Grain Journal - January/February 2009 - (Page 72) GIPSA GIPSA Eases Personnel Examination Standards The Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) has issued a program notice detailing the changes in determining criteria for licensing personnel to perform official functions under authority of the U.S. Grain Standards Act and the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946. Under the program, which became effective Jan. 1, 2009, the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) reduced the score requirement from 80% to 70% on all practical hands-on examinations for licensing official personnel. The passing requirement for written exams remains at 80%. An average score of 70% must be achieved on each analytical factor that is tested during the practical examinations. An example of the change provided by GIPSA was if damaged kernels NEWS To collect quality data on sorghum and soybeans, FGIS contacts local grain elevators in sorghum- and soybean-producing states prior to the harvest of each commodity. Elevators are invited to participate by collecting and sending samples of sorghum and soybeans to a designated USDA official grain inspection service provider. Each year, thousands of freshly harvested sorghum and soybean samples are analyzed and become part of the quality database. Each sample analyzed as part of the soybean and sorghum assessments provides data on all grade-determining factors and some non-grade-determining factors. The data includes a detailed assessment of foreign material (FM), including the composition of the FM, as well as damage, moisture, test weight, odor, and the overall grade. In addition, soybeans are analyzed for oil, protein, and splits; sorghum is analyzed for dockage and broken kernels. (DKT) and class are tested in corn, the applicant must achieve a minimum score of 70% for the five DKT portions, as well as an average score of 70% for the three class portions. For more information, contact Bob Lijewski in the Policies and Procedures Branch at 202-720-0224. Farm Gate Quality Reports In 2006, GIPSA initiated a study of the quality of U.S. sorghum at the farm gate. These Farm Gate Quality Reports capture first-point-of-sale or farmgate inspection data to establish a baseline of grading quality. The data allows GIPSA to better evaluate the market impact of proposed changes to the Grain Standards. The 2006 study began with sorghum; it was expanded in 2007 to capture soybean farm-gate quality data. Both assessments are being conducted for a minimum of five years. Response No. 721 Response No. 722 72 GJ J/F http://www.harriscompanies.com http://www.honeyvillemetal.com http://www.harriscompanies.com http://www.honeyvillemetal.com
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