CWB MONOPOLY...Barley prices in Chaos

[TOM4CWB]

Parsley;

I must respect MS. DuPont... as the presentations on Risk Management she made are logical, sensible, and clearly work ant Enbridge.

Now what about Risk management at the CWB?

My assesment is that the CWB PPO risk strategy is developed to "Maximise Pool Returns" while taking maximum advantage of "designated area" wheat growers who try to use PPO's.

Risk created in these contracts cannot be found in any other grain contract in western Canadian agriculture today...

THE CWB IS COLLECTING THE GAINS ON THE DROP IN THE FUTURES, AND THEN RESELLING THE PPO BACK INTO THE POOL ACCOUNT, AT A GAIN TO THE LOCKED IN FIXED PRICE CONTRACT VALUE.

THIS CWB ACTION in using, PPO contracts,

...is at the expense of PPO contract holders...

...and has been the general experence in each year these PPO contracts have been operated by the CWB...

It would be very helpful if the CWB would explain why they will not admit real risks exist in PPO contracts, and help their own farmers mitigate these risks...
... instead CWB staff in charge of these programs have been...

...telling me;

"If you don't like the risk the CWB PPO contracts create..., deliver to the CWB Pool Accounts..."

CWB actions such as the above statement indicates... are abusive, arrogant, and an invitation to civil unrest.

NOW CWB RADIO and MEDIA P. R. on PPO contracts further insults the intelegence of those farmers who simply need minimum price contracts and real cash prices... avalible to contract to the CWB... on October 31st instead of July 31st...

What an exercise in frustration...

The GOOD WILL for the CWB is running low and thin... since the CWB treats we farmers in such pittyful disregard with the PPO contracts... how exactly are we to expect anything but a simular disregard with CWB management of the pooling accounts?

[parsley]

Ms DuPont's pulls out some jewels from the "Statement on Business Conduct" that Enbridge employees are committed to by "conducting the company's business in accordance with the laws whenever we operate". But it is certainly not a principle that is being applied by this same Board member at the CWB.

Why is it applied to Enbridge but not to the CWB by DuPont?

As you intimate, the CWB management of the pooling accounts is less than in accordance with CWB legislation or their Code of Conduct.

Farmers must have Directors that examine their business ethics, their governamce practices and be accountable.

What will make Directors like DuPont respond to these requirements?

Parsley

[henbent]

I think that the right guys went to jail during the CWB protests, the Farmers for Justice, represent a minority of farmers, themselves. Recent votes have proven that most farmers still believe in and back the CWB. Grain companies are the major threat to us all, and their pals the railways. Remove the CWB, then you'll find that the lowest price, becomes the rule. The CWB, is simply another market, that we all use to sell our product. Remove it and watch the freefall of the open market.

[TOM4CWB]

henbent;

A little competition would require the CWB to respect our farms... and the commercial farmer who has loans to pay and land payments to make...

Great if you like the CWB, but for those of us who are tired of deception, threats, denial and broken promises... we need some real choice.

Grain companies are service providers... as are the rail roads

I would say our biggest problem comes when we decide our neighbour is doing too well... and then we confiscate our neighbours hard earned property... then we have a real problem...

Government cannot make an efficient economy... but government can sure ruin an efficient economy... if it gets greedy and selfish!

[parsley]

Henbent,

We presently have the Wheat Board ruling with a Custom's stick and the lowest price is the rule!

Here are the facts Henbent.....the jailed farmers were charged at Customs for "failing to report in writing". This means the farmers did not flash a CWB export license at the border.

Consequently, some of the trucks were seized because a CWB export license wasn't presented. Some fines were issued because no CWB license was presented. Some of the vehicles were impounded because no CWB license was presented.

The point is this...any farmer from the Designated Area who applies to the CWB for an export license is automatically denied one because of where he lives.

How can a Prairie farmer report in writing at the border when he CANNOT get a license from the CWB? Good grief.

If you think it is a good idea to throw farmers in jail for not presenting a license that simply cannot be obtained from the CWB, well, your comments reflect a point of view that is irreconcilable with a democratic society. Throwing people in jail for selling what they grow is not democratic.

You seem to defend jailing by stating that the majority of farmers support the CWB,.... but the point is this,....the CWB tells FARMERS that the only way to get an export license is to do a buyback. The Act does NOT support what the Board demands. Lying is not my idea of what I want in a business partner.

You are defending backroom policy that is not supported in the legislation, yet you advocated jailing farmers. You support jailing farmers who want to market what they grow, withoput legislative permission. You want to use force to impose what you want. And it won't end with grain. It will eventually spread into religion and politics and education and parenting and neighboring. My way, or jail!

Henbent, this is exactly why I want to chose the partners I do business with and market with.

Parsley

[henbent]

TOM4CWB,

Grain marketing and export is a big complex issue, which cannot be well done by individual farmers, I don't care how expensive or fast you computer is at home. How long do you think the US border, would remain open to Canadian farmers, if we all started hauling into the US? I suspect the US Gov't would step in, or groups of US farmers, would put a stop to the practise ASAP. Just ask the forest industry how well things are going these days. Europe doesn't want our GM contaminated produce. I guess we as individuals would have to ship to Asia and Japan, wow, would that become complex fast. It is silly to describe the CWB of being greedy, they work for us. Here is the solution that I see. Grow open market produce and sell on the open market, grasp the new way of doing things, you'll be richer in no time.

[parsley]

In case you hadn't notice Henbent,

Grain marketing and export IS being done by individual farmers. And successfully.

Livestock marketing and export IS being done by individual farmers. And successfully.

Parsley

[parsley]

HEN bent you are depending to much on what your pappy told you about marketing. Most of his marketing skills came to him through the CWB or federal government propaganda. That the big grain companies would steal our grain if it wasn't for the government bureaucrarcy looking out after us. Guess what, money is made in the grain handling business through competition and tonage handled. Not thropugh monopoly and single desk.

The only bright light on the hozison is that there is only 23% of the eligible voters in Western Canada that are holding up the new revolution in marketing and value added processing of wheat and barley.

Give your head a shake, careful though egg is in your ancestry. HEN!

[TOM4CWB]

Easy Guys...

Henbent is allowed to say what comes easily... strange though...

Henbent wants to control what I grow on my farm, ...no high quality wheat or barley for TOM4CWB... hmmmm...as well as sending me off to jail if the opportunity presents itself...

Just who is being a tyrant?

Explain why Henbent, the CWB refuses to offer modern risk management tools like minimum price contracts for the 03 harvest...

if little OWPMB could... during the peak prices last fall, why couldn't the CWB?

[henbent]

TOM4CWB,Kernel, & Parsley,

Please forgive me, for stating my opinion, I don't want to be a tyrant. I think you guys are over-reacting. What is this ANGRYVILL? All the recent debate, close elections, audits, and calls for transparency, have made the CWB a better organization. If I am not mistaken, we even have farmers, now acting as directors, or are they part of a giant conspiracy to keep their neighbours down too? I don't believe that for a second. The CWB does good work and should or can be supported, when they offer, good deals and we make money selling through them!! If not move on and look elsewhere, I sell open market, and via contact at times. I believe the CWB is evolving and responding to farmers. No they cannot make it good for us all the time!! Who can? I've heard of many disasters, when farmers start marketing and cannot even produce what they've contacted or don't understand what they are doing. Then, the crying starts, envoke the Act of God clause, let us out please!! I live in Northern Alberta, a long way from the US border and have now been abandon by my friendly grain company and railroad. The CWB represents stability, which has allowed me to survive. No I'll never get rich, but I make a comfortable living on a small family grain farm. Sorry guys, but if you want to be rich, buy lottery tickets or play at the casino, or on the stock market do not farm. By the way, my Father is a heck of a good man and knows what he is talking about when it comes to farming.