Sask wheat and barley comment period

[wd9]

Any chance you'll answer my question
charlie?

[jamesb]

I will take a stab at that WD. One thing I learned at one crop production week was that Sask pulse puts millions into the crop development centre at the U of S. They are breeding varieties for Sask conditions paid for by the Sask grower through the levy paid. These varieties are royalty free to Sask farmers. Heck I can sell common pulse seed to my neighbour if I want to, we paid for that right. To our neighbours to the east in Manitoba, they don't pay anything to the U of S so their growers buy through a Manitoba seed grower who pays royalty to the U of S. My understanding is that Alberta pulse pays something into the CDC to access the CDC varieties royalty free. Essentially the grower in each province is paying different levy rates as well. I'm paying one percent here in Sask. I'm pretty sure the other provinces are different. Maybe others can speak up what there rates are?

[Rareearth]

You don't get all pulse varieties.

The pulse growers tender or give the best niche
varieties to the big exporters. They charge extra
for the seed, and underpay the grower for the risk
of production, storage, timely contract delivery,
payment at global market values.
Redwing red lentils
B90
The extra large red lentil
The extra green, green lentil
Dunn peas
Pinto beans
Etc

Pay the levy to develop varieties, give exclusives
to exporters - pay premium for the seed (levy), get
under paid as to market value (levy).

Who to say the importers in the market aren't
growing the seed them selves?

Open all my levy dollar varieties to the levy
payers. Or I want my money back.

[bucket]

The lon and short of this is that average farmers continue to pay for things that are not their responsiblity.

Take the flax thing for instance. No one was to blame for a variety that was never commercially available. Check off dollars were spent on telephone conference calls.

Then they gave the responsibilty of new seed to the same ****ing group that caused the problem in the first place.

And the farmer was left with the bill.

[charliep]

wd9

The answer is probably no. The projects had application across all provinces. Having said, I would suggest there is a lot of creativity and innovation that has occurred in the individual provincial commissions that has generated good projects with application across provinicial boundaries. Would you have gotten that same level of creativity/provincial input if something like canola was represented by something like the Canadian Canola Growers Association moved to something different.

To highlight further, there is no enabling legislation at the federal level to do an overall commission. The regulation lies at the provincial level.

An interesting discussion. Perhaps the answer is to look at the Australian model of a GRDC. Been brought here at least a few times but whistled over most peoples heads. Lots of things that could be done. The point is farmers need a say in the direction of the industry. Money is an aspect that puts farmers at the table. It is also a way of leveraging funds towards projects that are important to farmers.

Perhaps the bottom line is to get involved. Yelling on agriville is not involvement.

[bucket]

charliep

Get involved on something that is not needed. Yes I have that kind of time to waste.

Saskatchewan does not need a wheat commission.

The people that want the wheat commission want something to do with their time, maybe they like meetings. But if they were listening they wouldn't be wasting their time either. And they would not be making it mandatory, which is something they just finished battling against. (the cwb)


But you can't say you don't want the commission, those comments get thrown out.

[charliep]

How do you know unless you try?

No guts/no glory.

Would encourage you to have a vision as to how research should be done and financed. I will really make you mad, but the indecision in cereals has really cost in Canada in terms of competitiveness in world markets.

[charliep]

bucket

Have you had a look at the GRDC funding model in Australia? Does it have application in western Canada?

[charliep]

For what it is worth, I found the APAS document interesting where they compare the level of Australian Funding to that of Canada. Aussie's also pay end end use royalties on seed they have used. My understanding is the GRDC doesn't fund plant breeding any more with the investment in this area supported by previous money spent/a way to capture value from previous varietal development.

[URL="http://apas.ca/dbdocs//509985320dba3.pdf"]APAS[/URL]

[wd9]

Ag Canada does research on a national
basis. They want the provinces top get
together and decide what research needs
to be done.

How about just skipping a step.

The provincial legislation does not
enshrine empire building. Only levy
collections, a board of directors with
minimal responsibility, one AGM. The
money utilized nationally in a
coordinated effort.

Gustgd, how is the money going to get to
WCWGA and then on to GGC?

[parsley]

You damn right yelling on Agriville is involvement
and you know it is, Charliep. You'd do well to take
the pulse of farmers on AV b/c it is sure to come
back and bite the hand that cashes the farmer-
cheques. Checkoffs have to be refundable.

Saskatchewan farmers have had it up to their ying
yang with mandatory Wheat Board mentality crap.
Anyone with the attitude that Checkoffs should be
mandatory has sucked on the Wheat Board tit.

There are way too many boards, too many meals,
too many per diems, all spending money like
fools. Pars

[cottonpicken]

Theres my Bonnie.

[parsley]

Bonnie and Clyde doing lunch in Carlyle before
the grass turns green?

[bucket]

charliep

This wheat commission is a done deal. The rubber stamping is taking place now.


In a month the bells and whistles will come out with the usual patting on the back from the minister of how hard these individuals worked to see this difficult process of establishing a wheat commission.

The speeches have been written as well as the established mandatory checkoffs.

They said on the radio they do not and will not consider submission that indicate their is no need for the commissions. That was my interpretation.

[cottonpicken]

You bet!....