The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association hopes to raise $100,000 to advertise its position before the upcoming plebiscite on barley marketing.
After intense debate at its annual meeting last week, the group decided to support the open market option for barley.
“Our membership’s not happy with the status quo, which only leaves them one option,” said president Larry Maguire.
The group doesn’t think the plebiscite question is fair because it doesn’t give farmers the option of a dual market for barley, where farmers could sell grain for human consumption or for the export market to the Canadian Wheat Board or another buyer.
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Some members argued the group should encourage farmers to mark the ballot twice, pencil in a third option, or ignore the vote altogether.
“Basically, Canadians don’t spoil ballots,” Maguire said, explaining why the group decided to respect the question asked.
But farmers who want a dual market are frustrated.
“Many people also feel that this is a non-voteable issue. That it’s a vote that gives one neighbor the opportunity to take something away from another neighbor,” Maguire said.
He added that no matter what the outcome, the group will continue to lobby for a dual barley market.
The chair of the wheat growers said the ad campaign will focus on issues like how the board’s initial price affects domestic barley prices, rather than individual rights.
“We want to really try to get away from the rhetoric,” said Kevin Archibald.
“We truly believe the barley market is dysfunctional, with the wheat board monopoly in place, domestically especially.”
Pass around the hat
Some of the 180 farmers at the meeting got out their calculators and chequebooks after farmer Warren Jolly encouraged them to donate $1 per acre or a minimum of $500 to the campaign.
Jolly thinks farmers who support an open barley market could win the plebiscite. But even if they only get 40 percent of the vote, Jolly said agriculture minister Ralph Good-ale would get “a strong sign.”
Wheat growers also passed resolutions calling for:
- A dual market for wheat.
- Farmers to deal only with elevator companies that support an end to the wheat board monopoly.
- A commercial grain transportation system based on a model from the Prairie Farm Commodity Coalition.
- The Canadian and U.S. governments to accept the recommendations of a commission that studied trade irritants between the two countries.
- More consultation before the federal government implements the Pest Management Regulatory Agency.
