The Canadian Wheat Board is suspending two small grain storage programs immediately and may suspend more significant programs.
“Given the uncertainty surrounding the CWB’s future, these programs cannot be offered at this time,” said CWB spokesperson Louise Waldman about the Wheat Storage Program and the Churchill Storage Program.
Both paid farmers to hold high quality board grains into the following crop year until buyers could be found.
The former paid farmers a fee to hold onto high protein wheat, while the latter paid farmers only in the Churchill catchment area to hold onto grain for that port.
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Since 2008, 712 farmers have used the programs and 165,000 tonnes have been moved through them.
While the Wheat Storage and Churchill Storage Programs are small programs, the future of other board programs, such as the large ones in the Producer Payment Options, are also in question.
With the board not knowing what its mandate, powers, finances or share of prairie grain crops will be in the 2012-13 crop year, it may be unable to offer programs for that crop year.
“I think it’s reasonable to assume we will be looking at all our programs and looking at … if we can offer them given the uncertainty that we’re facing right now,” said Waldman.
The storage programs are being suspended because they would normally begin to be offered at this time of the year.
Other programs have later start dates and will likely be dealt with as the transition process unfolds and decisions are required.
Neither of the storage programs requires much staffing, but the board’s PPO programs involve many staff.
In recent years millions of tonnes of board grains have been priced through PPOs.
