WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
April 1, 2008
By Larry Kusch
QUOTE
"Legislation before Parliament to end the Canadian Wheat Board's barley sales monopoly is creating uncertainty among buyers that could lead to lost Prairie sales, the board's departing chairman said Monday.
Ken Ritter stepped down last week as CWB chairman at the conclusion of a directors meeting in Winnipeg. He was replaced by Larry Hill, a Swift Current, Sask., farmer who, like Ritter, is a strong supporter of the wheat board's single desk marketing powers.
Ritter, who will remain a director until the end of the year, said grain buyers don't like uncertainty, but that's what they face when looking at buying malting barley from Canada these days.
"If you're a buyer, who do you buy from?" he said, adding neither the wheat board nor the private trade can absolutely guarantee delivery for the coming crop year at this point in time.
That could lead buyers to gravitate to Canada's competitors, such as Australia, if other sellers have a quality product.
"It could lead to lost sales," Ritter said.
A bill to end the CWB monopoly has received first reading in the House of Commons, but it's still uncertain when MPs will begin to debate it. House leaders for the various parties are still negotiating the timing of such a debate. Opposition parties have so far been cool to the bill, and the Conservatives are in a minority in the House.
Even if the Commons were to pass the bill before it rises for the summer, on June 20, there's no guarantee it would get through the Senate unscathed, Ritter said. Meanwhile, it's unlikely any changes to the wheat board's mandate would be made after Aug. 1, the start of the grain industry crop year.
Ritter said if the legislation is doomed to failure, it should be dropped.
"Creating just a whole bunch of confusion and just leaving a bill sitting on the table when Parliament adjourns is very unhelpful and very disruptive," said Ritter, who cannot run for re-election to another four-year term on the CWB board this fall because of term limit rules.
Two other incumbents -- Ian McCreary, a monopoly supporter like Ritter, and Jim Chatenay, who opposes the single desk -- also must retire from the board this year. The elections, which will take place this fall in five of 10 Prairie electoral districts, could change the balance of power on the CWB board -- now narrowly controlled by pro-monopoly supporters.
Ritter said the timing was right for a new person to take over as chairman, as the wheat board's new president and CEO, former Australian sugar marketer Ian White, begins his job this week. White, who was unavailable for comment on Monday, takes over from interim CEO Greg Arason.
Hill, 64, said in an interview he was pleased by the appointment, which was made by the board of directors, a group consisting of five government appointees and 10 elected farmers.
"It's going to be an interesting and challenging role. It's going to be a learning opportunity, and I'm looking forward to the challenge," he said.
Hill and White come to their jobs as the relationship between the wheat board and the federal government is arguably at an all-time low over the barley marketing issue.
"My point of view is that we have to maintain a professional and respectful approach and we'll try to work with the government on any issue we can," said Hill.
"Obviously, if we don't agree on an issue, if board policy doesn't agree with the government on an issue, we can't make the kind of headway there we would like. But I think there will be issues of concern to farmers where we should all work together, and we're certainly going to try to do that."
larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca "
UNQUOTE
Parsley
April 1, 2008
By Larry Kusch
QUOTE
"Legislation before Parliament to end the Canadian Wheat Board's barley sales monopoly is creating uncertainty among buyers that could lead to lost Prairie sales, the board's departing chairman said Monday.
Ken Ritter stepped down last week as CWB chairman at the conclusion of a directors meeting in Winnipeg. He was replaced by Larry Hill, a Swift Current, Sask., farmer who, like Ritter, is a strong supporter of the wheat board's single desk marketing powers.
Ritter, who will remain a director until the end of the year, said grain buyers don't like uncertainty, but that's what they face when looking at buying malting barley from Canada these days.
"If you're a buyer, who do you buy from?" he said, adding neither the wheat board nor the private trade can absolutely guarantee delivery for the coming crop year at this point in time.
That could lead buyers to gravitate to Canada's competitors, such as Australia, if other sellers have a quality product.
"It could lead to lost sales," Ritter said.
A bill to end the CWB monopoly has received first reading in the House of Commons, but it's still uncertain when MPs will begin to debate it. House leaders for the various parties are still negotiating the timing of such a debate. Opposition parties have so far been cool to the bill, and the Conservatives are in a minority in the House.
Even if the Commons were to pass the bill before it rises for the summer, on June 20, there's no guarantee it would get through the Senate unscathed, Ritter said. Meanwhile, it's unlikely any changes to the wheat board's mandate would be made after Aug. 1, the start of the grain industry crop year.
Ritter said if the legislation is doomed to failure, it should be dropped.
"Creating just a whole bunch of confusion and just leaving a bill sitting on the table when Parliament adjourns is very unhelpful and very disruptive," said Ritter, who cannot run for re-election to another four-year term on the CWB board this fall because of term limit rules.
Two other incumbents -- Ian McCreary, a monopoly supporter like Ritter, and Jim Chatenay, who opposes the single desk -- also must retire from the board this year. The elections, which will take place this fall in five of 10 Prairie electoral districts, could change the balance of power on the CWB board -- now narrowly controlled by pro-monopoly supporters.
Ritter said the timing was right for a new person to take over as chairman, as the wheat board's new president and CEO, former Australian sugar marketer Ian White, begins his job this week. White, who was unavailable for comment on Monday, takes over from interim CEO Greg Arason.
Hill, 64, said in an interview he was pleased by the appointment, which was made by the board of directors, a group consisting of five government appointees and 10 elected farmers.
"It's going to be an interesting and challenging role. It's going to be a learning opportunity, and I'm looking forward to the challenge," he said.
Hill and White come to their jobs as the relationship between the wheat board and the federal government is arguably at an all-time low over the barley marketing issue.
"My point of view is that we have to maintain a professional and respectful approach and we'll try to work with the government on any issue we can," said Hill.
"Obviously, if we don't agree on an issue, if board policy doesn't agree with the government on an issue, we can't make the kind of headway there we would like. But I think there will be issues of concern to farmers where we should all work together, and we're certainly going to try to do that."
larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca "
UNQUOTE
Parsley
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