Spring wheat hits its highest price in 14 years, spurring higher food prices
05/11/2022 // Ramon Tomey // Views

Spring wheat, which is used as a main ingredient for various food items, hit its highest price in 14 years due to a combination of factors inside and outside the United States.

ZeroHedge reported that spring wheat – which is used to make bagels, pizza crusts, rolls and croissants – approached the $12 mark on the morning of May 9. The price per bushel of spring wheat reached $12.31 on that day, the highest since 2008. This was mainly driven by delayed planting in the northern U.S. plains and Canada due to abnormally wet conditions.

According to another report by the conservative news website, extreme weather conditions prevented farmers in wheat-producing regions from planting. Devastating floods, blizzards, winter storms and high winds hit North and South Dakota, stalling wheat plantings schedule for April. The resulting wet conditions prevented farmers from working their fields, further decreasing wheat yields.

"The spring wheat crop should continue to see planting delays, with heavy rains and cold weather in the forecast," said commodity research firm The Hightower Report.

While too much water has impacted wheat crops in the U.S., lack of water has also impacted crops across the pond. Western Europe is currently being ravaged by a drought that has been going on for three weeks. According to weather forecaster Meteo France, the country ought to expect "summer-like heat."

French commodities Agritel pointed out that the drought could further worsen crop ratings, despite wheat harvests in France being in great shape. "The growing water deficit in France is causing concern amidst an already tense market," it stated in a commodity note. "The situation is clearly stretched in terms of availability [of wheat] on the international scene."

Brighteon.TV

Russia-Ukraine war also pushing wheat prices higher

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has also contributed to higher wheat prices. According to ZeroHedge, Kyiv alone accounts for 10 percent of global wheat exports. But an impediment to grain exports, including wheat, has prevented about 25 million tons from entering the world market, Reuters reported.

The news outlet quoted an official from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) – who cited infrastructure challenges and blocked sea ports, such as the city of Mariupol, for Ukraine's inability to export grains. (Related: Millions of tons of harvested grain are currently stuck in Ukraine due to war as global hunger crisis deepens.)

FAO Markets and Trade Division Deputy Director Josef Schmidhuber said during a May 6 virtual press briefing: "It's almost a grotesque situation we see at the moment in Ukraine with nearly 25 million tons of grain that could be exported, but that cannot leave the country simply because of lack of infrastructure [and] the blockade of the ports."

He added that the full grain silos in Ukraine could result in storage shortages during the next grain harvest in July and August.

"Despite the war, the harvest conditions don't look that dire. That could really mean there's not enough storage capacity in Ukraine, particularly if there's no wheat corridor opening up for export."

Schmidhuber's remarks appeared to align with statements by World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala regarding spiraling food prices, to which she expressed serious worry.

"It would really help the world if we could evacuate this grain [from Ukraine]. There's a serious risk of food prices going up and spiraling out of affordability that could lead to more hunger," Okonjo-Iweala said.

Crops.news has more stories about wheat prices and the factors affecting them.

Watch H.A. Graves explaining how shortages of wheat and fertilizer across the globe trigger the rise of food prices.

This video is from the Hal Graves channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Floods delay plantings in Northern Plains, could trigger food shortage.

Global food prices surge to record highs; FAO warns of possible famine all over the world.

USDA: 69% of total U.S. winter wheat production currently in drought zones… sharp decline in yields right around the corner.

PLANNED STARVATION: Grain deliveries by rail to be partially HALTED, devastating dairy herds and meat operations nationwide.

BardsFM host Scott Kesterson: Looming food crisis is going to be global and Americans need to sow seeds and start gardening – Brighteon.TV.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com 1

ZeroHedge.com 2

Reuters.com

Brighteon.com



Take Action:
Support Natural News by linking to this article from your website.
Permalink to this article:
Copy
Embed article link:
Copy
Reprinting this article:
Non-commercial use is permitted with credit to NaturalNews.com (including a clickable link).
Please contact us for more information.
Free Email Alerts
Get independent news alerts on natural cures, food lab tests, cannabis medicine, science, robotics, drones, privacy and more.
App Store
Android App
eTrust Pro Certified

This site is part of the Natural News Network © 2022 All Rights Reserved. Privacy | Terms All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing International, LTD. is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published here. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.

This site uses cookies
Natural News uses cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using this site, you agree to our privacy policy.
Learn More
Close
Get 100% real, uncensored news delivered straight to your inbox
You can unsubscribe at any time. Your email privacy is completely protected.