Western visitors confirm poor Soviet wheat outlook

Western agriculture specialists who visited the Soviet Union's spring wheat heartland report the region has suffered extended drought, reinforcing forecasts of a poor harvest for the third straight year.

The analysts traveled for 10 days through the southern Urals in the Russian Federation and northern Kazakhstan, and said they received confirmation of a six- to eight-week drought that has significantly reduced the harvest. Apparently anticipating the poor harvest, Soviets have purchased more than 4 million tons of American wheat and corn since the US grain embargo was lifted in April.