GRAIN-WHHAT-BARLEY 



Wlieat and barley production has long been known as Montana's 

 "golden bonanza". Montana has a historic average annual production 

 of 100 million-plus bushels of high protein, hard spring and winter 

 wheat with some durum. 



Normally, total production is composed of 50 to 55 million 

 bushels of winter varieties, 40 to 50 million bushels of spring 

 varieties, and approximately 5 million of durum. Barley production 

 averages between 50 and 60 million bushels, which includes both 

 quality livestock feed and malting types. A special note should be 

 made in that winter varieties in 1974 increased to 78,000,000 bushels 

 and 108,000,000 is projected for 1975. 



With the availability of suitable crop lands, resulting from 

 changes in the United States farm policy and change in "summer fallow" 

 cropping patterns, Montana's grain production could be expanded by 

 some 40 million bushels on a short term basis. Such expanded production 

 could be in winter wheat, spring wheat, feed barley, or malting barley, 

 dependent upon the demand of the market. 



All sections of the international grain trading and milling industry 

 are knowledgeable of the quality of Montana wheat and barley. Over last 

 year, our Dark Northern Spring had a test weight of 60 plus pounds, with 

 15.4% protein. Dark Hard Winter testing showed a test weight of 61.9 

 pounds with 13.1% protein. Quality characteristics of Montana feed 

 barley include high protein and freedom from molds and fungi. In addition, 

 much of our production is of two row varieties which are larger seeded 

 and therefore favored as livestock feed. Malting barley as grown in our 

 high dry climate is of superior color, has plump kernels and low protein; 

 all of which are viewed as desirable factors by maltsters. 



In recent years approximately 70 percent of Montana's wheat pro- 

 duction has entered the international export market with the Asian 

 Rim being the major market area. In the case of barley, it is estimated 

 that approximately 30 percent of our annual production is shipped out 

 of Montana of which a portion enters export channels. 



BEEF 



Montana is frequently depicted as a mountain meadow with a herd 

 of quality cattle peacefully grazing in lush grass. This picture is 

 not just beautiful but is a common scene, for as the table shows there 

 are 3,340,000 head of cows spread over millions of acres of rangeland. 

 The larger beef herd, which ranks eighth in the nation, produced 

 1,660,000 calves in 1975. 



