CFA: Farm Leaders Underwhelmed by 2018 Federal Budget.

[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.

[Oliver88]

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.

Over 50% for sure would go to advisors, succession planners and consultants would be my estimate.
A lot of these people seem to be one generation removed from the farm.

Just from my observations.

[bucket]

Grassfarmer

Nope still thinking. ...I have spent time calling politicians. One guy can't make a difference.

[Flatlander]

Bucket you are right on the money regarding GF2 cash, it’s sucked up by the “industry” but in the budget or on paper it looks as though agriculture benefits. Close the department of Ag, close it. Grassy as to free markets? There are no free markets. Only manipulations. Doesn’t matter what country, India moves the pulse market at their benefit, Canada manipulates and controls the dairy market, every govt world wide ***** with the wheat market, so on and so on. Western Canadian Farmers=price takers. Don’t like it? Move on.

[bucket]

Cleanseed the next generation of seeder is sucking on the government tit hard....

For a drill at 600k plus....

[grassfarmer]

Grassfarmer

Nope still thinking. ...I have spent time calling politicians. One guy can't make a difference.

I wasn't getting at you bucket, just the lack of enthusiasm in general.

Like sheepwheat I'm content to make my own solutions now having spent a lot of time and energy in the past trying to motivate the silent majority in the commodity industry.
I'm no longer even sure what the true situation is - you see the figures that show how desperate things are, you hear the complaints of how bad it is - yet many of the same guys are complaining how much tax they are having to pay, land prices are rising , rents are rising and the holidaying is in full swing.

[bucket]

My problem is how do governments support industries for jobs yet completely ignore ag....


Cleanseed ....Bombardier. ...there has been funding to graincos. ... etc...