Ontario Agri Business Association

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1 2013 Pre-Harvest Corn & Soybean Bulletin Moisture Discount Schedule Removed from Soybean Marketing Agreement The OABA Grain Section committee recently completed a renegotiation of the Soybean Marketing Agreement with the Grain Farmers of Ontario and the processors (Bunge and ADM). The highlight of the new Agreement is the removal of the Moisture Discount Schedule from the Agreement. Elevators and processors will be free to independently establish charges for drying, cleaning and handling of soybeans, as they do currently for corn and wheat. Pre-Harvest Bulletin 2013 As a result, you will not find any moisture discount schedules for soybeans in this Bulletin. The new agreement came into effect on September 1, 2013 and will run until August 31, If you have any questions regarding setting up a drying chart for soybeans contact Dave or Ron at the OABA office Ontario Agri Business Association, 160 Research Lane, Suite 104, Guelph, Ontario N1G 5B

2 Contract Integrity Signage OABA has signage that provides producers with an overview of what is a contract, the legal obligations of a contract, and the importance of maintaining contract integrity. This sign can be posted at the pit or at the front desk, and is an excellent reminder to producers that a verbal agreement is just as legally binding as a signed document. The sign is laminated on legal size paper and includes the logos of the commodity groups that support the content of the notice. Signs can be purchased from the OABA office at a cost of $2.50 each for 1-10 copies or $2.00 each for 11 or more plus HST, shipping and handling. To order call Educating Producers About Preventing Contamination of Grain Deliveries with Treated Seed OABA partnered with Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) and the Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) to develop two resources to raise awareness of the issue of commercial grain deliveries being contaminated with treated seed. A treated seed checklist has been established for distribution to producers. The checklist identifies key areas where contamination can occur and provides suggested procedures for managing the potential risk. A PowerPoint presentation was also developed for use in producer meetings that provides additional background information on the issue and highlights the key points from the checklist. Poison Warning Signs OABA reminds members to remain vigilant for contaminated grains and oilseeds and to make sure that producers are fully aware of their liability if they deliver contaminated product. As part of a program to increase producer awareness of the risks associated with delivering contaminated grains and oilseeds to country elevators, terminals and processors, OABA developed warning signs that state: it is unlawful to deliver grain that has been treated or infected with any poisonous substance or compound. Signs can be purchased from the OABA office at a cost of $2.50 each for 1-10 copies or $2.00 each for 11 or more plus HST, shipping and handling. Grain Storage Receipts OABA offers Agricorp approved grain storage receipts that can be used in laser and inkjet printers, as well as the traditional dot matrix and manual versions. Call (519) if you have questions or would like to order receipts. Training Video on Dockage & Moisture Assessment Now is an excellent time to review the training video, it is extremely useful in training new employees. The video includes a section on moisture testing of corn and pertinent sections on the proper method of gathering samples, the proper methods of assessing dockage on corn and soybeans, and the proper method of operating a 919 moisture meter. If you require a copy of this DVD, please contact the OABA office. Member firms that wish to borrow the video may do so free of charge. For those member firms who wish to purchase a copy, the price is $20.00 plus postage and HST. To borrow or buy, contact the OABA office at OABA 2013 Pre-Harvest Corn & Soybean Bulletin - Page 2

3 CORN Corn Conversion Tables No Longer Published Following a 1993 decision of our Association to withdraw from publishing corn conversion tables and suggested drying charges, OABA will not publish conversion tables. Once again, we must emphasize that the 1993 decision was made in response to Ontario Corn Producers Association legal concerns with the continued publishing of Corn Conversion Tables and suggested drying charges, and the possibility of investigation and legal action under Federal competition laws. Should you have any questions or require further information on corn conversion tables, please feel free to contact the OABA office at Closely Monitor Costs of Drying Corn The following information may be of assistance to elevator operators as they establish drying charges for the 2013 corn harvest. Please note that the following is provided for information purposes only and that it is recommended that all elevator operators assess their own particular situation related to drying costs and set their drying rates accordingly. 1. Fuel Natural Gas With respect to natural gas pricing for the 2013 harvest, calculations conducted by OABA show that an elevator using 150,000 cubic meters of natural gas per month will see a 17.57% year over year (July 2012 July 2013) increase in total gas costs. Union Gas adjusts its pricing of natural gas and transportation on October 1 st of every year. Information on any pricing changes should be available by mid- September. Contact your natural gas supplier for full details on costing natural gas to your operation. Propane Propane is an unregulated commodity that is subject to market demand pressures on pricing. Contact your propane supplier for full details on costs. 2. Electricity With the advent of Time-of-Use pricing for electricity, elevators must closely monitor their consumption patterns and bills to determine how this change in pricing impacts your facility. If you are not yet on time-of-use pricing contact your local utility provider to assess changes in electricity pricing for 2013 compared to Labour It is recommended that elevator operators review in detail labour costs (including wages, benefit costs, etc.) in order to assess their impact on overall drying costs. The July Consumer Price Index produced by Statistics Canada shows an increase of 1.3% for the 12 months to July Other Other cost areas which should be taken into consideration when establishing corn drying charges include insurance, municipal taxes, interest rates, building repairs and maintenance, machinery repairs and maintenance and administration. With respect to administration, fully consider the administrative services and associated value you provide to your producer/customers as it relates to the advanced payments program, the ACC commodity loan program, and other producer-based programs. In providing this value to producers and/or producer organizations, it is only reasonable to expect that elevator operators/buyers should be adequately remunerated for providing these services. In the collection of repayments under the Advanced Payments Program and/or ACC Commodity Loan program, give full consideration to establishing an administration charge, which reflects the cost of providing these producer services. OABA 2013 Pre-Harvest Corn & Soybean Bulletin - Page 3

4 It is strongly recommended that you carefully review all cost centres noted above for your own drying operation and establish drying charges accordingly. If you require more information or assistance, contact the OABA office at It is strongly recommended that you carefully review all cost centres noted above for your own drying operation and establish drying charges accordingly. If you require more information or assistance, contact the OABA office at Grain Handling & Storage Tariffs No Longer Published Following the 1993 decision to withdraw from publishing Corn Conversion Tables, OABA has also ceased to publish the Grain Handling & Storage Tariff which suggested guidelines for storage, in-elevation, custom handling and grade discounts. Storage Charges: Historically, the process of aligning country elevator storage charges with those charges assessed at licensed transfer elevators has been acceptable for a number of commodities. For country elevators establishing storage rates for corn and other grains and oilseeds, the same rate alignment process should also receive serious consideration. It is recommended that all elevator operators assess their own particular cost situation relating to storage and set their rates accordingly. Since August 1,1995, there have been no regulated maximum elevator tariffs at licensed transfer elevators, however, it should be noted that transfer elevator operators are required to file a schedule of charges with Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) before the beginning of the crop year and before any increases are made during the crop year. Licensed transfer elevator operators are allowed to charge less than their filed rates at any time without notifying the CGC. A range of filed storage tariffs at Ontario licensed transfer elevators effective August 1, 2013 for the crop year as published by the Canadian Grain Commission is as follows: Goderich Elevators Ltd. Goderich: wheat/corn/soybeans August to December cents/tonne/day, January to July Port Colborne: wheat/corn soybeans August to December cents/tonne/day, January to July cents/tonne/day Port of Prescott: wheat 5.6 cents/tonne/day, soybeans 5.6 cents/tonne/day, corn 6.1 cents/tonne/day. Cargill Sarnia wheat, corn and soybeans 7.5 cents/tonne/day. If prior arrangements are not made for wheat the storage charge is 15 cents/tonne/day from July to September and 50 cents/tonne/day from October to June. Country elevator operators should contact licensed transfer elevators to determine their actual storage tariffs for the crop year. Good business practice would suggest that such charges as storage, elevation and drying be kept current, with maximum carrying of such accounts to be limited to 30 days. There is also every justification to commence storage charges on date of delivery. Along the lines of advising the producer/customer of charges, terms and conditions in effect for the 2013 harvest, elevator operators should give some consideration to publishing a schedule which contains this information. Corn Check-Off Reports Effective July 1, 2013 the Grain Farmers of Ontario license fee for corn is set at $0.41/mT. HST must also be added to the fee, GFO s HST number is RT0001. Dealers Monthly Report forms are available for download on the GFO website, Dealers may also continue to submit their own style of printed reports, as long as they contain all the required information from the GFO check-off form. Elevators should mail, or send by prepaid courier, corn producer sales reports to the Grain Farmers of Ontario s office at 100 Stone Road West, Suite #201, Guelph, ON N1G 5L3 OABA 2013 Pre-Harvest Corn & Soybean Bulletin - Page 4

5 Vomitoxin Testing by Canadian Grain Commission If you are submitting samples to the Canadian Grain Commission and would like them tested for vomitoxin, the Commission requires an additional 1,000 grams submitted that will be ground and tested. Conversion Tables for Model 919/3.5 Moisture Meter New corn conversion tables for the Model 919/3.5 moisture meter came into effect in Please ensure that you are using the following 919/3.5 Conversion Tables as issued by the Canadian Grain Commission. Moisture Range to 20% - Table #6, July 2000 Moisture Range 20% to 35% - Table #11A, July 2000 Moisture Values Adjusted for Test Weight: 20% to 35% - Table #11B, July 2002 If you require an original copy of these charts, they can be printed from the Canadian Grain Commission web site at The Commission has posted a moisture calculator on its website. It can be found at Moisture values derived from Table 11A MUST be adjusted for test weight using Table 11B. Since Table 11B is graduated in 5 gram divisions, care must be taken to arrive at the proper moisture value when the test weight lies between the units. In cases such as this, OABA recommends the averaging procedure as shown in the following example: In this example assume: 1. Unadjusted moisture value from Table 11A = 29.7% (meter reading of 19 C). 2. Test weight = 333 grams/ ½ litre (using normal test weight procedure on wet sample). 3. In reviewing Table 11B, we find that test weights are graduated only in 5 gram increments, so we take the adjusted moisture values for the test weight breaks above and below our actual test weight (i.e. 330 g./ ½ litre & 335 g./ ½ litre). 4. Calculation Adjusted moisture value for 330 g./ ½ litre = 29.9% Adjusted moisture value for 335 g./ ½ litre = 30.1% In this example, a 5 gram differential in test weight creates a 0.2% differential in moisture value, therefore, using this same ratio, a 3 gram differential creates a 0.12% differential in moisture value. 5. The calculated adjusted moisture value for 333 g./ ½ litre would be = 30.02% which is rounded to 30.0%. For full details on the proper use of Table #11A and Table #11B, please refer to the training video available from the OABA office. PLEASE NOTE: We cannot overemphasize the importance of properly using Table 11B in conjunction with Table 11A for corn in the 20% to 35% moisture range. In order to accurately determine the moisture of corn in this range, test weight is a critical factor and dealers must be prepared to take the time to utilize Table 11B. Failure to use Table 11B will result in an inaccurate moisture assessment and could cost you dollars in lost drying revenue and increased shrink! Be fair to yourself and your customers use Table 11A and Table 11B when assessing moisture. It is our understanding that the Canadian Grain Commission will use the Near Infrared Analyzers to assess disputed samples where moisture levels exceed the limits of the 11A and 11B charts (over 35% moisture). This approach to high moisture disputed samples has been agreed upon by OABA and GFO on the basis that Near Infrared Analyzers have continued to demonstrate very acceptable levels of accuracy in determining the moisture content of high moisture corn samples during trials. OABA 2013 Pre-Harvest Corn & Soybean Bulletin - Page 5

6 Seedburo Model 1200A Moisture Meter The Canadian Grain Commission has stated that the Seedburo Model 1200A moisture tester can be used to determine moisture content on all samples of corn. Continued work by the Grain Research laboratory has determined that the revised regression formula for moisture determination of corn using the Seedburo Model 1200A moisture tester is accurate. Corn Varieties Not Approved For Use in Europe The handling and marketing of certain GMO corn hybrids requires the attention of the Ontario elevator industry. Elevators must ensure that they understand the requirements of customers buying their corn. Corn processors may not accept corn grown from varieties that are not accepted for use in Europe. The Canadian Seed Trade Association has developed a corn hybrids database that lists all commercially available varieties in Canada and also identifies any hybrids that have not been approved for use in Europe. This list can be found at: Code of Practice Established for Trade in Corn & Canola in Ontario The Ontario Agri Business Association has entered into an agreement with the Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) and the Ontario Canola Growers Association to implement a Code of Practice for Trade in Corn & Canola in Ontario. This agreement was reviewed and updated in August 1995, and has been signed by the above associations. Each licensed dealer under the Grain Financial Protection Program or Storage Act received two laminated copies of the code of practice in Additional copies of the Code of Practice are available from the OABA office at a nominal cost ( ). As part of the agreement to implement the Code of Practice, OABA notifies its members of the following: 1) The holder of a license as an elevator operator and/or dealer agrees to abide by the Code of Practice for trade in corn and canola in Ontario; 2) The holder of the license(s) agrees that non-compliance with the Code of Practice may constitute grounds for an appeal before a three person tribunal under the Arbitrations Act, 1991; 3) The Code of Practice must be posted at each licensed operation in such a location that a producer or producer s agent will be able to read the Code of Practice prior to unloading corn and/or canola. Canadian Grain Commission Maintains Fees for Submitted Samples On August 1, 2013, changes took effect to the Canada Grain Act and the Canada Grain Regulations that will significantly impact user fees for Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) services. It is important that OABA members are aware of the new fees and services standards implemented by the CGC. Click here to download CGC Form I-107 to be used in Eastern Canada to request an inspection of submitted sample or an inspection as part of a grade dispute. This form is available as either a.pdf document or MS-Word document. Information on service fees standards is also available. For crop year, the CGC fees levied grade disputes on a per sample basis are established at $ OABA is advised by the CGC that an inspection of an unofficial submitted sample fee includes: grade & dockage; protein for wheat; test weight; moisture (if sample received in a moisture proof container); and, any grading factor that is applicable to that commodity (i.e. sprouting, mildew etc.) OABA 2013 Pre-Harvest Corn & Soybean Bulletin - Page 6

7 If a client requests a specific analysis only on an unofficial submitted sample then an additional analysis fee of $46.99 is charged per requested factor. Examples of factors include: thousand kernel weight for wheat/barley; protein on grains excluding wheat; oil content determined by NIR method; protein only; fusarium damage only. Click here for a CGC application for Guaranteed Sample Inspection & Certification. As a result of the 1995 amendments made to the agreement between Grain Farmers of Ontario and OABA, the Association notifies its members of the following: Cost for forwarding representative samples to the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) shall be shared equally between the producer and elevator operator, however, fees assessed by the CGC for testing and inspecting such samples for the purpose of assessing/assigning grade, dockage, condition and/or moisture shall be the responsibility of the party found to be in error; In the event that the producer and elevator operator agree to submit the dispute to arbitration under the Arbitration Act, 1991, the producer shall contact GFO in order to receive and complete an arbitration request form and forward the completed form to GFO and the elevator; GFO and OABA shall arrange for a three-person arbitration panel and distribute documentation to the arbitrators; Arbitration costs shall be borne by the producer and the elevator operator; The arbitration panel may award costs against the losing party or it may split costs on whatever basis it considers appropriate; The producer and elevator operator shall both issue a cheque payable to the GFO, In Trust, in the amount of $750.00, before the case is heard, in order to ensure payment of the costs of arbitration. Below is a copy of the Code of Practice as established for corn and canola. You will note there is nothing radical in its contents it simply puts into print the guidelines already used and accepted by the majority of country elevators when receiving grains and oilseeds. OABA 2013 Pre-Harvest Corn & Soybean Bulletin - Page 7

8 CODE OF PRACTICE FOR TRADE IN CORN & CANOLA IN ONTARIO (Delivered at Primary Elevator Locations) 1) The holder of a license as an elevator operator and/or dealer agrees to abide by the Code of Practice for trade in corn and canola in Ontario; 2) The holder of the license(s) agrees that non-compliance with the Code of Practice may constitute grounds for an appeal before a three person tribunal under the Arbitrations Act, 1991; 3) The Code of Practice must be posted at each licensed operation in such a location that a producer or producer s agent will be able to read the Code of Practice prior to unloading corn and/or canola. CODE OF PRACTICE All corn and canola shall be inspected on the basis of the grades established under the Canada Grain Act. Every elevator operator and/or dealer shall have the necessary equipment, calibration charts and trained personnel to ensure that the test results will be consistent with results obtained by the Canadian Grain Commission. Such equipment will be calibrated/checked at least annually. Any person delivering corn or canola on behalf of a producer shall be deemed to be the agent of that producer and authorized to act on the producer s behalf. A producer, or agent of a producer, delivering corn or canola shall, upon request, be advised of the grade, dockage, condition, and moisture assigned to the corn or canola prior to unloading the corn or canola. All disputes in respect of grade, dockage, condition, and/or moisture of any load of corn or canola shall be made at the time of delivery. The elevator s representative receiving the corn or canola, or the producer, or the producer s agent, may require a sample of corn or canola to be taken. All parties shall accept such sample as a fair and representative sample of the corn or canola from which it was taken. All testing and inspection for the purposes of assessing/assigning grade, dockage, condition, and/or moisture shall be accepted as final. Failing any of the above, the parties may agree to submit the dispute to arbitration under the Arbitration Act, PUBLISHED BY THE ONTARIO AGRI BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (OABA) NOTE: In accordance with the OABA/GFO agreement, costs for forwarding representative samples to the Canadian Grain Commission shall be shared equally between the producer and elevator operator, however, fees assessed by the Canadian Grain Commission for testing and inspecting such samples for the purpose of assessing/assigning grade, dockage, condition and/or moisture shall be the responsibility of the party found to be in error. OABA 2013 Pre-Harvest Corn & Soybean Bulletin - Page 8

9 Moisture Assessment The objective of the following proposal is to establish consistency in the procedure used to assess moisture content. In determining the moisture content of corn (and all grains), the amount of grain required for the moisture test will be weighed after dockage has been removed. All grains must go through dockage determination because the sample must be clean for accurate moisture assessment. All samples of corn testing above 15.5% moisture should be re-tested. The re-test should include checking the sample temperature, sample weight and meter calibration. If the same result is obtained on the second test, it is relatively certain that the moisture reading is accurate. If the second reading varies from the first reading, the sample should be tested a third time and the moisture content will be assessed as the average of the three readings. Dockage Assessment The objective of the following proposal is to establish uniformity in the assessment of dockage on deliveries of wet corn to country elevators, in line with the procedure that has become common practice in the industry. 1. All material in cracked or broken form, dust and any other foreign material passing through a 12/64 (No. 12) Round Hole Sieve shall be assessed as dockage when obtained from a representative sample of the delivered load. 2. With respect to a sample testing 25% moisture content or over, all material in cracked or broken form or dust or other foreign material passing through a 14/64 (No. 14) Round Hole Sieve shall be assessed as dockage when obtained from a representative sample of the delivered load. 3. Moisture content to be determined after dockage has been removed in accordance with procedural specifications as defined in Sections 1 & 2 of this proposal. Being aware of the very limited jurisdictional authority that can be exercised by the Canadian Grain Commission over the operation of Country Elevators in the Province of Ontario, OABA members are assured that the conditions, as stipulated in the foregoing proposal, are fully aligned and in complete accordance with provisions for the Assessment of Dockage on C.E. Corn as specified in the most recent edition of the Official Grain Grading Guide. Samples submitted to an Inspection Office of the Canadian Grain Commission for official inspection and grade determination will be judged on the same basis as detailed in the above proposal. This proposal for the detection and assessment of dockage in corn delivered to a country elevator has been approved by members of the Grain Section Committee. Adoption of same by all elevator operators is recommended in the interest of product quality. Some Elevators Find Storage Inadequate After June 30 th A high percentage of elevators offer farmers storage space and, in most cases, an expiry date of June 30 th is established. History has shown that after this date the risk of corn going out of condition is much greater. Aeration is a definite benefit in helping to keep corn in condition, but after June 30 th, it continues to reduce the moisture level, thus causing weight loss. A number of elevators do offer a continuation of storage after June 30 th, but in order to compensate for the above mentioned problems, they increase their storage rates significantly starting July 1 st each year. OABA 2013 Pre-Harvest Corn & Soybean Bulletin - Page 9

10 SOYBEANS Ontario Agri Business Association 2013 Agreement for Marketing the Ontario Soybean Crop As mentioned earlier in the Bulletin OABA, Grain Farmers of Ontario and the two major soybean processors negotiated an new Soybean Marketing Agreement which allows for market forces to dictates costs associated with drying and handling soybeans. The Agreement reads as follows: 1. (1) Under the terms of this agreement, cleaning and handling charges, as well as soybean drying charges/moisture discounts will be agreed upon by the dealer and the producer through competitive market forces, similar to the corn and wheat markets. (2) These terms and conditions should be confirmed prior to producer delivery. (3) Settlements and payment protocol shall follow in accordance to the Grains Act (Ontario Regulation 260/97) and the Farm Products Payments Act (Ontario Regulation 70/12). 2. (1) Where there is an agreement between a soybean producer and a licensed buyer, terms may be established which differ from those stated within this agreement. (2) In order to meet the specialized needs of a diverse and demanding marketplace for Ontario soybeans, all parties recognize and agree that the specifications in such producer/buyer agreements will take precedence over the Ontario Soybean Marketing Agreement except as otherwise required by the Regulations under the Grains Act or the Farm Products Payments Act 3. (1) In the event there is a dispute as to the grade or moisture content of any load of soybeans, the matters in dispute shall be referred to an inspector for the Canadian Grain Commission or to such other person as is mutually agreed between the parties in dispute. (2) The decision of the inspector under subsection (1) shall be binding on the parties in dispute. (3) The inspector in making a test shall examine a minimum 1 kg. sample agreed upon by the parties involved and taken from the load of soybeans delivered and retained in a moisture-proof container bearing a label on which is stated the name and address of the party delivering the soybeans. (4) A further sample of the load of soybeans in dispute shall also be kept in a moisture-proof sealed container pending the inspector s decision. (5) Costs for forwarding representative samples to the inspector under subsection (1) shall be shared equally between the parties to the dispute. (6) Fees assessed by the inspector under subsection (1) for testing and inspecting such samples for the purpose of assessing and assigning grade, dockage, condition and/or moisture shall be the responsibility of the party in error. OABA 2013 Pre-Harvest Corn & Soybean Bulletin - Page 10

11 4. When soybeans are delivered to a dealer s elevator or place of business, a receipt for each load of soybeans shall be given by the dealer to the grower, or the party delivering the load of soybeans in the absence of the grower in accordance with Ontario Regulation 260/97 made under the Grains Act. 5. This Agreement shall come into effect on September 1, 2013 and remains in effect until the 31 st day of August, With respect to implementing the 2013 soybean agreement, it is very important that producers, dealers and processors keep the lines of communication open and understand their individual responsibilities. In particular, licensed buyers of soybeans should be prepared to establish their buying specifications related to grade, dockage, moisture and other quality factors for soybeans well in advance of harvest, and to communicate these specifications to their producer customers. Likewise, producers must also ensure that there is full understanding of and agreement with the buyer specifications for grade, moisture, dockage and other quality factors prior to making the delivery. GFO Request Dealer Reports in a Standard Dry Tonne Format Further to the flexibility provisions within the 2012 soybean agreement, the Grain Farmers of Ontario has advised that they prefer to receive monthly dealer reports of soybean purchases from producers expressed in terms of a standard dry tonne. The Board has advised that the following approaches would be acceptable: Soybeans at 13.0% moisture, using the discount schedule included in the negotiated agreement applied to the wet weight. Soybeans at 13.0% moisture, using a conversion table, with a maximum ½ of 1% invisible loss. Soybeans at 14.0% moisture using either a discount schedule or conversion table for soybeans purchased for specialty markets. Soybean Check-Off Reports Effective July 1, 2013 the GFO license fee for soybeans has been set at $1.33/mT. HST must also be added to the fee, GFO s HST number is RT0001. Dealers Monthly Report forms are available for download on the GFO website, Dealers may also continue to submit their own style of printed reports, as long as they contain all the required information from the GFO check-off form. Elevators should mail, or send by prepaid courier, soybean producer sales reports to the Grain Farmers of Ontario s office at 100 Stone Road West, Suite #201, Guelph, N1G 5L3 Soybean Conversion Tables for Model 919/3.5 Moisture Meter Please ensure that you are using the following 919/3.5 Soybean Conversion Table as issued by the Canadian Grain Commission. Table No. 8, July Soybean If you require an original copy of these charts, they can be printed from the Canadian Grain Commission web site at The Commission has recently posted a moisture calculator on its website. It can be found at OABA 2013 Pre-Harvest Corn & Soybean Bulletin - Page 11

12 The Next Step Final Preparations for the 2013 Soybean Harvest OABA suggests the following items should receive consideration as you prepare to handle the 2013 crop of soybeans: Assess the needs of your business as it relates to handling the 2013 soybean crop. Establish specifications for grade, dockage, moisture and other quality factors (where applicable), and communicate these to your producer customers. Drying Charges, Moisture Shrink & Invisible Loss give consideration to the approach that best suits the needs of your business and your customers. Familiarize yourself with the approach you have chosen and be prepared to explain it in detail. Maintain open lines of communication with your customers to ensure that they understand your terms and specifications related to handling the 2013 soybean crop. Give consideration to publishing and distributing a schedule, which clearly explains the approach that your company will take in handling soybeans. Be fully prepared to field questions and concerns from your customers. Test Weight Determination Where test weight (kg/hl) is a factor in official grade definitions of grain, it will be reported in kilograms per hectolitre. In order to relate kg/hl to grams per 0.5 litre, the following conversion chart may be used as a guide. Figures given have been rounded to whole numbers. Kg./hL g./o.5l Published by: Ontario Agri Business Association 160 Research Lane, Suite 104 Guelph, ON N1G 5B2 (519) OABA 2013 Pre-Harvest Corn & Soybean Bulletin - Page 12