The Western Producer takes a weekly look at some of the stories that made headlines in issues of the paper from 75, 50, 25 and 10 years ago.
75 years ago: July 24, 1941
The Saskatchewan section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation approved a farm policy statement that included closing the grain exchange and establishing a planning commission on which organized producers would be adequately represented.
The country’s special products board was given the authority to prohibit storage of agricultural products. The move was intended to ensure adequate supplies of food exports to Britain for the war effort.
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50 years ago: July 21, 1966
Three Canadian subsidiaries of American milling companies were refusing to sell flour to Cuba because of pressure from the U.S. government. Federal trade minister Robert Winter promised to investigate, saying any U.S. interference in the sales policies of the subsidiaries would not be tolerated.
Ted Turner, a grain and livestock producer from Maymont, Sask., was elected first vice-president of Saskatchewan Wheat Pool. He became president three years later and remained in that position until 1987.
25 years ago: July 25, 1991
An 85 cent per pound duty on imports of subsidized boneless manufacturing beef from the European Community was ex-tended for another five years.
The duty was first imposed in 1986 at 84 cents per lb. to prevent subsidized imports from driving down prices in Canada.
The Prairies’ wheat pools told federal agriculture minister Bill McKnight that an early payout from the Gross Revenue Insurance Plan wasn’t the answer to farmers’ financial woes. Instead, they argued for an immediate and sizeable cash payment to grain growers.
10 years ago: July 20, 2006
Keystone Agricultural Producers called for a moratorium on rail line abandonments. The group said the loss of more branch lines in Manitoba could mean lost opportunities for rural communities.
The federal Conservative government angered Canadian Wheat Board supporters when it an-nounced an upcoming meeting about eliminating single desk marketing to which only supporters of the plan were to be invited.
