The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-09-07
EXPORT OF WHEAT
SOME FIGURES INTEREST
ING TO FARMERS
Data That Comes From the
Federal Department of
Agriculture

Washington, August 30.--Cut
winter wheat acreage 20 per cent,
advises Gray Silver, Washington
representative OF the American
Farm Bureau Federation. ''lt our
farmers are going to make a serious
effort to reduce the wheat acreage
they should cut their winter wheat
acreage 20 per cent instead of the
u cent which they indicated re.
Gently to the department of asricul-
lure" says Mr. Silver Continuing,
lie says:
The American Farm Bureau
Federation along with numerous
other agencies Ior some time has
been urging upon the farmers the
necessity for adjusting wheat PRO
demand and thus eliminating TO a
considerable degree the surplus
wheat which annually breaks our
markets and makes us largely de-
pendent upon the world price for
that commodity. The wheat acreage
has been shifted materially in the
last few years in our strenuous eff
forts TO feed wheat to the world. Dur
Ing the last decade we increased
the acreage sown something like
24,000, 900 acres in this country. We
have only partially come back to a
normal basis since the peak i'm
Eediately following the war"
In 1910 our wheat acreage, in
round numbers, was $4,000, 900 acres
yielding 6S5, 100000 bushels valued
at $5Si 100000: or an average of
about $50 cents a bushel. We eX-
ported that calendar year 24,257, 900
bushels valued at S23,469.000. In
1919, the peak year, We sowed 49,
$4,000 acres wheat. which yield
ed 95l ,O0o,00 bushels valued at ST.
C74,CT3.000, or an average OF about
50. IS a buSuel. We exported that
year 14S,0S6, 900 bushels valued at
nearly 1857. 900 .00O, or an average
export price per bushel of 81. AZ.
The peak yield was in 1915 when
about $4,000. 900 acres produced
1.025.000.o00 bushels worth $3.50,
100000, or about 92c. The peak ex-
port Was il 1921 with 1000, 900
bushels valued at about S433. 900, :
900. That year we. planted 62,40s,-
900 bushels worth $751;, 068. 600. That
year recorded @ considerable spread
between domestic and export price.
Last year we planted nearly ST.
100000 acres which yielded SIS
100000 bushels valued at $720, 500,
600. or an average per bushel of Sc.
We exported that year ls4,692, 900
bushels valued at $206,33S 900, or
1925. IT
This year, according, to depart
ment of agriculture estimates, we
will have q wheat yield about equal
TO that of 1922 while at the same
time the European crops are nearly
back to a pre- far normal with every
indication that the European coun-
tries, TO which the bulk of our
wheat exports go, are planning to
render themselves for the future as
nearly self sufficient as conditions
Will allow.
II the wheat yield for next year
corresponds to the recommended
reduction In wheat acreage, we
would have in the neighborhood of
C5O.000,000 bushels, which on the
estimated basis of six bushels per
capita per annum consumption
would leave nothing for export. An
acreage yield on the basis OF 1915
would meet all domestic require
ments and leave small surplus for
export whereby certain markets
might be retained which might
otherwise be irretrievably lost. But
the recommendation for curtailed
production is a good one, although
it would seem that Is per cent cur I
tailment has the best OF the arguL
ment.