Weather Wise
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.WHEN American insurance companies tot up the destruction caused by El Nino, the largest items on the balance sheet will not be the direct damage caused by wind and storms, but the disruption to agriculture. So far, the oranges in Florida have survived the recent cold, but other crops may not be so fortunate.
With rivers in Georgia spilling over their banks on to fertile farmland last week, the state's watermelon crop is still unplanted.
"The people are already asking are we going to have watermelons by the Fourth of July," the state agriculture commissioner Tommy Irvin said. "That's when you really get to bring in the price. Those prices fall immediately after the Fourth." He was also concerned about the state's Vidalia onions, "sitting over there is a puddle of water trying to fight off disease."
Strawberry farmers have been taking emergency measures against freezing night-time temperatures, spraying their crops with water to encourage a thin layer of ice to form and act as a heat-retaining blanket. Peach trees have suffered, sprouting buds about three weeks early, during a warm spell, then being hit by the low temperatures that followed. So prospects for the summer look less than fruity.
There is, however, one remedy on hand: the wet weather may force some corn farmers to switch to a more hardy crop. As Marie Antoinette might have said: let them eat soybean.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments