Former CWB directors appealing Queen’s Bench decision

Eight former farmer-elected Canadian Wheat Board directors are appealing Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Shane Perlmutter’s Feb. 24 decision not to protect the board’s single desk while the courts determine the legality of a federal law killing it. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz is asking why the directors don’t “move on,” but the directors contend


Budget pushes CGC changes

The Canadian Grain Commission, grain industry watchdog and wheat quality guardian for 100 years this month, won’t be financed by taxpayers after 2014. Last week’s federal budget included $44 million to help the commission transition to full self-sufficiency over the next two years. The federal government also plans to reintroduce legislation to “modernize” the commission.



CGC guarantees Canadian grain quality worldwide

The baker is already planning his production and quality-control program for months ahead, based on grain from halfway around the world he has never laid eyes on, much less inspected. But he isn’t worried. He knows he will almost certainly get exactly the right kind of wheat with the precise specifications he requested. He also



CWB tries to bring clarity to new open markets

Staff say the more grain it gets the closer it can get to providing the benefits of the soon-to-be-dismantled CWB

The tiny village of Somerset was shrouded in fog March 30, not unlike the outlook for Western Canada’s new open wheat and barley market. More than 80 farmers made their way through the morning mist to hear about the CWB’s new pricing options, which includes two pools and cash offerings. It was the last in

Moving beyond supply management

Now that we have some clarity on the economic future of the Canadian Wheat Board, attention is slowly turning toward the issue of supply management, which has arguably served our agricultural economy well for decades. Economically speaking, these sectors have been unwavering, and consumers have long benefited from stable retail prices for these products. However,


An independent view

The Co-operator began an ambitious project a few months ago, setting out to tell the history behind the Canadian Grain Commission as it celebrates 100 years of service this month. One of the things we discovered early into the effort was that there is a lot of history to tell — the story of how

Foreign traders vying for piece of North American grain-handling sector

The urgency to operate in the United States or Canada has grown because of increasing global demand for crops

For decades, the world’s leading grain traders like Cargill and Bunge enjoyed an unparalleled advantage: their smaller North American competitors lacked the flexibility and diversity of a global operation, and their foreign rivals lacked access to the biggest and most stable exporters in the world. That’s about to change. Large U.S. and Canadian grain companies