Minister Ritz Cranks up the HEAT!

[TOM4CWB]

MINISTER RITZ BRINGS TOGETHER CANADIAN WHEAT BOARD AND BARLEY INDUSTRY



OTTAWA, Ontario, January 17, 2008 – The Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, announced today that he will be calling on the Canadian Wheat Board to meet with industry groups, producers, grain handlers and malting companies with the aim of discussing the future of the barley industry. The meeting is set to take place on January 29, 2008 in Ottawa and will focus on finding ways to move toward marketing choice for barley growers.



"There is obviously a major gap between what producers and the industry want and where the Canadian Wheat Board insists on going," said Minister Ritz. "It’s high time the CWB stops fighting with producers and gets in a room with them to start hammering out real options for marketing choice."



The Minister is calling for the meeting following widespread criticism of the CWB’s recent announcement of the CashPlus program. Grower groups, grain handlers and malting companies have rejected the program as a half-measure falling far short of true marketing choice.



“The CWB has obviously ignored industry in putting this program together,” said the Minister. “Had they listened to growers and industry groups, they would have known that this alternative is unworkable. Now the CWB is forcing the program on the industry by refusing to sell new-crop malting barley to maltsters until they sign on to the new program.”



Industry groups have advised the Minister that they have sent repeated requests to the Canadian Wheat Board for such a meeting which have gone unanswered.



"That is unacceptable and the Government will ensure farmers are heard," concluded Minister Ritz. "It is time the CWB really listens and starts to put farmer and industry interests ahead of their own. This meeting will be a perfect opportunity to do so."



-30-



For more information, media may contact:



Media Relations

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Ottawa, Ontario

613-759-7972

1-866-345-7972



Todd MacKay

Director of Communications

Office of the Honourable Gerry Ritz

613-759-1059

[charliep]

and here is Madame CWB Deanna's response
hmm what has she not figured out?? consulting with producers? they have our support?
Yes they are in discussions with the trade yet they have told the CWB to go to H E double hockey sticks!
perhaps she does not know how severe the whole situation is?
Erik


Canadian Wheat board<** official (Wheat-Board-Barley)
WINNIPEG - Officials with the **>Canadian Wheat Board<** deny
accusations by the federal agriculture minister that they're not
listening to producers or the industry after introducing a new
program on barley marketing.
Gerry Ritz has called on the board to join a meeting of producers
and industry officials in Ottawa Jan. 29, saying there's a `major
gap' between what producers and the industry want and where the
board is going with its new program.
Deanna Allen, a spokeswoman for the board, calls the blunt tone
of a news release by the minister `baffling.'
She says it infers the board is stonewalling, makes accusations
that the board isn't consulting or listening to industry and is
overriding the views of producers.
Allen says all those criticisms are untrue, and points out the
board has held extensive consultations with industry officials in
recent months to answer their concerns about ensuring stability in
barley markets.
She wonders whether Ritz is sending a message about a plan to
develop an unregulated North American barley marketing system to
board directors, who will meet in Winnipeg Jan. 30 - one day after
the meeting in Ottawa.
(The Canadian Press)

[Raven]

"an unregulated North American barley marketing system" would solve alot of problems and is simple to achieve by the granting of export licences in the west. That's all the East has ever had under the same legislation.

[Raven]

good thoughts there Kodiak
The CWB did hold 6 malt barley focus groups last fall, by invite only, I got slammed by Deanna for posting those dates here as they wanted them low key and only to the invitees. I asked if any barley producer that didn't have a permit book was invited - Deanna said no.
So six small meetings, then meeting with the trade, who at the end turned them down, then they post CashPlus to farmers via a podcast?? (WHAT??)
then finally after the maltsters , WGEA and the Minister all vocally reject the plan they introduce it to the general farm population saying just give it a chance.
Sorry Deanna, really, are you listening??

[Fransisco]

Geez, it sounds like the CWB PR department is channeling Baghdad Bob again.