Abu Dhabi | Reuters –– Egypt’s agricultural quarantine authority has rejected a shipment of Canadian wheat, saying it contained traces of the fungus ergot, a trade source said and official documents obtained by Reuters showed. The move by the quarantine authority is the latest in a series of rejections, which have caused serious concerns over […] Read more
Egypt rejects Canadian wheat shipment over ergot
Egypt to accept wheat with 0.05 per cent ergot
Cairo | Reuters — Egypt’s agriculture ministry will allow wheat imports with up to 0.05 percent levels of ergot, a common grains fungus, it said on Feb. 3, reversing a zero tolerance policy that prompted traders to boycott the state’s wheat tender this week. The supply ministry and the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) […] Read more
Egypt’s ergot saga leaves wheat traders in limbo
Reuters — One Egyptian official’s tough stance on wheat imports carrying a fungus that wreaked havoc in the Middle Ages is baffling global grain traders and putting a spotlight on policy-making disarray in the world’s biggest purchaser of the commodity. Alarm bells began ringing in Egypt when a 63,000-tonne wheat shipment from France arrived in […] Read more
Egypt moves to clarify ergot rules on wheat imports
Reuters — Egypt’s supply ministry moved to clarify rules on wheat imports on Thursday, saying it would allow shipments with traces of the grain fungus ergot to enter the country. Wheat traders have been concerned that uncertainty over payment and inspection terms in Egypt, the world’s biggest wheat importer, would dampen export demand. The problem […] Read more
Egypt’s new wheat requirement could delay supplies
Cairo/Abu Dhabi | Reuters — Egypt, the world’s largest purchaser of wheat, has imposed restrictive import requirements, an agricultural authority official told Reuters, alarming traders who threatened to boycott tenders for the politically sensitive commodity. The new requirement — for a complete absence of ergot, a common fungus found in grains — could disrupt the […] Read more
Expert advice for ergot control
There’s no silver bullet for combating ergot, but mowing grasses near fields and good agronomics can make a big difference
Reading Time: 3 minutes Ergot is a rising threat on the Prairies, and plant researchers are trying to figure out the best way to combat the disease. “Everyone is concerned with fusarium head blight, but ergot is right up there in terms of danger,” said Jamie Larsen, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge. Rye and […] Read more
Test that feed — expert says ergot contamination on the rise
Last year’s wet spring has left a potential deadly legacy and ‘it doesn’t take much’ ergot to cause serious problems
Reading Time: 3 minutes Ergot-contaminated feed is on the rise and producers need to be testing to avoid poisoning their livestock. “Last year at this time, we were running 20 to 40 samples a month for ergot — we’ve had days this year where we run 40 samples, and lots of them are high concentration,” said Barry Blakley, a […] Read more
Were those frozen ears and sore feet caused by a cold winter?
Ergot-contaminated feed is causing a wide range of easily misdiagnosed herd health problems in Western Canada
Reading Time: 4 minutes Long, brutally cold Prairie winters could be masking signs of a serious toxin lurking in livestock producers’ feed bins, a University of Calgary veterinary professor warned feed and livestock industry officials recently. Dr. Eugene Janzen, assistant dean of clinical practice, said he was initially perplexed in the winter of 2013 when he observed Alberta feedlot […] Read more
Ergot becomes invisible in manufactured feed
Researchers and feed makers say new guidelines for assessing risk are needed
Reading Time: 2 minutes The two pictures of pelleted feed veterinary toxicologist Dr. Barry Blakley put up on the screen at a recent ergot symposium here looked identical. But one had enough toxins in it to kill livestock. The rising levels of ergot in western Canadian cereal grains and forages has turned into a nightmare for the manufactured feed […] Read more
Management critical to preventing ergot outbreak
Crop rotation, mowing field edges, and good agronomic practices can reduce impact of ergot infestation
Reading Time: 2 minutes When it comes to controlling ergot, the best control is prevention. Ergot fungi, which produce mycotoxins that are extremely toxic to humans and livestock, affects all cereal crops except oats. “Although not significantly impacting yield, the low tolerance level for affected grain can cause grain rejection or downgrading at the elevator,” said provincial crop specialist […] Read more
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