Photo: File/Laura Rance

Grain grading changes for Western Canada

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Grain Commission has announced several grain grading changes for the 2017 to 2018 crop year in Western Canada that will take effect August 1, 2017: It has added an ergot tolerance of 0.05 per cent in all grades of fababeans and chickpeas; Changed the tolerance for grasshopper and army worm damage from eight […] Read more

(File photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Canada’s canola stocks drop beneath ‘low’ line

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — Canola supplies in commercial hands in Western Canada dropped below one million tonnes during the week ended Sunday, hitting only 854,600 tonnes, according to the latest Canadian Grain Commission report. Visible canola stocks are typically considered low whenever they move below one million tonnes. Current supplies on hand are the smallest since […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Visible Canadian canola stocks tighten

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada –– Canola supplies in commercial hands in Western Canada are tightening, with the latest Canadian Grain Commission weekly report showing only 1.05 million tonnes in the pipeline as of Sunday. Visible canola stocks are typically considered low whenever they move below one million tonnes. The current supplies on hand are the smallest since […] Read more



For Superior Pulses’ director Faisal Usmani and president Noor Faridi, shortlines let them work right where the crops they sell around the world are produced.

Shortline prospecting

Shortline railway companies are creating new opportunities for farm commodities, and for farmers too

Reading Time: 7 minutes Operating a shortline railway in Western Canada isn’t an easy proposition. Over the past 20 years, many companies have come, and ultimately gone, after trying to revive lines that CN and CP had abandoned in their waves of rationalization. But now, a move from single-farm producer car loading to higher-volume sites might become the key […] Read more

The Canadian Grain Commission building on Main Street in Winnipeg. (File photo)

Grain Commission seeks farmer input on surplus funds

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Canadian Grain Commission is looking for grain growers’ input on how best to draw down a surplus built mainly from the user fees paid into its revolving fund — and on a new formula for future user fees. A combination of “higher than expected grain volumes and lower than expected spending” in the past […] Read more


Few producers use the Canadian Grain Commission’s procedures for appealing a grade at the elevator, but 8,000 to 10,000 a year use the free Harvest Sample Program to determine their grade before shopping their grain to different buyers.

If you want to dispute a grain grade

If you don’t like the grade at the elevator, you can appeal to the Grain Commission, but most farmers choose to shop around for the best deal

Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s their legal right under the Canada Grain Act — if farmers don’t like the grade their elevator manager offers, they can appeal to the Canadian Grain Commission for an official ruling. But not many do. “In 35 years of buying grain, I’ve only had it once or twice with guys that I’ve dealt with,” […] Read more



The Canadian Grain Commission building on Main Street in Winnipeg. (File photo)

More commissioners named for Grain Commission

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Canadian Grain Commission’s deck of commissioners has been refilled with two farmers with long resumes in Prairie farm policy. The federal government on Friday announced governor-in-council appointments to the CGC for Doug Chorney, as assistant chief commissioner, and Lonny McKague as commissioner. Their appointments, both effective Feb. 13, follow the announcement earlier this month […] Read more

(Country Guide file photo)

Wheat, durum exports running behind average

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — Canadian wheat and durum exports are running well behind the year-ago pace, despite the country’s larger production. Canadian wheat exports during the crop-year-to-date of 6.56 million tonnes compare with 8.12 million at the same point a year ago and the five-year average for week 25 of the crop year of 7.28 million, […] Read more