There is nothing Prairie grain farmers like better than a good political debate, and it seems there is
never a scarcity of topics. These days, an appropriate subject is the proliferation of farmer-owned
inland grain terminals, being built across Saskatchewan in competition with the existing system of farmer-owned co-operatives and private companies. Two are in business, four are in the works and more are predicted.
What does this development mean for farmers and the grain handling system? Hubert Esquirol, president
of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association, sees them as a symbol of farmer freedom from the
dominance of the co-op grain companies and a regulated grain system. From the other end of the political
spectrum, Don Kelsey of the National Farmers Union sees them as a new form of “co-operativism.”
In this special report, Western Producer Saskatoon-based National Correspondent Adrian Ewins examines the reasons behind the growing number of farmer-owned elevators and their possible
implications for the existing grain handling system.
