Canadian eastern wheat class modernization Doug Chorney

Canadian eastern wheat class modernization Proposal to develop a new eastern wheat class Canada Eastern Special Purpose As a follow-up to changes made to the wheat class system in 2016, the Canadian Grain Commission created a proposal to develop a Canada Eastern Special Purpose wheat class This proposal was in response to stakeholder requests for more flexibility in Canada’s eastern wheat classes A number of wheat varieties currently being brought forward for registration do not meet the quality criteria for the existing eastern wheat class However, there are market opportunities for these varieties, which exhibit special or unique characteristics

Eastern wheat classes As Canada’s grain quality assurance agency, we have the authority under the Canada Grain Act to designate varieties to a specific class When a variety of wheat is registered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Canadian Grain Commission designates the new variety to a specific class of wheat

Wheat in eastern Canada Quick summary of the wheat classes currently grown in eastern Canada Ontario Primarily Canada Eastern Soft Red Winter Canada Eastern Hard Red Winter Canada Eastern White Winter also grown Quebec Primarily Canada Eastern Red Spring The Atlantic provinces Canada Eastern Red Spring Canada Eastern Soft Red Winter

Proposal to develop a Canada Eastern Special Purpose class Objective Address requests for innovative alternatives Ensure wheat classes continue to meet wheat production, handling, marketing, processing and export needs Provide marketing framework for maximizing returns throughout the value chain The objective of the proposal was to: add a new wheat class to address requests from eastern stakeholders for innovative alternatives to meet evolving wheat markets ensure that eastern wheat classes continue to meet Canada’s wheat production, handling, marketing, processing and export needs provide the appropriate marketing framework for maximizing returns throughout the entire value chain into the future

Proposal to develop a Canada Eastern Special Purpose class The proposed class would: have no quality parameters require disease and agronomic data include varieties that do not fit within the parameters of other Canadian eastern wheat classes

Stakeholder feedback 8 submissions received Majority were not in favour We will not be moving forward at this time 8 submissions were received during the consultation period from March 20 to May 20 Majority of stakeholders were not in favour We will not be moving forward with the development of a Canada Eastern Special Purpose wheat class at this time A summary of stakeholder feedback can be found on our website.

Next steps Review and evaluation of existing wheat class structure Form a stakeholder working group What are our next steps? We will work in collaboration with eastern stakeholders to review and evaluate existing wheat class structure before implementing any changes We plan to have a stakeholder working group in place for September 2017 In order for the working group to be effective, representation is needed from Quebec, Ontario, and Atlantic Canada Information about how to participate is available on our website

Fusarium and DON We are exploring ways of quickly analyzing DON levels in grain Samples from the 2016 crop are being studied to review the relationship between Fusarium-damaged kernels and DON Wheat grading The examination of the grading system and grading factors is an ongoing project Variety registration CFIA is responsible for registering wheat varieties Prairie Grain Development Committee (PDGC) subcommittees are responsible for the testing, evaluation, and recommending of grain crop candidate cultivars for registration in Western Canada