Posted on 04/11/2022 7:26:00 PM PDT by RomanSoldier19
The U.S. winter wheat crop has emerged from dormancy in miserable condition following a historically dry winter in key production states, almost guaranteeing that the harvest will not rank among the country’s better ones.
The timing is not great since tensions in the wheat market are running high. Global wheat prices hit record levels last month after war broke out among top exporters Russia and Ukraine, and that came on the heels of an already-tight supply situation. The United States is also among the world’s leading suppliers of wheat.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture late on Monday said 30% of U.S. winter wheat was in good or excellent condition as of April 3, well below the trade expectation for 40% and the year-ago 53%. That was the agency’s first national assessment of wheat conditions since late November.
Crop health has rarely been this poor in early April. Only 27% of winter wheat in 1996 was good or excellent within the first 10 days of the month, and 2018 was close behind with 31%. Final yields were poor in 2018 but terrible in 1996.
In fact, U.S. winter wheat yields have never been above the long-term trend when much less than 45% of the crop is good or excellent as of early April. Along with 1996, lousy harvests such as 1989, 2002 and 2014 were also in poor shape at this juncture. Records go back to 1986.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
“Luckily, all we probably need is some better fertilizer.”
I see what you did there, lol....
😋
“It looks like the freeloaders from south of the border are making a bad move sneaking into America. We’re already running out of food. How the hell are we going to feed 100 million illegal aliens? This joke is on them. Maybe they can eat their flags.”
No the joke is on us as soon after arrival, they (and many of them are single males) will be out on the streets mugging, shooting and robbing us in order to sustain and enrich themselves at our expense.
We just got (today) the latest measurable snow on record (south-central and eastern Washington). A half inch of equivalent liquid precipitation which winter wheat should lap up.
Talking about the crop itself, not the price. 🙄
Are you in the Midwest?
and dementia joe just announced that more food will be burned instead of gasoline ... truly the stuff of Bizarro World ...
That’s a beautiful Lenten Rose, mine have already bloomed here in the south. I wish I could grow Lavender like you can, but it’s just too wet down here.
The snow peas are doing well, and hopefully we’re past the last frost. I can’t grow enough to matter, but knowing a little about farming goes a long way. And knowing a little might save your life someday.
“$10 cereal come December.”
Easily. Learn to love Oatmeal - until there’s a shortage of THAT, too!
-The White House will be handing out free food vouchers along with their telephones as they come across the border.-
Not to worry. The vouchers will be signed by the same government that signed the Indian treaties.
“The U.S. winter wheat crop has emerged from dormancy in miserable condition following a historically dry winter in key production states,
almost guaranteeing that the harvest will not rank among the country’s better ones. “
“The timing is not great since tensions in the wheat market are running high.
Global wheat prices hit record levels last month after war broke out among top exporters Russia and Ukraine,
and that came on the heels of an already-tight supply situation.
The United States is also among the world’s leading suppliers of wheat. “
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture late on Monday said 30% of U.S. winter wheat was in good or excellent condition as of April 3, well below the trade expectation for 40% and the year-ago 53%.
That was the agency’s first national assessment of wheat conditions since late November."
(See also : “ Food Shortages Loom As Chinese Farmers Face Trouble Amid Pandemic “
Crop shortages in China may have financial impact in world markets and may last for years :
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/4054230/posts
So wheat is now what happened.
China, Russia, North America, all have bad wheat prospects for winter wheat.
Going to be an interesting fall.
One of the reasons for smaller wheat crops is that old long term storage.
It cost something to store, and it was a big chunk of cash on the balance sheet.
So it got sold a long time ago.
JIT theology isn’t just for walmart crap
Start there...
Places that sell heirloom grain seed are selling out fast, but last I checked there were still a few varieties at https://greatlakesstapleseeds.com/ and https://store.experimentalfarmnetwork.org/
Producing your own grain has a learning curve, so I recommend starting before you need it.
And, because one problem with home-grown cereals is mycotoxins, I recommend getting a blacklight to inspect your grain with. Fungi glow under blacklight, making it easier to identify infected grains, even if the fungus hasn’t developed enough to be obvious. Ergot, for example, is supposed to glow red under blacklight.
Wheat can be stored for ages if kept cool, dry, and with as little oxygen as possible. Usually that means sealed buckets, cans, or barrels, with oxygen absorbers included. This website has a lot of info on wheat storage: https://extension.usu.edu/preserve-the-harvest/research/storing-wheat
If storing an entire silo full, that’s a lot harder. In that quantity, you’re pretty much guaranteed to have bugs and small critters in the mix, and there’s no way to keep oxygen out. I’m not sure how long it can be stored that way before the pests ruin it, but probably not even one full year, depending on the climate. If you could keep the pests out you might be able to store it that way for 5 years, possibly more? It’s hard to say.
Desert climates are good for long-term wheat storage. There have been archeological digs that turned up wheat seeds that were centuries old, and still viable.
Some companies already use processed sawdust in their breads. Look for “cellulose” in the ingredients list.
Thanks for the info. You know quite a bit about wheat production and storage. Probably from some first hand experience.
Not as much first-hand experience as I’d like :) This will be my 3rd year growing wheat. All I can say is that at least I’ve been making different mistakes every time!
I have done a lot of research on it to try and find ways to do better. I hope some of that research helps.
I have no confidence that Reuters has any ability to report farming news in an accurate and coherent manner.
Right now we are have a fun little April snow storm across Oregon and through to Montana which covers 5 of the top twelve winter wheat states. I drove through a white out yesterday to pick up a transmission. My knuckles are still white.
Farm outlooks are hinged on such things.
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