Canada and Wheat in International Trade
| Author | Sol Sinclair |
| Published date | 01 December 1957 |
| Date | 01 December 1957 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/002070205701200405 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
CANADA
AND
WHEAT
IN
INTERNATIONAL
TRADE
Sol
Sinclair*
he appearance
of
large
wheat
surpluses,
especially
in
North
America,
so
soon
after
a
period of
relative
scarcity,
again
forcibly
focuses
attention
upon
the
problem
of
disposal
of
this
crop.
This
is
not
a
new
problem.
Farmers
of
Western
Canada
have
been
grappling with
it
ever
since
1876,
when
the
first
shipment
of
wheat
was
exported from
Manitoba. Other
wheat
surplus
producing
countries
have encountered
difficulties
in
its
disposal
at
various
stages
of
their
agricultural
develop-
ment.
The
problem
rose
to
world
prominence
with
the
conven-
ing
of
the first
International
Wheat
Conference
in
Rome
in
the
spring
of
1931,
and
has
continued to
be
treated
on
a
global
level
ever
since.
It
is
a
problem
to
which
a
satisfactory
solution
has
not
yet
been
found.
Every
effort
at
a
solution
seems
to
bog
down
in
the
mire
of
emotions,
politics,
and
economics.
If
the
effects of
the
first
two
could
be
eliminated
or
even
reduced,
it
would
be
possible
to
find
satisfactory
answers
to
the
economics
in
the
world
wheat
problem.
To
progress in
this
direction
requires
a
knowledge
and
appreciation
of
the
conditions
sur-
rounding
the
production,
marketing,
and consumption
of
wheat
by
the
masses
of
people,
and
of
the nature
of
the
policies
that
operate
in
this
area.'
Our
aim
is
to
bring
to
the
fore
those
features
about
the
pro-
duction,
marketing,
and
consumption
of
wheat
which
influence
international
trade
in
this
commodity
with
emphasis
on
the
world
situation.
The
first
aspect
that
requires
examination
is
the statistics
of
wheat.2
*Professor
and
Chairman
of
the
Department
of
Agricultural
Economics
and
Farm
Management,
University
of
Manitoba.
'This
article
is
based
upon
the results
of
a
study
by
a
group
of
members
of
the
Winnipeg
Men's
Branch
of
the
CIIA.
Members of
the
group
included
C.
L. Barber, R.
L.
Cooke,
Sol
Kanee,
W.
G.
Malaher,
G.
H.
Montague,
and
Sol
Sinclair.
Dr.
J.
A.
Anderson,
Grain
Research
Laboratory,
Board
of
Grain
Commissioners,
and
R.
S.
Elliot,
Winnipeg
Grain Exchange,
assisted
the
group
as
advisors.
Mr.
Sinclair
was
group
leader
and
prepared
this
report,
which
was
approved
by
the
group.
2
All
statistical
data are
drawn
from
official
Canadian
and
FAO
agricul.
tural
reports.
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