WCBGA Working Hard

[parsley]

How can you make the most money from your barley crop?

The Western Barley Growers Association
is presenting a forum to answer
your questions.
WHERE: Regina Farm Progress Show,
Queensbury Centre,
Regina Exhibition Park
WHEN: Wednesday, June 20, 2007
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
CONTACT: wbga@wbga.org or jeffniel@platinum.ca
Chair: Jeff Nielsen, Olds, AB
Presenter: John DePape, a grain-industry consultant based in Winnipeg, MB

Commonly Asked Questions About Barley Marketing In A De-Regulated Market
Question and Answer Session

[cropduster]

Parsnip......any chance you could get your gov`t to buy the coffee???????Seems like they`re going to be using 30G`s of your money for lawyers fees........coupla cups of coffee shouldn`t be too extravagant.OH forgot,WRONG team!!!!!

[parsley]

Media Release
For Immediate Release: June 18, 2007

Wheat Growers Applaud Passage of Legislation to Lower Freight Rates
The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association applauds Parliamentarians who voted last week in favour of amendments to the Canada Transportation Act that will lower freight costs paid by western farmers on grain shipped by rail.

Bill C-11, to be proclaimed this week, will reduce the allowance earmarked for maintenance costs under the railway revenue cap, thereby lowering freight costs to prairie farmers by approximately $2.00 per tonne.

“We are pleased to see that Members of Parliament acted in the interests of farmers to ensure this legislation was passed,” says Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel, President of the Wheat Growers.

“Now farmers will see a freight rate reduction during the upcoming crop year that will more than offset the scheduled freight rate increase.”

Bill C-11 passed the House on June 14 by a margin of 163 to 61, with Conservative and Liberal members voting in support and NDP and Bloc members voting against.

The Wheat Growers will be pressing the federal government to take the necessary administrative steps to adjust the revenue cap as quickly as possible, so that freight rates are lowered sometime this fall.

The Canadian Transportation Agency announced in April that the railway revenue cap would increase by 3.2% (or about $1.00 per tonne) on August 1, 2007. The Bill C-11 rate reduction is expected to take effect a few months after this date.

The Wheat Growers had made strong representations to Conservative, Liberal and NDP party members urging this legislation be passed before Parliament rose for its summer recess. Had Bill C-11 not passed, the freight rate reduction would have been delayed to August, 2008 or later.

"We’re glad to see that our efforts have helped produce such positive tangible results for farmers,” says Jolly-Nagel.

For further comment, and to obtain copies of Wheat Grower letters sent to key Parliamentarians, please contact:

Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel
President
Cell: (306) 354-7368