CFA: Farm Leaders Underwhelmed by 2018 Federal Budget.

[grassfarmer]

grass farmer


I just don't think the public can absorb the actual value of agriculture out here.

People just don't understand the value.

Russia has learnt the value of agriculture to their infrastructure.

Canada has not ... to their own peril.

Maybe, why should the public be worried though? plenty food in the stores airfreighted in from around the globe - why do they need local stuff? The old argument that you should be thankful to us for feeding you or you would go hungry is past it's expiration date - hasn't been an issue in stable western democracies for 65 years. Maybe time to redefine ourselves and think of a new strategy?

[farmaholic]

Maybe, why should the public be worried though? plenty food in the stores airfreighted in from around the globe - why do they need local stuff? The old argument that you should be thankful to us for feeding you or you would go hungry is past it's expiration date - hasn't been an issue in stable western democracies for 65 years. Maybe time to redefine ourselves and think of a new strategy?

Maybe its not about feeding the masses as much about feeding the "beast", the beast being the well fed industry! LOL.

[bucket]

Farmaholic

You mean the industry that absorbs all the growing forward 2 funds as witnessed by all the pamphlets in the mail with those events funded by funds that are to be used by the primary producer?

[farmaholic]

Its hard to argue with that comment bucket. I wonder what percentage of GF2 funds go to Industry versus "Business Risk Management" for primary producers.

[Horse]

Maybe we should look at our business models. All this greed to be BTOs is what is driving us to the poor house, take cattle probably 90% is owned either directly or indirectly by the packing industry,brcause of the hedging and financing, they don't need to pay any more for cattle..
Those of you in the grain industry if you were your own man could leave the grain in the bins or not fret to the max or don't seed as many acres, but then you wouldn't be able to borrow so you can be that BTO I think its a case of selfenflicted pain, PET said why should I sell your wheat for you, if you want to grow wheat then find a market for it.
It seems obvious why grow something no one wants at the price you think you need.

[bucket]

farmaholic

Of course it can't be argued.... the ****ing industry leeches are living off our farms and also swallowing the funding for tough times like a pulse tariff or poor rail movement.

Marc Garneau believes his buddy at the railway that things are getting better.

Meanwhile profitable companies already leeching get supercluster**** funding .

And Galen Weston instead of being in jail is getting a write down while maintaining the price of bread at fixed levels.

Someone tell me where I am wrong.

[mcfarms]

Have this picture from the pm's personal travelog showing him and the finance minister out and about

[grassfarmer]

[ATTACH]2609[/ATTACH] Have this picture from the pm's personal travelog showing him and the finance minister out and about

Plenty farmers watch these parades too apparently!

[grassfarmer]

farmaholic

Of course it can't be argued.... the ****ing industry leeches are living off our farms and also swallowing the funding for tough times like a pulse tariff or poor rail movement.

Marc Garneau believes his buddy at the railway that things are getting better.

Meanwhile profitable companies already leeching get supercluster**** funding .

And Galen Weston instead of being in jail is getting a write down while maintaining the price of bread at fixed levels.

Someone tell me where I am wrong.

Absolutely bucket. During BSE the AB Ag minister reassured ranchers that things were Ok in the beef sector as she's spoken to Brian Nilsson and he had told her they were. Nilssons, for those not in cattle, were at the time prospering off a closed border - having a captive (cheap) supply of cattle to process as well as receiving substantial bail out money from the Government for the "hardship" they were enduring.

I feel we are making progress with this thread - are we now prepared to accept that corporate concentration and market manipulation are the major component causing hardship in virtually every sector of Canadian agriculture? Careful though - agreeing with this would align you with the concerns of the National Farmers Union versus being in the camp of the pro-corporation types who claim they believe that the free market will take care of itself and that "free enterprise" will reign supreme. It'll be a tough choice for some of you but maybe it's time to swallow your pride and realize that most farm "commodity" organizations work against producer interests rather than for them. Time to support an organization that truly represents farmers interests - where you drive the agenda of the organization.

[bucket]

Grass

Everyone has to be profitable to make this all work....that I have no problem with...but no industry is taking the same pay cuts that farmers are....mostly because the industry convinces farmers to make it up on volume....that's paraphrasing from J.P Gervais of fcc....

When a family of 4 could make a reasonable living off 50 cows and 800 acres in the 70s and now needs 500 cows and 8000 acres for a family of 4 and maybe one off farm job....

The industry of the primary producer is ****ed. ...sadly as I said before the leeches get their indexed increases off the backs of primary producers ....no one else.

I doubt C49 will reduce transportation costs nor will it lay blame on those that should be blamed.....in the end farmers will build more bins and others will see that as success....it isn't unless you are the grainco or railway that will get there pound of flesh without having to build that infrastructure themselves....


The best case scenario for grain movement is 30mmt....the math proves it....but the 70mmt trend line or greater will keep primary producers trying to make it up on volume...bettering the industries bottom line not the producers....

[mcfarms]

Sorry Grassy my attempt at a high level sarcasm must have slipped right over your head.
And to think a loyal subject of the British empire doesn't even recognize Disneys version of Prince John and the Sherriff of Nottingham. AKA Prince Justin and the Sheriff of Morneauham.

[grassfarmer]

Here is a graphic illustrating the problem and a link to the analysis that went with the graphic from Darrin Qualman. Well worth the read. Question is what are FARMERS going to do about it? No-one else is going to fight this battle for us.



http://www.darrinqualman.com/canadian-net-farm-income/

[grassfarmer]

Sorry Grassy my attempt at a high level sarcasm must have slipped right over your head.
And to think a loyal subject of the British empire doesn't even recognize Disneys version of Prince John and the Sherriff of Nottingham. AKA Prince Justin and the Sheriff of Morneauham.

Very good, sorry I never studied Disney so have no clue who is who.

[grassfarmer]

I guess talk of revolution or even speaking up for ourselves just petered out....as usual.

[Sheepwheat]

I have heard many on here say the last several years have been the best in farming history. Yet it seems there is such concern and so on. You do not have to have 8000 acres or 800 cows to make a living. If you must continually get bigger, and buy shiny iron, yes, maybe you need sizes like this? A great friend of mine farms 800 acres, nd makes more money than most professionals out there. His machinery line up is ancient. He does not have a row of shiny leased bins. He makes use of old plywood bins. There is this perception out there that is hard to change, that to farm with success, you need xxxx acres, or xxxx cows, or xxxx iron. It simply is not the only way to farm.

In my case, I finally got into my thick skull, that for myself, following the grain farming dream was not possible, so we diversified and are going to make a good living as well in a few years.

What do we expect our government to do? If a leader had vision to build another line through the mountains, or build up our ports, that is one thing. But if we are expecting them to come to our aid when we simply rinse and repeat the expectation to grow grain, and grow lots of it, yet struggle to make a living, well, that should be on us.

This is coming from I bet the smallest, least financially blessed farmer on this site. Grain farming for me wasn’t working, so I went and did something about it, for my bloody self.

We need to look inward more. The govt is not gunna save us. The ag budget is useless.