harvest News

USDA: Florida Orange Crop Down 36% After Twin Hurricanes

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Production of oranges in Florida this season is forecast to be down 36% from earlier estimates, in part a reflection of twin hurricanes that battered growing regions, according to U.S. Agriculture Department figures released Friday. …

Drought Snarls Mississippi River Transit in Blow to Farmers

ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER (AP) — Adam Thomas starts harvesting soybeans on his Illinois farm when the dew burns off in the morning. This year, dry weather accelerated the work, allowing him to start early. His problem was getting the …

Southwest Florida Agriculture Takes Big Hit from Hurricane Ian

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP ) — Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida at the worst possible time for many in the agricultural community, cutting a path through Florida’s citrus belt and hitting tomato fields just before the start of seasonal …

China Battles Forest Fires as Fears Linger over Harvest

SHANGHAI —The southwestern Chinese regions of Chonqging and Sichuan were battling fires on Tuesday as they awaited a long-anticipated drop in temperatures over the next week, but the country’s important autumn harvest remained under serious threat. Officials warned this month …

China Plans Cloud Seeding to Protect Grain Crop from Drought

CHONGQING, China (AP) — China says it will try to protect its grain harvest from record-setting drought by using chemicals to generate rain, while factories in the southwest waited Sunday to see whether they would be shut down for another …

UN: Droughts, Less Water in Europe as Warming Wrecks Crops

LA HERRADURA, Spain (AP) — “Herders and farmers have their feet on the ground, but their eyes on the sky.” The old saying is still popular in Spain’s rural communities who, faced with recurrent droughts, have historically paraded sculptures of …

‘Desperate For Tires.’ Components Shortage Roils US Harvest

CHICAGO — Dale Hadden cannot find any spare tires for his combine harvester. So the Illinois farmer told his harvest crew to avoid driving on the sides of roads this autumn to avoid metal scraps that could shred tires. New …

Cyclone Damages Indian Crops Just Before Harvesting

MUMBAI — Heavy rains brought by Cyclone Gulab damaged India’s summer-sown crops such as soybeans, cotton, pulses and vegetables just before harvesting in key growing regions, which could reduce production and lift prices, industry officials told Reuters. Lower production could …

Washington Supreme Court: Farmworkers to Get Overtime Pay

SEATTLE — A divided Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday the state’s dairy workers are entitled to overtime pay if they work more than 40 hours a week, a decision expected to apply to the rest of the agriculture industry. For …

Report: Iowa’s Derecho Crop Losses Increase By More Than 50%

DES MOINES, Iowa — Crop loss estimates from a rare wind storm that slammed Iowa in August have increased by more than 50%, a new report shows. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday that the number of crop acres …