Potential challenges ahead for world’s supply of wheat

Farm Policy News says dried-out soils in Russia and Ukraine are threatening wheat planting for harvest next year. It’s yet another challenge for farmers hit by the ongoing war and weather events. The two nations account for a quarter of the world’s wheat exports, but large chunks of land are too dry to plant crops. There’s still time for conditions to get better, but the challenges bring a risk of shortening the planting window for the winter crops that make up the bulk of their annual production. Industry experts say it’s an early reminder of the possibility of risks to the wheat supply next year. World wheat prices have begun creeping upward in recent weeks, due in part to concerns about the Black Sea supply of wheat. The output in Ukraine is about a third below the pre-war levels, and Russia’s latest crop shrank 10 percent because of unfavorable weather.