Fulfill a request for Final Quality Determination
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Producers delivering a regulated grain to a licensed primary elevator have the right to ask for a Final Quality Determination from the Canadian Grain Commission to confirm their grain’s grade, dockage, moisture or protein. This service was formerly known as “Subject to Inspector’s Grade and Dockage.” If you operate a licensed primary elevator, you are responsible for fulfilling their request. There is a fee for the inspection.
Producers have the right to request a Final Quality Determination for 7 calendar days from the date of their grain delivery.
When you accept a producer grain delivery into a licensed primary elevator, you must take a representative sample of the delivered grain that weighs at least 1 kg. You must store this sample for 7 days after a primary elevator receipt is issued. You may agree to have the producer store the sample themselves if they ask to.
If you and the producer cannot agree on who should retain the sample, you must store it.
Which grains are eligible
Producers delivering grain to a licensed primary elevator have the right to ask for a Final Quality Determination only if they are delivering grain regulated under the Canada Grain Act.
Before you send a grain sample
If a producer who delivered grain to your primary elevator asks for a Final Quality Determination to confirm their grain’s grade, dockage, moisture or protein, you must send a sample of their delivery to the Canadian Grain Commission for inspection. If the producer requests this service at the time of delivery, issue them an interim primary elevator receipt. If they request the service after you have issued a primary elevator receipt, you may ask them to keep the primary elevator receipt or you can exchange it for an interim primary elevator receipt.
Prepare a grain sample to be sent for inspection
- Place a 1 kg representative sample of the producer’s delivery in a container that you and the producer agree will maintain the quality and integrity of the sample
- Label the container: “Final Quality Determination”
Send a grain sample
As the elevator operator, you are responsible for sending the representative sample to the Canadian Grain Commission. A producer cannot submit a grain sample for a Final Quality Determination themselves.
Send a grain sample for inspection
- Complete the form to request the inspection
- Send the completed form and the representative sample to the nearest Canadian Grain Commission service centre
I-106 - Producer and industry request for inspection services - Western Canada: Including Subject to Inspectors’ Grade and Dockage (PDF – 275 kb)
Receiving the inspector’s determination
Once the service centre receives the sample, a Canadian Grain Commission inspector will inspect the sample and determine the grade, dockage, moisture or protein. The Canadian Grain Commission will send a Submitted Sample Certificate with the results to both you and the producer.
Once you have received the results, exchange the interim primary elevator receipt or primary elevator receipt for an updated primary elevator receipt or a cash purchase ticket that reflects the sample’s results. Payment for the producer’s delivery must be based on the results of the Final Quality Determination.
Follow up from the Canadian Grain Commission
The Canadian Grain Commission will contact the producer to acquire the quality and grading information from the interim or primary elevator receipt. This information will be compared with the Canadian Grain Commission’s Submitted Sample Certificate. If discrepancies are found, the Canadian Grain Commission will contact you to resolve any issues.
Appealing the inspector’s determination
If you or the producer disagree with the results provided by the Canadian Grain Commission inspector, you may appeal the results. You must contact the Canadian Grain Commission service centre within 15 days from the date on the Submitted Sample Certificate and ask that the sample be sent to the Chief Grain Inspector for Canada.
The Chief Grain Inspector for Canada will inspect the sample and provide a final decision. Each person named in the request will receive a record of the decision. If the Chief Grain Inspector changes the grading results for the sample, both you and the producer will receive a revised Submitted Sample Certificate.
Payment
You will receive an invoice for the cost of this service at the end of the month during which the inspection was performed.