By Morinville News Staff

Ottawa – Westlock-St. Paul Member of Parliament Brian Storseth applauded the federal government’s Aug. 1 announcement that Canadian farmers would now be able to sell their wheat and barley on the open market. The passage of the Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act, which took effect Aug. 1, allows farmers to sell their grains to whomever they see fit.

“Our Government has delivered on our longstanding commitment to give Western farmers the marketing freedom they want and deserve,” Storseth said in a release Friday. “Thanks to the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, our farmers can finally choose how they market their own crops.”

The federal government plans to work with its provincial counterparts, producer groups, the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) to ensure an orderly transition to an open and competitive Canadian grain market. The feds believe the voluntary CWB will remain a viable marketing option for Canadian farmers and is poised to compete for farmers’ business.

“Storseth said farmers know how to run their own businesses and he believes they now have the freedom to do so.
According to federal statistics, Canada is the world’s fifth-largest exporter of agriculture and food products. Exports hit an all-time high of more than $40 billion in 2011.

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