What I got fromCombine to customer program

[Jagfarms]

The old post was getting down the list so I thought
I would start a new one.

My feelings of the C to C course.

I am very happy that I attended this course. It is
hard to put into a few words what we took in over
the 5 days.

It was very interesting what is all done at CIGI; I had
no idea what was all involved. They have this same
program for customers that buy the ag
commodities that are produced on Canadian farms.
The information changes from program to program
because of the input they get back from the
farmers and customers that attend the course.
They run the C to C program 6 times a year for
farmers. They are looking for different uses for
commodities we grow. They test out the new
varieties and see what type of qualities they have
for baking, pasta making, etc. and determine if our
customers will like these new varieties. They are
looking for new uses for Durum, lentils chickpeas,
canary seed, etc. We got to try some snack
products made from different pulse crops and saw
some different types of pasta with health benefits
that could be coming into the market in the near
future. They all tasted very good. The micro
brewery was pretty good and we got to sample
fresh beer right out of the brewery which was also
very good.

When we toured the CGC a lot of questions the
participants had before they got here were
answered; questions like: How do the grading
standards change from year to year? etc. Another
question as a farmer I had and have heard from
other farmers: How does a bit of frost or some
other down-grading factor effect the grain if it all
gets ground into flour and made into bread, or
semolina and made into pasta anyway? We got to
see how different grades even different varieties
effect the the end results such as bread, pasta, etc.
It was all very interesting. If I was to read this on a
website I would not believe it like I did seeing it
with my own eyes. We sat in for 5 days and this
only scratched the surface of all the different
testings that are done with each type of variety &
grade, the bottom line is that there is a significant
effect from down-grading factors and different
varieties. I couldn't even begin to tell all there is to
it, but seeing is believing.

In regards to the CWB. They want our input as
farmers and they use our input to make their
decisions. There was a lot of opportunity for us as
farmers to give our input and ask questions. If the
person you wanted to ask a question of was not
there, you could ask for them. They were tracked
down and available to speak to you one on one. We
had a workshop for Producer Payment options and
a session on the WTO both were very interesting. It
felt like the CWB really listened to what we had to
say and they are making changes from the input
that is given to them by farmers. There was a
reverse question and answer session where we as
farmers could give input on all their different
programs such as grain flow and farmer pricing
options. The CWB is also making some changes to
their website. They were very open to the things
we would like to see changed and will use our input
to make those changes. At any time we could ask
questions or give our opinion. Not everyone that
attended was for the CWB and everyone had
opportunity to ask questions and give their
opinions; needless to say, a lot of opinions were
given. There is a lot going on at the CWB that I had
no idea of before I went there. From what I see the
CWB has changed more in the last 7 years than it
has in the previous 30 years before that. That
change is all positive change for the benefit of the
farmer. If you are a farmer and want the CWB to
listen to what you have to say or if you want to see
some changes made, I recommend that you talk to
your CWB rep and tell them you are interested in
attending one of the C to C programs.

The best part of the program was getting to meet a
great group of people including the other farmers
in the group and the people who put the course
together and just everyone involved. If you are as
passionate about agriculture as I am I say it is an
opportunity of a lifetime. I made a bunch of new
friends and learned a lot and had a heck of a good
time.

[TOM4CWB]

Jagfarms,

As soon as the CWB starts allowing open discussions, with folks they have jilted and ripped off dozens of times... perhaps real change will occur.

The Supreme Court decision to leave the Federal Court of Appeal stand that the Government is in control of the CWB... SHOULD force real and measured changes. PPO cash buying until Jan 31... instead of Oct 31... is a step forward. Leaving the basis float is interesting... they waited till the vast majority of wheat was priced out; before they changed the rules... an unfair cheap shot.

Canada has many good people who do work very hard for our customers.

Until the CWB works as hard for grain growers as they do for customers... the CWB problem will not go away.

That will ONLY happen, when the CWB stops abusing 'designated area' grain growers... and entitles us to the same rights and privileges as the grain buyers they serve. No Cost export licenses; would go a very long way... and there is no logical reason contracted production before seeding would cause the CWB any problem!

There must be some opportunity for marketing choice for this system to work efficiently.

I am glad you liked spending my families money (CWB CtoC money)... hope you enjoyed it!

[wd9]

The other thing to remember is CIGI is funded by farmers. They do great work and used to do work for canola too but that industry, crushers, exporters, and to a small extent the inputs companies, and farmers. CIGI would not disappear should the CWB disappear. There is no reason wheat and other cereals could not have an effective cereals council to effectively coordinate everything from germ plasm to the end use customer. Canola has done it. Why not wheat?

[katoe]

Tom who paid for the 2 weeks you spent there at the cici course in1975 was it?

[TOM4CWB]

Katoe,

I believe I volunteered the time, and the Alberta Pulse Commission was responsible for the cost of the 'Farm Leaders' & Pulse/Special crops courses.

I believe the CWB was not doing c-c at that time, so Katoe I have never been to the CWB c-c training.

Are you sure it was the 1970's that I was there? Wasn't it the early 1990's?

Are you trying to insinuate that I am 70 years old?

[mbratrud]

I was at the course with Jag, and agree with most of what he has said. CIGI was the most impressive part of the course they are doing some great things there.

As for the CWB I used the opportunity to express my opinions on the FPC programs. I have long been an advocate of eliminating pooling but maintaining a single desk. It appears the Board may be heading in that direction, and soon producers may have to opt into the pool, if they don’t want to price their own grain.

They are doing some good things like moving the Fixed Price and Basis Deadline to Jan31 from Oct 31. Some other things they are considering that I think is worth pushing for are things like a Basis only pool, moving the Flex Pro Deadline from July 31 to a later date. I pushed for and was pleased to hear was being considered Cash plus type program on Durum. I got the feeling that within the next couple years Durum Pricing would be much different than today. (I sure hope so) There may be some experimenting before the year is done with a GDC type contract on Durum but the values will be low.

The Board is truly terrified that the single desk will be negotiated away at WTO talks. Some of the staff admittingly say it is probably our of anyone’s hands. I had an opportunity to have a frank discussion with Mr. White, and many of their strategic planning staff. And they all concede they need to make changes and they are trying to push through whatever changes they can. We need to push them though, to ensure the changes are going to be effective to the average farm.

For all of you who do not like the pooling system, you need to push your MP’s to change the act so Pooling doesn’t need to be offered to producers. This is one thing the board keeps clinging to is that they need to offer a pool system. In my opinion that needs to be changed.

Did I come back from the course brainwashed? Wearing my new CWB hat and my "I heart CWB" bumper sticker… No I did not. But I think being there expressing ideas and encouraging them in areas where I thought they were doing good things was effective.

I encourage everyone to get involved and express constructive ideas to the Board. One thing I found was loud and clear was they are in survival mode. They are more open to new ideas than ever before, which I found quite refreshing. If the board were dismantled tomorrow it wouldn’t really matter to me. I can take it or leave it. But I do think with some tweaking the Board could be an effective marketing tool, especially for crops like Durum, and Lentils would benefit from a single desk as well. Are they effective for HRS Wheat in a Market in which we are less than 5% of, I could go either way?

If you get an opportunity take the course. 90% of the producers that attended benefited greatly from PPO training and just a broader understanding of the Markets and what our customers are looking for.
.

[blackpowder]

I was press-ganged into speaking at the closing luncheon. I admit to not being the most qualified for the job.
Now days later I still recall believing Ian Smiths' analysis and experience.
However I did not experience an AH-HA! I SEE NOW! moment over single desk etc. I frustate the best teachers.
But some of what I did see was in my speech. My colleagues have urged me to present my speech here so here goes.


I learned the CGC is quality control & accountability.
It's an important group of professionals working daily without windows to ensure seed supply as well as an entire inventory of our industry within that scope.
Their ongoing research with all our grains & oilseeds is also incalculable.
Also, they do the best they can as the fiscal watchdog for our grain handlers, within their mandate.

The Grains Institute before this was to me a webpage with a little obtusely related information.
It is in fact a world class lab, research facility & technical training institute.
Its' highly accredited staff is truly dedicated to the study of Our products, all their possible uses & the education of us as well as the end users - our customers.
There may not be this many PhDs in these respective disciplines in one place anywhere else in the world; all working for "us".

For years I felt forced to ride the CWB bus. And I fundamentally did not like that.
I was and will be a free thinker. I choose to live or fail by the market.
With the years and some comprehensive thought I began to ask "why".
Why does our competition doggedly pursue us? Why do our grain handlers grow vociferous then silent when it suits them in these matters? And why must our governments and the railroads throw an opaque lens over these numbers when asked?

I learned we do not have a guard dog staffed with automatons.
We "own" an institution.
Its' legacy is rocky and fractured.
Its' mandate is debatable.
Fair and equal is dubious.
But we might have an asset corporations drool over.
Our true assets here are not captive supplies of blending wheat: but people.
It appears we have a corporate culture of sincerity and dedication to something other than rules and dictation.
They believe in service to something other than themselves.

We have a complete team of experts:
Foreign relations, Logistics, fiscal risk management, branding, lobbying & liaison.
Law, sales, customer relations, finance, staff retention and development.
Every tour member I've talked to has been impressed with these people. And every tour member appreciates learning of concerns to them: WTO, OTA. Rail Logistics, durum logistics,grading concerns to name a few.
We must pause to consider these assets before we throw the baby out with the bathwater.
There will generally be more profit in construction than destruction.
The only constant in life is change.
Our businesses will change over time.
And likely so will the CWB.
How it changes is up to everyone.

For all my colleagues I wish to thank all the organizers and presenters for spending task time with us.
I'm sure most of us did not realize all this existed.
Thank you.

Take your best shot angriville.

[TOM4CWB]

blackpowder,

This is an issue... pure and simple of property rights... and the human asset of 'ownership' of the fruits we grow; that is is an undeniable part of those rights.

It does not matter how 'right' those at 423 main believe they are. Federated Co-operatives is a very good example of business in 2010 that works for the good of all who choose to benefit from co-operation. WITHOUT seductive 'single desk' arguments;

Sadly the CWB has admitted time after time... that no - cost export licenses for 'designated area' grain growers can be issued whenever the CWB wishes.

The 'pool' being 'mandatory' is an excuse, badly managed, and obviously voluntary.

For the CWB to cling to the fallacy that all sales must be pooled simply is not in the CWB Act.

If it is written somewhere... show us.

I dare the CWB legal beagles to explain this without a dozen provisos and excuses why they must do what they are doing.

Mandatory pooling is simply not in the CWB Act, Goodale already changed this.

Progress is needed... and the Supreme Court ruling to dismiss the leave to appeal changes much.

Hence the shock and awe it dealt to these war horses who thought they could never lose!

The folks at the CWB... didn't think we had the staying power to beat back their well financed and polished war machine. Truth and Justice will overcome the cheap imitation wares the CWB has pedalled since 1998.

There is enough brain power in the directors now at the CWB... to fix the COrp... if the left wing nuts would look back and have a sober second thought on destroying the CWB to prove what? NOTHING!

Don't wait till spring... FIX the CWB NOW!

[Fransisco]

Okay, so we've now got 3 people who just spent 5 days at this CWB course and yet at the end of it none of them have any kind of moral or economic reason for why we should be forced to hand our grain over to this government bureaucracy.

That kind of says it all now doesn't it.

[mbratrud]

Tom, Fran,

So because the participants of the course did not come back assimilated that means they have failed?

There is a very real possibility you may get what you’re wishing for and see the end of the single desk. Have you thought about that will impact you? Transportation and Inventory Management will become major issues. In many cases you will find movement even more discouraging than it already is.

As for pooling I guess the act simply states a pool must be provided as an option. The CWB’s argument is that it is hard to run the pool beside an open pricing mechanism. And this is why I encouraged them to make it so producers have to sign up for the pool with a set amount of tonnes.

Blackpowder, I was sorry I had to leave and miss your address on be half of the participants. You said it best with your comments on Wednesday night on when did there culture change occur… There is definitely a difference in attitude and I am curious to see what they do next.

[Raven]

Tom and Francisco, they overlook that the single-desk is coercion, backed up by jailing.
Amazing!

[Raven]

There's an old court statement in the early 1900's that says that the phrase "thou shall not steal" does not apply to Parliament. This is the problem the CWB has. They need the government to steal farmers' grain for them but that's all they want from the government.

[silverback]

Fear.

That is all it is ever about.

They are afraid that they may have to stand on their own two feet and make real decisions.

Cowards.

[charliep]

mbratrud

What are the rules and processes around the basis only contract?

Also found the consideration of a durum cashplus contract. Why not all
wheats? Would allow the CWB to put the flexpro contract out of its misery.

Any mention of barley (feed or malt) and new ideas?

[mbratrud]

Charlie,

As for the Basis Pool, its in the the Idea stage. Got the scense from Ian White this is something he is really behind. I think this would be a good option for HRS Wheat.

The reason they are looking at the cash plus for Durum is the fact there is now good hedging mechanism the trading is cash. Step in the right direction I think.

As for Malt Barley I think they just simply want to improve the Cash Plus and expand tonnage. Cash plus is working well so far.

Grain flo is on the table for change, some considerations are attaching price via cash plus to Grain Flo, or putting individual contract tonnage caps in place.