What is Market Ready

Clearly, Ontario's spring wheat growers are comfortable with their new Open Market pricing options. Already, we've filled resting orders for a large tonnage of new crop wheat, says Kevin Campbell, wheat merchandiser, Palmerston Grain. We´re realizing a 75 percent success rate on achieving the price objectives of our Market Ready clients without them having to watch the markets every day. The $200 per tonne level is a key target for many spring wheat producers.

"The key to success is matching the right end-user with the right variety" says Jeff Reid, marketing manager with C & M Seeds. The key to success is identifying those end-u sers whowant the specific functionality of a particular variety.

To generate higher returns for producers and fill the void left by several discontinued wheat board programs, C&M Seeds and Palmerston Grain launched the Market Ready program in late 2003.

Palmerston Grain?s aggressive bids and market knowledge has made them the largest physical marketer of spring wheat in eastern Canada. The new open market environment continues to offer tremendous opportunity to fuel expansion of the spring wheat crop.

Since last summer's harvest, pricing for spring wheat variety 606 has ranged from equal to Pool C to $12/tonne higher under Palmerston Grain's Market Ready program.

With 606 being priced equal to or higher than the wheat board's Pool C price, it?s pretty straight forward, says Paul Sullivan, independent agronomist from Kinburn, Ontario. Last year, 606 literally stood out wherever it was. Our side-by-side plots showed a six percent yield advantage to 606 vs. Brio, the standard in the area. 606 stocks sold out early in eastern Ontario and seed is now being moved from other locations to fill current orders.