Strategic outcome and program activities

Strategic outcome

All parts of the Canadian Grain Commission work toward one common goal or strategic outcome: to ensure that Canada's grain is safe, reliable, and marketable and that Canadian grain producers are protected. This single outcome drives all work done by the Canadian Grain Commission, in every program activity.

Program activities

There are 4 program activities, each representing a different domain of tasks and services offered to the Canadian public and the international community:

1. Quality assurance

• This program activity is concerned with consistent, accurate, and reliable grain quality and grain safety assurance through standardized procedures and monitoring.
• The Canadian Grain Commission inspects grain as it is received by terminal elevators and as it is loaded for export at terminal, transfer and primary elevators. Inspection and certification services include testing, detecting and measuring toxins, and testing end-use quality.
• The Canadian Grain Commission continually reviews and adapts all aspects of Canada’s grain quality assurance system to the requirements of grain buyers and Canada’s grain sector.
• The Canadian Grain Commission addresses buyer complaints about grain shipment quality.

2. Quantity assurance

• This program activity provides buyers with consistent and reliable grain quantity through a continually-verified system.
• The Canadian Grain Commission oversees the weighing of grain as it is received by licensed terminal elevators and as it is loaded for export.
• The Canadian Grain Commission certifies grain amounts for export.

3. Grain quality research

• This program activity supports grain quality and grain safety assurance through testing, monitoring, research, and development.
• The Canadian Grain Commission conducts research to understand grain quality and grain safety factors.
• The Canadian Grain Commission researches and develops methods and tests for measuring and evaluating grain quality and grain safety.
• The Canadian Grain Commission conducts research on grain standards and specifications.

4. Producer protection

• This program activity supports fair and equitable producer treatment in the licensed grain handling system.
• The Canadian Grain Commission licenses grain elevators and grain dealers.
• The Canadian Grain Commission allocates producer cars for producers and producer groups that wish to ship their own grain.
• The Canadian Grain Commission offers a system to settle disputes between producers and elevators over assigned grades.
• The Canadian Grain Commission protects producers with a security program that compensates producers in the case of non-payment for delivery of the 21 grains designated in the Canada Grain Act.