Siemens Says – Barry Reimer, a producer from Killarney, Manitoba took his own concerns about the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly to Manitoba AG Days in Brandon in January and received a rude awakening, but a resounding show of support, too.

The organizers of the show asked him to stop handing out his flyers after receiving huge complaints from the CWB people but tremendous support from almost every producer he showed the flyer.

For one and half days, Reimer handed out flyers showing the higher prices American farmers were getting compared to what he could get through the CWB for spring and winter wheat, and malting barley.

First, he received close to 99 percent support for his position from producers. However, the CWB representatives became so upset, asked the organizers to stop him form handing them out.

You see – They had angry farmers coming to them with these flyers asking for an explanation. The board said it’s not right that one person, who has not paid for a booth to advertise when all others paid for their spots and privileges to stand advertise his points.

Reimer said they may have a point there, but he was only expressing his opinions. There was no organization behind to help. He wasn’t selling anything. This was a one family effort. “We have a far greater majority who want change than I had ever expected,” he told me excitingly.

Reimer did it to get people to call their Members of Parliament and ask them to remove barley out from under the Canadian Wheat Board. We’ve voted in favour, the market showed us it can do the job for us, so let’s get on with it, he said. And the Wheat Board can’t….

An independent consultant from Winnipeg and former floor trader, John DePape made some interesting points about why we need barley free, and free at last.

“…. in a time when Western Canada could be poised to become an even bigger player in the global malt industry, we are running the risk of sending investors away and sending the signal to farmers that they should focus on other crops,” said Depape.

That’s one point, but here’s the second one….

He says, “But it’s not all about price. Ask any maltster or grain company. Price means nothing if the barley isn’t coming up the driveway. The CWB tries to tell you that the malt industry and grain handlers want deregulation so they can buy barley for less. The truth of the matter is maltsters and malt barley exporters want to be able to pay true market value to farmers. It’s just good business. CWB prices do not have a good track record in this regard. It won’t be any better under the new CashPlus program, the board tricked out over several months.

The CWB is trying to bill this program as satisfying the needs of the industry. If you ask me, it does absolutely nothing to help the sorry situation we’re in. In fact, it could make it even worse.

I agree with him completely….

In Reimer’s case, the CWB bullied the organizers into shutting him down. Its like the little boy who had to give up something and did it gleefully, knowing the bigger cache of candy was back in his room.

Many farmers asked for the flyers to distribute in their coffee shops back home. One step at a time, but slowly the CWB’s façade of being every thing to every body, and playing the Father’s Knows best image is crumbing. For many who now know the truth, it can’t happy fast enough. Call your MP and let him or her know you want change!