11.7 Uniformity/Consistency between Offical Grain Inspection Labs

All official state and private grain inspection laboratories authorized to grade and inspect grain under the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA) are monitored by the USDA-Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration-Federal Grain Inspection Service (GIPSA/FGIS). A primary responsibility of GIPSA/FGIS is to ensure that the grading and inspection results of official laboratories are uniform, and consistent with standards adopted under the USGSA. However, there has been an historical and continuing problem of analytical inconsistency between official grain inspection laboratories, particularly between the analytical results of inland origin grain inspection laboratories and coastal destination laboratories. This has hindered the efficient marketing of the nation's grain crops and caused undue financial hardship on grain exporters, the grain trade, and grain producers. Unfortunately, GIPSA/FGIS has not reacted in a flexible, adequate, and timely manner to address and remedy the analytical consistency problems, and thereby has failed to meet the grain marketing and inspection needs of the nation's grain producers and grain trade. 

NASDA encourages the adoption of procedures to take advantage of the latest analytical and networking technology. Such procedures would ensure that grain grading and inspection results of all official grain inspection laboratory services are uniform, consistent, and provide the grain grading and inspection services required to efficiently market the nation's grain crops.

On occasion, USDA review teams have a tendency to treat cooperators differently than their own inspection office. The reviews by USDA compliance officers or review teams are not always consistent at all grain inspection offices. It is absolutely essential that USDA treat FGIS (official) and private (cooperator) grain inspection offices in exactly the same manner.