CWB Slashes Workforce 20%

WINNIPEG - Jan 27/04 - SNS -- The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) will slash the number of staff positions by 20% or 135 individuals by July, says President and CEO Adrian Measner.

"We are positioning the CWB to deliver on our commitment to add value for Prairie farmers in every aspect of our business. We will be re-engineering our traditional activities to better meet the needs of farmers and customers and to ensure the CWB is the most effective and efficient organization it can be for the future," said Measner.

The review, which formally got underway in April 2003, involved the thorough evaluation of all CWB products, services and processes to determine how well they reflected the CWB's future direction. After determining the CWB's essential operational requirements, adjustments to the organizational structure and staffing requirements were identified. Opportunities to improve consistency and efficiency were also identified.

"As a commercial marketing organization, the CWB must operate in a way that reflects the new realities of the international grain trade," said Measner. "We've moved into an era of intense competition, as opposed to reliance on a few large, loyal customers. Our farmer stakeholders are under severe financial pressure and need to extract maximum value from the marketplace."

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