‘No Question’ Alberta Will Press Feds Over
Free Marketing — Ag. Minister
The Alberta government will be “very aggressive” this year and there is “ no question the pressure will be on” in an attempt to affect changes with the federal government over the Canadian Wheat Board regulations says the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.

Shirley McClellan was responding to questions after her talk at a Farming For Profit session on Friday afternoon when in Provost.

The deputy premier added that Alberta should run a pilot project for 10 years that will “allow producers to have a choice” how their wheat and barley is marketed.

McClennan said that Alberta does not advocate the end of the Canadian Wheat Board “but there should be marketing of choice, at least on the domestic level” for wheat and barley that now has to first be funnelled through the CWB. Farmers in Ontario are not restricted to that practice.

“You (producers) would have control under what we propose” and people would still be able to choose the CWB if they wanted, with Alberta’s plans.

Under questioning from a producer about the Alberta government “discounting the (CWB) election” she added they “are not discounting it at all” and that “83 percent of Alberta producers say they want a choice” on how to market their grain. She wants CWB members to reflect on that figure. She would “be happy” to dissect the election results of the Canadian Wheat Board and look at the first, second and third ballot numbers. She says there was a bare majority for the CWB and it was not as high as final election results appeared.