For Producers

Wilbur-Ellis is committed to consistently meeting the high standards of its customers. Besides ensuring continued customer satisfaction, this means Wilbur-Ellis suppliers will also receive the highest return for their forage crops.

We work with you, the producers, to ensure you understand the practices that improve the quality and minimize damage to the baled products.

Wilbur-Ellis purchases hay from producers through a contract arrangement. Most of the hay is double compressed, wrapped, loaded into maritime shipping containers, delivered to port and shipped to the overseas market. Strict quality control procedures are applied throughout this process. They include moisture testing, visual inspections and sorting.

Notes for Producers of Forage Products

The specifics affecting the growing and grading techniques for each forage crop are somewhat variable. For more specific information please contact a Wilbur-Ellis product specialist or field man. Here are some general guidelines to consider.

A profitable hay enterprise requires a high level of production management, so growers may wish to start small and expand as their expertise develops.

The key requirements for a premium forage crop are:

• Correct colour, with minimal weathering
• Correct maturity at harvest, such as (for timothy hay) long coarse stems, long heads
• No brown leaves
• No weeds
• No mold
• No soil
• No prohibited material (Agropyrons) that may be infested with Hessian fly larvae or eggs
• Less than 10% -12% moisture when baled (varies with crop).

Achieving a Premium Crop

Extra attention to detail when planting, harvesting and presenting your hay can result in individual farmers growing a premium crop that brings a premium price.

Some of the details that contribute to a premium crop at an acceptable cost of production are:

• starting with clean fields
• proper fertilization
• reconditioning hay to ensure the desirable colour
• harvesting the outside rounds of a field separately
• proper tarping (keeping tarps tight at all times) where weather requires
• straight, tight stacks that repel the weather
• sorting ground bales from loads delivered to processors
• sorting hay bales that come from different fields or are of a different quality.

Wilbur-Ellis can assist with soil testing to monitor fertilizer levels, soil moisture content and other crop quality parameters. We can also provide you with a list of herbicides acceptable to our customers.

Harvesting

The primary objective with harvesting hay is to cut, bale and store the crop as quickly as possible.

The following are some considerations relating to the harvest.

• Cutting at the ideal time for your crop. For example, the ideal time for cutting a timothy crop is just before the bloom stage. At this stage both quality and yield are maximized and dry down and curing occurs more quickly.
• In ideal weather conditions, the curing stage will occur rapidly (4-10 days) ensuring uniformity of the product with less bleaching. When nature provides proper humidity levels, the curing process is shorter, decreasing the risk of rain damage.

After cutting, work & crimp the hay after 2-3 days, and tedder the hay 1 day before baling to accelerate curing and achieve a high quality product with consistent color, and proper humidity levels.

Curing

• Hay must be properly cured and dried before baling, with a moisture content not exceeding 10% when baled. Moisture levels will be tested when your product is examined by the hay buyer. Proper moisture levels for your crop can be confirmed with Wilbur-Ellis.
• The moisture content of bales must be 12 per cent or less. Moisture levels must be monitored on a regular basis. Hay that is rapid dried may test at a lower moisture level than it actually is as testing may not detect moisture inside stems.
• A crop in the swath will lose value faster than a standing crop.
• During poor weather, growers must have the patience to leave the crop standing and wait for good weather.

Strategies to speed curing include:

• cutting and crimping
• swath turning, tedding or raking
• reconditioning.

Proper storage

Proper storage is required to both maintain hay quality and protect the baled hay from bleaching and rainfall. Hay storage sheds provide the best protection and produce a product with a higher value.

The key considerations related to hay storage are:

• storage sites should have good drainage and access
• ground sheets can be used to protect and maintain the quality of ground bales
• new growers should consult with experienced growers and processors about proven techniques for building stacks and tarping bales.

Wilbur-Ellis can assist you in timing your harvest and removing your bales to covered storage.

The market

A number of factors determine the size of a particular forage market in a particular year.

The factors include:

• the price the end-user is prepared to pay
• the quality of the current for-export North American forage crop and the ability of this crop to meet the needs of customers and users
• Australian exports of oat hay to a particular market
• exchange rates of buying and selling countries.

Summary

The Wilbur-Ellis worldwide infrastructure and export market experience means a year-round supply for end users and a ready market for suppliers. Our direct experience with growers means we will assist you to maximize your return with techniques for achieving top quality product.