The Canadian Wheat Board election race for District 8 has heated up as there are now three candidates vying for farmers' votes, including a former director.

Fillmore area farmer Terry Hanson announced on Tuesday he will run again for the position, joining Rouleau-area farmer Ron Saal, and incumbent director Rod Flaman.

Nominations for candidates will close on Monday, Oct. 25, and packages for registered voters will be mailed out on Nov. 1, with the end of voting to be Dec. 3. The results will then be tabulated and announced by Dec. 12.

One of two candidates' forums for District 8 will be held in Weyburn, on Monday, Nov. 15 at the Weyburn Legion Hall from 7 to 9 p.m.

Hanson's experience with the CWB includes serving for 12 years on the Advisory Committee to the board, and two years as director, helping to develop pricing options for farmers, such as the Early Payment Option available to producers.

Like the incumbent, Hanson is committed to maintaining the CWB's single desk selling and price pooling, but feels there are changes that need to be made if the board is going to survive, particularly in the face of challenges under the World Trade Organization (WTO) and from the U.S.

"I think we have to be a lot stronger in our voice against the challenges. We have too many bureaucrats without any farm roots over in Europe negotiating for us," he said, adding that board directors need to be more involved, even attending some of the negotiating meetings.

One change Hanson feels the CWB should make is in regard to reducing its reliance on the federal government.

"It's time the CWB takes responsibility for setting initial prices, determining the election process and timing, and end the federal government appointing directors. The CWB should and must be controlled by the farmers and be responsible to them," he said.

In regard to setting the initial price, Hanson said the important aspect of that is the guarantee on credit sales so the CWB can borrow funds at a low, competitive rate.

"So many times we've been bounced around, waiting for cabinet to approve the initial price either at the level approved by the board or well below it. I'm saying if we have to establish a contingency fund to set those levels and give incremental increases we can feel comfortable with, we should do that," said Hanson.

The former director said he didn't know if he wanted to run again, but a group of producers got the required number of signatures together and encouraged him to step into the race.

Opposing Hanson and Flaman will be first-time candidate Ron Saal of Rouleau, who supports dual marketing to give producers a choice.

He and wife Karen farm 2,000 acres and grow lentils, chickpeas, flax, canola, durum and barley, and derive all of their income from the farm.

"I'm running for District 8 because I want a choice, the choice to market your own grain. I'd like to see a voluntary wheat board, so the ones of us who want a choice will have it, and those who want to market through the board will still be able to," said Saal.

Noting the incumbent had had the same position when he ran in the last election, only to change over to supporting single-desk selling by the CWB, Saal vowed he would never do that.

"That's one thing I'm guaranteeing. If for any reason if I change my mind, I will immediately step down, because if farmers elect me, they want a choice. The voluntary system works very well in Ontario," he said.

Besides dual marketing, the other major change is to have more value-added options for durum, as this will be the only way producers and the CWB will survive.

"I think the wheat board can survive, but it has to be changed. I'd like to be able to market my durum so I could value-add if I want. Right now on my farm lentils is what pays the bills. We have to grow cereals as a rotation crop," said Saal, adding of the CWB, "I don't want to see the end of the board, I want it to be a voluntary board."