Fertilizer Markets and Finance

Ideas of the quality, and quantity, of the UK wheat crop deteriorated further, even as the pace of harvest picked up somewhat, helped by a drier start to autumn following the wettest summer in 100 years.

Farmers have seen wheat deliveries refused for high counts of DON, or toxic fungal residues, which have proved surprisingly low given the extent of fusarium infections encouraged by the wet weather.

“There are now some reports of rejections as a result of grain loads exceeding maximum DON levels,” consultancy Adas said.

And the group warned of a further drop in the specific weight of wheat as harvest heads into areas growing greater proportions of feed wheat, after results from milling wheat regions in the south which indicated a reading of 71.9 kilogrammes per hectolitre – the worst since at least 1976.

“Recent quality reports indicate that specific weights continue to be lower than in recent years typically ranging from 60-72 kilogrammes per hectolitre, with some lower specific weights being reported from the north and west,” Adas said.

“Quality remains an issue, especially specific weight,” which in measuring the weight of grain per given volume, in essence gives a reading of the proportion of shrivelled kernels.

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