Droughts Across Country Affect Grain Prices

With a hectic year of weather across the country, it affects grain prices here in Idaho.

Idaho Grain Producer President Matt Gelling brought me to the barley fields where he works. And while the grain here is looking great, the same can’t be said for other states.

Three of the top grain producing states, Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas, were hit with droughts this year. Texas alone will only produce about 50 percent of its crops.

With how unpredictable the weather can be, Gelling knows the same could happen here.

?It could hail tomorrow and we could lose fifty percent of our crop,? said Gelling.

But this year it has not. In fact, things are looking up.

?We’ve been up about 25 cents every day this week so that’s a good sign right now,? said Gelling. ?Hopefully that’ll keep rising up and get some money in their pockets.”

Things are really busy today. We’re trying to meet or break a record we set yesterday of 230 trucks,? said Ken Morgan of Moreland Grain and Seed. ?Which is really good for us, we’ve grown a lot and it’s kind of evident of that.?

But one worrying factor is the global market, where other countries like Russia are producing grain, and for less money.

?They’re a little bit lower priced but our wheat is a lot better so hopefully the world will come back to the United States,? said Gelling.

But Morgan says it all comes back to quality, which Idaho has always had.

?It’s always number one, top quality grain,? Morgan said. ?There’s a good outlook for grain. There’s a lot to be optimistic about.?

The states will still be feeling the effects of this season’s drought well into next year.