Canadian Grain Commission repeals charges to wheat grading

The commission cited stakeholder concerns as the reason for repealing the changes.

The Wheat Growers Association and National Farmers Union (NFU) had sent a joint letter to Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay asking these changes be stopped, saying they were heavy-handed and would have a long-term negative impact on farm income.

“The value of having separate country and export standards is that farmers’ deliveries that exceed export standards can be blended with those that fall a bit short and the result can be higher grades for all farmers while still enabling us to meet export standards. Thus, farmers retain a portion of the financial benefits of that blending. Under the CGC’s published changes that have now been repealed, grain companies would have pocketed all remaining blending premiums,” said Glenn Tait, NFU member and CGC Western Standards Committee member, in a release.

The Association and Union say farmers will soon be harvesting wheat grade # 1 but would have been classed as # 2 if the changes had come into effect on August 1 as planned.

“This is a tremendous success for farmers. It demonstrates the importance of organized policy advocacy that puts farmers’ interests first,” said former NFU President Terry Boehm in a release.

The NFU thanked the Minister in a statement for any role he may have played in the decision.

(With files by Curtis Galbraith/ Everything GP)

by rdnewsNOW Staff

Canadian Grain Commission repeals charges to wheat grading

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