Grain Elevator Corporation (G.E.C) update as shipping season commences
Tentative August /September/October 2023 commencement dates
We are pleased to see COVID-19 and hurricane recovery proceeding by our sectors! Perimeter field tree wood cleanup has been a big task too.
This G.E.C update continues as the 2023/2024 harvest and shipping seasons are gearing up. It should be noted that last year, our three grain elevator handling facilities have been turned over twice and our Directors and staff now have a pretty good analysis and assessment of subsequent purchase volumes and crop types available throughout the year from private on farm customers with or without storage capacity; as well as the potential sales volume opportunities for the livestock /poultry /aquaculture based feed markets; mostly in Atlantic Canada. As well, any G.E.C surplus can currently be stored in contracted external farm storage if required.
We are also still connected with a Canadian Grain Commission certified Nova Scotia Millar looking for food grade milling wheat, and Quebec for cereals and soybeans on occasion. Even US buyers are looking for our products as their production zones have been negatively impacted by weather and drought. Food/Feed quality, varietal & sustainability audit criteria need to be met as do additional transportation and handling challenges in these circumstances. As well, we hope that plant health practices ensure good quality as we have to struggle with weather variability impacting application timing, drought / wetness or humidity.
Internally, we also look to establish feed/food quality criteria, initial pricing, risk management programming and contracting; all of which directly and indirectly adds to pooling or open market transactions by our farmers. Risk Management and market analysis assessments are two of our strengths.
As noted earlier, our Board & staff are committed to helping resolve escalating input pricing issues like electricity and fossil fuels.
G.E.C General Manager Neil Campbell is the Atlantic Grains Council (A.G.C) vice president. We also support A.G.C regional research initiatives like the Yield Enhancement network (Y.E.N) and producer led agronomy related research projects selected and overseen by agronomists through levy collection and grower engagement.
Gene editing is now supported and approved by Governments and, in effect regulation wise. It along with innovation can help address quality, yield enhancement, climate change, emission reductions and sustainability on the road to Net 0 by 2050?
In conjunction with the (A.G.C) we are happy to report that progress has been made on farmer carbon tax reduction(s) and re-allocation of fertilizer tariff funding focusing on programming related to emissions reduction. General Manager Neil Campbell also works with the Soybean sector on an Eastern standards committee in terms of evaluation and assessment of the right soybean varieties as made available & selected by Growers. Their reduced nitrogen utilization as a pulse crop adds to its net 0 emission reduction contribution. Peas might help too?
Supply managed and livestock sectors in our region offer major opportunities to market crops such as corn and soybeans along with cereals as required. Oats still have a role to play in terms of horse feed consumption and fiber requirements by other species. Oat food markets require shipment to Ontario which is a disincentive for our producers. Forage consumption is also integrated with sustainability. The Swine sector matters too as they can utilize corn and cereals efficiently and that sector has come under assault due to the loss of Quebec slaughter and marketing infrastructure. Two row barley has a role to play as well!
So G.E.C supports the need for construction of federally inspected local slaughter and regional processing infrastructure which shut down years ago. Once again, this will help our locally enhanced food security. On the aquaculture side, our wheat quality and availability is seen as a production incentive volume wise.
So once again, we appreciate our business relationships with you all as both buyers and sellers. Your feedback as to who we are and how we operate and collaborate is welcomed.
So if you want to reach out and discuss business and related issues described in the preceding narrative with our staff or Directors, please feel free to do so. Contact information is easily accessed on our website.
Good luck in the upcoming marketing year once crops are harvested and stored!