Yestderday was World Pasta Day, but there is little rejoicing in western Canada, as there is very little pasta production occurring on the prairies. The Canadian Wheat Board monopoly continues to be the single biggest impediment to pasta processing in western Canada.
“The CWB often boasts that Canada is the world’s largest exporter of durum wheat,” says Stephen Vandervalk, Alberta Vice President of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers. “What they fail to mention is that Canada is a large and growing net importer of pasta.”
Durum wheat is used to produce semolina, the main ingredient in quality pasta. Incredibly, Canada is a net importer of pasta, despite being the world’s largest producer of durum wheat.
Our trade deficit in pasta is getting worse. In 2005, the value of Canada’s net pasta imports was $67 million. By 2009, this trade deficit has ballooned to $223 million. In contrast, Canada’s canola oil trade surplus was $1.4 billion in 2009.
“I think most Canadians would be alarmed to know that Canada is a net importer of pasta,” says Vandervalk. “A large part of the problem is that prairie farmers are prohibited by the CWB from selling their durum direct to processors.”
Canada is easily the largest exporter of durum in the world, accounting for about half of world trade, and yet we rank 14th in terms of pasta production.
Today, there are no pasta plants on the prairies other than a small operation in Edmonton. By comparison, there are five commercial pasta plants operating in North Dakota.
“Western Canadian farmers can only look longingly at our neighbours to the south, who enjoy ready access to durum mills and pasta plants on their doorstep,” says Vandervalk. “They also get a higher price for their durum and can sweep their bins clean if they so wish.”
In the past two years, the CWB has failed to accept all durum wheat that prairie farmers have offered for sale. In the 2008/09 crop year, only 74% of wheat tendered by farmers was accepted by the CWB. In 2009/10, the CWB accepted only 52% of durum tendered by farmers under series contracts plus 200,000 tonnes under its GrainFlo program.
“Many prairie farmers would welcome the opportunity to sell our durum wheat direct to mills, rather than being forced to carry it over from year to year,” says Vandervalk. “Freeing us from the CWB monopoly would give us that chance and start Canada on the path toward becoming a net exporter of pasta.”
