Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Wheat Marketing Western Style Cartoon -- What do you think?

Views: 165

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joann on November 25, 2010 at 5:47pm
The CWB is a lawful corporation formed by legislation for a multitude of purposes. As I am not a stakeholder of the corporation, I am in no position to comment on the functionality of the CWB.. the future of the board rests with the western farmers alone...... but the question was about the cartoon itself.

I find the cartoon a classic display of "negativity effect". The cartoon clearly has one purpose and that is to deliberately demonize and humiliate the legislated corporation. The clip instills a sense of ownership and control of the wheat when he tells the farmer "it is not your grain". If there are interests to destroy the CWB then by demonizing the board, the general public will easily accept the or even encourage the demise.

The other subtle message which was repeatedly stated was "farmers are greedy".

Its what NOT in the cartoon that is curious. Wheat was placed in "trust" some time ago. Will the government please explain why and when wheat was placed in trust in Canada? Still waiting Mr. Ritz..........then take care to explain to the public who really "owns" the wheat.

The Canadian Wheat Board is a "Public Trust". Why doesn't the cartoon include that lawful phrase? Who does the CWB really protect? The farmer or the Public?

There is also a very curious Ontario connection. Some of the intelligence behind the formation of the CWB was also part of the formation of an important commodity board in Ontario a few decades later....a close friend of Premier Frost.

Where Premier Frost was a friend and advocate for farmers (as he fully understood their importance to the public)..... we now are witnessing a Premier that is divesting himself from the associated "legal implications" from government mandated marketing..... agricultural traceability and liability. If Mr. McGuinty imagines that his government can magically absolve itself from future liability just by divesting its responsibilities through the dissolution of marketing controls....could the same be true for the future of the stakeholders of the CWB?

hence.... the creation of humiliating cartoons that demonize Public Trusts.

The cartoon is disgusting with its veiled bullying tactics against the public. Who is behind it?
Permalink Reply by Roadrunner on November 27, 2010 at 5:02am
It appears that a frustrated farmer developed this cartoon using some simple software and his wit.
I think this is an interesting example of how an individual can call out a large public institution on some issues.
I doubt many Ontario farmers want the CWB incharge of their marketing...they have impossible job of marketing...this public trust was set up in another era for farmers with different needs.
Permalink Reply by Daryl on November 27, 2010 at 8:32am

This cartoon is an ongoing attempt to demonize the CWB. I am a western Canadian Wheat farmer and feel it is disgusting to listen to the cartoon.No one can really know where it originated. There are many corporations who would like to see the CWB gone. The CWB is not perfect, but who so ever would market my wheat on behalf of myself as a western canadian farmer may or may NOT be any better. I certainly do not think I can go to the world stage and market my wheat without some group or corporations help. I grow grain that HAS to be exported to the world. It will never be consumed all in North America therefore I am at the mercy of someone elses help. Do I wqant some ones help that works for me and other farmers from Canada or some one who works for the profits of share holders who may be from China
Joann said:
The CWB is a lawful corporation formed by legislation for a multitude of purposes. As I am not a stakeholder of the corporation, I am in no position to comment on the functionality of the CWB.. the future of the board rests with the western farmers alone...... but the question was about the cartoon itself.

I find the cartoon a classic display of "negativity effect". The cartoon clearly has one purpose and that is to deliberately demonize and humiliate the legislated corporation. The clip instills a sense of ownership and control of the wheat when he tells the farmer "it is not your grain". If there are interests to destroy the CWB then by demonizing the board, the general public will easily accept the or even encourage the demise.

The other subtle message which was repeatedly stated was "farmers are greedy".

Its what NOT in the cartoon that is curious. Wheat was placed in "trust" some time ago. Will the government please explain why and when wheat was placed in trust in Canada? Still waiting Mr. Ritz..........then take care to explain to the public who really "owns" the wheat.

The Canadian Wheat Board is a "Public Trust". Why doesn't the cartoon include that lawful phrase? Who does the CWB really protect? The farmer or the Public?

There is also a very curious Ontario connection. Some of the intelligence behind the formation of the CWB was also part of the formation of an important commodity board in Ontario a few decades later....a close friend of Premier Frost.

Where Premier Frost was a friend and advocate for farmers (as he fully understood their importance to the public)..... we now are witnessing a Premier that is divesting himself from the associated "legal implications" from government mandated marketing..... agricultural traceability and liability. If Mr. McGuinty imagines that his government can magically absolve itself from future liability just by divesting its responsibilities through the dissolution of marketing controls....could the same be true for the future of the stakeholders of the CWB?

hence.... the creation of humiliating cartoons that demonize Public Trusts.

The cartoon is disgusting with its veiled bullying tactics against the public. Who is behind it?

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Bison may not have future on Great Plains

The Great Plains has functioned as an ideal habitat for the North American bison for thousands of years. But according to new research from South Dakota State University, the grasslands of South Dakota and North Dakota may no longer be the national mammal's model habitat by the end of the century. Earth's climate has changed throughout deep history, with periods of both warming and cooling. Currently, the North American climate is seeing an increase in temperatures and variability in precipitation. That change is causing some species to shift their range as living conditions become unsuitable. The research team's findings, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, suggest that the center of suitable climate conditions for the North American bison will shift from the Saskatchewan-Montana/North Dakota border significantly to the northwest, near the Alaska/Canada border, by the year 2100. While Canada and Alaska will become more suitable for bison, much of the contiguous United S

Producers suffer egg woes

Key takeaways • After almost 21 million birds were affected by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza from January to March 2026, detections have decreased, with less than 10,000 birds affected so far in May. The resulting increase in egg supply comes during a time of softened demand. • Retail prices for shell eggs are currently 62 percent less than in 2025, while prices paid to farmers for shell eggs have decreased 93 percent. Prices for breaker eggs, used for the liquid-egg market, have decreased to just 8 cents per dozen. That’s 96 percent less than in 2025 and well less than break-even levels. • Prolonged periods of less than break-even prices could force farms out of the market and contribute to continued consolidation in the egg industry. Egg markets have encountered massive volatility since outbreaks of HPAI began in 2022. Retail shell-egg prices hit a record level in 2025 but are now almost 60 percent less than a year ago as supplies have strengthened and HPAI cases declined. Th

The world’s game on a Canadian ag canvas

Bert Bos, owner of the 165-acre Bos Sod Farms in Abbotsford, grew the nearly two acres of hybrid turf the players will play on

Pulse Market Insight #298

Third Quarter Scorecard Positive for Pulses More acreage and very high yields meant much bigger Canadian pulse crops in 2025. Pea and lentil crops were each nearly 1.0 mln tonnes larger than 2024 and chickpea production was up by almost 200,000 tonnes. And for each crop, the carryover from 2024/25 into 2025/26 was also large, which added to the big supplies. With pulse crops facing extremely heavy supplies, a serious increase in export volumes was needed in 2025/26 to keep markets from being pressured (even) lower. And early in the marketing year, prospects weren’t great. In fact, the most positive developments only started to show up in the third quarter of the 2025/26 marketing year. While that doesn’t leave a lot of time to “fix” the heavy supply situation, the outlook is certainly brighter than it was a few months ago. Prospects were especially dim for peas earlier in 2025/26, with Chinese tariffs essentially shutting off that important outlet for Canadian peas. Indian demand wa

Progress Accelerates in Lagging States as U.S. Corn, Soy Planting Remains Ahead of Average

U.S. corn and soybean planting continued to progress ahead of the average pace this past week as fieldwork accelerated in some states where it had been lagging. Monday’s USDA crop progress report showed the nationwide corn crop at 76% planted as of Sunday, up 19 points from the previous week and 6 points ahead of the five-year average. An identical 76% of the corn crop had been planted at this time last year. American soybean planting was pegged at 67% complete as of Sunday, a weekly advance of 18 points. That is 14 points ahead of average and 4 points ahead of last year. In Michigan - where producers had been bogged down by wet, cold conditions - corn planting surged 30 points from a week earlier to reach 47% complete as of Sunday. However, that remains behind 60% last year and 52% on average. Soybean planting in Michigan jumped 25 points on the week to 37% complete, versus 50% last year and 46% on average. North Dakota producers also made rapid progress after earlier weather-

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service