(February 18, 2004 - OSPG)    Recent organic press releases attacking Canadian Wheat Board policy that proves an Ontario farmer rakes in over $6,060 more for two truckloads of wheat than his Western counterpart, prompted a swift but haughty response, from CWB Director Rod Flaman:  "I guess the CWB must start marketing organic grain in order to deflect this type of criticism."

OSPG recently criticized the outrageous $2.28/bushel buy-back that the Single-Desk taker muscled from an organic farmer for selling his own grain.  Raising public awareness about extorting profits from grain they do not even market, is indeed, a sore spot for the Board.

"Flaman is waving his Board stick because the CWB needs a confidentiality blanket to cover the organic grain boondoggles, and what better than to threaten to take over organic marketing," observes organic farmer Carol Husband at Wawota, Saskatchewan. "It’s hard to survive farming against Government guaranteed power and privilege."

"Would Flaman and his ilk have any qualms about stealing the markets that organic farmers on their own have worked hard to establish?" asks Husband, "Nope."  She continues,  "With  years of forcing organic farmers into buy-backs,  Single-Desk takers have access to our buyers. Would they have any conscience
about trying to steal these markets by using tactics of undercutting, intimidation and prohibitive buy-backs?  Nope.  Would excessive administration costs for small niche marketing concern the CWB if these costs to organic or conventional farmers became publicly undetectable, or commercially sensitive information?  Nope."

North Portal, Sask. organic farmer  Gene Davis, observed that Flaman doesn’t understand the basics of the organic industry.  Davis as Past-President of  Organic Chapter # 1 explains, "the CWB can’t market organic grain because global organic markets require marketers to be certified organic, and Canada does not have a government organic certification agency to certify the CWB."  "Besides, we don’t want the CWB to start anything in  organics because they’re bad for business, always downloading on taxpayers and making our consumers angry."

"Anyone with a lick of commonsense knows that organic grain shouldn't  be forced into the CWB monopoly."  Davis concludes.  "The solution is quick and simple.  The CWB should simply grant no-buyback licences to Prairie organic farmers, the same as they already now do for Eastern organic farmers.  No legislation required and no costs."

In 2001, Flaman wrote and widely distributed a paper titled,  "THE CWB MONOPOLY IS A HOAX" in which he states: "So has the Governor in Council made allowances for the granting of licences?  You bet he has." 

Carol Husband remarks,  "Flaman was right about the hoax then, and it's still a hoax, whether or not he likes it."  She adds, "These days, Flaman needs to camouflage the CWB’s practices and keep licensing details a secret if he wants be one of the good old boys at the Board. Organic farmers marketing their own grain reveal too much and this is what Flaman needs to put a lid on."

OSPG is a voluntary, and totally self-funded association of organic grain producers from all regions of the Prairie designated area with the goal of marketing choice for farmers.

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