Farmers Welcome Barley Freedom Legislation

Members of Market Choice Alliance today welcomed the federal government’s announcement that it is introducing legislation to remove barley from the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) monopoly.

“Last year, 62 per cent of barley producers said in a plebiscite that they want to market their barley to anyone they choose,” said Curtis Sims, a Manitoba farmer.  “Now, with this legislation, we will be able to make more accurate and informed business decisions for this crop year. We welcome this opportunity - it will lead to better management of our individual farms.”

Sims says that farmers will now be able to price and contract directly with end-users such as malt companies, which was not allowed under the CWB monopoly. He predicts this will boost malt barley acreage across the prairies.

“Farmers will negotiate the price and delivery for their barley just like they do for all their other crops (except wheat which remains under the CWB). This makes it much more attractive for someone like me to grow barley.” “Right now, you’re taking a gamble when growing malt barley under the CWB because the board is in the middle between the producer and the malt companies. You don’t know what price you’ll get in the end.”

Most important, says Sims, barley freedom will ensure farmers get proper market signals. “The price of malt barley is the world price. The Board doesn’t get this price for us; these prices are determined in the world market place. We all know that the world malt price is a lot higher than what western Canadian producers are receiving.”

“I make my own deals for other crops and marketing barley is the same. Farmers are more than capable of negotiating things like price and delivery time – they do it all the time. The unions and central Canadian politicians that are opposing this legislation don’t understand that.”

“I ask that Ottawa’s opposition parties respect our wishes. Don’t stand in the way of this legislation. Give us the freedom to make our own decisions.”