Western Grains Research Foundation Approves $3.8 Million Breeding Tools Initiative

[TOM4CWB]

This 'interest' logic is something the CWB would come up with!!!

If you can't find good projects... do not expect me to send any more money... YOU ALREADY HAVE WAY TOO MUCH... if all you do is spend the interest!!!

[gustgd]

I would like to clarify that the money that came to WGRF from the railways overcharging on rail car maitnence was by legistlation. I was not in farm policy when said legistlation was drafted.

As I understand it, no one thought that the railways would have missed the target by so much. To be fair it was a change in the way maitanence charges were calculated that made it so.

Again as I understand it. giving the money back to the farms that origanoly were overcharged without a reasonable chance of not spending the next x number of years in court fighting over decisions made.

One more time The endowment fund money is split among ALL crops. The checkoff money from wheat goes to wheat. The checkoff money from barley sales goes to barley. One of the reasons that we were looking at broadening the checkoff was for industrial uses. As it is now most of the research goes into bread wheats as thats where the money came from.

wmoebis, If no royalties were paid how would ongoing research be funded? not being sarcastic just trying to anticipate questions.

[wmoebis]

I would antisipate that there would still be check offs and have no doubt that without a change in policy, there will still be over charges by rail co's. The endowment fund will always be there drawing interest.

Perhaps!!

[TOM4CWB]

gusty,

If we ran our crop commissions in Alberta the way WGRF did... there would be a mass refund movement of growers to ask for refunds. SK pulse gets away with much more because they are manditory with no refunds.

I have no issue with one or two years of reserves to pay for ongoing projects.

If Alberta Canola Growers does $1.5m/year research and marketing/etc. expenditures... if ACG has $2m in reserve I believe that is reasonable.

If the ACG told me they needed $75m in reserve so the interest revenue of $1.5m @ 2 percent per year were earned... I would instantly ask for my money back as this would be unwise use of our farms limited cash.

WGRF has GROWERS money from the RAIL overpayment. VERY different than taxpayers money from government of Canada general revenues being the first revenue for the 'endowment' fund.

Therefore this rail money WGRF is dealing with needs to be spent over a limited time period... so we do get a 20-30 percent return on the CAPITAL investment made in WGRF research... from this grower money: not spend the 2 percent... interest (a very poor investment of our cash).

[parsley]

One way for producers to send a message that won't end up in the garbage can, is to request your checkoff refund(check Jan deadlines)):

http://www.saskflax.com/checkoff.html

http://www.westerngrains.com/index.asp?id=122&gfx=&ts=0

Some money for the new couple, Tom? Pars

[gustgd]

Tom I guess you missed the part where I wrote that" we only spend the interest(not my idea)

FYI The Wheat and Barley funds run much the way you envision.

The endowment fund is a whole new kettle of fish. We have only recieved word that the railroads exhausted all appeals last year so spending it all quickly would have not been prudent.

As far as asking for a non check off for the 2011 crop year please take the time to write a letter and explain what it is you want from the organization (whichever one you opt out of)
I suspect there will be many requests this year due to weather. So if your not happy let someone know.

[TOM4CWB]

gustgd,

As long as folks at WGRF realise that rail money is grower funding... and make good use of it... then fine.

I get annoyed when the management can't spend what they have... yet look for new ways to take even more. A matter of principal. When the $60 plus million is gone... then come back and ask for more! We will be able to judge if it was well spent by then!

[Wheatking]

I agree with Tom on this one. This money is doing us little good sitting in the bank earning us interest. Get it in the researchers hands now where they can get the proper labs and equipment set up where it will pay dividends for decades. The returns on the money spent now will make the meager interest rate returns seem like peanuts. I would doubt the interest is even covering inflation so we may even be loosing ground by not spending that money

[gustgd]

So I hear that some of you want a large portion of the money spent/invested in machinery, lab equiptment...Infrastucture that will return dividends for years.
Which takes us to the press release that started this thread.
Can I also add field machinery that more acuratly reflect current farm practices? Ie: or is that eg. Zero till, different openers, fert placement. Some of that data is 30 years old. Is there data on precision farming that is independant?
Tom I know you do some work with rye,oats,trit...
Others....

[TOM4CWB]

gustgd,

I would hope that investments that speed up varietal development using the new technology just recently developed:

I have been told varieties can be here in less than half the time with new techniques. SO $3.8m over 5 years is 1/10th of what could effectively be used in a perfect world?

Just asking... what would bring us the best returns.

I know winter wheat can be developed with spring wheat quality... that would put growers in western Canada in a opportune position if we were able to efficiently make our grading and handling system better serve growers and end users alike by being the first to break this barrier down.

[gustgd]

Tom you are alluding the 800 lb gorilla in the room. Actually they have several seats at the table.
A while back someone mentioned the possible solution would be the creation of a Canadian Cereal Commission.
But where to start?

[TOM4CWB]

Will keep you posted...

Much more can be accomplished if we work together and all pull in the same direction!