Hard White Wheat... where is it going?

[TOM4CWB]

WD9;

The CWB wants CWHW wheat to be a NEW market segment... that does not compete with CWRS. Hence the Asian emphasis on Malasia Indonesia etc. as far as I can understand CWB sales strategy.

The only issue that caused the drop in acres from well over last year... to the half million now requested by the CWB... is that the Conservatives were elected on Jan 23 2006.

Really, if an analisis were done... and I wouldn't put it past the CWB that it has already been done; Hard White Wheat growers are by far a majority those who are for market choice: and don't strongly support the "single desk".

This would be a big reason for the CWB to choose a seperate pool for CWHW in 2007-08... and the case will be made that the Asia Pacific market doesn't pay as well as premium CWRS markets... leading for a discounted pool with subCWRS prices... instead of premiumCWRS pricing.

The CWB is choosing the market strategy... and can create what ever markets it strategically believes will support the "single desk"... and strengthen the grip on core support for the "single desk".

This is all about the "single desk".

[nw9flynn]

lakenhealth,

Are you ajusting your snowbird acres this year? If so, up or down?

I thought that the premium that has been offered was disapearing b/c of the increased acres being grown in western Canada.

[Steve_Winkler]

Hi everyone. New poster here on the forum but have been lurking for quite a while gleaning info and reading some very good discussions on many topics.

As a former Snowbird grower, I too am dissappointed in the CWB's handling of the situation. We started growing it 3 years ago with good results and were lured in by the $7/tonne premium, yield, movement (100% call when you haul), storage premium, harvest-ability, and so on. We did have issues with sprouting this past crop year but given the monsoon conditions it went through here SE of Calgary in August/September coupled with it being swathed, I would have been surprised not to see some sprouting. We truly liked this variety and the niche it seemed to be fitting. Then came the changes, premium reduced to $2.50/tonne, no more storage premium, more "stringent" grading, continued high seed costs, and then reduced acres.

It's like they pulled the plug on this venture and we will not be pursuing any further production of the HWW.

Too bad.

Cheers,

Steve

[wd9]

TOM4CWB, considering what I 'heard' from customers - millers and their wants of white wheat, what you said may be scarily true, or at the very least a good hypothesis.

Maybe in a few years we will be growing more white than red.

[lakenheath]

nw9flynn,

I am increasing my Snowbird acres this year by quite a bit. I have had good agronomic success with it. It grades well (a real nice change from the durum grading process and even the hard red sometimes), and I can deliver it close to our farm (closer then to where we deliver durum and hard red). It is a good fit for our farm. Hopefully it continues to work out for us.

My hope was to get on the Warberton program this year. I am on a waiting list, but couldn't manage to snatch any acres this year. Hopefully next year. I won't even get into venting about the CWB and the Warberton program. Enough to make my blood boil.