Strahl to Resign?

[ProFarmer]

Strahl has been the best ag minister we have seen in years. I getting tired of sucky farmers standing up supporting the CWB. They are the same ones that want to protest that prices are low . When we find out that the CWB has kept the Barley prices artifically low, They stick thier heads in the sand and take it in the ***. Ritter should be the one Fired.

[kamichel]

Barley Guy but they have not been out of selling, because they believed they needed 60 million to make farmers deliver. In other words 60 million below market, or 60 million below feed barley take your pick.
Perhaps what is happening here is that the market is feeling that no one is going to deliver to the board or that much less will be delivered to the board into export markets and that is pushing feed values down.

[kamichel]

For anyone reading this post, I did not post that Chuck Strahl should resign, Bennyhin did, they removed his post, and I was next in line. Furthermore I think Strahl is the best Ag minister we've had yet!!

At least he's trying to make it a fair ballgame, remind me again why Ontario doesn't have to put up with this bullshit!!

[tower]

well one reason would be that farmers in ontario have a lot more market and are content with their existing system. It is and should be federal policy to keep some farmers on the land in western Canada, more than exist today would be better for the future.

With that in mind consider how the markets would dry up (consolidate)north of Calgary if the Board wasn't available to help.

[TOM4CWB]

Tower,

You miss the fact Biofuels change the whole conventional grain system, as does effective value chain production.

The Peace River Region voted in a market choice Director in the last CWB Election, again proves the theory northern grain production is land locked is a myth.

More rain, higher production, and good infrastructure that competes for this grain could make these northern farms some of the most profitable in Canada if these folks are allowed to capitalise on their natural advantages and marketing skills!

[wilagro]

snappy: I wonder why bennyhin's message was pulled? Who complained?

[tower]

Tom4cwb, over the years I've seen a lot of different marketing options come and go, most have been nothing more than really short term economic development. A handful of people close to the project make a bundle during development and then they move on leaving infrastructure to rust and farmers holding the bills. Ethanol might prove to be the real thing pretty quickly but I don't see how that negates the assistance that farmers get from the wheat board. If ADM controls the production facilities in the future, and they already do, this doesn't improve marketing choice.

Would you define value chain for me?

[wilagro]

snappy: After looking back in my browser 'history', I see that a whole bunch of messages were either deleted and/or juxtiposed in this thread. Most likely a problem with database corruption.

Could be wrong...but it wouldn't be the first time...or last.

[TOM4CWB]

Tower,

I define a good value chain, as one that pays a fair farm gate price, under normal conditions returns the cost of production; plus a reasonable return on investment.

We deal in many Canola IP contracts; I see many of the new Malt contracts that paid over $4/bu; feed barley contracts that supposed to pay $3.60/bu or more with delivery off the combine, often these have had TRUE Act of God clauses where production risk is actually shared within the Value Chain.

In our seed production marketing these are targets we aim to fill as well, with marketers taking reasonable margins like 5% on wholesale and 10% on retail sales with full disclosure of the value chain and full pooling of produce within the chain members.

These kind of principals are acheivable with honest entities that have integrety.

Members in "Fair Trade Grain" Value Chains we have done these type of contracts with include but are not limited to:
Alberta Wheat Pool,
Agricore United,
Bunge,
Canadian National Railway,
Cargill,
Galloway Seeds,
Louis Dreyfus,
Prairie Seeds,
Pioneer,
SWP.

I list these in alphabetical order, not in order of who is the best member.

At times the CWB has even participated in our Value Chains, sadly they more often spoil them than help make them work well; because of inflexibility and management lack of understanding and respect for value chain members.

I spend days working with them, and CWB upper middle managers are not team players.

However it is possible to respect and have a viable profitable business in many cases: excluding the CWB wherever possible because they are so unreliable.

IMHO Minister Strahl is simply trying to get the CWB to become responsible members of our grain industry.

[wd9]

ProFarmer, you can't fire an elected director on a board. No judge required to challenge that law. He was doing his job protecting the interests of the corporation. For him not to do it would be reason for litigation and dismissal. Whether farmers are better off is irrelevant - board policy rules.

[tower]

Tom4cwb,tell me more about fair trade grains. It's a concept that i like and would be interested in how it might work given north American attitudes about necessities like food.

How could the Wheat board be a part of this kind of venture?

[ProFarmer]

if we can't fire Ritter send him over to Afganistain or Iraq . He has made my last 2 days a living hell.

[TOM4CWB]

Tower,

1. On ""Canada #1 Certified" Fair Trade Grain, for a start, the CWB could issue no-cost export licenses for "Designated Area" growers that create a market for their grain Above CWB offering prices... which return value chain participants reasonable value and profit.

2. The CWB itself could seek growers who are interested in working with industry partners, and who would supply end users with high quality grain at a fair price. We could Brand this as ""Canada #1 Certified" Fair Trade Grain", and the end user would then be entitled to use this Brand in marketing the product their value chain was producing. This would be a tracable IP origin product, with a number the consumer could look up our farm name/produce origin and picture avaliable on our "FairTradeGrain.ca" web site.

3. For Produce the CWB finds "FairTradeGrain" value chain markets that are developed and maintained by the CWB itself, it would then be allowed to charge a fair price for this service and be a "FairTradeGrain" initiator and sell this grain also as "Certified" "FairTradeGrain" Produce. If a Canadian "Designated Area" grower finds the CWB has used "Preditory" pricing practices, We will run an Arbitration Service that has the right to revolk the "Certified" "FairTradeGrain" brand, or conversely the CWB could call for arbitration if a Value Chain in the "Designated Area" had breached our codes.

I have registered FAIRTRADEGRAIN.ca and FAIRTRADEGRAIN.com.

I would be willing to work with the CWB to set this project up, if they will agree to this Criteria and agree to abide by our CANADIANGRAINSGROUP.com pledge. I will work directly with our Canadian Government to get the Right Honourable PM Harpers blessing on this produce, once the CWB has entered into a contract, with us, to agree to this market discipline tool to create value for "Designated Area" grain growers.

If you are willing to help with this project Tower, and willing to live up to the Pledge Canadiangrainsgroup.com stands by, I would welcome you to apply our group for a membership.

Sign our Guest Book, and lets see what we can create together!

[TOM4CWB]

Tower,

Call your local CWB Director, and ask for them to support Tom4cwb as President!

[tower]

Tom4cwb, I had a quick look at some of your suggested companies and found no sign of willingness to comply with any of your criteria, admirable as they are. I also looked for fairtradegrain sites and found nothing yet.

I gather you are trying to set this up and I'd be happy to see companies giving full disclosure of their share of the value chain, but I don't really see this happening for the majority of the companies you've listed.