Small majority of growers support Canadian Wheat Board, poll finds
By Mia Rabson, Winnipeg Free Press
OTTAWA — A small majority of prairie farmers support the Canadian Wheat Board's single-desk system for selling wheat and barley, but support has declined a little in the last year, a new survey for the CWB shows.
According to the CWB's 2011 producer survey, 59 per cent of prairie farmers support the monopoly requiring prairie wheat and barley farmers to market all grain for export or domestic consumption through the CWB. A year ago, support was 64 per cent. In 2009, it was 63 per cent and in 2008 it was 57 per cent.
The survey, released by the board Wednesday, comes as the agency begins mailing ballots to farmers in a plebiscite some hope will save the board from the federal government's legislative hammer.
Ballots will be mailed to more than 68,000 producers next week, asking them whether they support the monopoly. The CWB has hired the accounting firm MNP to oversee the vote. MNP also conducts director elections for the wheat board and in 2007 held another plebiscite on the wheat board's monopoly for the Manitoba government.
In that vote, 69.5 per cent of wheat farmers in Manitoba and 61.8 per cent of barley farmers wanted to keep the monopoly.
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz will introduce a bill this fall to end the 70-year monopoly the Canadian Wheat Board has had over most wheat and barley sales in the prairie provinces.
Ritz says it doesn't matter to his government how many support the single-desk system — if any farmers want to sell their grain elsewhere, they should be allowed to do so.
"No expensive survey should ever trump the rights of those farmers who want to choose how they market their own grain."
However CWB chair Allen Oberg says it is "astonishing" Ritz doesn't actually care what most farmers are saying.
"We've pledged to respect the results whatever they may be," said Oberg. "I would hope the minister would do the same."
Oberg says the current legislation requires the government to let producers decide the fate of the monopoly system.
Active farmers who have sold wheat or barley through the CWB in the last five years are eligible to vote. Ballots are due back by Aug. 24 and results are expected around Sept. 10. That is before the House of Commons resumes after its summer break and therefore before Ritz can introduce the legislation.
The Manitoba government is also lobbying against the bill with an advertising campaign. The province and the CWB are also circulating a petition hoping to pressure the government to at least let producers decide the monopoly's fate.
Richard Phillips, executive director of the Grain Growers of Canada, said the province and the CWB would be better to spend their money on studies and economic-impact plans for the CWB and the port of Churchill once the monopoly is gone. Phillips said since Ritz has indicated this plebiscite will have no impact, it's a waste of time and money.
"If they'd spend money on that it would lay out a business case for the future," said Phillips.
He said the CWB could potentially find new business marketing other crops and the port could look to other crops for shipping through Churchill as well.
"If they want to keep jobs in Winnipeg that's what they have to do," he said.
Oberg said the plebiscite will cost about $275,000, the same as it costs to hold director elections.
The CWB survey was conducted of 900 producers in the three prairie provinces. It is considered accurate within 3.24 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Small majority growers support Canadian Wheat Board poll finds/5062166/story.html
mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
Read more: http://www.globalwinnipeg.com/world/Small majority growers support Canadian Wheat Board poll finds/5062166/story.html#ixzz1RYJwBizr
By Mia Rabson, Winnipeg Free Press
OTTAWA — A small majority of prairie farmers support the Canadian Wheat Board's single-desk system for selling wheat and barley, but support has declined a little in the last year, a new survey for the CWB shows.
According to the CWB's 2011 producer survey, 59 per cent of prairie farmers support the monopoly requiring prairie wheat and barley farmers to market all grain for export or domestic consumption through the CWB. A year ago, support was 64 per cent. In 2009, it was 63 per cent and in 2008 it was 57 per cent.
The survey, released by the board Wednesday, comes as the agency begins mailing ballots to farmers in a plebiscite some hope will save the board from the federal government's legislative hammer.
Ballots will be mailed to more than 68,000 producers next week, asking them whether they support the monopoly. The CWB has hired the accounting firm MNP to oversee the vote. MNP also conducts director elections for the wheat board and in 2007 held another plebiscite on the wheat board's monopoly for the Manitoba government.
In that vote, 69.5 per cent of wheat farmers in Manitoba and 61.8 per cent of barley farmers wanted to keep the monopoly.
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz will introduce a bill this fall to end the 70-year monopoly the Canadian Wheat Board has had over most wheat and barley sales in the prairie provinces.
Ritz says it doesn't matter to his government how many support the single-desk system — if any farmers want to sell their grain elsewhere, they should be allowed to do so.
"No expensive survey should ever trump the rights of those farmers who want to choose how they market their own grain."
However CWB chair Allen Oberg says it is "astonishing" Ritz doesn't actually care what most farmers are saying.
"We've pledged to respect the results whatever they may be," said Oberg. "I would hope the minister would do the same."
Oberg says the current legislation requires the government to let producers decide the fate of the monopoly system.
Active farmers who have sold wheat or barley through the CWB in the last five years are eligible to vote. Ballots are due back by Aug. 24 and results are expected around Sept. 10. That is before the House of Commons resumes after its summer break and therefore before Ritz can introduce the legislation.
The Manitoba government is also lobbying against the bill with an advertising campaign. The province and the CWB are also circulating a petition hoping to pressure the government to at least let producers decide the monopoly's fate.
Richard Phillips, executive director of the Grain Growers of Canada, said the province and the CWB would be better to spend their money on studies and economic-impact plans for the CWB and the port of Churchill once the monopoly is gone. Phillips said since Ritz has indicated this plebiscite will have no impact, it's a waste of time and money.
"If they'd spend money on that it would lay out a business case for the future," said Phillips.
He said the CWB could potentially find new business marketing other crops and the port could look to other crops for shipping through Churchill as well.
"If they want to keep jobs in Winnipeg that's what they have to do," he said.
Oberg said the plebiscite will cost about $275,000, the same as it costs to hold director elections.
The CWB survey was conducted of 900 producers in the three prairie provinces. It is considered accurate within 3.24 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Small majority growers support Canadian Wheat Board poll finds/5062166/story.html
mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
Read more: http://www.globalwinnipeg.com/world/Small majority growers support Canadian Wheat Board poll finds/5062166/story.html#ixzz1RYJwBizr
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