​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Canadian canola farmers need an open and competitive marketing environment to prosper.  This includes transparent and accountable government institutions that meet farmers’ needs, balanced grain marketing contracts and access to timely pricing and marketing data.  CCGA seeks to ensure that all farmers have this right and the necessary tools to market their grain effectively.

CCGA’s policy development efforts in marketing currently focus on the following:

Know Your Grade

​www.KnowYourGrade.c​a
will be launched in Spring 2018,
expanding on the resources listed on this page.​​

​See the videos and booklets below to learn more about the canola grading process, including dockage and colours. Gaining a better understanding of the process for assessing dockage​ in canola and the factors impacting grade will help you follow along at the elevator and have confidence in the outcome.​

Know About Dockage — Videos

​Watch these two videos to learn about the dockage assessment process, your rights and responsibilities (which includes the right of the person delivering the grain to watch the dockage assessment at any licensed primary elevator), and the impact on your bottom line.​

• Canola Dockage Assessment Process for Farmers ​(5:29) details ​the ​process of assessing dockage in a canola sample.

• Canola Dockage Ba​sics for Farmers (5:49) explains what dockage is and how it affects the value of your delivery.​​​​
  

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Distinctly green and heated seeds are two of the most common downgrading factors for canola. To understand the tools and process used to assess distinctly green and heated seeds, read CCGA's Know Your Colours: Understand Distinctly Green and Heated Grading Factors

​Boost Your Grading Know-How

The grade and dockage you receive for your canola directly affects your bottom line. To help you get the most value for your crop​​, read CCGA’s Boost Your Grading Know-How to Benefit Your Bottom Line​.

Want to know more?

• ​Listen to Daryl Beswitherick, Program Manager of Quality Assurance Standards with the Canadian Grain Commission, discuss the official process​ to determine dockage and the third party "Subject to Grade and Dockage" assessment tool. ​
• The process for grading canola is set by the Canadian Grain Commission's Official Grain Grading Guide. ​​​​

​Practical Guide to Navigate Grain Contracts

​​Knowing what’s in (and what’s not in) your grain contract is critical for farmers. With the goal of assisting farmers in contract negotiation and interpretation, CCGA collects contracts from the major purchasers of grain for this summary of common clauses used in grain marketing contracts.

You can find the guide in full here​, last updated in January 2016.

Want to know more?

• ​As of August 2014, all grain marketing contracts with a stipulated time frame must contain a provision to compensate farmers for grain not accepted within the defined delivery terms
• Short situation – as part of an ongoing initiative to help farmers get the best value for their crop, CCGA investigated possible options for farmers who are short or unable to fill their contracts.  

The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) is the government agency responsible for establishing and maintaining grain quality standards and ensuring Canada’s international reputation for consistent and reliable grain quality is upheld. CGC is funded through user fees on export grain, of which are ultimately passed back to growers through the prices they receive. 

CCGA is working to ensure increased accountability, responsiveness to growers and cost-effectiveness of the Commission.

Want to know more?

• “Farmers Pay but have No Say” - Manitoba Cooperator (January 2016)
• “Modernizing the CGC​” - Canola Digest (November 2013)

Component pricing has become an active topic of conversation for farmers. To encourage a broader dialogue, CCGA prep​ared a fact ​sheet ​that discusses many issues related to component pricing, including the benefits and downsides, as well as examples from other jurisdictions.​