Two acronyms of the grain trade – KVD and HVK – may be on their way out, much to the relief of growers who argue they do not benefit the Canadian grading system.
When the Western Standards Committee meets later this year it may decide to remove hard vitreous kernels, or HVK, and kernel visual distinguishability, or KVD, from the range of assessments used to grade grain.
“We know we need to find better ways to segregate grains besides using KVD,” Chris Hamblin, chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission, told the joint convention of the Western Barley Growers Association and Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association in Calgary.
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During the resolutions session, the two groups voted to support removing those factors.
The goal is to protect Canada Western Amber durum and Canada Western Red Spring wheat, Hamblin said, but KVD will be eliminated on some of the minor wheat classes. Other varieties with desirable qualities such as disease resistance have failed to gain registration because they were indistinguishable from the two standard grains.
“Anything can be registered in any of those classes providing it has the quality parameters. If it doesn’t meet the quality parameters of those milling classes, then we have the general purpose class,” Hamblin said.
The new multi purpose class is being designed to meet ethanol and feed needs as well as some food use. It could allow a variety that does not meet the specifications of the milling class but may have specific qualities for an individual miller.
Canada’s premium grain is aimed mostly at milling customers, and sellers need ways to segregate grain for that purpose. KVD is one way to maintain Canada’s reputation in premium markets for special grains, but Hamblin said the commission also realizes growers need more choices.
The alternative to KVD is cost effective, reliable technology, but she said the commission must be confident it will work before KVD is eliminated.
