It is interesting to follow the developments in Western Canada in regards to the Canadian Wheat Board. Fifteen years ago we were dealing with the same concerns.
In Ontario, it was never our intent to get rid of the Ontario Wheat Producers Marketing Boards, no more than anyone is trying to get rid of the CWB. Our goal was market access to those farmers who felt they could market their own wheat more efficiently than the board was doing it for them.
Fortunately the board relented and opened up a small portion of the market directly to the farmers. That success led to the complete deregulation of the market control, which is where we are today.
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At our annual meeting last week, the board requested that in 2010, the pool run by the board handled one percent of the Ontario wheat, and direct marketing contracts through the board handled another three percent.
Yes, I question if it is justified to maintain the pool for only one percent of the wheat, but I also consider it a small price to pay for the privilege of selling the other 99 percent the way we like.
In the last 10 years the wheat acreage in Ontario has increased by nearly 50 percent, as further support that the change has been a good thing. Having three viable crops for our farms has also been good for corn and soy, as a rotation option.
To our farmer friends in the West: may you look back a few years from now and have the same contentment with growing wheat as we do in Ontario today.
Harry Buurma,Watford, Ont.
