CWB Wines and Dines -- Western Farmers Pay

(October 7, 2003 - FFJ)    The Canadian Wheat Board has the image that things are well in rural Canada – we are glad someone thinks so.

In the fall of 2002, the CWB pulled out of the international market, the director elections were held, grain prices were healthy and the election results were to the Board’s liking.  Yes, all was fine in paradise.

But then came the spring of 2003.  It had to have occurred to the CWB that the spring Wheat Pool Account would be short (it certainly occurred to us), yet, in June, the CWB still went ahead and had their Fifth Annual Customer Appreciation for the Canadian millers.

For those of you who do not know, every year the CWB hosts a Customer Appreciation day: golfing, dining and socializing.  This is not unique to a seller, many business do this.  What makes this one different is the buyers are captive – they do not have the choice of buying from anyone else when it comes to Canadian Western grain.  So how then, does the CWB justify spending our dollars on entertainment when they are already operating in a Spring Wheat deficit?  A budget set yearly leaves no room for maneuvering.  Is this the way the fiscally responsible CWB manages our money?

It’s well known that the CWB does things in high style, whether that be travel or meals.  Is the idea of the Spring Wheat Pool Account being used to keep captive buyers happy not ridiculous?  Are there no better pockets for this money to end up in?

Staff increases, unjustified spending, budgetary increases – the CWB spending is out of control, the bean counters don’t seem to be raising the alarm, so who should be?  How can the CWB budget keep increasing, when the volume of grains being moved is decreasing?

Farmers operate their farms on strict budgets – they spend only what they bring in.  If Joe Farmer operated like the CWB does, would he see a budget increase?  No.  He would see a “For Sale” sign on his fence.

Just our opinion.