CgrainValue Analyzers

SOLE SOURCE SMALL BUSINESS

Through substantial engagement between the grain industry and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), parties have agreed that grading inspection modernization/technology is one key area that needs prioritization and immediate pursuit to maintain and improve the United States’ position in the global grain market. Parties also agree that the development and deployment of such technology would have significant impact and benefit for U.S. grain producers that sell their grain to country elevators. The United States is currently facing a national dilemma with the hiring and standardized training of non-federal/non-official graders that provide initial quality inspection to farmers at these local elevators. If these inspection entities are inadequately staffed or equipped to provide accurate grades for inbound grain from farmers, local elevators could misgrade and apply the incorrect discounts to farmers at the farmgate level. Grain grading technology could help alleviate this challenge and give producers greater transparency regarding the quality and value of their product.

To that end, Cgrain is one technology company that FGIS is working with to evaluate commodity/grain quality. FGIS currently has two Cgrain instruments onsite at the National Grain Center (NGC) in Kansas City, MO, but is in jeopardy of losing them due to FY 2024/2025 budgetary cuts that have prevented FGIS from purchasing them until potentially later this fiscal year. Cgrain has informed FGIS that the two instruments will be removed from FGIS’ NGC at the beginning of the new year unless we pay for the instruments or establish a rental agreement to allow these two Cgrain instruments to remain onsite.

To allow these meters to remain on at NGC, we need to setup a monthly rental agreement with TA Scientific until we have funding to purchase the meters. If the rental agreement is unable to be approved by then, we will risk losing these meters, create significant delays in updating the current calibration for rice and hamper FGIS/USDA in making technology advancements that may benefit American Agriculture.