It’s sometimes said that no matter your religious beliefs or agenda, something can be found in the Bible to back them up.The Canadian Wheat Board’s semi-annual producer survey is kind of the same.The survey offers so many choices and asks questions in so many ways that observers can pick and choose among the results and come up with different conclusions to make their points.In a June 9 statement announcing the survey results, theCWB said they indicated strong support for the wheat board, with 70 percent of farmers saying they support the marketing agency and 28 percent saying they oppose it.The board pointed to majority support for the single desk for wheat and roughly 50 percent for barley.It said support for dual marketing for barley has declined to 30 percent, down from a high of 54 percent in 2005.Two days later, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association issued a news release offering a different interpretation.“CWB survey confirms that most farmers want marketing freedom,” the headline read.The association based its conclusion on responses to questions relating to grain marketing.For example, 48 percent of farmers support the single desk for wheat whether given two or three options from which to choose.The wheat growers said 51 percent see marketing choice or dual marketing as a workable option that would not necessarily spell the end of the wheat board.The association added that the structure of the survey understates opinions from Alberta, where support for marketing choice is greatest.
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