Fraud and protein?

[farmaholic]

wmoebis. What do you think about the fact your load is probed and being graded while there is a truck dumping on the scale and is 2 or 3 more in front of you before you get on the scale? Hard to keep an eye on them. Heaven forbid you get out of your truck and go watch and slow their "process" down arguing about grade specs.

I was once commenting to the grading room staff about the marketing reps and their ability to sleep at night, there were alot of sheepish looks and navel gazing. I can only imagine......

[Braveheart]

To reply to the original thread, yes. I believe fraud is committed when machines are re calibrated to read lower protein. If you could prove it. It sounds like there was intent, which is the base of criminal laws, is it not?

Protein though, is like some kind of inexact science. Sampled protein can change, within the same sample over time. Same sample will often read different on different machines.

All producers have the right to watch dockage and protein testing done on their grain. Anyone tells you otherwise is wrong and very simply needs a kick in the nuts.

[wmoebis]

http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.,_c._889/page-8.html#docCont


Read: 35 (2) of the Canadian Grain Regulations.

[boarderbloke]

farmaholic make a great point about being in the truck while your samples are probed, with 2-4 more trucks ahead of you before driving on the scale. I have no idea how those samples are cared for till I drive in.

[wmoebis]

boarder wouldn't it be nice then if everything was printed out automatically by computer so you were sure no errors were made and had something to check back against so you knew if you should question or not?

It can be done.

[boarderbloke]

I don't remember reading malle's post, but that does sound like an excellent method of keeping track of everything.
Maybe probing should be taking place on the scale to reduce the chances of mix-ups.
More than once, I've also had tickets with the moisture and protein mixed around, they don't notice, you have to!

[hobbyfrmr]

"I can't believe the cynicism and distrust amongst the posters to this thread. I thought it was just me, but is this the norm? Do all grain farmers generally have this opinion of grain cos., fert. cos. all the others selling there snake oils to farmers or is it mainly agriville posters? "

Yes,I think its very common conversation amongst wheat producers.
If memory serves me, there is bible scripture about tampering with scales. So, its been around for a long time.

"Is farming getting worse as the business becomes more complicated or has it always been like this, weather aside?"

I am a rookie at 23 years of farming and not wildy successful, but, following the submissions on AV, most of whom are fairly realistic, my interpretation is,its just more of the same. There are many successful farms in western Canada. According to FCC there is also the highest debt load on farms in (all of ) Canada in history. So, you pays your moneys, and you takes your chances.
Its a nice way to pass the time.

[mbratrud]

Your accountability check is to ask for your sample. Then take to grain commission or another elevator company. If they are screwing you don't do business there. Protein is highly variable though. You have to understand it can be a few 10ths different from test to test. But if you find its consistently lower call them on it.

[mbratrud]

Your accountability check is to ask for your sample. Then take to grain commission or another elevator company. If they are screwing you don't do business there. Protein is highly variable though. You have to understand it can be a few 10ths different from test to test. But if you find its consistently lower call them on it.

[malleefarmer]

Yep all computerized a b double load driven onto weighbridge at silo weighed, load is speared and sucked out with a vaccum cleaner in 4 places, into a sampling bucket , which again is mixed then into protein machine for protein testing and another machine does screenings above and below and test weight. Then load is dumped and driver drives onto another exit weighbridge stick his delivery card in a machine and prints out his weight. All this is on a central computer as well which growers can access usually with 10 minutes of truck leaving elevator, and my local terminal does sometimes 600 loads a day , in event of power failure generators only occasional problem is internet goes down but its available later only happened twice I think in 6 years.
All protein machines are independantly calibrated I think weekly, but as you know a 4 kilo sample which equates to a 500 grams sample in a machine sometimes may not represent a 45 tonne load.
All the "big" farmers have there own protein machines exactly the same as elevator "FOSS" worth about 12 to 14k