Wilbur-Ellis Feed Division - Forage

Quality Assurance

Key to the continuing success of Wilbur-Ellis is our ability to supply forage, and other feed ingredients, of consistently high quality.

This begins with our relationship with suppliers, continues through all aspects of storage and processing where all team members are trained to monitor quality, and is in plain view when the container opens at the foreign port or customers' facility.

QUALITY TEST CONTROL POINTS

The familiar green identification system used by Wilbur-Ellis is well known to discriminating purchasers of forage. The number summarizes the "month-crop-and stack number" from a particular field.

We welcome customers to visit our operation to choose stands of hay before they are harvested, or after they are stacked in our protective barns; our Stack Specific Inventory controls ensuring this is the hay they will receive months later by container.

Here is a description of the Wilbur-Ellis quality control points in the export hay operation.

Field	Buyer visually inspects each field under contract. Notes prior crop and field condition. During growth of the Sudan, the buyer visits and inspects the field. He looks for plant growth and condition of plants. During harvest the buyer inspects the field to view the quality of Sudan before bailing. If rain is experienced, buyer will visit field to assess damage.
Stack in Country	Once harvested, the buyer will inspect each stack for stem size, color, moisture, weeds, grass, dirt, mold, rain damage, animal and wheat contamination. If stack is acceptable, buyer issues release against blanket contract and notifies grower.
Pre-storage	The buyer determines if the stack is to be trucked to the barns or is tarped in the country. This determination is based on the quality, inventory position, customer requests, and weather and market conditions.
Storage in Barns	When the hay is received in the yard, the squeeze operator inspects the load and checks for moisture levels. The buyer designates which barn the product will be stored in. The moisture readings and stack number is documented by the squeeze operator. The hay is stored on a layer of plastic to prevent bottom bale damage. Straw bales are used as the bottom tier for tarped yard hay.
Compress	If the hay is delivered directly to the compressor, it is visually checked by the quality assurance supervisor (QAS). The load is checked on a spot basis for moisture before it is unloaded. The quality control bale checker will use a moisture probe to check each bale on the conveyor drag. If it exceeds 12 percent (10 percent for Timothy) the bale is rejected. Also, the bale is inspected for bottom bale water damage, weeds and dirt. A sample of each stack is taken and retained in the sample room. Rejected bales are separated between high moisture bales and bottom bales. The high moisture bales are stored until the moisture level has dropped to proper moisture levels. If quality is questionable the QAS has authority to stop production. He will notify the compressor superintendent for his opinion. If he concurs with the QAS the buyer is notified. It the buyer convinces them that the product is of acceptable standards he must sign the load sheet. If there is still a disagreement, the general manager is notified for approval or rejection of the stack in question.
Loaded Container	Each tier is inspected by the quality assurance supervisor (QAS) or crew chief. A final moisture check is made at the front, middle and back of the load container. These readings are recorded on the container load sheet. The QAS approves each load. The QAS is responsible for fumigating each container. The final inspection of the loaded container is made by the transportation supervisor. The load is checked against the load sheet to ensure the order was properly filled and packaged correctly.Each booking typically consists of 5 containers. It is important that the container meet the standards of the Japanese port authority as the complete booking may be returned if the port authority determines there is a problem.

Moisture Testing

Moisture testing is accomplished by the insertion of a moisture probe by one of the quality control experts. The acceptable range is 10-12%. At the same time, the bale is inspected for proper colour, foreign objects and dirt, as well as other factors which would cause the bale to fail the stringent quality requirements required by end users and port authorities.

Stack Specific Inventory

Willbur-Ellis practices rigid inventory control, relying on inventory tags and spray painted numbers to identify the stacks as they leave the field. We call this Stack Specific Inventory. These identification codes will be used to ensure that the hay delivered in the shipping container is exactly the stack they have chosen by sample or by a visit to a Wilbur-Ellis hay plant.

Traceability

Wilbur-Ellis understands the importance of feed safety and our role as a supplier. Our On-Line Traceability program is the best in the industry and demonstrates our commitment to feed safety. This program allows our customers to view historical information on the fields and crops they are purchasing.