Direct answer: Canadian grain grading describes the quality of a representative sample against the standards for that grain and class. Dockage is assessed separately through prescribed cleaning procedures. Both can affect the settlement, but neither establishes the buyer’s price. A disputed delivery assessment at a licensed primary elevator can go through the Canadian Grain Commission’s Final Quality Determination process, formerly called Subject to Inspector’s Grade and Dockage.
Last reviewed Nov 10, 2026
The grade starts with the grain and class
The Official Grain Grading Guide is the CGC inspectors’ reference for grains, oilseeds and pulses. It sets out procedures, factor definitions and grade tables. The web version is updated as changes occur; a printed table does not automatically remain current.
The relevant table depends on the commodity and, where applicable, its class. A wheat class is not a grade. Canada Western Red Spring and Canada Western Amber Durum identify different wheat classes; the assigned grade describes quality within the applicable system.
The Canada Grain Act distinguishes official inspection from other sample assessments. The fact that an elevator uses CGC standards does not mean every delivery assessment was performed by a CGC inspector. Who took the sample, how it was taken and which service produced the result all matter.
Grade determinants are not interchangeable
The wheat chapter describes factors including test weight, frost, sprouting, heated kernels, fusarium damage, foreign material and hard vitreous kernels. Different factors have different definitions, tolerances and assessment procedures; some depend on the wheat class.
A grain sample is not graded by averaging all its strengths and weaknesses into a score. The assigned result must satisfy the specifications of the applicable grade. Good colour does not erase a factor that exceeds a tolerance, and a protein result does not describe every other quality characteristic.
Protein also requires care in the wording. The current wheat guide includes minimum protein levels for certain grades and classes. Commercial buyers may quote additional protein specifications or premiums. The statutory grade and the full contract specification are connected, but they are not identical descriptions of a sale.
Dockage versus foreign material
The Act defines dockage as material that must and can be separated before the grade can be assigned. The CGC’s wheat dockage procedure assesses dockage against the gross sample weight using prescribed cleaning steps. Cleaning for grade improvement can add material to the dockage assessment.
Foreign material is not simply another name for dockage. In the wheat grading chapter, it is material other than whole or broken wheat kernels remaining after dockage is removed. It can still affect the grade of the cleaned sample.
The distinction prevents a common misunderstanding: a dockage result does not mean everything left is sound grain of the intended class. The remaining sample still has to be assessed. Procedures differ among commodities, so a wheat sieve rule cannot be carried across to canola, barley or oats without checking that grain’s chapter.
How the assessment reaches the cheque
Dockage affects the grain quantity used in settlement, while the grade and quality specifications affect the applicable price under the purchase terms. Other charges or adjustments may appear separately. A lower total cheque can therefore reflect a quantity adjustment, a price differential, a service charge or a combination.
Saskatchewan Agriculture’s contract explanation distinguishes quality discrepancies and grade differentials from other contract costs. The CGC establishes standards and offers inspection services; it does not publish a universal commercial premium or discount for every buyer and delivery month.
This is the quality-assessment companion to the CWRS price guide, which already covers grade and protein in the bid. The durum guide and oats guide cover those crops’ price context rather than replacing the official grading tables.
What a Final Quality Determination involves
The CGC’s current procedure applies to a regulated grain delivered to a licensed primary elevator. The producer can request a reassessment of the official grade or an individual factor, including moisture, protein or dockage, within seven calendar days from delivery. Being present at delivery is not a condition.
The request is made to the primary elevator operator: the producer states that the representative delivery sample is to be sent to the CGC for a Final Quality Determination. The operator completes the request and sends the sample to a CGC service centre. This is not the same as mailing an unrelated bin sample for an informal opinion.
The elevator must take a representative sample weighing at least one kilogram and store it for seven days after the primary elevator receipt is issued, unless an agreed producer-storage arrangement applies. Those sampling and storage requirements are part of what connects the determination to the actual delivery.
The CGC sends the Submitted Sample Certificate to the producer and elevator. The receipt, cash purchase ticket or cheque is then updated to reflect the determination. The service invoice goes to the primary elevator operator. CGC also describes an appeal to the Chief Grain Inspector within 15 days of the certificate date.
The Harvest Sample Program has a different purpose
The Harvest Sample Program provides voluntary, no-charge unofficial grade and quality results. Depending on the crop, results can include protein, oil or other quality measurements. The program also supports harvest-quality reporting and research on grading standards.
Its results are unofficial because the samples are not collected by a CGC inspector. They do not replace the delivery sample or the Final Quality Determination procedure. The program’s current page says samples received by December 31 are analyzed under the program. No commercial grade premium is guaranteed by participation.
Frequently asked questions
Is dockage the same as foreign material?
No. Dockage is separable material assessed through the prescribed cleaning process. Foreign material can remain in the cleaned sample and affect its grade.
Does a CGC grade set the price?
No. The grade describes quality. The price and commercial quality adjustments depend on the purchase terms.
What is Subject to Inspector’s Grade and Dockage called now?
The CGC calls it Final Quality Determination. Eligible deliveries are regulated grain delivered to a licensed primary elevator.
How long is there to request a Final Quality Determination?
The CGC allows seven calendar days from delivery. The producer makes the request to the primary elevator operator, who sends the representative sample.
Is the Harvest Sample Program grade binding on a delivery?
No. Harvest Sample Program results are unofficial and do not replace the delivery dispute process.
