Cereals Canada has launched a new program aimed at protecting the quality and safety of the country’s cereal grain exports.
Keep It Clean – Cereals is an informational campaign that reminds grain growers to use practices to help ensure the quality and safety of Canadian grain shipped abroad.
There are several key elements of the campaign:
• Ensuring farmers use the proper crop production products and know the implications of improper use.
• Reminding farmers to follow proper label instructions when using herbicides, desiccants, insecticides and other products.
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• Encouraging farmers to use approved practices to avoid mycotoxins on harvested grain.
The initiative also includes messages on proper grain storage and the importance of making accurate varietal declarations when delivering grain into the commercial handling system.
“There is a growing focus, both within Canada as well as in key export markets, on grain safety,” said Cam Dahl, president of Cereals Canada.
Canada exports more than 20,000,000 tonnes of cereal grains annually, including wheat, barley and oats, according to Cereals Canada.
Global customers expect high quality products that are free of harmful or unwanted items such as excrement or other foreign materials, undeclared grain varieties, pesticide residues and mycotoxins, such as ochratoxin and deoxynivalenol.
According to Dahl, Canada’s reputation as a reliable supplier of quality grains hinges on the ability to deliver what is promised.
“Importers are increasingly on the lookout for unwanted material in their shipments, and they often test arriving vessels to ensure that contract specifications are being met,” said Cereals Canada.
Importing countries can turn away shipments of Canadian grain if they contain prohibited materials.
Cargo rejections at destination can result in losses worth millions of dollars to the Canadian grain industry.
Harvest is a critically important time for Canadian grain growers to protect the Canadian brand.
“Now is the time when producers are making decisions on pre-harvest applications and storage,” Dahl said in an Aug. 12 news release announcing the program.
Producers can visit www.cerealscanada.ca/keep-it-clean/ for more information on the initiative.
Contact brian.cross@producer.com
