VOA常速英语:美国小麦产量创新低

Russ Higgins’ ancestors settled this patch of land in northern Illinois in 1858.

Since the first plow churned up the fertile soil here nearly 160 years ago, one crop that has always had a place in the fields was wheat.

“The next crop is going to go in as soon as we take this year’s soybean crop out, hopefully within two and half to three weeks.”

But there is not much wheat to see around here, not just because it’s out of season.There just aren’t a lot of farmers planting it.

“I’ve watched Illinois over the last 20 years really concentrate on corn and soybean production.”

Including Higgins, who dedicates only a small part of his farm to wheat,which this year provided only a modest return on his investment.

“We averaged about 83 bushels this year. Truth be told, this probably is going to look a little better than corn and soybean.”

Better or not, Higgins says the climate in northern Illinois is not ideal to grow wheat,and since there are fewer farmers producing it, it is gotten too expensive to grow.

“There’s not a readily available market year round. We have the chance to market wheat in about a three-week window.”

Executive Director of the Illinois Wheat Association, Jim Fraley,says another major factor for wheat’s demise in the U.S. is global competition.

“It is grown worldwide, grown in countries that are really even underdeveloped but still growing good wheat crops to help feed themselves, and, so we are seeing a lot of competition worldwide.And, so the U.S. has entered into the field of play with many, many different countries.”

Fraley says past experience also influences a farmer’s future decisions.

“A lot of them still remember the wheat of 10 and 20 years ago, where test weight was poor, quality was poor, and it just never paid.But the varieties today, and the management techniques we can use (in) regard to fungicide application and disease management has just really improved in the last few years, and it’s making wheat viable and profitable to grow here in Illinois again.”

Profitable or not, farmer Russ Higgins says it isn’t as simple as changing the seeds a farmer plants in the ground.

“For those who have not grown wheat for a number of years, there’s a little bit of a risk with wheat.Corn and soybean yields tend to be a little more consistent,and I think a lot of the farmers in a good year see more upside potential on that.”

However, if low prices for corn and soybean continue to reduce a farmer’s overall profits, a return to wheat might be the solution.

Kane Farabaugh, VOA news, Morris, Illinois.