December 7, 2009

Canadian Wheat Board to start annual winter rail programme

The Canadian Wheat Board will start its annual winter rail programme early next week, an official with the grain marketing agency said Friday (December 4).

The 2009-2010 programme is expected to move a million tonnes or more of western Canadian wheat and durum by rail from the Prairies to export positions at eastern ports.

"We're starting next week, and it will run through the end of March and maybe into April," said Mark Dyck, CWB's senior manager of rail logistics.

Dyck said there were still some sales to be made over that timeframe, which means the volume of wheat and durum expected to move is not totally set.

"I think it'll be at least a million tonnes," said Dyck, adding that "depending on sales we could hit as high as 1.5 million."

That compares with the 1.3 million tonnes of grain the CWB moved east the previous winter, and the five-year average of around 1.0 million, said Dyck.

Dyck also said this week's quick settlement of the Canadian National Railway (CNI) strike will help the board in meeting its targets.