GIPSA Proposes to Revise Wheat Standards for Hard White Wheat, SHBN
The Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is requesting comments by June 11, 2012, on its proposed rule that would revise the U.S. Standards for Wheat under the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA) to (i) change the definition of Contrasting classes (CCL) in Hard White wheat and (ii) change the grade limits for shrunken and broken kernels (SHBN).
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Export Compliance Daily combines U.S. export control news, foreign border import regulation and policy developments into a single daily information service that reliably informs its trade professional readers about important current issues affecting their operations.
GIPSA Proposes to Change Definition of CCLs in Hard White Wheat
GIPSA is proposing to revise the wheat standards to change the definition of contrasting classes in hard white wheat so hard red winter wheat and hard red spring wheat are no longer CCLs, and are considered only as wheat of other classes. The grade limits would remain unchanged.
Proposed Rule Would Also Adopt More Restrictive Limits for SHBN
GIPSA is also proposing to adopt more restrictive grade limits for SHBN. GIPSA states that under the current grade limits, 100 percent would have graded U.S. No. 1 if SHBN had been the grade determining factor. Under the proposed grade limits, 95 percent of all samples would have graded U.S. No.1 if SHBN had been the grade determining factor, a reduction of 5 percent. Under the proposed limits, 100 percent of the samples would have graded U.S. No. 2 if SHBN was the grade determining factor. GIPSA notes that, while GIPSA’s analysis shows a 5 percent grade deflation at the U.S. No. 1 grade, virtually all wheat is traded at U.S. No. 2 or better (2 o.b.), and that therefore the proposed SHBN grade limits would have zero net effect on the amount of wheat available for shipping at export or elsewhere in the value chain.
*Subsequent USDA notice (dated 04/19/12) correcting a table in the original FR notice available here.
*Subsequent USDA notice (dated 04/30/12) again correcting a table in the original FR notice available here.