Two prominent single desk supporters will be running in District 9
during the upcoming Canadian Wheat Board elections.
Don Dewar, past-president of Keystone Agriculture Producers, announced
last week he will seek election in the district, which takes in western
and northern Manitoba and a slice of eastern Saskatchewan.
Bill Nicholson, the incumbent for District 9, confirmed this week that
he will be seeking another term in that position.
Dewar is running on a platform that supports single desk selling
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because of the “enormous market power” it gives producers.
At the same time, however, he wants further changes made to the wheat
board. He said the CWB can work better by providing farmers with more
risk management tools and by accommodating farmers wanting to diversify
or add value to their farm commodities.
“I support the single desk but not the status quo,” he said.
More market pricing options are among the things Dewar, a seed farmer
from Dauphin, Man., would like to see made available through the wheat
board.
He also thinks the board needs a clear policy on new generation
co-operatives, which enable farmers to pool their resources to pursue
value-added opportunities.
Nicholson, a grain producer at Shoal Lake, Man., said single desk
remains the key to the strength of the board.
He will be drawing attention to what he considers the successes of the
wheat board in recent years, but will also be emphasizing areas where
he thinks more changes could be made.
He thinks the board has become more transparent and accountable to
farmers. As well, he noted the efforts to be flexible by giving
producers more pricing options.
“It’s been a time of significant change and a time that demonstrated
the board is run for the benefit of farmers.”
Nicholson said his goals are to continue to build a stronger wheat
board while developing more pricing options for farmers.
On-farm buying and paying farmers to store grain are some of the ideas
he suggested warrant a look. He said the board is always under pressure
to sell prairie grain as quickly as possible to free up farmers’ bin
space. However, there are times when it could be an advantage to keep
grain stored on farms longer if prices will rise by doing that.
Nicholson also sees the wheat board as an advocate for farmers.
“I think we’ve demonstrated that in the past by standing up for farmers
on things like transportation.”
Jim Downey of Melita, Man., announced this summer that he also will be
running in District 9.
Downey, a dual market supporter, gained prominence as Manitoba’s deputy
premier and industry minister under the former Conservative government.
