WCWG News Release
October 11, 2006

Wheat Growers Support End to CWB Politicking

The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association supports the federal government’s decision to instruct the Canadian Wheat Board to end its political activism.

“This government order should put a stop to CWB politicking and will encourage the board to re-direct its time and energies toward getting the best possible prices for farmers,” says Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel, President of the Wheat Growers. “We don’t need the CWB giving us another sales pitch telling us how wonderful the monopoly is – what we need is for them to provide us with the best possible returns and to focus on becoming a keen competitor in a market choice environment.”

Jolly-Nagel adds, “the CWB’s lack of attention to its marketing mandate may help explain why 54% of western farmers no longer support the CWB monopoly, despite the huge resources the Board has devoted to self-promotion.”

Jolly-Nagel was referring to a CWB-commissioned survey of permit book holders released in May in which 47% of farmers favoured a dual market (i.e. market choice), 7% wanted no CWB at all, and 45% supported the CWB monopoly. The Wheat Growers note the survey only included those farmers who actually produced grain for sale. The survey results stand in contrast to the CWB director elections where results have been skewed by the inclusion of many non-farmers as eligible voters. For example, in the last year in which director elections were held, 38% of eligible voters did not deliver a single bushel of grain to the CWB, and about 50% delivered less than 35 tonnes.

“The government directive should help ensure the CWB no longer abuses its monopoly by promoting a particular political view,” says Jolly-Nagel. “The CWB should not be allowed to engage in any political activities whatsoever until farmers are free to take their business elsewhere and the CWB is truly independent of government.”

The Wheat Growers support the federal government’s decision to harmonize grain marketing policy across the country and give prairie farmers the same marketing freedoms as those now enjoyed by farmers elsewhere in Canada.

The WCWGA, an independent producer organization, has spent 36 years bringing forth innovative farmer-driven solutions and will continue to lobby on behalf of forward thinking, progressive producers in an effort to make farming sustainable and profitable.

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