Rather than engage in ideological battles and fear mongering, provincial governments ought to help wheat and barley farmers seek new markets and opportunities.
Agriculture
Why the Wheat Board Monopoly is Being Removed: The historical circumstances that gave birth to the Canadian Wheat Board have changed.
As Western Canadian farmers have become larger, more educated, and more sophisticated, they placed greater value on autonomy and freedom of choice, as evidenced by the Conservative sweep of the rural Western vote. Changing economics, demographics, technology, and values have left many farmers desiring “marketing choice” instead of monopoly.
Milking Our Gullibility: Many Canadians pay twice what Americans pay
Why we pay more for dairy products couldn’t be simpler: Our dairy cartel artificially restricts supply. Now, according to economic theory, industries with literally thousands of competitors, as there are in dairy, aren’t able to form cartels. It’s too easy for members to cheat by cutting prices on the sly. Even the world’s most famous cartel, OPEC, with only a dozen members, often has trouble keeping oil prices high.
What’s So weird About the Weather?: The real threat to Prairie agriculture is the cooling trend
Contrary to official temperature records, observational evidence from around the world indicates that we are in a period of cooling almost certainly caused by solar changes. This is expected to continue and deepen and poses the real threat to Prairie and Canadian agriculture, most of which is confined to a narrow strip along our southern border. Fifty percent of crops in Manitoba cannot be grown with a 0.5°C overall temperature drop and much of Canadian agriculture is eliminated entirely by a 1°C cooling.
Featured News
Leon Fontaine – A Passionate Canadian Thought Leader – RIP
This past weekend, we learned of the tragic and unexpected passing of Pastor Leon Fontaine at 59 years of age. Leon was a gifted leader playing many roles both nationally and internationally. He was, with his wife Sally, the senior Pastors at Springs Church with...
Public Inquiries and Public Trust
Testimony before the Public Order Emergency Commission reveals the case for government invoking the Emergencies Act is either weak or very weak. The Prime Minister was, in fact, opposed to members of his cabinet or senior public health officials meeting with protest...
John De Pape, Market and Business Consultant
The Canadian Wheat Board maintains that its monopoly on marketing barley adds value to the crop. The author of the famous Sparks barley study begs to differ.
Why You Should Vote for Choice in Marketing Barley
Early in 2007, the federal Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food held a referendum among barley farmers that asked them to make one of three choices about their preference for the future marketing of the crop. This opinion piece appeared in the ballot package in support of one of those choices.
Show Me the Money CWB – PowerPoint
PowerPoints from From Breakfast on the Frontier with Market Analyst John De Pape, February 1, 2007
Going With the Grain
A plan to curb a venerable monopoly
Facts and Fiction in the Wheat Board Debate
Those who support the single desk argue in circles. Is the Wheat Board or corporation? Who owns it?
For a Grain Boom, End the Monopoly
Only a few months ago, the Canadian Wheat Board was rarely discussed outside Western Canada. Now, it looks set to become one of the top national political issues of 2007. Debate about the wheat board's usefulness and practices has been percolating for years, but,...
Dairy Farmers Make Suckers of Consumers
The dairy consumption is down but the farmers are still making money. How is this happening?
CWB: Keeping Canadian Agriculture Relevant
Many farmers with limited production capacity do not realize the extent to which global trade has changed the way Canada should position itself within world markets.
How the Canadian Wheat Board Acquired its Monopoly Powers
A history lesson on how the Canadian Wheat Board came into existence shows that its purpose was never to obtain higher prices for farmers, who never had any say over the 1943 imposition of its monopoly power.