Harvest Sample program in Canada

The Harvest Sample program is important because it gives the Canadian Grain Commission a picture of the year’s harvest. The Harvest Sample program is part of the Harvest Survey program. During the Harvest Survey program tests are performed on the samples and we get data about that year’s crop quality. We share the results of this survey with marketers, buyers and processors around the world.

It takes samples from producers to make the Harvest Sample program work.

Here’s how it happens:

1. Eastern and Western Canadian producers sign up for the Harvest Sample program.
2. The Canadian Grain Commission sends out harvest sample kits with harvest sample ID numbers to enrolled producers.
3. Producers fill the postage-paid sample envelopes with grain from this year’s crop, fill out information about the sample on each envelope, and mail the envelopes to the Canadian Grain Commission.
4. The Canadian Grain Commission uses the samples to create information for the year’s Harvest Survey and crop quality for the current year. Producer samples are also used to create composite samples to make Canadian Grain Commission tests more accurate.
5. At the same time, the Canadian Grain Commission tests each sample for an unofficial grade and specific quality information. The results Western Canadian producers are posted to the Harvest Sample online service. Important: At this time, only Western Canadian producers can get their results online. A similar program for Eastern Canadian producers is under development.
6. Producers get the test results and unofficial grade for the samples they sent in.
   1. Western Canadian producers sign into the Harvest Sample online service. Producers who already have an account with the online service can sign in as returning participants. New participants have to register their Harvest ID number before they can sign in to receive their results.
   2. Eastern Canadian producers send an email to harvest-recolte@grainscanada.gc.ca or call 1-800-853-6705.
7. Next year, it all happens again: the Canadian Grain Commission automatically sends out new harvest sample kits every year to enrolled producers.