Changes to Canada Grain Act coming

Jun 25, 2020

The amendments take effect on July 1 as part of CUSMA

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

The Canadian Grain Commission will implement three amendments to the Canada Grain Act on July 1 as part of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) the three countries signed in November 2018.

The first change to take effect is grain grown in the United States can receive an official Canadian grade if it’s a variety that’s registered in Canada.

Prior to CUSMA, any U.S. grain produced with a Canadian variety was automatically graded as feed.

The second amendment will remove the requirement of a country of origin statement on inspection certificates for U.S. grain.

Statements of origin for phytosanitary or customs requirements are unaffected.

The United States had considered the lack of an official grade and the country of origin requirements as trade irritants.

If Canada is a country that prides itself on fair and open trade, it should act accordingly, said Erin Gowriluk, executive director of Grain Growers of Canada.

“Our members are export dependent and we see about 80 per cent of our crops go to other countries,” she told Farms.com. “We are all about open, free and fair trade, so we need to walk the talk. We know the U.S., as our most important trading partner, wanted these issues addressed and we thought they should be addressed to honour that relationship.”

The third change coming to the Canada Grain Act has to do with declarations of eligibility.

Starting on July 1, it will be mandatory for people, including licensed grain companies, who sell grain to a Canadian Grain Commission licensee to complete a declaration of eligibility.

This system is already used in much of Western Canada. The CUSMA-related amendments will see that system be made mandatory across the entire country.

American producers who deliver grain to Canada will be required to fill out the same declarations as Canadian farmers.

By signing the declaration, the signee is confirming that the grain is a variety eligible for a wheat class or another regulated grain grade.

If the declaration form isn’t signed, a grain company may refuse the delivery. Selling grain without a signed declaration is also an offence under the Canada Grain Act and the signee could be subject to penalties.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.