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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Wheat Killer Detected In Iran |
| 2008-03-20 |
| A new and virulent wheat fungus, previously found in East Africa and Yemen, has moved to major wheat growing areas in Iran, reports the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization. The fungus is capable of wreaking havoc to wheat production by destroying entire fields. Inshallah Countries east of Iran, like Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, all major wheat producers, are most threatened by the fungus and should be on high alert, FAO said. India could be a problem. But perhaps it only grows in the muzzie parts of the country. It is estimated that as much as 80 percent of all wheat varieties planted in Asia and Africa are susceptible to the wheat stem rust (Puccinia graminis). The spores of wheat rust are mostly carried by wind over long distances and across continents. The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has informed FAO that the fungus has been detected in some localities in Broujerd and Hamedan in western Iran. Laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of the fungus. Iran said it will enhance its research capacity to face the new infection and develop new wheat varieties resistant to the disease. Anybody from Halliburton Biological Warfare Services available for foreign assignment? |
| Posted by:Nimble Spemble |
| #14 Spring wheat is already $15, double from a year ago. |
| Posted by: KBK 2008-03-20 22:47 |
| #13 Thank you, mhw. Bobby, I know just enough to ask questions of those who actually know what they're talking about. (See how cleverly I did exactly that?) That's why I make tea, and you-all make sure everything actually works. But I do like that cute little pun in your first sentence. :-) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-03-20 16:35 |
| #12 wheat prices are high enuff, thankyouverymuch. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2008-03-20 13:48 |
| #11 TW, I'm not sure about the operating cost of the irrigation systems, but I'll bet it isn't cheap and they probably don't do it well enough to avoid the salinity build up problem. Thus its quite possible that importing wheat is more cost effective for Iran than trying to be self sufficient. Its also possible (even probable) that the acreage used for wheat cultivation would be better used to grow something else. The issue, as I think they see it, is to their ideology/theology; somehow the idea of being dependent on infidels for the material to make flatbread must really grind their gears. |
| Posted by: mhw 2008-03-20 13:12 |
| #10 The bredth of your knowledge never ceases to amaze me, TW. Modest little midwestern Housewife, indeed! |
| Posted by: Bobby 2008-03-20 13:11 |
| #9 Can the Mullacracy afford to import enough wheat to feed the population on an ongoing basis until their scientists discover a strain resistant to this fungus? And wasn't the French Revolution a success -- in its own fashion -- because the peasants could not afford to buy bread? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-03-20 12:19 |
| #8 Wheat self sufficiency is one of the most important goals of the Mullocracy. They have spent lots of $$$ increasing ag acreage (generally though irrigation which has required them buying a lot of Western hardware). In 2006-2007, they were close to achieving self sufficiency. Too bad. |
| Posted by: mhw 2008-03-20 12:12 |
| #7 They can eat enriched uranium... |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2008-03-20 11:28 |
| #6 If the US would now mount a concerted drilling effort, or at least announce its intentions to do so, the resulting collapse of crude prices would overwhelm the teetering Iranian economy as well as El Gordo's in Venezuela. It's a shame that Pelosi and Reid are still fixated on Bush instead our national interest. |
| Posted by: doc 2008-03-20 11:16 |
| #5 Hey RBers - let's just keep this story to ourselves for now - know what I mean? For what it's worth, the staff in the Spore Dispersal Unit have the environmental impact statement for all the algorithms concerning south asian/east african tropospheric climate effects, and the USAF won't disclose higher altitude data for security reasons. Nuff said. |
| Posted by: Halliburton - Hyperbolic Idiot Detection Service 2008-03-20 09:07 |
| #4 My prayers to Halliburton (blessed be his name) has been answered. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2008-03-20 08:55 |
| #3 Is this because they refuse to use the bio-engineered, fungus resistant crops that we've been trying, actually begging, them to use for years? I say Inshallah to you. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-03-20 08:48 |
| #2 It's early yet Any, and I had to read this twice before I realized that AZ had a problem with wheat, not carnal blunts... |
| Posted by: Ulineque Bourbon5997 2008-03-20 06:24 |
| #1 Wheat rust, fungus and bunts scare the pootwaddle out of the USDA. After karnal bunt was detected in Arizona wheat, the USDA ordered all AZ wheat destroyed and for no wheat to be grown in the entire State for five years. They mean it. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-03-20 00:17 |