WEYBURN, Sask. – Farmers who want grain marketing choice aren’t willing to wait until proposed legislative changes work their way through Parliament.
More than 200 people gathered March 6 at a meeting organized by the Farmers For Justice to discuss what they could do immediately to get out from under the Canadian Wheat Board’s export monopoly.
After three hours of discussion and as the room emptied, the meeting was closed and media ejected while final decisions were made.
Jim Chatenay, the CWB director for District 2 who favours a voluntary board, chaired the meeting. He told reporters he was there as a facilitator at the request of the organizers.
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“This isn’t exactly board policy,” he said. “It’s not exactly the code of conduct.”
Chatenay said he believes prime minister Stephen Harper, whom he considers a personal friend, will come through on his campaign promise to provide marketing choice.
“I think eventually we will get it done but, my Lord, is it taking forever,” said Chatenay.
One farmer said he had donated to the federal Conservatives but had little faith in the political process, saying it would drag on until an election is called and proposed amendments to the Canadian Wheat Board Act die.
“The only way we can do this is tell them straight, ‘if you don’t pass it immediately we’re going to vote against you,’ ” he said.
During the meeting farmers from across the province offered their ideas to speed up the process.
They suggested radio advertising, truck and tractor protests in cities and running the border with grain as some FFJ members did in the 1990s.
There was talk of no-cost export licences, which producers in other provinces and pedigreed seed growers can get.
Carol Husband, an organic farmer from Wawota, Sask., suggested the government be given an ultimatum to provide licences to western farmers at no cost or else business at the Canada-U.S. border would be disrupted by grain trucks.
Vickie Dutton, who operates Western Grain Trade, said there might be a case to take to an international human rights tribunal.
Ron Duff of Blackfalds, Alta., said something has to happen soon. He has 100,000 bushels of wheat that he wants to sell while prices are high, but he doesn’t want to use the wheat board.
Chatenay said farmers have tried almost everything already. They got the most media coverage when some, including him, were jailed for taking grain across the border without a licence.
He said something “more radical” might have to be done but no one in the crowd could say what that might be.
Some suggested a boycott of board grain deliveries, particularly durum.
“The wheat board needs that to meet their commitments,” Chatenay said. “That might be another approach.”
Chatenay urged farmers to use the wheat board director elections this fall to institute a pro-choice board. He is not eligible to run again, and neither are board supporters Ken Ritter and Ian McCreary. Also up for election are Rod Flaman and Bill Toews, who both support the board.
