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

CWB, Crow Fights Have Something In Common: Alberta

Efforts to end the Canadian Wheat Board’s (CWB) single desk are reminiscent of the battle to kill the Crow Rate, says pollster David Herle. Both went on for years, eventually wearing down farmer resistance and “these are both Alberta agendas,” said Herle, principal partner in the Gandalf Group, which surveys farmers for the CWB. “The


Most Manitobans Support Keeping CWB Single Desk: Struthers

After connecting with Manitobans through a “virtual” meeting on the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) June 29, there’s no question most Manitobans support the board’s statutory single desk, Stan Struthers says. More than 70 per cent of respondents who voted over the phone favour that, Manitoba’s minister of agriculture, food and rural initiatives said in an



CWB Working On Open-Market Model

The Canadian Wheat Board is working on a model for converting the single-desk seller of western barley and wheat into an open-market grain company. But for this “new entity” to survive the federal government must make major concessions, including assuming CWB employees’ pension liability, says chair Allen Oberg. “It’s our view that it’s the government’s

Wheat Board Should Get On With New Role: Richardson

The Canadian Wheat Board should not receive ongoing government help after its grain-marketing monopoly ends, but needs to quickly plan for a new role, the head of Richardson International Limited, Canada’s second-largest grain handler, said on July 7. Canada’s Conservative government, which holds a majority of seats in the House of Commons, plans to pass


Shhh… Don’t Tell The Canola Council

We want to believe those promises of good things to come Western Canada’s way once the Canadian Wheat Board is outa’ the way. We really do. According to Minister of Agriculture Gerry Ritz, the CWB monopoly is weakening our clout in world wheat and barley trade. “What was once Canada’s signature crop has fallen behind,”

CWB Fate Clouds Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting

Canada’s agriculture ministers agreed on food policy development and improved support programs for farmers, but the results of their annual meeting were overshadowed by debate on the Canadian Wheat Board’s fate. The meeting in St. Andrews, N.B. featured a green light for further development of a National Food Strategy (NFS) under the aegis of the


Cwb Will Hold Farmer Vote

Outraged open-market proponents were calling on farmers to boycott a plebiscite on grain marketing announced by the Canadian Wheat Board last week. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says he will place little to no value on the results. The current CWB Act requires farmers approve such a change through a vote first; the government plans to

Cwb Vote Issue Heads To Court

Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board (FCWB) is asking the Federal Court to block the federal government from abolishing the Canadian Wheat Board’s (CWB) statutory single marketing authority for wheat and barley. The FCWB, a coalition of farmers and other Canadians in support of a democratic, farmer-controlled CWB, was to apply for a judicial review