The new voluntary Canadian Wheat Board may be looking to branch out to market other commodities, particularly canola, in time for the 2012-13 crop.
However, the CWB is currently focused on transitioning its traditional wheat, durum, and barley marketing to an open market, and the introduction of new commodities is still forthcoming.
“We expect, and want, to have a program for canola marketing this year,” said CWB spokeswoman Maureen Fitzhenry, “and our hope is that it would be available during the summer period.”
Fitzhenry said specifics of any canola-marketing program from the CWB were not yet worked out, as the agency has focused its attention on getting its new wheat, durum, and barley programs up and running.
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The CWB is also still working on getting grain-handling agreements with grain companies in place before moving on to other crops.
Cargill’s Canadian elevator network and Saskatchewan’s South West Terminal are the only grain handlers so far confirmed to have reached handling agreements with the CWB. Fitzhenry said more agreements should be in place “very soon,” but said there was nothing to announce just yet. †
