Wheat board monopoly restricts farmers’ freedom
Category: Grains
(Sherwood Park News) – The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) has been busy over the past months, as August 2012 marks the disbandment of its monopoly over Canadian wheat sale regulations.
Most recently, Edmonton-Sherwood Park MP Tim Uppal voted to give Western Canadian farmers marketing freedom.
On Nov. 28 in the House of Commons, Uppal voted in favour of passing the Marketing Freedom for Grain Farms Act, along with the rest of the Conservative government.
The act fulfills a Conservative election promise to give prairie farmers the ability to seek their own contracts for their grain through an open market.
“Meeting with local area farmers in the early morning hours at Sobeys and local coffee shops, they told me of their desire to be free to market their own grain,” Uppal said. “I am proud to have cast my vote to fulfill this long-standing commitment to our grain farmers.”
The government’s top priority, according to a release sent out by Uppal’s staff, has been the economy, in which agriculture plays a vital role.
An open market for Western wheat and barley is expected to attract investment, encourage innovation and create value-added jobs, according to Uppal.
It will also build a stronger sector, in which farmers decide what is best for their businesses.
Vegreville-Wainwright MP Leon Benoit said he was honoured to vote in favour of the free-market system for Western grain producers.
“It was an evening I have waited for, for over 40 years,” he said.
Benoit believes Western farmers will take full advantage of the free-market system that was approved.
“We know that Canadian grain farmers have what it takes to succeed in an open market, as demonstrated by the staggering growth in recent years of the canola and pulses industries,” he said. “I am fully convinced that marketing freedom will unleash the true economic potential and entrepreneurial energy of the Western Canadian grain sector.”
With the vote for a free-market grain system passing, the CWB will still remain as a voluntary option for those farmers who still wish to pool their grain.
“Western Canadian farmers have waited far too long for the freedom to market wheat and barley that they pay to plant, spend months to grow and tirelessly harvest,” Uppal said. “Western wheat and barley farmers want the same ability to make business decisions as farms do in eastern Canada.”
Agriculture ministers from Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia all expressed their support for marketing freedom, as well.
“Marketing freedom will enable individual producers to participate in a competitive marketplace and maximize returns,” said Evan Burger, Minister of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.
“An open market will attract investment, encourage innovation, create value-added jobs, and build a strong economy — which is good for all of us,” Benoit said.
The three western provinces represent the production of more than 80 per cent of wheat and 90 per cent of barley in Western Canada.
Following the vote, Benoit met with a group of approximately 60 farmers who had travelled to Ottawa to witness the occasion, including five from Benoit’s constituency.
“It was a real celebration, not only of marketing freedom, but of the return of a basic democratic right to these hardworking Canadians,” Benoit said.
Two amendments were made by the C-18 legislative committee to increase the operational flexibility of the interim CWB and give it equal opportunities to that of other grain companies.
Shortly thereafter, C-18 was reported back to the House of Commons for the report stage.
Now that the bill has passed the House, it has been moved to the Senate for further review before being passed into law.
Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has urged directors from the CWB to work co-operatively in the best interests of all farmers and CWB staff by focusing more time and resources on making sure the voluntary wheat board has the best possible opportunity to succeed.
There were a total of 120 votes that countered the passing of the free-market bill for Western grain producers.
The Conservative government has stated its intention to pass this legislation before the end of the year.
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