Who Controls Grain Handling?

[cowman]

I guess I would have to ask: Was the CWB going somewhere? I don't think Stephen Harper ever said anything like that? He just said that he was going to end the single desk?
If the CWB has any real value, other than force to comply, why would anyone think it would dissappear? If it is a good market agency it will be able to survive and continue to operate successfully?
Am I being naive or something? The CWB has always said it is doing such a good job...why would losing a forced monopoly stop them from doing a superior job? Have farmers been listening to too much propaganda...about how a dual market would destroy the "best" marketers in the world?

[Incognito]

Vader:

Regardless of the outcome of the election on Monday...

Rightly or wrongly, before April 30, 2006, the WTO is going to come down hard on STE's and the supply managed sectors.

Australia's AWB has alienated itself from internal support and that leaves the CWB naked and alone in front of 149 other members.

Is there a Plan B if the CWB loses the monopoly?

Has there been the foresight at the CWB board table to look at alternatives, or is the all-or-nothing approach the only option?

What has the CWB Board of Directors done for the next generation of farmers since they have been elected?
Have they been politicians or statesman?

[Vader]

incognito,

When it comes to the single desk, it is all or nothing. In the nothing scenario the CWB will have to evolve to become a grain company or as I said in my opening post be at the complete mercy of its competitors.

How long will the CWB have to establish a capital base and acquire assets? Where will that capital base come from?

Obviously the money will have to come either from farmers, the government or private investors. How much and how long will it take for the CWB to be a viable option in an open market?

[silverback]

Maybe you should have been planning for the day that Western Canadians actually made a difference in this country and decided to make things work for themselves! Obviously you never thought the gravy train would end. This industry has been dying for years and according to you we should just keep doing the same thing. Well, either we do something different or we will just seed it all to grass. Maybe we should go organic and drive that price down? How would that strike ya?

[parsley]

Vader, when you say things like, "When it comes to the single desk, it is all or nothing", it is so silly, because you know full well that presently, all the EMFA feed grains bypass the single desk, Ontario's grain bypasses the single desk, registered seed bypasses the single desk, and on and on.

Thousands of bushels bypass the single desk.

You full well know the Board is only responsible for marketing what is OFFERED to it.

And so all or nothing is a your myth.

Getting back to your question, "How much more money will I make after the CWB is gone?"

I presume you are musing about a government job.

I presume you'll be hoping for a strong Liberal win in the election.

Parsley

[Incognito]

Well its 2:15 a.m.; our 10 month old daughter is just starting to sleep thru the night and what do we do? Go out today and buy a 9 week old dog... DUH!

RE the all or nothing approach. IF after all these years the rapport and support is not there from your loyal customers, that you couldnt not maintain them in a dual market environment, is not saying much for the goodwill established over the years.

Re timing: I think the CWB will get the same amount of time that farmers had to adapt to the WGTA going down the tubes - 8 months from the announcement to the reality.

IF the family farm had to adapt that quickly, i see no reason that the CWB, with all the years of goodwill built up, the best sales team, the best BOD, the best wheat, the best grading system, the best protein and the best record of defending the family farm, be possibly scared of going head-to-head with a grain company.

Or is it maybe that those same companies now complete 85% of the sales and the sales are actually THEIR customers and the goodwill is owned by the same companies not the CWB.

Its been 10 years since I've seen company sales stats- and alot can change in 10 years.

IN 5 years, i have a wife, two kids and a frikkin dog...

I don't buy into the "all or nothing" theory. As I've said previous, if the barley experiment would have been allowed to pass, you wouldnt be in this mess today. And where are the people who enacted that strategy today?
not in this business...

think about that this Sabbath!

[TOM4CWB]

Vader;

We have a transportation system with capacity limitations;

How much extra does it now cost non-board grains because the CWB is somewhat inflexible and difficult to work with?

Is the cup half full, or half empty?

If grain co's had contractual obligations to fill a boat on a certain day, at a certain port, with specified quality... perhaps it could cost less system wide for the CWB to share the power... and help grain co's and farmers be a reliable supplier of all "designated area" western CDN grains?

[Vader]

parsley, parsley, parsley, never anything constructive. Just personal shots.

Tom, there may be some slippage, but by definition a single desk handles all the grain. That is all or nothing.

Good will comes in many forms.

Canadian grain has a brand. That depends on maintaining the variety registration system and the grading system. How long will that suit the multi-national grain companies? Or will they want a more open american system? The CWB has been working very hard to develop its brand. You can now see the CWB logo on many products around the world that are made from Canadian grain. Companies like ADM do not engage in "branding" of american wheat because a competitor like Cargill might benefit. So there goes a lot of "good will".

Customers of the CWB have come to rely on a package of services. Some of those services depend on the size of the operation. In an open enviroment where the CWB only represented a portion of the trade it could no longer make the type of supply committments that it does today. Will that continue to suit the purposes of those customers. Probably not. They will simply move on. More "good will" gone.

If the volume of grain handled by the CWB shrinks then staff cuts will be required. In this new environment will every one of the CWB's employees remain loyal? This is highly unlikely. After all they have families and responsibilites. Perhaps their needs would be better served moving over to the competition. Perhaps they could start completely new companies and focus on some portion of the business where they had particular expertise. Much of the customer loyalty depends on the individual relationships with staff. Much of this will be gone. Lot's more "good will" gone.

How much "good will" can the CWB lose and still be recognizable as the CWB.

This is no slippery slope. This is "all or nothing".

I would suggest that the only people who are scoffing at this idea are those who simply do not care, do not understand, or are angry enough that they actually want the complete demise of the CWB. Those same people will say that I am fear mongering. For the rest of you out there I give you one consolation. Regardless of what happens, it happens to all of us. Perhaps if we recognize the severity of the situation we can regroup and form a new organization which will give farmers that market power which we so much need to survive.

There will be survivors. Some will be niche marketers like parsley. Some will be large players with lots of money like Tom. Many of us will transition to become employees of the multinationals, much like the Tyson chicken farmers in the US. Many will exit the industry, and although this has been happening since we first broke the land the process may accelerate.

Silverback, you talk about the day when farmers will make something happen for themselves. Are you talking everyone for themselves or are you talking about a co-operative model. If you are talking about everyone for themselves like parsley and tom then you are playing a dangerous game of musical chairs. If you are talking about a co-operative model then you are talking about re-inventing either the prairie pools or the CWB. Would it not be better to work with the existing CWB and make it better?

[TOM4CWB]

Vader;

You said:

"Tom, there may be some slippage, but by definition a single desk handles all the grain. That is all or nothing."

The CWB and it's directors are negligent; if they take the stand Rod Flaman took above.

The vast majority of trade would wide has a farm co-operative tied into the marketing chain; at some point... with OUT a monopoly.

Vader the CWB simply points out they are CHICKEN to prove the point they are progressive well managed marketers.

If the CWB IS NOT a well managed marketer... then who will even miss the CWB in five years?

Isn't it time the CWB WOKE UP?

[TOM4CWB]

Ag trade without monopolies;

The CWB,
The AWB,


I hope You get the point Vader.