The Canadian Grain Commission is urging farmers to start thinking now about the new rules they will face when delivering wheat next crop year.
Beginning Aug. 1, farmers will have to fill out and sign an annual declaration for every elevator and grain company to which they deliver wheat, confirming that the wheat they will deliver is eligible for a specific class.
Producers will also be required to verbally declare at time of delivery the class of wheat they are delivering.
The declarations will be legally binding and misrepresentation could result in financial penalties.
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The new rules are the result of the federal government’s decision to eliminate kernel visual distinguishability.
The commission issued a statement last week advising producers to know exactly what they are growing and delivering and to ensure they use good quality management after harvest.
“We want to take every opportunity we can to engage producers and make sure they’re fully informed about what’s coming,” said Randy Dennis, the commission’s chief grain inspector.
The commission said farmers should purchase certified seed or have old or common seed tested at a private lab to ensure it’s properly identified.
They should also adopt good management practices, such as making sure bins are empty and clean before storing wheat, putting only one class of wheat in a bin and maintaining careful records to keep track of what’s in each bin.
Dennis said an industry committee overseeing the transition away from KVD is close to agreeing on a final version of the declaration form.
“We hope to have that available fairly soon so we can get it out and people can become familiar with what it looks like.”
Dennis said the form will be similar to what farmers now sign regarding eligible varieties.
The two-page document will by necessity include a lot of legalese, but Dennis said it will be as straightforward and understandable as possible.
It will state that in the event of misrepresentation, companies or individuals who feel they have been harmed can pursue legal remedies. However, it won’t outline specific penalties, in part because there has been no decision on possible penalties.
Producers won’t be the only ones making declarations. Grain companies will have to do so for every car of grain shipped to a terminal elevator and for shipments unloaded into vessels.
Rules are already in place requiring companies to provide the commission with information on type and grade of grain, and it may be possible to amend those forms to include class.
Dennis said the system may result in increased costs to companies and producers, but added no estimate has been calculated.
