Crop quality across Western Canada is judged as high this year.
The Canadian Grain Commission’s Jim Stuart said this year’s average yield is made better by the higher than average quality reported in the commission’s annual harvest survey.
“Compared with last year, 2003 is a really impressive crop. But it is better in quality than most seasons,” he said. “Eighty-five to ninety percent of the crop fell into the top two grades … compared with 15 percent last year.”
Late and mid-season drought cut into yield, but it also reduced disease and brought most crops to maturity early, avoiding frost damage.
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Despite high insect populations, damage from bugs to seed was low. However, the insect pressure lowered yields, said the survey.
Quality problem
Damaged and green seed in canola samples were common in the 2002-03 crop year, but 2003-04 is shaping up to be one of the best for quality in the past five.
Warm fall days kept frost at bay, allowing for a longer than usual growing season.
“Last year was a challenge for the industry, both to grade it correctly and consistently, it was so variable and there were a lot problems to look for. And for the exporter trying to sell the various poor grades of grain, it was tough,” said Stuart.
Poor moisture reduced yield potential but producers reported better than expected yields in many cases.
Fusarium is rare in samples seen so far and shouldn’t play alarge role in grading the cereal grains of Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan where it has been a severe problem in the three previous years.
Canadian Wheat Board spokesperson Rheal Cenerini said the board has seen a higher than average instance of very high protein Canadian western red spring wheat.
“Sixteen percent; 161/2; high protein overall and that should result in some marketing opportunities,” he said.
Pulse crops yielded lower in many areas. However, quality was above average across the West with little bleaching, resulting in recommended improvements to standard sample criteria in number one peas and number one and two yellow soybeans.
The seed industry struggled in 2002-03 with a poor growing season and early winter that resulted in extremely tight supplies of most seed types.
Terry Scott of Brett-Young Seeds in Winnipeg said 2003-04 “looks like a much better result. We’ve completed testing on just about all but the Roundup Ready traits and quality is excellent this year.”
“It was a good growing season and an open fall. The result is that supplies of all but a few canolas and grasses are in good supply,” he said.
Strong supplies of high quality brome grasses may cause prices to fall, he added.
The seed industry suggests that only a few canola varieties, such as Bayer’s In-Vigor hybrids, will be in short supply as a result of the favourable weather.
