wheatfacts- Where do your food dollars go?

By Miles Dabovich

CEA-AG, Wichita County

During the past few days there has been a lot of attention about the recent rains and their effects on the wheat crop. As you read this article I certainly hope that the wheat harvest is in full swing and that mother nature is giving us a short break from the rain. Since wheat is the major crop, I thought I would provide you with a few interesting facts about wheat and where your food dollars go.

The wheat grown in Wichita County is what is called hard red winter wheat and is used mostly for baking. wheat is a member of the cereal family of plants that include rye, corn, oats and rice.

--Wheat is grown on more land area worldwide than any other crop and is a close third to rice and corn in total world production. In 2004, world wheat production was approximately 624 million tons.

--Because wheat is such a versatile crop, it is being harvested somewhere in the world every month of the year.

--Wheat is well adapted to harsh environments and is mostly grown on wind-swept areas too dry and too cold for rice and corn.

--In 2005, the world leaders in wheat production were China (91.3 million tons), India (72 million tons), United States (58.8 million tons), Russia (42.2 million tons), France (39 million tons) and Australia (22.5 million tons).

--Wheat supplies about 20 percent of the food calories for the world's people and is a national staple in many countries.

--The per capita consumption of wheat in the United States exceeds that of any other single food staple.

--A kernel is a wheat seed. There are about 50 kernels in a head of wheat and 15,000 to 17,000 kernels in a pound.

--Both whole wheat flour and all-purpose (white) flour are made from kernels of wheat. A wheat kernel is divided into three major parts--bran, endosperm and germ. All purpose flour is made from only ground endosperm. Whole wheat flour is made by grinding the entire wheat kernel.

--A bushel of wheat yields about 42 pounds of white flour or 60 pounds of whole wheat flour.

--A bushel of wheat will produce 73 loaves of bread.

--A bushel of wheat weighs about 60 pounds.

--Farmers receive about 5 cents from each loaf of bread sold.

--While wheat was grown in the United States during the early colonial years, it was not until the late 19th century that wheat cultivation flourished, owing to the importation of an especially hardy strain of wheat known as Turkey red wheat. Russian immigrants who settled in Kansas brought Turkey red wheat with them.

--Unlike most other crops, hard red winter wheat is planted in the fall and harvested in the spring.

--The wheat plant will grow about six inches before the frost comes. Each plant grows by producing more leaves and new stalks from the base of the plant. The new stalks are called "tillers."

--When the weather gets cold the tiller will stop growing. This is called the dormant period. On most farms in the Great Plains, cattle feed, or graze, on the young wheat plants while they are in their dormant period. The plants grow back. They are not damaged by proper grazing.

--In the spring, the warm moist days make the wheat plants grow quickly. As the wheat comes out of its dormant period, more tillers of wheat emerge. Each tiller can form another head of wheat.

--Some varieties of wheat grow as tall as 7 feet, but most are only between 2 and 4 feet tall.

--During the early summer, the plants begin to fade from dark green to tan and then to a golden brown. Then the wheat is ripe and nearly ready for harvest. Now the wheat producer must race with the weather to get the wheat out of the fields.

--Besides being a high carbohydrate food, wheat contains valuable protein, minerals, and vitamins. wheat is an efficient source of protein, when balanced by other foods that supply certain amino acids such as lysine.

--Wheat is the major ingredient in most breads, rolls, crackers, cookies, biscuits, cakes, doughnuts, muffins, pancakes, waffles, noodles, piecrusts, ice cream cones, macaroni, spaghetti, puddings, pizza, and many prepared hot and cold breakfast foods.

--Much of the wheat used for livestock and poultry feed is a byproduct of the flour milling industry.

--Wheat straw is used for livestock bedding. The green forage may be grazed by livestock or used as hay or silage. In many areas of the Southern Great Plains, wheat serves a dual purpose by being grazed in the fall and early spring and then harvested as a grain crop.

Where do your food dollars go?

Although less than 2 percent of Americans live on farms, we all participate in agriculture when we sit down at the dinner table. As we browse the smorgasbord of options on our supermarket shelves, it's easy to forget about agriculture producers and the hard work, time and money that it took to get that food on the shelf. Not to mention the risks of Mother Nature and the markets that they take. It's also easy to forget that as Americans we enjoy the safest, most affordable food and fiber in the world.

--Americans spend about 10.7 percent of their disposable income on food, compared to 11.2 percent in England; 14.9 percent in Australia; 17.6 percent in Japan; 24.5 percent in Mexico; and 51.3 percent in India.

--More than 90 percent of the food items consumed in the United States are produced whole or in part by American farmers.

--Per capita income in the United States increased 48 percent from 1970--1997. Meanwhile, food expenditures increased only 23 percent, mostly due to an increase in the number of Americans dining out.

--It takes just 40 days for the average American to earn enough money to buy their food for an entire year. In contrast, it takes them 131 days to earn enough to pay their federal, state and local taxes for one year.

--Since 1978, the share of the American food dollar spent on processing and marketing has increased 180 percent.

So out of every food dollar you spend on food this is where it goes: Labor--38 cents; farmers or ranchers--23 cents; Interest and taxes 10.5 cents; Packaging--8.5 cents; fuel, electricity, rent--7 cents; repairs and depreciations--5 cents; transportation--4 cents; and advertising--4 cents.

As Americans we should all realize the importance of agriculture and how fortunate we are to have the production of food and fiber in the United States.

A

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7/2/07

Date: 6/18/07

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