Organizers of the Hay West campaign do not know how a load of mouldy
hay ended up on an Alberta farm.
“We have only heard of one case of the hundreds of people who have
received hay,” said campaign organizer Pierre Brodeur.
“This should not have happened.”
Farmers pledging hay were told it must be fresh-cut, unwrapped hay from
this year’s crop. One load was refused because it was wet when it was
delivered at the railway station.
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Brodeur said not all loads were inspected as carefully as they should
have been during the campaign’s early days.
People were asked to make pledges in advance but often, farmers eager
to donate hay showed up at the rail sidings and volunteers accepted
whatever came.
“People are coming in like there is no tomorrow with their hay,” he
said.
As of Sept. 9, eastern farmers have donated 60,000 large square bales
equivalent to 30,000 tonnes of hay.
Donations are likely to slow as the weather cools. The federal
government wants all eastern hay fumigated for insects before it
leaves. The fumigant is ineffective when the temperature drops below
seven C.
