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Wheat board stops in Lacombe

Local grain growers will get a chance to speak directly to the Canadian Wheat Board when its Farmer Forums series reaches Lacombe on Thursday.

Local grain growers will get a chance to speak directly to the Canadian Wheat Board when its Farmer Forums series reaches Lacombe on Thursday.

Regional directors will be touring the Prairie provinces over the next few days, talking about the directions the board is taking and seeking input directly from farmers.

Region 2 director Jeff Nielsen will conduct the Lacombe meeting, set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lacombe Memorial Centre.

Region 2’s other meeting is set for Vulcan on Wednesday.

Region 2 covers the west central area of Alberta.

Farmers in east Central Alberta are included in Region 4, which also covers the West Central area of Saskatchewan.

The meetings come on the heels of the CWB’s announcement on Thursday that Prairie farmers saw their second-highest returns ever in 2008-09.

The total export of durum, wheat and barley reached $7.1 million, just $100,000 short of the $7.2-million record set the previous year.

Total sales of malting barley sold through the CWB hit a record 2.8 million tonnes for the year, selling at $6.84 per bushel. Wheat fetched $8.47 and durum reached $10.30 per bushel, before deductions. However, grain prices have fallen sharply since the 2008-09 crop year, which ended last July 31.

Total CWB exports for 2008-09 reached 18.4 million tonnes, the highest in nine years and one million tonnes above 2007-08.

Further details are available in the CWB’s report to producers, now available online at www.cwb.ca/reporttoproducers

The CWB’s annual report will be made public later this month, after it has been presented to Parliament.