Growers are seeing red over what they perceive to be a change in how lentils are graded.
It was a hot topic last week on an Agri-ville.com on-line chat room where a poster called JDGreen accused the Canadian Grain Commission of tightening its red lentil grading specifications.
“Cars that were shipped as a No. 2 were regraded X3 and 3 (at the) Port (of ) Vancouver,” the person wrote.
“Everyone’s eyes but the CGC’s are failing this year, apparently.”
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JDGreen claimed that damage to this year’s lentil crop is no different than it has been in previous years when they graded No. 2 or better, yet the crop is facing a stiff eight to 10 cents per pound discount.
“Our foreign customers are licking their chops whilst they have us all at the mercy of the CGC. This is a screw job.”
Garth Burns, chair of the pulse subcommittee of the commission’s Western Grain Standards Committee, said he has been inundated with calls from angry growers and processors telling him there has been a tightening in specifications that is costing the industry millions of dollars.
“What last year was graded a No. 2 this year for some reason seems to be a No. 3,” he said.
Norm Woodbeck, the commission’s program manager for quality assurance standards and re-inspection, denied the claims.
“Nothing has changed. The standards are still the way they’ve been for the past number of years.”
What has changed is that the 2010 crop is in far worse shape than in previous years.
The commission received consistent feedback when it consulted the pulse industry about what it should be doing about the issue.
“Most of the players in the industry have said just because it’s a bad year, don’t change your quality standard line,” Woodbeck said.
The commission has responded to the pulse subcommittee by holding a second round of industry consultations in advance of the Western Grain Standards Committee’s Nov. 9 meeting, where changes to lentil grading could be made if that is the industry consensus.
Murad Al-Katib, president of Alliance Grain Traders, the world’s largest lentil and pea splitting company, doesn’t want the industry to confuse buyers by changing its grading system during an off year for quality.
“As a company, we don’t advocate relaxing standards and we don’t advocate tightening standards,” he said.
However, he shares grower concerns about inconsistent grading.
“As a major processor of lentils and someone who has worked very hard to build the quality and brand image of Canada, our message is very clear to the grain commission, which is we want a consistent and reliable grading standard year to year,” Al-Katib said.
It is too early in a challenging year to give the commission a passing or failing grade on the matter, he added.
Woodbeck said the commission strives for grading uniformity from its inspectors, private inspectors and industry graders, but that is easier said than done.
“Getting a consistent evaluation on a sample is very, very difficult, especially with red lentils.”
There are so many subtle differences in seed appearance that it is hard for everybody to be on the same page.
Burns said it might be time to consider changes in how standards are enforced.
“Maybe 2010 is the year that we should go from a human visual grade to something better,” he said.
Woodbeck said the commission would welcome automation of the grading process but knows of no equipment that is up to the task. The commission unsuccessfully tried an electronic scanner a few years ago.
The commission has created a series of digital photos that inspectors can use to help determine red lentil grades. If approved by the pulse subcommittee, they will be distributed to the industry free of charge.
