LETTERS – for Dec. 11, 2008

Third party interveners must register Open letter to Ian Craven, CWB election co-ordinator, Meyers Norris Penny Several Conservative members of Parliament from Western Canada, including David Anderson, MP for Cypress Hills-Grasslands, sent letters to voters in the CWB director elections instructing them to vote for specific candidates. These letters were sent during the week of

Grain Growers of Canada enjoy lobbying success

“I personally cannot remember a time over the last decade that our issues have been the government’s issues.” – Ross Ravelli Grain Growers of Canada members revelled in their lobbying successes and plotted strategy for ongoing battles at their recent annual meeting here. “I personally cannot remember a time over the last decade that our


CWB election ends in controversy

Canadian Wheat Board election co-ordinator Ian Craven is investigating whether four Conservative members of Parliament (MPs) illegally used the CWB election voters’ list to send letters last month advising farmers how to vote. He’s also seeking a legal opinion as to whether federal politicians should be registered as third-party interveners. The letters, sent on House

World food system exploits consumers: activist

Raj Patel held up a Snickers bar, examined the list of ingredients and proclaimed it the key to understanding the world’s food system. The list included cocoa, likely from the Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa producer and an employer of child labour. It also included lecithin, an emulsifier made from soybean oil, found in


Hamster wheel business

”The worst business of all is the one that grows a lot, where you’re forced to grow just to stay in the game at all and where you’re reinvesting the capital at a very low rate of return. And sometimes people are in those businesses without knowing it.” Warren Buffett, 1998 Between 1990 and 2003,

NFU slams KVD elimination, fears C-39 return

It wasn’t a good day to represent the Canadian Grain Commission. A hostile crowd gave CGC assistant chief commissioner Jim Smolik a rough ride during his appearance at the National Farmers Union annual convention Nov. 21. Smolik was there to talk about variety registration and the new declaration system for Canada’s grain industry. But NFU


CWB ends 2007-08 with record pool revenue

Strong sales and high prices generated record returns for Prairie grain farmers from the Canadian Wheat Board this past year. The CWB ended the 2007-08 grain year with a record $8.4 billion in gross pool receipts for wheat and barley. The net return to farmers after marketing costs is $7.8 billion, board chairman Larry Hill

Cattle producers earn less than their ancestors

Canadian cow-calf and feeder operators are receiving only half as much for their cattle as their parents and grandparents did, according to a new study. And it’s mainly because of powerful packers and an overdependence on the U. S. export market, the study by the National Farmers Union concludes. The report, released on the eve


NFU wants CWB election co-ordinator replaced

The ballot application form had contained a “catch-22” for permit book holders. The National Farmers Union (NFU) wants the Canadian Wheat Board to fire elections co-ordinator Ian Craven of the accounting firm Meyers Norris Penny. In a Nov. 5 letter to CWB president and CEO Ian White, NFU president Stewart Wells accuses Craven of undermining

What’s up – for Nov. 13, 2008

Please forward your agricultural events to [email protected] call 204-944-5762 Nov. 14 – “Build Business Success: Assemble Your Toolkit,” 8:45 a. m. to 2 p. m., Shamrock Centre, Killarney. A seminar for women in business or interested in business. For more info or to register (deadline Nov. 7) call Carling at MAFRI at 204-523-5260. Nov. 15–