I Still dont get it?

[farmaholic]

There was an attempt to change but maybe too little too late. Then a government was elected with a promise of removing the monopoly, which it did, unsystematically. No one can agree who the majority was, pro or antiboard, and that debate has gotten so old and biased its sickening. To me, the whole decision became subjective and not objective, a decision based on ideology and emotion.

No planning....just threw open the flood gates, no checks and balances or methodical transition. First two years were painful with the historically big crop one of those years and transportation issues. Unfair pricing considering a fair basis based on what deductions were pre open market.

Hard to believe that even those who so desperately wanted marketing freedom couldn't see that after decades of monopoly that some of the hard assets couldn't be seen as being earned by retained farmer capital. All we ever heard is how ****ed over we were getting so how do you think those assets were
being acquired? Office building, Mission Terminal, a fleet of hopper cars, ships being purchased.

Too political, too polarized, too bad. I am not bemoaning the demise as much as how it was done. I don't think too many people quit farming because of it either. Adapt and move on. We functioned with out board control over many other crops and did just fine, I am hardly devastated and heart broken, there some things I am enjoying in the open market........makes us accountable.

[riders2010]

right on farmaholic! that does say a lot about how this whole thing went down its still evolving and not with the customer in mind. The extreme wing nuts calling the shots for both sides were more worried about getting their way than actually thinking about the most import things which were.
Why do so many people want to get rid of this?
If we get rid of it how do we make the situation better?
no one gave a crap about either of those

[blackpowder]

Agree all the way. Ive wondered about that myself. One thing tho was for sure.
Ritz had a short time to make sure it was completely gone for good. We can all see what would have happened if he had dicked around. Publicly, no one was agreeing on a damn thing for years. An epic stalemate that continues on agriville today.
Napalm may have been the only thing left.

[chuckChuck]

It is surprising that many farmers don't seem to care that farmers have little control over the grain handling system now and most of it is now foreign owned.

There are many on this site complaining vigorously about the various grain handlers but were never supporters of the prairie pools or the CWB.

If you make a trip into North Dakota there are still lots of farmer owned Coops doing well and paying good dividends in many years.

Farmers could have had a bigger stake in the grain industry and had more influence.

Farmers deserve what they got and I have little sympathy for all the complaining.

[Rareearth]

Mallee you have insight from afar that many so close can't see.

The farmers received 0(zero) for the equity contributions, government foreign aid projects, ships, office buildings, and I have to say it "good will". My grand father, my father, and I contributed for decades. I'll leave it at that.

[stonepicker]

Oh is the farmer in north dakota forced to sell his grain to the farmer owned co-op chuck chuck? No he's not, and you say they're still doing well? I think that's great! they obviously don't need an iron-clad monopoly then. Freedom of choice, what a great idea!

[farmaholic]

BP: they had 4 years and maybe longer if they would have dumped their "Leader". There would have been a chance they would still be governing today... but that is a whole other story.

[malleefarmer]

Another question was it "weyland inland terminal" that was a co-op and a receival site? What happened to that and who bought it?

In retrospect why did the farmers let it go or was it a white elephant?

[sumdumguy]

I presume you are asking about the Weyburn Inland Terminal. WIT was paid to buy and store grain for the Canadian Wheat Board as were all grain companies. The value added due to drying, mixing and marketing was a boon to local farmers. I was never on the board but heard that they considered that arrangement the crown jewel. Other Agrivillers closer to the epicenter can fill you in on why it was sold. I still can't figure that one out.

[chuckChuck]

StoneP, Coops don't need a monopoly to add benefit to farmers. The profit is reinvested or paid out in dividends to the member owners.

But you seemed to have missed my point. Almost all the industry that serves farmers on the grain handling side and input side is moving towards greater levels of concentration with less competition.

Giving up the pools and the CWB means farmers have nothing to counter the anti competitive power of many foreign owned companies. If you think that was a desirable outcome of getting rid of the Pools and the CWB good luck because you will need it.

[blackpowder]

What you never seem to accept is the fact that the board was directly responsible for its own demise. Sadly leaving a vacuum.

[chuckChuck]

Harper and Ritz lied about what was going to replace the monopoly. Politics is what brought the demise of the CWB.

Put to a vote by farmers at the time the CWB would have survived for a longer time. That is why Ritz and Harper never had a farmer vote because they knew they would lose.

Harper and Ritz have given away farmer assets now owned by Bunge and SALIC. Well done!

Good luck with the low price of wheat. But at least you got your freedom to choose between twiddle dum and twiddle dee.

"G3 Global Grain Group is a joint venture between Bunge Canada (Bunge) and SALIC Canada Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC)"