April 2005

Welcome to Choice Matters. The issue of marketing choice continues to stir emotion and controversy amongst western Canadian wheat and barley producers. The debate over the monopoly power and the role of the Canadian Wheat Board has brewed for many years. The debate has not been fruitless; changes have been made. Producers have more options now on how to market their grain then ever before.

Have the changes gone far enough? Are the realities of international trade and competition about to force change faster than anticipated? And as producers continue to look for more ways to add value to the product they grow, will they seek more rapid and sweeping changes to the current grain marketing system?

There is no doubt that international trade pressures will have a fundamental impact on Canada's grain marketing system. Change is on the horizon and grain producers want to know how the Canadian Wheat Board and the federal government are preparing for the impending transition.

These are some of the issues that are pressing on our grain industry right now and the Choice Matters website offers many different perspectives on the future of Canada's grain marketing system.

As Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, I'm committed to achieving marketing choice for Alberta's wheat and barley growers. Be sure to make your opinion known to your Member of Parliament and your Canadian Wheat Board director. Visit this website often to find updated information about marketing choice and provide us with your feedback. You are the true driver of change.

Hon. Doug Horner, Minister of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Development 

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