Ritz Announces Crop Logistics Working Group

[LWeber]

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/minister-ritz-announces-crop-logistics-working-group-1583060.htm

SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN--(Marketwire - Nov. 7, 2011) - The crop value chain will now have a dedicated forum to exchange views and work to improve the logistical system for farmers, the handling industry and customers. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced the formation of the Crop Logistics Working Group in an address to the Inland Terminal Association of Canada (ITAC) today. Minister Ritz also took the opportunity to reiterate the importance of marketing freedom to Western Canadian grain farmers and the economy.

"The economy is the top priority of the Harper Government, in which agriculture plays a vital and growing role," said Minister Ritz. "We want to make sure the agriculture sector is well positioned to play a constructive role as the facilitation process gets under way."

The Crop Logistics Working Group will be a forum for the agriculture value chain to consider the performance of the supply chain for all crops and to exchange views and information on issues arising from the transition to marketing freedom. This forum will support the facilitation process following from the Rail Freight Service Review. The facilitation process will bring together shippers, railways and other stakeholders to develop a template service agreement and a streamlined commercial dispute resolution process.

"ITAC grain handling facilities were created by farmers through their own initiative, innovation and capital, making grain handling on the prairies more competitive, reliable and cost-effective," said Minister Ritz. "This is exactly the kind of entrepreneurial energy that farmers are known for and will use when making their own marketing decisions about their wheat and barley."

Once it receives Royal Assent, the Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act will end the monopoly of the Canadian Wheat Board and give Western Canadian farmers the ability to sell their wheat, durum and barley as they choose, whether that's voluntarily through the Canadian Wheat Board or individually on the open market.

"An open grain market will attract investment, encourage innovation, create value-added jobs, and build a stronger economy, not only here in on the prairies, but right across the country," said Minister Ritz. "Working with Western Canadian grain farmers, their organizations and provincial partners, we are working to ensure an orderly transition to market freedom which includes a viable, voluntary pooling entity, as part of an open and competitive Canadian grain market."

[wilagro]

Another "brain trust" made up of the very companies who 'prey' upon the farmers now are going to formulate policies for the future...how precious!

Like a pack of wolves they'll be all be there to fight over the "spoils" and as to who gets what of the entrails of the CWB as it is dismantled.

[Integrity_Farmer]

Another industry plan to screw the farmers.
Ritz's press releases and speechs involves a noun a verb and freedom

[bucket]

Better than the cwb's call for lawyers, monopoly and control.

[charliep]

When I see the press release and hear the others posts, I am reminded of the comment someone here told me about the difference between canola and wheat. With a canola issue, the industry works together to resolve. When they go to government with a request or they need to deal with a problem (eg. blackleg in China), the entire supply chain can work to a solution. Wheat is so factured that most of the time the supply chain can't get beyond fighting in the hall way over their turf let alone present a united front to government with simple easy requests.

There are opportunities to deal with changes that will be occurring. Creativity and innovation will be what is needed. Regulation hasn't worked so time to move on.

[Kodiak]

Not that I’m a big fan of yet another committee to discuss, debate, and recommend. It seems this industry has to talk and talk and talk. Why can’t we just all just shut up for a while and get to work doing what needs to be done. Sometimes I think our industry and all its consulting, and talking, and discussing, and meeting, and arguing, and debating, really just gets in the way of getting the work done and increases the cost.

But having said that, this is going to be a way cheaper alternative for us than the 200 or 300 logistics employees at the CWB that we've paid for for years. I’d rather have the people paying the bills and taking the risks doing the talking than hundreds of CWB "logitics managers" mucking around and never having to personally pay the costs for all the favouritism, screw-ups, and inefficiency they cause.

It’s a long overdue improvement. I hope it can result in the system being much more responsive and competitive. For the next step, maybe we will just decide somewhere along the line to quit talking and get to work????

[Tucker]

Wilagro, you've admitted in another thread
that you haven't harvested a crop in 23
YEARS! Did your dad try to run your farm
until he had one foot in the grave like
you are trying to run ours? Why don't you
just shuffle off to the local drop-in
centre and leave us younger farmers to run
our farms the way we want.

[parsley]

You cannot move forward with grace unless you
show respect for those who have gone before.

I did a lot of talking to pioneer long before I
started writing books. 10 kids. No doctor
Mother dies giving birth.

Whether it was wilagros grandmother, or kodiaks
grandmother, is immaterial. Socialist
Or capitalist. Jehovah witness or baptist.

All of us can disagree and go
Our separate way.

And all of us can feel personal insults the same
way.

Discussing issues is what convinces. Giving
reasons. Telling a guy his wife is an ugly bitch
isn't convincing. Nor is name calling.

I find Wilagro argumentative,but reasoned and
respectful. And enjoyable. As is agstar. Were all
farmers aren't we. Dont allow the CWB to make
us enemies. Parsley.

[craig]

Good comments Parsley. We all seem to think because it's right for me then it should be right for everyone. We are not stupid because we share a different view. However we need the right to go our own way when our philosphies are so different there is little chance of a middle ground. We also have the right to be wrong. Ultimately we all run businesses and have earned the right to make decisions for our own farm.Glad when this is all over.

[FarmRanger]

There’s never an excuse to be disrespectful, but it can be extremely frustrating when the CWBs position is so utterly uncompromising and inconsiderate of other farmer’s property rights.

I have no problem with farmers who would like to willingly work together to try to improve the market for the crops they would like to produce. This is what the CWB could and should be, but it is not what the single desk represents. The single desk is a viewpoint that selling to anyone but the CWB should not be an option for any farmer in the designated area of Canada, under penalty of severe fines and/or jail sentences. When farmers in other parts of Canada can grow and are free to sell their wheat, barley and durum to anyone they wish, it boggles the mind how this kind of disrespect for personal property can be possibly be justified in one singled out area of the same country.

So when someone wants to “save our single desk”, what they are really saying is “save our supreme tyrannical power in the designated area over farmers who wish to grow wheat, durum or barley and force them to sell the fruits of their labours to the CWB, regardless of their willingness to do so”. I’m sorry, but I cannot respect this position, as it totally and uncompromisingly disrespects not just my property, but any other viewpoint but its own, with no room for compromise whatsoever. While the individuals who hold this position might otherwise be decent people, in regards to this view of the single desk, they are totally in the wrong by any ethical standard.

If this is somehow offensive, I’m sorry, but sometimes the truth hurts.

[Burbert]

Soooooooooo, now the ostrich man is gonna
do some plannin! Amazing what a visionary
this guy is........ Look out boys/girls,
some Comedian government planning enroute
ta ya all. Better ta be ready ta duck and
cover, cause the Gag minister is about to
spew sh-t everywhere, everwhere, all in
the name of FREEDOM. LOLing!!!!

[wilagro]

Tucker: I didn't say that I didn't have a harvest for 23 years. I said I retired 23 years ago.

That I did but it was retirement from my "city" job...I may have left that out...LOL.

Until the last few years I did farm but health problems pretty well shut that down...sad but true.