CALGARY – Eighteen Alberta farmers charged with exporting grain to the U.S. without the proper permits had their cases postponed in a Lethbridge court to June 28.
The farmers, mostly from central Alberta, hauled grain to Montana April 22-23 as a protest against the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly of wheat and barley exports.
They face a minimum of $400 in fines for a first-time offence.
Dan Creighton, a spokesperson for Farmers for Justice, which is supporting the Alberta group, said the protests won’t stop. This is in spite of a federal order-in-cabinet to clear up any ambiguity over the customs act which said export licences are required.
Creighton said the farmers don’t want to be disrespectful, but they will continue to challenge the law by crossing the borders in all three prairie provinces.
“A monopoly is illegal and you cannot enforce a monopoly in court. We are so absolutely sure of that,that we’ll do anything we have to, to prove it,” he said.
