Western Canadian Wheat Growers stuck in their own rhetorical mud

The Western Canadian Wheat Growers are stuck in their own rhetorical mud and again attacking the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB).

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Their charge is that western Canadian farmers are missing out on the recent rally in wheat prices. But wait a minute—they were saying the same thing during the price rally of 2007. And what happened in 2007? A farmer selling #1 12.5 % protein hard red spring wheat through the CWB in August of 2007 received about $8.53 CDN per bushel at the farm gate. And what was the price where there was no Wheat Board and only the open market to sell into? Well, farmers in the United States were selling hard red spring wheat in August of 2007 for $5.53 US per bushel. The reality is that all farmers that are selling grain through the CWB during price rallies are fully participating in that rally. Over and over again, through the Auditor General’s report and 14 international trade tribunals the CWB has been found to be making good use of its single desk marketing advantages. If the Western Canadian Wheat Growers want to undercut their neighbours and sell all their wheat in August and September for almost $3 per bushel less than the CWB that’s fine, but I don’t think they should be able to drag all other farmers down with them. Yours truly, Stewart Wells Swift Current, Saskatchewan