More Options for Barley Growers a Good Thing. Article by CFA.

[joedales]

More options for barley growers a good thing

(OTTAWA) – The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) is supporting the creation of new barley marketing options by the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB). CFA considers the new “CashPlus” program being offered by the CWB to be a good step in providing western Canadian barley producers with the added market flexibility they want.

“It was clear from last year’s plebiscite that western barley growers are looking for more flexibility in their marketing,” said Bob Friesen, CFA President. “With this program I think the CWB is doing a good job of giving farmers more market options while still upholding its mandate to empower farmers through collective marketing.”

CFA is encouraging both farmers and buyers to participate and give the program a chance to work. Farmers should be given a reasonable opportunity to use the program to evaluate if it helps them maximize their returns from the marketplace.

“This is a new idea and like any new idea it should be given time to prove itself before people start to criticize,” said Friesen. “Farmers should be particularly wary of corporate interests rushing forward to bash this program. Farmers need to ask themselves if these interests are really farmers’ interests.”



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Founded in 1935 to provide Canada's farmers with a single voice in Ottawa, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture is the country's largest farmers' organization. Its members include provincial general farm organizations as well as national and inter-provincial commodity organizations from every province. Through its members, CFA represents over 200,000 Canadian farmers and farm families.

Contact:
Kieran Green, CFA Communications Coordinator,

[chaffmeister]

The CWB doesn't get it.
The CFA doesn't get it.

"Choice" means the ability to choose between the CWB or someone else - a choice between the CWB Pool and the CWB CashPlus program is not the same thing at all.

The CWB said the CashPlus program would have a bid right now of "over $5.00/bu" to someone in west-central Sask. But the maltsters are paying over $6.50/bu for old crop right now. New crop BIDS (from offshore) are also well over $6.00/bu.

Farmers for choice want price transparency; maltsters want farmers to see what their barley is really worth. Oh yeah - that's transparency too.

Telling farmers barley is worth $5 when its really worth over $6 doesn't work. My guess is that with barley at $5 guys will grow canola or wheat - at $6 we'll start to buy some malt barley acres.

Wrong signal, wrong cropping decisions.

Who knows, maybe the CWB wants to keep the barley price low so that the barley acres stay low and they keep the wheat acres from more erosion.

What a crock. It's too bad the CFA can't approach these things rationally and logically instead of always trying to protect its ideological turf.

[parsley]

Wanna bet Kieran Green, CFA Communications Coordinator,spent the evening with David Orchard?

Parsley

[silverback]

...represents over 200,000 farmers and farm families????

That is a load of crap.

Anyone care to prove that that statement is factual???

Maybe if it said they represent over 200,000 liberals, socialists, and communists.

It smells like a pool, it looks like a pool, it sounds like a pool, ....

[parsley]

Why not?

For example, both APAS in Saskatchewan and the CWB are members.

Anyone who has every applied for a permit book.....ahhhhhhhh, you have automatically have representation on CFA.

Silverback, so you have a permit book? The CWB speaks for you! You rascal, talking out of both sides of your mouth.

Anyone who farms a most municiapalities in Saskatchewan, ahhhhhhhh, you have representation on CFA.

Parsley

[just_wondering]

Parsley
actually APAS is in Less than Half the municipalities.
But you are right in that CFA is irrelevant, and if you check what APAS position is on the CWB they are NOW pretty vague something about being very controversial and that they would rather not talk about it

[just_wondering]

Question?
how much is it costing our pool accounts for the CWB membership in CFA? since CFA is supply manage driven isn't UPA change in leadership going to cause us more grief? What is the membership cost??
How does supporting SM where they have the right to set domestic prices for milk products, eggs, chicken and turkey in the Canadian domestic market, have any effect on the CWB attracting and returning the best (so they say)international prices. Wheat and barley (as all commodities) are export driven not domestically. How does our support of CFA (via the CWB) promote better returns to producers?
Therefore what right does Friesen have to say "just give it a chance"?
Erik

[TOM4CWB]

Erick,

Freisen has a clear and definite self interest.

A straight value chain with grain to a domestic feeder...

Can beat a CWB supply chain with the middle expanded by a pool... crack pot CWB Basis... CWB Administrative baggage... etc.

This is why the "designated area" was the cheapest feeding area on the face of the planet... just a few years ago... according to the George Morris Centre.

The CWB had caused the lack of arbitrage... and still does BECAUSE the CWB will not allow cash pricing.

That is the long and short of the deal... economically... from what I can see.

CFA protects SM7 feed costs... by pushing the CWB "single desk" which averages and keeps the price paid for feed grains DOWN.

The new CWB Cash Plus is a good thing... for the CFA and livestock feeders... to prevent arbitrage of high world feed prices to the "designated area" commercial grain growers farm gate.

AS many barley growers are CFA/SM7 growers as well... the claim is made.

It is that simple.

[parsley]

just_wondering,

Less than half? That's good news. I thought, like portulaca, they had advanced into a lot of municipalities.

Don't they simply act as a tax gatherer for a few wanna-be bureaucrats' per diems and travelling expenses to Ottawa ?

Parsley

[stubblejumper]

Now the Canadian Farmers for Just Me are against everything not just the CWB?

[TOM4CWB]

OK Stub,

Please, How many western grain organisations, are members of CFA?

Clearly the CFA has backed the CWB... because of the synergy... that allows them to take our barley... at a price that fits them to a tee... especially when they take a good chunk of our barley for close to free!

CFA is much more like "Canadian Farmers for Apostasy"

[parsley]

SJ,

Glad you provided the opportunity to correct my notions.

Is APAS pulling magnanimous accomplishments out of their bag of tricks?

List them. I'm so interested to learn.

Magic is my weakness.

Parsley