Opportunity?

[oneoff]

And that dear readers is exactly what the problem is.

Allowing some possibly arrogant; know it all whom you are willing to put all your faith in, decide the course of action and speak for a minority of a minority.

In such cases you quite probably know that despot personally; they may well be of the same mindset as yourself; and neither organization nor few supporters gives a rats ass about anyone else's opinion that does not neatly fit into their personal beliefs and faith.


But all is well and nothing else needs to be considered. Right!


I'll let you in on a little secret. Those dozens of grower groups and AQPAS etc. are largely made up of guys that pull their pants on one leg at a time....just like all the other persons they feel free to speak for. Nothing special there and its a fact that under their watch; the present situations have all evolved.


Maybe they could someday actively and sincerely ask for some additional help in solving some of the real problems.

Or better yet get rid of all the surplus groups so farmers aren't quite so fractionated and divided so many ways.

[Braveheart]

The present situation that has evolved? The ability to lock in prices on whatever crop, wheat now included, and deliver to whomever, wherever, and whenever you want. The freedom to develop whatever stream of production you want, be it organic, or IP, and have the freedom to do it and realize ALL the returns to your management, and not be required to share those returns with every whining socialist putting on their on their pants both legs at a time.

The present situation, where huge crops worldwide, and economies with staggering debt have caused crop prices to plummet, but left people in denial crying, "the markets wrong, the markets wrong".

The same present situation that provided the opportunity to have locked higher prices for this year, provided the opportunity to use basis specials when they appear? Yet few did.

No, perhaps you mean the present situation where the leftie farmer types throw out huge diatribes with fancy language, that, in the end say nothing, and get themselves so confused that NFU headquarters wants to call them back for retraining.

[oneoff]

Grain checkoffs aren't free, APAS dues come straight from RM tax increases and spending money on increasing production when there are already burdensome surpluses would seem to be folly.

The effect of those supported grower groups on such issues as rail company policy and government regulation kind of puts things in perspective.

Largely wasted money????

[charliep]

Strange where conversations end when we started with a question whether to consider selling canola in the spot market - not a forward contract. The buyer was contacting farmers. We still don't know if they were offering a premium for immediate delivery or just doing a fishing trip to establish contacts. We don't even know the price they were offering. If it were me and I wanted to sell, I would call. If I had already pre-sold as much as I want or felt the market was under valued, I wouldn't waste the phone call.

[bucket]

None of the groups have dedicated people like the railways to lobby government.

when the railways are lobbying the policy analyst in the ag ministry in Ottawa, you know someone is getting paid off when the ag minister does nothing about the problems in western canada.

When the auto sector made too many cars with too many recalls the government bailed them out.

Thankfully we are left to our own demise. You can teach people to stand at a station and put the seats in a car.

Teaching a generation to farm not so. The provincial government has a farm operator course. It would have been easier to keep farmers on the land bringing up the next generation to learn.

Courses train operators not farmers. If you don't understand that statement you are part of the problem. Not the solution.

[Guest]

yea no shit ! let them go short , if we all did it we wouldn't be in this predicament . whats the use selling canola for less than cop just to grow more next year ??? we grew several crops this year that cost 35-40 % of canola inputs and we will make a few bucks on all of them . there are options out there and then you can tell them to shove their high price seed up their ass. hard to believe they have the nerve to raise seed prices in this market ! shows what a disconnect there is .

[oneoff]

I will watch with interest for the next months and years as your opportunities to lock in profits do not materialize.

Add some downgrading due to delayed harvests and likely onset of winter; and I suspect that even the smartest marketers will be dependent on "social" payments and subsidized programs of all kinds.

Thankfully not everyone can/will be like those who pretend they have control over anything thrown their way.

Take away entitlements; inside information; perks; and minor positions of power acquired by apathy and neglect and there may be an additional leadership group slightly more humbled.


While "socialists" deeply trouble some souls; rest assured they will always exist.

And while the alternative prefers to be alone; by definition the socialists will always have more company.

[bucket]

The problem is you can't price and deliver when you want.

I am in the process of bypassing my usual delivery points for wheat. My costs increase when I have to do so.

I have built good relationships with my locals but when they are by non market grains like durum lentils and canola pretty tough to deliver wheat.

Canola is a non market because the vertically integrated companies can buy at any price and make the money on the back end.

The graincos will rather pay storage than take delivery. I am not in the storage game. It doesn't pay enough. Like interest on a GIC it's immaterial as long as I get the principal or the value of the contract I can live with that. Storage won't pay the bills. It's the contract amount I want and planned for.

Heading over to davidson, it sounds not good over there for quality maybe there is an opportunity there to blend good wheat to help out there.

[oneoff]

How many have noticed the total lack of delivery opportunity......unless you have "booked" in a slot months in advance.

That marketing change in the past few years has totally changed the game.

Better not ever get on the shit lists of those few in control of your destiny.

And that fear has bred a whole new class of brown nosers; two faced, apathy injected; defeatist; subserviant farmers.

No that can't be. That has to be wrong considering the average age of farmers.

Maybe its just a case of old brains turning into mush.

[bucket]

I have contracts they won't take. Not taking wheat.