Policy

National Farmers Union Presentation to the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) Electoral Review Panel

The NFU has long been a strong supporter of the Canadian Wheat Board and other single-desk marketing agencies which operate on behalf of, and in the interests of, farmers.

The short notice for the timing of the electoral review panel’s hearings unfortunately leaves many farmers unable to participate. The harvest is getting into full swing just as the panel is holding hearings across the prairies, and it is difficult for farmers to leave their combines and swathers to attend the three meetings scheduled for mid-August. The tight time frame set out by the federal government also leaves little time for farmers to respond in writing by the September 30 deadline. The hearings should be conducted at more than a single centre in each province, and be structured to allow for maximum participation.