WCE Supports Dual Market for Barley

WINNIPEG - Jul 11/02 - SNS -- The Winnipeg Commodity Exchange (WCE) has thrown its support behind creation of a dual market system for Canadian barley, which would allow growers to sell either to the Canadian Wheat Board or directly to exporters.

The concept has political support in both western Canada and Ottawa, where the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food floated the concept in a report titled "The Future Role of the Government in Agriculture". Recommendation 14 of the report states;

"Whereas additional on-farm activities and local value-added processing are an excellent way to give farmers more influence in pricing, the Committee recommends that the board of directors of the Canadian Wheat Board authorize, on a trial basis, a free market for the sale of wheat and barley, and that it report to this Committee on the subject."

Robert Dzisiak, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Winnipeg Commodity Exchange Inc. (WCE), said "WCE supports this recommendation and in particular, a voluntary market for Canadian barley".

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