we better find better uses for our wheat then peddling them on the world market

[eatmorewheat]

Peru, Bolivia and Chile bought 0.16 million tons of Ukrainian grain
For the first time Ukrainian companies signed contracts for delivery of 160,000 MT of grain to Peru, Bolivia and Chile, as Ukrayinsky Novyny informs. Companies from Peru, Bolivia and Chile that bought grain intend to make thorough check of grain quality and in case quality of grain is satisfactory export of grain to countries of Southern America in 2003 may go up significantly. Grain traders from Southern America are ready to visit Ukraine in January-February of 2003 for negotiations concerning selling of grain. According to L.Kozachenko, Vice-Prime Minister, Ukraine can become a big world grain trader despite of severe competition from American, Canadian and Argentine companies.
Agriculture news
AgriUkraine 08.11.2002

First thing to do is dissolve cwb's monopoly and then work smarter by adding more value inside Canada.

Free wheat in the west.

[melvill]

One of the principles of business is that production of anything tends to move to the area of the lowest per unit cost of production provided production from new areas can meet quality and supply reliability criteria of consumers and provided GBFs (subsidies or tariff barriers) don't muck up the picture.

For example, Brazil can produce soybeans at a profitable price that's considerably lower price per bushel than the US. If it weren't for US subsidies, there'd be considerably few beans produced there. At one time Hawaii produced huge amounts of sugar cane. Production costs rose and rose and rose and production moved elsewhere.

The Ukraine has very low costs of production. It's production potential is considered to be tremendous if it gets all its ducks in a row. Remember the Ukraine was once considered "the breadbasket of Europe".

Do we figure out something else to do with our wheat or do we figure out something else to do with our land?

[bobn]

melvill,

Where I farm a cereal in the rotation is a must. Therefore it's not realistic to do something different with the land. We therefore need viable alternatives to what we have now. In the past 60 years we could survive doing what Ukraine is doing now, that is only growing low cost wheat for export.
It's just too bad we have to catch up to the rest of North America's 60 year head start. Major processing of wheat and Durum here on the prairies would go a long ways in solving this problem. Our industry is still intact. Let's not put off this opportunity any longer.
If we wait until the industry is more drastically weakened, no processors will ever locate here. The monopoly must go now! Not in 5 or 10 years after countless studies and elections.

[parsley]

Melvill,

Both.

Parsley

[melvill]

bobn, I can't quite figure out whether you're disagreeing or agreeing with me. YOu say it's not realistic to do something different with the land. And yet look at the tremendous diversity of crops on the Prairies compared to 30 years go. That diversity came as a response to low wheat prices, among other things. Right now we may need wheat in rotation to control diseases and pests but five years from now will we still need it? (Hawaiian farmers didn't think they could grow anything but sugar cane, either) And five years from now, if the Former Soviet Union (FSU)countries get all their ducks in a row, will we be able to compete? Charlie talks about the FSU as a greater threat to our wheat markets than EU or US subsidies. Maybe, we need to think "radical" thoughts like 'what can we grow to replace half our wheat acreage?'

[melvill]

Parsley, you're not agreeing with me, even if just a little, are you? <grin>

[parsley]

melville, I am pleased to say that I am agreeing with you

Parsley

[bobn]

melville,

I'm both. I agree that the prairies have much more room for diversification in crops. It's just that depending on soil and climate, some crops are
much better suited than others. For example I can grow 50-60 bushels of durum or cps wheat following a pulse such as peas. I've tried canola, linola and barley and canary seed after peas but had extremely poor results as compared to durum or cps wheat. It just makes sense to grow something that does as well as wheat or durum on 1/3 or 1/4 of my seeded acres.

[bmj182]

You can thank the Sask. government
for sending seed, bull semen, ag
experts, and a bunch of cash to the
Ukraine. Apparently if your a former
commie you qualify for farm aid, but
not if you live in Sask. Go figure!

[parsley]

bmj182,

At least we got rid of the experts that planned the project. For a little while anyhow.

Parsley

[brian99]

bobn,
Keep at it. Continue to experiment. Less than 10 years ago my acres were 60% board wheat. This year there was none(bad timing probably, looking at the PROs). The only wheat I grew went in the silage pit. The only way I could see out was to get that dog out of the rotation. We need alot more than a few pasta plants to get rid of the millions of tonnes of export wheat in western Canada. We need millions of animals (and the enviromental challenges that represents), we need mills and pasta plants, we need ethanol plants and multiuse projects. The most important thing we need is for farmers to get out there and do it. I now grow a wide variety of special crops, contract crops and animal feed. Im twice as busy as before. Research your markets and find your own sales. Am I taking more risk? Yup. Am I making more money? Most years.