Question for CWB

[Koldkanuck]

Maybe someone can answer this question for me. The CWB purchased something like 3,500 hopper cars before. Now they are purchasing 2 ships for 65 million bucks. Both of these purchase's were without my or other farmers consent. They say that it will add money into the farmers pocket book.(ya right). How the hell do I recover my dollars /tonne, when I want to retire in a few years?? What if I retire now, and slowly sell wheat over a period of 5 years.....how the hell would I benefit?

[Fransisco]

The question answers itself. There is no benifit to you.

[hobbyfrmr]

Not too sure about your age, but I will twist the dialogue from the youtube movie. " Slow down retirement age man, you are talking eskimo."
Then around 4:33 in the clip.."An important word of correction retirement age man, it is not your grain, it is our grain, thinking of it as your grain will only cause you trouble." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YLMFbYe7MU

I have been giving all this CWB action some thought, and as farmers we have to understand buying ships and rail cars are not about you and I. Its about the CWB trying to look like we need them because they are working at improving the market chain for designated area wheat and barley farmers. I have a small farm with limited credit and almost every day I am thankful I stopped growing wheat 5 years ago. I just hated the way I was feeling everytime I would get skinned at the elevator and the difficulty with cash flow growing wheat. I was 34 years old and carried nothing but contempt and disdain for the whole system from inputs to selling grain. I had to either quit farming and whining about it, or change. I changed to organic. This has its own production, marketing, and cash flow challenges, but I feel better about what I am doing. I guess I did not want to be "progressive", but I know for sure my wife and kids prefer my disposition now, compared to before. All I can suggest is think business, not emotion. I am not smart enough to separate the two.

[TOM4CWB]

Kold,

I believe the Canadian government bought the cars with taxpayers money... we growers have been charged for maint. and upgrading lately.

If the railways lease these cars... we get some small revenue.

John spoke of this in his ship piece.

[BTOfarmall]

I will gladly take da Rail Cars off yer Hands. Where do I Sign?????????????????????????????????

[Koldkanuck]

By the way....were did the CWB come up with 65 million for 2 ships, or did I read wrong? 32.5 million for one bulker sounds fishy, when others cost 75-100 million apiece. All the shipping companies are complaining about tariffs going down because of a glut in ships, and the CWB somehow figures it's going to be cheaper to buy a couple of new ones.

[BTOfarmall]

Uhhhhh dese are Lakers knot Ocean Freighters. Haul alotta less product. Dis why dare cheaper. How many tonnes dey haul anyway? kin't seem to find da info. Comin from Lake Superior into Huron I tink ships kin only haul max of 14,500 Tonnes, Cood be wrong, Shoot Me. The Comedian Wit Bored wood be WAY better off buyin used Ships. Wood git alot more fer dare moneys wort, & move alot more of Tom's Grain, BUT dey are smarter den Me. Have at'er, glad all my Wheat goes fer Feed, don't got to put up wit dis MESS!!!!!

[Koldkanuck]

BTO...most lakers carry 25,000 tonnes- and some up to 34,000 tonnes according to the Thunder Bay Port Autourity.

[BTOfarmall]

Must be when it gits closer to freeze up dey only allow 14,500 Tonnes. Dis what I was told when lookin to bring someting in. Was told had to unload at Post of Montreal wit da amount of Tonnes I wanted to bring in. Dare you's kin ship outta Year Round. How many TONNES kin da Lakers haul you's all bought anyways??? Dis wood be da first ting on my LIST to know when you's are all callin/emailin da Comedian Wit Bored whinin & snivelin. Let me know what You's all find out on da Tonnes.......

[ProFarmer]

Funny the CWB is always beating their chest for using the Churchill route wouldn't it been better money spent to get a couple of ships that could handle the northern waters and could offload grain to ocean going vessels outside the bay and return to fill many times over the short summer in the artic... Or are the western farmer padding the pockets of the east again...

[TOM4CWB]

Profarmer,

Chairman Oberg and his merry band of Pirates got scalped at the cleaners by: Measner, Mission, and Upper Lakes et al. I wonder how much those share values increased after this announcment? Did anyone do that calculation?

This looks dangerously like an inside job... it reeks like collusion and incest with past CWB employees.

[bucket]

No kidding.

Its too bad the government, the cwb employees, and board supporters don't open their eyes.

If this was the other way around like the liberal ad scam most would be crying foul and asking for a public inquiry.