Producer cars

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Published: September 2, 2010

The announcement by Canadian National Railways to close 53 producer car sites … is a clear indication that western farmers are paying dearly for not having united into an effective farm union.

The rationalization or centralization of grain delivery points was predicted in the 1970s, but the vast majority of farmers paid no heed.

Throughout the intervening years western farmers have had the powers of the Canadian Wheat Board reduced, the Crow rate for hauling export grain eliminated, rail branch lines abandoned and farmer-owned grain handling facilities taken over by the private corporate sector.

As they were during the dirty thirties, farmers are once again virtually at the mercy of unscrupulous grain merchants.

Thanks to a compliant federal government catering to the private corporate sector, farmers’ opportunity to bypass the merchants through the use of producer cars is gradually being eliminated.

The cap-in-hand approach advocated by several self-interest farm groups clearly does not work. It is no surprise that the current situation finds many farmers grumbling about the need for direct action.

William Dascavich,

Edmonton, Alta.

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