Allen Oberg elected the new chair of the Canadian Wheat Board’s farmer-controlled board of directors.
Allen Oberg, a grain and cattle producer from Alberta, has been elected the new chair of the Canadian Wheat Board’s farmer-controlled board of directors.
Oberg, the farmer-elected director for District 5, runs a 6,500-acre operation at Forestburg, southeast of Edmonton, where he grows wheat, barley, canola and peas, and raises commercial cows.
He was first elected to the CWB board of directors in 2002 and has acted as chair of the board’s farmer relations committee. Oberg has served on the boards of numerous organizations throughout his career, including Alberta Wheat Pool, Agricore and the Canadian Cooperative Association. He is past chairman of the Western Grains Research Foundation.
“It is both a great opportunity and a tremendous responsibility to lead this organization and serve the farmers of Western Canada,” Oberg said. “Farmers tell me that they want to be firmly in control of their marketing organization – and we will work to ensure that farmers are clearly in the driver’s seat.”
Oberg replaces Swift Current-area farmer Larry Hill as chair of the board. Hill, the farmer-elected director for District 3, has served his maximum number of elected terms and steps down from the board at the end of 2010. Hill had been chair since 2008.
Controlled by western Canadian farmers, the CWB is the largest wheat and barley marketer in the world. One of Canada’s biggest exporters, the Winnipeg-based organization sells grain to more than 70 countries and returns all revenue, less marketing costs, to farmers.
