Rye Grain: export from Canada to ASEAN

Rye is bought for two quite different purposes and the specification follows. Bakery buyers want falling number, ash and extraction potential; distillers want starch content and are indifferent to attributes that decide bread quality.

Falling number is the parameter to understand. It indicates sprout damage and enzyme activity, and rye is more prone to pre-harvest sprouting than wheat, so a wet harvest can move a whole crop year out of bakery specification while leaving it perfectly usable for distilling.

Canadian production is modest relative to wheat and concentrated on the prairies, with fall rye the dominant type. Canadian whisky supports part of domestic demand.

State the application at enquiry. A single lot can be premium for one buyer and unsuitable for the other, and the price difference reflects that rather than a quality ranking.

Rye for milling and rye for distilling usually share a classification, but end-use controls and duty relief schemes can differ by destination. State the application when you ask us to confirm the position.