GrainsWest Fall 2019

Fall 2019 Grains West 24 Geography also provides advantages beyond logistical ones, Ramage said. “In Alberta, our cold climate can be an advantage in terms of producing clean wheat, high-quality wheat. We also have hot summers that produce high-quality spring wheats and durum wheats.” For its part, Cigi continues to work with Canada’s international customers, letting them know that high-protein wheat has an important role to play— even if they’re purchasing cheaper, medium-strength wheat from the Black Sea. The organization is also working to get samples of wheat from Ukraine and Russia to better understand the characteristics of wheat blends. Nemeth said that, considering the amount of medium-protein wheat coming out of Russia and Ukraine, Canada should continue to focus on the development and production of strong wheat varieties. “We should stay high protein because that is what we are known for,” said Nemeth. But, ultimately, each Canadian farmer has to decide what is right for their own operation when deciding whether to plant high- or medium-protein wheat on their farm. “Most farmers have tried different things and they know if they’re able to grow a high-protein wheat or not … but it can be expected that there is going to be more demand for high-protein wheat in the future,” said Backman. Increased winter wheat production in Russia and Ukraine does erode opportunities for Canadian medium- protein wheat, the mission’s final report states, especially where Black Sea wheat is priced more competitively or benefits from intrinsic logistical advantages. Further development of medium- protein wheat in Canada must focus on competitiveness with Black Sea wheat if it is to be successful, according to the mission’s findings. Backman added that improving Canada’s transportation infrastructure and investing in technical programs that assist in marketing Canadian wheat overseas are also important aspects of FEATURE Workers complete construction on a top-of-the-line corn storage and drying facility in Ukraine.