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I retired from farming some 10 years ago, I have never really got involved in partisan politics. However when I see this Harper government, although a minority government using its brute force to to kill the CWB, I see perilous days ahead not only for farmers but for the whole country.

The CWB, despite its imperfections was a stabilizing factor in our grain markets. In the last few years there has been much fine tuning, making it even more effective.  Farmers in Western Canada are the most efficient entrepreneurs to be found anywhere, but the rewards of this efficiency can quickly be wiped out by the stroke of the legislative pen, unless they retain their marketing power beyond the farm gate.

A grain pool president said many years ago " Farmers must make the decision to manage their own affairs and destiny, or reconcile themselves to become good hired men of the giant grain cartels.." How true this seems today. 

This generation of farmers knows nothing about the chaos, that existed in the late 20s and early 30s, prior to the formation of the CWB. The Harper gang is exploiting this ignorance by feeding false information and spouting sweet platitudes about new freedoms and market choice.

Farmers are in for a rude awakening , when they find themselves alone in a ruthless marketplace, competing with each other for markets.

The scary truth is that our present government is quite determined to throw them to the lions just to feed their own ideological frenzy.

Not only should farmers be concerned, but this has adverse implications for all Canadians, when a larger share of our grain dollar, is siphoned off to inflate the profits of a few grain cartels and offshore investors. Keep up the good fight.

Erdman Klassen

February 14, 2008

I keep hearing that we, western Canadian farmers, need to hang on to the CWB, could you please tell me what it is that is so great about it?

Why not do a PROS and CONS column and inform people objectively.  Try looking at it from BOTH sides.  You noted the loss of the Crow - wasn’t that because nobody could decide what to do?  Inaction and special interest lobbying cost farmers a far bit of coin - and we lost the Crow anyway!

I’m not saying the CWB should go.  I’m saying that it is time to quit whimpering about who is trying to do what to whom.  Let's get the facts together and make an informed decision.  Quit crying about Harper.  The Government isn’t just trying to dismantle the CWB on a whim.  Many farmers are pushing them for change... believe it or not..

If there are good reasons for keeping the CWB….please help everyone understand!

Greg Gryde

Dear Mr. Beingessner,

The editorial Changes to the Grain Act Will Not Help Farmers (Column # 650 – December 17, 2007) highlights amendments to the Canada Grain Act which establishes and empowers the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) to regulate the Canadian grain industry, preserve the integrity of Canada’s grain quality assurance programs, and ensure that farmers are treated fairly. These critical objectives of the CGC will remain if Bill C-39 is passed into law.

I would like to clarify one aspect of Bill C-39 that was not correctly portrayed in your editorial. It proposes to combine primary standard samples and export standard samples into single standard samples. This proposed change is not related to the long-standing issue of differences between primary grade determinants and export grade determinants. Unfortunately, these two concepts have been confused in the past. 

Standard samples are actual grain samples that are visual guides utilized by inspectors as a reference tool, or comparison, to assess subjectively evaluated grading factors. Specifically, standard samples are utilized for subjectively determined grading factors such as frost, mildew, and immaturity (generally weathering factors). Standard samples are not utilized for grading factors that can be objectively or quantifiably measured.

Primary grade determinants and export grade determinants are numerical tolerances set out in the Official Grain Grading Guide. Primary grade determinants are applicable to deliveries of wheat to primary or terminal elevators. For example, the total foreign material allowed in deliveries of No. 1 CWRS to primary or terminal elevators is 0.6%. Export grade determinants are the tolerances applicable to export shipments of wheat from terminal or transfer elevators. The total foreign material allowed on exports of No. 1 CWRS from terminal or transfer elevators is 0.4%. With few exceptions, primary grade determinants and export grade determinants are identical for all grains other than wheat, and for wheat generally a difference exists for only a few grading factors for selected classes (see background information). I would be happy to provide additional background information on this to you of any of your readers who may be interested.   

Standard samples are prepared by the CGC, reviewed and recommended by the appropriate Standards Committee, and approved by the CGC. While the Canada Grain Act currently requires that a primary standard sample and an export standard sample be prepared, in practice there is no difference between the two. Bill C-39 simply proposes to combine the two to reflect the reality of their usage.

Primary and export grade determinants are changed at the recommendation of the Western Grain Standards Committee. It has been discussed on many occasions whether or not to further narrow or totally eliminate the differences between primary grade determinants and export grade determinants for classes of wheat. This issue will likely continue to be debated at the Standards Committees, which are the appropriate forum for resolving questions like this. Furthermore, Bill C-39 does not propose any changes to the mandate of the Standards Committees.

In summary, the proposed combination of primary standard samples and export standard samples into single standard samples is not related to the long-standing issue of differences between primary grade determinants and export grade determinants. What’s more, the review and approval process is different for both standard samples and grade determinants. Finally, Bill C-39 will not have an impact on export and primary grade determinants, nor will it change the mandate of the Standards Committees. As such, the differences between determinants will remain should Bill C-39 be passed into law.

Thank you for covering this topic and making Canadian producers and the grain industry aware of Bill C-39. If you have additional questions or comments on this issue, please do not hesitate to write or to call me at your convenience.

Sincerely yours,

Rémi Gosselin
Manager, Corporate Information Services
Canadian Grain Commission

Background Information

Standards Committees (http://grainscanada.gc.ca/Regulatory/Standards/standards-e.htm)

The Canada Grain Act provides for the appointment by the Commission of an Eastern Standards Committee and a Western Standards Committee. It specifies the numbers and qualifications of members, including the number of actual producers of grain. The Committees recommend specifications for grades of grain, select and recommend standard samples to the Commission, and perform any other related duties the Commission may assign. Their recommendations are forwarded to the Commission for consideration.

Differences between Wheat Primary Grade Determinants and Export Grade Determinants

Examples of differences between the specific Primary Grade Determinants and Export Grade Determinants for wheat: