The Canadian Federation of Agriculture might be a lonely voice in the arena of trade negotiations, but it just received a big round of applause from prairie grain farmers.
The Canadian Wheat Board is joining the CFA as an associate member, something CFA president Bob Friesen says strengthens its hand when speaking for Canadian farmers.
“It’s really good news,” said Friesen.
The wheat board’s $22,885 membership fee pales in significance compared to the credibility the CFA receives because of the board’s support.
“It demonstrates that the CFA is the organization that speaks for farmers in Ottawa,” said Friesen.
Read Also
Canada-U.S. trade relationship called complex
Trade issues existed long before U.S. president Donald Trump and his on-again, off-again tariffs came along, said panelists at a policy summit last month.
The board will have little trouble supporting the federation’s trade position, Friesen said, because the CFA is a strong advocate of the board’s right to be a monopoly if that is what farmers want.
“The Canadian Wheat Board is a perfect fit for the CFA because it embraces the concept of farmer empowerment and giving farmers more power in the marketplace.”
Board chair Ken Ritter said the CWB needed to make a clear statement in support of the CFA because of the attacks on the board monopoly in international trade negotiations.
“We felt that it’s important in these late stages of the trade negotiations to be part of the larger Canadian voice,” said Ritter.
“The Canadian voice is only a small to medium voice in world agriculture, and it made sense not to divide it up into a bunch of different speaking parts.”
Ritter said the board will continue to speak out on domestic issues of direct concern to prairie farmers, but feels that having both board and CFA comments on certain issues won’t be redundant.
David Rolfe, president of Manitoba’s Keystone Agricultural Producers, said farmers will be happy with the board’s decision.
“I don’t think it will be controversial,” said Rolfe. “The CFA has strongly supported the wheat board. I think it brings a broader perspective to the CFA. It strengthens the CFA’s position in being a strong voice for agriculture.”
Ritter said Canadian farmers all need to get behind the CFA, because competitor nations have formed their own sides.
“It would be sensible to have a single voice representing Canadian interests,” said Ritter.
“We certainly see that sort of strategy from the European Union, from the U.S., and even the Australians and Brazilians.”
Over the years some critics have said the CFA can’t support both import restrictions for supply-managed industries, which are centred in Eastern Canada, and international open market access for the export grain industry mainly based in Western Canada.
But Friesen said there is no contradiction.
“We believe farmers should retain the ability to form structures that help them market their products and give them more power in the marketplace,” he said.
