Louis Dreyfus - The Open Wheat Market, Railway Reform, Domestic Canola Crushing Capacity

[shaney]

Due to the purchase of Viterra by Glencore, much of the media attention has been pointed at Cargill, Richardsons and Glencore. One company that is maybe running under the radar in their strategy in th open market and overal Canadian operations is [URL="http://www.louisdreyfus.ca/"]Louis Dreyfus[/URL].

At the International Livestock conference <a href="http://www.realagriculture.com">RealAgriculture.c om</a> chatted with Louis Dreyfus Canadian President, Brandt Randles and asked him about the following things:
<ul>
<li>What are the biggest changes for farmers in the new open market?</li>
<li>Do you view the CWB as a strategic partner or competitor?</li>
<li>Is there an opportunity for railway reform in Canada?</li>
<li>Is there still room for domestic canola crushing capacity in Canada?</li>
</ul>
If you cannot see the below embedded video, <a href="http://youtu.be/33o7dfLKq6Y">click here </a>

<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/33o7dfLKq6Y" frameborder="0" width="560" height="315"></iframe>

[northfarmer]

Paraphrasing his reply on railway reform "the railways are a good deal for prarie farmers comapred to the US, so quit your whining".

The US midwest has the Mississipi river to help the flow of grain to port, and you ever notice the amount of on farm storage is a fraction of canadian capacity.

Why does your local terminal always blame the railway when they are months behind in accepting contract deliveries and the farmers pay the price.

Or are they just buying spot canola or some other crops when they know they have your grain unders contract and will end up with it anyway.

We need service level agreements with the railways as shippers for more balanced commercial relationships and we need contracts with grain co's where we hAVE A BALANCE OF RISK AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS IT RELATES TO DELIVERIES.

[charliep]

You are right that primary and terminal elevations are lower in the US so net back to similar locations isn't that much different (delivered elevator price versus loaded vessel west coast). The Mississippi isn't much of a solution these days in a drought year and needs to be watched. There are also some infra structure/long term investment issues that need to be followed in the US river/barge system.

On a positive note, Manitoba and South Easter Saskatchewan will likely move some product south on both the US river system/rail when logistics costs/the freight grid line up. Product will flow through the lowest cost/logistics that provide the best western Canada.

[Burbert]

Ever thing is better in the u.s., except
bein in the u.s. Gun tottin,
lectioneerin, scared of boggey men, money
grubbin, loudmouth, corrupt, greedy,
needy, racist, biggot, bone heads mosta
the pop. Not ta mention phoney baloney,
star making, chasing, holleyweird type
mentality that prevails..........

[blackpowder]

You'd make a piss poor youall anyway. Not a
patriotic bone in ya!