American officials have sharply reduced their expectations for this year’s corn and soybean crops. Farmers in the Midwest are struggling with record heat and the worst drought in years. The United States is the world’s largest producer of corn and soybeans. In August, the Agriculture Department predicted that corn production would total 10.8 billion bushels […]
Officials in Kenya are fighting a deadly disease attacking maize crops. Some Kenyan farmers say the disease has reduced crop production by as much as 60 percent. Last September, farmers in Bomet reported that a disease was destroying their maize or corn. The disease is called “maize lethal necrosis.” It makes the plant turn yellow […]
Onions come in different sizes, shapes, colors and flavors, from mild and sweet to hot and strong. A full-grown onion plant has roots, bulbs and leaves. The leaves are long, thin and hollow. They stand straight up and thicken at the bottom to form a bulb. Onions are biennials; their life cycle is two years long. But […]
This summer, the remains of what had been Hurricane Isaac moved over the American Midwest. The storm brought rain to areas suffering from a severe drought. But the rain came too late to save many farmers’ corn and soybean crops. Crop insurance will help limit financial losses. But crop insurance is a tool that is not available […]
A small non-profit company in Cambodia is turning used cooking oil into high-quality biodiesel fuel. The idea is to reduce air pollution caused by low-quality diesel made from petroleum. In Cambodia, heavy trucks usually use petroleum diesel. So do many older cars. The diesel sold in Cambodia is a high-sulfur fuel. It is banned in more developed […]
From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report in Special English.The pressure to feed Asia’s growing population has led to dangerous levels of overfishing near Pacific coastlines.An example can be found in Sindangan, a fishing town in the southern Philippines. Wild catches are falling while prices are rising. One fisherman says the area’s once healthy fish stocks […]
From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report in Special English. A United Nations report says world food prices stayed the same in August. And that is good news. A measure, or index, from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization showed that food prices rose six percent in July. A summer of drought in […]
Africa’s Sahel area is dry and farming there is difficult. But in Burkina Faso, women could be important in improving agriculture. The United Nations Children’s Fund, or UNICEF, and its partners are working to support food production in the West African country. In northern Burkina Faso, farmers till rocky land. Severe droughts are common and floods are […]
A researcher who helped make crops grow in dry areas has received this year’s World Food Prize. Daniel Hillel was recognized for his work in developing what is called “micro-irrigation” or “drip irrigation.” It has made farming possible in places where there is little rainfall. Watering plants drop by drop has changed agriculture by reducing the amount […]
“Farm to table” is the name of a movement that encourages people to eat locally grown food. The farm-to-table idea has become more popular in recent years. But there is also a group that also brings “table to farm.” This traveling group is called Outstanding in the Field. It says its mission is to reconnect […]