Letters – for Jun. 2, 2011

Well, Stephen Harper and his Tories finally have their longed-for majority. Harper tells us in his victory speech that “we will have to govern well, govern in people’s interest” and that “even as a majority you have to, on an ongoing basis, keep the trust of the population.” Is that going to be the case

Government Has The Power To Strip CWB, But Not The Right

The recent announcement by the newly elected federal government to strip the Canadian Wheat Board of its single-desk powers is contrary to recent pre-election promises to allow farmers to decide that for themselves through CWB director elections. We can now see these were empty election promises to garner support during the federal election.


Show Farmers A Workable Plan

The federal government must demonstrate the Canadian Wheat Board’s (CWB) long-term viability in an open market or take responsibility for winding it down, says Keystone Agricultural Producers’ president Doug Chorney. “Show me a business plan that the wheat board is actually going to function in a dual market,” the farmer from East Selkirk said in

In Brief… – for May. 26, 2011

Accelerated efficiency: The chief executive of Viterra says plans to scrap the Canadian Wheat Board’s marketing monopoly on western wheat and barley would likely accelerate improvements to the grain transportation system. “Obviously, change brings more change, so that certainly may accelerate that change in creating greater efficiencies in that system,” said Mayo Schmidt May 18.


Canola Growers Shun Voluntary CWB Pilot Project

The Grandview-area farmer who first suggested exploring a voluntary marketing program for canola through the Canadian Wheat Board says he still thinks it’s a good idea. But he isn’t surprised farmers refused to support it. Larry Bohdanovich brought forward the resolution at the Manitoba Canola Growers Association’s (MCGA) annual meeting in 2006 asking it to

ICE Canada To Trade Wheat As Monopoly Ends

ICE Futures Canada will launch spring wheat and durum contracts early next year to take advantage of Ottawa’s planned dismantling of the Canadian Wheat Board’s grain monopoly, its chief operating officer said on May 19. The spring wheat contract will compete for liquidity with one offered by the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, but will also complement


Letters – for May. 19, 2011

This letter is in response to Carl Classen’s letter of May 5, 2011, wherein he states: “I strongly object to the efforts of the Manitoba Canola Growers to put canola under the Canadian Wheat Board.” Nothing could be further from the truth. MCGA directors were very clear in media interviews (as well as in the

Rail Revenue Cap Changes?

Gerry Ritz, who hopes to continue as Canada’s agriculture minister in the newly elected Harper majority government, said last week farmers might need to pay more for grain transportation in order to get better railway service. “We want a much more commercially based system,” said Ritz, who was re-elected May 2 in the Saskatchewan constituency


The Question Now, Is How?

The federal Conservatives made no secret of their plans to end the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly if given a majority. Canadians, including the vast majority of Prairie farmers, gave them the mandate. So no one should be surprised if they do what they said they would, despite the results of CWB director elections. You don’t

Time To Call It Quits

Can the Canadian Wheat Board survive without the “single desk?” Anyone considering the question would do well to consider the following: Why should the Canadian Wheat Board absorb the cost of branding Canadian wheat, absorb the cost of promotion and working on sales of Canadian wheat, absorb the cost of dealing with trade issues; absorb