CWB director elections

[wedino]

Below is a copy of a letter I'm sending to CWB board of directors.

I take issue with the fact that landlords have a right to vote in CWB director elections. I understand that landlords, in a crop share situation, are entitled to a say in how their grain is marketed. The majority of crop share arrangements state that the landlord is entitled to a certain portion of the crop produced by the tenant. In regard to the CWB director elections, the landlord is allowed one vote for the director of his choice as is the actual producer. This is where the problem exists. Why, when the landlord has control of only a certain portion of the production, does his vote carry the same weight as the actual producer?

The solution is to allow each producer one vote for each acre he operates. A landlord would be allowed to vote according to the number of acres he owns times the percentage of crop share he is allotted according to the contract between himself and the tenant. The producer/tenant would vote the remaining acres. For example, 1000 acres on a one third/two third rental basis - landlord casts 333 ballots and tenant casts 667 ballots.

This is easy to implement and would give all producers, including landlords, an equal say in the CWB director elections. I look forward to this simple change in the way we elect directors to the CWB.

[charliep]

A couple of clarifications.

1) Would actual farm voting power be rated the same way as for landlords. For example, would a 5,000 farm have 10 times the voting power as 500 acre farmer. Would a 5,000 acre farm who owns 2000 acres and rents 3,000 acres on a 1/3 landlord share be allocated 4,000 voting acres. What happens if the share is 25 % landlord?

2) Would voting power be rated by quota acre as per the CWB permit book or some other measure.

3) Would this have an impact on confidentiality/perhaps provide access to someone as to how people voted? Would someone who challenged a director vote and demanded a recount would have to find out about voting patterns by size and perhaps to individual?

Did anyone else sit in on the US, Aussie and Chilean panel on the last day of Farm Tech 2002? The Aussie (Gerald I think) made an interesting comment about changes to the AWB in Australia. Australian farmers made the changes they did to get government out to the realm of controlling their industry. They looked at two alternative governance systems - a cooperative model and a corporate model. Their choice for the more corporate oriented governance. Can anyone else remember this comment and its logic?

[AdamSmith]

Either votes based on # of acres or based on # of tonnes sold. This would have to include all grain as the CWB has such a tight control of transportation, all grains are affected by CWB policy. Basing it off acres would work as well.

1 tonne = 1 vote or 1 acre = 1 vote.

It's uncontionable that a landlord with 1/3 share in a quarter section can have an equal say as someone who operates a three or four thousand acre commercial grain farm.

Shouldn't the people who have the most invested and the most at risk be given a greater say in how this industry operates?

As someone who is investing heavily into my grain farm with capital costs like $175,000 air-drills, $250,000 combines, $200,000 tractors and land and rent costs four to five times what they were a generation ago, I resent the fact that retired and retiring farmers are the ones who have been given the balance of power over this industry by the way CWB elections are conducted!

But I guess the Federal Liberals and the CWB see that the future of this industry can be found in any number of old folks homes scattered throughout the prairies.

Screw the twenty and thirty year old's lets back the seventy and eighty year olds!

I'm stopping now. This really has me riled up. Jeez!!!

[rodbradshaw]

Charlie
The reason they opted for the corporate model was for two reasons:
Liabilty of directors in the co-op model.
The ability to raise equity in the market with a corporate stucture.

The CWB should be voted on like GM or any other corporation. It should be related to the amount of business done.
If you sold two tonnes of barley to the board in the past three years you should not have the same vote as a producer who has sold several thousand tonnes.

After all the 80-20 rule applies here and I have heard it might be closer to 85-90 percent of the grain is produced by 20%or less of so called producers.

[wedino]

Charliep,

A couple of clarifications.

1) Would actual farm voting power be rated the same way as for landlords. For example, would a 5,000 farm have 10 times the voting power as 500 acre farmer. Would a 5,000 acre farm who owns 2000 acres and rents 3,000 acres on a 1/3 landlord share be allocated 4,000 voting acres. What happens if the share is 25 % landlord?

Yes, .25*number of acres rented from landlord.

2) Would voting power be rated by quota acre as per the CWB permit book or some other measure.

Yes

3) Would this have an impact on confidentiality/perhaps provide access to someone as to how people voted? Would someone who challenged a director vote and demanded a recount would have to find out about voting patterns by size and perhaps to individual?

Don’t see how this would be a problem.

[TOM4CWB]

wedino,

Great subject!

I do a great deal of crop share farming, and without exception these people want me to make the marketing decisions...

Since I am offering to pool amongst all on our farm, with the crop share people usually getting the best deal possible, they have appreciated my hard work to get them the best price.

Now if I have 6 crop share partners, why should the CWB send ballots to everyone? Obviously,the present system is not democratic because a democracy needs both representation area and popluation for it to be equatable.

The CWB must address this issue, but obviously they know the result beforehand... so nothing is done!

This is a shame, as the result in the long run will likely be the total destruction of the CWB, is this what Minister Goodale really wants anyway?

[charliep]

This is an interesting topic I hate to see die. The suggestion is a very radical departure from the current system. What are others thoughts.

[wedino]

I emailed copies of the letter to the CWB directors & to Rod Flaman (Director for my area) 2 weeks ago - no reply to date. Hard Copies sent via snail mail.

[wedino]

Another week has gone by, still no reply.