So you want to be "Free"?

[Burbert]

Remember It was our grandpas who were screwed by the grain companies. Hence the invention of co-ops and ultimately the CWB, to stop the shafting of Comedian farmers.

[CeePen]

Why don't we ask the Aussie and Kiwi farmers how they are doing? They already went this route and seem to be just fine. New Zealand is the largest exporter of dairy products in the world. How's Canada doing in that market? The Aussies are just as competitive as anyone else. After the initial adjustment, things will be just fine.

[furrowtickler]

Some one remind me why the cwb was set up? Was it not implemented as part of the war measures act?

[Fransisco]

That's right furrowtickler, even says so right on the CWB's website.

It wasn't grandpa who sold your property rights down the river. Thats just an NFU bed time story.

[dmlfarmer]

Good question Furrow:
-Canadian Wheat Board Act passed by parliament on JULY 5, 1935.
-Defense of Canada Regulations (WW II enactment of War Measures Act) passed by parliament on SEPT 3, 1939

OOPS!

[highwayman]

Ooops is right dmlfarmer. Single desk implemented SEPT 1943 in order to stop rising price of wheat. All made possible by the war measures act.

[dmlfarmer]

Read Furrow's post again Highwayman. He wondered "why the cwb was set up", NOT when it became a single desk. I simply pointed out the CWB was in existance more than 4 years before Canada joined the war, and the war measures act was enacted. So no oops here. But I too am interested in getting more information about why the CWB was created by the government in 1935.

[highwayman]

Simply put the CWB was set up as the governments political solution to the marketing blunders of the 3 prarie wheat pool and the CSA(central selling agency)Holding unhedged grain in a declining market. CWB task was to dispose of the inventories that had been transferred to the newly formed crown agency. Along came WW2, price freezes and voila, the single desk monoploy to keep a lid on grain prices.

[dmlfarmer]

Highwayman:
How big were the inventories (bu or tonnes) that you say were transferred to CWB? Who were these inventories transferred from? Who got the money from these inventories when the CWB sold them? How long did it take for the CWB to sell the inventories (1 year, or more than one year)?

[Fransisco]

This won't give you all of the details but its a reasonable account.

http://www.cwb.ca/public/en/about/history/