Elevated levels of the grain fungus ergot are showing up in spring wheat being harvested in south-central North Dakota, prompting grain elevators to impose discounts and even turn some truckloads away, grain merchants said on Tuesday.
Reuters reports ergot is a common grain fungus but some major buyers, including top global wheat importer Egypt, have rejected cargoes with even trace amounts in the past.
Though confirmed in only one area so far, according to grain merchants who spoke to Reuters, the fungus could be another headache for U.S. wheat farmers whose grain has lost share in the world market due primarily to high prices.
A grain elevator operated by CHS Inc in Sterling, ND, was already rejecting some wheat deliveries, according to elevator manager Eric Basnett.
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