Help!!! Where are we at production/quality wise???

[charliep]

Looking for an update from everywhere.

How much have recent rains helped fill out crops in N. Alta.? Bushel weights/grade potential? Hay/pasture potential? Frost?

It is a year for thinking outside the box/being innovative. Have you seen any innovative approaches to current weather issues in your community? Are there ways livestock and crop producers in a way that benefits all?

I get discouraged when I see all the media attention to the eastern Canadian hay imports and realize that other than being symbolic, it doesn't do a lot for our industry. My personal view is that we need to provide people some support in general but allow them to make decisions that fit their personal situation. Paying everybody to do one thing (eg. pay a transportation subsidy on hay) gets everyone thinking the same way. The end result is a lot of the benefit is lost to others besides the individual farm families. Just a thought.

[TOM4CWB]

We have had nearly 2" this past weekend.When looking at heat blasted canola plants we are guessing at about a 12 bu/acre. The 2 row barley that turned white/red (burnt awns) seems to be filling in partially of those coming out of the boot. The heads already out the heads are filling but there maybe some weight loss as not all the kernels have filled completely. We had considered rolling it up but it maybe easier dead ripe with the combine directly behind the swather. The big issue here is bedding. One fellow has explored the larger farmers as a source but was unable to get any at all!! The afore-mentioned has already "hauled a mountain of shavings" but felt he needed straw for calving.
Pastures which have not been over grazed appear to be making a comeback which will relieve the pressure. Most folks east of Hwy 2 through the cetral corridor will harvest as much grain as possible as the cattle sell down is not finished.
Gallard

[TOM4CWB]

There should be no panic out here Charliep, I feel sorry for the farmers who have been through 2 or 3 years of drought but I done feel sorry for my self or anyother farmer who has been hit on their first year. The crop insurnace plan is far from perfect ( never could get it perfect with a bunch of farmers) but can pay imput and some other expense. Anyone who has farmed very long should known that $8.00 worth of insurance to cover you for $90 to $190 is worth the sleep you will get by having it. I think if we looked at all the money goverment throws another at add hock programs that are spread to thin to be of any value to the individual farmer, should be all channeled toward a better crop and livestock insurance plan that would make the agricultrual industry sustainable. Value of insurance needs to be arrived at through a percent of produceable imput receipts.

Crop condition: Peas here at Camrose are anywhere from being written off to 20 bushels.

Wheat is in the same shape. I call mine a bumper crop its all the way up to the pumper on my pickup truck.

Canola has gone along time ago. Some crops of canola that were not insured look like 5 to 10 bushel maybe.

Pasture is greening up that last 1 1/2 inches of rain has also helped the green feed crops. If frost stays away in Sept. a cut of green feed may come. If not there will be some good fall grasing.

The free hay from down East should have been given out on a dire need basis not by the luck of the draw. Some people as you know have to sell their herds.

Mother nature creates opportunities for us on a daily basis. There are great opportunties here for everyone you just have to manage your opportunity the best way you know how.

But remember common sense will rule the day.

[crusher]

Haven't had any frost damage around Fort Saskatchewan, over an inch of rain in the past ten days. I still need another month of frost free weather for my wheat and canola. Peas are 4 hot days away from combining. Average yield 15, but we still haven't figured out our harvest stategy.
We kept most of our canola, and could get yields from 2-25 bushels. Our cereals are mostly CPS, some stooled and some didn't, I'm guessing 20-35 bu/ac. Our quality will require more heat units, ask me again in two months. Later seeded crops look best now. The peas went from our best crop up to end of June but got totally cooked.

[AdamSmith]

Hi charlie,

Here in the SW corner of Manitoba the pea harvest is in full swing and some canola has been swathed. I combined 70 acres of peas today and they were yeilding about 33 bu./acre. And judging from talking to neighbours who have harvested some peas that seem to be about the top end of the early pea yields.

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie,

I think at Killam/Sherwood Park we are on average;

Peas 15
Canola, we saved 25% of what we planted and it might average 12bu/ac

CPS average 20bu/ac

CWRS about the same,

Flax 12bu/ac

Barley about 35bu/ac as it was seeded last, maybe came through the "best"!!!

North of Westlock... Average to 60% of average... things look much better up there!!!

[cowman]

Had a walk through some AC Lacombe and Metcalfe barley yesterday. The Metcalfe looked like a complete writeoff last week but now the kernals are starting to fill although they are small. The Ac Lacombe looked really good. All the kernals seem to be quite plump even though this crop is fairly short.It looked like the plant put everything it had into the seed. I suspect it will go in that 60- 70/bu. range In the canola the pods are scarce and the seeds fairly small. Maybe 10 bu.

[charliep]

Thanks for helping. Anyone tuning in from Saskatchewan? Sask. Ag. has crop production forecasts out but I haven't been able to find on the web.

[wedino]

A good crop of canola here is 20 bu. Hear of some that looks nice from road, but not worth cutting as there is nothing in pods. Started swathing mine yesterday, happy if the best does 20. Barley 40 due to extreme heat, don't know about weight, protein likely too high for malt. Wheat from 40 bu to 25 bu. Flax 20 to 15.(My estimates) Grasshoppers are a real problem, flying now. Funny how airial spraying went up a buck to $6.50/ac.

[chaffmeister]

Just a thought on wedino's comment about his barley being too high in protein to go for malt. I think it's safe to say that this year you can throw out many old maxims about what works and what doesn't work in our markets. My contacts within the malt industry say they are screwed (their term, not mine). With poor malt quality prospects, low production and an unsatiable appetite from the feed side, you can consider the maltster as being, shall we say, flexible. In situations where it is clear that the malt industry cannot get what it wants, it will take what it can get. And that includes high protein. In the end, what really matters is germination.

But does it make sense to harvest for malt anyway? I've recently heard a story about a guy who is cutting his malt barley for green feed - much better return per acre. If this is true for others, how much barley should be harvested at all? Shouldn't most if it be cut for green feed?

Any thoughts out there?

[sewen]

Insurance adjuster finally got to my place today. I have one field of wheat left that is considered viable. I am going to try and salvage some seed for next year and maybe some straw but it won't be very much. With the recent showers have had 1 1/2 to 2 inches of rain since May 1st.

[TOM4CWB]

Chaffmeister,

The sad part is that the malsters are willing to pay a fair price for barley, but is isn't being reflected back to growers because of the CWB.

So market distortion, created by politically inspired power brokers, is destroying farmers, the market and an industry.

Only in Canada you say, It is a PITTY.

[charliep]

We tend to talk about the front line (grain/livestock producers) in terms of hurt but I don't think we should underestimate the damage to agri-business/processors/grain handling system. Some this damage will be long term with some not surviving.

Some of the domestic industry (maltsters and canola crushers) have big companies behind them but there are limits to how much they are prepared to lose. The point about the malting industry is very well taken. Between poor price signals (malt barley initial payments ($/bu) need to have a 4 in front of them) and high protein (many of the brewers in export markets cannot handle high protein malt - period), they are in mega trouble.

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie,

On a conference call yesterday, some parts of Sask are really taking a hit.

After dryness, 5-7 inches of rain in the past week; boating weather as it was pointed out. The saddest part is that the warm wet weather is sprouting the grain badly...

I guess we get the whole meal deal, when will it snow a foot...?

[charliep]

Just got off the phone with a farmer from the Peace River region and significant damage on west side there. Lots of reports out of northern SK.

Maybe there is truth to the expression "Nothing is so bad it can't get worse".