CANADIAN WESTERN
Amber Durum
Canada is the world’s leading exporter of durum wheat. CWAD is recognized for its high protein content and semolina yield. Breeding has further improved its yellow colour and gluten strength in new varieties
Top 5 varieties grown this year
- Transcend
- CDC Precision
- Brigade
- AAC Spitfire
- Strongfield
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
PRODUCTION
6.1 MT
WHEAT GROWN IN CANADA
18%
Advice from an Expert
Very good quality. High levels of hard vitreous kernels
Grading Factors
83% is No. 1 and No. 2. Significant improvement over 2019
Protein
13.8% protein content – above average. High protein content helps with pasta firmness.
Milling Quality
Sound, good Falling Number at 450 seconds or higher
Application Performance
Good pasta firmness and low cooking loss. Bright yellow colour as desired for couscous and pasta
CWAD
Grading
Higher volumes of No. 1 and No. 2.

No. 1

No. 2

No. 3

All Others
CWAD 2020-21
Major Grading Factors
Significant reduction in sprout-damaged kernels compared to last year, resulting in high Falling Numbers.
CWAD
Protein
Overall Protein
13.8%
CWAD 2020-21
Protein Content
GRADING FACTOR AND
PROTEIN CONTENT TABLE
INFORMATION
- Analysis conducted by CGC Grain Research Laboratory as of November 1, 2021
- Protein content (N × 5.7) is determined by near-infrared measurements calibrated against Combustion Nitrogen Analysis reference method and is expressed on an 13.5% moisture basis.
- Results are unlikely to represent samples harvested within two weeks of the report
- The “Number of Samples” figures may not reflect actual production distributions across grades
- Samples provided by growers
- N/A= not applicable
- HVK = Hard vitreous kernels
- NS = non-sufficient
CWAD
Milling Quality
No.1
HARD VITREOUS KERNELS
96%
Improvement from last year
WEIGHT PER 1,000 KERNELS
41.1 g
Improvement from last year
ASH CONTENT
1.61%
Comparable to last year
SEMOLINA YIELD
64.1%
Typical of CWAD
CWAD
Applications
SHOWING NO. 1 WESTERN PRAIRIE COMPOSITE
Products made from CWAD are characterized by a bright yellow colour that’s appealing to consumers.
Pasta
CWAD is great for both dried and fresh pasta products. It offers excellent cooking quality, including firmness, tolerance to overcooking and low cooking loss.
Couscous
Tiny, steamed balls of pasta, couscous has a bright yellow colour and good surface texture (i.e. non-sticky) when cooked.
Bread
Great for hearth, artisan and flat breads, CWAD provides these breads with a subtle yellow-coloured crumb. Its flour demonstrates high water absorption capacity.
Pasta Analysis
No. 1, Western Composite
FIRMNESS
803g
9 min cook time
COOKING LOSS
4.5%
Refers to loss of product during cooking
COLOUR
L*: 73.3
a*: 4.88
b*: 67.4
No. 2
FIRMNESS
814g
9 min cook time
COOKING LOSS
4.84%
Refers to loss of product during cooking
COLOUR
L*: 73.4
a*: 4.66
b*: 68.0
Advice from an Expert
LISA NEMETH
Director of Markets

Continued good quality in CWAD for 2020 means high-quality pasta and couscous can be achieved without any major milling or processing adjustments. Breeding efforts in CWAD have focused on improving the colour and gluten strength in new varieties, which is evident in this year’s CWAD crop.
Strong Milling Performance
High levels of hard vitreous kernels with high test weight and thousand kernel weight values ensure good semolina milling yields.
Excellent Semolina Colour
High levels of yellow pigment ensures high levels of yellowness (b*)
High Quality Pasta
Pasta has excellent colour (yellowness) with good firmness and low cooking loss.
Download All 2020 Wheat Crop Details
Have a question that wasn’t covered?

Everything We Grow Advances Global Nourishment
Canada is setting the standard for modern farming practices.
Clean, Consistent and Quality
Through modern farming practices, Canadian farmers can grow strong wheat varieties, use good farm management practices from planting to harvest and on-farm storage. Canada has a natural advantage when it comes to land, water and climate. Through strong science-based regulation from the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC), it sets the high standards for clean, consistent quality grains.
Innovation
Across the country, agriculture continues to make advancements in farming practices and crop production. Led by Cereals Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the National Wheat Research priorities have been developed. Through a unique national collaboration of farmers, federal and provincial governments, public research institutions, exporters and processors, this partnership between public and private sectors are committed to delivering innovation in the wheat sector.
Sustainability
Current farm management practices continue to provide a better and healthier farming environment than previous generations. Modern practices like conservation tillage (minimum or zero tillage) helps to capture or sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere to slow or reverse atmospheric CO2 pollution to mitigate and reverse global warming keeping sustainability at the forefront of farming.
HOW TO BUY
Interested in Buying Canadian Wheat?
Our export partners take care of sales and pricing and they’re happy to help you with everything you need. Let us know if you’d like exporter contact information.