25 YEARS OF EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS AND WHAT DO YOU GET . . . .

[mustardman]

Hey T4 these communists you're talking about do you mean Chuck Stalin?

Everytime we turn around he's making someone dissapear from the CWB board of directors. Where he sends them we're not sure. He then replaces them with someone with less talent but as long as they have the 'party vision'
nothing else matters..

By the way T4 are you running for the CWB directorship ??

Thats kinda like Gill Duceppe and the Bloc Quebecois running for Government of Canada don't you think ?

[TOM4CWB]

Mustardman,

If pointing out the obvious... and asking questions why our farm gate prices are so low... is offensive... I ask the reason why?

The US has no subsidies proping up wheat prices.

US elevators need our wheat.

We have much more high quality wheat than the CWB can possibly sell into the 5mmt CWRS premium market.

SO what is so evil about wanting the best for my neighbour who needs the extra $1/bu... and is willing to work real hard and take all sorts of extra risks...

And let you Mustardman have more of those premium CWB offshore markets!

The CWB offends many in the US grain industry... because the CWB discount prices to get market share.

I believe it is reasonable to allow my neighbour the choice to add value to a different pool of US grain... which the CWB claims is inferior to CWRS.

Why then should it bother you if my neighbour can prosper... and pay some bills?

Why would these views make me a bad CWB Director... when the CWB Bylaws require me to respect my neighbour's property rights in the first place?

[rosco]

Ijust needed to jump in here and give my .02. I think the underlying message of Vader's news clipping is that most 2nd world nations have lower costs of production than 1st world nations like the US and Canada. Thus, the gov can do all the economic monkeying around it wants and that still won't change the basic problem: our cost of production is too high! The US is a victim of their own market economy. So when One Hung Low can sell his grain at US$3.00 and make money while John Doe in Montana loses money at that price, the only recourse is to quit trying to sell into the international market at a loss and value add. The high price of oil(another world commodity that we have very little control over!) and the subsequent advent of biodiesel and ehtanol couldn't have come at a better time for ALL North American farmers. The reason that american exports havn't gone up dramatically is that they have been doing something else with the grain other than just forcing it on a world that doesn't need it. Corn is $3.25 because they are creating a use for it, not because the chinese need it. It's still even tough to value add on the prairies because asia can buy raw commodities, ship them, process them, ship them back and make a buck. Why? Their cost of production is low here as well. We are victims of living too high on the hog. Bring on the ethanol plants! Bring on the biodiesel plants! Create some jobs! Don't keep just trying to grow more to make money! The ethanol plants will create a demand for high starch grains, which should take acres away from good HRS and that will help with export pressures. But my fear is this. What happens if crude goes down and the incentive to create alternate fuels is gone?

[agstar77]

T4 said" U.S. has no subsidies propping up wheat prices". If you believe that, you definately are not Director material. If there was no cheap food policy there would be no subsidies and food shelves would be bare until prices came up to cover costs.

[wedino]

Agstar, please explain how US wheat prices are propped up via subsidies.

[mustardman]

Tom if you think the US grain

industry is upset with the CWB for

undercutting the market. Don't you

think the CWB would have lost the 14

court challenges instead of winning them ?????

[craig]

mustardman I guess you need to define undercutting. CWB could sell higher quality at same price as U.S. Is that undercutting or not.

[chaffmeister]

USDA wheat loan rate = $2.75/bu.
Kansas futures = over $5.00/bu.
Chicago futures = over $4.50/bu.
Mpls futures = over $4.90/bu.
Every US cash price I can find = over $5.00/bu.

Subsidies propping up wheat prices?

Does not compute.

[mustardman]

Craig these court challenges are long and tenuous, all sales are looked at
over certain time frames.
If there was even a hint of undercutting due to grade substitution there lawyers would catch it.

Maybe if we didn"t have groups like the wcwga going to North Dakota grain meetings spreading disinformation about CWB getting their farmers all worked up , we wouldn't have all these court cases. Or maybe we should pass the costs on to wcwga who then pass costs on to CP rail or CN rail or Alberta gov't or to whom ever else sponsors them. It sure the hell isn't farmers.

[TOM4CWB]

Mustardman,

It is sad to see you tear hard working, caring people apart.

Please try to understand... we are your brothers and sisters who simply need our civil and property rights respected.

Canada has no moral high ground to stand on in human and property rights...

China watches and cheers as the CWB sets up special deals... that enforce the "Lowest price is the LAW policy" with our neighbours to the west across the Pacific.

Of course China is actively working to prop up the "single desk" buying monopoly.

Ever wonder why?

Do you think for a second...this isn't about a cheap low cost supply of food for China?

These people from China are some of the best managers, they are shrewd, they are self diciplined, they are smart.

They will not spend one cent more than they have to... and use every possible tool and management opportunity to extract value for those in China they represent.

[mustardman]

Tom you avoided answering my question.

If the CWB undercut the US markets why
do we keep winning the court challenges?

[TOM4CWB]

Mustardman;

Why do US Millers like the CWB sooo much?

It's called P R O F I T.

When we went down to Kansas... it was crystal clear they were prepared for us... and appreciated the CWB's opportunity to average DOWN wheat US supply costs. The threat of delivery is all that is needed.

You don't think the US has a cheap food policy?

THink Again... the CWB is a big part of the tools the muti-nationals processors use to pad their pockets.