01/22/09 The Wide World of Wheat from the Washington Wheat Commission

Anchor: And now from the Washington Wheat Commission comes "The wide world of wheat" grain industry headlines from around the world. Reader The prime minister of Kenya has been accused of supporting a grain handling monopoly at the Mombossa port, a situation the country's millers claim has led to delay surcharges on ships that can't unload in a timely manner. Those surcharges, as much as $50,000 a day, are passed on to the price of flour. Iran is filling up on world grain, importing one point one billion dollar's worth since December. The Iranian Commerce ministry says the country needs 12 million tons of grain this year, with five million of that coming from abroad. More than 7.9 million hectares, or 19.5 million acres, of Northern China's prime wheat ground is experiencing a drought. The Ministry of Agriculture said the amount of precipitation in some areas is 70 to 90 percent less than average. Five hundred thousand tons. That's how much feed wheat the Philippines is expected to import by June, compared to 100,000 tons in 2008. Much of the wheat is coming from the Ukraine. I'm Bob Hoff. Anchor: The Washington Wheat Commission wants growers and citizens alike to understand their industry has global reach. A pebble thrown anywhere in the world of grain is felt as ripples by Washington's 13,000 growers and their landlords.