Eric Sagan a Western Producer and Co-operator
Contributor; writes the 'interesting' articles (1)
'Invisible Wall' and (2) "CWB elections" attacking
Premier Wall and Minister Gerry Ritz.
Now recently he writes (3) 'Marketing freedom not all
it's cracked up to be?'...
I find a great deal of misinformation and deception in
Eric's article. This is unfair to the many grain marketers
I market grain through. In good conscience I can NOT
let this go un-noticed and not expose this opinion for
what it is... fear mongering and gossip.
To say that 'Marketing Freedom' is 'the cause' of Eric's
10 complaints... is simply FALSE in my opinion. Lets
have a look. If Eric had respect and a business
relationship with his CGC licensed elevator...;
1. Eric would submit accurate samples of the delivery...
2. Eric would know the grade/s and the elevators
shipping schedule...
3. Eric would have planned a delivery schedule with
them...
4.Eric would make a one minute call before he loaded
his truck to make sure everything was good to go.
It does't matter what kind of grain we market... these
are (and have been prior to Aug 1 2012) required
protocol... for orderly deliveries in western Canada!
If I deliver Nexera Canola... when commercial Canola is
being crushed and/or shipped... I should NOT be paid
the Nexera premium. Wheat is NO Different!
Cheers Eric.. perhaps the above protocols can help you
in the future!
The Article: (3)
PUBLICATION: Fairview Post
DATE: 2013.02.06
EDITION: Final
SECTION: Editorial/Opinion
PAGE: 5
COLUMN: Letters To The Editor
WORD COUNT: 171
Marketing freedom not all it's cracked up to be?
Dear Editor,
In several media releases Minister of Agriculture Gerry
Ritz is espousing the virtues of "marketing freedom." It
appears he is still in the honeymoon stage of
"Marketing freedom." Mr. Ritz should go undercover
like "the boss" on the TV show and take a load of
wheat to the elevator and see how the grain companies
operate.
Some of the grain company's favourite quotes are as
follows:
1-Sorry no room for the #2 wheat you have on your
truck but we do have lots of room for #3.
2 -Sorry no room for CWB wheat we are taking our
own wheat contracts first.
3 -Why sell to the CWB when you can get paid all your
money up front.
4 -Sorry dry wheat is now 14% so now we have to
discount it.
5 -You didn't buy any of your inputs from us -we have
to serve other customers first.
6 -Sorry no extra money for wheat with protein values
over 13.5%.
7 -How many tonnes of this grain do you have for
sale?
8 -Sorry only semi loads, no smaller grain trucks!
9 -What's the Canada Grain Commission?
10 -If you have concerns about the wording of our
contract you don't have to deal with us.
The next elevator is only 80 miles down the road.
Gerry and his conservative government have taken my
choice (single desk CWB) and my freedom away from
me and given all the powers, rules and regulations to
the multinational grain companies. They are taking
money from producers' pockets to reward
shareholders under this "new marketing freedom."
The Conservatives have turned us back over 100 years
to an archaic "open market" which is a financial abuse
to all producers under the so called new name
"marketing freedom."
Sincerely,
Eric Sagan, Melville Sask.
http://206.75.155.11/Agcan/m.bbsummaries.asp?
articleId=/agcan/clips/130207/f05190BH.htm
BACKGROUND:
http://www.zoominfo.com/#!search/profile/person?
personId=703144814&targetid=profile
(1) Invisible wall
Posted Jul. 28th, 2011 by Eric Sagan
Where is (Saskatchewan) premier Brad Wall?
During the proposed takeover of Potash Corporation,
premier Wall was both visible and vocal in ensuring
Saskatchewan interests were not jeopardized.
Sadly and inconsistently, he has been dreadfully silent
on the federal government’s intention to efficiently
destroy the Canadian Wheat Board.
Although the premier’s government has indicated it
supports marketing choice, he seems willing to accept
that this will involve farmers choosing between a mere
handful of self-interested multinational corporations
to deal with.
He has also indicated that his government will not
engage on this issue because it is a federal issue. How
ironic it is that the approval of the potash takeover was
also a federal issue, but that did not stop premier Wall
then.
Perhaps the premier is really more concerned about
big corporate interests, rather than farmer’s and
Saskatchewan’s interests.
Supposedly, the federal government has indicated it
wants the CWB to be a strong and viable entity after it
loses the single desk. One would think that the
premier would want to know what strong and viable
means and what the federal plan is. Or is he just
staying on the sidelines to allow the grain industry to
carve up the pieces?
Irrespective of the premier’s personal views, he needs
to ensure there will be benefits for the farmers of
Saskatchewan from any federal action. If the benefits
are there, he needs to clearly define them. If there are
no benefits, he needs to follow up his potash
performances with a performance for farmers and
oppose the federal government’s actions. Anything
less would be remiss on the premier’s part.
Eric Sagan,Melville, Sask
NEXT Article:
(2) "CWB elections"
Posted Apr. 7th, 2011 by Eric Sagan
(Agriculture minister) Gerry Ritz doesn’t understand
the wishes of western farmers that do not want to give
up the Canadian Wheat Board in favour of an open
market system that the U.S. and Australia have at the
present time.
There never was support for the “open market”
candidates even though they may have had resources
from taxpayers and corporations to win the CWB
elections.
Some farmers today sell their grain production to pork,
cattle operations and feed mills, etc. There are no
regulations for any farmer that states he/ she must sell
only to the CWB.
There are no more public farmer meetings where
farmers can discuss the problems in farm policies.
Gerry Ritz only works with the media, makes all the
changes in farm policies without real input from
farmers and we as farmers cannot change his mind.
Farmers have been divided too many times by the Tory
government over the past five years.
The CWB is the last organization that farmers have
with any rules or regulations left, that treats all
farmers equally.
It’s beneficial for young and other farmers to know
that all sales money made on their product will be
returned to them and not the “shareholders.’
It’s time voters in Gerry Ritz’s constituency defeated
him in the next federal election and let him go back to
his ostrich farm – full time.
Eric Sagan,Melville, Sask.
Contributor; writes the 'interesting' articles (1)
'Invisible Wall' and (2) "CWB elections" attacking
Premier Wall and Minister Gerry Ritz.
Now recently he writes (3) 'Marketing freedom not all
it's cracked up to be?'...
I find a great deal of misinformation and deception in
Eric's article. This is unfair to the many grain marketers
I market grain through. In good conscience I can NOT
let this go un-noticed and not expose this opinion for
what it is... fear mongering and gossip.
To say that 'Marketing Freedom' is 'the cause' of Eric's
10 complaints... is simply FALSE in my opinion. Lets
have a look. If Eric had respect and a business
relationship with his CGC licensed elevator...;
1. Eric would submit accurate samples of the delivery...
2. Eric would know the grade/s and the elevators
shipping schedule...
3. Eric would have planned a delivery schedule with
them...
4.Eric would make a one minute call before he loaded
his truck to make sure everything was good to go.
It does't matter what kind of grain we market... these
are (and have been prior to Aug 1 2012) required
protocol... for orderly deliveries in western Canada!
If I deliver Nexera Canola... when commercial Canola is
being crushed and/or shipped... I should NOT be paid
the Nexera premium. Wheat is NO Different!
Cheers Eric.. perhaps the above protocols can help you
in the future!
The Article: (3)
PUBLICATION: Fairview Post
DATE: 2013.02.06
EDITION: Final
SECTION: Editorial/Opinion
PAGE: 5
COLUMN: Letters To The Editor
WORD COUNT: 171
Marketing freedom not all it's cracked up to be?
Dear Editor,
In several media releases Minister of Agriculture Gerry
Ritz is espousing the virtues of "marketing freedom." It
appears he is still in the honeymoon stage of
"Marketing freedom." Mr. Ritz should go undercover
like "the boss" on the TV show and take a load of
wheat to the elevator and see how the grain companies
operate.
Some of the grain company's favourite quotes are as
follows:
1-Sorry no room for the #2 wheat you have on your
truck but we do have lots of room for #3.
2 -Sorry no room for CWB wheat we are taking our
own wheat contracts first.
3 -Why sell to the CWB when you can get paid all your
money up front.
4 -Sorry dry wheat is now 14% so now we have to
discount it.
5 -You didn't buy any of your inputs from us -we have
to serve other customers first.
6 -Sorry no extra money for wheat with protein values
over 13.5%.
7 -How many tonnes of this grain do you have for
sale?
8 -Sorry only semi loads, no smaller grain trucks!
9 -What's the Canada Grain Commission?
10 -If you have concerns about the wording of our
contract you don't have to deal with us.
The next elevator is only 80 miles down the road.
Gerry and his conservative government have taken my
choice (single desk CWB) and my freedom away from
me and given all the powers, rules and regulations to
the multinational grain companies. They are taking
money from producers' pockets to reward
shareholders under this "new marketing freedom."
The Conservatives have turned us back over 100 years
to an archaic "open market" which is a financial abuse
to all producers under the so called new name
"marketing freedom."
Sincerely,
Eric Sagan, Melville Sask.
http://206.75.155.11/Agcan/m.bbsummaries.asp?
articleId=/agcan/clips/130207/f05190BH.htm
BACKGROUND:
http://www.zoominfo.com/#!search/profile/person?
personId=703144814&targetid=profile
(1) Invisible wall
Posted Jul. 28th, 2011 by Eric Sagan
Where is (Saskatchewan) premier Brad Wall?
During the proposed takeover of Potash Corporation,
premier Wall was both visible and vocal in ensuring
Saskatchewan interests were not jeopardized.
Sadly and inconsistently, he has been dreadfully silent
on the federal government’s intention to efficiently
destroy the Canadian Wheat Board.
Although the premier’s government has indicated it
supports marketing choice, he seems willing to accept
that this will involve farmers choosing between a mere
handful of self-interested multinational corporations
to deal with.
He has also indicated that his government will not
engage on this issue because it is a federal issue. How
ironic it is that the approval of the potash takeover was
also a federal issue, but that did not stop premier Wall
then.
Perhaps the premier is really more concerned about
big corporate interests, rather than farmer’s and
Saskatchewan’s interests.
Supposedly, the federal government has indicated it
wants the CWB to be a strong and viable entity after it
loses the single desk. One would think that the
premier would want to know what strong and viable
means and what the federal plan is. Or is he just
staying on the sidelines to allow the grain industry to
carve up the pieces?
Irrespective of the premier’s personal views, he needs
to ensure there will be benefits for the farmers of
Saskatchewan from any federal action. If the benefits
are there, he needs to clearly define them. If there are
no benefits, he needs to follow up his potash
performances with a performance for farmers and
oppose the federal government’s actions. Anything
less would be remiss on the premier’s part.
Eric Sagan,Melville, Sask
NEXT Article:
(2) "CWB elections"
Posted Apr. 7th, 2011 by Eric Sagan
(Agriculture minister) Gerry Ritz doesn’t understand
the wishes of western farmers that do not want to give
up the Canadian Wheat Board in favour of an open
market system that the U.S. and Australia have at the
present time.
There never was support for the “open market”
candidates even though they may have had resources
from taxpayers and corporations to win the CWB
elections.
Some farmers today sell their grain production to pork,
cattle operations and feed mills, etc. There are no
regulations for any farmer that states he/ she must sell
only to the CWB.
There are no more public farmer meetings where
farmers can discuss the problems in farm policies.
Gerry Ritz only works with the media, makes all the
changes in farm policies without real input from
farmers and we as farmers cannot change his mind.
Farmers have been divided too many times by the Tory
government over the past five years.
The CWB is the last organization that farmers have
with any rules or regulations left, that treats all
farmers equally.
It’s beneficial for young and other farmers to know
that all sales money made on their product will be
returned to them and not the “shareholders.’
It’s time voters in Gerry Ritz’s constituency defeated
him in the next federal election and let him go back to
his ostrich farm – full time.
Eric Sagan,Melville, Sask.
Comment