Gerry Ritz
Western Canadian farmers will see more value-added opportunities as a result of the end of the Canadian Wheat Board's single desk, according to the federal agriculture minister.
Gerry Ritz and Prime Minister Stephen Harper were in attendance as Alliance Grain Traders announced construction of a $50 million pasta and pulse processing plant in Regina.
"The stage has been set. The market forces can come to bear. Forward thinking processors like Alliance Grain Traders will now be able to deal directly with farmers for that quality and consistency of supply that's been missing in the ridiculous buy-back program that the Wheat Board had," says Ritz. "A business model is based on more than just that, but at the end of the day, certainly this makes it easier to move forward for them."
"I'm excited by the talk that is out there. Certainly this whole idea that you have to go to the end-user in order to put up a processing plant has been put to rest. Alliance Grain Traders has built a world-class pulse handling system for lentils, peas and soforth, doing it right here where they're grown. They see that same opportunity for durum, pasta, and I look forward to working with them," he says.
Ritz says legislation to end the CWB's single desk will be tabled soon.
"Just a few more sleeps," he says.