Word: grains
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...occasional thunderstorm, most of the nation found little relief from the drought that began in the spring. Just how much damage the prolonged dry spell has already caused was the subject of a preliminary crop forecast issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA estimated that U.S. grain production in 1988 may be only 212 million metric tons, down 24% from 1987. The corn crop is particularly hard hit -- 26% smaller than last year. The USDA pegged soybean production at 1.65 billion bu., down 13%. Wheat output is expected to decline 13%, to 1.84 billion bu. That drop would...
...1970s Mao Zedong ordered the urban populations of northern China to "dig tunnels deep and store grain everywhere" in preparation for Soviet nuclear strikes. Now the vast network of tunnels beneath the streets of Harbin is being converted into a subway. Other shelters are already serving as underground hotels and shopping centers. In the meantime, citizens of Khabarovsk pour hot water for their tea not only from traditional Russian samovars but also from colorfully decorated thermos bottles imported from China. Plans are under way for a Chinese restaurant, staffed and supplied from across the river, to open later this year...
...backup strategy requires sneaking near the rail yard to board in darkness. Railroad police are everywhere with spotlights. No sleep again. Just after midnight they find a grain car with a narrow porch. Twenty minutes later, the freight pauses to add an engine, and aliens from the Mexican border clamber aboard frantically. Finally, the clickety-clack commences for the last time. A hobbyist road-named the "Gentle Giant" defines this moment. "You face nature, and the train is your friend," he says. "All your senses are alive. You'll love your wife, your children and your home better." Three weary...
Most notably for consumers, the cost of food is going up. The Government reported last week that prices paid to farmers for grain crops rose 3.7% in June alone, after increasing 6.1% during the first five months of the year. Since January, soybean futures prices have risen from $4.70 per bu. to more than $10, and traders are talking about "beans in the teens" by year's end, which would break the record high of $12.90 reached during a shortage in 1973. As a result, the Department of Agriculture now estimates that food prices will rise between...
...drought-inflated crop prices are a godsend for any farmers in areas of normal rainfall or for those who have silos full of stockpiled grain from previous years. In addition, higher crop prices could help reduce the federal budget deficit, since the Government will be liable for fewer farm-support payments (last year's total subsidies: $23 billion). Some of the savings, though, will be given as aid to drought-stricken farmers...