A year-old opinion poll of farmers showed what many delegates to the United Grain Growers’ annual meeting have long suspected.
Many farmers want out of the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly on wheat and barley for export.
In the poll, which was commissioned by the wheat board, roughly one-third of farmers supported the board’s single desk selling mandate.
One-third wanted a voluntary wheat board and another third rejected the board altogether.
Bernie Sambrook, a farmer from Medora, Man., raised the survey during a question period with wheat board chief executive officer Greg Arason.
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Sambrook was one of the farmers polled. He said he found out about the results from someone who works at the wheat board.
He asked Arason whether the board would consider holding a plebiscite on its monopoly, given the results of the survey.
Arason said the survey was taken before farmers elected 10 directors to the wheat board’s board of directors. Those election results also reflect farmers’ opinions about the wheat board, he said.
Eight farmers elected as directors support the board’s single-desk selling mandate, while two ran on dual marketing platforms.
Arason said he expects farmers’ opinions will become more favorable as the new board of directors makes changes and gives farmers more pricing options.
The board just paid for another opinion poll of farmers, Arason said, coinciding with the anniversary of the wheat board director elections.
Arason said he hasn’t yet seen the results, which will be discussed by the board of directors at a three-day strategic planning session in Winnipeg Nov. 17-19.
