Post CWB

[mustardman]

bucket a few years ago we saw $12.37 in our pocket.
I would like to see the weighted average Open market price that year. My guess is there was a hell of lot more U.S producers sold at $7-9 per bushel. By the time the $17 price came along the cupboard was bare.
We are about to see this happen here this year. Will we see an average of $12.37? No most will have been sold around 8-9 per bushel. Why?
Economics 101, too many sellers

[Tucker]

Mustard do you really want to bring up a few years ago when the CWB got caught short and had
to buy wheat for $28/bu? Let's go there, shall we?

[makar]

Has anyone contracted to the cwb?, yes i have and many of my neighbors have. Nothing to do with cwb fanatics. Here in the peace as usual grain is moving slow. I had the choice of taking 8.39 pro for my wheat, said to move by january paid in febuary or contract for febuary for 8.30 and haul god knows when. Terminals here are famous for 2 or 3 months behind contract delivery dates. I contracted half my wheat to the cwb, and a 1/4 of it is gone, selling wheat on a spot price is impossible. I refuse to contract after pioneer forced me to buy out a barley contract they would not take, blaming the cwb for them not taking my open market barley. Viterra flat out told me no forward contract, no delivery, ever. Not cheering for either side, but for the cwb has taken some of my grain and the money is the same, even faster. I dont see how contracting for 7.00 in the summer would have made me money.

[FarmRanger]

<i>"Economics 101, too many sellers"</i>

That same economics course will also point out that a market with only one buyer will mean lower prices for sellers in that market.
There were no incentives to gain efficiencies because there were no benefits to gaining a competitive advantage over other buyers of wheat: those buyers had been legislated out of existence by the CWB Act. Over time, the lack of incentives to gain efficiencies translated into larger and larger discounts being forced on western Canadian wheat farmers.

Thankfully that &#%@ is over.

[bucket]

The only unfortunate part of getting rid of the cwb is that the government should have done something about policing the railways.

Every point I talk to is two trains behind schedule. At the least they miss a Monday train that shows up the following saturday and then the loaded train sits for 4-5 more days.

I realize the cwb could send the demurrage back to the farmers but I am not sure that P&H, cargill, Viterra, Paterson or Pioneer will put up with that bullshit for very long. It makes scheduling deliveries difficult.

[Burbert]

Yup, police the railways. Last time I
checked, they the railways had their own
police!!!!!! Duhh gobermont policing
railroads, what a joke. The railroads
after all is said and done, control this
great nation of Comedia. They kin do what
they want, when they want. The current
Comedian gobermont has its head so far up
their own as-hole that they are a joke.
Heil Harper....

[bucket]

I can't disagree with you burbert but you think someone would want to change it.

For instance, the railways are guaranteed to make a profit moving grain. Have been for over 20 years and before that with the crow rate. So why is it that the railine is not twinned between winnipeg and calgary. Imagine have a 2 lane highway still in place for the transcanada. Would be an embarrasment.

So is having only one rail track between the two cities.

But, having said all this maybe its time that, if CP or CN can't or won't provide a service, a new operator should be allowed to use the rails.

My limited attention span in high school lacks the history portion, but it seems to me the government built the railbeds not the railways. Maybe its time the government flex a little muscle and a reminder of exactly how this country was built. I say this because the railbeds are the same as they were 100 years ago built with pretty simple machines compared to today.

ANd it is the cheapest form of moving goods Canada has.

[Daylate]

Agreed!!! The cash flow is nice, and so is being able
to make decisions for my own farm based on my
needs. Like being able to put durum instead of
canola in bags and selling all my durum that's in
bags by December instead of mid Jan -40, 3 feet of
snow and bags destroyed by every uncaged animal
in Saskatchewan.