WARTMAN QUESTIONS ALBERTA'S BILL ABANDONING CWB

Saskatchewan's Minister of Agriculture has come out firmly on the side of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) in the recent debate over the Alberta government's proposed bill that would allow Alberta producers to sell their wheat and barley outside the CWB.

"Farmers collectively should choose the type of marketing structure that best meets their needs – not the Alberta government," Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization Minister Mark Wartman said today. "The CWB's governance structure, which includes elected farmer representatives, gives Prairie farmers the ability to change the CWB."

"Furthermore, it is well known that the CWB was previously challenged in court and the right of the CWB to operate as it has been structured has been upheld."

Wartman noted that independent studies of the CWB have shown that it provides a positive benefit to prairie farmers. For example, recent benchmarking research conducted by the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Saskatchewan indicates Canadian producers' farm gate wheat returns for 2000-01 were $10.49 per tonne higher, compared to returns under market conditions without CWB single-desk selling.

"The cause of prairie farmers would be better served if the Government of Alberta would work with other governments to press for federal trade injury payments and for a cost-share formula on agricultural programs that is fair to provincial taxpayers," Wartman said.

-30-

For More Information, Contact:

Scott Brown Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization Regina Phone: (306) 787-4031