Good Article in Today's Leader Post about Why POT laying off workers.

[SASKFARMER3]

Good Article in Today's Leader Post about Why POT laying off workers in Saskatchewan.
It does show what I have been Saying all along.
Funny the Comments from the Company doesn't even mention farmers as their customers. Just India and China and US arent buying.
HM India yes buys and then sells to its people. No this isn't a subsidy. HA HA.
China does the same and it also isn't a subsidy. HA HA.
The US is a big user and yes they have subsidies.
So the POT and Agriums will create a shortage because the Three big buyers all subsidies their farmers. Yet Canadians get it in end. Our product yet we end up paying for it because of these subsidies to others

[cottonpicken]

We have our own bit of subsidization going on here.
Would you buy crop insurance if you had to pay the whole bill?
Would you buy as much fertilizer without the crop insurance backstop?
Wouldnt this cause fert be cheaper?

Subsidies cause a domino effect that mess up the whole market.

We need a global level playing field in all the markets,and tell the governments of the world to piss off.

[TOM4CWB]

C.P.;

Crop Insurance... this has increased on our farm... to over 10% of gross revenue... OUR portion of the premium.

I know there are many growers who have not relyed on it for years... and it is a good example of an income averaging tool... that costs our governments much less than the productivity it creates!

NET gain... in productivity...the much lower cost of produce...a much greater gain to the CDN/Global economy than the premiums & contributions by gov. through production insurance and Safety Nets!

[TOM4CWB]

C.P.;

Without consumers to buy our produce... that pay their bills... in a stable economic reality (which can only be facilitated by good governments...) we have no market... period!

[parsley]

The potash mine at Esterhazy laid off workers for two weeks because of their routine, planned, once a year maintenance schedule. Repairs. Nothing out of the ordinary. Pars

[SASKFARMER3]

Cotton my Sask crop insurance bill is close to $100,000.00 do you honestly think they really subsidise it. Compare to a ND farm under subsidy, Canadian about 50% higher. Coverage better in USA. If Canada would pay my fert down to 1950 prices sure I wouldn't complain either about the price but when their subsidising their own and we have to compete against them with our product come on!

[SASKFARMER3]

Pars your wrong that its just shut down due to maintenance sorry, your wrong, part winter maintenance but rest is plain BS.

[cottonpicken]

Do you read your entire bill?
I'm pretty sure were subsidized.
Would you pay it if it was 300,000?

Yes the americano gringo is better off,but that wasnt the point i was trying to make.

[cottonpicken]

Tom, i dont know how your system works but the experience discount rate made quite a difference this year.

[cottonpicken]

And Tom i had to re-read your posts several times.

Are you in favour of every country subsidizing for the greater good of its people/global economy?

Or just us and the rest of the good guys?

How does your logic fit with free/fair/open markets?

[SASKFARMER3]

Cotton where not really subsidised is what I was trying to get across. On US side of border under subsidization the same program costs $50,000.00 under our system its close to 100,000 and they tell us there subsidising us. In reality Sask crop insurance was set up to make the government money and it still does. When the crap hit the fence in 02 and 04 they showed their first huge loss. What about the other 50 plus years with out such a loss.
Simply if the Gov really took my fert to 50% cost then its the same as INDIA AND CHINA.
But it doesn't so were sending our product and still screwing our own.

[TOM4CWB]

C.P.;

Our safety net programs are here to make sure we have plenty of cheap food... period.

5 years of premium increases from 2003 to 08... from $30K to $200K for same acreage coverage... less bu/ac than in 03. No losses at all since 2002.

This is not an insurance program. It instead is a stablisation program... just like SF3 has pointed out.

But it (P.I.)is a tax deductable expence... where self insurance is not... so it is clear... the gov. has caught us in the squeeze.

Paying tax on NISA/Stability contributions... what a scam.

[TOM4CWB]

C.P.;

"How does your logic fit with free/fair/open markets?"

NO ONE EVER PROMISED LIFE (or markets... or economies... or anything else) WOULD BE F A I R...!!!

Do you expect to take one ounce of gold... peck of $$$bills... bu of Wheat or Canola... with you when you die?

So you work and slave... to gain WHAT... for WHAT REASON?

ANSWER... to give it all away!

May as well learn how to do this now.. C.P.... get in practice!

The more we learn how to 'give' things away... honestly... the higher and greater the opportunity we will create to 'give' away even more wealth!!!

That is what prosperity is all about in the first place!!! NO HOARDING ALLOWED!!!

[parsley]

I have family in th know living there, and that's what they say. I specifically asked. Pars

[cottonpicken]

Dying to see what everyone else thinks.