CP over limit on Prairie grain revenue

[FarmRanger]

<A HREF=”http://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/news/cp-over-limit-on-prairie-grain-revenue/1000780348/”>Canadian Pacific Railway will have to give as well as receive this winter, by way of a $1.31 million contribution to Prairie grain research, federal officials have ordered
</A>

So farmers effectively pay another non-voluntary non-refundable checkoff. I'm not against the work of the Western Grains Research Foundation, but this is a crazy way to fund them.

[FarmRanger]

For some reason that hotlink isn't working. You can copy and paste this link.

http://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/news/cp-over-limit-on-prairie-grain-revenue/1000780348/

[TOM4CWB]

FarmRanger,

In the spirit of Christmas... be giving Ranger... be kind!

Are you on a CP or CN line?

If on a CN line... YOU WIN!

[wd9]

I know Rick White has been talking about the rail review, but how are things really going on that? God, i barely remember the meetings when that started, it takes forever to get anything done in that. The 2 T's, trade and transportation, endless money on lobbying, barely detectable movement.

[FarmRanger]

Tom, all you've pointed out is that this time the farmers on the CP line get to be the donors.

Like I said, I appreciate most of the work that the WGRF does, but that has nothing to do with the crazy funding scheme that relies on overcharging rail freight. With erratic funding how can the WGRF commit to large scale or long term research projects? All this does is drastically reduce the effectiveness of the dollars we are putting in.

[dave4441]

Do people think that the revenue crap hurts or helps producers?

I think it hurts our handling system. We wonder why the railroad puts so little effort into handling grain when CP did a terrible job in the last year and they still had to pay this money out? What would happen if they had had a good year on movement?????/

[FarmRanger]

Agreed dave4441. We've effectively granted monopolies to CN and CP, and then tried to curb their power over us with a revenue cap.

Why not eliminate the monopoly instead?

[dave4441]

I do not know the answer to that but i think that removal of the revenue cap will be so controversial that it will be tough to implement. Need to level the playing field somehow but sure think that revenue cap likely increases costs.

[Burbert]

This is the continuation of CORRUPTION. A
corrupt system in Comedia, rewards a
corrupt system. Enjoy the feeling of gift
giving at Christmas according to little
wiltedrosetome4himself and other
marketeers enjoying the season!!!!!!

[wmoebis]

Question?

Do shortline railroads have agreements with both CN and CP to pull cars?

This would be a sort of open running rights, at least to get grain to mainline and be a form of compatition for grain movement.

[dave4441]

Yes they do. In fact, CN and CP want to get rid of all railroads that are not mainlines. They just want to haul to port. Which likely tells us how profitable short lines really are becuase of the short distances that they haul across.