Western Standards Committee recommendations from April 8, 2004

On the recommendation of the Western and Eastern Standards Committees, the Canadian Grain Commission plans several grain quality assurance system changes.

Variety Designation Lists

The Canadian Grain Commission has designated the varieties that are eligible for the following classes:

• Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS)
• Canada Western Amber Durum (CWAD)
• Canada Western Red Winter (CWRW)
• Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR)
• Canada Prairie Spring White (CPSW)
• Canada Western Extra Strong (CWES)
• Canada Western Soft White Spring (CWSWS)
• Canada Western Hard White (CWHW)
• Canada Western Flaxseed
• Canada Western Solin
• Canada Feed Wheat
• Canada Eastern Red Spring (CERS)
• Canada Eastern Hard Red Winter (CEHRW)
• Canada Eastern Soft Red Winter (CESRW)
• Canada Eastern Amber Durum (CEAD)
• Canada Eastern White Winter (CEWW)
• Canada Eastern Soft White Spring (CESWS)
• Canada Eastern Flaxseed

A variety designation list will be prepared for barley.

The purpose of these variety designation lists is to help producers and grain handlers ensure that grain shipments do not contain unapproved varieties that could undermine the quality of a shipment. Varieties not on these lists may be delivered to a grain elevator, but they will be graded according to the lowest grade available for that grain type. For example, unapproved varieties of wheat would be graded "Canada Feed Wheat."

No. 4 Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat

For the last few years, this CWRS grade was created by annual Order of the Canadian Grain Commission. Because there is an ongoing need for this grade, it will be created by regulation, effective August 1, 2004. The grade specifications remain unchanged.

Canada Western Hard White wheat (CWHW)

Grades for CWHW will be created by an Order of the Canadian Grain Commission. The term "experimental" will be removed from the grade name and the grade specifications will remain the same as 2003, with the exception of "total foreign material," which will be changed to match that of CWRS wheat.

Canola and Rapeseed

Following research by the Canadian Grain Commission's Grain Research Laboratory, tolerances for damage, other than distinctly green and heated kernels, will be relaxed somewhat. GRL research indicated that the previous tolerances could be eased without affecting end-use quality.

Heated Seeds Tolerance in Barley

The primary tolerance for heated seeds in No. 1 Canada Western and No. 1 Canada Eastern Barley was reduced to 0.5 percent. In No. 2 CW and CE Barley, this tolerance was reduced to 2.5 percent.

Canada Eastern Barley and Oats

The method for determining the amount of stones in samples will change from counting the number of kernel-sized stones to calculating the percentage of stones by weight. This mirrors the practice followed in grading Canada Western Barley and Oats.

Canada Eastern White Winter Wheat

A mildew guide for No. 2 Canada Eastern White Winter wheat was approved for use effective July 1, 2004.