Growing conditions have been so poor across the United States this season that wheat growers are expected to harvest just 67 percent of their planted acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
If these expectations are met, then this will mean the lowest harvest ratio since 1917 at the height of World War I, the agency warned in its latest monthly food report.
America's Great Plains have been so dry for so many years now that crops simply are not getting enough moisture to thrive. Some fields are in such poor shape that the wheat crops they contain likely will not produce any heads, leaving no reason to harvest them.
Fortunately for farmers, they can still file crop insurance claims for failed acres, or choose to just plow it all under and grow something else. Unfortunately for hungry Americans and other nations that rely on the nation's wheat exports, there is soon to be a lot less flour and bread on grocery store shelves.
"We'll see short wheat, thin stands, some wheat that looks really good and a lot of fields that aren't going to be harvested," said Justin Gilpin, chief executive officer of the trade group Kansas Wheat, which in just a few days will conduct its annual tour of Kansas, America's top-growing wheat state.
During this tour, analysts at Kansas Wheat will survey crop fields and make production estimates. Then we will have a much better idea about what to expect in the coming months.
(Related: The war in Ukraine has worsened the global "wheat war".)
USDA crop abandonment forecasts even worse than analyst expectations
Analysts were already expecting a bad year for U.S. crops based on known weather conditions, but USDA forecasts for what actually materializes are even worse than they predict.
This is the excuse the media is giving, anyway, for continued elevated food prices, which remain inflated due to the Federal Reserve's money supply printing press escapades over the past several decades.
Remember: It does not matter who the president is when the private Federal Reserve central bank holds the keys to the kingdom. By controlling the lever on the money printers, the Fed essentially does whatever it wants, whenever it wants, and the nation gets stuck picking up the tab in the form of runaway inflation and a continually lowered standard of living.
The thing about crop failures, though, is that the famines they cause eventually affect everyone, rich and poor. All the Federal Reserve notes in the world cannot save a man if there is no food available to him as a result of God's judgment on the lands in which it is grown.
Is this what is happening right now? It sure appears that way, geoengineering and all other man-made factors considered. While the global economy does appear to be in the throes of a controlled demolition, those doing the demolishing could be in for a nasty surprise when it comes to their own fate when all is said and done.
Corn production is still up, despite the dire situation with wheat. Keep in mind, though, that the vast majority of U.S. corn is genetically modified (GMO) and used to feed animals or to manufacture unhealthy food additives like high-fructose corn syrup.
"Bread shortages now? My money was on the Twinkies," one commenter wrote jokingly about the situation.
"What happened to America's bread basket?" asked another, also observing the shift from America: the land of abundance to America: the land of increasing desolation.
As the food supply dries up, we will keep you informed about the latest news at FoodCollapse.com.
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