Just a note of a couple of interesting press releases. Check out ww.cwb.ca
Could find this one so will paste.
"CWBÂ Now (Article written by CWB)
Comparing apples to apples
There are many differences between producing and marketing wheat in Eastern and Western Canada that make drawing a parallel difficult. What is good for Ontario farmers is not necessarily good for farmers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Ontario farmers typically grow only about one million tonnes of wheat each year compared to approximately 11.5 million tonnes grown by western Canadian farmers. The annual wheat production in Quebec is even lower than in Ontario, so a comparison of quantity of grain production shows a vast difference.
While the flagship wheat of Western Canada is Canada Western Red Spring wheat (CWRS) - a hard red spring wheat variety, soft red and white winter wheat varieties dominate production in Eastern Canada. While flour milled from CWRS is mainly used for bread and buns, the soft varieties grown in Ontario are milled into flour used primarily to make cookies, cakes and biscuits.
Between 40 and 50 per cent of the Ontario wheat is sold to domestic millers and bakers located in Eastern Canada, compared to just 15 per cent of western Canadian wheat that is sold for domestic consumption. Most of the remainder of Ontario wheat is purchased by customers in the northeastern U.S., with a small amount purchased by the federal government for overseas food aid programs. Over 75 per cent of wheat grown in Western Canada is sold to customers located outside North America, so international market conditions govern returns to western Canadian farmers unlike eastern Canadian farmers.
In 1999, the Ontario Wheat Producers Marketing Board (OWPMB) members voted to implement a direct marketing program. This program originally gave farmers the option of marketing up to 150 000 tonnes of wheat outside the OWPMB, and this amount was increased to 200 000 tonnes in 2002. This direct marketing program created a dual market in Ontario, with farmers able to sell up to the maximum limit of wheat themselves and the OWPMB also selling to customers. The Canadian National Millers Association is opposed to the dual market, as they believe it impairs their ability to secure consistent supplies of wheat. Compare that with the CWB's ability to provide domestic mills with a reliable supply of high quality wheat.
At their annual meeting earlier this year, the OWPMB directors announced their intention to issue direct marketing licenses with no limit on tonnage for sales beginning in 2004. This will create an open wheat market in Ontario. At this time, the majority of the 10 farmer-elected directors sitting on the CWB's Board do not favour the open marketing system. They believe that the CWB is able to obtain the best returns for Prairie farmers using the power of the single desk system in North American and international markets.
Farmers should be aware of the differences that exist in wheat production across Canada. It is not as easy as comparing apples to apples"
Could find this one so will paste.
"CWBÂ Now (Article written by CWB)
Comparing apples to apples
There are many differences between producing and marketing wheat in Eastern and Western Canada that make drawing a parallel difficult. What is good for Ontario farmers is not necessarily good for farmers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Ontario farmers typically grow only about one million tonnes of wheat each year compared to approximately 11.5 million tonnes grown by western Canadian farmers. The annual wheat production in Quebec is even lower than in Ontario, so a comparison of quantity of grain production shows a vast difference.
While the flagship wheat of Western Canada is Canada Western Red Spring wheat (CWRS) - a hard red spring wheat variety, soft red and white winter wheat varieties dominate production in Eastern Canada. While flour milled from CWRS is mainly used for bread and buns, the soft varieties grown in Ontario are milled into flour used primarily to make cookies, cakes and biscuits.
Between 40 and 50 per cent of the Ontario wheat is sold to domestic millers and bakers located in Eastern Canada, compared to just 15 per cent of western Canadian wheat that is sold for domestic consumption. Most of the remainder of Ontario wheat is purchased by customers in the northeastern U.S., with a small amount purchased by the federal government for overseas food aid programs. Over 75 per cent of wheat grown in Western Canada is sold to customers located outside North America, so international market conditions govern returns to western Canadian farmers unlike eastern Canadian farmers.
In 1999, the Ontario Wheat Producers Marketing Board (OWPMB) members voted to implement a direct marketing program. This program originally gave farmers the option of marketing up to 150 000 tonnes of wheat outside the OWPMB, and this amount was increased to 200 000 tonnes in 2002. This direct marketing program created a dual market in Ontario, with farmers able to sell up to the maximum limit of wheat themselves and the OWPMB also selling to customers. The Canadian National Millers Association is opposed to the dual market, as they believe it impairs their ability to secure consistent supplies of wheat. Compare that with the CWB's ability to provide domestic mills with a reliable supply of high quality wheat.
At their annual meeting earlier this year, the OWPMB directors announced their intention to issue direct marketing licenses with no limit on tonnage for sales beginning in 2004. This will create an open wheat market in Ontario. At this time, the majority of the 10 farmer-elected directors sitting on the CWB's Board do not favour the open marketing system. They believe that the CWB is able to obtain the best returns for Prairie farmers using the power of the single desk system in North American and international markets.
Farmers should be aware of the differences that exist in wheat production across Canada. It is not as easy as comparing apples to apples"
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