by Rachel Telford
The winter wheat crop across the province is about two weeks behind normal development. Crop variability within fields continues to create a challenge for farmers trying to manage insects and diseases.
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The risk for Fusarium head blight remains high. With limited wheat acres in parts of Essex and Lambton counties - traditionally some of the bigger wheat growing areas – wheat straw is expected to be at a premium this year. Farmers looking ahead to harvesting and marketing their wheat should be aware that the initial payment amounts for the six wheat pools managed by Grain Farmers of Ontario have been announced.
The initial payment amounts can be found at gfo.ca. The Grain Farmers of Ontario Wheat Pool allows farmers to diversify their risk. Farmers can move grain at harvest while taking advantage of post-harvest markets to spread out cash flow.
Grain Farmers of Ontario has also posted the Pool Return Outlook. Initial payments act as an advance on the Pool Return Outlook. The outlook is updated throughout the harvest season based on market conditions before further payments are calculated and distributed.