Some Ontario Corn Seeing Quality Downgrades

Corn moisture levels remain high in Ontario, with some grain getting downgraded due to low test weights, depending on the location within the province, according to the latest field observations from the Grain Farmers of Ontario on Thursday. 

Meanwhile, yields have been highly variable; with some producers reporting “incredible yields,” and others just average yields. 

Corn 

Not all is fine and well in some areas. A cooler summer has led to lower crop heat unit (CHU) accumulation with some corn not black layering before a frost, resulting in lower test weights and higher moistures at harvest. Grades coming across the scale range from No. 2 to No. 4 (downgrading due to test weight). Corn harvest is roughly 50 to 80% complete, with moistures ranging from the low 20s to mid to high 30s. 

This past week and looking ahead looks like close to ideal harvest weather, with double-digit temperatures and not much rain/snow in the forecast. Some might aim to take the headlands off fields and hope the corn dries down a bit more in the coming days. 

With high moistures and good yields in some areas, elevators are getting full of wet corn, limiting the ability of corn to come off the field. This might be the case for the foreseeable future as everyone scrambles with loads of corn that need more time in the dryer.