Oats

Oats divide into the raw grain trade and the milled products, and they are bought on different terms. Whole oats are purchased for groat yield (how much usable oat survives dehulling) which depends on kernel size, plumpness, hull percentage and test weight. Milled products are bought on processing specification: flake thickness, cut, moisture and bulk density.

The distinction that matters for manufacturers is that oats are steamed and kilned during processing, so rolled oats and groats carry a different microbiological profile from raw grain. Buyers supplying ready-to-eat applications should ask about the processing route rather than assume it.

Canadian milling capacity buffers the annual harvest, so milled product supply is steadier through the year than the raw crop implies.