Weather woes temper Canada Wheat Board sales -

[Incognito]

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Sept 10 - The Canadian Wheat Board is being cautious on sales of high-protein wheat because of uncertain supplies, but denied that it has withdrawn offers from the world market, a spokeswoman said on Friday. Sources familiar with the global wheat market told Reuters the CWB, one of the world's largest wheat sellers, had temporarily withdrawn offers for its top grades of wheat. "We continue to sell top grades of wheat," Louise Waldman said. "We are being cautious on high protein sales until harvest is more complete, but we are selling top grades of wheat."

Rain, frost and harvest delays have downgraded the wheat crop in Canada's main growing region, leaving the CWB cautious about putting new sales on the books to customers other than Japan, the reliable sources told Reuters. "Until you get more harvest, it's very, very risky" to make new sales, one source said, describing the situation as similar to the fall of 2002, when the CWB withdrew from the market because of harvest delays. "Anything over 13.5 percent protein, they're not offering," another source said. "They don't know what the crop is." Earlier this week, the CWB estimated Canadian farmers had harvested less than five percent of their crops.

In Saskatchewan, the largest wheat-growing province, farmers had harvested only 1 percent of spring wheat crops by Sept. 5, according to the provincial government, compared to the five-year average of 40 percent for that time of year. Much of the crop has been downgraded by frost damage and excessive moisture, crop specialists have said, but grade patterns won't be known until more harvest is complete. "We are in good position to meet existing commitments and we're looking at things on an ongoing basis," Waldman said.

[TOM4CWB]

Incognito;

A large part of northern Alberta cerials are pasted to the ground... if weather straightens around NOW we could still get some milling quality wheat on this wheat... #3 is still possible.

It is a shame the Canadian grading system does not measure true milling quality like falling numbers... and discounts for frost damage... as most other wheat producing nations grade.

The CDN strictly visual system of being paid for our wheat as farmers... hides inherent milling value from being fairly determined... falling numbers MUST become the basis for milling quality in Canada. Otherwise much otherwise good quality wheat will be wasted... and poor falling number wheat that should be feed is hurting our CDN reputation for good milling quality.

The CWB has been LAZY and IGNORANT by not requiring the CGC to change to a Falling Number system for grading our Milling wheat.

THis further gives excuses for the CWB to refuse to forward sell milling wheat at higher values... and will really hurt those who have milling quality wheat that is not a pretty as normal... and therefore cannot deliver against PPO contracts... as the CWB simply gives our feed wheat away.

Now the Non-Board wheat market uses the CWB give away price as a base... instead of realistic intrinsic values of our feed wheat.

When I bring this up to CWB Directors... I get a blank stare... then a comment like "Sell Feed WHeat to the Non-Board Market, you are smart enough to figure that out."

NOW the CWB determines the Non-Board feed wheat price... we are in as bad a position as livestock producers and BSE border closures.

[timm]

the grain commission is in the back pockets of the large grain companies,and is why the falling #s system is not used.bushel weight should also be of more consideration.the $s lost to grain farmers because of the subjectivity of our grading system should be looked after by competition between companies but the cwb destroys this .this issue needs to be addressed and quick

[Incognito]

The CWB is out of the market for 1&2 CWRS. At mills in western Canada, they will not let them buy anything but #3 CWRS or lower. So at a time when farmers could bend mills over, ya even you EATMORE, with trucking and quality premiums in double digits if you were fortunate enough to grow 1&2 CWRS, the CWB has taken the farmer out of the game.

Protect the Japanese market at what cost to the farmer? And the mills won't complain in the west because they get cheap wheat.

Its BS.