The National Farmers Union is raising concern over the closure of the Canadian Grain Commission’s Winnipeg Service Centre.

According to the NFU, all grain samples will be diverted to Weyburn.

"I know for a fact in Weyburn they don't have the facilities and they don't have the staff," says NFU spokesperson Ed Sagan. "What they're doing is downsizing, unloading and saying 'well, they don't need that service', but we do."

The NFU is also concerned about CP Rail's plans to close producer car loading sites at Killarney and Shoal Lake.

"The right to access producer cars may still exist, but without loading sites within a reasonable distance of their farms, the right is totally hollow," says NFU Manitoba coordinator Ian Robson.

Sagan says the government has an agenda to dismantle institutions that support farmers.

"Gerry Ritz and the Harper government in their wisdom are saying 'we don't need those institutions' let's let the industry control themselves. That's far from the truth. We need retain those organizations so they can protect the farmer. That's what this thing is all about," he says. "Anything that's good for us, they're destroying it."

Source: Steinbachonline