GRAIN QUALITY HIGH

In his column CWB still haunts Tories (SP, Dec. 6) Bruce Johnstone claims that foreign buyers are raising concerns about Canada’s deteriorating grain quality as a result of government cutbacks to the Canadian Grain Commission. These claims are incorrect.

We at the grain commission would like to clarify that Canada’s grain quality assurance system is among the best in the world. Recent changes to the marketing of Canadian wheat and amendments to the Canada Grain Act have not affected the quality and consistency of Canadian wheat.

Since 2011-12, we have seen a decrease in cargo complaints to the grain commission from foreign buyers. Quality issues are not about who is marketing Canadian wheat but rather the predominant grading factors in each year’s crop.

As well, we would like to clarify that changes to Canadian Grain Commission inspection services when grain is unloaded at terminal locations have not led to less rigorous inspections. The rigour of our processes, related to the inspection and certification of the quality and quantity of grain as it is loaded onto vessels for export, has not changed.

What matters is that buyers come back each year to buy Canadian grain because they know what they will get, and because Canada’s grain grading system produces consistent and reliable results. Elwin Hermanson Chief Commissioner, CGC Winnipeg