What We Do

Give accurate and consistent inspection of agricultural products. Whether the grain has recently been harvested, is being delivered to a domestic processor, or is entering the export market, a federally licensed lab is the most dependable and precise inspection option available. This is vital to your bottom-line whether you are a producer, merchandiser or buyer.

We service all parties in the production, merchandising, storage, and processing of grain!

Servicing the elevator & merchandiser.

Official inspections serve both the buyer and the seller of agricultural commodities. Any interested party can request that a lot of grain be officially sampled and inspected. The results of that inspection can be used to avoid disputes and resolve possible conflicts. When an official inspection is performed prior to shipment, costly transportation delays and the catastrophic expense of rejected lots can be avoided. When disputes over grain are at their worst, an official grain certificate that is received from an official agency is the only evidence of truth.

Serving the producer.

An inspection certificate issued by an official agency can be a useful tool for the grower of agricultural products. Given the very tight margins for profit, the need to be sure of the quality of that product is very important. This information, when provided to the producer accurately and promptly, can assist in marketing for the greatest earning potential. During extended periods of storage, the cost of submitting a sample of grain for analysis can be returned many times over. With the help of an official grain inspection laboratory, a producer can continually monitor the condition of their product and often avoid the disastrous financial consequences that occur when a sudden change in quality comes about.

Serving the processor.

Many processors of agricultural commodities are now utilizing licensed inspection labs to provide independent sampling and inspections onsite. Official agencies can set up sampling and/or inspection service points at a facility. Under the United States Grain Standards Act these satellite labs are required to maintain the same strict quality control standards as the agency's primary laboratory. NDGI maintains many service points throughout the Dakotas, Minnesota, Montana, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, and Michigan.

What is an official agency?

While NDGI is privately operated, unlike unlicensed labs, it is required to follow stringent rules and regulations set forth by the USDA. All personnel employed at an approved agency must pass an examination and be licensed under the United States Grain Standards Act. Equipment at the labs must also meet strict federal standards and be continually check tested and remain in service only if the results of those exams fall within the tight margins established by the Federal Grain Inspection Service. Customers can be assured of dependable and accurate grades due to NDGI being required to meet the USDA's tough standards. From the fields harvested in North Dakota and Minnesota, to the barges loaded on the Mississippi River, while under supervision of the USDA, our labs can meet all your grain inspection needs.

What is an official inspection?

There are two types of certificates an official agency can issue under the United States Grain Standards Act: Official Certificates and Submitted Sample Certificates. Official Certificates represent the grade on a lot of grain that has been sampled and inspected by the official agency's licensed personnel. Submitted Sample Certificates represent a sample that was drawn and submitted to the official lab by the applicant. Because the official agencies licensed sampler did not take that sample, the Submitted Sample Certificate will represent only the amount of grain submitted for testing.

If either the buyer or seller of grain is dissatisfied with the results after an official agency has performed an inspection and issued an official or submitted sample certificate, the United States Grain Standards Act specifies several options. Interested parties can request a reinspection in the same laboratory, or because the original inspection was performed in a federally licensed lab, a request can be made for an appeal inspection. The local USDA Federal Grain Inspection Service Field Office and/or the FGIS Board of Appeals and Review in Kansas City would perform an appeal inspection.