WTO thoughts

[Fransisco]

Ahh, so you agree with the counter-argument. I thought you would. But before you start thinking that I've come around to your side willagro there are a couple of problems with this argument.

First off, if you look in the CWB's annual report you will find some pie charts with regards to market share. The total Canadian export market share for Wheat is around 14%, for barley its 9%.

There is no way that any one entity such as the wheat board can have any "clout" with such a small slice of the global market share. It is just not possible.

Secondly, the price comparisons that I showed you above and have shown time after time here on agriville proves that there is no board "clout"

In theory it sounds like there could be, in practice it is quite obvious to me that the board subtracts value from my farm.

So I will ask you a third time to provide some evidence that there is a "marketing advantage" with the CWB.

A theory is not evidence.

And I will ask you a follow up question, you talked about the "power and advantage in joining together under the umbrella of the CWB in world trade". What exactly is stopping you from being able to do so if the board is made voluntary?

[wilagro]

Fransisco: I see nothing wrong with a voluntary CWB providing that if one opts out, then he/she must stay out for at least five to seven years before being able to opt back in...and then with contractual conditions. This would keep the pools from being "used" by speculators jumping in and out. I think that a VOLUNTARY CWB would "force" the CWB to be more accountable to farmers also. I used to rant and rave about the heavy hand that the board used at times that were NOT advantageous to me.

There are some badly needed changes that would "modernize" the CWB. I am not against progress, believe it or not.

[Fransisco]

Personally, I wouldn't have a problem opting out for the five to seven years you talk about, but why couldn't it be a contractual arrangement crop year by crop year based on either tonnage or acres?

You have say X number of tonnes that you commit contractually to the pool for a particular crop year.

I would also say that it shouldn't matter where those tonnes come from the way it does today, if someone is short and they can get it from a neighbor they should be allowed to do so.

What about the possibility of multiple pools throughout the year an A, B, and maybe even a C pool? Or say a penalty for someone who decides they want to get into the pool sometime later in the year?

[wilagro]

Fransisco: Those all sound like good suggestions. If you haven't mentioned them to your local director, this might be a good time to present them.

Quite a hot day today...took the bush-hog and opened up some hay land and dicovered where all the windfalls were. Sure makes the old machine rattle but it is better to find them before the haybine does. That old bush-hog is over twenty years old but still works good. Probably the best equipment purchase I ever made...sure got my moneys worth out of it.

Time for a nap...catch you later.

[charliep]

WTO Negotiations Collapse

Reuters Quote:

"OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's trade minister said he was hopeful that the World Trade Organization could restart talks after they collapsed on Tuesday, but said officials would first need to smooth out some stumbling blocks.
"I am somewhat, perhaps cautiously ... optimistic that the WTO, Mr. Lamy and his organization can kick-start the talks in the not-so-distant future," Michael Fortier told reporters on a conference call from Geneva.
Fortier said WTO chief Pascal Lamy should let officials try to deal with some of the problems that wrecked talks aimed at forging a new global trade deal before summoning ministers to restart negotiations.
"There was progress on a few issues so I think he needs to build that into the (equation) and then -- through the work of senior officials -- take the time to try and come to a resolution on some larger issues, which were clearly big, big red lines, stumbling blocks over the past 10 days," he said.
Meanwhile, Canada hopes to negotiate more bilateral trade deals for its export-dependent sectors, he said.
But Ottawa will continue to stand firm on protecting its supply-managed domestic dairy and poultry sectors, Fortier said, noting Canada wasn't alone in seeking protection for sensitive products.
"No one was there without something in their hip pocket that they were asking for," said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.
The WTO talks failed on issues that had nothing to do with Canada's demands, Ritz added."

End Quote