CHINA WARNS PROLONGED HEATWAVE MAY DAMAGE RICE, COTTON CROPS
China’s weather bureau warned on Thursday that a prolonged heatwave forecast in the country’s eastern, central and southern regions in July may hit production of rice and cotton, as extreme weather continues to threaten its food production. Summer temperatures in regions including Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Gansu and Ningxia are expected to be 1 to 2 degrees Celsius (1.8 to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal, the CMA said. Extreme weather is hurting developing crops globally as the impact of climate change intensifies, with vast swathes of farmland in China, Russia, India and the United States experiencing extremely hot conditions and below-normal rainfall, squeezing world supplies and pushing prices higher.
(Link: Reuters)
KEY US CROP AREAS BATTLE TOO MUCH, TOO LITTLE RAIN
Iowa went from various levels of dry or drought conditions early in the spring to severe flooding in the northwest (along with southeast South Dakota and southwest Minnesota) in the past week after 4 to 8 inches and as much as 15 inches of rain fell in some areas. Corn can take an amazing amount of abuse from flood waters, depending on the size of the crop at the time and how long water covers the soil. Soybeans are less sturdy. Chicago soybean futures traded higher June 24 because of the Upper Midwest flooding and expectations for more, while corn futures price changes were mixed. Yields for both crops likely will be reduced in the region.
Also, abnormally moist to excessively wet as of June 22 were all of Tennessee and Kentucky, the southern half of Missouri, southern portions of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio and all of Pennsylvania and northeast Ohio. That was a concern for the soft red winter wheat growers as rain during harvest or wet conditions can reduce grain quality and increase disease problems. Meanwhile, parts of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska and nearly all of Kansas were sweltering under 100°F plus temperatures in late June.
(Link: WorldGrain)
