October 11, 2010

US GIPSA seeks feedback on corn standards

The UDSA Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is seeking public feedback on the need for revisions to US standards for corn.

GIPSA is soliciting comments as part of the Agency's comprehensive review of the standards, which were last amended in 1996. Through this review, GIPSA is seeking to ensure that the standards remain relevant to the US and global corn industry, and that it will continue to facilitate the marketing of US corn.

All aspects of the corn standards are being reviewed, including definitions, grade and non-grade determining factors, grade limits, damages, as well as grading procedures and new services GIPSA might offer.

"To ensure that standards and official grading practices remain relevant, GIPSA invites interested parties to comment on whether the current corn standards and grading procedures need to be changed," said GIPSA administrator J. Dudley Butler.

GIPSA establishes standards for corn, and other grains, under the authority of the US Grain Standards Act. The standards facilitate corn marketing and define US corn quality in the domestic and global marketplace by defining commonly used industry terms and outlining basic procedures for testing corn.

Together, the grading standards and procedures allow buyers and sellers to communicate quality requirements, compare corn quality using equivalent forms of measurement, and assist in price discovery.