Advice on pricing ---Oats 2011

[SADIE]

new to this site---Update on heavy milling oat price for 2011. Good germ also.

[parsley]

Racehorses. My pal singly tests all the top horses for Preekness, etc.

Organic?

[SADIE]

Wrong--I have had enough experience dealing with race trackers--- and race horse owners.

[hobbyfrmr]

Parsley/Sadie, About 5 years ago I started a small company selling cleaned and bagged oats to the racehorses. Penetrating the US market was difficult. I worked some trade shows and had interest from distributors but nothing materialized. Most of these folks would look a the CBOT oats price, do the math on freight and offer me about ten cents per bushel over milling price. I did not feel that increase was was enough to pay my labour and grain cleaner investment. I did sell a few containers to Guatemala, they were pleased with the quality but immediately played the "high volume low price" card and then I backed away from the table. I do not want to make this a negative, just offering insight. I did not find the market I was looking for. Ultimately, I changed my (small) farm to organic production and I am satisfied to sell my oats to the organic feed mills. I still get inquiries from horse owners, this usually happens when CBOT grain prices go up, and they are shopping for lower cost feeds. Oats grown in western Canada, are far superior to US oats and the horse people really like them. Its all about price, and establishing a personal relationship like Parsley has with high end horse owners.

[hobbyfrmr]

Last post should have read "I am satisfied to sell my organic oats to the organic milling market."

[parsley]

Yes, a good friend. NOT a horse owner.(?) A vet. Tests race horses. Univ prof. Queried about top quality oats last year, reliable no hassle source. Lots of oats growers out there with potential for a symbiotic match. So thanks anyhow. Pars

[hobbyfrmr]

Sadie, The only tangible marketing information I have on conventional milling oats, is, the phone # for milling prices at Viterra in Martensville. I think they are quoted as "delivered" to Martensville,SK so you have to remove trucking. 306 975 0775.
There is an oat mill in Yorkton,SK if you are further south. Grain Millers.
If you are north, It used to be the UGG
elevator, probably Viterra now, in Melfort,SK. I think they did large volumes to the racehorse/feed market.

[SADIE]

Just looking for comments on what others think milling oats--(heavy) could bring this spring. Within one hour from Saskatoon. Will be checking at the Farm Crop Show Jan 10-12 to see if there are more spikes.

Close to $4.00 now. Seed market could get interesting.