Winnipeg –The CWB shipped 529 000 tonnes of western Canadian wheat through the Port of Churchill in the 2009 shipping season, the second-highest volume since 1977.
"This has been another tremendous year for Churchill," said CWB president and CEO Ian White. "We are committed to maintaining Churchill as a viable alternative for Prairie farmers, and we are proud to contribute to the port's success as the primary user of the facility."
The last ship to load, the Venta, left the port October 27 with 23 000 tonnes of wheat and durum bound for Europe. In total, 18 ocean vessels loaded wheat or durum at Churchill beginning August 12, bound for Africa, Europe, Mexico and Brazil. The CWB maximized use of the port during a shipping season that was shortened by difficult ice conditions in July and early August.
Churchill, located on Hudson Bay about 1,000 kilometres north of Winnipeg, is Canada's only Arctic port. The port has a limited shipping season during its ice-free period that generally runs from the end of July to early November.
Exporting Prairie wheat through Churchill saves farmers money on transportation through reduced rail-freight costs and the elimination of St. Lawrence Seaway charges. The port is heavily reliant on CWB grain for its viability. Prairie wheat and durum were the only commodities to pass through the port this year.
In 2007, the CWB shipped 621 000 tonnes of wheat and durum through the port to customers in Brazil, Italy and Africa. That remains the largest volume of wheat through Churchill since 1977, when 710 000 tonnes of wheat (and 19 000 tonnes of barley) were shipped through the port, mainly to the former Soviet Union.
Grain shipped through the port is drawn primarily from northern Saskatchewan and northern Manitoba. The CWB's Churchill Storage Program pays farmers in these regions to store grain on-farm for delivery through Churchill. The Churchill season begins well before new crop is harvested each summer, and relies on grain stored from the prior year.
Controlled by western Canadian farmers, the CWB is the largest wheat and barley marketer in the world. One of Canada's biggest exporters, the Winnipeg-based organization sells grain to over 70 countries and returns all sales revenue, less marketing costs, to farmers.
- John Lyons
CWB media relations manager
Source : CWB