The Canadian Wheat Board is spending $1.4 million on a national advertising campaign aimed at galvanizing public support and convincing the Harper government to abandon plans to end single desk grain marketing.
The campaign, which began last week with a full page advertisements in several major newspapers, will include newspaper ads, radio commercials and television spots and is expected to run until the end of November, said CWB chair Allen Oberg.
“The cost of … (the campaign) is $1.4 million in media costs so when you compare that to the $500 million a year that’s at stake with the loss of the single desk, that’s a rather small amount,” said Oberg.
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On a per tonne basis, Oberg said the campaign will cost western Canadian grain farmers about seven cents per tonne.
“To me it’s a rather modest campaign,” he said.
“I don’t like spending farmers money any more than I have to but … it’s incumbent upon us to not only make farmers but also the general public aware of how this legislation is being rammed through Parliament….”
The ad that appeared in theGlobe and Mailshowed a piece of heavy machinery used for rolling asphalt.
A caption above the image read: This is how the Harper government harvests wheat in Canada.
In response, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association confirmed Nov. 3 that it had launched a legal action against the CWB for misuse of farmers’ money.
The WCWGA contends the wheat board and Oberg are violating laws that prohibit the board from using pool accounts to lobby for retention of the single desk.
The association is also seeking a court injunction preventing the CWB from proceeding with its own lawsuit against the federal government.
“The wheat growers are taking this action to ensure that farmers’ money is not misspent,” said WCWGA chair Gerrid Gust.
Federal agriculture Gerry Ritz also issued a statement to media suggesting that Ottawa will not stray from its agenda.
“It’s clear that Mr. Oberg will not hesitate in spending farmers’ money and wasting farmers’ time in hopes of keeping his job and forcing farmers to marketing through the wheat board,” Ritz said.
“(He) is doing a great disservice to the farmers and staff he claims to represent by refusing to work with us to give the Canadian Wheat Board the best chance to succeed in an open market.”
The CWB ad also made reference to the CWB’s recently concluded producer plebiscite and encouraged readers to send a text message to Canadian MPs, voicing support of the CWB.
By texting the word FARMER to 24680, letters will automatically be sent to local members of Parliament and the prime minister.
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