Appeal Court upholds “marketing freedom” law

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz didn’t break the law by introducing legislation to end the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly, the Federal Court of Appeal has ruled. “We are pleased with this decision,” Ritz said in an email. In December, Federal Court Justice Douglas Campbell agreed with the Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board that Ritz breached

Letters, June 7, 2012

Farmers own CWB assets Gerry Ritz, once again, attempts to justify the confiscation of the contingency fund and other assets of the Canadian Wheat Board single desk, “Contingency fund not owed to farmers” in the May 31 issue. He is correct in stating that the fund was not generated by the CWB’s “normal” pooling operation


Dominoes starting to fall as end of single desk draws nearer

Research and market development, keeping an eye on the railways, 
and the fate of short line railways are just three of the issues KAP is trying to address

Manitoba’s farm leaders are scrambling to plug holes that will be left by the demise of the single-desk CWB. Research and market development, keeping an eye on the railways, and the fate of short lines were high on the agenda when Keystone Agricultural Producers delegates gathered at their General Council meeting last week. But challenges

Fair treatment for Western farmers began 100 years ago

It was more than a century ago but bitter conflict between farmers and the early western Canadian grain industry still resonates in the childhood memories of old-timers like Harvey English. “It was highway robbery. That’s what it was in those days,” says English, 94. “They were just stealing everything off the farmer that they could


Court rules against ex-wheat board directors

Former Canadian Wheat Board directors may appeal a Manitoba’s Court of Queens Bench ruling that rejected their bid to delay implementation of the federal legislation removing the board’s monopoly as of Aug. 1. “We think there are a number of areas where the judge erred and we’re considering an appeal,” Bill Toews, one of the

Judge dismisses lawsuit against Monsanto

A federal judge has ruled in favour of global seed giant Monsanto Co., dismissing a lawsuit brought by a consortium of U.S. organic farmers and seed dealers who said their industry is at risk from Monsanto’s growing market strength. U.S. District Court Judge Naomi Buchwald, for the Southern District of New York, threw out the


Letters — for Feb. 2, 2012

Are court cases really baseless Mr. Ritz? It was really quite funny to watch the minister of agriculture strut around in front of his flock at the recent Western Canadian Wheat Growers conference. He used his bully pulpit to call the recent court cases, against his government implementing legislation dismantling of the Canadian Wheat Board’s

More Crops Briefs, Jan. 26

Viterra shares stumble after disappointing Q4 Reuters / Shares of Viterra fell sharply after the grain handler reported disappointing quarterly results. The company reported lower-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings of three cents a share, although revenue of $3.1 billion topped expectations. CEO Mayo Schmidt said the results were “definitely disappointing.” However, for the year, Viterra’s profit jumped


Judge delays decision on CWB

Suspending a new law that ended the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly would sow confusion in Western Canada’s grain industry, lawyers for the federal government said in court Jan. 18 in a hearing on a plea from eight former directors. The one time CWB directors, Prairie farmers ousted when the bill to revamp the CWB became

New twist in wheat board legal battle

The battle over the future of the Canadian Wheat Board has moved off the farm, out of the parliamentary chambers and into the courts. Two new court actions were launched early in the new year, including a class-action lawsuit claiming $15.4 billion is owed to farmers upon the dismantling of Canadian Wheat Board assets. “The