104 



Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers 



2600 ■WTiea: Drive • Red Lake Fills. MN 56750 



Telephone: 2ia/753-<3n or 800/242-^118 • PAX 218/753-1320 



Testimony by Pete Kappaa, Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers 



National Association of Wfieat Grtwers 



for the 



U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Aorlculture 



Subcommittee on General Farm Commodnies 



Hearing on federal disaster assistance, wtieat quality losses 



September 28, 1993, Washington. D.C. 



Mr. Chairman, members of the Subcommltiee, my name is Pete Kappas representinn the 

 ^r!^^' ^f°«^"n ot Wheat Growers. The MAWG te an organfeS^^f'SS^^SS wheal 

 A^ M^nn f ^^^ ^ ^ ^"'"^'^ ^^^ "^^ f'^'^^"^' Associalloo ol Wheat Growers. I farm near 

 Ada.^MInn., and when Mother Nature cooperates 1 try to grow soybeans, sunflowers, barley, and 



JLl^^r^"^^^"^' *=^3se-burdened 1993 growing seasc^ may be the biggest crisis to ever hil 

 no S^rlS^nTc tf ;^?rr- ^^ ''^°^" °* '^ "'"^ '° ^'"^- ^ even then, there were 

 ^^^^^^T.T^' ^'"'* '^°^" """^^ ^^ ^^®y ^"- "° special equipment was needed to 

 M^^T^ r ^"^ harvesting wasn't completed wrth a matchbook. That all occurred In 

 Minnesota this growing season. ^^ 



Many farmers were looking fon«art to a good wheat crop in early July. However, rains during 

 gran ftowermg m mKj July resulted in severe wheat scab. The scab disease also produced a 

 contaminam in wheat called vomitoxin. k ^-^a 



Th« year's spring wheat production in Minnesota was estimated at about 86 milDon bushels 

 eaniertftis month, which -wouW be 38'percam below last year's production of 137 million bushels 

 ine an/erage wheat yield in Minnesota this year is estimated at 35 bushels per acra. compared lo 

 The 50-bushei yjeld average last year. We expect final wheat production and the average yield in 

 Minnesota to slip further from these early estimates. 



Virtually aO wheat in Minnesota was affected by scab and vomitoxin to a varying degree. Some 

 growers had minimal scab damage, others had to zero out their wheat because of it Some 

 growers had wheat thai tested under 2 pans per rrtliion for vomitoxin, others had double-digit 

 vomftoxin levels. The MAWG estimated last month that wheat yield tosses of 30 percam from 

 exp^^ production will result in $130 minion in losses to wheat growers in l^nnesota. Wheat 

 quaJfly discounts due to scab and vomitoxin win result in an additional $130 million in lost farm 

 income. Total projected wheat losses of $260 million are certain. By the time addittonal 

 S^°"n^^ '^'^^^ acreage and quality discounts are added up. total tosses will likely exceed 

 ^M miflion. As I mentioned before, some farmers in Minnesota have turned to burning their 

 felled wheat acreage to dear ground for next year. That's one ol the most difficult things a 

 larmer will ever have to do. 



Panic over scab and vomitoxin hit the grain mari<eting system early during the han/est season. 

 Some elevators stopped taking wheat altogether (or awhile. Early on there were highly variable 

 grain discounts at grain elevators. There were discounts for total damaged kernels, including 

 scab, and discounts lor vomitoxia Ughter Kernels caused by scab generally resulted in wheat 

 with a lower test weight. Thus, farmers were also subject to discounts for tow test weight grain. 



