Latest news with #MinistryOfAgriculture
CTV News
20 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Saskatchewan farmers will need more rain soon to avoid deteriorating crops: report
Saskatchewan farmers are moving into the next phase of crop production after finishing getting their seeds in the ground last week. Now, according to the Ministry of Agriculture's latest crop report Thursday, producers across the province begin spraying their fields to keep the pests at bay and hauling grain to free up storage space for harvest. So far so good, but whether those seedlings thrive or begin to deteriorate in condition all depends on one key factor — rain. 'There were some isolated showers over the past week, with some areas seeing heavy rain and hail,' the ministry said in a news release. 'While the moisture was welcome, the intensity of these storms left some crops damaged.' The ministry says the Meadow Lake area had the heaviest reported rainfall over the week, at 64 millimetres. The Coleville, Bruno and Prince Albert areas also reported substantial rainfall. Much of the province received small, spotty rains, the ministry says, contributing to a province-wide decline in topsoil moisture conditions. Forty-five per cent of Saskatchewan's cropland has topsoil rated as short of moisture, and 14 per cent is rated very short. Just one per cent of cropland has a surplus of moisture, the province says, and 40 per cent is rated adequate. In the hay lands, 34 per cent of top soil moisture is rated adequate, 41 per cent short, and 25 per cent very short. Just 27 per cent of pasture lands are rated at adequate moisture levels, with 42 per cent short and 31 per cent very short. Most crops appear to be normal in their development for this time of year, the ministry says. 'However, many producers are reporting that without rain soon crop development will be delayed on later seeded crops and hastened for the more advanced crops as they respond to the drier conditions.' Mainly, the ministry says crop conditions across the province are rated as fair to good, but that could change if more rain doesn't come soon. 'Dry conditions coupled with windy days continues to be the largest source of crop damage and severity ranges from minor to moderate depending on the region.' Scattered hail events this week contributed to some crop damage, also varying widely in severity. The ministry says fall seeded crops in later development stages sustained the most damage and are unlikely to recover, 'but less advanced crops should be able to bounce back.' The ministry says producers are reporting issues with grasshoppers and flea beetles, but those concerns range from minor to moderate and are being dealt with. Read the full report online here.
Zawya
a day ago
- General
- Zawya
Eritrea: Commemoration of World Drought and Desertification Day
World Drought and Desertification Day was commemorated at the national level at Embasoira Hotel, Asmara, on 17 June under the theme 'Restore the Land – Unlock the Opportunity.' The event, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, was attended by experts from the Ministries of Agriculture and Land, Water and Environment, the Forestry and Wildlife Authority, Higher Education Institutions, stakeholders, national associations, and farmers. In his keynote address, Mr. Semere Amlesom, Director General of Agricultural Extension at the Ministry of Agriculture, highlighted the Eritrean Government's commitment to combating drought and desertification and emphasized the need for collective action to restore degraded land. He further noted that drought and desertification are among the main causes of biodiversity loss, poverty, forced migration, and conflict, and that restoring the land is essential to addressing these issues and reversing their consequences. The event featured presentations on various topics, including Eritrea's commitment and experience in combating drought, land degradation, and desertification; land use change and its impact on poverty and livelihoods; conservation and sustainable land-use management practices; agroforestry systems for restoring land; environmental impact assessments of agricultural farms; and the role of date palms in restoring degraded land, among other relevant subjects. The participants, emphasizing the importance of continued efforts to address drought and desertification, called on stakeholders to work in partnership to achieve the intended goals. As the world continues to grapple with the challenges of climate change, it is essential to accelerate the implementation of sustainable land-use practices and conservation measures. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Brazil declares itself bird flu free and aims to resume exports
STORY: :: File Brazil on Wednesday declared its commercial flocks free of the bird flu virus after observing a 28-day period without any new commercial farm outbreaks, the country's ministry of agriculture said. The world's largest poultry exporter began its countdown to disease-free status on May 22 following the complete disinfection of the farm where Brazil's only commercial outbreak was detected last month. China and other importers banned chicken imports from Brazil, which accounts for 39% of global chicken trade, pending measures to control the disease. Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro says Brazil is trying to resume exports with its trading partners. The World Organization for Animal Health must now confirm Brazil's status, according to guidelines. Brazil's first outbreak hit a chicken breeder farm in the town of Montenegro, where 17,000 birds were culled.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Reaping of the sow: China to reduce pig count by 1 million amid low prices, deflation risk
China's national breeding sow inventory will be reduced by 1 million from the current level of 40.38 million to ease an oversupply of pork in the market that has suppressed swine prices and raised deflationary pressures in the economy. While specifics of the reduction were limited, it would take the national sow herd size down to 39.5 million, said in an exclusive report, citing a plan proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs last week. The ministry was looking to ease industry losses caused by an oversupply of hogs and persistently low pork prices, the website, which is an online tech and financial news platform, reported on Tuesday. In addition to cutting the number of sows, regulators have reportedly introduced stricter rules for pig farms, like prohibiting pigs that have already reached the slaughtering standard from continuing to be fed to increase their weight before being sold – an industry practice blamed for worsening short-term oversupply and further depressing prices. The measures are not only aimed at restoring a healthier supply-demand balance in the pork sector, but also at easing deflationary pressure in the broader economy, since the price of pork is highly weighted in China's consumer price index that tracks the price changes of a basket of goods and services purchased by consumers. 2025 could be another year with persistent deflationary pressures, unless the stimulus is big enough to create another credit upcycle, according to a report by Macquarie last week. China's GDP deflator has fallen for eight quarters in a row, marking the longest deflationary streak in the past four decades, the report said, referring to the measurement of the overall price level for new, domestically produced goods and services – making it a broad measure for inflation.
Zawya
2 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Egypt pushes to modernise sugarcane irrigation to boost yields
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has met with ministers to review the development of irrigation systems for sugarcane, aiming to increase the strategic crop's yield while reducing water consumption. In a meeting with the relevant ministries and government agencies, Madbouly emphasised the government's focus on monitoring agriculture and irrigation projects. He said irrigation plays a pivotal role in managing water resources and adapting to environmental changes, which in turn ensures the availability of agricultural products and contributes to food security. 'Sugarcane is a strategic crop that must be cultivated using modern methods that increase its production, thereby helping to meet the needs of the local market,' Madbouly stated. Alaa El-Din Farouk, the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, outlined the benefits of shifting to modern irrigation techniques for sugarcane. He said these methods could reduce water consumption by up to 30%, lower the use of agricultural inputs like fertilisers, decrease the spread of weeds and control costs, and ultimately enhance productivity. Farouk detailed specific modern irrigation techniques, including drip irrigation and developed field irrigation combined with water-saving agricultural practices such as laser levelling and planting on raised beds. He presented the requirements, costs, benefits, and implementation challenges associated with each method, along with potential solutions. The agriculture minister noted that there is significant potential for expanding the use of water-saving agricultural practices. He added that several of these methods are already popular among farmers and are characterised by their low cost and speed of implementation. The meeting was attended by Hani Sweilem, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation; Sherif Farouk, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade; Alaa El-Din Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation; Mostafa El-Sayyad, Deputy Minister of Agriculture; Colonel Bahaa El-Ghannam, Executive Director of the Egypt's Future for Sustainable Development Authority; and other officials from the relevant ministries and agencies. © 2024 Daily News Egypt. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
