Soviets Accept U.S. Wheat Deal

The Soviet Union has accepted virtually all subsidized wheat offered by the U.S. government over the past year with the purchase of another 500,000 metric tons, the Agriculture Department said Tuesday.

Since last April, the Reagan Administration has offered to subsidize about 10.9 million tons of wheat to the Kremlin.

With the latest deals for 375,000 tons of hard red winter wheat and 125,000 tons of northern and dark northern spring wheat, the Soviets have accepted all but 200 tons of the total offered.

The latest deals, worth about $50 million to American farmers, were subsidized by an average of $27 per ton or $13.5 million.

Under the subsidy program, the government gives government-owned surplus commodities to private exporters, who then are able to sell grain at lower, competitive prices.

The latest deals included 375,000 tons sold by Cargill Inc., 100,000 tons sold by Continental Grain Co. and 25,000 tons sold by Mitsui Grain Corp.

Grain sales to the Soviets have been heavy over the past week. Last week, the department reported sale of 700,000 tons of wheat subsidized by an average of $28.35 per ton.