The new crop year begins August 1, 2024, and each year the Canadian Grain Commission provides an update on grain grading changes and variety designations taking effect for the upcoming crop marketing cycle.
The CGC, led by new chief commissioner David Hunt, has announced several smaller changes for 2024-25, based on consultations with its Western Standards Committee and Eastern Standards Committee:
New variety designation lists for food barley
Food barley varieties are unique and different from malting or feed barley varieties due to the distinct quality features desired for food, such as high beta-glucans.
To ensure Canadian producers and the agriculture sector can realize the benefits of developing and growing these varieties, the CGC is creating variety designation lists for Barley, Canada Eastern Food, which will take effect on July 1, 2024, and Barley, Canada Western Food, which will take effect on August 1, 2024.
Updates to the assessment of seed coat discolouration in soybeans
As part of the CGC’s grain grading modernization project, the Official Grain Grading Guide will be updated to clarify the assessment of seed coat discolouration in soybeans, effective on August 1, 2024.
The changes include updates to definitions and grade determination tables for factors related to soybean staining. The commission will also be adding new photographs to the web version of the guide to assist in the evaluation of seed coat discolouration.
Table reformatting in the Official Grain Grading Guide
The CGC’s grade determination tables are being changed to be more clear, user friendly and accessible. Effective August 1, 2024, grain grades will be moved to column (vertical) format and grain grading factors will be listed in row (horizontal) format. This change will be to the formatting only and won’t change any grading factors or tolerances.
The commission says the new and previous versions of the tables will both be available in the online version of the Official Grain Grading Guide for a minimum of 6 months to help with the transition.
