Why I feel sorry for the farmers

Why I feel sorry for the farmers

By the blogowner, honestclimate, April 8. 2009

It’s not easy being a farmer these days with an exceptionally cold winter in the Northern Hemisphere killing off crops and “flatulence tax” on livestock being considered in Europe…

Green pressure grows for cow flatulence tax
THE UK government and the devolved administrations must avoid the temptation to introduce a “flatulence tax” on cows and other farm livestock, according to Struan Stevenson, a Scottish Conservative MEP who takes a keen interest in farming and rural affairs. The very notion may seem decidedly obtuse to practical farmers, but it is under consideration in both the Irish Republic and Denmark.

Below are some of the unusual cold weather events farmers in the USA have had to deal with this year. H/T Tom Nelson Blog

Florida sugar harvest hurt by cold weather, drought – Breaking News – Business – MiamiHerald.com
BELLE GLADE — Florida’s annual sugar cane harvest ended Tuesday as two major producers completed their season. Crop yields were hurt by four below-freezing events, as well as drought and a bout of unseasonal heavy rains.

US West coast: Cool weather may delay cherry harvest
Smith said this year could be one of the latest on record for all tree fruit crops. Red Delicious apples are just now reaching green tip stage. The stage is normally reached March 21.

Texas: Frost concerns rally wheat
And now the weather watchers are closely monitoring the temperature gauges, particularly in the southern plains as freezing temps reached into the southern Texas panhandle Sunday night, where much of the wheat was already seriously stressed.

US East Coast: Overnight cold threatens Pender berry crops | Wilmington, NC
Many growers continually spray their fruit crops to protect them from potential frost, but high wind speeds could prevent that frost protection method from working properly, said Al Hight, director of Brunswick County Cooperative Extension.

He said freezing temperatures could do “serious damage” to the fruit crops, which are in their prime growing season.

“If they lose what’s out there now, it may cut the crop in half,” Hight said of the strawberries.