CWB Question

[malleefarmer]

Bit confused who owns cwb?
Seems its not relevant at all in 2016.
Guess way different than AWB which was a publicly listed company which all farmers were shareholders.
Now as you all know owned by cargills, still pools grain offers cash prices and exports out of Australia plus a myriad of marketing options.

Again not sure of percentages but would expect they get 25% plus of aussie wheat crop still but I could way to high with that.

No one here in Australia wanted them to ever vanish just adapt and if rumblings about single desk back in the late 90s and early 2000s were handled better rather than the head in the sand "single desk is best and only way to market grain best returns blah blah" attitude and changed back then things may be different now.

Cash prices became king rather than waiting 18 months if they offered cash prices as well as pool prices who knows sinhgle dask may still be here.

[Hopalong]

G3 is new entity that owns what was left of old wheat board.
G3 is owned 50.1% by Bunge and Salic, a Saudi grain handler. Other 49.9% is supposed to be allocated to farmers who sell to G3. CWB owned grain cars, laker ships,office building, also had $349 million credit guarantee from federal govt.
CWB used to be described as a mixed enterprise but was effectively owned by federal govt.
Distance from a G3 listed facility is a disincentive for our farm to use it. As well, we were not dissatisfied with other grain handling facilities.
During the Richard Gray study period of monopoly end and high basis levels we took advantage of deferred delivery contracts and other pricing strategies in order to avoid worst of high basis levels.
Have not used pooled prices for several years, even though available from some buyers.
Think wheat board alliance group is a last gasp effort, no realistic prospect of getting anywhere.
Trade considerations were always my own biggest concern with wheat board.

[TOM4CWB]

The fate of the Canadian Wheat Board was up for federal debate during Question Period in Ottawa on Tuesday.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair challenged the Liberal government on whether they would help save it — a position the Liberals have long supported.

"Before the election the Liberals talked a good game on this issue but now in government are they actually going to help farmers and restore the Canadian wheat board? Yes or no?" Mulcair said.

The topic came up after a group of farmers in Saskatchewan and Manitoba recently voted unanimously to call for the re-establishment of the board.

The farmers, known as the Canadian Wheat Board Alliance, said the loss of the wheat board has cost them $6.5 billion in income over the last two years.

Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay responded to Mulcair, making note that his government didn't sell the wheat board.

"I think we are all aware who ended the Canadian Wheat Board," MacAulay said. CBC

[blackpowder]

Its gone forever. And the Sirens' wail is getting ever dimmer.

[westernvicki]

There are some myths which are better dead.

[mustardman]

Tom. Why did the cons give the wheat board to the Saudis for Free?
They only had to promise to spend $250 million on grain infrastructure in the future.

Kind of like buying a house and the real estate agent says you can have the house for Free as long as u promise to Build a Garage !!

wTF. Tom4g3 ??