Rumors have been circulating as to problems with some of the crops on Weyr lands; however, most of the higher ups have been dismissing them as just that - rumors. They were not about to let the situation go uninvestigated however, and some riders have been out, monitoring the fields, trying to discover the cause of the problems. The main crops affected have been the cereal crops - oats and wheat - while other things such as tubers have shown no signs of whatever is affecting the cereal crops.
This morning, one of the riders brought 2 things back to the Weyr - A container of what seem to be ordinary grubs pulled from one of the failing fields, and the reasons many of the nearby holders are giving as to the problem. The former was poked at, and then put aside for further study. After all, how could some fields be damaged by the grubs, and others helped? The grubs are everywhere; the edges of fields won't stop their movement. The latter was that Xanadu Weyr relies too heavily upon technology, for lighting, heating, and power of their gadgets and gizmos, and generally things that necessary.
As there is nothing truly pointing to the cause of the problem, an order has been put out to limit the use of cereal grains, particularly in breads and porridges, and to encourage the consumption of tubers, and other unaffected crops as well. Riders are still being assigned to the fields, to try and determine if something else could be causing this issue. In addition, trusted riders are supposedly being sent to try and trade those goods, as well as fish and meat, for grains, though the reception they will receive at other areas is debatable, particularly as others are facing shortages of their own.