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2002
October 31, 2002
Teleconference with farmer-elected directors of The Canadian Wheat Board
Two farmer-elected directors of the CWB, including the board chair, will respond to questions related to 12 Alberta farmers who have vowed to go to jail rather than pay fines related to a 1996 border protest. Participating in this news conference (from the CWB's office in Saskatoon) is Ken Ritter, Chair of the Board of Directors and director Rod Flaman.
Background
1996 : Farmers participated in border protests and were charged with breaches of the Canada Customs Act. Those who sold commercial quantities of grain into the U.S. were charged for exporting without a licence, as well as removing vehicles that had been seized by Customs officials. Those who donated nominal amounts of grain were charged only for removing seized vehicles.
After trials at three levels of court in Alberta, farmers were ordered to pay fines. The farmers have elected not to pay their fines. The CWB has no say in sentences meted out by judges in a court of law.
1997 : A vote was held among all western Canada to see whether they wished barley to be marketed with wheat under the CWB single desk. Farmers indicated they wished this, with a vote of over 62 per cent in favour.
1998 : Sweeping changes were made to the CWB through Bill C-4, an Act to Amend the Canadian Wheat Board Act. The most significant change was to the CWB’s governance structure. Prairie farmers now have direct control over CWB policy through the election of 10 of the 15 members of the board of directors. Every two years, five of the farmer-director positions are up for election. A CWB election is now underway in the odd-numbered districts (for more information, go to www.cwbelection.com).
1999 : A more responsive CWB instituted a set of Producer Payment Options (PPOs) which give farmers choice in the way they price and receive payment for their grain. The PPOs have been improved and expanded on every year since their introduction.
2002 : The Office of the Auditor General completed a comprehensive audit of CWB books and operations and concluded that the CWB accounting and reporting systems are economical and efficient, and that the CWB has a solid reputation as a strong and capable marketer.
The CWB single-desk system can extract higher prices from the market. Erosion of the single desk would diminish the combined power of Prairie farmers to maximize return for their grain.
