Commercial Stocks of the Major Special Crops Survey (CSMS)

Detailed information for March 31, 2026

The purpose of this program is to collect reliable and timely information on stocks of special crops held in commercial elevators.

Data release - These data are released internally to Statistics Canada for other surveys or statistical programs to use as part of their data sources.

• Description
• Data sources and methodology
• Data accuracy

Description

Results from this administrative data program are used to validate crop production such as farm stock and marketing data, and calculate the contribution of the special crops sector to the Canadian economy.

The Canadian Special Crops Association, Pulse Canada and federal and provincial governments, such as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, use this information for establishing programs and policies. The information provided may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.

Reference period: At December 31, March 31 and July 31

Collection period: Collected during the two weeks following the reference period.

Subjects

• Agriculture and food (formerly Agriculture)
• Crops and horticulture

Data sources and methodology

Target population

The target population consists of grain elevators, processors, and exporters with stocks of special crops in Canada.

Instrument design

This methodology type does not apply to this statistical program.

Sampling

This methodology type does not apply to this statistical program.

Data sources

Data are extracted from administrative files.

Canadian Grain Commission's Grain Statistics Weekly (GSW) report: The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) is a federal government agency that operates under the authority of the Canada Grains Act. Under the Act, grain dealers and operators of primary, terminal and process elevators must be licensed by the CGC or exempted from licensing. Companies licensed by the CGC are required to provide weekly summaries of cash and storage tickets information.

Error detection

Subject matter officers monitor developments in the Canadian grain market, and review the data for this product both to validate them directly, and to ensure they are coherent in the context of the Supply and Disposition tables of Grains in Canada. A combination of judgment and outlier detection techniques are used to detect errors. In cases where unusual changes are not explained, follow up investigations are made.

Imputation

This methodology type does not apply to this statistical program.

Estimation

This methodology type does not apply to this statistical program.

Quality evaluation

Prior to the data release, combined administrative data program results are analyzed for comparability; in general, this includes a detailed review of: general economic conditions, coherence with results from related economic indicators, historical trends, and information from other external sources (e.g. associations, trade publications, newspaper articles).

Supply and disposition trends, used by government and industry stakeholders, help to confirm the results of the survey. Where anomalies occur they are resolved through analysis at the end of the crop year.

Disclosure control

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects which could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Various confidentiality rules are applied to all data that are released or published to prevent the publication or disclosure of any information deemed confidential. If necessary, data are suppressed to prevent direct or residual disclosure of identifiable data.

Revisions and seasonal adjustment

There is no seasonal adjustment. Data from previous years may be revised based on updated information. The program data are not benchmarked.

Data accuracy

No direct measures of the margin of error in the estimates can be calculated. The quality of the estimates can be inferred from analysis of revisions and from a subjective assessment of the data sources and methodology used in the preparation of the estimates.

Every effort is made to ensure that administrative data are conceptually correct for the use to which they are put. Users should be aware that administrative data are generally compiled for an organization's own needs, and not for survey purposes. Any anomalies or inconsistencies detected are verified with the source, and where necessary, adjustments are made to reconcile data with the conceptual framework of our series. The administrative agencies used are considered to be the best source available, and data received from them is judged to be of very good quality, even in those circumstances where adjustments have been made.