When CWB is gone

[wd9]

What the heck is left to talk about at Agriville? Is it gonna be as quiet as crops and machinery?

[newguy]

We will be able to talk about marketing all grains and actually mean something.

[freewheat]

I was going to post regarding this last
night. I guess we'll have to talk about
deferral of income tax, because suddenly
we will have another crop to grow that
makes money! Our filler in the rotation
will become a true part of the rotation.

[wilagro]

Oh, there will be lots of talk about how ADM or Vital Earth or Bunge or Cargill had screwed them on price and dockage and quality and how politicians sold them down the river and how unfair the USA was in closing the border to THEIR quality durum wheat...and on and on and on.

[FarmRanger]

At least when someone screws you in the open market, you aren't forced to keep selling to them.

Grain companies aren't immune to the bad PR that would result if they cheat farmers. They're more likely to err on the side of the farmer if it means damaging their reputation in a community. The CWB could do anything they wanted with impunity, including jailing farmers.

[wilagro]

FarmRanger: Where have you been for the past few years? The grain companies have 'cheated' whenever they got the chance ever since they built there first elevator. They could care less about 'reputation'...there's always more suckers around...besides who are they going to sell to nowadays when there is so little competition across the whole of the west?

I know, Tom4gawdknowswhat says they are all our 'friends' but that is pure BS.

[Hopperbin]

Bullshit Willie. Maybe you bend over and take it up the ass but when viterra was taking an extra 2 percent splits after they check your unload I stood up and told them no one else does that got frustrated give them the shaking lip(over dramatic) lol and walla, they don't do that any more. No body screws me. Even the ex wife don't screw me anymore(another joke) If an elevator agent laughs at your wants say keep smiling and walk out the door. Believe me you will get apologies. Hauled 31,000 bushels off the combine to Vittera this year and was extremely happy with the dockage and had to tell the boys when done with contract that it was great to haul there this year and said I will be back. everyone happy.
When I hauled the extra canola to adm cause no one else had room only 5 loads but near the end of the day I seen my dockage of 1 percent was lowest for the day. They did everything they could to get the most weight in that dockage scale. If my dockage was higher I would say sometimes that look most of that is fine canola, sometimes the dockage checker strokes a half percent off. I love my service I get. One thing I am is honest. Smile, talk fishing, hunting, kids, what ever turns them on. That guy or girl your making a contract with, or that guy that is taking your dockage is your best friend for that minute it takes. In my opinion the cwb is very cold and faceless.

[Hopperbin]

Wilagro these elevator agents and deliver points typically have kids in sports, go to church, go to poker night, they live here, they keep nice yard sites, very much involved in the community. Just drives me up the wall when hear words such as yours some times. Believe me viterra has had some problems with me in the past, when things change for the better Viterra and I are both better off. Nothing changes until you stand up for yourself, where exactly have you been screwed, share it with us and maybe someone can help you out.

[Tom4Wildrose]

Wilagro,

Perhaps when our family farm deals with the grain industry... they trust us to deliver and honour our word... so they treat us fairly... most of the time!

Your perception of our business partners here in Alberta really does make me wonder if we live in the same country and province some days!!!

I understand 99 percent of the time... why a grain industry participant does what they do... and bet you would do exactly the same thing if you were in their position!

Which means you are fighting to 'steal' their profit... and just as guilty as anyone else of trying to do the best we can to preserve capital and make a living!

We really do 'reap what we sow' in these kinds of relationships!

Cheers!

[wd9]

Ya willie, i have been getting soooooo screwed by ADM for getting over 13 bucks a bushel for canola for a year now. Grain companies need to stay in business, have volume and have repeat customers. Only the board has been screwing us. Find a new drum to beat cuz your old one is quite wore out.

[Hopperbin]

Willie I think I have a neighbour like you, he grows everything but cwrs. Yet is bound by the fact that if we did not have the cwb our wheat which is given away today would be offered cheaper yet. And he thinks everything else like canola etc would be sold for 2 bucks a bushel if our wheat board was gone. How do you talk to such a guy?

[blackpowder]

Hopper, arguing with some people is like wrestling a pig in the mud. Eventually you realize the pig enjoys it.

[FarmRanger]

Hopper, that thinking reminds me of a story from
the time of the old Soviet Union.
Some dignitaries from communist Russia visited
the US and were taken on a tour of a
supermarket. They thought that the whole tour
was a mock-up because there was no way the
free market could provide such selection and
quality when they had food lines to receive basic
food stuffs back in their own central planning
Utopia.

The same thinking can't understand why our own
state trading agency has driven away value added
processing, and erodes rather than adds value.