Canada: What will happen to the CWB sales of old and new crop barley, will they be executed?

Soil moisture is excellent, the melting of the snowpack in Northern Saskatchewan created local flooding and delays planting.

The problem of Canada is another one: In a plebiscite of the Western Provinces farmers voted for an optional marketing of their barley, through the CWB and the open market. The government wants to put a relevant regulation in force as of August 1, and the CWB has not published a PRO for the crop 2007 any more.

The question is, what will happen to the CWB sales of old and new crop barley, will they be executed? Legal battles between government, the CWB, trade and maltsters are threatening, meantime trade of malting barley has stopped completely. (Domestic trade of feed barley had been out the CWB’s hands since years). As Canada hopes for a crop of 13 million tonnes versus 10 million tonnes last year, a clarification of the situation is urgent.

Neighbour USA, where barley has become a specialty crop for the brewing and malting industry, reports excellent growing conditions.