Hey Vader CWB changes to barley marketing?

[Ron]

Is anybody aware of any pending/proposed changes to feed or malt barley marketed through the CWB? They talk about fixing the problem, creating options, blah blah blah.
Are they actually doing anything for 2008?

SCREW THE CWB

[charliep]

Ron - Put this comment in another thread but likely has a better fit here.

My understanding is 4 questions were examined at the focus groups.

1. How to amend the delivery contract to address concerns over delivery periods.

2. Direct selection by the CWB.

3 CWB Production Contracts.

4. Guaranteed minimum price contract - Indications are this was the major topic of discussion of the focus group. Some type of producer pricing option that would offer something close to cash pricing but not quite - still a producer pricing option. The contract can be done directly with a maltster and include an element of pricing in addition to a production contract. When a farmer signs the deal, the price the farmer gets paid will not likely be the same price the malster pays/gets deposited in the pool.

Will stop here as I wasn't at the focus group meeting and am dealing with second hand information.

[charliep]

On the CWB selection/production contracts, the warburton model was suggested.

[mcfarms]

Charlie

I was at the one focus group and your information is fairly close to what was discussed, There are a couple potential variations to the new proposed pricing option dependant on feedback received at the meetings and I should think dependant on director decisions at the Nov. BOD meetings.
Hopefully after the directors have had a chance to see what the results of the focus group meetings were and some final decisions are made (if they are), the details of any programs that may be implemented will be more widely circulated. While I don't like the quietness around these proposed changes I do understand that changes may occur to these proposals or even entire proposals may disappear when they are presented for a final approval at the BOD level.
What I did hear at this meeting from senior managers from the CWB that were present was that stus quo was not an option. ( I had my own thoughts on that comment)

[mcfarms]

mentioned this too in another thread.
The push for changes to the status quo is coming from the maltsters, they want total deregulation. The CWB is proposing this hibred version of cash pricing/pooling. It is significant enough of a change yet the goal is total deregulation.
Lots can change between now and Aug 1 when these changes will take effect, the CWB board will move forward with this next week at their board meeting. Lets hope that there are some more changes to it rather than the few that there are now.
With a new government in SK perhaps Ritz might move faster with legislation, or the appeal might be moved up. Heck of a lot more push now with two of the provinces that grow 80-85 % of all the barley are in support of marketing choice!!
Erik