US Urges Farmers to Plant Two Crops Yearly
2022-09-07
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1The Russian invasion of Ukraine six months ago led to worries that people worldwide would go hungry.
2Crops like wheat remained stuck in blockaded ports.
3With only so much farmland in the United States, farmers could not do much to meet the new demand.
4But that may be changing.
5Earlier this summer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA, started new policies to urge American farmers to grow two crops, one after another, on one piece of land.
6The practice is known as double cropping.
7The USDA changed insurance rules to lessen the risk of growing two crops.
8By doing this, the USDA hopes to greatly increase the amount of wheat that U.S. farmers can grow every year.
9That will reduce dependence on big wheat producers like Ukraine and Russia and increase supplies.
10The idea has not received widespread attention.
11As autumn arrives, it is unclear how many farmers plan to try double cropping.
12But some farmers who already grow two crops say it is something others should consider.
13"I think it's a great idea," said Illinois farmer Jeff O'Connor.
14He has double cropped for years and recently appeared with U.S. President Joe Biden to support efforts to increase food production.
15"How successful it will be, I don't know," he added.
16In 2020, the U.S. exported wheat valued at $6.3 billion.
17The U.S., Russia, Australia and Canada lead the world in wheat exports.
18In past years, Ukraine has usually come in fifth place.
19Ukraine is a leading supplier of wheat to people in Africa and the Middle East.
20After Russia's invasion, wheat prices nearly doubled to over $12 a bushel.
21Since then, prices have dropped following agreements that have permitted the export of some Ukrainian wheat.
22Double cropping is not a new idea in the southern parts of the United States.
23The warmer temperatures there let farmers plant winter wheat that can be harvested in late spring while adding a second crop of soybeans.
24The problem comes when cool weather delays the spring harvest of wheat, which in turn delays the planting of soybeans.
25With the new rules, the USDA could ease the risk of a costly planting backup.
26The agency would simplify crop insurance approvals for farmers planting a second crop in areas where double cropping is possible.
27It also would work with crop insurers and farm groups to support coverage in other areas.
28In announcing its effort, the USDA said it was aiming to "stabilize food prices and feed Americans and the world amidst continuing challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia."
29The USDA did not note climate change in its announcement.
30But the agency and other experts have long said warming temperatures will make farmers rethink what they grow and how.
31Mark Lehenbauer raises livestock and grows crops near Palmyra, Missouri.
32He said he has double cropped for years.
33For him, it has been a good move financially.
34Still, he warns that farmers must learn how to plant one crop just as they need to harvest another.
35Lehenbauer added that many farmers may not be willing to take on the added risks or the extra work.
36"There are a lot of extra steps in there," he said.
37"It adds some complexity."
38I'm Ashley Thompson.
1The Russian invasion of Ukraine six months ago led to worries that people worldwide would go hungry. Crops like wheat remained stuck in blockaded ports. 2With only so much farmland in the United States, farmers could not do much to meet the new demand. But that may be changing. 3Earlier this summer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA, started new policies to urge American farmers to grow two crops, one after another, on one piece of land. The practice is known as double cropping. 4The USDA changed insurance rules to lessen the risk of growing two crops. By doing this, the USDA hopes to greatly increase the amount of wheat that U.S. farmers can grow every year. That will reduce dependence on big wheat producers like Ukraine and Russia and increase supplies. 5The idea has not received widespread attention. As autumn arrives, it is unclear how many farmers plan to try double cropping. But some farmers who already grow two crops say it is something others should consider. 6"I think it's a great idea," said Illinois farmer Jeff O'Connor. He has double cropped for years and recently appeared with U.S. President Joe Biden to support efforts to increase food production. "How successful it will be, I don't know," he added. 7In 2020, the U.S. exported wheat valued at $6.3 billion. The U.S., Russia, Australia and Canada lead the world in wheat exports. In past years, Ukraine has usually come in fifth place. 8Ukraine is a leading supplier of wheat to people in Africa and the Middle East. After Russia's invasion, wheat prices nearly doubled to over $12 a bushel. Since then, prices have dropped following agreements that have permitted the export of some Ukrainian wheat. 9Double cropping in warmer areas 10Double cropping is not a new idea in the southern parts of the United States. The warmer temperatures there let farmers plant winter wheat that can be harvested in late spring while adding a second crop of soybeans. The problem comes when cool weather delays the spring harvest of wheat, which in turn delays the planting of soybeans. 11With the new rules, the USDA could ease the risk of a costly planting backup. The agency would simplify crop insurance approvals for farmers planting a second crop in areas where double cropping is possible. It also would work with crop insurers and farm groups to support coverage in other areas. 12In announcing its effort, the USDA said it was aiming to "stabilize food prices and feed Americans and the world amidst continuing challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia." 13The USDA did not note climate change in its announcement. But the agency and other experts have long said warming temperatures will make farmers rethink what they grow and how. 14Mark Lehenbauer raises livestock and grows crops near Palmyra, Missouri. He said he has double cropped for years. For him, it has been a good move financially. Still, he warns that farmers must learn how to plant one crop just as they need to harvest another. 15Lehenbauer added that many farmers may not be willing to take on the added risks or the extra work. "There are a lot of extra steps in there," he said. "It adds some complexity." 16I'm Ashley Thompson. 17Scott McFetridge reported this story for The Associated Press. Hai Do adapted the story for Learning English. 18____________________________________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20blockade - v. to stop supplies or people from entering or leaving 21practice - n. the activity of doing something again and again 22insurance - n. protection from bad things that may happen in the future 23bushel - n. a unit for measuring an amount of fruit or grain 24stabilize - v. to make steady 25challenge - n. a difficult task or problem 26livestock -n. farm animals, such as cows or pigs, that are kept and used by people