America’s bread basket is full-so full in fact that the world shouldn’t be wanting for wheat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Secretary Tom Vilsack. The United States grows enough wheat to make up shortfalls from top producers such as Canada and Russia, he adds.

America’s bread basket is full-so full in fact that the world shouldn’t be wanting for wheat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Secretary Tom Vilsack. The United States grows enough wheat to make up shortfalls from top producers such as Canada and Russia, he adds.

The United States and other countries are ready with the wheat necessary to meet the needs of the world reported Tom Vilsack, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary. A drop in the world's wheat supply due to soggy summer conditions on the Canadian Prairies and a severe drought and wildfires in Russia have pushed up prices. But Vilsack says he doesn't foresee a worldwide shortage.

"There are other countries, including the United States, where wheat production is steady and relatively robust enough not to put us in a situation where we were several years ago where there was a potential shortage globally," he says.

In addition, Vilsack will have more information when the Department of Agriculture issues its annual crop production report. The flooding that waterlogged much of the Canadian Prairies this summer could end up costing the farming industry as much as $3 billion. But that figure is based on the amount of land that went unseeded or was abandoned after heavy flooding hit parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba earlier this year.

The Canadian Wheat Board, a Canada-based marketing agency for Western Canadian wheat, has estimated that 4.2 million hectares of land wasn't planted and another one million was ruined shortly after seeding.