CWB Delivery Policy Changes?

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie,

I heard on the Ag news that CWB delivery policy for 2002-03 has changed.

The CWB staff person said that extensive farmer consultations had taken place...


I went to 5 corporate accountability meetings, didn't hear one wisper about delivery changes for 2002-03.

I looked on the CWB web site and there has not been one poll or discussion article on delivery policy...

I checked grain matters, and the CWB alerts, nothing anywhere...

When did I miss all the meetings on delivery changes?

I may not be against change, but I absolutely hate it when I am told I was consulted, when in reality I just got insulted...


I remember 10 years ago when we went to the contract system, and yes full consultations occured, but why wasn't this issue brought up at the 40 CWB meetings in March?

[charliep]

What are the changes? I haven't heard about them.

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie,

There was nothing on the CWB web site...

The CWB person said they were ending acreage based fall deliveries and going directly and only to calls on the contracts.

Now only A,B, and C series contracts with different timing?

Maybe thalpenny can fill in the blanks?

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie,

Did you read the CWB's Poll question this week;

"Which of the Canadian teams will go the farthest in the Stanley Cup playoffs?"

Shouldn't the CWB be concerning themselves with grain marketing issues, or is watching hockeygames the top priority at the CWB?

[charliep]

I will radical and ask the question why there are CWB contracts at all? Why not allow the CWB to communicate their sales program to grain companies and have these companies compete to draw this grain forward competing for business from farm managers? Benefits wouldn't show up in pool returns but rather better returns for farm managers.

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie,

I agree many questions should be asked.

I feel it is unacceptable for the CWB to change delivery policy without full consultations... which obviously has not happened...

Going from 4 contracts to 3, and removing acreage based calls obviously reduces flexibility and more restricts producer deliveries to the CWB.

The idea of equity and fairness in delivery opportunities has obviously been thrown out the window especially during the harvest delivery window.

Looks to me like we end up with the worst of both a controled system without options, and no accountability on what sales price the CWB sells at as well.

The CWB may choose to call these their "market signals", yet they are the making of a monopoly who is accountable to no-one except those who are bound and determined to save the monopoly at any expense... including driving farmers out of wheat and barley production that they control... rather than allow the accountability of an accountable competitive marketing system?

Can farmers really trust these "CWB market signals"?