The 2017-18 crop year was a difficult one for soybean handlers in Western Canada.
Protein levels were below normal in Manitoba and even lower in Saskatchewan.
Most of the soybeans grown in Western Canada are shipped to Asia, and buyers expect soybeans to have around 34 percent protein, using a 13 percent moisture basis, in order to produce soybean meal of a certain quality.
Soybean protein levels are slightly higher on the Prairies this fall, but grain companies remain vigilant because there are pockets of low protein in Manitoba.
Read Also
Crop conditions a pleasant surprise
Market analysts found some stressed crops and some good ones on pre-Ag In Motion 2025 crop tours,
Bill Campbell of Minto, Man., farms in one of the pockets. He’s heard of protein content as low as 29 percent, well below the standard, in his part of southwestern Manitoba.
Overall, soybean protein levels are more manageable this year.
“So far, it seems like we have better protein overall this year in soybeans, but we still need to be careful how we manage inward deliveries,” said James Dunlop, Cargill’s regional food safety, quality and regulatory leader for grain in Canada.
That means the company must blend soybeans from places like Minto with beans from the Red River Valley, which usually has higher protein, in order to meet specifications.
Experts don’t know exactly what causes low protein in soybeans. The length of growing season seems to be a major factor. Soybeans grown in southern states have more protein than beans in North Dakota. On the Prairies, soybeans grown around Winnipeg have higher protein than those from Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan beans averaged 32.2 percent protein last year, and it may be higher this year.
“In our area, at the local Richardson elevator, they had some tested and they were at that 32 to 35 percent range,” said Gerrid Gust, who farms near Davidson, Sask.
In 2017, Viterra began discounting the price paid to growers who delivered lower protein beans.
Gust said there is now a regional discount on beans grown in many parts of Saskatchewan because the province has a reputation for lower protein.
“Everybody is facing a price discount,” he said.
“It isn’t a driveway test. They just know that soybeans from this region are typically X (protein content).”
It’s difficult to nail down the size of the discount, Gust added, because it depends on the day of delivery.
“It’s built into the basis and how much they really need the (soybeans) and where it’s going,” he said.
