Agriculture Ministers from Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia welcome the Government of Canada's plan to give producers marketing choice for wheat, durum and barley.

This will give Western Canadian farmers the same right other farmers have in Canada and around the world to choose how to market their grain. Ministers committed their support for marketing choice at the Annual Federal-Provincial-Territorial Agriculture Ministers meeting, where ministers gathered to discuss how to better work together to help farmers grow the agriculture industry and continue to drive the Canadian economy.

"Marketing opportunities are being lost every day and it's vital that Alberta's grain producers be able to market their product to anyone they choose," said Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Jack Hayden. "We encourage the CWB and all parties to move forward and work constructively to facilitate the transition to an open market so that every farmer has marketing freedom."

"Saskatchewan farmers spend their own hard-earned money on land, machinery and inputs to grow their own crops, so why shouldn't they have the marketing freedom to decide how, when, and to whom they sell their grain?" said Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud.

"Our Government stands behind B.C. producers who have called for choice in how their product can be marketed," said BC Agriculture Minister Don McRae. "Every farmer in Western Canada deserves the right to sell their grain when, to whom and for the price that works best for their farm business and we welcome Minister Ritz's clear and common sense approach to this important file."

Following the May 2 federal election, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced that the Government of Canada would deliver on their commitment to end the CWB's monopoly and give farmers the right to choose how to market their own grain by August 1, 2012.

Contacts:

Niki Pandachuk
B.C. Ministry of Agriculture
250 387-1693
Agriculture and Rural Development

Media Line - Edmonton
780 422-1005

Donna Rehirchuk
Saskatchewan Agriculture - Regina
306 787-5389