Minister Ritz Celebrating the Passing into Law of the Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act

Video Transcript

[Fade in from black.]

[Minister Ritz is standing at a podium addressing an off screen crowd. There is a large, blue tractor placed behind him.]

Text on screen: Marketing Freedom

[Applause]

Minister Ritz:

With this historic Act now in force, wheat and barley farmers across Western Canada will be able to start forward contracting immediately for sale and delivery after August 1^st of 2012. In fact, I'm extremely pleased that this morning, we will all witness history as the first contracts are signed by producers here in this room. The doors to marketing freedom will open wide at the beginning of the new crop year, August 1^st, 2012, as we promised. We promised the farmers who sent us to Ottawa, and we have delivered.

We haven't wavered on marketing freedom and we never will.

[Applause]

We were proud to pass this vital legislation so that producers and the grain industry as a whole have certainty about the right to market their own products. Farmers must have the freedom to market their crop in the best interests of their individual bottom line.

Freedom to sell their wheat and barley to the buyer of their choice, be it a processor, a pasta manufacturer or a flour mill or a malt plant, just as you do with your canola, your lentils, your pulses and other non-board crops that have stormed onto the scene during these monopoly years.

Like everyone in my generation on the Prairies, I grew up with the Canadian Wheat Board. I know that marketing freedom will bring considerable change for all points of the grain industry in Western Canada. Positive change, but change for sure. Change draws a different reaction from different people. Some embrace it. Some hold judgment. Some pass judgment. And some fear it.

Today, all farmers in the Peace River Region of British Columbia, in Alberta, in Manitoba and in my own great home province of Saskatchewan, I say the Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act can and will work for you; whether you are large, mid-sized or small; whether you want to sell off the combine or out of the bin; whether you want to take charge of your marketing or prefer the comfort zone of a pool.

To all of you, I say you will have that choice to drive your business where the rubber meets the road, at the point of sale.

[Applause]

To the hardworking staff and forward-looking leadership of the newly reinvigorated Canadian Wheat Board, I look forward to continuing to work with you to make sure that farmers have as many marketing choices as are possible.

I look forward to working with you to seize these opportunities. When we have a strong farm gate, we have a stronger grain industry and a stronger Canada.

Thank you.

[Applause]

[Fade to black.]