Growing Knowledge
Know your grade By Lee Hart
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armers marketing grains, oilseeds and other commodities should have a pretty good handle on the grade and quality of their crop as they approach marketing, says Anthony Rowan, a program manager with the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) in Winnipeg. Knowing what you have coming off the combine or coming out of the bin “is absolutely critical” as farmers approach grain buyers and traders, says Rowan who is responsible for the CGC’s national inspector training and development. “Not knowing what you have in terms of grade and quality would be like pulling onto the weigh scales with a truck and not seeing any numbers or getting a print out,” says Rowan. “It is an imperative”. Rowan says it is important for farmers to know the grain grade they have, so they are able to compare it to the grade they are paid for. In today’s grain market, arriving at the elevator with a No. 2 or No. 3 grade doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what the farmer will be paid.
“At the Canadian Grain Commission we just grade a sample for what it is,” says Rowan. “We have our standards and guides that we follow and we determine grade and quality. But in this increasingly competitive world, the farmer may very well be paid for a better grade than what we assigned. “Depending on the buyer, with their volumes and depending on their needs, and a wide range of other factors, a person may very well show up with a No. 2, but through blending get paid for a No. 1. A farmer could come in with three different samples that all grade No. 2 — No. 2 for frost, No. 2 for mildew, No. 2 for immaturity — but the company may be able to blend that off and call everything a No. 1 — it is possible. And it is important that the farmer knows that.” On the flip side, if a producer approaches a grain buyer with what he considers is a No. 1 grade and the buyer considers it a No. 2 or No. 3, the farmer has the right to ask the CGC for a final ruling on the grade. One of the safe-
guards under the Canada Grain Act specifies “If you (includes anyone delivering grain on your behalf) disagree with the licensed primary elevator’s assessment of your grain’s grade, dockage, moisture or protein, you have the right to ask that a sample be sent to the Canadian Grain Commission for a binding decision. This service is an inspection Subject to Inspector’s Grade and Dockage.” Rowan says he has often heard it said, “it doesn’t matter what the grade is, what matters is what you get paid.” Depending on the circumstances and needs of a grain buyer a truck load of grain grading No. 1 might be valued $200/ tonne (just to use a figure), but another day a farmer with another load of grain grading No. 3 might also be paid $200/tonne… “We can tell you what the grade is, but what you get paid is what’s important and producers need to know whether they are getting a break or not,” says Rowan. h Lee Hart is a long-time agricultural writer based in Calgary.
Back to school for grain grading
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lberta farmers will have the opportunity to go back to school for a few days after harvest this fall, to get a hands-on lesson on how to grade grain, oilseed or another commodity. Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) designed and facilitates the three-day workshop offered at Olds College later this year. “It’s all in a bid to help farmers better assess the grade and quality of the crop in the bin,” says Anthony Rowan, a CGC program manager course designer. “Grading a grain sample takes some experience,” Rowan says. “And it is not a process that can be properly captured in a brochure or explained in a video. It is something a person has to do hands-on. We have designed this course so farmers can bring in samples, we will have our samples as well, and
we will spend some time showing producers what they need to look for as they assess grain, canola and other crop samples.” When CGC inspectors grade a grain sample, they follow well-established standards and guides. It is a two-tier process. The first tier establishes the base grade looking for signs of frost or mildew damage and immaturity. The second tier involves more subjective factors like evidence of sprouted or heated grain or other elements. “It really isn’t something you can just tell someone about,” says Rowan. “You have to show them and then let them do their own assessments as well.” The Grain Grading Standards & Processes Workshop is described as a “three-day workshop providing an in depth study designed for producers
GROWING NEW IDEAS / GROWING KNOWLEDGE / GROWING STEWARDSHIP
who are looking to become better acquainted with CGC standards, process and the grain grading process.” It Includes:
• F amiliarization with the Official Grain Grading Guide (Canadian Grain Commission). • Seed Identification of Common Grains, Oilseeds and Pulses in Western Canada. • Standardized Operation of Basic Grading Equipment. • Identification of Main Degrading Factors. • Grading Techniques and Practice using Standard Samples. You can leave your email address to receive details by Googling Olds College Grain Grading Workshop and clicking on the link.
Farming Smarter / FALL 2015
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