The Manitoba Canola Growers Association is trying to gauge the support for voluntary marketing of canola through the Canadian Wheat Board.
The MCGA is inviting producers to fill out an online survey .
Vice President and Starbuck-area farmer Ed Rempel explains they have been investigating the option since a resolution on alternative ways of marketing canola was passed at the MCGA's Annual General Meeting in 2006.
"The resolution was borne out of a desire to have somewhat tighter basis levels and pooling to reduce some of the risk that's out there in the export market," explains Rempel. "Other features of the idea would include increased use of producer cars and possibly increased use of Churchill..."
The Canadian Wheat Board Act enables the CWB to market other crops on an open market system, if certain conditions are met. Those conditions include demonstrated interest by a significant number of producers, approval of a marketing plan by the Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board and the passing of an authorizing Order in Council.
"We met with the Canadian Wheat Board shortly after the resolution was passed," says Rempel. "We didn't get too far at that time. Basically, the idea of marketing through the Board was put on hold. Then when Ian White took over the reigns, the marketing committee approached the Board again and we floated the idea to the new administration. So now for the last couple of years, slowly but surely we've tried to put some flesh on the bones and see what this idea would look like."
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