Canada: CWB posts plebiscite results, most farmers wish to maintain CWB single-desk system

The results of the 2011 Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) Producer Plebiscite were announced on September, 12 by Plebiscite Coordinator Ian Craven of MNP LLP.

The outcome of the Plebiscite was as follows:

For barley:

6,283 producers (51 per cent of respondents who grew barley) said they wish to maintain the ability to market all barley, both malting/food, with the continuing exception of feed barley sold domestically, through the CWB single-desk system.

6,014 producers (49 per cent of respondents who grew barley) said they wish to remove the single-desk marketing system from the CWB and sell all barley through an open-market system.

For wheat:

22,764 producers (62 per cent of respondents who grew wheat) said they wish to maintain the ability to market all wheat, with the continuing exception of feed wheat sold domestically, through the CWB single-desk system.

14,059 producers (38 per cent of respondents who grew wheat) said they wish to remove the single-desk marketing system from the CWB and sell all wheat through an open-market system.

The vote was conducted across the CWB designated area in Western Canada, using a mail-in voting system. The participation rate for returned ballots was 56 per cent (55 per cent of those who grew wheat, 47 per cent of those who grew barley, and 60 per cent of those who grew both). The tabulation process identified 183 rejected envelopes that were determined to be invalid, and 301 spoiled ballots. Ballot tabulation was conducted in the presence of scrutineers representing major farm groups.

16 September, 2011