Barley Plebiscite

[Vader]

CANADA’S NEW GOVERNMENT TO LISTEN TO FARMERS WITH PLEBISCITE ON BARLEY
OTTAWA, Ontario, October 31, 2006 — The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, announced today that a plebiscite will be held early in the new year on the marketing of barley.

“I believe farmers are prepared to express their views on how barley is marketed in Canada,” said Minister Strahl. “Canada’s New Government will consult with stakeholders, and I will develop a plebiscite question that will be clear and decided by a broad base of voters.”

A task force report on implementing marketing choice, which was released Monday, recommended a four-stage transition from a Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) with monopoly powers to a marketing choice environment. The report concluded that a new CWB, owned by farmers, could thrive and create value without monopoly selling powers for wheat and barley.

“The task force suggests a phased-in transition and I agree,” said Minister Strahl. “The report recommends legislation as the first step, but I’m recommending consultation. A plebiscite is a very important way of consulting.”

Minister Strahl said, “Canada’s New Government is committed to moving forward in providing marketing choice to western grain farmers, allowing them to maximize their returns, while continuing to preserve a strong CWB.”

For more information on marketing choice, please visit www.agr.gc.ca/cwb.

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For more information, media may contact:

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa
613-759-7972
1-866-345-7972

Jeff Howard
Press Secretary
Minister Strahl's office
613-759-1059

[charliep]

Will the CWB be releasing the studies/other material that provide back up for the $59 mln benefit CWB barley benefit in the Task force report? Similar question for other CWB studies that provide the documentation of the purported benefits?

[agstar77]

Why bother releasing information open marketers wouldn't believe it or say it doesn't tell the whole story? Anything to discredit the CWB. Just look at some of the posts saying directors can't tell whether they are getting a premium, and they see all of the sales!

[charliep]

Agstar

Then verbally, what value does the CWB provide barley? No response or religious retoric means you agree single desk provides no value to barley.

By the way, the report from 1997 has been redone in 2005. What is the harm in releasing it? Why shouldn't it have peer group review including those who support single desk?

[charliep]

By the way, ignoring the facts goes both ways. You can run through the posting on agri-ville and see evidence of how the CWB reduces value to farmers. I note the CWB support side has ignored most if not all of these.

I will leave the case for and against the plebiscite alone. Given a decision has been made, the next steps for both sides will be to build a business case for barley marketing.

[WRAPper]

Charlie (save you from the phone call here) Can the CWB release information or is that going to violate the gag order? Or is that order going to be rescinded or amended? Not picking sides just wondering?

[chaffmeister]

agstar - afraid you still don't get it. We are simply asking for the supporting documentation for these CWB-supporting studies - not the studies themselves. Without it the studies do indeed fail to tell the whole story.

If you would only prove (and I mean PROVE) the benefit, the surveys may actually shift in the CWB's favour.

At the very least, farmers could vote knowledgeably in the plebiscite.

As for my posts saying directors can't tell whether they are getting a premium - I gave a detailed example of what they might not understand and you still have failed to respond in defence.

I'm left thinking you can't. (Why do you keep throwing that one out when you clearly can't defend it?

I think we have a communication problem: I like to deal in concrete facts whereas you prefer platitudes.

[wd9]

You heard it here first, chaff is left thinking! Oh I see, he is left (pause) thinking

[chaffmeister]

Yes - and I am right, thinking that Vader and agstar will continue to duck the pointed questions. And so I am left, thinking they can't answer them!