Factors to follow this week?

[charliep]

What factors will you be following this week? Strategies?

1) First 2008/09 PRO. CWB will be releasing today at Grain World. Basis price contracts?

2) Court day for the barley challenge.

3) Amendments to the CWB act to pull barley out. Federal election.

4) Not second guessing 2 and 3 but if changes do not occur quickly to barley, more companies will offer CashPlus. Will be interesting to see how supply chain issues are resolved under the current proposal. Having said all the above, farmers will need to be prepared to make decisions about a $6/bu malt barley price (plus/minus) with a potential dividend/final of 50 cents/bu.

[parsley]

5. If marketing choice remains selective, as it is now, then the Seed Growers, with Secan, doing the groundwork, should apply to the CWB to create a

REGISTERED SEED Growers' POOL

whereby, all the benefts from high priced seed this spring will be pooled, and ultimatley a % of earnings from that gold-nugget pooling account can be re-distributed to other pooling accounts, to mitigate the opportunites lost by CWB dribble-selling throughout the calandar year.


Many seed growers are warmly comfortable with CWB pooling, and thus will fully be able to enjoy the love-experience that the rest of DA farmers have been experiencing for decades.


Parsley

[parsley]

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA TO ANNOUNCE ADDITIONAL MEASURES TO HELP LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS


OTTAWA, Ontario, February 25, 2008 – The Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, will hold a news conference in Ottawa today to announce additional measures to help livestock producers.



Departmental officials will be available for a technical briefing following the news conference.



EVENT:

News conference and media teleconference



DATE:

Monday, February 25



TIME:

3:30 p.m.

[bluefargo]

"Many seed growers are warmly comfortable with CWB pooling, and thus will fully be able to enjoy the love-experience that the rest of DA farmers have been experiencing for decades."

I,m really dense! What are you talking about?

[parsley]

Seed growers bypass CWB pooling and CWB marketing. They can because the CWB issues them licenses when they want to export, and they do not participate in the pooling system at all.

Many are comfortable with the rest of farmers being forced to pool, though.

Do the Seed Growers' Associations issue statments supporting marketing choice?


Or are they comfortable with the status quo?

Parsley

[parsley]

If seed growers begin a special CWB pool, they will truly experience what the rest of us participate in.


Capice?


Parsley

[cropduster]

Say ,Pars,did you hear at WBGA about the feedlot owner with lots in Ab and BC???Apparently the one in BC uses BIG amounts of durum! !I didn`t think good durum would be an acceptable cattle ration???Maybe BC dairy cows are specially adapted to CWB designated area grain??!!

[parsley]

Better explain that one a little more.

Some folks didn't attend.

Like a , er, ah, mmm, some Wheat Board folks.

Parsley

[parsley]

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA IMPROVES SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR FARMERS



OTTAWA, Ontario, February 25, 2008 B The Government of Canada is working hard to deliver real help for struggling farm families who are weathering short-term storms and adjusting to new market realities. The Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, today introduced proposed amendments to the Agricultural Marketing Products Act (AMPA) which will give Canadian producers better access to cash advances as they make important business decisions.



“This Government has worked closely with producer groups to specifically target help to sectors facing severe challenges,” said Minister Ritz. “Right now Canadian livestock producers are struggling with a high dollar and high production costs, but these kinds of short-term struggles can strike any agricultural sector.”



“When Canadian farm families face these downturns, this Government is backing them up with solid support to get them back on their feet to compete in the global marketplace.”



Since coming to office, this Government has already delivered flexible and bankable programs that will provide up to $1.5 billion in funding to livestock producers in late 2007 and 2008. Proposed changes to the Advance Payments Program (APP) through the amendments to AMPA will make sure Canadian producers can access up to $400,000 in repayable advances.



The proposed amendments to the APP will provide easier access to immediate cash flow by:

Removing the requirement for livestock producers to use a Business Risk Management program such as AgriStability as security for a cash advance and allowing producers to use inventory as security. This brings the treatment of livestock more in line with other produced commodities.
Adding “severe economic hardship” as a condition to offer emergency advances, on the recommendation of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and the Minister of Finance.
Revising the security requirements for emergency advances and increasing the emergency advance available to producers from a maximum of $25,000 to $400,000 in conditions of severe economic hardship.


Taken together, program improvements made in December and proposed changes to AMPA represent significant changes to advance payments. Producers will have quicker and easier access to cash advances and if all producers take advantage of the improved program, an estimated $3.3 billion in advance payments will be available. The federal government has worked with industry in developing the changes to AMPA.



“This is much needed help,” said Clare Schlegel, President of the Canadian Pork Council and a hog producer in Ontario. “Hog farmers are struggling, facing the worst crisis in their farming history. What has been announced today will provide the breathing room that we have been asking for.”



"We welcome this change as it will provide much needed cash flow to producers at a time when the current crisis across the country has reached a critical point," said Hugh Lynch-Staunton, President of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA). "This improvement to the Advance Payments Program is consistent with a CCA recommendation and will improve Canadian producers' ability to deal with their liquidity crisis. It is a step in the process, and we will continue to work with the government to implement further improvements in our business risk management programs, the regulatory environment, and market access to improve the competitive environment Canadian beef producers are working in."



The Government is also announcing a new $50 million initiative with the Canadian Pork Council to deliver a sow cull program that will help restructure the industry to bring it in line with market realities.



In addition, over the next two weeks, the Government will work with industry and review meat inspection user fees to assess their impact on competitiveness of the sector.



As well, the Government of Canada is working to reduce costs and increase competitiveness under Canada’s enhanced feed ban. This complements the federal government’s commitment of $80 million to help the industry adjust to new feed standards.



To get advance payments to producers quickly, the collaboration of all political parties will be required to agree to quick passage of AMPA amendments.



The Government will continue to work with the livestock industry to find ways of helping industry position itself to be competitive in the long term. These measures include enhancing market access efforts in addition to reducing the regulatory burden and examining means to reduce the cost of the feed ban implementation.

[glaxdal]

Hi! parsley
I'm new at this but needed to respond as am a seed grower & not at all supporter of any type of a monopoly!!!!
Sorry - but I base my seed prices based on local grain markets, plus a margin to cover extra cost associated with seed production . Lots of times in the past I have priced my seed at what I thought was reasonable price only to see market take off & I was better off selling at local elevator - but thats my tough luck.
Anyway - I talk to lots of fellow growers who will certainly support market choice. I will be in Weyburn on Mar 6
Cheers! GlenL

[parsley]

glaxdal,

Your virgin-post will be music to all choicemakers' ears that read/write on Agri-ville.

It's a welcome hand reaching out, indeed. Some seedgrowers sit on their hands.

If Seed growers meld with the market choice cardplayers that keep dealing out more and more trump cards, we're sure to have a a winning hand.

It's not a game, as agstar seems to think it is. It's about our farms. It's about $20.00 wheat passing us by. It's about tuition for our kids.

It's not about jobs for Winnipeg. It's not about re-election for MP Martin from Manitoba. It's not about Unions holding farmers hostage at ports.

It's about Western Canadian farmers' survival. And we either fight for it, or the Wheat Board default slithers up when we turn off our energy.


Glad there are seedgrowers who will stand up and be counted. I'd like to meet you. Look for a 6'4'er, and mean. lol

Meantime, there is a certain casherouterpluser US malting company that nobody should want to deal even one card. Or deal with.

I have an older Seed Growers' export license. Do you still need to name your destinational buyer?

Parsley