Inside Report (2)

The Russians are buying foreign wheat like gangbusters. And that's good news for the United States. Current forecasts indicate Soviet wheat imports will hit 605 million bushels this year -- up more than one-third from last year.

American farmers are well-placed to meet the new demand. They have a record 63.9 million acres planted to winter wheat, and a record crop is expected.

What about the US embargo on grain sales to the Russians, you ask?

Any increase in overall world demand adds to the price US farmers receive for their grain, even if the Soviets continue to buy most of their wheat and flour elsewhere.

And with the US share of vital world feed grain exports expected to climb to 72 percent this year, the Soviets at least indirectly will be dependent on American grain export policies and prices.