Grain-Trade Choices are Subject of March Seminars

03/04/98 BOZEMAN -- Montana State University-Bozeman economists will present a series of seminars in March on the new economic environment for grains and how efficient Montana producers are in the production of wheat and barley.

"Montana grain producers will be apprised of production costs for wheat and barley and changes in both domestic and international trade policy as a basis for reconsidering their management and marketing practices," says James B. Johnson, MSU farm management specialist. Johnson and Vincent H. Smith, both of MSU's Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics, will conduct these seminars which are sponsored by the Trade Research Center at MSU and the MSU Extension Service.

Johnson will present wheat and barley production costs specific to each major production area of Montana. Smith will discuss the implications for Montana grain growers of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 and how grain trade is shaped by world market forces and bilateral and multilateral trade agreements.

Seminar participants will:

• learn about the policy environment in which they will operate in the future,
• be provided economic information on production costs for barley and the three main wheat classes and how costs vary across Central and eastern Montana
• look at the profitability of these crops under different price scenarios,
• learn about world wheat market conditions, including the U.S. and other major exports and major importers, and current economic conditions of key importers that will influence the world wheat market.

Seminars will be offered at six locations. Contact your local county Extension agent for more information.

Send questions or comments to Johnson and Carol Flaherty, MSU Communications Services, Bozeman, MT 59717 or to Bauder and Flaherty with this link: carolf@montana.edu.

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