On his trip to Canada touting President Barack Obama's export initiative, Vilsack said that wheat crops in the U.S. and other countries should be able to offset problems created by one a drought in Russia. The heat wave and lack of precipitation cause that country to halt grain exports.
"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 when there was a potential shortage globally," Vilsack said, according to a Reuters report.
Along with the heat wave in Russia, the country is experiencing wildfires that have choked the country's citizens. According to an Agence France-Presse report, firefighters in the country are working to defend its nuclear sites from the flames.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that his country may consider lifting the exporting ban provided that this year's harvest exceeds current expectations.
