Petition to Ottawa on grain movement!

[SASKFARMER3]

A new petition is out on change.org.
Yes we did this last year and some said it wouldn't work. Well it got Ottawa to listen.
It made a difference.
So guys look at it sign it if you have rail issues and movement still isn't working.
If you have great service and no problems then it's not for you.


https://www.change.org/p/canadian-parliament-hon-gerry-ritz-hon-ralph-goodale-vision-is-not-a-four-letter-word

Thanks .

[PrairieDude]

Coffee shop movement is slow. No reason your bins aren't empty if that was your preference.

[freewheat]

Thanks SF3. For those for whom movement has been good, so happy for you. For those of us who have not been able to move a bushel of a formerly liquid crop like canola, you understand the issue.

[jake550]

Waiting and waiting to move hard red spring wheat here. No cars. Not much better than last winter.

[furrowtickler]

The only bins empty here are the desperate . We have had movement , but at shit prices at certain locations - depends on where your at. They have been taking it but if you want to "sell" it , more patients is required if your able.
In this area , 2 of the line co's have had very good movement and prices at times , the other 2 have had terrible movement and shit prices all winter . If you owe them money they will take your grain but they will not have to pay for it. If they have trains but don't have the right grain in place and your grain is not obligated , they will pay .

[riders2010]

its long overdue for independent investigation into price fixing callusion, abuse of the basis as a means of ripping us all off.

[Rareearth]

It's about more than my farm or yours. It better be about a lot more than that, cynical I guess as nothing will happen with the poor to non existent, collective ag lobby. 175 railway lobbiests vs. how many ag producer groups?

What has it cost the Canadian economy in jobs, and GDP?

A exporting nation must have free and open, transparent, access to global markets!

We want and need oil, auto, forestry, potash, consumer goods etc to move cost effectively, on time and on schedule. This would provide standards of living, and opportunity for all.

[farmaholic]

Furrow, do the 2 out of the 4 who have crap prices and movement even have a sales program for the grain you have to sell? I am not trying to make excuses for anyone but in the old ___ days some of the GrainCos could have relied on board grain sales programs. We are in a new era, hard to buy something you don't have an order or home for. Just saying.....

I am pretty lucky to have been able to move the quality of grain I grew this year, at the prices I got. Lucky I guess but don't hold it against me. Also remember we are not huge but that shouldn't matter, I think everything should be relevant, some just have alot more tonnes to "offer".

What to do about the OLD contracts ia another story. Storage charges and maybe an advance from the contracting company? Should make delivery and grading unloads fun.....

I had to wait about 6-8 weeks to deliver some flax but there were no wolves at my door. I truly understand the problem this is causing some Producers, the system is definitely broken. Delayed deliveries and no movement is costing people money. How long can you tell the banker or the input supplier to wait. Apparently the contracts aren't worth the paper they're written on. We need some accountability in this system and badly.

Some think paying more for transportation will
solve it, not with a virtual monopoly will it. Hard to bargain with a lack of power and you're backed up to the cliff...

Never have so many lived off the efforts of so few... we need a reset.

[Hopalong]

Our farms experience has been similar, farmaholic.
For those with long overdue outstanding contracts, difficult to suggest solutions.
Would try to maintain any relationship of trust and communication with grain company.
That is one thing that has changed with us from earlier days when we tended to take a more adversarial approach.
Longer term, would hold out hope that better farmer marketing skills along with government good regulation and support can improve things.
Have to keep working at it.

[furrowtickler]

Farma - yup that sums it up well.

[bucket]

Hopalong

Keep working at it?

Really?

Since 1997 they have done over 5 major studies?

At what cost? A generation of good farmers.

And people want to wait?

You can't have a functioning market without an effective transportation system.

18 years and you think government should keep working at it. So far they haven't been.

In the next 5 years let's say an average crop is 55mmt then keep other commodities movement by rail flat and add in 5 mmt additional potash tonnes.

I am not sure what most miss here but track and car capacity is not there.

It pisses me off that people that think getting rid of the revenue cap is going to solve the problem.

Unless someone has seen the purchase orders to build grain cars or purchase rail - there is no sense in sitting at the table negotiating with the railways.

In other words. If no one is planning capacity for a commercial system it becomes a windfall/lottery win for the railways.

[SASKFARMER3]

Maybe the system just isn't working. Or liquidate every thing off the combine with a fall contract. Larger guys plug terminals to rafters. I just don't know. But when you have a plan created a year out and learnt from last years plan what worked and didn't but still get behind in deliveries due to one component in the wheel. Its not marketing, its Piss poor service. We never can grow Ag in Canada unless industry gets their shit together.
Yes its a Eastern Sask thing more than ever, as soon as problems happen the shortest route to coast and quickest return is used to make the numbers work.
Frustrated.
Maybe need to hire trucks like Brazil and make a deal with a Lethbridge Alberta Elevator. Do contracts for Sep movement and send trucks right from combines. Get a few other guys to join and bring fert home to bins on way back.
I don't know how to change the system but what's going on now is not working and cant continue.

[farmaholic]

I signed it.

[bucket]

Since cwb officials are hesitant to return calls. Here is an idea.

Sell the 2 Lakers and purchase the rail cars Ritz says are worthless. Service their own plants and bid/broker out the excess.

It will start someone thinking.

Then once that is done and the RRs will still not service grain. Lobby the government for open rights and buy locomotives. Poach the RRs good employees and get to work.

Sorry I ran out of tin foil again. Dumb****led farmer. TM. All rights reservered. Blah blah blah.

[bucket]

Can someone tell me how to see the comments written for the petition?

I can't figure shit out.