Wednesday With White

[parsley]

Dear Ian White,

It would be difficult to not conclude, if you meant what you said in recent comments you made in the media, that you are not preparing the Canadian Wheat Board to survive in a marketing choice environment.

Don't you think that is part of your responsiblity? And do you not think it would be irresponsible to do so?

Parsley

[silverback]

Mr. White,

Instead of suggesting that us producers just need to understand the different attributes of a monopoly, how about you just prove to all of us what kind of premium we as the producers are receiving NOW, in the PAST, and into the FUTURE !

My family has never seen it, are not seeing it, and do not believe your little marketers have the talent to get it in the future.

How about you start treating our grain with some respect and realize just how much blood, sweat, and tears go into it in a year.

The majority of us want our freedom.

[TOM4CWB]

Dear CWB President White;

I was just reviewing CWB 'domestic/export pricing' and found some troubling indications that the CWB is dumping many of our wheat's at large discounts...and at losses to our pools!

WHY is the CWB giving away our wheat at such low prices AGAIN???

These are the reported CWB prices:

WINNIPEG, MB, Jul 09, 2008 (Resource News International via COMTEX) -- The following are the Canadian Wheat Board's wheat export prices, in Canadian dollars per metric ton, instore Baie Comeau, St. Lawrence, Atlantic and West Coast areas. Canadian Western Red spring (CWRS), Canadian Western Amber Durum (CWAD). Source: Canadian Wheat Board.

ThunderBay, St.Lawrence, BaieComeau, Atlantic

Grade
1 CWRS 13.5% 366.95 400.25 400.62 405.41

TBay Domestic Prices
Grade %prot. $/t
1 CWRS 17.0% 374.35
1 CWRS 16.5% 374.35
1 CWRS 16.0% 374.35
1 CWRS 15.5% 374.35
1 CWRS 15.0% 372.55
1 CWRS 14.5% 370.65
1 CWRS 14.0% 367.65
1 CWRS 13.5% 366.95
1 CWRS 13.0% 366.95
1 CWRS 12.5% 366.95
2 CWRS 17.0% 372.55
2 CWRS 16.5% 372.55
2 CWRS 16.0% 372.55
2 CWRS 15.5% 372.55
2 CWRS 15.0% 370.65
2 CWRS 14.5% 368.85
2 CWRS 14.0% 365.85
2 CWRS 13.5% 365.05
2 CWRS 13.0% 365.05
2 CWRS 12.5% 365.05
3 CWRS 355.85
1 CPSR 315.05
2 CPSR 314.75
1 CWRW 294.65
2 CWRW 290.95
1 CWES 337.35
2 CWES 336.55
1 SWS 324.98
2 SWS 324.28
3 SWS 323.48
Cda Fd 329.85

Why such a discrepancy form what growers in the 'designated area' are paid?

[bucket]

Mr. White

Larry Weber has a newsletter everyday that does a comparison of grain prices. The cwb prices are behind everyday. So as the directors spew out nonsense of the premium we are getting why does no one explain to the western canadian farmer the following:

1. Why, if a farmer watches the cwb asking prices, that started at 400 per tonne aug 07 and went to over 1000 per tonne and is now at 700 per tonne we can only average 440 per tonne? Mathematically, if what flaman has said on this website is true, its impossible to have these dismal returns on durum. Its not good enough to say these are the best prices in decades when the numbers show the cwb shorted the western farmers many dollars per bushel on durum.

2. At the end of the crop year if a farmers wants to deliver every bushel he can with or without a contract so that he can capture these imaginary premiums, if the cwb refuses to buy his grain, can he then do his own marketing???? Any other commodity a contract can be signed to fill the farmers wishes to move his grain.

3. Why, at the end of this month will there be basically no delivery available for board grain? How does the cwb go without bringing grain into the system from aug1 to sept sometime?

The first question I asked should be done so that farmers could eveluate the benefits of the cwb in an open and fair way. I have followed the cwb asking prices on durum all year and at 12 bucks a bushel my opinion says the cwb either:
A) Gave grain away.
B) Paid buyers to take it.
C) Pushed it into other places. (Effectively stole it)

[Fransisco]

Mr. White you have mentioned a couple of times how the board needs to provide 'value' to farmers.

When I look at today's closing prices for pre selling my wheat this is what I find.

In Bottineau ND the price being offered for new crop HRS wheat is $7.74 per bushel.

http://bottineaufarmers.com/index.cfm?show=11&mid=6&theLocation=1&cmid=1&layou t=1

The board is offering me $7.07 on its fixed price contract. That's 70 cents less a bushel.

For winter wheat the Bottineau new crop bid is $6.74.

The boards fixed price contract is $6.10 or 64 cents less per bushel.

Using conservative yields for my farm for these crops this means a difference of $40-50 per acre.

How exactly is the CWB adding 'value' to my farm by forcing me to take these kind of losses year after year after year?

[TOM4CWB]

Dear President White,

It is all too painfully obvious... that the CWB... is away low on the calculation of the basis for FPC offered by the CWB.

In 'good faith'... for 07-08 I locked in the MGE futures... before the CWB became aggressive and a good $40/t low on FPC payments to me.

When the CWB does this... the rest of the trade follows... and it is clear that in all the non-board crops... proven by the profits returned to the share-holders of the many grain-co's... that the cue example shared by CWB... is he lead for the whole grain handling industry.

AS this happened BEFORE you took the position you now hold... your obligation remains to stop the 'bleeding' of assets growers now must endure; by a monopoly that is sadly doing the opposite of what it advertises.

You can do the math. I am short a least $40/t... and the CWB continues the 'bleeding' off of my assets in 08-09 FPC Basis.

I really hope in the 'strategic review' and planning exercises you are about to undertake... that steps will be taken to resolve these issues that are plain to 'designated area' grain growers.

A forced 'single desk' that chooses to falsify and plainly do the opposite of what it claims it is supposed to do... will be dismantled by any government in charge that has integrity and is honest.

The CWB deceit and intimidation tactics... will bear the fruit they have birthed.

You have taken upon yourself the mantle of leadership to solve this problem.

Godspeed in resolving it... all the best... WE ARE WATCHING!

[wedino]

Dear President White:

At the next directors meeting of the CWB, would you please remind the directors that DA farmers have never had any say via a vote on whether they want the CWB as their only(compulsory) marketing arm. Other parts of this country require a 70% majority of producers to be in favor of a compulsory scheme such as the CWB. Ask the directors to look at their own survey, it's very clear from the survey results, that the CWB doesn't have the required 70% of producers supporting it.
Advise the directors to move & pass a motion to grant free export licences to all producers effective August 1, 2008.