TOXIC CWB Durum Wheat

[TOM4CWB]

Vader;

What gives here?

"CANADIAN WHEAT SEIZED IN ITALY. COMMISSION SAYS IT WAS OK

Italian officials have seized a shipment of Canadian durum wheat they say contains a cancer-causing compound. But the CWB says it was tested and found safe before it was shipped to Italy, the Canadian Wheat Board says.

Italian police announced Thursday the arrest of one of Europe's biggest grain merchants for importing from Canada durum wheat - used to make pasta - that was contaminated with the cancer-causing substance. Customs police in Bari said they arrested Francesco Casillo earlier in the week following tests on a shipment of about 58,000 tonnes of grain seized at the southern Italy port in September.

"(The shipment) was tested for ocratoxine before it left the country," board spokeswoman Maureen Fitzhenry said Thursday. "The levels were well within acceptable parameters. This grain is safe, and we're known to have safe grain."

Fitzhenry noted the results came up in a durum-producing region of Italy where local farmers are known to be unhappy about the importation of foreign wheat."

I DON't get it!

1. The CWB refuses to take 50% of our durum, because we have too much.

2. The CWB obviously knew about this problem... and allowed it to happen anyway.

3. We just got the biggest Durum buyer in Italy arrested... which means the best highest paying durum buyer on the planet in a massive problem... this should be really good for the future of the Pool for 2005-06... exactly how much will this cost?



VADER; How exactly did the CWB allow this to happen?

Why wouldn't this tarnish our reputation on all CWB grains?

Doesn't the CWB have contingency plans to prevent these kinds of problems from happening?

[cropduster]

WHOA,WHOA there Tom4.....are you sure it`s the CWB??Could it be the accredited exporter???Am thinking of the oil for food deal.Can`t wait for Jan 24.Those donkeys in Winterpeg must have the shredders going full bore now!!!!!

[JD4ME]

"(The shipment) was tested for ocratoxine before it left the country," board spokeswoman Maureen Fitzhenry said Thursday. "The levels were well within acceptable parameters. This grain is safe, and we're known to have safe grain."

Fitzhenry noted the results came up in a durum-producing region of Italy where local farmers are known to be unhappy about the importation of foreign wheat."

Who tested the grain, SGS or CGC? Thats the first question the second is are we not sure this isn't an attempt to erect phytosanitary trade barriers?
Get all the facts before you fall into your normal blame game here Tom.
It's so old. There are a lot of checks in the system to prevent just this type of occurance.

[dalek]

There was a story the day after, can't find it now but it was VERY small and hidden in the paper, that this shipment may not have been stored properly on the ship and was exposed to salt water, which has been known to cause this toxin to develop.

[clancey]

A story at http://www.statpub.com/stat/statgrn.html reveals:

The wheat was imported in September, arriving at Italy's largest durum producing region when local markets are experiencing harvest selling pressure.

At that time it was stopped and tested "as the result of anonymous claims of problems with the product", according to U.S. officials in Italy. It passed all tests. Mysteriously, it was retested on December 15 and failed.

It is being used as part of a campaign by farm organizations in Italy and some members of the government to attack all agricultural imports. Italy's agriculture minister recently declared, "(I)mported products are the ones that present more risks of forgery and fraud."

Farm organizations in Italy are now shouting that imported agri-food products as one of the major concerns for the Italian farmers, "who operate facing huge difficulties, giveaway prices, continuously reduced returns, huge, wild and uncontrolled imports from abroad".

Shipments of durum from the United States and elsewhere are now being held up at customs and being tested more closely then ever before.

[Vader]

How do you spell "non-tariff trade barrier"?

[TOM4CWB]

Vader;

What exactly did happen?

The above stories don't add up either!

[TOM4CWB]

Vader;

I just saw another report that backs up the CWB's position, however the question of how we deal with these problems is real and hurting Canadian grain growers from the "designated area".

Will the CWB FINALLY admit that preventing durum growers from initiating and producing durum products in Canada, or by investing in neighbouring plants in the US; is going to cost real hurt to our Canadian farms, families, and communities!

To leave the CWB in charge of making the decision on value-adding to our durum... who can or should be allowed to process durum... is obviously an disturbing policy!

Vader, why not let farmers decide where to sell and process their own wheat; instead of the CWB?