Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-09-07
Prospect for Worlds Wheat
Supply No Cause for
Serious Alarm

Prospects for the worlds wheat
! supply, while not so satisfactory as
wa; expected during the first part OF
I the current season, shows at the pre-
sent time no cause for serious alarm.
Estimates of the quantity Of wheat
harvested in 20 countries, including
the United States, fort 1921, total 2
! 461 100000 bushels, compared with p
384, $4,000 bushels harvested last
.uear, according to data compiled by
the Bureau of Markets and Crop Es-
Inmates, United States Department OF
Agriculture.
The 20 countries included in this es-
innate are The United States, Canada,
Argentina. Chile, Uruguay, Belgium,
Finland, France, Greece, Hungary,
Italy, Spain, British India, Japan,
Algeria, Tunis, Union of South At
RIGA, Australia and New Zealand.
These countries produced approx
mately SO per cent of the known wheat
crop of the world during the yeara
1903-13, according to the annual aver
age production records of the bureau.
Drought Was Serious Menace
Although the long-sustained
drought throughout the greater parS
of the Northern Hemisphere was a
serious menace to the various crops
IN many countries, the fall-sown
wheat has not been affected adverse
" so much as was at first supposed.
On the contrary, the fall-sown wheat
managed to obtain firm hold on .he
soil and fairly vigorous growth be-
fore the beginning of the drought.
Nearly all of northern and central
Europe will have larger wheat crops
this year than last, according to the
last estimates made by the bureau,
Belgium and Greece being the only
countries in which smaller crops arc
expected.
Outside of Europe, British India
was most seriously affected by the
drought. The dryness and the hot
winds that have prevailed throughout
most of the growing season have re-
suited in the very low yield of ESQ.,
100000 bushels of wheat, or about So
100000 bushels less than the quantity
normally consumed in that country.
With the rice crop also seriously al
fected, India is eXpected to import
wheat this year instead of exporting
it. In an average year before the
World War. India exported over So
100000 bushels of wheat.
In Canada the total yield of spring
wheat is estimated at 273,O2O,OO0
bushels, of which 264 $4,000 bushels
were grown in Saskatchewan, Mani
toba, and Alberta. Fall wheat, grown
almost exclusively in Ontario and Al
berta. was estimated at 15,437,OOO
bushels. The total wheat yield of Can
ada for 1921 is therefore 2SS, 100000
bushels, compared with 263, 1885, 900
bushels last year.
Russian Crops Hopeless
A very unsatisfactory feature in
the present international situation is
the hopeless condition Of the Russian
crops. Unofficial reports state that
during last autumn and the spring of
this year only very small area was
sown to the various crops. resulting
in failure to produce sufficient food
Tor the country lleeQS. IL ID aloo iC
ported unofficiallv that considerable
amount of wheat will vet be imported
by Russia tn1> year. But up to thu
present time the amount of wheat. as
we'll as other foodstuffs, which will be
imported is conjectural, and the Blu
reau of Markets and Crops Estimates
is unable to make definite state
ment concerning it.
In northern Africa, the wheat crop
was generally larger than last year.
In Algeria. thrashing results show
better WELD than was exnected earl
Ter in the season. In Tunis, bad
weather reduced the yields somewhat
from those expected earlier, while IN
Morocco the crop was generally re-
ported as satisfactory. According 20
estimates published by the Interna-
tional Institute of Agriculture at
Rome. these three countries are ex-
pected to produce, for 1921, yield
of 66.13S.000 bushels of wheat, COM
pared with 36,743,000 bushels in 1920.