A question for Ag ministers MP's and Mla's

[fjlip]

X2
Glimmer of hope...

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced today that the government will take action on recommendations from the Crop Logistics Working Group (CLWG), in an effort to increase the competitiveness of the grain supply chain. Immediate actions include both pursuing improvements in reporting frequency through the Grain Monitoring Program and providing an ongoing forum for representatives to discuss improvements.
“Canada’s crop industry is a vital part of the Canadian economy and we will continue to work with all parts of the supply chain to get farmers’ products to market,” said Minister Ritz. “Current transportation challenges faced by producers present an opportunity for the entire value chain to improve efficiencies and position Canada’s grain sector for future growth.”

The proposed expanded range of metrics and reporting frequency would include:

Railway order fulfillment information:
weekly car orders placed by all grain companies;
weekly car orders accepted (operating plan) by railways;
weekly car orders actually placed by railways; and
weekly cancellations of orders.
Weekly loads on wheels by carrier.
The covered hopper car fleet size in grain service for both mainline carriers by class of service (bad orders, etc.) on a weekly basis.
Terminal Unload Performance by railway (weekly unloads by port, along with expanded detail on arrival, constructive placement dwell, and unloading time at terminals).
Western Canada railway grain traffic (volumes, loaded transit times, cycle times) to Eastern Canada, United States and Mexican destinations.
U.S. grain traffic to Western Canadian destinations.
Western Canadian grain traffic shipped to port in containers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DOBFIgHubLQ

[Braveheart]

Crop Logistics Working Group? Remember the
Grain Transportation Authority? #ResurrectionBS.

My wish list includes more accountability. I need
railways to be elastic enough to respond at peak
times (big crops, high prices) on short notice. If I
had to pay commercial rates to hit those peaks so
what? My net is what matters.

So why can't the railways be forecasting what
demand will be and preparing to respond? Are
they really that inept?

They've been freighting grain off the prairies
since the 1800s. There has always been winter.
Either shit or get off the pot already.

[bucket]

Immediate actions include both pursuing improvements in reporting frequency through the Grain Monitoring Program and providing an ongoing forum for representatives to discuss improvements.
___________

Reporting what to who? Talk is cheap when do the penalties kick in?

________________________________________
“Canada’s crop industry is a vital part of the Canadian economy and we will continue to work with all parts of the supply chain to get farmers’ products to market,” said Minister Ritz. “Current transportation challenges faced by producers present an opportunity for the entire value chain to improve efficiencies and position Canada’s grain sector for future growth.”
__________
So idling 400 locomotives without replacements and cutting back 30 percent of the rolling stock is an opportunity for who?????

And how do you position anyone for future growth when the system is maxed out already??

Studying it won't help.

Sure its a start, but surely to christ Ritz and others are smarter than this nonsense.

[SASKFARMER3]

WTF the stupidity continues! We're becoming the
laughing stock of the world. Their maybe demand
now but after this years shit show what country
will ever want to buy from us ever again.

[Hopperbin]

Fjlip Mr Bacon said at near the end that nothing will become public. What is up with that???? I don't know the guy others here probably more so, is he going to get anything done or just babble on like in the interview. I guess he gets a pay check for this?

[fjlip]

An unreliable supplier label we earn after this third world transportation mess. Absolutely embarrassing. Brazil trucking soybeans, see link...

http://talk.newagtalk.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=374995&DisplayType=flat&setCookie=1

[bucket]

Its public money, the report should be public to all players in the industry including farmers.

[Daylate]

heres some charts for cn this year.

http://www.cn.ca/-/media/Files/Your%20Industry/Documents-Grain/western-canada-grain-order-book-report.pdf

looks like their over 6 weeks behind as of a couple weeks ago.
and I was told that future weeks of bookings aren't showing up because they don't add them until they accept them then shortfall them.so the bookings on future weeks doesn't mean anything. it would be interesting to see them numbers, I would bet they are all over 4000 cars per week and are adding to the back log of the over 28000 now.

[agstar77]

Maybe we need a fleet of grain truckc slowing down
the trans canadato the coast.

[grower99]

I think MP David Anderson and the
Western Canadian Wheat Growers were "one
trick ponies". Once the CWB was gone the
free market was to work wonders and
solve all problems. David ,removing the
Revenue Cap will increase freight rates
on Western grain with NO guarantees of
better service.What do you and Ritz not
understand about this! Quit looking only
at your talking notes. This is a farmer
issue so keep politics out of it and
develop some solutions.

[farmaholic]

If you're expecting a real answer from these mute
lemmings that isn't rehearsed and recited from the
sanctioned hymn book, you're going to die holding
your breath.

An almost powerless group of individuals, upon
whose back this whole ****ing Industry has been
built and depends on, has been throw to not one,
but several packs of wolves.

Come on guys, wield what ever individual power
you can muster and go toe to toe with the wolves.

[grower99]

The power is at the polling station. It
is the only power people have in this
environment. Sometimes you have to hold
your nose, close your eyes and change
where you normally put your "x".

[furrowtickler]

Agstar - the more i read your post the more it makes sense. It would comand attention very quickly from all levels. We need to force joint running rates or we are screwed for the forseable future. One or two truck loads of wheat from every farm in Western Canada would do it. I will give up a super B of wheat - just need to come up with a time and date - I am in.....
Better yet one line of trucks through Jasper, one through Banff and one down the #1 to Thunder Bay.

[farmaholic]

As a realistic option, probably not viable, as a
protest and sending a message to the PUBLIC AND
GOVERNMENT, count me in. I would send one and
gladly pay the freight to have the message sent.
An inconvenient convoy would work the best.

And we call ourselves a developed nation.

[furrowtickler]

Lol - not viable at all, but i agree it would send a message ASAP. Just be a peacefull demonstration - slow drive to the ports - all of us..
A summer date would be safe for driving but would be nice to get er done shortly?