Wheat Growers 'Stunned' By Dairy Compensation

Aug 22, 2019

The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association (WCWGA) says it was stunned to see the federal government deliver another $1.75 Billion dollars to the supply management sector.

“This is simply electioneering on behalf of our federal government. Dairy farmers in Quebec are receiving funding whereas grain farmers across the prairies are only offered ways to increase their farm debt through the Advanced Payment Programs,” said WCWGA President Gunter Jochum.

The group says that over the past 36 months, grain farmers have witnessed non-tariff barriers blocking durum exports to Italy, Saudi Arabia, Peru and Vietnam. It also notes that pulse exports to India are similarly being blocked, while most recently China, the biggest customer for canola, has created barriers to Canadian exports.

The Wheat Growers say they have raised these issues with Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Bibeau through a letter on June 17 and received a non-committal answer on July 29. The group has estimated the grain market losses for the past 3 years to reach almost $4 billion.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.