CNS Canada — Manitoba’s corn growers weren’t sure what they’d find when they combined their fields this fall due to unfavourable growing conditions, but overall quality was better than expected.
“We were worried going in that it would be a lighter crop because of the frost in September,” said Morgan Cott, agronomist with the Manitoba Corn Growers Association.
“Quality-wise, there’s some light grain, but there’s some pretty heavy grain too. So, the average I think is good overall.”
Most of the quality problems seen during the year were linked to unfavourable weather, including excess moisture, as some regions were blasted every time it rained.
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There were some reports of mould causing problems in crops, but it doesn’t seem to be a major issue for many producers, Cott said.
Insects were also not causing any damage and were easy to manage throughout the growing season.
Yields across the province varied from region to region, but were slightly below the long-term provincial average of probably around 110 bushels an acre, Cott said.
“There are some low yields, and there are some really high yields, so we’re expecting an average provincewide to be probably between 95 and 105 bushels,” she added.
Some farmers weren’t able to harvest all of their corn, Cott noted.
“I think there’s some corn standing in a few areas of the province if you take a good drive around that didn’t get to come off, but I don’t know how much it was,” she said. “Harvest was pushed back in a few areas and it just wasn’t ready to come off.”
— Terryn Shiells writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.
