Ontario Grain Farmer - September 2021

32 Upon signing up, each year farmers will receive a Harvest Sample kit that contains envelopes for sending in crop samples. At no cost, they will receive the following results that can be used in grain marketing: • Unofficial grade (unofficial because samples aren’t collected by a Canadian Grain Commission inspector) • Dockage assessment on canola • Protein content on barley, beans, chickpeas, lentils, oats, peas and wheat • Oil, protein and chlorophyll content for canola • Oil and protein content and iodine value for flaxseed • Oil and protein for mustard seed and soybeans • Falling number for wheat and rye • Vomitoxin (deoxynivalenol or DON) levels for wheat, corn, and barley Samples should be mailed in as soon as you finish harvesting your crop. Samples are accepted until November 30. Results are delivered by email within 20 business days from sample acceptance or they can be accessed through an online CGC account. continued from page 31 PARTICIPATING IN THE HARVEST SAMPLE PROGRAM specification, but it’s important for producers to know their DON levels for their own farm management purposes,” Bunkowsky explains. “We hope that more growers in Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes will take part.” OTHER DEVELOPMENTS Ontario, along with the rest of Eastern Canada, has been exempt from Variety Declarations but that exemption will end in July 2022. The declaration signifies for each grain variety exported that it is a registered variety in Canada, and it is a standard practice around the world that protects quality assurance. It has been in use in Western Canada for some time, notes Bunkowsky, and under the Canada- United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), it now must be used here from coast to coast. CGC has created a working group to ensure the implementation of this requirement goes smoothly in Eastern Canada. Bunkowsky would also like to remind farmers that as of August 1, 2021, reductions to export inspection and weighing fees will take effect. The CGC fee structure is based on export volumes, and producers pay it indirectly through the company that exports their grain. Recently, export volumes have been higher than expected and due to the associated higher volumes of fees that have been collected, the CGC is now in a budget surplus. It has therefore moved quickly to reduce fees accordingly. “Starting in August and for the next three years, the fee will be reduced from $1.48 per tonne to $1.05 per tonne, which will result in a savings of $13.8 million for producers this crop year,” says Bunkowsky. Looking forward, Bunkowsky will support the continued development and potential adoption of new technologies to improve grain grading accuracy for the sector. He notes that in recent years, the development and use of digital image prints of standard samples has been a very effective tool for CGC and industry inspectors. In addition, Bunkowsky will continue the efficient response to any feedback received from customers about Canadian grain. “We take any concerns from Canada’s grain customers to heart,” he says, “and will use it to examine how we might change assessment of certain quality parameters so that the industry grows stronger.” l