Ian Ben

[Hopperbin]

Had to get your attention there. Was wanting to ask you on how your hard red spring wheat is graded. Here we are paid on protein and grade. Now in the Uk you have something called the falling number which we are not much familiar with as farmers in Canada. On our CWB website for customers is listed falling numbers for 1 and 2,3 wheats for 08. Not sure when 09 comes out so buyers can see what is there but what ever. Seems on the site is 13 percent protein had a lower falling number than 13.5 protein for number 1 wheat. Just wondering in your case in the UK would you be paid on just falling number or is there also other criteria to meet? Thanks if you respond.

[agstar77]

Rumour that big changes are coming here . Don levels and falling numbers at point of delivery.

[mcfarms]

RVA

http://www.newport.com.au/products/

[shaney]

falling number is representation of milling quality.

[ado089]

The only things that wheat should be graded on is; 1) protein 2)falling numbers (how high the bread dough will rise and how long it takes to fall, this is strongly related to protein) 3)Flour extraction yield.

Anything else just doesn't matter.

[ianben]

Hopper
A bit of a shock getting a topic heading but no worries at least you didnt put me in a cave..

I dont grow milling wheat myself so no hands on report on how well it works in practice.

If I did want a Warburtons contract it would have to be through these guys:-http://www.openfield.co.uk/

They are a farmer owned group which has linked up with the farmer owned central stores which are springing up.

They are trying to establish british supply chains with Warburtons and supermarkets. As I have stated elsewhere local and british are the slogans to have in advertizing here at the moment

I am a member of Openfield and used them for malt barley to Coors till last year when Frontier
www.frontierag.co.uk/ our name for Cargil plus others got this three year deal I am now on.

Openfield Warburton contract is for Hereward an old lower yeilding winter variety with good milling traits and must grade
Min 13.0% protein
min 250 hagberg falling number
min 76 kg/hl

I would only be guessing at the premium but I understand they have no problem finding growers.

Your Barrie is very new here but would have to meet the same standard I believe. I posted link to farmers views on this in another thread.

hgca.com our home grown cereals authority has loads of information if you have loads of time and really want to learn more about UK wheat.

[ianben]

A bit more in Farmers Weekly today on Hovis .

They say 95% red whea graded 1 milling while only 26% tradition milling varieties graded 1 milling.

If it grades 26% next year which it could with our climate that will be the end of this trial.

They say 80/85% farmers will grow again for £135/tonne premium over feed and that they have a waiting list of farmers wanting to grow.

Yeilds at least 50% less so not sure this is enough.

They say this will replace £18million spent on Canadian wheat.

A bit meaningless as no tonnage given.

[charliep]

Perhaps we need to separate what is being said by these companies for marketing and branding versus the realities of making good bread. I note that the CWB and supply chain partners are very busy branding our prairie wheat to highlight (or convince our customers) of its high quality. Hard to criticize UK millers and bakers for doing the same thing that we are doing. They (UK millers/bakers) have to deliver high quality to the consumer however or things back fire.

Bread making and milling technology doesn't sit still either. Technology, addatives, new baking techniques are increasing the range of wheat that can be used in different products. Not understanding this as an industry can leave leave an industry trying to sell the equivalent of traditional drills in an industry that has moved to low disturbance seeding equipment (metaphorically speaking).

[ianben]

Charlie
I agree we need to keep abreast all the changes taking place in technology and taste with all our customers.

However I think our industry will get the time to change and adapt and, in the future, there will be more opertunities and uses for ag products than there are today.

The digital camera did not give the film industry much time.

Scary!