Category: Cwb Boondoggle

After decades of debate among farmers and politicians, it took less than 15 months for the machinery of the federal government to dismantle — some might describe it as steamroll — the Canadian Wheat Board’s single desk following the Conservative majority in the 2011 federal election. The behind-the-scenes of how former federal Agriculture Minister Gerry… Read More

There’s something to be said for authentic and lively debate of the key issues of the day. When you’ve served in federal politics for over two decades, one can only hope to have as many examples of such as Wayne Easter, retiring Member of Parliament for Malpeque, P.E.I. Easter says he has lived by two… Read More

For those just starting their careers in agriculture, it might seem strange to think that one of the most controversial topics in the past was about whether or not farmers could sell their own wheat and barley to an end user. Just eight years ago, the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) had its single desk removed…. Read More

August marks the beginning of the crop year, and for many farmers in Western Canada, it marks a significant anniversary — the removal of the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly in 2012. The Conservatives had two minority governments leading up to eventually winning a majority in 2011. As Gerry Ritz, then federal minister of Agriculture and… Read More

Farmers across Western Canada celebrated on Tuesday as it was the fifth anniversary of farmers gaining marketing freedom for wheat and barley, formerly known as ‘board grains’. On August 1, 2012 farmers were given control of marketing their own farm production. Wheat and barley no longer had to be sold through the Canadian Wheat Board’s… Read More

A remnant of the pro-Canadian Wheat Board movement is still alive, and still punching above its weight, even though it’s been three-and-a-half years since the federal government buried the CWB’s single desk monopoly. The latest example of the vocal minority receiving mainstream attention: “Prairie Farmers Calling for the Return of the Canadian Wheat Board” read the… Read More

The Hon. Gerry Ritz served as Canada’s agriculture minister for eight years — from the summer of 2007 to the fall of 2015. Not everybody agreed with his politics or his personality, but there’s no question Ritz had a big impact on the direction of Canadian agriculture. From ending the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly to… Read More

The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association has hired a new executive director as Blair Rutter has stepped down from the position. Rutter joined the Wheat Growers in 2005 and led the organization in advocating for ending the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly, while pushing for improved market access, a less restrictive variety registration process and improved… Read More

CWB’s commitment to new “bricks and mortar” continues to take shape as G3 Global Holdings announces its plan to examine the feasibility of a new elevator at the Port of Vancouver. “The G3 vision is to create a highly efficient coast-to-coast Canadian grain enterprise that provides stronger market access solutions for growers and delivers value to… Read More

In theory, price transparency is required for a free market to be efficient. In reality, farmers like to know they’re getting a fair value for their grain. A lack of transparency was seen by some producers as one of the reasons why the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly needed to be dismantled. That wish was granted… Read More