Canadian Wheat Board officials deny accusations by ag. minister on barley program

WINNIPEG - Officials with the Canadian Wheat Board are denying accusations by the federal agriculture minister that they're not listening to producers or the industry after introducing a new program on barley marketing.

In a bluntly worded news release issued Thursday, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz called on the board to join a meeting of producers and industry officials in Ottawa Jan. 29, saying there's a "major gap" between what producers and the industry want and where the board is going with its new program.

"It's high time the CWB stops fighting with producers and gets in a room with them to start hammering out real options for marketing choice," said the minister in the release.

Ritz said that the board is forcing the program on the industry by refusing to sell new crop malting barley to maltsters until they sign onto the new program.

The board unveiled the new pricing program earlier this month. It offers malting barley producers a guaranteed, up-front price based on the cash spot market. Farmers would be allowed to negotiate additional terms with grain-handling companies and would also continue to have the traditional option of pool sales, where the price doesn't fluctuate as frequently.

Some grain companies panned the program, saying it could give farmers a lower initial payment and could convince producers to switch crops - which would reduce supply.

Deanna Allen, a spokeswoman for the wheat board, called the tone of Ritz's news release "baffling."

She said Greg Arason, the president and CEO of the board, had already agreed to the meeting in Ottawa before the minister's office issued the statement.