Newsroom
2004
CWB encourages greater focus on agriculture issues during election campaign
June 4, 2004
Winnipeg - The CWB says political parties running candidates in Western Canada need to make sure that agricultural and rural issues are given prominence in the ongoing federal election campaign
"We've heard quite a bit about brokering a new deal for cities,"noted Ken Ritter, chair of the CWB's farmer-controlled board of directors. "As farmers, we'd like to hear about a new deal for agriculture, which is an essential part of a healthy and vibrant economy in Western Canada."
On May 27, Statistics Canada released some of the most dismal farm income numbers in recent memory, with net farm cash incomes for 2003 dropping an average of 64 per cent in Western Canada. "These numbers are shocking and they deserve serious attention,"Ritter said.
Instead, Ritter noted that, so far, there has been little attention paid to issues of critical concern to farmers and to rural issues in general. Among the key issues the CWB board of directors believe warrant close scrutiny, Ritter emphasized the following:
- Maintaining balance in the rail transportation sector between the financial interests of the railways and the profitability of farmers and other shippers through increased competition;
- Defending the rights of western Canadian farmers to fair market access and defending their interests in trade negotiations;
- Developing a meaningful regulatory process for crop varieties with new traits like genetic modifications; and
- Respecting farmers' democratic right to choose their grain marketing system.
Ritter said the CWB board of directors, which is non-partisan, has taken definitive policy positions on the above issues.
On the issue of transportation, Ritter noted the CWB has worked with other western Canadian shippers to change the rules governing rail transportation in order to keep freight costs down. In addition, the CWB has partnered with the federal government and the governments of Alberta and Saskatchewan to fight continued trade harassment from the U.S. and is working closely with Government of Canada officials to defend Canada in international trade discussions.
Ritter also noted the CWB has lobbied the federal government for the introduction of a cost-benefit analysis in the regulatory process to ensure new genetically modified crop varieties actually improve farmers' bottom line. And on the issue of marketing choice, the CWB believes that farmers, not politicians, are the ones who should determine what kind of marketing system there is for wheat, durum and barley in Western Canada.
Ritter said the CWB is providing policy briefs on these issues to election candidates and the farmer directors on the board look forward to participating in all-candidate forums to ensure discussion on these and other issues of importance is taking place.
More information on the CWB's position on each of these issues can be found on the CWB Web site, www.cwb.ca.
Controlled by western Canadian farmers, the CWB is the largest wheat and barley marketer in the world. As one of Canada's biggest exporters, the Winnipeg-based organization sells grain to more than 70 countries and returns all sales revenue, less
the costs of marketing, to Prairie farmers.
For more information, please contact:
Louise Waldman
Manager, Media Relations
Winnipeg, MB
(204) 983-3101
(204) 299-8398