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Argentine farmers face ruin as drought kills cattle, crops

Brian Byrnes
CNN
Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:12 UTC
Dying cattle from drought

Argentine farmers profited in years past from selling beef to the world, but some now struggle to feed their cattle

San Miguel Del Monte -- In a small farming town 105 kilometers (65 miles) southwest of Buenos Aires, farmers are struggling to nourish their crops and feed their animals. The worst drought in half a century has turned Argentina's once-fertile soil to dust and pushed the country into a state of emergency.

Cow carcasses litter the prairie fields and sun-scorched soy plants wither under the South American summer sun. Farmers are concerned about their livelihoods.

"I'm losing money. I can't afford to lose money all the time," said Juan Cahen D'Anvers, whose family has been farming in Argentina since the late 1700s. He owns 700 hectares (1,730 acres) in San Miguel del Monte, where he grows sunflowers and barley.

He says this year is one of the hardest he's ever had.

"Production is going to go down a minimum of 50 percent, maybe more. I don't know yet," he said.
      Read More...
Magnify

Kenya drought worsens hunger risk


BBC News
Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:07 UTC
More than one million Kenyans risk facing hunger because of a prolonged drought, the UN has warned.
Kenya drought
© Agence France-Presse
People are saying it is the worst drought for years.

The lack of rains has caused crops to fail and cattle-herders are also struggling to keep their animals alive.

The worst affected areas are in the country's semi-arid south-east regions as well as some parts of central Kenya.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has described the crisis as a "very difficult situation" and appealed to donor countries to offer funds.

Currently some 2.5 million people are receiving emergency food aid in the country but the effect of the drought has meant that a further 1.3 million now also need help.
      Read More...
Bizarro Earth

Africa trapped in mega-drought cycle

Catherine Brahic
New Scientist
Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:17 UTC
Image
© Timothy Shanahan
Boys practice traditional fishing methods on Lake Bosumtwi in Ghana. Submerged trees provide evidence on long-lasting drought just a few centuries ago
The infamous 1970s drought of the African Sahel region, which lasted several decades and killed more than 100,000 people, was actually a "minor" event, say researchers who have uncovered evidence that such droughts occur cyclically in the region and can be much more severe.

Timothy Shanahan and colleagues at the University of Texas, Austin, analysed the first rainfall dataset that spans several millennia. "What's disconcerting about this record is that it suggests the most recent drought was relatively minor in the context of the West African drought history," he told New Scientist.

The researchers analysed a sediment core pulled from the bottom of Lake Bosumtwi, Ghana's only natural lake. The lake is an ancient meteorite impact crater, making its levels very dependent on rainfall.

By studying the relative amounts of different oxygen isotopes in the sediment core, the team could reconstruct rainfall dating back 3000 years. Higher concentrations of the slightly heavier - and therefore harder to evaporate - 18O indicate periods of drought.
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Cloud Lightning

Upwards lightning caught on film

Judith Burns
BBC News
Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:51 UTC
Scientists have photographed "upwards lightning", a rarely-seen phenomenon where electricity from storms flows into the upper atmosphere.

upwards lightning

Gigantic jets can travel more than 60km (40 miles) into the ionosphere
During last year's Tropical Storm Cristobal, lightning reached more than 60km (40 miles) up.

Also known as "gigantic jets", these events are just as powerful as cloud-to-ground lightning bolts.

The US team of researchers also took radio measurements of the electrical charge.
      Read More...
Bizarro Earth

Half of India affected by drought


BBC
Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:42 UTC
India Drought
© Associated Press

Sharad Pawar said 246 districts in 10 states had been declared as drought affected. India has some 600 districts.

Separately, authorities in southern Andhra Pradesh state say they are probing whether the suicides of 20 farmers are linked to the drought.

This monsoon season has brought 29% less rainfall than normal.

Rice production in the country could decline by 10 million tonnes this year because of the drought, Mr Pawar said.

India produced nearly 100 million tonnes of rice during 2008-2009, according to official figures.

"Due to the expected reduced production of rice, there could be pressure on availability and market price," he added.
      Read More...
Hourglass

India to tackle drought shortfalls 'with imports'


Agence France-Presse
Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:46 UTC
India Drought
© Agence France-Presse
The annual monsoon is running at 26% below average.

New Delhi - India will import lentils, edible oil and other staples to cope with any shortfalls caused by a widespread drought that has badly hurt crops, the finance minister said Friday.

The statement by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee came as the country of nearly 1.2 billion people faces its weakest monsoon in at least seven years.

"We shall go for imports" of "whichever commodity will be in short supply," Mukherjee told a state farm ministers' meeting in the Indian capital.

He noted supplies of pulses and edible oil were already running short. India is the world's largest consumer and importer of pulses.

But Mukherjee said India has enough grain stocks to tide it through for the moment.

"We are starting the drought year with good buffer stocks," Mukherjee said.

"The government has the experience to deal with such situations and we need not lose confidence in ourselves," he added.

The government would not announce the timing of any imports so as to avoid market prices being automatically jacked up, he said.
      Read More...
Cowboy Hat

Cattle, crop losses mount in Texas drought


Reuters
Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:19 UTC
Dallas - A vast swathe of Texas remains in the grip of a scorching drought, which has cost billions of dollars and is cleaving America's largest beef cattle herd.

One county has seen its entire cotton harvest wiped out and losses for cattle, crops and the state's fast growing game farming industry are seen mounting with no relief in sight. Texas is second only to California in U.S. farm production and the sector's sales for the state topped $21 billion in 2007.

The drought-stricken area straddles the central Texas hill country, near the capitol Austin, and stretches south through San Antonio to the Rio Grande Valley on the U.S./Mexico border, which is a key citrus and cattle region.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor here, much of this area is experiencing exceptional drought conditions. That is the worst possible ranking and it is the only part of the country that currently falls into this category.

Other areas of south/central Texas are suffering extreme conditions. In most of the affected counties the rains began to taper off sharply around September of 2007. In at least nine counties, the drought is the worst on record.
      Read More...
Cow Skull

Texas Drought So Bad They're 'Hoping for a Hurricane'


NewsMax
Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:13 UTC
Lubbock - If not for the triple-digit heat, central Texas rancher Debbie Davis could almost think it was a different season entirely.

"The (pasture) grass looks like it's the dead of winter," said Davis, who raises beef cattle and Texas Longhorns northwest of San Antonio. The region is enduring its driest 22-month span going back to 1885. "It's horrible. It's probably the worst I've ever seen."

Usually it's West Texas that's hot and dry. Now, central and southern Texas are alone in the nation in experiencing the two most severe stages of drought. About 11 percent of the state was in "extreme" or "exceptional" drought as of June 30, up from 8 percent the previous week.

That's bad news for farmers and ranchers in the nation's No. 2 agriculture state behind California, who could lose billions in crops and livestock.

Ranchers are sending many more cattle to sale barns, which has driven prices down. There's little pastureland to graze on and the cost to ship hay in from out of state is high as is the price of supplemental feed.

Three years ago in a drought that spanned more than a year, Texas lost $4.1 billion, a crop and livestock record for a single year.
      Read More...
Compass

In California drought is the new normal


Press-Telegram
Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:10 UTC
"Drought" sounds so temporary, but there's nothing temporary about the decreasing availability of water in Southern California.

As such, we need a new word - and a new attitude - to deal with the region's new reality: Water shortage is the new normal, and it's time to adjust accordingly.

Last week, state leaders began hearings on legislation to resolve California's water crisis. Solutions could include building a canal to carry water around the ecologically fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and mandates that Californians reduce water consumption.

Balancing the water claims of farmers, fishermen, environmentalists, households and industrial users is about as easy as negotiating a Middle East peace agreement. Yet, the status quo is unacceptable.

The situation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has only worsened in the last few year. After a judge halted much of the water pumping from the delta to protect the tiny Delta smelt, some farmers in the San Joaquin Valley had to fallow fields for lack of water. Communities all over Southern California have imposed water-use restrictions. Meanwhile, the environmental damage to the delta is also blamed for shutting down commercial salmon fishing.
      Read More...
Footprints

California facing worst drought in modern history


USA Today
Fri, 30 Jan 2009 02:05 UTC
Echo Summit - State officials reported a Sierra Nevada snowpack smaller than normal on Thursday and said California may be at the beginning of its worst drought in modern history. Residents were immediately urged to conserve water.

The snowpack was about 61% of its usual depth across the 400-mile-long mountain range, according to the state Department of Water Resources, which released the findings as part of the second snow survey of the season.

Department Director Lester Snow said the results indicate California could be heading for a third dry year.

"We may be at the start of the worst California drought in modern history," Snow said in a statement. "It's imperative for Californians to conserve water immediately at home and in their businesses."

Measurements of snow depth and snow water content in the Sierra are important because they help hydrologists forecast how much water California can expect to get in the coming year.
      Read More...
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