Who's Sayin' What

[parsley]

And of course, I am referring to a single desk Board.

[parsley]

The Leader-Post

July 2, 2008



Letter by Larry Hill



CWB gets higher prices: chair



In his June 24 letter criticizing the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB), Art Mainil writes, "We do not need any more rhetoric." I couldn't agree more. Mainil, however, should follow his own advice. Rhetoric aside, the fact is that Prairie farmers are receiving higher average returns for their wheat, durum and barley than their counterparts in North Dakota and Montana.

U.S. officials have clearly stated on numerous occasions that the majority of U.S. farmers sold their grain long before prices climbed to peak levels. In fact, spot prices peaked in the U.S. precisely because hardly any grain remained available.

The North Dakota Wheat Commission, for example, reported that the majority of farmers in that state sold their durum at about $7 per bushel. That's over 70 per cent less than the CWB's May 2007-08 Pool Return Outlook of $12.06 per bushel for No. 1 Canada Western Amber Durum with 12.5 per cent protein, backed off to the farmgate in Saskatchewan.

I'd also like to point out that Quebec farmers do indeed have a single-desk marketing board for their wheat. Quebec producers, eager to make more money on the sale of their grain, created the Fédération des producteurs de cultures commerciales du Québec (FPCCQ) three years ago.

For those farmers who want increased pricing and delivery flexibility, the CWB's farmer-controlled board of directors is committed to improving the current slate of available options. Just check out such recent additions as FlexPro, GrainFlo, and, on the barley side, CashPlus.

Larry Hill

Hill is chair, Canadian Wheat Board board of directors.

Swift Current


Observation from Parsley:
Quebec ...producers????????/....created?

Oh really? You mean the Federal Government just din't slap in legislation?

Nice to be given the opportunity to have a voice, what's it like? Maybe you should take note, Larry, Hill.

Prairie producers want to uncreate.

BTW, don't forget that QUEBEC is STILL subject to the CWB's national licensing duties....asking for an export permit.

If a majority of CWB Directors were to vote to deny all export licenses to Quebec, based on the fact that Quebecers are selling into markets the CWB wants to sell in to, they could stop Quebec farmers' commerce cold in it's tracks,the same as the CWB does to Western farmers.

After all, licensing denial would be based upon the harm granting licenses to Quebec would wrek upon the pooling accounts.


btw, how much of the CWB pooling accounts are QUIETLY paying for Quebec's single desk?

Parsley

[bucket]

Mr. Hill likes to rest on his laurels and squat on an inheritted farm - tough life he's had.

But maybe he should start addressing the fact that those same dumb americans that sold their durum for $7 are going to be getting 14 or 15 this crop year. And where exactly are the PRO for durum?????

Keep living in the past but how is Mr. Hill going to explain being so far behind this year????

Oh yeah I know the term - INCOMPETENCE!

[parsley]

The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon)
Third of July, 2008
by Joanne Paulson
Farmers hold protest outside Ritz's office; Conservative gov't contravened CWB act, NFU member says

Ed Sagan was in front of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz's office Wednesday with a message for the federal Conservatives. "We want the government to lay off the Canadian Wheat Board," said Sagan, a Melville-area farmer and member of the National Farmers Union (NFU).

Sagan was among about a dozen NFU members who protested at Ritz's office in North Battleford, objecting to the government's moves toward dismantling the Canadian Wheat Board's monopoly.

The NFU farmers were then moving on to a resort at Jackfish Lake for a convention.

Sagan said the Harper government has done several things to discredit the CWB, including restricting the voters' list for elections to the 10-member board to farmers who have produced 120 tonnes of grain in either of the two previous completed crop years.

That takes smaller farmers out of the vote.

"When we originally had the wheat board elections, they went and probably took 30 per cent of eligible voters off the list, and they put a gag order on the Canadian Wheat Board so they couldn't express their views . . . and then they fired (Adrian) Measner, the CEO," said Sagan in an interview.

"We feel very strongly that they contravened the (CWB) act completely," said Sagan.

"The last judge indicated the Canadian Wheat Board is arm's length of the federal government . . . yet (Prime Minister Stephen) Harper in his wisdom when he was here in Saskatoon last weekend said he would step on anybody who gets in his way," added Sagan.

"We won three court cases against those clowns. You would think they'd say maybe that's enough. And that is enough."

The latest ruling came June 20, when a Federal Court judge chastised the Conservative government for "silencing" the CWB by ordering the agency to stop spending money to promote its monopoly.

Justice Roger Hughes said the government exceeded its authority and violated the charter of rights' guarantee of freedom of expression.

The CWB described the government's directive as a "gag order."

Harper vowed to battle on. In Saskatoon, he said his government would continue its fight against the monopoly.

"But the bottom line is this, mark my words, Western Canadian farmers want this freedom and they are going to get it. And anybody who stands in their way is going to get walked over," said Harper.

Those words did not go over well with Sagan.

"As far as I'm concerned they're no different than the prime minister of Zimbabwe today. He is a dictator," said Sagan.

"They're pushing things on us that don't make any sense any more."

Sagan said the NFU protesters want the government to stop its attempts to kill the monopoly and to pay out Measner for his service.

"They want us farmers to pay for it. It was the government of the day that fired him, not us farmers."

Ritz was unavailable for comment Wednesday. In a recent news release, he said the government was studying the recent Federal Court ruling and considering its next steps, including a possible appeal.

jpaulson@sp.canwest.com

[charliep]

Interesting to note the driver in most of what has happened to date has been to have a open market for barley by August 1 but the word barley is never mentioned in the above. No reference is made to the CWB's own survey which highlight farmers desire for change.

Also note the reference to average prices. The average US prices are available online for those who care to look (weighted even).

http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/Wheat/YBtable18.asp

The reference to pricing and delivery patterns is always interesting as well. Saw an interesting overhead recently which compared US farm delivery patterns versus Canadian. US farmers deliver a high percentage of their crop straight off the combine during the first quarter of their crop year (June to August). Canadian farmers biggest delivery period is our last quarter of the crop year (May to July).

[parsley]

Maybe that's because Sagan believes his opinion is so important, he concluded that all the other farmers voting to free barley from the monopoly aren't important.

He needs to have a serious talk with himself.

Somebody must have told him, "You're one in 6 billion", and he'd be flattered and feel important, but upon reflection, what they really meant was he was only as important as one of the other six billion.

It happenns.

Ignoring the barley vote will cause the demise of the CWB.

Parsley

[mbratrud]

I would like to see a vote something like 1 vote for every $100,000 gross grain sales. Based on Revenue Canada numbers instead of Permit book Holders. I think the debate would be dead.. I think overwhelmingly the producers that are actually growing the grain would favor marketing choice.

Obviously not speaking for everyone, but that is the feeling I get from many guys I talk to.

The unfortunate part is the guys that do favour he Board would have a huge learning curve on Grain Marketing, and we would likely go through another round of farm consolidation, which in my opinion is fine.

[TOM4CWB]

mbratrud,

I find it really hard to believe that any one who wants to market on an average basis... like the CWB claims to do now with the "pool"... wouldn't be able to do so with any elevator co.

The excuses are endless... the reasons are frivolous... and the ethics are revolting... of why we (designated area)grain growers still choose to decide how our neighbour MUST market their wheat and barley!

It is like we don't trust ourselves... we are not adults... therefore (as children) we all must have big brother look over our neighbours shoulder... to make sure they are not ...'CHEATING'... on us!

WHAT A DECEPTION!

Larry Hill is responsible for making sure I get a fair value for my wheat!

WHEN PIGS FLY... he makes sure I get ripped off... every chance he gets!

BASIS,
Flat Price,
Hard White Wheat;
Red Winter Wheat...

THE CWB goes out of their way to maximise my frustration with them!

Larry, Ian;

GIVE us a flat price every business day of the year... that the futures trade... just like Canola.

We have earned a fair basis contract that does not distort port delivery points... and does not pool the basis. We must be able to fix our basis... THE DAY we DELIVER our GRAIN!

Protein on Select Hard Red Winter does not stop at 11%... handing me a huge discount.... when 'ordinary' is below 11%px... is very frustrating!

Sucking us into growing Hard White Wheat... and then dropping a sledge hammer on our toes after we commit... is revolting and unfair!

POOL deliveries must be signed up BEFORE August 1 crop year starts... the rest cash FPC... not the reverse. This way the pool value can actually me maximised!

SORRY... I forgot... the pools are not really there to maximise returns... they are there for the reverse... make life easy/simple/unaccountable for the CWB sales dept... and feed cheap for domestic livestock!

It may be a RANT... but it is still true!

BOOO the CWB until they change!

[parsley]

Maybe instead of voting, you's better get writing! Read this L to E! Do you know the author? LOL Do you suppose he wrote this? LOL

Looks like Main Street in Winnipeg has a long hot summer sharpening pencils.


Parsley

Quote


Who looks out for farmers?
The Leader-Post

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Recently, the CEO of Viterra waltzed into the cage match between farmers and the federal government -- and chose to stand in the government's corner.

The CEO stated that his company can become a more efficient shipper if the Canadian Wheat Board loses its monopoly on wheat and barley -- and Viterra could develop a more direct relationship with the railways that ship grain from the prairies to export ports when the monopoly ends.

I wonder what sort of relationship Viterrra thinks it can develop in the future since it has failed to develop the ideal relationship with the railways with canola, flax, peas and oats now.

These commodities are not under the monopoly of the CWB, yet Viterra is consistently late in taking these contracts in from farmers and, in many cases, well past the agreed-upon dates.

Viterra's latest claim is about as lame as the one where moving to 100-car blocks would provide efficiencies to the industry and producers. Why is it, then, that handling fees at the elevators keep going up with all this efficiency?

It's even more curious to me as to why Viterra would stick its nose into the debate in the first place. Is it because Gerry Ritz, the federal agriculture minister, is calling in markers from all those that are pushing him to eliminate the CWB? Is he saying: "If you want it gone, you're going to have to speak out and help me out?"

The CWB, with its farmer-elected board of directors, gives us some say and control in our industry. Are we to believe that without them, the CEOs of the grain companies will look after our interests? Not bloody likely!

George E. Hickie

Waldron