Directive to Railways

[ado089]

I proactively ordered 4 cars into Biggar on CP in March. I figured if they came early I would find something to put in them... Still waiting.

[bucket]

If you want to have a market driven solution great.

So when I can capture west coast prices less reasonable freight cleaning elevating and fobbing charges and get a good portion of the foreign exchange I guess I would see value in that idea.

Until the first part is agreed to forget it.

[fjlip]

We had the perfect system with the Crow rate and the 1200 elevators we lost. Farmer costs went up, thousands of super b's were bought and are being worn out passing each other in all directions. Any benefits realized accrue to others, plus all taxpayers are paying billions for highways and grid roads that are being destroyed. Now farmers are screwed everyday by every other part of the supply chain. Just wonderful, BIG business calls the shots.

[Hopalong]

Anyone have advice to oat growers in all of this?

Government order and revenue entitlement seem to work against us in getting grain to our markets.

Perhaps time to speak up and say status quo is not good enough.

[bucket]

Joint running rights so if an american railway was called or sent to get oats they could?????

Maybe a few more major operators on the mainlines????

The government says no one is interested in running the rails . I find it hard to believe.

[ado089]

The oat mills have put up massive storage after last year's disgusting display of rail service. They filled up over the summer and early fall on Scandinavian product. A trader I know said to expect zero oat movement in the new year. Cheers

[Oliver88]

When the crow rate was eliminated in 1995, the ag minister at that time was Ralph Goodale.
He did not vote against the budget that scrapped the crow rate, it would be interesting to get his viewpoint on this topic.

From my point of view (similar to Fjlip) it is a shame to see the thousands of miles of track ripped out of Sask and highways being destroyed by non-stop B-Train traffic.

[bucket]

Oats problem solved.

Try getting that market back.

[sumdumguy]

The rhetoric from government when the crow was eliminated was that it would encourage so much processing and adding value in the West, but of course they kept the CWB.... TOO LONG. So processors were the last ones on the list to get cars. That's no way to encourage alternate crops and value adding. Meanwhile the branchlines and elevators were destroyed. SO here we sit wondering what can be salvaged.

[farmaholic]

You mean the promise(err mention) of the myriad of value added businesses and the efficiencies gained by rail and grain company consolidation was never meant to "trickle" down to the primary producer after the elimination of the Crow Benefit? And some of it can be blamed on retaining the CWB too long? And the photo-op with Alliance Grain Traders and the Conservatives when the Government announced the end of the CWB for a "proposed" pasta plant may NEVER come true? Bait was taken hook, line and sinker....

And before I get accused of wanting to turn the clock back to horse and wagon days I just want to say where's the benefits and who's been the net beneficiary?