Prairie wheat growers with fusarium-infected No. 2 Canada Western Red Winter (CWRW) wheat can now sign up for the Canadian Wheat Board’s 2008-09 fusarium program.

Sign-up began Friday (Sept. 19) for the delivery contract program, which guarantees 100 per cent acceptance and delivery by Nov. 28 for No. 2 CWRW with fusarium levels between 2.1 and 3.5 per cent, the CWB said in a release Friday.

Producers are expected to deliver 100 per cent of the tonnes committed to the program. They’re eligible to receive payment for No. 2 CWRW, minus a discount based on fusarium levels.

The discount for higher levels of fusarium has a weighting factor of 3, to better reflect the increasing proportion of DON-to-fusarium that has been observed in the past several years, the CWB said. That weighting factor will be applied on the difference between the actual and allowable fusarium levels. The maximum allowable fusarium level for No. 2 CWRW is two per cent.

For example, a producer delivering grain with 3.5 per cent fusarium would see 4.5 per cent taken off the tonnes delivered, the CWB said.

The sign-up deadline is Sept. 30 on a first-come, first-served basis, though the CWB said additional sign-up “may be considered if there is greater demand.”

The CWB added that it reserves the right to withdraw the offer or extend the deadline date.