Countervail/Anti Dumping Action Against US Corn

[charliep]

Just a note the Ontario Corn Producers Association has launched a trade action against subsidized US corn. The investigation will take to the middle of December to determine (at least the first round).

Manitoba had a similar action mid 1990 's (forget the date) which was successfull in proving the subsidy but could not show injury to western Canada - Ontario corn producers would have had to join the case.

With the mountain of feed grains out there, this case will have limited impact on Alberta short term. Manitoba may be a different case - looking for peoples thoughts.

Comments?

[FarmRanger]

It does get a little annoying when you see dumped fusarium laced corn being unloaded for use in a nearby feedlot, when your bins are full of cheap barley.
I'm not sure what more duties will do to help though?

[wd9]

If a kid keeps stealing your lunch money you have two options, feel like a victim and watch it happen again and again and maybe post it repeatedly on Agriville, or as in the case of OCGA, stand up to the injustice and stop getting your lunch money stole. Good on them.

I wonder Charlie, does the Barley Commission have a case with barley? Do you have access to the numbers?

[charliep]

With the comment don't shoot the messenger, none of the other grains can take action - has to be corn growers. The case would have been successful last time if feed wheat/barley impact would have been included.

[wd9]

Seems to me last year barley out of the US exported for $1.40 while the producer rec'd around $2.60 per bushel.

I realize barley groups can't help with the corn issue, but barley groups can do a barley tarriff if the numbers work.

Charlie, do you know how much barley is exported to Canada and for what price from the US?

[charliep]

I would have to do some digging find US portion (close to all) but to give some guidelines, Canadian barley imports have ranged from 35,000 tonnes (2003/04)to 259,000 tonnes (drought year 2002/03 with some portion the malt barley imports from Europe) with the number 85,000 tonnes this last year.

As a note of caution on the barley issue, Canada is a net exporter (mainly malt barley) with a 10 year average of over 600,000 tonnes (over 500,000 tonne of which is malt barley). Numbers from the CWB statistics book that accompanied the annual report. Canada is also an exporter of malt product.

Canada would stand to loose a lot in a scrap with the US over barley.

Great Falls barley prices are posted at:

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/sdd6248

The graph is at (dated - will get someone to update):

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agc7604?opendocument

An observation is that Great Falls prices have been below Lethbridge so I am surprised there isn't more product flowing North.