Producer Car

[zeefarmer]

Did some producer cars of wheat. A few of the unload results came back different than the samples sent to Intertek. Grading I know is subject to human judgement(frost damage), but the dockage on one car was 3x's higher than any of the other cars.

According to the CGC website, I have only 5 days to file a complaint after initial grading. It's well past that already, so I'm guessing I'm SOL??

Thoughts?

[wmoebis]

where did they unload and who inspected them at that time? Who were they consigned to?

[farmaholic]

I was wondering where they unloaded as well, Canada or U.S. or even Mexico(lol).

Did you keep samples of what went into each car?
Which opens the he said she said arguments.

Seems the risk is stupid. Almost need a certified third Party taking samples while loading to cover your ass.

Are ag "commodities" the only ones where these ****ing games get played. If you never misrepresented your product why should you be subject to this treatment.

[farmaholic]

Did it grade the same as the samples Intertek graded?

[zeefarmer]

Walt, they were unloaded in Thunder Bay. Don't know who as the paperwork is at the farm. It was through Lansing.

Samples were kept. Lansing requests they are kept for at least a month after loading. All graded a 2 through Intertek. 2 out of 6 cars were graded a 3 at unload. Grain from the same farm was shipped out via producer car earlier and graded a 2 at unload. The 2.8 dockage where everything else was 0.6-1% was the thing that ticked me off.

Talked to Lansing about it. They said they would look into it. That was the beginning of the week. Busy custom hauling and doing field work, so this hasn't been top priority.

We had sent samples away to Inspectorate after last years harvest. The cars that are in question did grade a 3, as did most of our wheat, but that was prior to grading changes that were made in mid-November 2014. All that shipped out on producer cars had graded a 2 prior to this, as well as samples that were regraded this year (carryover).

[wmoebis]

I doubt you are looking for a re inspection then. If CGC didn't inspect it to begin with you are just looking for a "subject to" However the way Ritz gutted the CGC I'm not sure what is left or how it works.

It used to be that the Office of Assistant Commissioners could help you but Ritz never filled their chairs so that is out.

The (2006) Compas Review suggested that he set up a Grain Farmers Advocate Office but Ritz ignored that recommendation too.

[wmoebis]

The 5 day period used to be only for previously CGC inspected grain so would not apply in your case. Not sure how they have set rules for new 3rd party inspection.

[farmaholic]

So here I go again... I assume the downgrade was on account of a subjective grading factor not an objective one? Mildew issues?

[farmaholic]

So here I go again.... Does your contract have price discounts/premiums written into it for off spec deliveries?

[zeefarmer]

Downgraded because of frost. No percentage. Just looking over our Inspectorate results again as I'm typing this. We had them graded to US specs as well, and of course in there is a column for dark frost, which the 2 cars in question had higher amounts of, but nothing in the Canadian results.

So it's a judgement call up here and something definite down there.

[PrairieDude]

Are your samples accurate and consistent? Or did u fill up a coffee can in 5 seconds and call it good. I need my harvest crew to get better at this too.

[zeefarmer]

Yes it does. Contract was based off #2 13.5 px. Had provisions for either a 1 or 3, protein scales up and down. Dockage was 1.5% and lower.

[farmaholic]

Is blending(could have all unloaded into the same bin anyway, but lets call it "paper blending" for the hell of it) of all the six cars an option or were the 4 that made a #2 grade borderline themselves?

[zeefarmer]

Samples were very even. Falling number, protein and dockage were nearly identical from harvest samples, samples sent to Inspectorate, samples sent to Intertek from car loading and final unloads, except for the one car that was high on dockage at unload.

I've always tried to keep the best samples possible. Usually a 5 gal pail per 4500 bus. Bad samples lead to bad relationships with end users. Seen it happen too often custom hauling.

[farmaholic]

Good to hear you have the bases covered for off spec deliveries. Right on!