J. Richard Pope (Small Incentive, The Western Producer, Oct. 5) is correct in reminding farmers that the Canadian Wheat Board introduced its new guaranteed delivery contract with an early payment option for feed barley as a way to get money into farmers’ hands faster.
The program has also allowed us to take advantage of some premium overseas markets for feed barley and with 1,650 farmers signing roughly 1,800 contracts, it obviously has appealed to some farmers.
Mr. Pope may also be pleased to know that farmers who have participated in this program and already made deliveries have received payment within 10 to 14 days of the CWB being notified of delivery.
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While he is entitled to his cynicism about government organizations, the CWB is not a government organization. It is a farmer-run organization with a Board of Directors that consists of 10 directors who are elected by farmers.
Its mandate is to serve the farmers of Western Canada and create value for farmers by being an innovative leader in marketing grain.
As for his contention that we’re pocketing interest, he fails to understand that all sales revenue generated by the CWB, including interest, goes directly back into the pool accounts, which are emptied out and returned to farmers in the form of initial, interim and final payments throughout the year.
– Garry Pichlyk,
Director, Producer Services,
Canadian Wheat Board,
Winnipeg, Man.
