CWB sales to China...

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie;

At the C to C meeting in Nisku on Tuesday some very interesting CWB future sales info was given.

Brian White showed us graphs of all the grains the CWB sells, all were at the high for 2003-04 now, and the CWB sales dept projected all prices were decreasing from now to the end of the 03-04 crop year.

Comments were made by many people that the CWB must have the same graph maker for all grains... but the PRO for Nov 03 backs up this very negative outlook by the CWB for the rest of this crop year, as well as for the 04 crop.

Brian White himself said he was not as negative as the rest of the CWB experts... but his opinion is obviously not carrying the CWB on future sales prices.

NOW, he told us the CHINESE were comming to town next week and would not confirm of deny that the CWB was, is, or will be making a large sale to the Chinese.

My problem is that if this VERY negative outlook the CWB sales dept has, is taken into these Chinese meetings next week, that the Great Grain RObery of 2003 is about to take place, just like what happened in 73-74!

DTN is reporting numerous articles about corn and wheat being short in China, and Imports being needed over the next 2 years to keep food prices stable for the 1.4 billion people in China.

Where is AB Ag on this whole price outlook issue, and doesn't the CWB have an obligation to let farmers know they are going to sell record amounts of wheat at record low prices to the Chinese?

[AdamSmith]

Tom;

The CWB has ZERO, ZIP, NADA obligation to farmers, you should kow that by now.

They have zero obligation to farmers, zero oversight from Ottawa and zero in the way of public opposition to them. The industry is tired and afraid to challenge them, farmers are weary and indifferent to them, politico's are just plain indifferent.

So the CWB will continue to implode the western grains industry and no one of any consequece gives a damn.

And that's the truth.

[TOM4CWB]

AdamSmith;

Agriculture is a shared constitutional jurisdiction between the provincial and federal governments.

Safety Net programs are affected by CWB sales programs, and paid 40% by provincial gov.'s ... as there is an obvious cost therefore an obvious obligation if a province has expressed concern of CWB tactics!

[AdamSmith]

Tom;

Oh sure there are individuals and certain industry and political entities who offer lip service on this issue but no one of any consequence is prepared to hold the CWB and it's band of misfit directors to account and hold them to their obligations. Without the resolve and determination to back up words with actions, I stand by my conviction that no one gives a damn.

Farmers, grain men, and pol's have deluded theselves that if they just ignore the CWB misfits maybe the problem will go away. Only thing is it won't go away and the problems that this insiped federal government agency creates is only going to grow and I fear grow exponentialy.

All this destruction because one man (Goodale), maybe two (Chretien) decided in 1995 that they would retain single desk no matter what the circumstance.

If Martin chooses the same tact, it's going to be a long decade indeed.

[axiom]

You know, AdamSmith, I think there is quite a lot of determination and resolve out there. Maybe it's not humming in the papers, but there seems to be some quietly oiled members of the farm community out there that have some deep resolve. I've spoken to some of them, and I came away from the phone with some hope!

[carebear300]

Don't worry too much people when a confirmed when a long time confirmed supporter of the canadian wheat board is fed up, there will be some sort of meaningful change and maybe sooner than later.

[TOM4CWB]

Carebear 300;

I hope the CWB takes serious stock of how much "goodwill" has been used in the past couple of years... and how much more guff the feds will take before the CWB is toasted totally.

Fearless Chairman Ritter is a little grey around the edges... and denial of CWB misguided sales strategies is not the answer to CWB woes...

Western Canadian Wheat and Barley farmers NEED to be the people deciding WHEN the grain we grow is offered to our customers... NOT THE DISORIENTED CWB SALES DEPT.

When we are allowed to cash price DURING the current crop year, and farmers decide WHEN sales values are worthy of sales... THEN the CWB will have the RIGHT to sell the grain OFFERED to the CWB sales DEPT, and not before!

If the CWB continues excusing itself by claiming the end of pooling will destroy the SINGLE DESK, they will obviously destroy themselves.

Just from the DROP in the 2002-03 PRO between Oct of 02 and now, with the 7mmt of wheat sold, $4-500mil has been left on the table, and anyone with a brain can do the numbers.

Chairman RItter had better give his head a shake, saying the CWB did everything "RIGHT" (on 02-03 wheat sales) is not going to cut it with the majority of farmers in Western Canada, and I am sure the feds are not much happier than we are!

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie;

I see this on DTN today...

"News that the Chinese government and the Canadian Wheat Board on Thursday
signed a memorandum of understanding that calls for the sale of 500,000 metric
tons of Canadian wheat to China during calendar year 2004 helped to keep
prices down, as participants have grown tired of awaiting news of impending
business between the U.S. and China."

Brian White told us that Canada was a "prefered" supplier of grains to China... hope the sales were done at decent profitable levels for our farms!