GrainsWest Spring 2020

Spring 2020 grainswest.com 19 ollowing a generally cool, sometimes too wet, sometimes too dry growing season, an unhappy portion of Alberta’s 2019 grain crop was snowed under and overwintered in the field. According to an Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) crop reporting survey, as of Nov. 5, 2019, 89 per cent of crops had been harvested across the province. For comparison’s sake, by the same time in 2016, 76 per cent had been harvested, and in 2018, 95 per cent had been harvested. By region, crop harvest progress estimates as of November were 97.2 per cent in the south, 92.3 per cent in central Alberta, 93 per cent in the northwest and 87.1 per cent in the northeast. The Peace Region struggled the most with just 63.4 per cent harvested at the time of the report. The challenging harvest will certainly impact the marketability and financial returns for spring-threshed crops. While this raises questions about what kind of financial hit farmers will take and has implications for the feed sector, the overriding concern is how insurance coverage will play out. CATTLE FEEDERS CONCERNED The quality issues that impact grain farmers can affect cattle feeders. Ryan Kasko, chair of the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association, finishes 40,000 head of cattle on his family farm, Kasko Cattle Company, just east of Lethbridge. The animals consume 20,000 bushels of grain, mostly wheat and barley, each day. High-moisture grain raises several concerns for Kasko and other cattle feeders. Quick to spoil, it can also heat up and crust in the bin. “Even when we roll it, we have challenges,” he said. “It makes it way more complicated.” Cattle do not respond well to variability in their diet. High- moisture or low-quality grain raises health concerns. Rumen instability can lead to acidosis, for example. “The rumen likes a nice stable environment,” said Kasko. While certain feedlots are equipped with grain dryers, Kasko’s is not, which means he rejects a lot of the wetter grain. When quality becomes an issue, he adds urea or DDGS to the diet as a replacement protein. Doing so increases his costs, though. If wheat and barley were unavailable, he said he’d consider buying corn from the United States. MARKETING IMPACTS Left standing or in the swath, overwintered grain will certainly deteriorate, said Daryl Beswitherick, Canadian Grain Commission program manager for national inspection standards. In spring, snowmelt and rain may further impact quality. “If we’re talking wheat, you’re likely going to see some increased sprouting activity,” said Beswitherick. As well, kernels will likely show some accumulation of mildew, and crop that’s left out over winter is a good source of food for wild animals such as deer and rodents. F SPRING HARVEST: PART 1