Saskatchewan

Sask. farmers call for return of Canadian Wheat Board

A group of farmers from Saskatchewan and Manitoba is calling for the re-establishment of the Canadian Wheat Board, citing losses of $6.5 billion to the industry over the past two years.

Canadian Wheat Board Alliance says cutting of marketing system led to $6.5B loss in 2 years

Some farmers are calling for the return of the Canadian Wheat Board after legislation ended its monopoly and led to the selling of assets. (Trevor Hagan/Canadian Press)

A meeting of Prairie farmers has called for the return of a single-desk system for grain marketing.

The Canadian Wheat Board Alliance says more than 50 farmers from the Swan River and Pelly areas of Manitoba and Saskatchewan met last week and unanimously passed a resolution calling for the re-establishment of the Canadian Wheat Board.

The group says the loss of the single-desk system has resulted in an increasingly dysfunctional rail system, reduced grain quality guarantees to other nations and an overall loss of $6.5 billion in income to farmers over the last two years.

Former agriculture Minister Ritz passed legislation ending the Canadian Wheat Board, and last year half of its assets were sold to Saudi-owned G-3 Global Grain Group.