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.
Ukraine is expected to export six million metric tons of wheat in 2009/2010, half as much as the Black Sea country exported last season. Poor moisture during May is said to be responsible. Last year, Ukrainian farmers harvested a 25.9 million metric ton crop, but nearly half of it was feed quality because of a rainy May and June.
It’s tit for tat in the Russian/Egyptian trade spat that began when Egypt seized three Russian cargoes of wheat because of quality problems. Now, Russia has seized Egyptian oranges because of a Mediterranean fruit fly infestation.
Canada’s top grain handler, Viterra Inc., is buying Australia’s ABB Grain Ltd to give the company better access to Asia. The combined company will have the advantage of crop supplies from different hemisphere’s which should hedge weather related risk.
Uganda is the site of a model wheat farm being developed by the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land reclamation. About 500 acres suitable for wheat planting has been identified at Labora, Koro sub county in Gulu District.
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.
