Government owned grain stocks now have a new marketing spot on the web. Beginning yesterday you can visit GrainLink.com, although it looks like you’ll have to wait to next week to conduct a transaction.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that it has awarded a contract for the online marketing of grain stocks owned by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to Farms Technology, LLC, of Overland Park, Kansas. Candace Thompson, Acting Deputy Administrator for Commodity Operations at USDA’s Farm Service Agency, said CCC’s past sales practice of cataloging, issuing public invitations, and providing sales lists for grain now will be handled electronically. The transition to the new, electronic system will be accomplished in several phases. “We believe the new online marketing platform will bring cost savings, optimize market returns, and provide greater efficiencies in general to the grain trade and to the government,” Thompson said.

Jason Tatge, CEO, Farms Technology, said the new, electronic cash grain marketing platform, called GrainLink.com, will be available for use on November 20, 2006, although the site will display CCC inventory beginning November 16. Initial listings will be limited to CCC’s corn inventory with other commodities to follow. Tatge said FarmsTech invites the grain trade to register to use the new system at the website, www.grainlink.com. He said the process for online marketing of CCC stocks will be quite similar to the process the grain trade has used in the past, but it will now take place in an electronic, largely paperless environment. He said the new electronic platform, which will be open to all qualified buyers and sellers of cash grain, should offer many efficiencies to both grain merchants and the government. Sales that take place on the electronic platform will be guaranteed through FarmTech’s clearing house.