Western Canadian grain farmers saw their second-highest returns on record in 2008-09, boosted by high grain prices for a large, high-quality crop. The financial results are outlined in the CWB's "Report to Producers", which begins arriving in farmers' mailboxes next week. The complete 2008-09 CWB annual report, titled Strength in Numbers, will be released following tabling of the results in Parliament this month.

Prairie farmers earned a near-record $7.1 billion from their wheat, durum and barley, second only to $7.2 billion the year before. While grain prices have since sharply declined, farmers' per-bushel returns in the 2008-09 crop year (ending July 31, 2009) were the second-highest in history at $8.47 for wheat and $10.30 for durum, before freight and handling deductions.

Total sales of malting barley hit a new record (2.8 million tonnes). Pooled returns for malting barley hit a new high at $6.84 a bushel, before deductions.

Total CWB exports in the 2008-09 crop year (ending July 31, 2009) were 18.4 million tonnes, the highest in nine years and a million tonnes above the previous year.

Combined with market changes that were favourable to the programs, the new approach allowed the CWB to erase a $28.9 million deficit in its contingency fund, caused by the extraordinary market conditions of 2007-08.

(from：wisconsinagconnection.com)