International durum buyers visiting the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) recently said they are seeing less consistency in their purchases from Canada since the end of single-desk marketing.
“Sometimes we see peaks in proteins or test weight,” said Italian broker Miria Filomena Balletta in an interview. “Not just in the same cargo, but in the same hold.”
Balletta was one of 22 international guests from 13 different countries attending the international durum program at the Canadian International Grains Institute. The group toured Cigi’s facility, visited wheat plots in Saskatchewan and flew to Vancouver where they walked through a terminal elevator, and stopped by the Canadian Grain Commission and the Port of Vancouver.
Balletta said consistent quality is key to processors. Canada’s crop has historically been very homogeneous, but that changed slightly after the Canadian Wheat Board’s single desk was disbanded in 2012 and access to the export market was privatized.
For the full story and accompanying video, visit the Manitoba Co-operator website.
