Over the summer and early autumn of 2006, the Government of Canada has indicated its desire to remove the single-desk selling powers of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB). The purpose of this paper is to explore the impacts of this proposal. The main conclusion of the paper is that it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for the CWB to survive as an organization. Thus, contrary to what the recent task force report by the federal government indicates, the most likely impact of removing the single-desk selling powers is that the CWB will cease to exist. The elimination of the CWB would transform the Canadian grains industry, with the impact of this change felt in virtually every part of the system. The changes that would accompany the loss of... |