Government of Canada Takes Action to Improve the Canadian Wheat Board Act

May 17, 2010

OTTAWA, Ontario – The Government of Canada introduced the Canadian Wheat Board Payments and Election Reform Act to strengthen farmers’ voice within the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) and streamline the process required to deliver payments to producers.

“Western Canadian farmers deserve to get paid as quickly as possible and they also deserve effective governance,” said Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board. “This legislation will streamline the process required to pay farmers for their top-quality grain to help make sure pay cheques hit mailboxes as quickly as possible.”

“This legislation will also make sure board members are elected by farmers who are actually involved in producing at least 40 tonnes of grain.”

The legislation confirms voting rights for grain farmers who produce 40 tonnes of grain, or who are entitled to 40 tonnes under a crop-share arrangement. This approach is based on recommendations from the 2005 CWB Election Review Panel and the CWB itself.

The legislation eliminates a step in the process to pay producers for their grain. The current system requires analysis from the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Finance, as well as Treasury Board approval before payments are delivered. Under the new legislation, Treasury Board approval will no longer be required. This could speed up the payment process by as much as three weeks.

“Streamlining payment approval will cut red tape, and reduce the number of steps it takes to pay farmers for the top-quality crops they produce,” added Minister Ritz.

The introduction of this new legislation demonstrates that the Government of Canada is committed to increasing the CWB’s accountability to farmers and to improving the way the Government works for producers.