The Canadian Grain
Commission (CGC) wants to tell the world about the
quality of this year's harvest. The CGC is sending
envelopes to thousands of producers and asking them to
return these envelopes with a sample of this years'
harvest. By doing so, producers help the CGC inform
marketers, buyers and processors around the world about
the quality of their grain.
"The harvest samples we
get from producers each year are an important window
onto the quality of grain that will be marketed
throughout the following year," says chief commissioner
Christine Hamblin.
"Being able to hand a
customer detailed quality data months before the grain
is even loaded onto a ship gives Canada a marketing edge
that cannot be matched by our competitors," says Peter
Burnett, director of the CGC's Grain Research
Laboratory.
In past years,
thousands of producers across Western Canada have
answered the CGC's call to sign up and send their
harvest samples in for testing. In return they receive,
at their request, a grade and quality analysis for each
sample they provide, and their names are entered into
prize draws.
This year producers who
participate will also be able to get their sample
results by stopping at the CGC booth at the Agri-Trade
Expo in Red Deer, November 9 to 12, and at the Canadian
Western Agribition in Regina, November 21 to 26.
The samples of wheat,
oilseeds and pulses are milled, mixed, baked, crushed,
cooked and tested for their processing characteristics.
The CGC posts the results of these tests on its web
site. The test results are used by marketers and buyers
alike to plan their sales programs.
Sample envelopes are
now being received by producers who have already signed
up to participate. However, it is not too late to sign
up and get involved. Producers who would like to
participate can contact the CGC in the following ways:
The CGC is the
federal agency responsible for establishing and
maintaining Canada's grain quality standards. Its
programs result in shipments of grain that consistently
meet contract specifications for quality, safety and
quantity. The CGC regulates the grain industry to
protect producers' rights and ensure the integrity of
grain transactions.
