Agri News October 21, 2011

The Southeast

A Monthly Newspaper for the Agriculture Industry Issue No. 143

October 21, 2011

A Supplement to the Southeast Trader Express

Young Aubrie Holinaty’s golden locks matched the harvest colours in her uncle Pat’s wheat field near North Portal last month as she set out to do a little crop inspection with her family. Photo courtesy of Don Holinaty.

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SOUTHEAST AGRI NEWS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2011

Harvest completed across the province What little amount of crop that was seeded in southeast Saskatchewan this spring and summer has now been harvested according to information released by Saskatchewan Agriculture in their weekly crop report issued Oct. 6.

A week of warm harvest weather in early October allowed producers to get most of the crop in the bin with 98 per cent of the 2011 crop having been combined by that date. The five-year provincial average was 83 per cent combined.

Crops in the southeast and southwest were reported to be 97 per cent completed by Oct. 6 with the east-central, westcentral and northeastern regions sitting at 98 per cent, and the northwest

at 96 per cent combined.

Durum, spring wheat and barley crops were at 98 per cent completed, while 97 per cent of the canola and 78 per cent of the flax crops had been combined and put away.

Topsoil moisture was rated as two per cent surplus across the province as of early October with 50 per cent rated as adequate, 40 per cent short while eight per cent of the land was considered to be very short. While in many sectors in the extreme southeast, the word flooded out was still the operative phrase.

Hay and pasture land moisture was considered to be good with one per cent in surplus condition while another 49 per cent was rated as adequate, 40 per cent short and 10 per

cent being very short.

Crop yields were reported to be average to above average with the exception of the south and southeast where moisture

conditions were in excess in the spring, thus setting crop quality back a bit. Over the rest of the province, the quality was considered to be good,

but in some areas ergot and frost damage brought about some downgrading.

The farming community is now busy completing the harvest operations

in a few corners, hauling bales and grain, cleaning corrals and controlling weeds in the areas they can get to in this part of the province.

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The finished harvest product, set up by Ray Neuman just north of Estevan. The sheaves will be used for feeding the old-style threshing machine at next summer’s Frobisher Threshermen’s Day.

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Published monthly in Southeast Saskatchewan by the Prairie Newspaper Group., a subsidiary of Glacier Media. The Glacier group of companies collects personal information from our customers in the normal course of business transactions. We use that information to provide you with our products and services you request. On occasion we may contact you for purposes of research, surveys and other such matters. To provide you with better service we may share your personal information with our sister companies and also outside, selected third parties who perform work for us as suppliers, agents, service providers and information gatherers. Our subscription list may be provided to other organizations who have products and services that may be of interest to you. If you do not wish to participate in such matters, please contact us at the following address: The Southeast AgriNews, Box 730, Estevan, Saskatchewan, S4A 2A6; or phone (306) 634-2654. For a complete statement of our privacy policy, please go to our Website at: www.estevanmercury.ca The Southeast AgriNews is owned and operated by Boundary Publishers Ltd., a subsidiary of Glacier Ventures International Corp.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program toward our mailing costs.

Editor: Norm Park Publisher: Peter Ng Advertising Manager: Cindy Beaulieu email: normpark@estevanmercury.ca 68 Souris Avenue, Estevan Phone: 634-2654 Fax: 634- 3934

SOUTHEAST AGRI NEWS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2011

Page 3

The old John Deere binder being manipulated by Ray Neuman held between five and seven sheaves of oats on the table before kicking them out. The binders could also be drawn by horses that Neuman said were trained to follow the lines of sheaves and stooked grains using simple voice commands.

Old time harvest equipment brought out one more time

by Norm Park for Agri-news They were clearly enjoying the outing, although Ray Neuman noted with a slight smile that “I’m probably getting too old to be doing this.”

The two veteran farmers were out on a small acreage along Highway 47 north on Oct. 17, bringing in a good looking crop of oats.

The weather conditions were nearly ideal with a slight breeze and a temperature of 11 degrees under a sunny sky.

There was nothing unusual about that, other than the fact that it was a rather late harvest.

What really attracted the attention though, was the equipment.

The two men were using “stuff” that had been relegated to the scrap heap years ago, but had been revived, and lightly refurbished, to bring in this special crop.

Ray Neuman Neuman sat aboard an old John Deere binder that had clearly been tucked away in a discard pile for several years, but was deemed to be in working order with the assistance of a little loving care and attention.

Ron Schlapkohl was aboard an ancient low horsepower Case tractor that was

pulling the binder at a slow trot pace around the field while the wooden binder blades hacked the oats and placed them into piles ready for stooking.

“These are the oats that we’ll be using for the Frobisher Threshermen’s Days next summer,” said Neuman, referring to the pioneer-style event that sees

Ron Schlapkohl old threshing equipment in order too, so they resurhauled out to do a little rected the old tractor of ungrain separating work on the known vintage and hooked sports grounds. The farmers it up to the old binder, also pitch in with pitchforks, of unknown vintage, and delivering the crop from an discovered that they worked old wagon into turn-of-the- well.And with the two men century threshing machines. also working in tandem, they With the pioneer spirit got the job done. in mind, the two men deDuring the process the cided that a little old-time two were greeted by the harvest of the oats might be blasts of a few horns from

semi-trailer drivers who were passing by the scene on the nearby highway. They were no doubt appreciating the efforts and maybe wishing they could have been a part of it.

“We’ll use up about a half-ball of twine here,” said Neuman during a brief lull in the slow-motion action in the small field that belongs to him.

“We hauled the old binder out of the junk heap,” he said with a smile.

Neuman is well known in the area as a resident fixer-upper for old and even ancient farm equipment. He is usually seen at pioneer farming events with some of his old tractors or other farm equipment, willing to share the experience of what it was like about 75 to 100 years ago on the early Saskatchewan farms. This was just another example of how much fun old farm equipment can give you and no GPS system was deemed necessary.

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SOUTHEAST AGRI NEWS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2011

OPINION

Carla Debnam from Churchbridge was declared the winner of the 2010 Great Saskatchewan Stuck in the Muck photo contest sponsored by the Flaman Group of Companies.

Why aren’t the young people flocking to the farms? by: Norm Park

Stuck in the Muck contest is back for another filthy year!

They’re back!

The crazy contest that caught the interest of the agriculture community last year is back again, thanks in large part to a second straight soggy spring and summer in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The Flaman Group of Companies announced this past week that due to the surprising popularity of their contest, which started out last year as a simple regional stress-reliever to help farmers and ranchers get through

JOHN DEERE

some tough slugging in the mud invested fields, they just had to bring it back since so many fields and pastures were again inundated with too much water this year, making the seeding to harvest seasons another major challenge.

So once again, the prizes are being supplied by Flaman, but the bragging rights belong to the participants and the contest is rolling out to include every farmer or rancher in Canada since it seems soggy seeding opera-

tions can happen anywhere.

“Farmers compete to win a tow rope and bragging rights and the voting is underway,” said Jennifer Thompson, Flaman’s spokeswoman. “The Great Stuck in the Muck Photo Contest is on.”

It’s the second year for this online contest and it’s based on the success of last year, which was restricted in its scope. This year, everyone in the industry can get an entry in.

The contest (www.

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stuckinthemuck.com) started as a place for farmers to upload and share photos of their equipment stuck in the mud after record rainfall in Saskatchewan in 2010 left many in sticky situations. The site has evolved to a place where farmers can share stories and help one another with problems they face while farming wet fields, said the Flaman release.

“We added a Getting Unstuck Tips forum where producers left helpful information on how they got their combine or tractor unstuck, along with their photos,” said Thompson who is part of the marketing team for the company that has locations in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia and Ontario.

“Anyone visiting the site can leave comments. It’s really created a sense of community among producers, whether they’re in Picture Butte, Alberta or Wakaw, Saskatchewan. We call it Facebook for farmers — a place where they can share common experiences and have some fun.”

Visitors to the website can vote for their favourite photos in a variety of categories like Best Sprayer Stuck, Best Truck Stuck of Muddiest Digger.

Along with winning a new tow rope, the top photos will appear in a 2012 calendar with proceeds from calendar sales supporting local charities.

“We already have more than 600 votes and voting has only been open for a few days,” said Thompson.

“We’re really excited to see the final results.”

Each participant may vote for each photo once a day at the above mentioned site until Oct. 31. Winners will be announced in early November and as well as the adjudicated winners, there will also be some random entry winners declared so everyone has a chance to win.

So why aren’t more young people getting involved in farming and ranching?

Quite frankly we don’t know. But we’re allowed to take a few guesses.

We have heard the arguments that farming is just too hard for this generation. But we don’t quite believe that.

We have heard that farming has just gone too corporate; that real farmers still want to embrace the culture of the farm family not the farming corporation. We believe that argument carries some weight.

We have heard farming is just too volatile in terms of marketing and production. Concentrated efforts and the hard work are never rewarded enough. Again, quite true, but then that adage can hold true in a lot of occupations like the oil industry or being in a retail ownership or management situation. There is enough market volatility for everyone to share these days.

So while it’s difficult to put a designated finger on a precise reason why young people aren’t flocking to farming and ranching, we can still urge them to do so because the lifestyle can be like no other for those who care to know how to embrace it.

Agriculture constitutes eight per cent of the entire gross domestic production of Canada, so it’s not a small industry. And the fact we just called it an industry, is perhaps one of the reasons we’re not seeing a big buy-in from today’s youth. They don’t want to run an agricultural industry or corporation, they want to run a ranch or a farm.

One in eight jobs in Canada can be attributed to agriculture, but there are also tens of thousands of families who are still considered to have direct affiliation to the farm as a bonafide farm family and proud to bear the title.

Lately there has been a move afoot for consumers to make a concentrated effort to buy locally grown foods. It’s a noble effort, not always possible, but still the effort raises the consciousness and awareness that there are people out there who are growing things that keep us alive and maybe we should pay them a little attention.

If we can purchase locally produced breads, pastas, turkeys and chickens as well as the saskatoon berry and pumpkin pies, then we’re doing a little bit to keep the farm family concept alive.

There is plenty of locally raised poultry and locally grown vegetables and beef and fruits and cheese and we even have a Saskatchewan-based brewery we can support if we care to.

We may not have locally grown coffee, but we can make a concerted effort to buy fair trade coffee, to enable hard-pressed farmers in other countries to realize a small profit instead of being gouged by the large corporations who have taken over most of the plantations and left them as serfs on their own land, if, in fact, they still own any land. It’s hard to tell sometimes.

This incorporation of farms is coming to the Canadian Prairies and in fact it’s already well entrenched. So the best we can do at this juncture is to urge you to support the family farmers while you still can because the whole industry (there goes that word again) will soon be reduced (or elevated, depending on whose side of the argument you’re on) to the next quarterly financial results and shareholder dividends with the shareholders being other major corporations.

These people don’t care much about golden sunsets, or whether it rained at all in July or how you got the alternator repaired on the tractor. They only study results and they study those results from afar. Their wing-tipped polished shoes will never have to dodge steer dung in a corral or squish a grasshopper.

So maybe that’s why there aren’t a lot of young people making their way toward the seeders and combines these days. They have seen the future and they’re not that excited about it. Farming and ranching as a job isn’t nearly as exciting as doing it for the love of family and for the lifestyle it can provide.

SOUTHEAST AGRI NEWS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2011

Page 5

A Slow But Sure Harvest

This small crop of oats was coming down the good old fashioned way on Oct. 18 as Ray Neuman (on the binder) and Ron Schlapkohl aboard the old tractor got some product ready for next year’s pioneer Threshermen’s Day in Frobisher.

Cattlemen welcome flood PM restates intentions relief funding initiatives with Regina visit The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) has welcomed this past summer’s announcement of $448 million in funding assistance for producers affected by the extremely wet conditions on the Prairies.

The AgriRecovery assistance that was announced by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba is being used to help producers dealing with excess moisture and flooding to better handle their respective situations.

The assistance will help producrs restore damaged cropland and help them address costs of feeding their breeding herds.

Through the Growing Forward plan, Saskatchewan will receive a Feedlot Assistance Program for improvements to the clay base, ensuring feedlots can continue to operate in an environmentally responsible manner.

CCA vice-president Martin Unrau said the assistance was needed as producers continued to be

impacted by the extraordinary wet conditions and unprecedented flooding experienced across the Prairies. The CCA said they will continue to press for improved disaster response programs and Unrau said the assistance announced in the late summer was a good start.

“This initiative will bring some relief to producers who are dealing with a range of issues as a result of the flooding,” Unrau said.

The CCA said they urged governments to continue working together toward a solution for other regions where extreme flooding caused challenges to future feeding capacity, noting that the Saskatchewan program could serve as a template.

The assistance, announced by Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Gerry Ritz, provided support of $30 per eligible acre for cropland that could not be seeded as of June 20 of this year and cropland that was seeded but then flooded out on or before

July 11.

Livestock producers were also invited to apply for financial assistance to help witdh the costs of feeding their breeding herds and transporting feed or livestock due to the impact of the floods.

Specific programs were designed and provided by each province.

The Saskatchewan Feedlot Program will permit improvements in the clay base of up to $250,000.

“This assistance, along with the expanded eligibility list for tax deferrals in Manitoba and Saskatchewan announced earlier, is appreciated,” Unrau said. “It came at a time when producers needed it most and allowed them to make informed decisions well before the winter feeding season.”

The expanded tax deferral list allows eligible producers in designated areas to defer income tax on the sale of breeding livestock for one year, to help replenish breeding stock in the following year.

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When Prime Minister Stephen Harper made his recent trip to Saskatchewan, he reiterated the federal government’s stance and determination to dismantle the Canadian Wheat Board’s single desk marketing situation.

“Our government remains focused on strengthening the economy. This includes working to create new opportunities for western farmers,” Harper said.

The PM was in Regina to officially launch the Alliance Grain Traders Inc.’s plan to build a $50 million multi-purpose durum wheat and pulse milling facility on the city’s outskirts.

“This significant investment in Regina is positive

proof that the government’s commitment to opening Canada’s grain markets is attracting investors that are generating new jobs and economic growth.”

The new wheat and pulse milling facility is expected to generate 150 construction jobs and a further 60 full-time operations jobs when it is completed.

Alliance Grain Traders Inc., already has 12 processing plants for pulse crops, all located in Canada and is now constructing the Regina facility by building on the new economic opportunity that is being created with the elimination of the single-desk wheat marketing system.

The PM’s media release

noted than an open wheat market would enable processors to more readily secure supply and allow farmers to customize their business plans to suit demand for specific quality or quantity. Most importantly, farmers and processors would be able to negotiate directly, cutting out costly red tape, administration fees and logistical inefficiencies, it said.

The federal government has indicated they are preparing to introduce legislation to eliminate the single desk at the CWB during this fall’s sitting of the House of Commons.

Canada remains as the sixth largest producer of wheat worldwide with annual sales in excess of $5 billion.

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SOUTHEAST AGRI NEWS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2011

Saskatchewan

Agriculture Month

Bringing more agriculture into classrooms, a great idea Young 4-H member shares ideas for Growing Forward programming

By Norm Park for Agri-news With October being declared Agriculture Month with the emphasis being placed on future leaders, Agri-news went looking for a young candidate who would be willing to talk a bit about how the additional funding being placed into classroom programming in 2011-12 might be used effectively.

Rachel Mack, a committed “city” kid from Estevan, but still a dedicated 4-H member provided some suggestions.

An accompanying article points out how federal and provincial governments are committing an additional $100,000 to $150,000 in the Growing Forward program for classrooms this year and next.

Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud noted that additional funding will help agriculture items reach the classroom to teach young people about farming and ranching in Saskatchewan.

Rachel, a 13-year-old junior 4-H member, sees that as a good step.

Rachel Mack “Agriculture in the day lives, especially those class would serve a pur- kids living in the cities. pose, for sure. It’s good “How do you finish for us to know about it. a calf? Most people don’t We’re in Saskatchewan,” know about that,” she said. she said with a shrug and The soft-spoken 4-H a tone that pointed out the kid, who started out as a obvious. If you’re from cloverbud member at the Saskatchewan, you better age of six, said the 4-H know something about membership for her wasn’t farming and ranching or really an option. you just might not belong.

“My dad was a memShe thinks there aren’t ber, my older sister (Alenough young people who lison, 16) is a member, know that much about it, or pretty well all of my other what it means in our every- relatives are members,”

she said.

Rachel is a busy young girl, but 4-H seems to hold precedent and priority in her schedules. She plays a lot of softball in the spring and summer, when it doesn’t interfere with 4-H activities and in the winter it’s hockey where she plays right wing for the bantam girls’ Estevan Bulldogs team. Volleyball is another sport she enjoys a lot and “it doesn’t conflict with 4-H too much. Hockey might a little,” she said.

Besides her yearly calf training, Rachel enjoys spending time with her pet Pug dog named Mac. Or maybe that’s Mack.

So what kind of resources would a 4-H kid bring to the classroom to teach other kids about the farming and ranching lifestyles and the business of agriculture?

Rachel takes only a few seconds to contemplate the question and form her answer.

“I’d bring in a 4-H judge. They know all kinds of things about agriculture, calves, steers, cows ... that stuff. They pretty well know it all, and could tell

g Salutourinfarmers for 1305 - 9th St. Estevan • 634-6456

Saskatchewan Agriculture Month

kids about it.”

A member of a beef club, Rachel said the calf selection process is important and it is usually done with the assistance of family members.

“We buy the steer, then you care for it and in the spring you really go to work with it. You have to break it to halter to lead.

We keep ours at our uncle Wes’s farm.”

The calf selection for Rachel and her sister usually begins around Agribition time in mid-November, and there isn’t too much sibling rivalry in the selection and grooming games since Allison is a category ahead of Rachel due to the age differential.

But there perhaps could be a little bit of the “my calf is better than your calf,” chiding going on once in awhile, just to keep the edge on.

“Breaking them, training them for a show, getting them up to the good weight, keeping track of what they eat, like hay and oats and how much. You have to keep track of the costs.

Dad keeps track of some of that for me,” she said,

noting how the economics of agriculture would be a good addition to practical classroom experiences.

Rachel said her favourite subject in school is mathematics, followed by physical education, and right now she’s interested in maybe pursuing a career in veterinary medicine or optometry, but naturally isn’t sure since there is a lot of time yet to form a post-secondary action plan.

What about a career in auctioneering like her father Norm?

“No, not a chance,” she said with a smile and a chuckle.

With mother Linda involved in helping merging businesses get underway through entrepreneurship programs, and her dad, who owns and operates an auctioneer service, plus their involvement in 4-H, there is a young girl out there right now who knows a thing or two about the business of ranching. She knows a bit about how input costs affect the outcomes and she thinks bringing more of the realities of agriculture into the classroom would be a great idea.

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SOUTHEAST AGRI NEWS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2011

Page 7

Saskatchewan

Agriculture Month

Growing Forward program launched during Agriculture Month Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud has proclaimed October as Agriculture Month in this province. In recognition of this special month, the federal and provincial governments are investing in future leaders of the agriculture industry.

To that end, the two senior governments are committing an additional $100,000 in Growing Forward funding to Saskatchewan’s Agriculture in the Classroom program in 2011-12.

“Agriculture is the backbone of this country, and we encourage everyone to celebrate Canadian farmers this month and every month,” said federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. “We are pleased to support the education of energetic and entrepreneurial new entrants to this sector. Together we will ensure the sector remains successful and prosperous for years to come.”

“Our government is committed to supporting our province’s youth, who are vital to the future success of the agriculture industry,” Bjornerud said.

“We are pleased to provide this additional funding to help Agriculture in the Classroom teach our young people about farming and ranching in Saskatchewan.”

Funding for Agriculture in the Classroom will go toward the development of interac-

Bob Bjornerud

tive agriculture-based educational resources.

The Saskatchewan 4-H program also benefits from this announcement as a portion of the funding will go to joint 4-H and Agriculture in the

Classroom initiatives.

This new funding, which was recommended by the Ministry of Agriculture’s Youth Advisory Committee, brings the total support for Agriculture in the Classroom to $150,000 in 2011-12.

In addition, Bjornerud announced the launch of the second annual Saskatchewan Agricultural Student Scholarship.

This program initiative provides 10 scholarships worth $1,000 each to 10 Saskatchewan students entering agriculture-related post-secondary studies.

Students in Grade 12 and recent graduates from across Saskatchewan are

eligible to submit a written or video essay.

Agriculture Month celebrates the people who work in the agriculture industry in Saskatchewan.

Agriculture is directly or indirectly responsible for roughly one in four jobs and generates billions of dollars for the Saskatchewan economy.

This includes areas such as farming, ranching, sales, manufacturing, research, veterinary science and processing.

“Saskatchewan farmers, ranchers and everyone

involved in the agriculture industry work extremely hard and deserve to be recognized for their efforts,” Bjornerud said.

“Agriculture Month is a great time to thank ev-

eryone who contributes to our world-class industry.”

More information regarding the programs can be gained by visiting www.agriculture.gov. sk.ca

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“Our government is committed to supporting our province’s youth, who are vital to the future success of the agriculture industry.”

- Bob Bjornerud, Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister

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Page 8

SOUTHEAST AGRINEWS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2011

Showcase tour outlined the importance of irrigation Irrigation processes in Saskatchewan received a high degree of scrutiny this past summer when 100 South Saskatchewan River Basin stakeholders joined the Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association (SIPA) on a one-day tour between Saskatoon – Outlook and Gardiner Dam. The event showcased existing economic development and opportunities for Saskatchewan.

Roger Pederson, chairman of SIPA, said he was pleased with the interest shown by the various participants that included elected officials, First Nations, academia, industry, federal, provincial and private sector agricultural and water specialists.

“It was a great opportunity for SIPA and stakeholders to dialogue on the importance of water in economic development and

the sustainability of the South Saskatchewan River Basin.”

SIPA said they wanted to see the fulfilment of the expansion of the irrigated acres that was intended back in the 1960s. In their A Time to Irrigate report, it stated that a $2.9 billion investment to complete the regional water schemes will provide an additional $12 billion of household incomes, $33 billion of gross domestic product and $58 billion in sales.

The tour provided an opportunity for retailers to see first-hand the vegetables and fruit production since they made stops at the Erlandson’s Berry Barn and the Outlook Barrich Potato Farm. The other stops included a 190 cow dairy operation and Keg Agro, a pulse processing facility.

SIPA also hosted a barbecue at the Irrigation Diversification Centre which

was established following the construction of the Gardiner Dam. The centre provides world-class irrigation research and information

on a variety of crops and practices. Current research involves solar powered pivots and improving watering efficiencies in the irrigation

equipment.

SIPA noted that food security for a global population and climate change are two big challenges that

politicians and scientists are trying to face and irrigation was one solution for both of them, providing a new economic platform for growth.

Wheat Growers applaud report The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association (WCWG) has come out in favour of the recommendations contained in the Report of the Working Group for Marketing Freedom that was released by the federal government Sept. 28.

“The report provides a good path forward on many issues relating to an open market for wheat and barley,” said Kevin Bender, the WCWG president.

The report covers eight transition issues, including access to grain handling and transporta-

tion capacity; producer cars and shortline rail companies; funding for research and market promotion; rail logistics; cash advances; farmer information requirements; price transparency; and the need to develop a business model for a voluntary Canadian Wheat Board (CWB).

“The report draws on the positive experience for all other crops we grow and concludes that market forces should also be given a chance to work for wheat and barley,” said Bender.

“The competition, invest-

ment and profitability we see for canola, oats and pulse crops certainly gives us every reason to believe we’ll soon see the same vitality in wheat and barley markets.”

The Wheat Growers said they acknowledged that work still needs to be done to develop an appropriate model to support research, market promotion and market access and they would support the formation of separate wheat and barley councils to address these issues, although they would also be open to consider other

approaches. They noted that the working group’s recommendation for federal check-off legislation to meet those particular needs over the next five years would give the industry ample time to reach the best solution.

The WCWG stated they would continue to urge the federal government to replace the existing board of directors on the CWB, replacing them with leaders who have the skills and determination to transform the wheat board into a viable, competitive marketing tool for farmers.

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