U.S. Beef Exports Soars & Winter Wheat Faces Drought Again

**U.S. beef exports soared to another new value record in March, according to USDA data compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

Beef exports totaled over 126,000 metric tons in March, up 1% from a year ago and the third largest on record, while value climbed 33% to a record $1.07 billion.

March pork exports were the largest so far this year but well below the record-large totals posted in March of last year.

**The major winter wheat-growing regions in the U.S. face the significant possibility of below-average yields.

DTN says that’s because drought intensified through the Plains this spring, and summer forecasts don’t show much relief ahead.

A dry fall, winter, and spring combined with winds over 60 mph have pushed the winter wheat to the limit.

Meteorologist John Baranick says overall conditions are poor from Nebraska through western Kansas and into West Texas.

**A sharp fall in exports resulting from the Russian invasion is causing a significant shortage of storage facilities in Ukraine for the 2022-23 season.

Analysts say Ukraine is getting forced to export grain by

train over its western border or from smaller ports along the Danube River.

The Ukraine’s exports may total just 45.5 million tons of the 2021 record-harvest total of 86 million tons.