RED DEER – Jim Chatenay says it is time the Canadian Wheat Board
relinquished its control on barley sales and turned its full attention
to wheat exports.
The wheat board director from southern Alberta wants an independent
third party to handle a vote asking farmers if barley should be removed
from the board’s control.
“I take it seriously,” he said.
“I am bringing a message to the board room that this thing has popped
up again and we have to do something.”
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Chatenay’s district is a major barley growing area and the issue is
likely to be discussed at his wheat board-sponsored meeting in Red Deer
on March 5.
Chatenay said the board does not want to give up barley because it
could interfere with its more successful two-row malt barley marketing
plan, in which sales have been brisk and profitable.
“If two-row malt was worth the same amount of money as six row, I think
my case would be easier to make,” he said.
If the board does not agree to a farmer vote, Chatenay suggests a
five-year pilot project in his district where all feed and malt sales
are open.
Under the plan, farmers in the district would be allowed to contract
malt barley directly and take care of their own barley sales in Canada
and elsewhere.
The board does not feel threatened by American corn shipments into
southern Alberta, he said, but many farmers have complained the sales
are not fair because they cannot export their feed barley to the United
States without a board permit.
Fixed barley contracts with an early payment option were developed as a
compromise, but few farmers have shown interest so far this year. More
are taking advantage of the Lethbridge cash price that fetches nearly
$160 per tonne.
Chatenay believes many farmers are holding barley on the farm,
anticipating further price increases.
“There’s a hot market and they’re hoping the corn thing will slow
down,” he said.
Support for changes to the wheat board also came from the Alberta
government last week.
Addressing the Farm Tech conference in Red Deer Jan. 31, agriculture
minister Shirley McClellan said the province is not anti-wheat board,
but does oppose policies that prevent producers from getting as much
profit as they can from their grain.
Producers are capable of handling multi-million dollar operations but
are not trusted to market their products the way they choose, she said.
“When it comes to marketing it, all of a sudden they become idiots.”
Alberta Pulse Growers is also concerned about recent U.S. feed corn
sales in the province.
During their annual meeting held during Farm Tech, association members
passed a resolution asking for trade action against American corn that
they say is being dumped into Canada and depressing feed grain prices.
Past president Dennis Dalton said pulse growers must talk with other
commodity groups, including the Western Barley Growers Association and
Western Canadian Wheat Growers, to get a consensus on the issue.
