee which, going into the weekend, was expected to be Hurricane Lee. “Things are better than we expected them to be,” said Emily Lutz, executive director of the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers Association “I’m…

Hailstorm affected 22,000 hectares in Valencian causing more than 43 million euro in losses

La Unió Llauradora stated that Sunday's hailstorms, rain, and winds had affected more than 22,000 hectares of crops and that, according to an initial emergency assessment,…

Nova Scotia apple growers pick ahead for storm Lee

On Friday, growers in Eastern Canada were on watch and preparing for the onset of what was then called Hurricane Lee. While rain is something to watch, what apple growers and shippers such as Van Meekeren Farms in Kentville, Nova Scotia really are looking out for are wind gusts and at press time, they…

Late snow in the Boland as country prepares for El Niño

More rain today for the Western Cape which has appreciated the few days of sunshine in between cold, rainy spells when bees can finally venture into orchards (where they are furiously working and even ill-tempered with hunger), but producers say they're looking ahead at the possible effects of a below…

A storm caused serious damage to crops and infrastructure in several regions of Castellón and Valencia

According to a first emergency estimate carried out by the Association of Farmers of Valencia (AVA-ASAJA), yesterday's storm caused significant damage to crops and agricultural infrastructure in several regions of Castellón and Valencia, especially in the Plana Baixa, Vall d'Albaida, and Los Serranos.…

'Possible impact on tomatoes and bush beans'

Many small communities in Morocco's Atlas Mountains are completely destroyed. Survivors are burying their loved ones or clearing rubble to recover more bodies. At least 70…

Storm Daniel in Libya, certain but still unknown damage

Storm Daniel reached Libya at the beginning of the week, killing more than 6,000 people and leaving tens of thousands missing. The worst-hit city is Derna, where the storm has caused dam failures. The city is located in the Al Jabal Al Akhdar, one of the country's main agricultural regions. Idriss Al Mahdy, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Libyan Agriculture and Env…

Start-up ClimateAi aims should help growers prepare for a more disruptive climate

Himanshu Gupta grew up in India, where he saw how the unpredictably late monsoon season was often damaging crops and affecting farmers’ lives. The frustration he witnessed…

Fantastic flowering in South Africa’s plum orchards

Farmers in the Western Cape regard a possibility of frost damage accompanying the snow and icy rain of the past weekend (with more rain expected this coming weekend). The cold was such that even in the Northern Cape, cold winds damaged table grape vineyards.In the early plum orchards of the Boland, fruit…

14.6% of Spain is in a state of emergency and 27.4% of it is on alert due to a lack of water

The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food (MAPA) presented to the Council of…

Ecuadorian mango volume significantly impacted by El Niño

The upcoming 2023 mango season is not looking promising at all for Ecuadorian growers as they might be facing a 65 - 75 percent overall volume reduction due to the “El Niño” climatic phenomenon. Ecuadorian mango season usually starts with yellow varieties around mid to late September followed by Tommy…

"Winds of over 100km/hr, and our greenhouse didn't suffer any damage"

“Cyclone Gabrielle is the most significant weather event New Zealand has seen in this century. The severity and the damage that we are seeing has not been experienced in a generation,” said the NZ prime minister, Chris Hipkins earlier this year, mentioning the highest wind speed measured during the storm…

Fall vegetables destructed by Hurricane Idalia

More than a week after Hurricane Idalia hit the Southeastern U.S., growers and shippers continue to assess the impact of the weather event. Georgia: “A lot of our folks missed…

Rains and floods damage Greek infrastructure

Extreme weather is causing havoc in Greece and Turkey as well as Bulgaria. Rains have caused flooding, resulting in the deaths of at least seven people. For Greece, Volos and Zagori were hit extremely hard. A couple of fruit exporters have expressed their worries, but the total effect of the disaster is…

Citrus growers want Portuguese government to lead debate on drought

The largest Portuguese association of citrus fruit operators, AlgarOrange, wants the government to lead a national debate on the strategy for dealing with the country’s water…

“I believe about half of California’s table grape harvest is lost”

Last week, the California Table Grape Commission reported that an estimated 25 million boxes of California table grapes are lost due to Hurricane Hilary. The hurricane hit the state on Sunday, August 20th, in the midst of harvest season. “I believe this is a conservative estimate,” says Nick Dulcich with…

Could Hurricane Idalia impact the Southeast veg market?

Though reports are early and growers will likely know more this week, there are some accounts of loss and damage following Hurricane Idalia in the Southeast. Neil Mazal of East Coast Farms & Vegetables says in Valdosta, Georgia, and slightly west of Valdosta, there are indications of some damage. “There…

A new platform to fight drought

The Region of Murcia, through the Murcian Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Research and Development (Imida), an agency under the Ministry of Water, Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries,…

Gamtoos mood lifts along with the dam levels

The Gamtoos Valley’s Kouga Dam is the fullest it has been in seven years and farmers gained a 15% increase in water allocation (albeit up from 20%). Rainfall was plentiful and during the first two months of the water year citrus farmers barely needed to irrigate. In May 2017, left, the Kouga Dam's level…

Tropical Storm Hilary pushes prices up on asparagus

Supplies of asparagus out of Mexico look to be good right now. “We currently have a steady supply of asparagus for the next several weeks and the quality is excellent,” said Jesse Lopez, commodity account manager for Ocean Mist Farms. Lopez says supplies of asparagus are steady and will stay that way for…

Growers Nova Scotia faced with a year of extreme weather events

Farmers in Nova Scotia are struggling to maintain and harvest crops after back-to-back rain events across the province this summer. Andy Vermuelen grows lettuce in Nova…

"This season will tell us how to act in the future in the face of rising global temperatures"

Although the conditions during the plum season have been clearly good in terms of rainfall, it has been one of the worst in terms of accumulation of hours of cold. A variety such as the D'Agen plum normally requires over 500 hours of cold (below 7° C), and ideally more than 600 to produce a better, even,…

“How is such passivity by the administrations possible in the face of the agony that we are experiencing in the Axarquía?”

The decline in the mango production in the campaign that is now starting will lead to a "significant drop in the turnover for all links in the sector's value chain," said the Spanish Association of Tropical Crops (AET). The same sources stress that there's a human component behind this drop in the…

Southeastern growers wait on Hurricane Idalia

Yesterday, growers and shippers across the Southeast were highly attuned to their weather and hurricane trackers as they watched for developments of Hurricane Idalia. Here is what they had to share about the impending storm at press time. Citrus: Melanie Sallin Ressler IMG Enterprises, Inc. says at this…

South African growers should prepare for impending El Niño drought

As South Africa braces for the potential return of El Niño, farmers across the country should prepare. El Niño is associated with increased temperatures and low rainfall,…

Hurricane Idalia on its way to Florida

According to forecasters, Tropical Storm Idalia will hit Florida as a major hurricane tomorrow. In Cuba, thousands of people had to be evacuated yesterday as the tropical storm slammed the western part of the country. Idalia is expected to strengthen into a powerful hurricane today, before making…

Climate change and fruit cultivation: it is possible to manage emergencies?

Because of climate change, extreme weather events are likely to escalate in the future, with a high frequency of spring frost events as well. These are increasingly dangerous, because they occur after fall and spring months characterized by temperatures above the seasonal average which reawaken fruit…

“This heatwave causes serious losses in yield in agricultural production”

The Turkish fruits have had a hard time dealing with the weather conditions. Sara Aslihan Metin, responsible for sales of Turkish fresh produce exporter Göknur, states the temperature in Turkey reached over 50 degrees Celsius. “Temperatures began to rise from the second week of July. The perceived…

California avocado growers’ stormy season winds down

Mother Nature continues to test the resilience of California avocado growers this year, the latest test being heavy rainfall and winds from Tropical Storm Hilary and a moderate earthquake in the Ojai area on the same day. Fortuitously for many California avocado farmers, these events will not impact this…

"We'll have to wait for the water to go down before we can assess any possible damage"

Technical teams from producing and exporting companies are currently evaluating the damage that the heavy rains caused to fruit crops. The teams have concentrated their…

"Right now, fruit growers are fighting the impact of the rains on their orchards"

The president of Fedefruta, Jorge Valenzuela Trebilcock, is receiving reports from O'Higgins, Maule, Ñuble and Biobío on the impact of the rains and overflowing rivers in fruit production areas, just two months after the most damaging bad weather front suffered by modern fruit growing and the rural world…

"The heat is reducing summer broccoli harvests by around 50%"

Spanish broccoli production is currently underway in areas higher than 1,000 meters above sea level, where temperatures are usually milder during the summer. However, the heat waves are currently taking a toll on both the quality and the yields, as well as on the sowings that are taking place in lower…

California sees delayed harvests and more following Tropical Storm Hilary

Following the weekend’s Tropical Storm Hilary, growers and shippers were out early this week assessing the situation on crops and plantings. At Fillmore-Piru Citrus, it had planned on finishing its lemon harvest early this week--however, due to the weather, it now won’t be doing so until the end of the…

Forecast points towards a Very Strong El Niño event later in the year

August ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) forecast updates are pointing towards a Very Strong El Niño event later in the year. This might trigger extreme and potentially…

The next Bergamot orange campaign is at risk: 80% of the produce has been destroyed

The next bergamot orange campaign is at risk as fruits have been largely destroyed by the abnormal temperatures in July, characterized by muggy heat and temperatures reaching 50°C. All of this has led Regione Calabria to request the recognition of a natural disaster. The groves, already put to the test…

Turkish heatwave makes things difficult for growers

The Turkish heatwave is making things challenging for the entire Turkish agriculture, says Cihan Tozlu, Agricultural Engineer and Sr. Vice President of the Turkish berry exporter Safir Berry. “Within the first week of June, the temperatures started to rise all over Turkey and reached the highest levels…

Weather events impact North America’s west coast

While wildfires in British Columbia caused tens of thousands of people to evacuate, this weekend Southern California was drenched by its first tropical storm in decades. On the same day, an earthquake in Ventura County caused widespread shaking. Kelowna, British ColumbiaAs the wildfires continue in…

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Spain: “We spend more on water than we can afford”

The risks to Spain's agricultural sectors are increasing due to climate change's effects. After a poor cereal harvest, the ravages of the ongoing drought are spreading to other crops, such as grapes and olives. As droughts and heavy rains will become more frequent and more intense, Spain has to adapt…

Hurricane Hilary might endanger Californian harvests

Hurricane Hilary is expected to bear down on the US Southwest this weekend. While lettuce beds are starting to go up in the deserts of Southern California and southwestern…

"The probability of having a strong coastal El Niño by the summer of 2024 has increased"

During the presentation of this month's macroeconomic outlook, Alex Contreras, the minister of Economy and Finance, stated that the probability of having a strong coastal El…

China extreme weather: Summer droughts and floods batter fruit and vegetable growers

At the time this article is being written, temperatures in many parts of China are still high. Weather forecasts warn that more than 20 provinces will experience prolonged 'sauna days' with temperatures well in the thirty degrees Celsius and humidity above 50%. ChinaWeather.com has launched a…

"The constant rise in global temperatures will change the way we handle fruits"

The global increase in heat and successive breaking of temperature records are challenging production and handling methods for perishable goods. Modernization of greenhouses and logistics, including cold storage systems, will undoubtedly become an imperative in many parts of the world. To understand…

Panama Canal issues will become more grave in 2024

Xenata chief analyst Peter Sand has stated that the low water issues currently hitting Panama Canal traffic will worsen in 2024. The challenges facing the canal will deepen as…

Loukkos region is spared the effects of the heatwave

While the Souss Massa region was hard hit by extreme temperatures exceeding 50 Celsius, resulting in widespread crop losses, anxious eyes turned to the Loukkous, El Gherb, and Oriental regions, which together with Souss Massa make up the four bastions of Moroccan agriculture. Baioua Oussama, a grower in Laaouamra…

Heavy rain in growing season impacted Nova Scotia crops

Multiple weeks of rain. Plantings being affected. Inconsistent supplies coming on. While this may sound like something some California growers experienced earlier this season, this isn’t about California, it’s happening in Nova Scotia, Canada. Andy Vermeulen of Vermeulen Farms Limited in Canning, Nova…

Fearsome drought causes delays to Panama Canal shipping

Shipping trying to pass through the Panama Canal is facing long delays and added costs, as authorities tackle what they call ‘unprecedented’ drought conditions caused by…

Weather extremes impact on global fruit and vegetable sector

Tuesday, July 4, 2023, was the world's hottest day ever recorded, reports the U.S. Meteorological Institute. More and more climate records are being broken, but lately, they are not just being broken; they are being smashed. We can no longer escape global warming's effect, something fruit and vegetable…

"The delay in the launch of the Moroccan tomato campaign could reach up to 1 month"

An absolute record temperature of 50.4 degrees Celsius was recorded in Morocco last Friday. The heat wave lasted several days and was accompanied by "Chergui," hot, dry winds from the Great Sahara, sandstorms, and wildfires. The impact on agricultural production is significant, according to professional…

New Mexico heatwave might impact green chile harvest

Green chiles are usually harvested by the ton throughout southern New Mexico, concentrated in Hatch Valley to the southwest. But this year, with temperatures have been soaring…

"We've decided to plant half as many tomatoes as in previous years because of the drought we're facing"

The tomato harvest in the province of Seville will decrease due to the drought. Producer organizations such as the Sociedad Cooperativas Las Nieves have decided to reduce…

Extreme heat in Morocco: citrus will be fine

An absolute record temperature of 50.4 degrees Celsius was recorded in Morocco last Friday, accompanied by "Chergui", hot, dry winds from the Great Sahara, sandstorms, and wildfires. The impact on crops is significant with widespread areas lost to sunburns, but citrus will be fine according to Mouad Hfa,…

Morocco exceeds the 50°C temperature mark for the first time in history

An absolute record temperature was registered in Morocco on Friday, August 11, at 1:33 PM, with 50.4 degrees Celsius reached in the Souss Massa region. The heat wave lasted three days and was accompanied by "Chergui," hot, dry winds coming from the Grand Sahara, and sandstorms. Several cities also…

Delays and drought not only affect Panama Canal but fresh produce growers in the country too

Spare a thought for the growers of fresh produce in the Republic of Panama who are facing challenging circumstances due to the drought. Amidst the world focus on the increasing shipping delays due to lower water levels in the Panama Canal, it is easy to forget that residents and producers of fruit in the…

The record temperatures in Morocco will delay the tomato and early vegetable season

An absolute record temperature was registered in Morocco on Friday, August 11, at 1:33 PM, with 50.4 degrees Celsius recorded in the Souss Massa region. The heatwave lasted 3 days and was accompanied by "Chergui," hot, dry winds coming from the Grand Sahara, and sandstorms. Growers are counting the…

Drought emergency declared in Yakima

In 2021 Washington had the second driest conditions on record, causing the department of ecology to issue a drought emergency for 96% of the state. Then in 2022, there was a…

Wildfires add to already tricky Hawaii agriculture picture

The images on the news and across social media of the wildfires on Hawaii’s Maui island are startling ones to see. At press time, more than 270 buildings have been destroyed and at last count, there have been up to 36 deaths related to the wildfires. Yesterday, President Joe Biden also approved a…

Spanish growers likely to have lost “millions of kilos” of stone fruit this year

Spanish growers are likely to have lost “millions of kilos” of stone fruit this year due to the ongoing drought. While growers in major producer region Murcia might rely on…

Ecuador's Association of Banana Growers of El Oro warns that heat might lead to production losses

Several South American countries are experiencing an unusually hot winter this year; heat waves are causing record high temperatures across the continent. At Paraguay's…

"Next season, we will not have the problem of small-sized citrus"

It is widely known that the Egyptian citrus season has been characterized by an abundance of small sizes to the detriment of large sizes, leading to major market shifts and price fluctuations. This is part of a bigger picture, that of the climatic disruptions that have impacted the citrus industry…

New physiopathy causes elongation of Valencian oranges and mandarins

In recent weeks, the Unió Llauradora has detected a physiopathology in oranges and mandarins that leads to a significant elongation of the fruit and gives it a very different shape, compared to what it should be at this stage of the campaign. Physiopathy in oranges The elongated, pear-like shape of…

Oregon cherry growers ask governor for disaster declaration

Climate change has not just limited Oregon’s cherry growing season. It has also delayed California’s season, which leads to markets becoming flooded and causes prices to drop.…

May and June were wettest months in a decade: Kashmir cherry growers hit hard

This year’s prolonged cold weather and rains have devastated the cherry crop when the harvest period was at its peak in the Kashmir Valley. Eight cherry varieties grown in…

Heat wave impacts Hatch chile crop in New Mexico

The ongoing heat wave in parts of the country including the West and Southwest regions is being felt on one signature crop in New Mexico--the Hatch chile crop. “Supplies are especially tight for Hatch chile. All of our growers have lost a real appreciable portion of their hot chile with the heat,” says…

“Israel’s desert bred stone and pome fruit ideal to withstand climate changes”

A pear, the Eden Gold, bred and developed in the harsh Israeli desert without shade or hail nets, is just one of the new stone and pome fruit hardy varieties producers around the world need to survive harsher climatic conditions. This is according to Ido Ben Dor, from Israel’s Ben Dor Fruits and…

High temperatures will affect the growth of crops in Xinjiang

The hottest weather since the beginning of summer will affect the growth of cotton, spring corn and berries in Xinjiang. According to the forecast, it is expected that from…

"Extreme weather wreaking havoc on exotics supply"

The extreme weather conditions in much of the world are severely disrupting exotics supplies, says Starfruit's Ive Lambert. "We're lucky that July and August are traditionally…

South African pear exports down by a fifth

Europe’s pear crop and monthly stock volumes were down – but so was South Africa’s, drastically: almost 20% fewer pears will be exported this season.Volumes were lower than had been initially expected, even when hail is factored in. Fortunately sizing was not significantly influenced by the drop in…

Heavy rains deepen South Korean concerns over rising fruit and vegetable prices

The continued heavy rainfall across South Korea has reignited concerns about soaring prices of agricultural products. According to data from the Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade…

Georgian peach growers witness the effects of climate change

Too many peaches across Georgian farms have been decimated, a rare event for the southern state that for so long has borne the name "Peach State." Last winter was unusually…

"The storms have caused damage to various extents to 150 of our 250 hectares of pears"

The storms recorded a few days ago caused considerable damages in a large area along the Ebro valley, with damages reported in 7 provinces of 5 different autonomous communities, including La Rioja, where hail hit the pear farms of Rincón de Soto. "The reports for this season had pointed to a full harvest…

The Spanish mango harvest will fall 70% below its potential this year due to drought

In the next campaign, which will begin in mid-August, Spain's mango production, which is mainly concentrated in Malaga, will fall between 60 and 70% below its potential of 40,000 tons. It is a result of the direct impact of drought and poor flowering due to the weather in late May and early June,…

After the heat wave, a thermal blowout hit Jumilla

Lately, the weather has been showing its most extreme side in Spain. The heavy rainfall recorded last week in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula was followed by a heat…

Australian growers turn to climate scientists as El Niño looms

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology is yet to officially declare an El Niño, but food growers are already preparing for troubling conditions ahead. Some farmers are even…

"High resistance to mildew is becoming increasingly important"

The cucumber variety Georgia from Bayer CropScience Deutschland GmbH was launched on the German market in 2020/2021 and is one of three summer varieties in Bayer's range that stand out for their resistance to CGMMV, also known as Bont Virus. "If you prefer cucumbers weighing 400 to 500 g, you go for the Georgia. Especially for wholesale markets and direct marketers, who es…

So far, 30,000 hectares in the Ebro Valley were damaged by last week's hail

Until the morning of July 10, Agroseguro had received claims for 30,059 insured hectares because of the damages caused by the hail and rain storms last Thursday and Friday in…

“In 15 minutes, hail destroyed everything in Alcañiz”

Thursday's afternoon hailstorm hit various points of Lower Aragon. It left impressive images of streets and people protecting themselves from its force in the capital and generated losses in the harvest of one of the most emblematic fruits of the region, the Melocotón de Calanda PDO's peach. “We'll…

"We need better tools to forecast the consequences of adverse weather"

Over the last four weeks, the supply of Spanish watermelon has been severely limited due to the impact of the abundant rainfall and heat waves recorded in May and June in the producing areas of the Levante and the southwest of the Peninsula. This has resulted in a supply shortage in Europe and tension in…

How did the Quebec wildfires impact growers?

Following weeks of air quality alerts throughout Quebec and subsequent regions of Ontario and U.S. states such as New York, Connecticut and Michigan due to recent wildfires in the province, last week Environment Canada lifted smog warnings that had been placed in large parts of the province for days. At…

Ecuadorian banana growers and exporters differ on El Niño repercussions

According to the Orenses Banana Growers Association, which brings together small and medium producers in the province, the El Niño phenomenon could cause the loss of up to…

More than 50% of Minnesota witnesses moderate drought

According to the National Drought Mitigation Center, more than half of Minnesota (56.7%) is now in a phase of moderate drought as of July 4. Last year, this was less than 1%…

Drought worries St. Kitts and Nevis farmers

Growers from St. Kitts and Nevis are grappling with the pressure of drought and a changing climate on its food supply. With a population of 53,000 people, the small twin…

World Meteorological Organization declares El Niño will continue during H2 2023

According to a new update from the World Meteorological Organization, there is a 90% probability of the El Niño event continuing during the second half of 2023. It is expected…

Heat, humidity cause greater shrink in Mexican lime pack outs

High temperatures are impacting the Mexican lime crop. “It’s been 100 degrees for awhile with 90 percent humidity and that’s not normal for Veracruz. It’s been like this for the last four weeks,” says Alex Landin of Limonik Produce/Limones Monica, adding that widely spaced rains are also part of the…

Hailstorm affects more than 20,000 hectares of crops in Valencia and Castellon

The historic hailstorm in Valencia yesterday, with ice stones the size of nuts, had a strong impact on a large area of crops in numerous areas of the provinces of Valencia and Castellon. According to an initial estimate made by the Valencian Association of Farmers (AVA-ASAJA), "the hailstorm affected…

"In July there could be a huge gap in the melon supply"

At the current stage of the summer, and with the melon campaign coming to an end in Almeria, it should be time for the Region of Murcia's season to be in full swing; however, as a result of the problems caused by intermittent rains in June, the amount of fruit in Murcian plantations has suffered a…

Short South African citrus season predicted

Export estimates for various citrus categories have been amended downwards: navels by 500,000 15kg cartons to reach an estimate of 24.8 million 15kg cartons; grapefruit by 100,000 cartons to 14.3 million cartons, over two million fewer than last year.Initially it was estimated that the Valencia crop…

South African growers and retailer create campaign around hail-damaged apples

South African retailer Pick n Pay has started selling apples of all varieties that sustained surface damage during hail storms over the Ceres area in November and again over the Langkloof in February – apples that otherwise might have had to be discarded.“We saw an opportunity to partner with Pick n Pay…