Global Crop Damage Timeline
January 2011 Update: The Food Crisis of 2011 June 2010: It's Time to Prepare for the Coming Food Crisis Effects of Weather on the World's Food Supply
Map Legend 1. Canada 2. United States 3. Mexico 4. South America 5. Middle East 6. Russia 7. China 8. Japan 9. Australia 10. Europe 11. Africa
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2010-2011 1 - Canada's wheat harvest is down 21 percent due to excessive rain. 5 - Middle East wheat production is down due to yellow rust. August 2010 6 - Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter, experienced the worst drought in 130 years causing losses on 40 percent of grain crops. 5 - In Pakistan floods ruined 1/2 million tons of wheat. December 2010 2 - Florida, USA - Tampa had a 60 percent loss in the strawberry crop. Immokalee lost 80 percent of it's tomato harvest. Belle Glade lost it's corn and green bean crop. 9 - South Australia's wheat crop was damaged by heavy rains and flooding. January 2011 7 - A cold front that set in on the16th of January killed more than 15,000 head of livestock in China's far western Xinjiang. 2 - Rains and snows have been bountiful this year in Northern California and the Sierra. But because of decades of environmentalist interference, water storage in the state is severely restricted. Dams are old and too small. All this rain would be more than enough to keep the crops green all summer. Instead, fresh rains, which could be used in the hot weather later this year, are being diverted and dumped into the Pacific Ocean. Farmers will again have problems getting water to their crops. February 2011 7 - The wheat crop in Northwest China was damaged by drought. March 2011 3 - A freeze in the Sinaloa Valley of Mexico killed 90 percent of the corn crop. 4 - Excess rain destroyed 50 percent of Brazil's soybean crop. 8 - Crops in Northern Japan were destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami. Nuclear meltdown has contaminated Japan's soil and water. April 2011 2 - Texas, USA suffered the worst drought in more than 40 years. High winds and heat caused massive losses in the wheat crop. Texas is a key production area for wheat for the United States. Also, in Texas the cattle herd is shrinking. Storms and tornadoes in the Mississippi/Ohio Basin damaged farm operations and delayed corn planting. The U.S. accounts for 39 percent of the world's corn production. 4 - Hail damaged Brazil's coffee crop causing a 40 percent increase in prices. 7 - Northwest China's crops (4,734 acres) were damaged by severe sandstorms. May 2011 2 - 130,000 acres of farmland was flooded along the Mississippi River. It is the worst flooding in U.S. history affecting 8 states and covering vast sections of the U.S. farm belt. Not only have there been complete crop losses, but top soil has washed away which will affect farming in these areas for years to come. 2 - Louisiana, USA - Hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland was flooded when flood gates were opened to save the cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Crops affected are corn, cotton, rice, and soybeans. 10 - UK drought - Wheat is down 40 percent. Cereal grains are practically wiped out. June 2011 10 - France (Europe's biggest producer of wheat) has been hit by one of the worst droughts of the last 100 years. Livestock farmers are slaughtering part of their herds to raise money to feed the rest. Wheat yield is expected to drop by 3.6 million tons. Water restrictions are being imposed across most of the country. 10 - Europe - Rainfall is down 40 to 80 percent, putting stress on agricultural crops and affecting hydroelectric power availability in France and affecting nuclear power plants and causing blackouts. July 2011 11 - Africa is experiencing the worst drought in 60 years, especially in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Ten million people are at risk of starvation. - 3.2 million in Ethiopia, 3.5 million in Kenya, 2.5 million in Kenya, and 600,000 in Uganda. 4 - Bolivia has experienced one of the worst snow storms in 20 years. Farmers have lost their crops and more than 50,000 llamas and alpacas are without food after their pastures were covered with a thick layer of snow. |