Ergot programs

[craig]

Extremely hard to believe that ergot is only a problem
on about 20% of the wheat crop. Maybe the board is
happy because for many it's cheaper to down grade
than incur cleaning costs. There is likely a shortage of
lower grades (3's)to meet market demand.

[bucket]

The current asking price of cwfeed in thunder bay is 344 per tonne. 1cwrs 11 protein is 350 per tonne. (Source: cwb.)

So yes they can downgrade, sell it for feed, and make big bucks. They spread on the initial is more than the asking.

[wmoebis]

Maybe the issue is with the Grain Grading Guide.

Grain is graded (or should be) on a clean sample after dockage removed.

Not all ergot is removed with normal cleaning however gravity tables have been around and used for years and more recently color sorters.

I wonder if we couldn't upgrade the guide to include this modern equipment and practices in 'cleaning for grade improvement' section. That way anything taken out would be dockage instead of grading factor.

[wd9]

Tom4 mentioned 15% of the wheat came off with colour sorter. The dockage is can't be fed but burnt. So which is a bigger hit, 25$ off the price or 15% dockage?

500 bucks a tonne value. That is 75$ a tonne loss on dockage value plus hauling it. A much higher hit.

[wmoebis]

Do I have this right?

Say you haul 10t at 1.5% dockage.
It is graded 5cwad acc't ergot.
Over a color sorter/gravity table they take out another 15% but it is now graded a 2 cwad.

Are you then paid 2cwad on 10t -1.5% -15% = 8.375t? Plus charged $25t for running over color sorter OR 2cwad on 10t - 1.5% plus charged $25 and grain company looses the 15% taken out by (cleaning for grade improvement)?

[gustgd]

near as I can tell its your second option
in your example
10T gross less
1.5% dockage
less $15.00 colour sorter of .04% ergot(which they bury)
goes from a 5 to 2

What is loss with colour sorter? I understand there is much less than conventional gravity table, just slow

[Hopperbin]

Why do we need this conversation? The wheat board shold have this figured out. Too bad they do not.

[wd9]

Because they are too busy in court to be of any use.

[Tom4Wildrose]

WD9,

The 15 percent was for colour sorted wheat screenings that was off a gravity table that was taking out ergot. 18 percent cleaned out on the first cleaning... then 15 percent loss off the remaining screenings. Probably about 2-2.5 percent total loss... with the grain resulting all commercially clean.