List of Frequently Asked Questions

Buying Canadian Grains

Where can I buy Canadian grains, oilseeds, peas, beans and lentils?

Canada Grain Act and the Canadian Grain Commission

Where can I get a copy of the report by COMPAS Inc. entitled “Review of the Canada Grain Act and the Canadian Grain Commission”, tabled in Parliament on September 18, 2006?

The report which was commissioned by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is available on AAFC’s web site at www.agr.gc.ca/cgcreview

Delivery contracts

Delivery contracts that are not honoured by licensees

Employment

What employment opportunities are available at the Canadian Grain Commission?

Genetically Modified Grains

What is the Canadian Grain Commission's position regarding genetically modified grain?

Grading Factors

Frost damage and heat stress in wheat - Questions and answers

• What classes of wheat are graded for frost damage and heat stress?
• What do frost-damaged and heat-stressed kernels look like?
• What causes frost damage and heat stress
• What effect does this factor have on quality?
• What are the tolerances for grading frost-damaged and heat-stressed wheat?

Sprouted and severely sprouted kernels - Questions and Answers

• What classes of Canadian wheat are graded for sprout damage?
• What are the tolerances for sprouted and severely sprouted kernels?
• What do sprouted kernels look like?
• What do severely sprouted kernels look like?
• What causes sprout damage?
• What is falling number?
• Why is alpha-amylase important?
• How does alpha-amylase affect bread-making quality?
• How does alpha-amylase affect pasta-making quality?

Grain Elevators

How many primary elevators are there in western Canada?

Where can I compare this year's deliveries by farmers to grain elevators to last year's deliveries?

Grain Grades

Why do grain grades change throughout the year?

Grain Handling

Shrinkage - questions and answers

Grain Terminology

Where can you find information on grain terminology? CGC Glossary

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

Certification to meet International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards

Industry Services and certification to ISO 9000 standards

Moisture

When is my grain considered dry?

Oats

How much do your oats really weigh?

Organizations

Who serves Canada's grain producers?

Payment Protection for Producers

Payment Protection for Producers - Questions and answers

• If the licensee I deal with does not pay me, am I guaranteed to be paid in full?
• How can I reduce my risk of not getting paid?
• How do I know if a grain handler or buyer is licensed?

Producer Cars

Producer car loading facilities - Questions and answers

• How are producer car loading facilities exempted from licensing provisions under the Canada Grain Act?
• If I apply to the CGC for a producer car, am I covered by CGC security if I take my grain to a producer car loading facility?

Protein

Protein content - questions and answers

• Does the Canadian Grain Commission check the calibration of company protein testers at primary elevators?
• What is the margin of error allowed on protein reinspection?
• Does this apply to samples submitted directly to the CGC by producers or grain companies?
• Why have any error margins at all?

Standard Samples

What are standard samples and are they different every year?

Subject to Inspector’s Grade and Dockage?

What is Subject to inspector’s grade and dockage?

Test Weight

What is test weight?

Variety Designation Lists

Variety Designation Lists - questions and answers

• What are the CGC’s variety designation lists?
• What is the purpose of the CGC’s variety designation lists?
• Why are varieties added to and removed from the variety designation lists?
• Why do the lists for some wheat classes, such as Canada Prairie Spring White (CPSW), just include a few varieties?
• Can I deliver any wheat variety?
• What do the AC, CDC and RC prefixes on some varieties mean?
• What role do the CGC’s Western and Eastern Grains Standards committees perform relating to the variety designation lists?

Western Canadian wheat

What are the classes of western Canadian wheat?

Where can I get a photo of them?