Quality of western Canadian canola, 2009

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Quality of 2009 canola

The numbers of samples in each grade or province may not be representative of the total production or grade distribution. However, there were sufficient samples to provide good quality information for each province. Provincial means were calculated from results for each crop district, weighted by a combination of five-year average production by crop district, and an estimate of grade distribution from crop reports. To calculate western Canadian averages for each grade, provincial averages are weighted by the Statistics Canada production estimate and the estimate of grade distribution.

All oil and protein content values discussed below are presented using the Canadian Grain Commission’s historical 8.5% moisture basis in order to permit annual and regional comparisons. The dry weather associated with the harvest of the 2006 crop means that the moisture content of 2006–07 exports is likely to be lower than the moisture content of 2005–06 exports. The moisture content of canola exports from Vancouver was 7.2% in October 2006, 1.5% lower than the 2005–06 mean of 8.7%. The moisture content of the Thunder Bay canola exports in October 2006 was 6.7%, significantly lower than the 2005–06 mean value of 8.0%. Moisture contents of the harvest survey samples are not discussed in this report, as there may have been significant changes during mailing and storing of the survey samples.

Recent exports of commercially cleaned canola from Thunder Bay and Vancouver contained 1.5% and 1.7% dockage respectively, which will affect quality factors such as oil content, chlorophyll and FFA. Canola exports containing over 2.5% dockage are considered not commercially clean (NCC) and will have even greater reductions in measured quality components.

Comparison of 2009 harvest survey quality data with recent export shipments - Canola, No. 1 Canada

Quality parameter	2009 survey	October 2009 exports		2008–09 exports
		Thunder Bay	Vancouver	Thunder Bay	Vancouver
1 8.5% moisture basis
2 N x 6.25, 8.5% moisture basis
3 Total saturated fatty acids are the sum of palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0), arachidic (C20:0), behenic (C22:0), and lignoceric (C24:0).
Oil content1, %	44.5	42.9	43.8	42.8	43.8
Protein content2, %	19.9	19.9	19.9	21.4	20.7
Oil-free protein content2, %	38.7	37.5	38.2	40.1	39.7
Chlorophyll content, mg/kg in seed	15.4	10.5	14.9	12	14.9
Total glucosinolate, µmoles/gram	9.6	12.3	13.3	12.2	12
Free fatty acids, %	0.13	0.28	0.3	0.2	0.3
Erucic acid, % in oil	0.01	0	0.02	0.03	0.03
Oleic acid, % in oil	62.2	62.4	62.5	63.1	63
Total saturated fatty acids3, % in oil	6.9	6.9	7	7	7
Iodine value	113.7	113.2	113.2	111.7	112.2
Loading moisture, %	n/a	7.8	7.5	7.7	7.7
Number of export samples	n/a	2	21	4	178

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