Wheat pool

A wheat pool is a co-operative that buys grain (mostly wheat) from farmers.

In Canada during the 20th Century, several wheat pools were created. They were all farmer-owned co-operatives, created to break the power of the large for-profit corporations, mostly owned by foreign (British or American) or Central Canadian investors, that had dominated the grain trade in Western Canada the late 19th Century, and were an early source of Western alienation.

During the post-war era, the wheat pools almost completely replaced the private grain companies in Canada. By the 1990s, however, most had demutualized (privatized), and several mergers occurred. Now all the former wheat pools are part of the Viterra corporation.

The co-operative wheat pools included:
* United Grain Growers
* Alberta Wheat Pool
* Saskatchewan Wheat Pool

ee also

*Canadian Wheat Board - a government agency responsible for exporting wheat