The Canadian Grain
Commission (CGC) has formed a working group that
will develop an operational plan for implementing
falling number measurements into the Canadian wheat
grading system, the CGC announced at the fall meeting of
the
Western Standards Committee (WSC) on November 1,
2005.
“The formation of the
working group follows the technology transfer template
that the standards committee endorsed earlier this
year,” said Chris Hamblin, CGC chief commissioner and
WSC chair. “This stage respects the need for due
diligence at all operational levels.”
The working group
consists of representatives of the Canadian Wheat Board,
the Western Grain Elevator Association, Inland Terminal
Elevator Association, and the CGC. The WSC recommended
that the working group include a producer member of the
WSC. Chuck Fossey, a grain producer and member of
Keystone Agricultural Producers, has agreed to represent
the WSC.
The CGC’s Grain
Research Laboratory is evaluating rapid visco analysis
(RVA) technology. Testing will continue through the fall
and into the winter. If the results confirm the
accuracy, effectiveness, reliability, and robustness of
the technology, then the CGC hopes to begin
implementation on August 1, 2006.
The working group will
deliver a progress report at a CGC seminar on November
28 in Winnipeg and will follow up with an operational
plan to be presented at the WSC’s spring 2006 meeting.
Producers will be invited to provide comments at the
seminar. The operational plan may include alternatives
should the technology prove not to be robust.
During the rest of the
meeting, the WSC
The
WSC meets twice a year to recommend specifications
for grades of grain, and select and recommend standard
samples to the CGC.
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.
