Wilbur-Ellis Company is one of the leading hay exporters in Western Canada and has been known over the years for supplying a high quality product to the importing countries. We have achieved this strong presence by working closely and communicating with growers in order to provide a product that is suitable for the ever-changing demand of the market place. By adapting to these demands it ensures that export hay will remain a highly viable sector of the agriculture industry in Western Canada and that Canadian hay will continue to be associated with quality in the worldwide market.

In addition to the demands of the companies to which we supply Canadian hay, we are also challenged to meet any sanitary requirements of the importing country.

We have highlighted some of the issues we are faced with today where careful attention must be paid in order to continue the demand and safety of Canadian hay. Followed by these issues are suggestions growers can use to help keep control of our product.

Contamination
The majority of our hay being exported is to Japan and South Korea, who have strict regulations on products entering those countries. There are various forms of contamination that pose a risk to Canadian hay. With the onset of BSE in Canada items such as animal bones, soil, and manure are very high-risk items. Wheat, Barley (including Foxtail), Rye, Quackgrass and wheat grasses are all hosts of the restricted Hessian Fly and are prohibited. The risks all of these items present are direct to the whole industry. Other materials such as garbage and metal from equipment can be harmful to handling and pressing equipment and if baled up become quality issues to our customers.

We encourage all growers to scan their fields and be aware of and remove any contaminants. Weeds should be minimized by cutting and baling problem areas separate from the rest of the field and after baled should be kept separate and sold into the domestic market.

Chemical Residue
Due to chemical restrictions in Japan, residue levels too high in 2-4D are considered unsafe for feeding and shipments can be seized if this is found to occur. We ask that producers halt the use of this chemical and use others if weed control is needed.

Nutrient Levels
Nutrient levels are becoming a very significant concern on irrigated Timothy where yields are being maximized. Too high levels of Nitrate and Potassium are considered toxic to animals. This is made relevant when large amounts of fertilizer are being applied at the wrong time.

Wilbur-Ellis is trying to work together with producers to try and minimize Nitrate and Potassium levels. Some of the practices we are encouraging growers to follow in order to diminish toxicity are listed below.

Soil Test
Soil tests are an important part of any fertility program. This is the closest way of knowing what is available to your Timothy crop. This will help to prevent under or over-applying fertilizer.

Records
It is important to be aware throughout the growing season and from year to year what has been applied on your field and, just as important,when the fertilizer was applied. Accurate record keeping allows you to revert back when needed to establish a fertility plan.

Timing
It should be noted that it takes approximately 4 to 6 weeks for
nitrogen to be converted to a plant useable form and be used up by the
plant. Therefore a producer should refrain from applying fertilizer at minimum 5 weeks prior to cutting. This should ensure that there would be nominal amounts of unused nitrates remaining in the plant.

Moisture
Moisture is a continuous concern whenever baling any type of hay destined for any location. It is especially a concern when baling hay for export purposes and more-so when double compressing. Because of the high density of a double-compressed bale it can raise the moisture of the hay 3 percent. High moisture can cause stain or mold damage, which results in customer claims, lowering the value of our hay and more notably risking the quality reputation of Canadian hay. To lower these risks producers should bale when the hay is no higher than 12 percent moisture and ensure the hay is fully cured.

Bale Consistency
Varied bale sizes can cause many problems from handling to pressing to the shape of the final double compressed bale. Handling is made difficult when loading and stacking as different lengths cause height limitations and instability of the load or stack. This, therefore, increases handling costs.

Time, and consequently money is added to the pressing process as well with bale inconsistencies. A big square bale, which is too long, will not fit into a slicer so the bale needs to manually be made smaller. Along with additional physical labor this also slows down production, both of which increase the cost of the hay.

Different sizes of small square bales do not provide for a pleasant appearance of the double compressed bale. Because of such a large part of the demand of export quality hay being aesthetic, it is very important that we provide our customers with a clean looking bale. Failure to do so often results in quality claims initiated by customers.

As can be seen from the above reasons, inconsistencies in bale sizes results in added costs therefore lowering the price of our product. We recommend that careful attention be paid during the baling process to prevent this from happening.

There are many points to be mindful of when producing export quality hay. Producers and field men should pay close attention when selecting fields, throughout the growing season and during harvest. That field management coupled with extensive quality control at the Wilbur-Ellis facility will allow us together to ensure the continued demand, safety and viability of our industry and Canadian hay.

In conclusion, growers should contact their fieldman and discuss this year's field plans to try and minimize any problems when it comes time to market their product. We are very much looking forward to the 2005 season and feel very confident that with our strong grower base we will maintain our reputation as one of the most reliable and quality suppliers of Canadian Timothy.