What is everybody so scared about..CWB be gone

[ProFarmer]

What are people so scared of end the CWB give us our own place on the ICE exchange and let every company come to Canada to do Business. For 75 years we have been held down like the People behind the wall of East Germany, no progress just stay in the same rut.The wall came down ,things changed ,people had to change ,but ask those people now... They wouldn't want the wall back. Mister RITZ take the wall down give us change and Freedom and get rid of the socialist attitude of the CWB and their handfull of VOCAL supporters

[TOM4CWB]

Profarmer,

The promise was to allow grain growers a choice... to sell to a voluntary marketer who is non-profit with growers best interests at heart.

I see a company like Federated Cooperatives as a very good well run organisation that could manage the grain marketing end... with CENEX in the US as a partner to link into the global supply chain.

THe problem is Chairman Oberg and the 7 dwarves. I am afraid only brain transplants would help them realise how much they have failed to provide grain growers the leadership that was required of them. As each let down the Cooperative marketers they led in the past... to change as time changed the economy.

[ProFarmer]

Why can we not market our wheat like canola have a futures price at ICE that we and the world could feed off of... Go for a less cumbersome grading system

[BTOfarmallll]

Tommy Gun, gave one to his youngest son, How was yer weekend??? Whatta yous doin to keep busy this summer??? Crops looking good??? Theys needa a drink yet??? Stop & Smell the roses, it ain't get much better than this, enjoy growing yer last wheat crop 4 the Bored.......

[Integrity_Farmer]

How about fertilizer, seed and chemicals traded on the ICE.

[TOM4CWB]

BTO,

Got 750ac sprayed on Sat... Great July 1st evening at the neighbours ... Blindfolded quad course... Old tractor pull.. Old stock car races... plus 7tenths on the weekend. Prayer 4 Canada event... the Canola must have grown a foot on the weekend!

You are right about being blessed... we have the greatest country... and the best is yet to come!!!

[DogPatch]

Sorry Tom, but FCL would be in the same position as the CWB as they don't have the infrastructure to handle the grain.

The CWB, for all their faults were able to get into markets because they were generally able to deliver the type, quality and quantity of grain the customer wanted by utilizing the pool. There was a cost to managing a pool, and unfortunately many producers think they can do better..... someone else will get the gravy now, and I am afraid it will leave the smaller producers (less than 5000 acres) at a disadvantage.

[tipsy]

Profarmer, our farm is not worried the least if the cwb survives or not. For a number of years they have been an henderance to our farm, consequentaly they became irrelevant business partner for our farm.
In fact with the cwb gone and out of the way our farm expects to see the growing of wheat becoming more profitable. If and when a true and open, commerical market system comes we know wheat acerage will increase on our farm.
We will even consider getting back into some malt barley businss again. Although the malt industry has more issues than just the cwb.
Our farm is not worried the least if the cwb survives or not.
The cwb has a highly paid managemeent team along with highly paid board of directors. They can worry if the cwb is going to be a farmers business partner going forward. Not me!

[TOM4CWB]

Dogpatch,

Any way you look at it... grain farms under 5000 ac are in trouble. That is why the good Lord gave us a brain... SO WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.

If I did everything my self... with no family or partners to help get the work done... how much would we be farming today?

Any disadvantage folks have because they don't farm enough grain acres... is self inflicted... and a matter of pride and prejudice.

[TOM4CWB]

Dogpatch,

EBay has no delivery service. No infrastructure but a platform on the internet. They sell $$$Billions of products.

FCL, the CWB, UFA... Ritchie Bro's... anyone can sell grain.

Open your eyes... if you have a sell/cell phone... and folks trusted you... you could sell grain just as well as the CWB!!!

[farmaholic]

Re: Small grain farms.

We only have about 2500 acres and are probably better positioned to weather adversity than most large scale farms. Our balance sheet is very strong. Very current line of machinery. Little debt. Good cash position. I don't want to enslave my family(anymore than they are) to feed my ego. If they want more they should take it on. Oh yea, this was accomplished by simply farming the land, no dairy or oilfield money or off farm job paid for it. I am comfortable where I'm at, to each their own.

[bucket]

Actually the small farms become more relevant in a post cwb environment. They good quality grain, always have, always will. They will extract the premium finally.

The BTOs will have the volume but the quality may be required from the 5000 or smaller farms, to make the grade at the elevator or port.

In the cwb world today, they penalize quality and pay the premiums to the fusarium program. That is how they gain support. Special deals.

[blackpowder]

Dogpatch
It is quite clear to me that of the 9 farm families with my surname actively farming one generation ago, my generation has 1. And I will be the last. There will be some who own land and farm on paper but none that have a single income.
I can't blame the board for this evolution. I can't see how anyone else can either!
Actually it might be easier for the smaller ops. to grow niche grains.
I can think of several scenarios that were quashed in the past.
Of course you're entitled to your world view, however I am very glad I'm no longer your business partner by force!

[TOM4CWB]

Farmaholic,

I was not saying at all that a farm had to be 5000ac... just that the efficiencies are often better found in larger volumes... so working together with others... can mean better returns for all.

Volume buying of inputs... and selling by quality... carefully segregated and sampled... can all bring increased bottom line returns.

Cooperation and hard work made western Canada the great land it is today... and I do not see that changing no matter what happens to the CWB! It is part of our heritage!

[farmaholic]

Tom4cwb:

I can't argue with that logic. Unfortunately the cost/size of machinery almost dictates the "increments" of farm size. Being over equiped costs money, it would be nice but it comes at a cost.