Competitive Improvements Depend On Your View

Farm groups trying to answer MPs’ questions about improving the competitiveness of producers have a lot of similar suggestions mixed with the occasional poke at the Canadian Wheat Board. Most have told the Commons agriculture committee the industry needs more basic research, expanded trade deals, better transportation and more domestic processing. They share considerable optimism

Canadian Wheat Board Branding Effort Two Years Later

Amarketing strategy to give Canadian wheat an identity like the iconic Juan Valdez for Colombian coffee growers is a long-term attempt to increase demand, but one grain expert says it will be a stiff challenge. The Canadian Wheat Board, which has a government-granted monopoly on wheat and barley sales from Western Canada, the country’s major


New-Crop Wheat PROs Rise With River

Concern that the rising Red River will delay seeding, long enough for farmers in Manitoba, Minnesota and the Dakotas to switch to soybeans, is among the factors supporting the new-crop wheat outlook. The Canadian Wheat Board on March 26 rolled out its latest pool return outlooks (PROs) for both 2009-10 and 2008-09, showing the biggest

People Before Politics: Harper Has Failed To Deliver

For the past three years, the Harper government has been criss-crossing the country making announcement after announcement, promise after promise to Canadian farmers. Big commitments were made to help with things like cost of production, to help build processing capacity and to help farmers create practical programs on the ground. Unfor tunately, Stephen Harper and


Report Rips Tories’ CWB, CGC Policies

“Piece by piece, the minority Conservative government under Stephen Harper is dismantling Canada’s highly successful grain system.” The Canadian Grain Commission and the Canadian Wheat Board are essential to the export success of Prairie farmers but the Harper Conservatives are trying to destroy them, a report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says. The

Canada’s Share Of World Wheat Market Drops

Shares of the world wheat market in the upcoming 2009-10 crop year are expected to decline for both Canada and the U. S. from 2008-09, with the EU-27, Ukraine, Russia and Argentina picking up most of that decline. The five top major wheat-exporting countries include the U. S., Canada, Australia, the EU-27 and Argentina, according


Eliminate Unprofitable Farmers, Report Recommends

A new report proposes a radical and drastic solution to Canada’s chronic farm income problems: get rid of unprofitable farmers. The report by the Canada West Foundation recommends “an orderly retreat from the industry” by farmers who depend on government subsidies and off-farm jobs to stay in operation. The Calgary-based public policy think-tank says agriculture

New Group To Speak For Organic In Manitoba

Manitoba is forging forward with an umbrella organization to represent its expanding organic sector. Over 60 people met at Headingley this month to launch the Manitoba Organic Alliance (MOA) electing a 13-member board of directors. This is about creating a representative voice for the entire organic sector in Manitoba, said MOA’s interim secretary Donna Youngdahl,


Farmers Prepared For Flooding

“I would say 98 per cent of the people are prepared for the flood.” – DAVE WALDNER The Flood of the Century seriously disrupted Dave Waldner’s hog operation. But if it happens again, he’s ready. The ring dike around his farm east of Rosenort has been raised two feet above 1997 flood levels. Municipal water

Farmers Urged To Keep Grain Coming

For once the stars have aligned in favour of farmers. Wheat exports from Canada are moving at a blistering pace while prices remain relatively strong. Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) grain movement since October has been well above the five-and 10-year average and could be the biggest since 1999-2000. The only potential fly in the ointment