Wakey Wakey ag farm groups and politicians. Houston we have a Problem.

[grassfarmer]

.... ****en greedy pricks taking too much for machinery and inputs and cheap bastards not paying up for what we produce. If we could keep more and get more money on both sides of that scenario we'd be better off.....

Yet you all want to get rid of SM which does just that? A little bit of Government intervention to make sure the processors pay enough to enable the farmer to make a living.
I guess you have to decide if you want a completely no-rules free market or if you want a system where the farmer (or his/her partner) doesn't have to work off farm to bring in enough money to raise their family.

[macdon02]

Yet you all want to get rid of SM which does just that? A little bit of Government intervention to make sure the processors pay enough to enable the farmer to make a living.
I guess you have to decide if you want a completely no-rules free market or if you want a system where the farmer (or his/her partner) doesn't have to work off farm to bring in enough money to raise their family.

All i want is a level playing field. Dairy and feathers shit stinks as much as beef and pork but they get priority because they dump more money in Ottawa in a week at Hy's wining and dining politicians then the other groups, that's corruption plain and simple. They are writing the words for the liberals and conservatives. I see no push on organic poultry or dairy? Level the field. They even have the media pushing their agenda... grain and red meat can go mainstream organic when the "chosen ones" do and not before.

[farmaholic]

Yet you all want to get rid of SM which does just that? A little bit of Government intervention to make sure the processors pay enough to enable the farmer to make a living.
I guess you have to decide if you want a completely no-rules free market or if you want a system where the farmer (or his/her partner) doesn't have to work off farm to bring in enough money to raise their family.

Grassy, I don't think I'm on the record of being in favor of getting rid of Dairy SM. BUT if someone wants to raise "afew"(define afew) birds for meat or eggs to supply some customers who choose an alternate to the factory farms....let them. They will never disrupt/displace the factory farm market.

I don't have a problem with the dairyman's salary. If it(SM) was blown right open I doubt there would be a rush to the opened door to start up a bunch of new dairies. And there lies the dilemma, kill the industry with cheap milk(and possibly imported) and everyone quits. I have been to the grocery store when they ran out of the 1% butterfat milk we use....makes you think!

There...you sucked me in to showing support for your stand on SM by quoting part of my post...clever!

[Klause]

Same here, but the prospect of having a thousand acres to get off vs 8,000 is a different beast.

Here is a little known fact in farming. Risk rises exponentially with the size of your operation. A few BTOs around me learned that lesson in 2010 when all their lentil acres when for mush.

Here is another little know fact in farming. You will never get rich growing commodities. Paying big rent, big iron and big inputs and having no equity is a dead end. You will make a buck one year, then give it back the next. Commodities are a distinctly break even prospect. The value is in the land, period and honestly spinning your wheels on un-owned property is insanity.

Canada is the only modern country with the most mega farms. More farmers per acreage in EU and USA. Thats why they are supported.

Wow.

Owning land is a business. Prmary production is a separate business. Both need to make money or wtf is the point.

You can go do other stuff and buy land with the profit. Why farm to buy land?

I've been saying this for a while agrivulture in Canada has a structural problem and unless that's fixed ag will never be profitable here.

Don't kid yourself. There's profit in primary production but not growing marginal crops 6000 miles from a market in a semi arid desert.

Land values need to reflect that and they don't.

The fact that instead of a free market we've created an environment where the industry can extract 100% of net profit... On top of one crop a year low rainfall and long distance to markets.


Diversity is good. As is producing niche products for high value markets (not durum and red lentils)

[Klause]

All i want is a level playing field. Dairy and feathers shit stinks as much as beef and pork but they get priority because they dump more money in Ottawa in a week at Hy's wining and dining politicians then the other groups, that's corruption plain and simple. They are writing the words for the liberals and conservatives. I see no push on organic poultry or dairy? Level the field. They even have the media pushing their agenda... grain and red meat can go mainstream organic when the "chosen ones" do and not before.

There's organic milk and chickens and turkey...


Also maybe your anger should be directed at your representative organisations... Instead of going to Palm springs use that money to lobby.

Instead of waiting it on developing varieties for AGT spend it on lobbying.



Don't try to kill your brothers in ag because your pissed you don't have equal standing. Go after your representatives to actually do something.

[ajl]

Yet you all want to get rid of SM which does just that? A little bit of Government intervention to make sure the processors pay enough to enable the farmer to make a living.
I guess you have to decide if you want a completely no-rules free market or if you want a system where the farmer (or his/her partner) doesn't have to work off farm to bring in enough money to raise their family.

Need to expand SM to include all aspects of ag. For example: could bring back two price wheat and import tariffs. Expand that too all canola crushed in Canada: a made in Canada price and an export seed price. Virtually all wealth in Canada is the result of some sort of government transfer scheme anyways so if you can't beat them, join them.

[farmaholic]

Ya, we'll see how that import tarrif thing works out when our big fat American neighbor throws their weight around. I doubt enough ag products that directly compete domestically with what we grow would make a rat's ass difference anyway. Who else exports Ag production to Canada? I think fresh produce is a different game...would you want a tarrif on that to compensate the grain commodity side? Tariffs on processed ready to eat foods? I think retaliation would be quick fierce and harsh.

But I think it is important to remember Canada didn't open this can of worms...IMO.

[SASKFARMER3]

What truly pisses me off in this country we have Gov of all come out here do a song and dance and photo opp and show them giving a check to another useless organization or company to then explain how this new money will help add jobs and have a place for farmers to sell there product.

The second is our useless fools on every Ag board that go off to every country in the world instead of going for the Jugular of the Federal and provincial gov.

The third is India hits us with 50% Tarif and were crushed but nothing is done about it.

Like do we just live in the most useless country in the world.

[bucket]

What truly pisses me off in this country we have Gov of all come out here do a song and dance and photo opp and show them giving a check to another useless organization or company to then explain how this new money will help add jobs and have a place for farmers to sell there product.

The second is our useless fools on every Ag board that go off to every country in the world instead of going for the Jugular of the Federal and provincial gov.

The third is India hits us with 50% Tarif and were crushed but nothing is done about it.

Like do we just live in the most useless country in the world.

Phone saskpulse board of directors or Carl Potts ....they will tell you what a great job they are doing....liberal cabinet was in Saskatoon ....I don't think saskpulse even explained the situation to them....but scientists got more funding and the market development people as well....

Not a conversation about tariffs....

They like to talk about their progress on fumigation....you don't have to fumigate if it's not moving....and it's still not settled...

[SASKFARMER3]

Again it's another useless organization that just doesn't get it but they take our money with no way for us to even get it back if we're pissed at them.

Fools.

[SASKFARMER3]

pulse one cant get back and they are useless.

[bucket]

Lucky for us ...some of the saskpulse board members want to grow more ....thats where the research is going....grow more ....a red lentil 20 bpa crop in 2016 at 30 cents for a 2 or better paid better than a 40 bpa at 15 cents in 2018....and they will argue the fact ....these are the guys representing us...I am not shitting you guys....

this is what we have for representation....every ****ing saskpulse board member should have been meeting with Macauley in saskatoon....how many got there....saskpulse should have demanded a meeting....just like the steelworkers did with the industry minister...

Where is our new ag minister for saskatchewan....

[jazz]

Diversity is good. As is producing niche products for high value markets (not durum and red lentils)

You have answered the next question in ag. How to increase the value of what we grow. We need to stop the tendency to get big, more iron and throw every concoction we can think of at the crop for more yield.

Like I said, to be competitive, we need to change our crop mix, our farming methods and our cost structure. Land prices are far from the problem.

Lots of ways to extract higher value crops, but they take serious management. Not this running over 10,000 ac with a HC ever few weeks. Smaller, more intensive, diversified and it might mean some land is idled or in cover crops or some organic.

I have always said this about lentils - they are for poor people with limited ability to pay. Durum is a surprise though as it always had a premium for protein, but its all now considered feed.

[bucket]

You have answered the next question in ag. How to increase the value of what we grow. We need to stop the tendency to get big, more iron and throw every concoction we can think of at the crop for more yield.

Like I said, to be competitive, we need to change our crop mix, our farming methods and our cost structure. Land prices are far from the problem.

Lots of ways to extract higher value crops, but they take serious management. Not this running over 10,000 ac with a HC ever few weeks. Smaller, more intensive, diversified and it might mean some land is idled or in cover crops or some organic.

I have always said this about lentils - they are for poor people with limited ability to pay. Durum is a surprise though as it always had a premium for protein, but its all now considered feed.

a question

So paying for an irrigation project of 15000 acres to produce red lentils/durum/flax on that land might be a bad 100 million dollar investment plus the regular maintenance and operating costs????

[jazz]

a question

So paying for an irrigation project of 15000 acres to produce red lentils/durum/flax on that land might be a bad 100 million dollar investment plus the regular maintenance and operating costs????

Cant really comment on that. Sounds like a lot of money. Some local processing is probably a much better option when possible.

Should be no product raw loaded that leaves this part of the country, IMHO.