Posted on 05/02/2008 1:59:56 PM PDT by abigkahuna
Food Shortages Growing? An email from a reader in the Midwest causes me some concern: "Last night at the daughter's horse riding lesson the price of horse feed came between my wife & the stable owner/riding instructor. One of her friends in Kansas said that his winter wheat looked great, but there was no wheat in the wheat plant heads (kernel/seed-I don't know the correct term). He reported that the grain miller that they normally use said that they are having trouble getting any wheat to prepare. Same thing from many Kansas wheat growers; plants look great, but no wheat to harvest. This is a family business that has been going since early 1900s. They made it through 2 world wars & the dust bowl. They are not sure if they can survive this year if they can't locate some wheat for processing. Nothing to mill, nothing to grind. That doesn't bode well for later in the year.
I couldn't find anything online about this, but the riding instructor is pretty mainstream & doesn't seem to be a conspiracy buff. She said that the lack of harvestable wheat, when the plants look normal, has never been seen before."
(Excerpt) Read more at urbansurvival.com ...
Well, time to get use to low carb dieting.
seems too early in the year for wheat to be harvested. Winter wheat here in Wisconsin only about 6 inches tall right now, and even though Kansas is way ahead of us weather wise, still seems 1-2 months early at least to harvest.
The winter wheat harvest typically begins in early June in Kansas, with the Kiowa area historically the first place in the state to take in grain.
Genetically modified chickens coming home to roost?
4/30/2008
AgWeb.com Editors
The risk of significant yield loss in Kansas wheat fields due to leaf rust and other foliar diseases has increased dramatically this past week, according to Kansas State University Research and Extension.
Leaf rust was discovered in commercial fields and variety demonstration plots in Sumner County in south-central Kansas on April 24th, wheat plant pathologist Erick DeWolf said in a press release. The leaf rust occurred with an incidence of less than 10% and with severity of less than 2% in both the Jagger and Jagalene varieties.
Leaf rust has also been observed in northern Oklahoma where the disease was slightly more advanced. Leaf rust was observed at trace levels on the Overley variety near Stillwater in north-central Oklahoma, but the disease has not yet been detected in fields planted to Overley wheat in Kansas.
Powdery mildew has also increased significantly during this past week, KSU Extension reported, and was also cited in Sumner county. The severity of powdery mildew in the area was greater than 25%, which can result in significant yield loss.
This is very weird. Might be related to lack of bees.
First week or so of June is when winter wheat harvests start. I call BS.
No news of this here in OHio. Wheat not up enough, I guess.
As far as the farm bill, did congress answer the ag sec’s concerns with the Ug99 concern with funding for more R&D?
Reminder, we only have 2 types fairly resistant to Ug99...
Thanks for that of info. The email was sent to Ure, who can not vouch for the information—that’s why I decided to post the info here to see if anyone has run across this problem yet.
Got Rice?
Don’t you remember — last week they said there was a rice shortage.
I have 60 acres planted and will be full term in about two weeks. It's there for the cows & wildlife and to shoot hogs from.
India says rice, wheat stocks adequate and growing
http://in.reuters.com/article/globalCoverage3/idINIndia-33366420080502
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India has bought adequate quantity of rice and wheat from the local market and stocks of the staples will swell further, the head of the biggest official procurement agency said on Friday.
India, which imported wheat in the past two years, has banned exports of wheat and severely curtailed sales of rice to shore up domestic supplies and tame inflation, which has soared to a 3-1/2-year high and officials now say the granaries are brimming, ruling out imports.
“As of today, 15.4 million tonnes of wheat has been procured for the central pool,” Alok Sinha, chairman and managing director of Food Corp, told a news conference.
“It is expected that we may mop up 17.5 million tonnes wheat,” he said.
He said India was likely to exceed its target of buying 27 million tonnes of rice in the marketing year to September and had already purchased 23.2 million tonnes so far this year, which is 1.8 million tonnes more than the same period a year ago.
India’s bulging rice stocks offer no comfort to countries that face shortfalls.
Export curbs such as those in India and Vietnam have spooked importers like the Philippines and Bangladesh at a time when global stocks have halved from a record high in 2001.
An official from Thailand, the world’s biggest rice exporter, said producers were also facing higher costs as prices of inputs like fertilisers had risen.
India, the world’s second-biggest wheat producer, buys grains from local farmers for emergency needs and to feed the poor at lower rates. Government purchases also help farmers avoid distress sales.
“Wheat procurement has already surpassed the total procurement made in the last three years. We are going to buy more. We have the capacity to store up to 25 million tonnes wheat,” Sinha said. Lower wheat purchases by the Food Corp of India, the custodian of foodgrains, in the last two years forced the country to import 5.5 million tonnes of the grain in 2006, for the first time in six years.
Last year, India bought 1.8 million tonnes of wheat.
Yup...I was taunting you...
Japan had 45% of their rice crop from last year left over to this year, it's twice as expensive as rice grown in other countries.
Grasses, including wheat, are wind polinated. No bees needed for it.
Need any help shootin those hogs? I have been looking for somewhere to go. If you are in DS county. I am in Quay county. Private message me if you have any that a responsible person would be permitted to shoot.
I have wheat north of Hays, Kansas. I just talked to my brother who is there and he said they are expecting it to freeze sharply tonight and if it does, the there wont be enough to worry about cutting.
If it doesnt freeze, I will be looking for a non traditional market for what I do have. We will cut about the 25th of June.
I’m here in Alabama. I’ve got a very small plot of wheat, under a 1/4 acre, that I planted last Halloween. It’s headed up just fine; the heads are a little green yet (I’ll hand harvest) but should harden up soon.
I planted this last year just to see if I could, and it’s grown swell. No problems. I’ll probably save ALL the wheat as seed for this Fall, I should be able to plant a little over an acre!
Be instructive to know what varieties were actually planted, or were allegedly planted, or were supposed to be planted? The dryland farmers scattered around my family tell me “stuff happens”?
Suggestion #1, don’t get your information about Kansas wheat from a site called “Urban Survival”
I am looking at a field of Kansas wheat as I type this. We got some hail last night but it still looks good. Its a little early for the seed heads to develop, the plants still need to grow another foot taller. I expect all the crops and hay will be running a couple of weeks late this year because of the cold spring.
Next time, read carefully, the author of the site says he received an email, that email contained the info from a Kansas resident regarding wheat. The author than wrote that he could not find any information online regarding the anecdotal story.
Now if this stage of wheat growth means that there is no seed heads developed, than that is important and such information should be relayed to the author of the website--as he claims he is no farmer and would appreciate accurate information. I am sure Mr. Ure would like to know that there is no danger to the winter wheat crop.
attacking messengers is not the most polite way to advance your tidbit of information. but thanks for your help
As I keep telling people here in FR, you don’t have to live in ignorance of how food is grown, where, by whom, how much, etc.
The USDA collects and publishes tons of information. From farmers. Real farmers. People who grow food, in large quantities, and sell it (hopefully at a profit). You don’t have to listen to bogus information, regardless of where it comes from - the press or whomever.
Here’s the 2008 crop progress for Kansas:
http://www.nass.usda.gov/Charts_and_Maps/Crop_Progress_&_Condition/2008/KS_2008.pdf
NB that the wheat progress is, on average, shows that the majority of wheat won’t be headed until the end of May. This is still pretty early for winter wheat, especially in a year that has been as as cold and wet as it has been.
NB2 that 20% of the winter wheat crop is called “poor” or “very poor” in the reports.
Thanks NV Dave
The lack of development of kernels *might* be due in part to the decrease in solar activity. The precipitous drop in temperatures this winter is most likely due to this lack of sunspots and flares.
This directly translates to grasses, like wheat. Grasses are very responsive to daily low temperatures. For example, they say not to bother to seed your yard with Bermuda grass until the daily low temperature is above 65 degrees, or else it just won’t germinate.
Because of the decline in solar activity, skies are much more clear. During the day, things heat up to normal temperatures, but at night more heat is radiated back into space than normal.
This effect on wheat would also follow. During the day, it is hot enough to grow and be healthy. But at night, it is too cool for kernels to start growing.
It needs a higher “low” temperature.
Granted, this is just an idea. Those who live in wheat growing areas might check this out.
I’m sorry, I thought I was being ironic not antagonistic.
I’m actually glad you posted the article. As far as Mr. Ure goes, I’m sure he is all the farm expert that “Urban Survival” needs.
Now lets tear apart the above paragraph. Sentence one, totally sincere, I have no ill will toward you. Sentence two, sarcastic with a strong dose of irony, but once again not an attack toward you.
My manners are fine it is my interpersonal skills that need some work, but seriously, it was a good piece of advise and should be taken that way. The article is for city folk, written by city folk, based on city folk that ventured out into the country for riding lessons.
My guess is that the whole story started as a joke. I can see the exchange in my head.
city- what’s that growing
country -that’s wheat
city- that can’t be wheat, I don’t see any seeds.
country- rolling his eyes- holy smokes, you’re right,I’ve never seen wheat grow with no head.
city- I better go home and notify all my friends at Urban Survival.
once again, sarcasm directed toward the Urban Survival, not at you.
All is now forgiven dangerdoc—hugs and kisses...
I assumed abigkahuna would be a man.
I take it you are a woman, if not I’m a little uncomfortable. : )
I was talking to you like a man, men speak to each other with a little less politeness. I do feel like I stepped a little out of bounds with my clumsy sense of humor. I appologize.
I am a man, just being a little full of humor too!
Where did you grow up?
NW Kansas: Wheat crop looking 'excellent'
Well it looks like the writer of the email to George Ure was all wet... Lets hope the crops are full and brimming, eh?
Thanks for the update, ciao
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