The Canadian Grain Commission has announced changes to the grading specifications for barley and red lentils.
The CGC said the changes to barley, which were recommended by the Western Standards Committee, highlight barley’s potential for a diverse range of end uses. including food products.
Currently, barley is classed as malting, hulless or general purpose. After Aug. 1, it will be classed as food, malting or general purpose, which better describes potential end uses.
Rather than having a separate hulless class, each class will have hulless and covered varieties.
Read Also
CBOT weekly outlook: Soybeans/corn awaiting acreage data
Soybean and corn futures at the Chicago Board of Trade posted some large price swings during the week ended March 25, as market participants reacted to the shifting news out of the Middle East and adjusted positions ahead of upcoming acreage data from the United States Department of Agriculture.
The CGC said that in the current system, if a variety suited for malting were a hulless variety, it would be classed as hulless barley, not as malting barley, which could lead customers to overlook its potential as malting barley.
In the revised system, this variety will be more accurately classed as malting barley.
The CGC also announced changes to grading specifications for the percentage of copper and bleached seeds in red lentils.
Research has found that copper and bleached seeds in red lentils will lead to a decrease in dehulling efficiency, the CGC said.
In addition, copper and bleaching affects the colour of the cotyledons, making affected lentils less appealing for processors and end users, the CGC said.
