Open letter to Chairman Ritter

[eatmorewheat]

Just in case he doesn't read his emai:


Mr.Ritter:

Congratulations on denying Canada it’s rightful place in the worldwide industry of value added wheat and barley.

http://www.hayhoe.com/free_wheat_in_Canada.htm

While Canada debates the benefit of an oppressive marketing system that smothers innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit the world marches forward investing in and developing their wheat and barley value added industries.

Right now in Russia and the Ukraine hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in milling, baking, pasta and malting facilities to capture the European and Asian markets.

Right now wheat in central Saskatchewan is worth anywhere from $50.00 - $140.00/tonne depending on it’s grade and protein content. It takes close to $40.00/tonne to get it to Vancouver and another $60.00/tonne to Japan. Why do we need a federal crown corporation to export raw wheat that is close to worthless in it’s unprocessed state?

Think of the new products and markets we could develop if all the negative energy consumed trying to prop up a defunct marketing system went into these efforts that other countries around the world are aggressively pursuing.

The sun will only set faster on western Canada’s wheat and barley industry if the path you pursue and preach is perpetuated.

Free wheat in the west before it is too late.

[TOM4CWB]

Eatmorewheat;

You are right on.

On top, CGC graded Canada Feed has been graded #1DNS in the US.

THE grading and marketing system needs drastic overhaul... of this there can be no question.

When will the CWB act to add value to our grain, instead, the CWB decreases our price by picking on small things that don't significantly change the milling and baking properties of our wheat?

1. Sprout visuals vs. Falling numbers;
2. Frost damage on visual discount instead of flour yeild decrease;
3. 1% higher moisture calibration than other countries;
4. Mildew standards that do not reflect market value;
5. Hard Viterous Kernel discounts that match milling stnadards... instead of visual standards.

We discount, instead of adding value. WHY? How much longer will we put up with this system, with it's refusal to pay for proper intrinsic value?

[agstar77]

I believe we will see some changes in the CWB. It takes a long time to change directions with a big ship. They should anticipated some of these problems when they did their crop tours. Some of this has to do with the CGC. Of course no one would be griping if the farm economy wasn't in such terrible shape and prices for all commodities were not so depressed! If it was Cargill or ADM running things we would not be better off!!

[wd9]

The changes in the CWB will be initiated from Europe and the USA at the 'talks. Changes are unlikely to occur from within Canada but certainly outside pressure. After the next round of WTO wraps up in a couple of years, any guesses on the 'new' or even existence of the CWB?

How about we get a 'pool' going