Below is a press notice of a meeting held in Regina a week ago. Interesting now that three provinces, (even BC !) agreed that we need to move forward on barley now. As the notice mentions, close to 100% of the malt and 90 % of the feed is grown in those areas, add to that our grain trade and the Maltsters want to give producers choice. SO whats wrong? GrainVision one of the groups present has written to Greg Arason and Ken Ritter asking for a meeting. Apparently no response yet. The CWB keeps telling us that they are run by and for farmers, seems funny that they would refuse to meet with a delegation of producers! It is fully with in the means of the board of directors to adapt to moving barley marketing out of the monopoly, as producers have asked them to. So why do they refuse to do what farmers are telling them or even to meet with them?
Erik
Communiqué
Grain Marketing Forum Meeting
Regina, December 10, 2007
On December 10th, 2007, barley industry players representing the full supply chain in the three western provinces met to discuss and agree on an action plan for removing barley from the monopoly control of the Canadian Wheat Board and putting in place a process for marketing choice for wheat.
"In calling this meeting my goal was to seek consensus on what has to be done to ensure the rights of prairie barley producers who want and need marketing choice with their malt and export feed barley" states Jeff Nielsen, President Western Barley Growers Association.
"Opportunities are being lost, farmers are being denied what they want and need. We look to the CWB to be proactive, yet it is time the federal government took more decisive action", says Nielsen.
Barley farmers in Saskatchewan, Alberta and the British Columbia Peace country produce over 90% of western Canada’s total barley production of 10–12 million metric tonnes. Of this, close to 100% of the malt barley malted comes from these areas. And from the processing side, the Malting Industry Association of Canada (MIAC) has called upon the federal government to move forward with total barley deregulation by August 1, 2008 from the CWB. MIAC members represent approximately 60% of the current CWB malt barley pool volume.
Farmers, along with farm organizations, the prairie grain trade, Winnipeg Commodity Exchange, the brewing industry, independent market analysts, MIAC and the Provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. all support the government in presenting to Parliament legislative reforms to the CWB Act removing barley from the monopoly as soon as possible. Marketing choice for barley must be in place for the new crop year.
A delegation from this forum will be requesting a meeting with the CWB to impress upon them that they have the ability to give barley farmers complete choice. This proactive measure would show producers that the CWB could and can work for all producers. Minister Ritz, Minister responsible for the CWB has been contacted, and we are in the process of arranging a meeting with the Minister and staff.
WBGA, WCWGA, GrainVision, Marketing Choice Alliance
Erik
Communiqué
Grain Marketing Forum Meeting
Regina, December 10, 2007
On December 10th, 2007, barley industry players representing the full supply chain in the three western provinces met to discuss and agree on an action plan for removing barley from the monopoly control of the Canadian Wheat Board and putting in place a process for marketing choice for wheat.
"In calling this meeting my goal was to seek consensus on what has to be done to ensure the rights of prairie barley producers who want and need marketing choice with their malt and export feed barley" states Jeff Nielsen, President Western Barley Growers Association.
"Opportunities are being lost, farmers are being denied what they want and need. We look to the CWB to be proactive, yet it is time the federal government took more decisive action", says Nielsen.
Barley farmers in Saskatchewan, Alberta and the British Columbia Peace country produce over 90% of western Canada’s total barley production of 10–12 million metric tonnes. Of this, close to 100% of the malt barley malted comes from these areas. And from the processing side, the Malting Industry Association of Canada (MIAC) has called upon the federal government to move forward with total barley deregulation by August 1, 2008 from the CWB. MIAC members represent approximately 60% of the current CWB malt barley pool volume.
Farmers, along with farm organizations, the prairie grain trade, Winnipeg Commodity Exchange, the brewing industry, independent market analysts, MIAC and the Provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. all support the government in presenting to Parliament legislative reforms to the CWB Act removing barley from the monopoly as soon as possible. Marketing choice for barley must be in place for the new crop year.
A delegation from this forum will be requesting a meeting with the CWB to impress upon them that they have the ability to give barley farmers complete choice. This proactive measure would show producers that the CWB could and can work for all producers. Minister Ritz, Minister responsible for the CWB has been contacted, and we are in the process of arranging a meeting with the Minister and staff.
WBGA, WCWGA, GrainVision, Marketing Choice Alliance
Comment