With the 2022-23 crop year approaching, the following changes will be coming into effect for the Canadian agriculture sector on August 1, 2022. 

You can find a full list of upcoming crop year changes on the Canadian Grain Commission website.

The changes below will be reflected in the Official Grain Grading Guide on August 1, 2022.

Mildew standards for Canadian western red wheats

Current mildew standard samples for No. 1 and No. 2 Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheats are being replaced. The mildew standards for Wheat, No. 3 CWRS and Wheat, No. 3 Canada Western Red Winter (CWRW) will no longer be used as grading factors for those grades.

The standard samples are being updated after the Canadian Grain Commission conducted extensive research over multiple years, which found that mildew had minimal impact on flour yield and refinement, dough properties, and baking quality. However, mildew remains a grading factor for other grades as it can provide additional quality protection to accompany sprout tolerances. Mildew can be a useful indicator of elevated alpha-amylase activity before sprouting becomes visible.

Splits tolerance for No. 2 Canada Green Peas

The splits tolerance in No. 2 Canada Green Peas will be changed from 1% to 3% effective August 1, 2022 across Canada. This change is in response to the Canadian agriculture sector advising the Canadian Grain Commission that the 3% splits tolerance better reflects how the sector is handling and exporting No. 2 Canada Green Peas.

Tolerance for inconspicuous admixture in canola

Effective August 1, 2022 across Canada, the tolerance for inconspicuous admixture in the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 grades of canola will be changed from 5% to 1.0%. This is in response to quality concerns that were discovered with canola samples that contained 5% admixture and will help to maintain Canada’s reputation for high-quality canola.

Allowable broken deduction on export shipments of canola

The allowable broken deduction on export shipments of canola is changing from 0.75% to 0.8% effective August 1, 2022.

Coloured beans will need to be registered to be eligible for the highest grades

Effective August 1, 2022, only Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) registered varieties of coloured beans will be eligible for the highest statutory grades for beans in Canada. Most coloured beans currently being grown in Canada have completed the variety registration process.

Coloured beans include but are not limited to:

black beans
cranberry beans
pinto beans
red kidney beans
red Mexican beans
yellow eye beans

Description for good natural colour in beans

The description for good natural colour in beans in the Official Grain Grading Guide is being changed to “Beans may be slightly dull, slightly immature or have very lightly adhered soil” effective August 1, 2022 in order to more properly differentiate good natural colour from the reasonably good colour description.

Excreta tolerance for domestic mustard seed

The tolerance for excreta in the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 grades of domestic mustard seed is being updated from 1 kernel-size piece per 500 grams to 0.01% effective August 1, 2022. This change is to bring it in line with excreta tolerances for other official grains while ensuring stringent quality control.

Declaration of eligibility

As of July 1, 2022, declarations of eligibility have been updated across Canada. Only grains subject to variety registration based on merit requirements will now require a declaration.