FREEDOM BREAD

[Ration-Al]

What exactly have the Aussies done that will take them successfully forward? They have restructured. This seems to have deflected the attacks through the WTO. They established a capital base(in excess of one billion dollars). This has allowed them to backstop their risk management strategy as well as to make acquisitions of a major farm supply company. While this might spell success for the AWB, what has it done for farmers?

I hear farmers saying all they care about are price, cash flow, and delivery. The changes the AWB has made neither facilitate nor impede progress in any of these areas. The price of wheat is established globally. The structure of the AWB will not impact on the price of wheat in the world export market. Cash flow and delivery do depend on the the operation of the AWB but these factors can be impacted positively or negatively by AWB policy or lack thereof. This is a function of the AWB being responsive to their farmers.

Will this battle ever end? Not as long as the rivers flow. There are philosphical views that are diametrically opposed to the strictures of the current system. Can the majority of farmers support an orderly marketing system which they themselves control? Of course they can. It takes a lot of work. The organization must be responsive. The AWB has shown that this is possible. They have 70 percent support of their farmers. They have distanced themselves from government. They have structured themselves as a corporate body. They are responding to their farmers business needs. It has taken them ten years to do this, and there was opposition. There still is.

Can the CWB achieve similar results? Time will tell. There may not be much time. Monday's election may hasten the process. The WTO talks may hasten the process. Sometimes haste makes waste.

One thing I know is that farmers probably know best what is right for farmers. Governments and World Trade Organizations have their own agendas.

[Incognito]

By the time on your post, I hope you let it warm up before you went spraying this morning.

In restructuring, the AWB has gained favour with 70% of their farmers, and here, the left/right side debate percentage is so razor thin, one side in western Canada may have 51% on any given day.

Here in western Canada, the CWB has alienated the progessive farmer (use the 80 - 20 theory where 20% of the farmers, grow 80% of the grain) that if they tried to emulate the AWB, they would not have the same success, if my opinion.

The risk management strategy employed by the AWB you mention also involves currency risk. Their record looks phenomenal in the face of the CWB's. Their currency dropped 31% and yet they had their risk hedged whereas we did not. I'm curious as to who made the decision to watch the dollar escalate and not do anything about it.

Was it the Board table?

Accountabilty would suggest that if someone in a large corporation did likewise, their nameplate would be off their door rather quickly.

Through all the trees that have been killed regarding the single desk, substantive empirical evidence has never been presented to determine that premiums are received on ALL wheat and barley shipped from Canada. The benchmarking process has been forgotten outside the CWB.

The CWB should not be the sole marketer of barley. Period. How anyone can argue differently is beyond me. Protecting the Malt Industry and Livestock Industry in Canada is a cost borne by farmers. And it is unfair.

Wheat is debatable. I can argue both sides. The biggest misconception is that the CWB extracts a premium on all wheat it ships. They don't. There is not a large enough market to absorb the amount of wheat we grow at a premium to the world price. Buyers are not that gullible either. The Internet has made price discrimination near impossible and transparency available in real-time.

As I stated im my previous post, if we had stayed the course in 1993, we may have been on par with the Aussies, we are not, and will be soon under the gun to reform even further. A good friend of mine suggested that Agriculture policy gains are measured in inches.

Most of my posts (even you Boone) have been written to stimulate discussions. I don't buy into the "damn the torpedoes theory - full steam ahead."
There are ramifications of both systems and by taking baby steps over the last 10 years, have we hurt or helped farmers?

Months ago, Kato posted here about the bickering and politics. Today, he is mired in the same debate and I wonder if he would embrace/retract some of his previous posts. He has gone from trying to be politically correct, to being a political wild child.

Tom:

The "I own my own grain" theory is as tired as "science will open the border". Both are not working. But, I like your 5% ROI theory, notwithstanding the fact that I think its miniscule, given the stress, risk and pressure involved in growing a crop.

As you said. Time will tell. And the clock is ticking. Farmers just don't realize how loud.

[TOM4CWB]

Incognito;

THE CLOCK IS TICKING.... says volumes...

Corporate farms may be needed... to take over the production of our food... as the young people are fed up with us and our communist bickering. The love of producing food... for the sake of feeding hungry mouths... is growing very thin... especially in the under 25 farm youth!

We are driving these young folks away... fresh young innovators from agriculture to anything else but!

Sell the farm... do something else... anything else.

Without freedom/Neighbourly Love, we all operate in fear... fear is guiding our future JUST like the Liberals are doing in this federal election. A nation without a Vision... will parish. Fear is not a Vision... but a False Expectation About Reality... not at all what built this country.

[smoky]

Probably the biggest thing driving young folks away is our constant bickering. Who would want to go farming when all your parents do is bitch and complain about how bad it is. The problem is we have to look at the bigger picture, yes we don't make the returns we should, but is it the worst way in the world to make a living? All I'm saying is we have to be carefull of when and where we are complaining, because if all our children see is the negative side, I don't blame them for not wanting to go farming.

[TOM4CWB]

Smoky;

I agree.

Respecting each other is key to resolving the CWB issue.

The June 28th federal election is a good indicator of where CWB policy is at on a province by province scale.

If we as a Canadian society DO RESPECT each other... marketing freedom is a simple requirement to indicate this respect.

[smoky]

I don't agree with your statement that the federal election was a good indicator province by province of the position on the CWB. We as farmers are a small percentage of the voters so that is not the forum in which to decide whether the CWB stays as is or changes. I do believe the election system used for the CWB is flawed but also believe that the CWB can be a useful tool if allowed to evolve properly. We need to make changes within the system rather than trying to tear down the house to just do renovations. There is a solid foundation within the CWB to build upon and go forward. Let's at try to keep the good parts as we move along.

[wd9]

Smoky, I think this is where a majority of the farmers are at, they know there is shortcomings in everything, but feel that a single desk does provide simply another form of risk management. The CWB elections seem to show this. By some wanting their freedom (market choice at any cost) does it remove many other's freedom to have an effective CWB?

[TOM4CWB]

Smoky/wd9;

From CSL boats like SHELIA, to eastern prairie grain freight subsidies, to Port terminals in Quebec... there is much more to the "single desk" than simple marketing.

Wheat buyers can get high quality wheat from any number of countries... that obviously are not part of the CWB "single desk".

The CWB is obviously being used by the Canadian Government as a social policy... for industrial profit... and to replace commercial least cost systems. This is done in the name of profit for farmers... when exactly the opposite is true... it is done to profit the Canadian Industrial Complex.

And then the Federal Government has the odasity to spend our own CWB grain revenue to brain wash us into believing the LIE that the CWB is here to maximise "designated area" grain farmer's revenue.

What we do as Canadians is over 90% habit, including supporting the Liberals and the CWB. We are COWARDS... because we do not believe what we say we stand on.

Co-operation... yet we condone stealing our neighbours grain.

Maximising grain returns... yet we allow the CWB to pool everything... including PPO contracted CWB grain... so the CWB can undercut any commercial grain seller on the face of this planet... at our expence and without our knowledge.

The greater economy in the "designated area" has a huge stake in the CWB "single desk"... as it costs many times more to maintain this trogan horse... than our communities can afford.

This is the reason why the CWB Act is federal legislation... to take from farmers... authorised by the Parliament of CANADA... and not authorised province by province.

Therefore all western Canadians have a huge stake in the CWB "single desk" not just farmers who grow CWB Board grains.

We may be used to the thief taking our grain... and some may even enjoy the thief... they are so used to the nice visits and pleasant words of platitudes and encouragement.

A thief is still a thief... as I still have many neighbours who do not appreciate the taking of their grain... for NO SERVICES RENDERED... at a huge cost to them.

THE CWB must understand this simple fact.

AND it appears it has escaped your attention as well!

AS I have seen before and agree;

FREE WHEAT IN THE WEST!

THEN MORE THAN JUST WHEAT WILL START TO BE FREE... IN THE WEST!

[wd9]

Yet, the solution to achieve this remains elusive. Shouting is not a solution, awareness, but not a solution.

[TOM4CWB]

WD9;

Respect... how do we respect our neighbour? Love our neighbour as ourselves? These are the standards that built prosperous communities are they not?

Where does greed enter this? I will take what my neighbour has... to make my life simple... through the CWB "Single Desk"... so I am told I can get more profit.

Where does coveting my neighbour's property become morally acceptable... and within the standards that built our communities... isn't this all the CWB "single desk" covertly is doing?

How can we as a farm community condone this standard... and respect ourselves?