Poor Returns, Lack of Transparency at Canadian Wheat Board: C.D. Howe Institute.

    TORONTO, Nov. 20 /CNW/ - The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) has been earning
poor financial returns for farmers over the last three years, according to a
study released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In "A Bushel Half Full:
Reforming the Canadian Wheat Board," Sylvain Charlebois and Richard Pedde draw
this conclusion based on a benchmarking of CWB price results with US results
for comparable grains.
    The authors conclude that the average farmer who delivers approximately
700 tonnes annually to the CWB pool accounts earns $18,000 less per year than
if he sold at US prices.
    They recommend more transparency in reporting financial returns to
farmers and greater accountability on the part of CWB management to the
farmer-elected board of directors. Better, documented performance, they say,
would help the CWB establish that it delivers on its mandate.For the study click
    http://www.cdhowe.org/pdf/ebrief_68.pdf

    For online appendix click
    http://www.cdhowe.org/pdf/online_appendix_68.pdf

For further information: Richard Pedde, [phone]; Sylvain
Charlebois, Associate Professor of Business, University of Regina, (306)
337-2695; Benjamin Dachis, Policy Analyst, C.D. Howe Institute, (416)
865-1904