Agstar's Answer

[chaffmeister]

Tower:

Your discussion with Kodiak had my interest until you slipped. It's when you said:

"... the larger majority of western grain growers that want to be able to market through the board."

This is the nub of the problem in this discussion. It won't go away.

The argument is about the SINGLE DESK. The SINGLE DESK is what some call the CWB's MONOPOLY POWER.

THE MAJORITY OF FARMERS WANT TO GET RID OF THE SINGLE DESK.

SOME SAY 'KEEP THE CWB, JUST GERT RID OF THE SINGLE DESK'.

OTHERS SAY 'GET RID OF THE WHOLE DAMN THING'.

THE MINORITY OF FARMERS SAY 'PLEASE KEEP THE SINGLE DESK'. (Which means you also keep the CWB intact as it is.)

So let's stop the verbal dance. If you want to keep the single desk, just say so. But don;t try to pretend that the majority of farmers want it too.

They don't.

[Francksaskfarmer]

The magic number that is being given around for premium extracted from the board is $15 to $20/T.
However, in some of the talks I had at grain world with single desk directors, they can not agree on this number. One even told me, and I made him repeat it 2 or 3 times that the premium was not that much. He said the real value of the CWB is its influence against the railways and the likes.
Now for even for $15/T, is the single desk worth keeping?
Besides that check all the developed countries wheat prices over the last 10 years. What are the masses scared about?

Francksaskfarmer

[SASKFARMER3]

.40 cents a bushel the answer is NO.
A minority are forcing a Majority to keep this system. Their is no Premium.

[TOM4CWB]

cchurch,

Do you understand that there are people in this world, that do not appreciate the CWB AT ALL... because they can undercut their business any time of the day... because the CWB HAS NO COST OF SALES... because everything must go through the pool.

PRICE DISCRIMINATION the CWB calls it. Others... in many other countries... call it jaw snapping market freezing... UNDERCUTTING of Prices.

SO these folks want do deal with Canadian grain growers... in the 'designated area' who have some market discipline.

SHould be their choice... if they want to deal with my farm... and not the CWB!!

Sorry if the FACTS don't line up with your vision of the world... cchurch.

This is not about arrogance... it is about marketing... and some of the world knows about the CWB and how they treat their SLAVES.

Remember what Chairman Ritter said...

You can get alot more done with a GUN and a smile...than with just a smile!

Others in the world don't appreciate these points quite like you do CCHURCH.

[tower]

chaffmeister, you say the argument is about SINGLE DESK, WELL YOU'RE WRONG.. MAYBE FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AS A TRADER IT'S ABOUT SINGLE DESK. MAYBE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE 14% THAT VOTED TO GET RID OF THE WHOLE DAMN THING IT'S ABOUT THE SINGLE DESK. and maybe for the 32% who voted to keep things as they are it's about single desk.

FINE, THE OTHER 54% AT LEAST WANT THE OPTION. from my point of view that means that we, well maybe not you, but we farmers, should do a study to determine if the board would be there as the option that 86% of farmers want, if the board loses it's buying power.

[chaffmeister]

interesting observations, Tower.

you say I'm wrong - that it's NOT about the single desk, then you say its about the single desk for everyone but the 54% that "want the option".?!

WANTING THE OPTION IS ALL ABOUT THE SINGLE DESK !!!



The CWB has "buying power"...?

[tower]

chaffmeister, no, wanting the option is not all about the single desk. some of wanting the option is just about placating the grain companies, and the vociferous 14% that are putting on the big pressure through organizations like the barley growers. I really wouldn't mind not having to put up with their short-sighted complaining so long as I still have the option of delivering to the board. And we have already given up quite a bit to satisfy the unsatisfiable minority. As Tom4CWB pointed out earlier in this thread, how valuable is our quota now.

[charliep]

I would encourage you to read the CWB producer surveys. The 2008 versions should be released within the next month.

The 2007 version can be found at:

http://www.cwb.ca/public/en/farmers/surveys/producer/pdf/survey_full_062107.pdf

I will direct your eyes to pages 16 and 17. Will be very interesting how farmers answered this question in 2008.

[Burbert]

So, the CWB sells grain to cheap to the world. Multi-national grain companies will stop the cheap selling and pass along the profit to farmers. Railways will work harder and more effectively moving grain, if the free market reins, and pass along savings along to farmers. What a bunch of bull!
Our marketing system is just that, OUR SYSTEM, if you don't like it, get a job in the patch, or go farm elsewhere. Farmers will decide the fate of the CWB, its our system not owned/operated by the Harpsters, or his bird brained minion.
Politicos want to be re-elected time and time again, its about power and ego, they couldn't care less about the masses. They lean whichever way the wind blows, heck in AB we don't even vote anymore! Waste of time, after all time is money isn't it?

[charliep]

Should have put up the presentation versus the survey (again pages 15 to 17).

http://www.cwb.ca/public/en/farmers/surveys/producer/pdf/survey_062107.pdf

When farmers are asked the black and white single desk versus open on barley, the response has been 50 % each way for a long time now (page 17). 56 % of Alberta farmers favored an open market for barley.

[chaffmeister]

Tower, bit by bit:

TOWER: “wanting the option is not all about the single desk”
CHAFF: It’s ALL about the single desk. Single desk MEANS no option. The “option” is only available without the single desk.

TOWER: “some of wanting the option is just about placating the grain companies”
CHAFF: The grain companies aren’t the ones pushing to get rid of the single desk. If the system was more efficient and more balanced even with the single desk, they’d be “placated”. Their argument is that the current system on malt barley doesn't work. (Its' true. It doesn't.)

TOWER: “I really wouldn't mind not having to put up with their short-sighted complaining so long as I still have the option of delivering to the board.”
CHAFF: Then why not support “choice” and use the CWB?

TOWER: “And we have already given up quite a bit to satisfy the unsatisfiable minority”
CHAFF: Using your numbers, 54% want the option (by definition this means no single desk), 14% want no CWB at all (no single desk here, either). How does that add up to a minority?

[TOM4CWB]

Chaffmeister,

I brought up the B series barley pool in Provost today.

The over $100/t that the CWB added to the pool... to make up the great return the CWB gets for feed barley.

I asked Earl and Ken where the CWB sold the barley... to get the $260/t port price.

Guess what... it was all premium sales... to Japan Saudi's etc.

At $160/t port price... when corn was close to $5/bu!

Backed off to Alberta... the CWB got about $112/t.

What a premium...

and I was told to G.D. sit down and shut up.

And the basis explanation on FPC... the CWB comparing themselves to themselves... WOW was that ever a revelation. The CWB STEALS between $4 and 5.50/bu from us over the past couple of months on the basis... and we should be happy with a negative basis.

No CWB Financials were available to the meeting.

Like a voice crying in the wilderness... I left after delivering a message to CHairman Ritter.

Change the CWB... Resign... or else I am forced to continue the Hunger Strike I started 12 years ago.

gOODALE dION AND eASTER NEED TO PASS THE gOV.'S LEGISLATION FOR POINT ONE.

wE MUST FIX THE BASIS ON THE FPC'S.

THE CWB MUST STOP DECIEVING EVERYONE IN P.R./RISKMANAGEMENT... AND SALES PERFORMANCE.

THE COMPARISONS WITH US AVERAGE SALES AND THE POOL RETURN ARE HOKEY POKUS... IN ANY EVENT OUR SYSTEM IS MORE THAN DISFUNCTIONAL... IT IS NOT FAIR, EQUATABLE, APPLIED EQUALLY ACROSS CANADA... LET ALONE THE EXEMPTOONS FOR SEED, MANUFACTURED FEED, ORGANICS... OR ANYTHING ELSE THE CWB DECIDES TO EXEMPT.

FREEDOM IS MORE THAN AN IDEA... IT IS AN OBLIGATION THAT WE PROVIDE IT FOR OUR NEXT GENERATION... NOT JUST GIVE IT LIP SERVICE.

GOD BLESS CANADA.

[tower]

chaffmeister, You still aren't interested in going to all the work of actually reading other peoples posts, Eh?

That's fine by me, but your POSTS DON"T MAKE ANY SENSE BECAUSE OF IT.