Grain commission says it’s still early, but the samples that have arrived are reason to be optimistic
SASKATOON — Keystone Agricultural Producers is encouraging farmers to take advantage of the Canadian Grain Commission’s Harvest Sample Program.
Crop quality is variable this year due to some abnormal growing season weather conditions, so it’s hard for a farmer to know how to market their grain.
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“With the collection of samples, (the CGC) can certainly get a truer picture of exactly what’s out there,” said KAP president Jill Verwey.
There have been reports that quality was disappointing with some of the early-harvested cereals in Alberta and western Saskatchewan.
Barley and durum bushel weights were quite low due to the heat blast that hit the western Prairies in late July and early August.
“That’s definitely one of the themes this year, is lighter crops in some areas,” Peter Watts, executive director of the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre, said in an August interview.
Verwey noted that the Prairies is a big region and there have been some fantastic crops in Manitoba.
“In our area, a lot of the guys are very happy with their crop results,” she said.
Verwey said Saskatchewan has different weather patterns and soil types than Manitoba, so there can often be stark yield and quality differences between the two provinces.
“We benefitted from some of the rains, so I think we’re probably going to see some favourable crop results here in Manitoba on average,” she said.
However, she noted that there were pockets of the province, such as Dauphin and the Interlake region, that were negatively impacted by the rain.
Verwey said it is a difficult year to get a bead on quality. The true picture won’t emerge until the commission compiles and releases data from its Harvest Sample Program.
Kerri Pleskach, the CGC’s program manager of analytical services, said it is early days, but she is pleased with what she has seen from the program to date.
“So far the crop is looking good,” she said.
The commission has analyzed 1,880 samples. It usually gets about 10,000 per year, so there is a long way to go.
Ninety-eight percent of the 381 CWRS samples have made the top two grades. The average protein level is 14.2 percent, which is similar to last year.
The CGC also conducts a falling number analysis, and 87 percent of the samples have high falling numbers. There are also low levels of vomitoxin in the wheat, which bodes well for quality.
Eighty-two percent of the CWAD samples were No. 1 or No. 2 with the main downgrading factor being poor test weight. Protein levels are a bit higher than normal, but only 194 samples have been analyzed.
There are not enough canola samples to draw any conclusions about that crop yet.
Pleskach said the Harvest Sample Program has been around since 1927.
“We’re coming up on 100 years here,” she said.
Growers can sign up for the program on the grain commission’s website or register by phone. There is no cost to the grower.
The commission sends envelopes to growers for each commodity they want tested. The farmer fills the envelopes after harvest and mails them to the CGC at no cost.
The commission provides each grower with a free unofficial grade and a report detailing protein levels, falling numbers, vomitoxin levels and other grading factors.
“The grower can use it to market their grain,” said Pleskach.
The grain commission uses the information to publish its annual quality reports for all the official grains, to conduct research and to determine if grading factor tolerances properly reflect end use quality.
About 4,000 producers participate in the program every year.
“We are always looking to sign people up,” she said.
Samples must be mailed to the commission by Nov. 30, and it has until Dec. 31 to analyze them.
Verwey said the commission’s quality information can help farmers determine how to market their grain.
The other main determinant is price, which has been a big disappointment this year.
“That’s going to have a really negative impact on guys’ bottom lines,” she said.
Many growers refrained from signing production contracts this winter because prices were not that attractive compared to the previous year.
Unfortunately, prices have only deteriorated since then.
“We’re a way off a break-even price right now, given the high input costs that we have,” said Verwey.
“Guys are maybe going to wait a little bit before marketing some of their wheat crop just because where the price is at.”
She thinks some growers in Manitoba are waiting to harvest their soybean crops, which are looking fantastic. They might want to sell soybeans to generate cash flow because wheat prices are so lacklustre.
Source: Western Producer