Acadia Parish Today
All graders working at grain elevators in Louisiana will be tested and certified for the 2021 harvest season following an announcement from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF).
Those graders will be trained, tested and certified by LDAF to uphold the standards set through the U.S. Grain Standards Act. The goal is to provide consistent and professional grain inspection and weighing services for producers, handlers processors, exporters, importers and end-users.
This LDAF training and certification will provide uniform instruction and standards for graders, rather than relying upon each grain buyer to provide its own internal training. This standardization of training and grading will provide more consistent grades beneficial to farmers and consumers.
“We have very high accuracy rates already, when you look at elevator’s grain graders,” said Donald Schexnayder, chair of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Soybean, Wheat and Feed Grain Committee. “Now, by adding this extra layer of education and certification, both the farmer and grader can be even more confident both sides are getting an accurate result.”
Training will take place over the summer in preparation for the 2021 harvest season.