Basic HTML Version
year. We have no real backlog of
grain in storage.
Jf
we have
another drought, it would be ter–
rible, an absolute disaster for this
country."
Natlonwide Crisis
Last year, lack of rain and record
heat scorched the U .S. mid–
section, damaging wheat , corn,
soybeans and peanut crops and
killing millions of chickens and
turkeys.
But last year, overall crop pro–
duct ion in the United States
dropped only a li tt le despite
extensive drought. The reason
was, sufficient subsoi l moisture
pulled crops through to maturi ty
in many areas. That subsoil mois–
ture has been depleted in many
a reas. Ins u fficient rains and
snows this winter and early spring
have not replenished them.
Now renewed drought and dry–
ness has spread east and west.
Few areas of the count ry are
untouched.
During rece n t month s,
Colorado and other mou n tain
state resorts were forced to close
fo r lack of snow. Farmers in
widespread states were forced to
seek federal d isaster loans to sur–
vive.
The Minnesota Department of
Agriculture called the winter of
198 1 the driest in nearly 100
years.
In America's Northeast, record
drought emptied reservoi rs and
produced water emergencies in
small communities and major cit–
ies alike. Low river levels in sorne
areas concentrated water pollu–
tants so much that water was
unsafe to drink. Record winter
cold froze barren ground . Later
rains and snow could not soak in
to replenish subsoil moisture.
1n Florida, a big f r eeze
destroyed hundreds of millions of
dollars worth of citrus crops.
The Mississippi River, which
drains the vast midsection of the
nation, dropped to its lowest lev–
els in history. It became a grave–
yard of grounded barges. That
mea nt costly losses to many barge
owners. Tbey could only carry
6
partial loads of critica] supplies of
coa!, petrochemicals, crude oi l
a nd food grains. Ame r ica's
weather is crit ical to world food
supplies in another little-under–
stood way. The Mississippi car–
ries over half of the grain trans–
ported annually in the United
S tates.
In the Great Plains states, win–
ter wheat crops were stunted in
root growth by lack of moisture.
Areas barren of normal snow cov–
er were vulnerable to sudden cold
snaps and high winds.
And wherever late spring rains
relieved dryness, late planting,
Weather is the most
important factor in world
food supply. But many
weathermen fear the
United States is in the
grip of a multiyear
drought. Sorne feel the
dryness is now as serious
as the early years of the
1930s and 1950s.
' '
though helpful, will produce
reduced yields.
Hlgh Pressure Rldge
Weathermen offer an explanation
for so much dry weather in recent
months. Their instruments show
a high pressure ridge over the
Rocky Mountains. This pressure
ridge prevented moist air from
reaching the plains and eastern
states.
Normally in the wintertime for
the United States, wind ftow gen–
erally is west to east with a gentle
wave-like pattern that bulges over
the West and dips down south in
the East. What has happened this
winter is that the pattern has
been amplified. The jet stream, a
powerful high air current that
controls many weather patterns,
pushed moisture-laden ai r up into
Canada, where arctic air wrung
out moisture, then plunged freez–
ing air deep into southern states.
G ul f s torms consequently spun
out into the Atlantic and then
dumped their moisture over the
high seas.
Other Areas Hit
The United S tates does not have
a corner on bad weather, howev–
er. Portugal in recent months has
s truggled wi th its wors t d rought
in 30 years. Drought cut the
country's hydroelectric potential
in half.
•
In Africa, the drough t that
afflicted large parts of the conti–
nent last year has eased some–
what. But many African nations
are still forced to import more
and more food with precious for–
eign exchange.
And in various northern prov–
inces of the People's Republic of
China, two opposite weather
calamities have increased de–
mands for more food imports: the
worst ftoods in 25 years and the
worst drought in 37 years have
caused great agricultural losses.
Cornucopia Empt.ied
All of these weather problems put
more pressure on the U.S. food
cornucopia. But look what has
been happening to American crop
production in recent years.
The United States accounts for
60 percent qf
world grain t rade!
U.S. farmers are now selling
nearly every bushel of grain they
harvest, most of it for export.
Never were bumper crops in
North America more needed to
help feed the world. And yet even
North America's record crops are
not enough to feed the world .
United States g rain exports
grew an average of 12 percent a
year during the 1970s. But U.S.
grain production rose only about
5 percent at the same time. And
the world's appetite for food con–
tinues to g row rapaciously.
In 1979, the agricultura! pro–
duct ion of the developing coun–
(Continued on page 42)
The PLAIN TRUTH