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Facts for Farmers



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Facts for Farmers, 1 of a series

The CGC and grain sanitation

Facts on grain sanitation

There are several kinds of insect pests that can get into your grain - on your farm, at the primary elevator, and at the ports.

Wherever they're found, infestations contaminate and damage grain and reduce grain quality.

Black hand drawn silhouette of a grain beetle.


Because of the cold climate on the Prairies, insect infestations in stored grain are not as serious a problem as in other countries. They do, however, cost you money. According to research done by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in 1995, annual direct and indirect losses - i.e., discarded material, damaged packages, downgraded grain, and time loss at elevators - from insects, mites and moulds are estimated at 90 million dollars. The further along in the grain handling system insects are found, the more expensive it is to control them. The resulting higher costs are reflected back on you. 

Grain sanitation is a matter of both treatment and prevention.

It's up to everyone - the CGC, farmers, elevator operators, railway companies, and owners of lakers and ships to control insects and mites in the handling system.

Grain sanitation involves preventing, monitoring for, and treating insect and mite infestations in the handling system. Regulations and procedures covering grain sanitation are part of the Canada Grain Act. The Act prohibits all licensed grain elevators from receiving infested grain. It also states that elevator operators are responsible for notifying the CGC of an infestation, treating infested grain, and cleaning equipment and bins. The CGC is responsible for monitoring and inspecting for infestations at terminal and transfer elevators and ordering companies to treat infested grain.

When grain arrives at the terminal or transfer elevator and when it leaves, the CGC inspects it for infestations.

We give all inward carlots a visual inspection for insect infestations, and, as a further measure, sample between 15 and 20 percent of them for analysis at one of our entomology labs. If there is an infestation, we instruct the company to treat it. We also trace the carlot and shipment back to the primary elevator to prevent more infested grain from being shipped.

By law, a licensed primary elevator operator cannot take infested grain. You can help keep infested grain from getting into the handling system by preventing, detecting and treating infestations in grain stored on your farm. The CGC has experts who can identify grain pests and advise you how to treat and prevent them.

Summing up

When a shipment is ready for export, its freedom from insect infestation is one of the reasons why your grain has a reputation second to none for quality. We enforce regulations, work closely with the industry, and provide services that ensure that infestations are treated quickly and efficiently.


Want to know more?

Call: 1-800-853-6705
Fax: 1-204-983-2751
Email: contact@grainscanada.gc.ca


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Last updated: 2002-04-15

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