Rain threat to record harvest

RIGA - Rainy weather is hampering reaping a bumper grain harvest this year in Latvia, Agriculture Minister Laimdota Straujuma said in an interview with the Latvian State Television’s morning show ‘Labrit, Latvija!’ on Aug. 29, reports, Nozare.lv. Humid weather and constant showers are not the best conditions for harvesting, emphasized the minister.
Grain is wet and grain drying facilities are overloaded. Farmers are looking for various options to dry their grain.
Straujuma pointed out that it is good to have a record harvest, but added that it would be even better with great weather conditions and expressed hope that the forecast would call for continued drier weather. Everything depends on weather conditions, explained the minister.

The Agriculture Ministry’s forecasts indicate that this year’s grain harvest could amount to 1.8 million tons, 60 percent more than previous year averages.
Compared to 2011, this year’s harvests may be larger, especially the canola harvest, but it would be too soon to talk about a bumper harvest, appears to be the general sentiment. What is clear already now, however, is that the grain moisture content is a record high this year, reaching up to 25 percent, while the usual average figure is 15 percent, said several farmers surveyed by Nozare.lv.

“The average grain harvest is about four tons per hectare; therefore, it would not be right to call what we have now a record harvest,” said Mazsalaca farm ‘Loja’ owner Mareks Berzins, adding that the canola harvest was indeed very high. “On the other hand, moisture content this year may really be considered a record high,” said Berzins, adding that farmers who had no dryers were unable to have their grain thrashed.

Due to these problems, it is hard to predict when harvesting and threshing will be done, said Berzins.
Zemgale farm ‘Lazdini’ owner Juris Lazdins also said, “The talk about a bumper harvest is too exaggerated.”
“The harvest is really good, no denying it. Some farmers may have even achieved their highest productivity in history, but the average harvest in Zemgale is, as usual, slightly over six tons per hectare, so there is still room for improvement. However, the large harvest also has its drawbacks - large amounts mean lower quality, the protein content in the grain is smaller, and there will be very little quality grain this year. Also, moisture content this year is the highest I have ever seen. Every year the average moisture content was 15-16 percent, whereas this year it has never been under 18.7 percent,” he said.

Lazdins expects harvesting to continue for about two weeks yet, although there are farmers that have already finished harvesting.
In Kurzeme Province, farm ‘Ezergaili’ owner Dzintars Erdmanis said that Kurzeme farmers were very pleased at this year’s harvest. “I would be rather cautious with terms like a record harvest, although in some places farmers have harvested even nine tons per hectare, which is a very high figure for Kurzeme. On the average, though, the harvest is around six tons, which is also very good. And the canola harvest here is about 4.2 tons per hectare, which may be the best figure in many years,” said Erdmanis.

However, Erdmanis also said that he was concerned about the quality of grain. “Our joy is somewhat dampened by the high moisture content in grain - in fact, we have to dry the grain twice, because moisture content this year is over 18 percent. The quality is also very changeable, although we at our farm have managed to keep the average quality level,” said the farmer.