This is a TRAINS Newswire titled item so hopefully I won't run afoul of the rules. So what I read a bit in the past that farmers in the United States and Canada might plow up their fallow land and plant wheat to make up for some of the lost crop in Ukraine and Russia. Not sure if that plan will come to fruition or not but it sounds like a good idea to avoid massive famine or at least reduce it.
I would think they could not do that continually because it would mess up their rotation of land in and out of rest (if that is what the fallow land is....beats me ......just guessing).
So I wonder if they suddenly increased the harvest in both countries if that would strain the grain hopper supply or if it could be handled if the growing seasons were spread out..............again another open issue.
With there being drought conditions throughout large sections of the grain growing geography in North America - will there be sufficient moisture available to make currently fallow land productive?
To plant additional acreage is a significant investment for a farmer, in addition to his time and wear and tear on equipment he also has to acquire seed and fertilizer to be able to plant the crop.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Let us just hope that if additional business comes, North American railroads will be able to handle it!
daveklepperLet us just hope that if additional business comes, North American railroads will be able to handle it!
At present they are demonstrating they can't or don't want to handle the business they have.
CMStPnPI would think they could not do that continually because it would mess up their rotation of land in and out of rest (if that is what the fallow land is....beats me ......just guessing).
Isn't there a program where the govt pays farmers to not plant a certain percentage of their land? My guess that is the land we are talking about.
A couple decades ago a friend of mine bought a farm, and he rented out a portion of his property to a neighbor who wanted to farm it, collected enough money from the government for not planting the remainder of his land (enough to actually make his mortgage payment)... And then continued working his 40 hour a week job as his vocation.
So, if such programs still exist, then I'd imagine that might be where the fallow land comes into the equation?
daveklepper Let us just hope that if additional business comes, North American railroads will be able to handle it!
And let's hope the war doesn't involve us directly .. We're already aiding Ukraine.. Russia has a nuclear arsenal..the return of troop trains may become more likely than an uptick in grain shipments.. who knows.
Convicted OneIsn't there a program where the govt pays farmers to not plant a certain percentage of their land? My guess that is the land we are talking about.
Out here in flyover country, there are conservation programs that will pay to keep land from being planted but, at least in my area, very few farmers take part.
The prices paid by the government are so low that it's much more profitable to plant the land.
York1 John
Two literary endings come to mind: one from the Robert Lowell poem 'Children of Light' and the other from the Tom Lehrer song 'So Long, Mom'.
The former references another 'controversial' Government 'farm income support' agricultural practice. The latter is why we won't see domestic troop trains... any of the logical, or illogical, ways using the 'nuclear option' might bounce.
CMStPnP So I wonder if they suddenly increased the harvest in both countries if that would strain the grain hopper supply or if it could be handled if the growing seasons were spread out..............again another open issue.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
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