"WHEAT'S" Going On in the Food World?

Recently, I email-interviewed a man in the grain commodity field who is related to one of my current wheat customers. Interesting info.

Are we the #1 exporter of grain right now?

• America is the number #1 exporter of wheat, corn and soybeans. We also export a fair amount of rice.
• China and India produce more wheat and rice than us, but they virtually consume it all and import huge amounts from us. They are increasing their consumption dramatically. Think if they each consume 1 more chicken per year...2.5 billion more chickens who need a lot of corn and soy meal! China consumes 30% of world's rice and they import huge quantities of wheat and soybeans.

What's our current status of reserves in the US?

• We have roughly the same quantity of rice in the world as we had in the early 80's when we had 2 billion less people on earth. Now we have the least amount of rice and wheat per person than ever in history; and by the time we harvest the next corn crop we will have about 35 days of supply unless we have drought or disease in which case we could run flat out.

Which countries have people who live on $1 a day or less? How do grain prices affect them?

• Here are a few examples: Nigeria 70%, Central African Republic 66.6%, Rwanda 66.3%, Zambia 63.8%, Madagascar 61%, and in our hemisphere both Nicaragua and Haiti are over 50%. When the price of Wheat and Rice double in a short time...these people don't get enough to eat and 25,000 are dying each day!!

What's our biggest problem now?

• We have no storage program and we are trading a food producing system the works for one we know doesn't work...multi-national corporations. Every American who eats needs to sound the alarm.