Revolutionizing rice yield prediction
The Increasing global demand for staple crops, projected to rise by 60 percent by 2050, is a pressing issue intensified by population growth, income increases, and biofuel usage. To meet this demand sustainably, intensifying existing cropland to minimize environmental impacts and yield gaps is critical. Traditional methods like self-reporting and crop cutting are either inaccurate or impractical, and while remote sensing technologies offer potential, their application remains limited in these regions. The advent of machine learning, specifically, deep learning with convolutional neural networks (CNNs), presents a promising avenue. This technology has shown proficiency in image analysis, yet its application in diverse agricultural contexts, especially for versatile crop yield estimation across various environments and cultivars, is unexplored.
IMF says lower oil production will reduce Iraq’s GDP growth in 2023, 2024
The International Monetary Fund said Iraq faces lower GDP growth in 2023 and 2024 as a result of lower oil output, including from OPEC+ production cuts, while a large fiscal expansion in the country’s three-year budget posed risks in the medium term.
In a statement on Tuesday following meetings with Iraqi authorities, the IMF welcomed government plans to strengthen public financial management and said Iraq’s central bank had “appropriately” tightened monetary policy.
But it said deep structural reforms in the state-led, hydrocarbons-intensive economy were needed to diversify the economy and achieve sustainable growth.
“Priorities include creating a level playing field for the private sector through banking and electricity sector reforms, reducing distortions in the labour market, and continuing efforts to enhance governance and reduce corruption,” the statement said.
China’s unconventional gas production is taking off
Mainland China’s unconventional gas production is taking off as state-owned companies ramp up exploration and production, analysts at BMI, a Fitch Solutions company, said in a report sent to Rigzone recently.
“State-owned companies PetroChina and Sinopec are experiencing some success in unconventional gas production as they accelerate exploration activities,” the analysts added in the report.
“The two largest producers, Sinopec and PetroChina, have gained considerable experience and are technically capable of producing shale and tight gas, having worked with oil majors such as Shell, Chevron, and TotalEnergies,” they added.
Weed control ‘crucial for wheat production’
Farmers in Faisalabad have been urged to prioritise the elimination of weeds, which can cause up to a 42 percent reduction in wheat production.
The Agriculture (Extension) Department spokesperson, Mubeen Ahmad, highlighted the detrimental effects of weeds on both the quantity and quality of crop production.
Weeds not only absorb essential nutrients but also create a conducive environment for pests, further damaging crops.
Farmers are advised to take immediate action to remove weeds from their crops to maximise
Meanwhile, farmers and gardeners have been advised to take immediate steps to protect their vegetables, crops, and orchards, particularly mango plants, during the cold winter.
Anglo’s S.African iron ore unit cuts production as rail woes persist
South Africa’s Kumba Iron Ore (KIOJ.J), a unit of global mining giant Anglo American Plc (AAL.L), on Friday said it was cutting production over the next three years to align output to constrained capacity to transport minerals via rail to port.
Transnet, South Africa’s state-owned freight rail and port operator, is struggling to haul minerals and other commodities to export markets due to locomotive shortages, cable theft and vandalism of its infrastructure. This has cost exporters billions of rand in potential revenue.
Kumba, whose iron ore stockpiles had grown to 9 million tons by September due to the rail bottlenecks, said it expects to end 2023 with production of between 35-36 million tons, from the previous forecast between 35–37 million tons.
Kumba has also lowered its production outlook for the next three years to 35–37 million tons per year, from previous targets of 37–39 million tons in 2024 and 39–41 million
U.S. milk production report illustrates 44,000 fewer cows year-over-year
Milk production in the 24 major States during November totaled 17.3 billion lbs., representing a decline of 0.5 percent from November 2022. October’s revised production, at 17.9 billion lbs., was down 0.6 percent from October 2022. The October revision represented a decrease of 37 million lbs., or 0.2 percent from last month’s preliminary production estimate. Production per cow in the 24 major States averaged 1,948 lbs. for November, 3 lbs. below November 2022.
The Number of milk cows on farms in the 24 major States was 8.90 million head, 26,000 head less than in November 2022, and 9,000 head less than in October 2023. The number of milk cows on farms in the U.S. was 9.36 million head, 44,000 head less year-over-year and 10,000 head less than in October 2023.
The Number of milk cows on farms in the 50 states was 9.36 million head, 44,000 head less than in November 2022, and 10,000 head less than in October 2023.
World’s no.2 sugar producer India may need imports in 2025
India, the No.2 sugar producer, has been a net exporter of the sweetener for the past six years.
However, it is set to ban exports in the crop year that started in October and may even be forced to import in the following year as farmers turn to other crops, according to traders, industry officials, and farmer interviews.
The Production decline is driven by unusually dry conditions, fuelled by El Nino, in the western state of Maharashtra and its neighbour to the south, Karnataka, which along with Uttar Pradesh in the north account for over 80 percent of Indian sugar output.