The CWBs latest attempt to rally support and gain a hearing is an ad campaign designed under the name “stop the steamroller“. The print, radio and video campaign focuses on a steamroller with the caption ” This is how the Harper government harvests Canadian wheat”. The ads, paid for by CWB pool funds, were… Read More
Just when you think you know someone. Open the paper yesterday and it appears that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has offered up the supply management industry in negotiations to allow Canada to be apart of the TPP. I made several calls to members involved with the dairy lobby and trade and the feelings are strongly… Read More
Earlier this week we spoke to Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz about why he thinks the elimination of the single desk will be beneficial to farmers and why he is so passionate about that position. Not everyone shares the exuberance Minister Ritz has over the new marketing landscape for wheat in Western Canada. One of… Read More
Yesterday I attended a Calgary Chamber of Commerce luncheon. This was not just any ordinary lunch because it was attended by the Calgary ag-business community and they were all there to listen to the Federal Minister of Agriculture, Gerry Ritz. Mr. Ritz spoke to the group about why he feels so strongly regarding the coming… Read More
It looks as though Japan may consider easing restrictions on Canadian beef imports, as the first of many high level meetings have taken place in Tokyo. The meeting which took place last week inside the Japanese ministry of health and was focused on changing the age limit for domestic testing and import of cattle from… Read More
Ethanol has been the subject of scrutiny regarding a number of issues, from its impact on corn prices to its effect on food production even its impact on the cattle and hog industries. The Conference Board of Canada released this week the results from its look at the industry. The report focuses on the impact… Read More
When the initial court challenge by the Canadian Wheat Board was launched against the federal government you knew it wouldn’t go unanswered. The first of those legal responses was launched this week by the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association. The reasoning behind it stems from the CWB’s use of pool funds to launch their suit… Read More
With the final steps toward the ending of the single desk coming ever closer, the ante continues to be upped as the current CWB board fights to gain a hearing. The extremely polarizing debate continues to cause deep divisions amongst producers, even more so in what appear to be the final days of the CWB… Read More
The CWB board of directors takes yet another hit with its latest resignation. CWB District 2 Director Jeff Nielsen has made the decision to step down, a decision based primarily on his and what he feels are his constituents opposition to the use of pool funds in fighting the governments decision to eliminate the board… Read More
This week Henry Vos resigned from the Canadian Wheat Board for several reasons. I talked to him this morning so that he can get his reasons in the open and in the clear. Whether you agree with Henry’s decision to resign, it is very visible that Henry feels strongly about his reasons and what is… Read More
Now that it looks like the Canadian Wheat Board’s single desk is about to be extinguished, it seems that the main stream media has turned its focus to the Canadian Dairy industry. Is the CWB situation the same as the supply mananged dairy industry? Should the Canadian dairy industry be in Gerry Ritz’s cross hairs next? … Read More
The announcement of the building of the AGT durum processing plant in the Regina area is welcome news for producers in that area. Strangely enough, it’s also news that’s stirred up some controversy. Some proponents of the single desk call it a fallacy and a ploy, while some on the other side call it an… Read More
Yesterday the Federal Conservatives released the new CWB bill which for the first time outlines it’s intentions for the CWB in a non-single desk world. The Act includes everything from the repeal of the old act to the dissolving of the current Board of Directors including the release of Chairman Alan Oberg. We discussed this… Read More
It’s the fourth consecutive NDP government for Manitoba with voters electing Greg Selinger for the provinces top job last Tuesday. So what does that mean for agriculture in the province? Does the election signal the go ahead for the government to stay the course when it comes to ag policy? If that’s how the NDP… Read More
If you make a decision you are bound to be criticized. The Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) is under attack from the NFU based on KAP’s decision to not work with the NFU in their defiance of the government’s single desk decision. In the NFU press release they even state that KAP members digruntled with this… Read More
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