More About Money And Power Than Freedom

After surviving 14 challenges by the Americans (ruled in favour of the Canadian Wheat Board by dispute panel each time) Prime Minister Harper will dismantle the CWB in short order and Americanize the system. The CWB, which is “uniquely Canadian,” has

Time To Line Up Winter Wheat Seed

With an estimated three million unseeded acres in Manitoba, a lot of farmers are expected to seed winter wheat later this month. “The supply (of winter wheat seed) will be good but the demand will be high,” Todd Hyra, SeCan’s business manager for Western Canada said in an interview Aug. 5. “I’d say call your


In Brief… – for Aug. 4, 2011

CWB lowers new-crop PROs:The Canadian Wheat Board has lowered new-crop wheat, durum and barley values for the upcoming crop year beginning August 1. In setting its latest PROs, the board cited U.S. economic uncertainty; a higher Canadian dollar; increased production in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan; higher Russian wheat sales; improving durum production outlook, and reduced weather

Why Keep Bashing The Board?

After decades of hard work, the Canadian Wheat Board’s opponents have finally won their battle. Normally, congratulations would be in order, but congratulations are deserved only by those who have courage of their convictions and are gracious in victory. We’re not seeing much of either. Instead, the winners of this debate are continuing to heap


Letters – for Aug. 4, 2011

Our government has been clear – every farmer should have a choice to sell their wheat, durum and barley, either individually or through a pooling system. International buyers purchase Canadian wheat and barley because of their high quality, not because the Canadian Wheat Board sells them. Western Canadian canola and pulses have highly successful and

2011-12 Initial Payments See Sharp Rise

he Canadian Wheat Board initial payments for the crop year beginning Aug. 1 are taking a sharp jump higher from where they were set a year ago. The payment for No. 1 CWRS 12.5 per cent protein starts off the new year at $208 per tonne, up from $128 per tonne as of Aug. 1,


CWB Farmer Directors To Meet With Growers

Farmer directors for the Canadian Wheat Board will host six meetings across the Prairies in August to discuss the board’s fate if the federal government proceeds with proposed changes to its single-desk monopoly. “As farmers, we are at the eleventh hour and facing a monumental change,” said CWB board chair Allen Oberg, who farms near

Bunge Eyes Canada After Wheat Monopoly

U.S. grain-trading giant Bunge Ltd. plans to expand its presence in Western Canada once the Canadian Wheat Board’s marketing monopoly is ended. “The most efficient system is a free market, a complete free market,” Bunge chief executive Alberto Weisser told theGlobe and Mail newspaper. The Conservative government says it will pass legislation this autumn to


Farmers Shouldn’t Bear Cost Of CWB Winddown: KAP

Keys tone Agr icul tural Producers want assurances farmers won’t be footing the bills associated with ending the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly. They also want key non-marketing services in research and market development, presently supported by farmers through the CWB, to continue. Delegates at the July general council meeting passed two carefully worded resolutions stating

Winter Wheat Outlook Improves

Decent growing weather over the past couple of weeks has helped winter wheat crops in Western Canada catch up in their development, but a late harvest is expected and disease is also causing problems in some areas, said an official with the Canadian Wheat Board. Most winter wheat is now in the heading stage, with