NPR published a transcript on a segment of its radio show, Morning Edition stating that Kansas is known for its fields of waist-high golden wheat. But this year, the blistering conditions have withered some of the crops into short, patchy straw. Standing in one of his fields in northwest Kansas, Chris Tanner wonders if it’ll even make it through harvest. Kansas is one of the country’s top wheat-producing states, so a smaller crop could make a dent. Senior research fellow Joseph Glauber said, ” Wheat was tight to begin with, all of a sudden. Ukraine has, you know, anywhere from 5 to 7 million tons of last year’s crop that normally would be marketed by now that’s stuck inside the country. So, you look at the wheat market. Then you think, OK, well, who can make up this grain?” Republished by various NPR-linked outlets including WBUR, WYSO, and WKSU (Ohio).
Hot, dry conditions scorch Kansas wheat — putting crops and farmers at risk (NPR)
June 22, 2022