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programs. But it has added to the
domes tic cost of grain.
A Costl y Lesson
We need to take a closer look at
exactly what happened in Russia.
What occurred there reveals what
could very well happen to the
United States, Canada and other
grain-producing states.
First, the 1972 winter wheat crop
(planted in the fall of 1971) failed
because of insufficient snow. Ordi–
narily, winter snows cover the wheat
fields. The snow blanket moderates
ground heat loss during periods of
extreme cold and allows the dor–
mant seedlings to survive the winter.
The Soviet winter of '71-' 72 was
both cold and dry and had followed
a dry summer. Altogether, 27.5 mil–
lion acres of the winter wheat crop
were virtually destroyed.
Desperately, the Russians re–
seeded their fie1ds for lower-yielding
spring
wheat. But "the worst was yet
to come," in the words of Vladimir
12
V. Maskevitch, Soviet Minister of
Agriculture. The summer that fol–
lowed was the hottest and driest in a
century. When the rains finally
carne, and they carne in torrents, it
was the harvest season, and the
crops which did exist in areas such
as the Ukraine, the middle and
lower Voiga, sorne scattered areas of
the northem Caucasus and Central
Russia were wiped out. Sorne híth–
erto unproductive areas produced
substantíal yíelds, but overall, the
wheat crop was reduced by about 25
percent.
Thís forced the Soviets to begin
importing 400 million bushels of
American wheat, plus 150 million
bushels from Canada, Australia and
France. The total wheat bill for the
Russians carne to over one billion
dollars.
But the problem extends much
deeper than just a billion dollars in
hard currency spent on a commod–
ity that will fill hungry stomachs but
return little to the economy. The
Mike Hendriekson - Ploin Truth Photos
TONS OF U. S. WHEAT
are dumped
into the hold of a ship
by
automated
augur . Entire operation is controlled
from electronic panel at worker's right
(above). Holds in ship at right are fllled
with wheat from different areas of the
U.S.A., hence the variation in grain
color.
troubles will cause Soviet budgetary
revisions in the neighborhood of $24
billion dollars over the next few
years. Part of this expense will result
from the need to continue importing
food for the next few years. Part will
be caused by higher food prices;
part by replacing pigs, chickens, and
beef and dairy cattle slaughtered
this year for lack of feed. And part
will result from the necessity of re–
structuring the Soviet harvesting
system, which completely broke
down and contributed, especially
when the rains began, to no small
part of the disastrous 1972 losses.
During the harvest, tractors, trucks,
combines, railroad cars and workers
were frequently in the wrong places
PLAIN TRUTH Februory 1973