It probably wasn’t prairie wheat that the Ukrainian state grain agency recently rejected.
“Our sources are telling us that it was not wheat from Western Canada,” said Canadian Wheat Board spokesperson Rheal Cenerini.
Reuters News Agency recently reported that a shipment of Canadian wheat was rejected by Ukraine because of quality problems.
Ontario Wheat Producers Marketing Board general manager Larry Shapton said there are rumours the wheat came from Ontario, but he doesn’t believe it was Ontario wheat board product.
“I’ve been trying to find out myself,” said Shapton.
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The Ontario wheat board no longer has a marketing monopoly, so the wheat could have been sold and shipped outside the board system by a private company.
Also, Ontario wheat board export wheat is now sold through a grain broker who takes possession of the wheat at Great Lakes terminals, so even if it was wheat sold through the Ontario board, information about the problem might take some time to arise.
Shapton said he wants to know where the grain came from and who sold it, because the widespread rumours about the Ukrainian rejection are dangerous for Ontario wheat.
“To have it smeared all over the world that there’s quality problems with Ontario wheat concerns me quite a bit,” said Shapton.
“What was (the problem)? Protein? Contamination? Fusarium? What was it,” wondered Shapton.
“Everybody wants to know.”
Cenerini said the CWB has been selling wheat to Ukraine through an accredited exporter who says there have been no problems with prairie grain.
“Any wheat that was moved into that market from Western Canada was well received by the Ukrainian authorities,” said Cenerini.
