Food Production must rise 50%

[parsley]

Wasting resources makes a country poor.

[charliep]

Parsley

Yes to your point.

I should note that increasing production may not be the way to go for Canada. Maybe our share of world markets/trade will continue to decline. Maybe we add more value/market more into North America. Maybe we target higher valued markets/customers. The future will be interesting and challenging.

[charliep]

Had interesting meeting with the Chinese State Adminstration of Grain (basically the ones who control Chinese internal supplies and prices). The commented that their population of 1.3 bln people (20 % of the world population) put a lot of responibility on China to manage resources/food both for internal stability and for world food security. If China mismanaged and entered the market for significant quantities of grain, this would have a major impact on demand, availability and price. Their philosophy is that China has to be more or less self sufficient in food production and carry reserves for years when mother nature doesn't cooperative.

[parsley]

Increase in call to raise production... is it in our best interest?

It isn't that other countries don't have land or can't grow crops.

They'll catch on if their plate gets empty long enough.

This is about increasing production for what? Higher prices? Or simply bragging rights?

Ed: "I grew 139 bushels per acre"

Ted: Jezuz, You're rich"

Ed: "No, I need a Government program to pay my bills."

Ted: "Get the country buyin your grain to pay em. Who's buyin?"

Ed: "Somalia. They can't pay. They never have money to pay."

Ted: "Well, eat the gd stuff."

Ed: "I would if I could but I can't. I grew too much."

[charliep]

Parsley

Western Canada is currently executing the strategy you suggest perfectly. We have a shrinking percentage of world production and trade - less relevant to world markets. Trade by the way goes to countries who can afford to pay. There are countries around the world who can put acceptable quality grain in importers hands for lower cost than we can (and still provide farmers there a good living). Relevant if grow/sell commodities - less relevant if you market value based crops/products.

[parsley]

Maybe your thinking and information is not current.

In Western Canada,a value added strategy is aborted every time the idea if fertilized in the mind of a new graduate, or a new employee, or a new entrepreneur.

The greatest impediment to value added and to change is the Canadian Wheat Board. Perhaps you thought Larry's Hill's press releases were true.
They are not.

Is the CWB pricing at the farmgate?

Is there an open and transparent marketing list I can check to see what the prices have bee sold at, so I can make future plans?

Are farmers in contact with their customers?

Yes, well, charliep, I could ask a thousand questions.

I do not doubt that planning meetings take place.My god, we've nbeen bloody planned to death. MY industry planned by wonkahers. The problem is, they are merely per diem revenue soirees benefitting the planners.

Farmers want to plan their own industry. And they need the freedom to do so.


Parsley

[charliep]

Perhaps should have put a smilie face on my posting. Wheat has become less competitive crop in all measures under the CWB regime.

To the topic, BBC reported a commitment by FAO to buy the needed grain and rice supplies from nearby countries in developing world versus buying subsidized product from the major agricultural exporters. Local/regional farmers get the benefit versus simply a mechanism for highly subsidized grain from developed world to dump excess supplies in (realize not the case today). So to highlight, the developing world is doing more to feed itself and their local farmers who have a crop are enjoying the benefit. All farmers respond to profit (except maybe in Canada).

[parsley]

Mine was incomplete without the wink,charliep, but I was trying to get at least a hint of a response.

Two x four doesn't work, either.