Harvest ramifications
This late, difficult harvest is going to have some wide-ranging ramifications. Seeding plans for winter wheat are being disrupted. Many producers had hoped to seed winter wheat on land that didn’t get seeded this spring. As it turns out, many of those acres are still too wet. And there aren’t many fields of canola harvested yet. That’s prime stubble for seeding winter wheat. The bad harvest weather could also have an impact on seed availability for next spring. This may be especially true on pulse crops where quality is taking a beating and more acres that usual will be sprayed pre-harvest with glyphosate which will harm seed germination. Expect more marketing problems than usual. Although there aren’t many cereal crops harvested yet, there are many reports of severe disease problems including fusarium head blight and ergot that make crops harder to sell. Expect more processing of crops in an attempt to remedy problems. For instance, chickpeas are facing a serious frost threat. There could be a big demand for colour sorters to remove the distinctly green seeds and improve the grade. And, of course, expect extensive use of aeration fans and grain driers and the corresponding bills for power, natural gas and propane. I’m Kevin Hursh.