The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, said Wednesday that Canada’s new government has listened, and will deliver, to Western Canadian barley producers who voted in favour of marketing choice.

A clear majority of the farmers who cast votes in the barley plebiscite indicated they wanted to end the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly on barley and have the freedom to market their own product.

“We have delivered on our promise to give farmers a voice on the future of barley marketing in Western Canada,” said Minister Strahl. “Their decision in favour of marketing choice is clear and we intend to give them that opportunity in the coming crop year.”

Minister Strahl said that nearly 30,000 producers participated in the plebiscite and a majority has provided the Government with a mandate to move ahead.

“Over 60 percent of producers want to decide how to market their own product. We will now begin work on the appropriate amendments to Canadian Wheat Board regulations to remove barley from the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly,” said Minister Strahl.

“We will move forward decisively because producers and the sector need clarity and market certainty. I will be consulting with the directors of the Canadian Wheat Board about the changes we will be making,” said Minister Strahl.

“It is the Government’s intention that marketing choice for Western Canada’s barley growers – including an option to continue to sell to the Canadian Wheat Board – will be reality by August 1 of this year.”