Freedom
(October 20, 2003 -
FFJ) Why is wheat in western
Canada
so different from the rest of the country?
In
Alberta
,
Saskatchewan
,
Manitoba
and a little piece of
British Columbia
wheat for human consumption must be turned
over to the federal government. In the rest of
Canada
grain farmers are free to do as they wish
with their wheat. Farmers in the “designated area”, as the Canadian
Wheat Board calls it, must wait over eighteen months to be fully
compensated for their efforts at a rate determined by the federal
government to be just and correct.
When does wheat become the
property of the federal government in the “designated area”? Is it the
moment the seed falls into the rich black earth in late April/early May?
Is it when the seed germinates and emerges from the cool prairie soil? Is
it when it the wheat plant heads out in early July? Is it when the
fertilized plant begins to create new seeds? Is it when the plant dies and
the wheat kernels begin to dry down? Is it the moment the combine cuts the
golden straw and thrashes the ripe grain? Is it when the grain is unloaded
off the combine onto a wagon or truck for transit to storage on the farm
or the elevator?
 Who
does the wheat straw belong to? Are the “designated area” wheat
growers free to find markets on their own for this wheat straw, or must
they also turn this part of the wheat plant over to the state? Does a
‘designated area” wheat grass powder sold in health food stores
violate the Canadian
Wheat Board Act? Is a baker in
Quebec
a criminal if he adds sprouted wheat to his
artisan bread that was shipped directly to him from his relative in
Manitoba
without the omnipotent Canadian Wheat
Board’s involvement?
Why does the federal
government want to confiscate the “designated area” wheat and export
it along with the lost economic activity of processing that wheat at home?
Are not “designated area” wheat growers entitled to private property
rights like their fellow Canadians? Wheat is grown all over the world., it
is the staff of life; why does
Canada
still hold active War Measures powers from
1943 over the “designated area”. The axis powers were defeated in 1945
and all war measures powers were revoked except the Canadian Wheat
Board’s. Why does
Canada
continue to tolerate such economic policy
that was designed to hold down the price of wheat during the war to create
less of a burden to the Canadian government in supplying
England
with food. Perhaps our new Prime Minister
can begin to answer these questions. After all CSL
is one of the shipping companies who carries lost opportunity and
confiscated private property to the world for the Canadian Wheat Board.
The global economy of the 21st
century will quickly reward those who maximize the resources they are
blessed with. Wheat grows very well in the “designated area” but it is
far from port. By dismantling the monopoly powers of the Canadian Wheat
Board, initial processing of “designated area” wheat into animal
protein, flour and malt will rapidly accelerate. With this comes enhanced
value added economic activity. Primary processing is then followed with
further processing of the prairie bounty products into pork tenderloin,
chicken fingers, filet mignon, frozen dough, par baked bread, bagels,
doughnuts, pasta, pastry, cookies, crackers, muffins, beer and vodka. One
40 000 tonne boatload of raw wheat in
Vancouver
is $8 million. 40 000 tonnes of frozen
bagels in
Vancouver
is $135 million. Which choice should we
sponsor? Choice is a very important pillar in a free country. Give
“designated area” farmers their “choice” back, the whole country
will benefit. Free wheat in the west.
Mark Hayhoe |
