Talk may be cheap, unless it’s about the Canadian Wheat Board.
For the first time, the board is letting farmers know how much it spends on telling people what it does and how it works.
In the last crop year, the board spent a little more than $260,000 on communications and information, an increase of 72 percent from 1994-95, when it spent almost $74,000.
Figures like these draw steam from the ears of some farmers.
Last week, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association passed a resolution to take legal action to stop the board from spending money on talking about its role, engaging in political discussions and trying to influence farmers’ opinions.
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Kevin Archibald, chair of the group that advocates an end to the board’s monopoly on wheat and barley, said the board should only spend money on explaining and announcing things like its contracts, calls for deliveries and pool return outlooks.
Archibald, who farms near Killarney, Man., said the board shouldn’t spend money “to go out and say, ‘We are the farmers’ marketing partner’.”
When he learned about the size of the increase in communications spending, he said he was appalled.
“Their programs haven’t changed that much, their services haven’t changed that much.”
Deanna Allen works full time answering these kinds of questions, among others.
She said the increase was due mainly to the Moving up Market conference the board held in Saskatoon last June. But her department is kept hopping with routine things like talking to reporters, or arranging advertising for events like tours of wheat board crop plots.
With the wheat board under public scrutiny, Allen said board officials were asked to speak to more than 200 groups, marketing clubs and farmer meetings.
“We’ve spent some of that money on trying to set the record straight, at least straighter,” she added. For example, she said it’s false that the board inhibits value-added industries in Canada, citing record malt plant capacity.
“Some people would view it maybe as propaganda,” Allen mused.
“I consider it information because it’s what we do, it’s why we do it, it’s what our figures show. I think that farmers have a right to know what those figures show.”
Allen said communications staff decided to include a more detailed breakdown of administrative expenses in the Grain Matters newsletter this year to address complaints about the board being secretive.
Bill Nicholson, a farmer on the board’s advisory committee, said he thinks the money spent is minimal compared to what the board earns for farmers.
“Farmers can’t have it both ways, to demand accountability and information and to be able to go to meetings … and ask questions directly of commissioners and senior board staff, and then at the same time say, ‘But it shouldn’t cost anything’,” he said.
