To ensure a quality crop at harvest, U.S. farmers work to select seed varieties that are best suited to the climate and growing conditions in their region. Throughout the growing and harvest seasons, farmers collect data to guide decisions such as fertilizer application. Prior to on-farm storage, grain goes through a cleaning and drying process to reduce the moisture content.

Arrival of grain at an elevator is the first point of quality control and certification off the farm. As grain is received at export elevators, it is graded and quality checked by government inspectors or a certified independent company.

From there, the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) (both divisions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), or an independent survey company grades each load of grain as it is loaded from the elevator to a barge, railcar or truck.

This grade certificate serves as the basis for subsequent domestic sales of that load as it moves through the marketing system to the final domestic or international customer.

The U.S. Grain Standards Act mandates heavy grains (wheat, corn, grain sorghum, rye and soybeans) must be certified at the point of export by FGIS. It certifies the weights and grades for heavy grain 

during the time of loading, which is intended to protect foreign buyers. For more information on FGIS grading standards visit: http://www.gipsa.usda.gov/fgis/public_handbooks.aspx