Alberta farm politics

[grassfarmer]

Rather disappointed to read a letter in out local paper today (believe it was mentioned in a W. Producer article also?) of the comments made by minister Groeneveld to the Wild Rose Ag rep that their ongoing campaign to become a levy funded producer group wouldn't go anywhere unless they came around to agreeing with the AB government policy on the CWB. I guess that's why the NFU don't get the recognition they deserve - because they will not give in to blackmail. I find this turn of events rather worrysome given our attempts to alter who is eligible to receive the beef checkoff in Alberta. I think it casts a serious doubt as to whether ABP will be replaced - if they can only be replaced by a similar puppet organisation that tows the government line what use is that to us as producers? Producer groups must have independence and integrity to do their job properly - is that possible in Alberta politics?

[furrowtickler]

China's seeded acres were up 30% over last year, so a 40% hit on the total acres is huge.

[wilagro]

I'm afraid that Suzuki has become unglued lstely. I used to like his productions and copies of his lectures but I really worried that he is going "potty" in the head. His lectures are being conducted in a shrill manner and his behaviour has become erratic.

I truly believe that he is trying to change the wasteful ways of the world before he passes on but he is turning a lot of people off.

[agstar77]

What do you feed 1.3 B Chinese? Anything they want! If the damage is severe enough expect them to be in the market in a big way. Olympics coming, can't have unrest or even thought of food shortages , doesn't have good optics. You can throw all predictions out the window if this comes to pass. Then again maybe they will just stop eating.

[agstar77]

Just a thought but one of the big wheat rallies came when the Indian crop was short. Could history repeat itself?