How to get the most value from your crop

Being prepared for all situations can allow wheat producers to maximize the value of their wheat.  Preparation not only includes having equipment clean, calibrated and ready for the start of harvest, but also includes proper sample collection, evaluation of quality, and proper conditioning and storage.  Following are some valuable links that should be viewed to ensure that you are prepared for wheat harvest:

• Ontario Wheat Board Market Smart Brochure

This brochure is a must read for Ontario wheat producers prior to harvest.  It outlines the three different market scenarios that can occur in Ontario. The brochure also has great information about wheat quality and how to make the best of a crop with poor quality.

• Setting up your combine
• Field harvesting methods

Take the time to set up your harvesting equipment to maximize quality.  These articles run through the basics as well as calibrating your combine to minimize fusarium in your sample.

• Wheat drying and storage - a closer look

These articles outline the basics about setting up your dryer to dry wheat and store the grain to maintain the best quality possible.

• Proper sample collection

A look at how to properly collect a representative sample of your wheat.

• Grading Procedures

When grain is received at an elevator, a sample will be taken, and the sample will have grade, moisture, and dockage assigned as per the Canadian Grain Commission “Official Grain Grading Guide”. Producers should be aware of their rights, options, and any resulting costs and also timelines in the event they wish to dispute the grade assigned by the receiving elevator.

• Who Grades Grain

Collection of a representative sample and having it analyzed by a trained professional can assist you in finding a suitable home for your crop.

Other harvest tips include proper instruction to truck drivers making deliveries on your behalf.  Provide wheat class, name, and detailed instructions with your driver, for use in the event that grade, moisture, dockage, or protein as established at delivery does not meet your expectations. In many instances, a decision has to be made at time of delivery.  Don’t risk costly errors based on lack of preparation.

Wheat is a valuable food ingredient and preparation and attention to details can ensure that you get the most value out of your crop.

With warm, wet conditions pervasive in much of the province, blackpoint should be on wheat producers’ radar.

Blackpoint, also known as smudge once it extends far into the kernel, is a non-aggressive fungi and does not attack living, green plant tissue.

Peter Johnson, OMAFRA Wheat Specialist has seen evidence of the fungus in higher heat unit areas of the province and due to weather conditions, expects to see it in other areas of the province as the season progresses.

Management
According to Johnson, at this point in the season, there is nothing producers can do but be aware. Application of a fungicide at fusarium timing may have helped, but that option has passed.

Johnson also explains that early fungicide applications may cause increased levels of the disease. An early application reduces competitive fungi allowing blackpoint to infect the plant more readily.

Excess nitrogen can also increase chances due to extra foliage. Extra foliage results in lower level leaves dying earlier allowing the fungi causing blackpoint a better chance to proliferate and move up the plant.

If you find blackpoint in your field, the best option is to harvest as early as possible. The longer the crop stays in the field the worse it will be.

Grading
According to the Canadian Grain Commission, kernels infected with blackpoint have a “distinct dark brown or black discolouration of the whole germ and surrounding area.”

Grading standard dictate that slight discolouration restricted to the germ should be “disregarded.” However, when the discolouration affects more than one-half of the kernel or extends into the crease, it is considered smudge, which may result in downgrading.

“Depending on the severity of the discolouration and the overall quality of the sample, established tolerances may be exceeded at the inspector’s discretion,” states the CGC. 

For tolerances for the difference classes of wheat and more information on grading, please see the Official Grain Grading Guide.

Agricorp has updated the Quality Adjustment Factor for spring wheat Production Insurance from 15 percent to 30 percent starting with the 2009 crop year. The Quality Adjustment Factor was updated to better reflect current market conditions. As part of the Production Insurance program, customers report the grades of their spring wheat yields to Agricorp. In cases where their spring wheat is downgraded to feed grade, Agricorp will adjust their yield downwards by 30 percent to help compensate them for the loss in value.

GUELPH, ON – The three organizations representing Ontario corn, soybean, and wheat producers will immediately begin the transition to Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) following a news release from the Vice Chair of Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission earlier today.

The announcement completes a four-year process driven by resolutions from members of Ontario Corn Producers’ Association (OCPA), Ontario Soybean Growers (OSG) and Ontario Wheat Producers’ Marketing Board (OWPMB). Resolutions were in support of forming one organization to represent the needs of Ontario corn, soybean and wheat producers.  A producer vote involving all 29,000 members of the three organizations was held in Sept 2008.

“This announcement marks the end of a very long process,” says Dave Whaley, Chair of OWPMB.  “Our directors and staff have been very patient over the past four years and they are our main priority.”

The first order of business for the GFO transition plan involves mobilizing a human resources consulting firm to ensure as smooth a transition as possible.

“There are a lot of puzzle pieces to fit together now, including staff roles and responsibilities and introducing a new board of directors,” says Leo Guilbeault, Chair of OSG. “We did as much preparation as we could in anticipation of a ‘yes vote’ so our team is ready to hit the ground running.”

Under the current transition plan OCPA, OSG, and OWPMB are expected to dissolve upon completion of the legislative process. A transitional board and CEO will be in place later in 2009.  Elections for 150 delegate positions and 15 directors will take place on an annual basis beginning Jan 2010.

“Our members have given clear direction to the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission on how they want to be represented, and we’re committed to ensuring we provide value to them through Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO),” says Dale Mountjoy, President of OCPA. “We appreciate the strong support the Minister has given to this proposal.  We now look forward to working with OFPMC through the rest of the process.”

Producers looking for more information can attend district annual meetings throughout the month of January.  A complete listing of the meetings will be available at www.grainfarmersontario.com. 

 -30-

Contacts:

 Dale Mountjoy, President, Ontario Corn Producers’ Association (OCPA) – 905-261-1776

Leo Guilbeault, Chair, Ontario Soybean Growers (OSG) – 519-796-2289

Dave Whaley, Chair, Ontario Wheat Producers’ Marketing Board (OWPMB) – 519-322-8065

Ontario farmers support the responsible use of pesticides.  The Ontario government is proposing regulations to prohibit the cosmetic use of pesticides that will affect our farming businesses.  These regulations are not based on science! 

The absurdities:

• No explanation or criteria for adding products to the prohibited list.
• Sports fields can be treated if hosting “national events”.
• Ontario ’s Pesticide Advisory Committee has no role in determining where non-commercial products are classified.
• “Natural” products such as arsenic, mercury and lead are equated with “safe” while synthetic products are “unsafe” – where is the science?
• Outdoor plants can be brought indoors to be sprayed.

The impacts:

• Active lobbying to apply restrictions or bans to farming operations.
• Negative public perception of farming operations and products.
• Neighboring infestations of weeds or pests become the farmer’s problem.
• No new chemistry will be introduced in Ontario jeopardizing our competitiveness.

All Ontario citizens should rally against bad regulation.  We invite you all to contact your MPP to insist the pesticide regulations be delayed to enable the development of scientific criteria as the basis for these regulations.

Farmers must insist on science-based regulation!  Contact your MPP today!

Visit http://www.ofa.on.ca/  or www.croplife.ca/web/mailmp/  for assistance.

August 24, 2008, GUELPH, ON - The three organizations representing nearly 29,000 Ontario corn, soybean and wheat producers will be reaching out to producers in September to encourage them to vote on how they think they should be best represented.

The expression of opinion vote – being conducted by the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission (OFPMC) – will help the Commission determine whether Ontario Corn Producers’ Association (OCPA), Ontario Soybean Growers (OSG) and Ontario Wheat Producers’ Marketing Board (OWPMB) will merge to form one organization, called Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO).

“Producers directed us through the resolution process to look at forming one organization, and we have spent four years doing just that,” says Dale Mountjoy, President of OCPA. “We have developed a proposal for how Grain Farmers of Ontario might better represent producers, and now our members need to decide if that’s the case.”

The movement to form one organization began four years ago when the three boards signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to form one organization. The MoU was re-signed by the current chairs of each organization in April 2008.

“There’s been a lot of passion expressed on both sides of the issue,” says Dave Whaley, Chair of OWPMB. “We hope our members will take that passion to the polls and we’ll see some meaningful feedback for or against the proposed new organization.”

In addition to the ballots and information packages being mailed in the first week of September, the Working Group has a number of ways for producers to get more information. They’ll be hosting seven information sessions across the province, occupying a booth at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock, and answering emails and phone calls to answer questions about the proposal. The groups have also launched a website, www.grainfarmersontario.ca containing information that is in addition to the information being mailed out by OFPMC.

“Some producers have already made up their mind what way they plan to vote, but for those who feel they need more information or answers to specific questions, we’ve made every effort to make it available to them,” says Leo Guilbeault, Chair of OSG. “The important thing is that they feel engaged and knowledgeable enough to cast a vote.”

Voting closes September 30.

For more information about the proposed Grain Farmers of Ontario producers may use any of the following:

• Website: www.grainfarmersontario.ca
• Phone voicemail: 519-767-4134
• Seven Producer Information Sessions: 
     - September 11th, Countryview Golf Club, Hwy #40, Between Chatham and Wallaceburg, 7pm 
     - September 15th Seaforth Community Centre, Seaforth, 7pm 
     - September 16th London Four Points Sheraton, 1150 Wellington Rd., London, 7pm 
     - September 17th Holiday Inn, 601 Scottsdale Drive, Guelph, 7pm 
     - September 18th Scugog Community Centre, 181 Perry Street, Port Perry, 7pm 
     - September 22th Holiday Inn, 99 Glen Miller Rd (Hwy 401), Trenton, 7pm 
     - September 24th Canadian Legion Branch 434, 167 Queen Street, Chesterville, 7pm

April 3, 2008, GUELPH, ON – Plans to form one Ontario corn, soybean and wheat organization are officially back on the table today, after the chairs of the three organizations signed an updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

The Chairs of Ontario Corn Producers’ Association (OCPA), Ontario Soybean Growers (OSG), and Ontario Wheat Producers’ Marketing Board (OWPMB) officially signed the updated Memorandum of Understanding, reaffirming all three boards’ commitment to bringing plans for a single organization to a producer vote.

“In signing the MOU today we’re saying we’re committed to seeing this process through, to allow producers of corn, soybeans, and wheat to decide whether we’ll have one organization for the three commodities,” says Leo Guilbeault, Chair of Ontario Soybean Growers.

Work on the MOU began in 2004 when the all three organizations signed on to an original agreement to pursue the formation of one organization, with no predetermination of what that organization might look like.  While much progress has been made in firming up a proposed structure for the organization – called Grain Farmers of Ontario – the process was suspended in November 2007.

“Signing this MOU today allows us to recognize the progress that has already been made, while committing to specific objectives and structure that will take this process to a producer vote,” says Dave Whaley, newly-elected Chair of OWPMB. 

While the previous MOU outlined a parallel process – involving one committee with elected representatives, and another with general managers and staff – the newly-appointed working group involves Chairs and General Managers from all three organizations with Rod Stork serving as facilitator.

The Working Group is working closely with the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission (OFPMC) to ensure all requirements are addressed to move forward with a producer vote.  The OFPMC is the regulatory body responsible for the supervision of Ontario’s marketing boards and representative associations. 

Producer participation in the future vote, which is conducted by OFPMC is extremely important.  The results of the vote will be used by the OFPMC to determine whether it recommends to the Minister that the formation of Grain Farmers of Ontario should occur. 

 “During the interval this winter when the process was suspended, grain and oilseed producers made it clear that they wanted to be able to vote, and we’re pleased to be able to respond to their direction,” says Dale Mountjoy, President of Ontario Corn Producers’ Association (OCPA).

Producer information packages and timelines for conducting a producer vote are currently being finalized.

-30-

Contact:

Dale Mountjoy, President, Ontario Corn Producers’ Association (OCPA) – 905-261-1776

Leo Guilbeault, Chair, Ontario Soybean Growers (OSG) – 519-796-2289

Dave Whaley, Chair, Ontario Wheat Producers’ Marketing Board (OWPMB) – 519-322-8065

Reuters

Published: Monday, December 17, 2007

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Trade Organization (WTO) launched an investigation on Monday into Washington's multi-billion-dollar farm subsidies that Brazil and Canada say break international trading rules.

The Canadian complaint called for a WTO assessment of U.S. subsidies and domestic support for corn and other agricultural products, while the Brazilian request challenged broad U.S. domestic support.

A single panel was set up by the WTO's Dispute Settlement Body to assess the two countries' concerns.

Click here for complete story    
Ottawa Citizen