The CWB and Rats

[TOM4CWB]

Ian, I could not agree with you more!

You said:

“Innovate. Recreate your CWB as a worldwide marketing group without compulsive powers. Invite the rest of the world to join and add value for us all.This is the only way you could influence todays market.”

This is music to my ears, and what 70% of Western Canadian grain Producers need,
“the freedom to choose” between working together without compulsive powers, or competing and innovating moving directly up the value chain if necessary, to remain competitive and profitable so the next generation can be wheat growers as well!

Did you know the CWB's plan today is to reduce both Canada’s world wheat market share and the production of wheat over the next five years!

Why would any marketing group (talking about the CWB) want to destroy the industry they were supposed to serve?

[ianben]

Hi Tom
I knew you would like that bit.So due you agree with this?
I said we were behind in the game well I do not think we are even playing yet!
I think they changed the game when the WHAT IF program came out you know the one where you list costs and it works out your profit. In the new game you need a bat and ball to play in the premier league and you ALWAYS win. When you grow GM for Monsanto you are definatly playing with someone from
the premier league. Most chemical companies are up there, so are the machinery manufacturers and I think the fert companies just got promoted. All these products are now priced on what we can afford to pay because they can use WHAT IF in reverse. It is a fact of life we must accept THE GAME HAS ALREADY CHANGED.
We will never be in the premier league and I not sure I would want to be, I have morals too.
I believe there is a lower league where my rat baiter and the man who buys your HEAR **** play. They a least have a bat.
They manage supply to match demand and have realistic prices and happy customers. This is where I think we HAVE TO LEARN TO PLAY.
It is like when we changed from BARTER TO CASH
I bet that took some getting off the ground. It will never work you cannot change the system, BUT SOMEBODY TRIED AND IT DID.
Ian

[TOM4CWB]

Ian,

I agree in principal, however one critical issue remains, the freedom to choose our own destiny!

We all choose what kind of equipment we will use, no monopolies there(although some would say JD is like Microsoft!)

We choose how much fert we put on, and what kind and how much herbicides we will use.

We choose if we will use fungicides, and then all decide which company gives a fair shake on grading quality we harvest.A good truck is the best tool to get this in line(I just bought a set of superbee's yesterday).

Destiny and good fortune is 99% being prepaired to allow someone to give us a fair deal, which means no one goes away rich, but hopefully no one gets ripped off either!

This is respect, something I hope the CWB will plug into, for it is the only hope for a future that is not a dead end.

Does the CWB respect farmers, Grain co's, or Railways?

[ianben]

Hi Tom
Yeah I know what you mean but just how free are we.

When NH and Case feel the need to merge I think the only choice left in that market is colour. It puts the shits up me.

How do you feel about this

When we buy fert we do a test to see what we need.

When we spray we have an agronomist to advise us.

We look at variety trials before we choose what we grow.

We MARKET blind.
I looked up the market report at CWB -

By the end of 2000-01, global wheat ending stocks are forecast to fall 17.5 million tonnes (MT) to 109.9 MT relative to last year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), as record world consumption outstrips production for the third consecutive year. Stocks this low haven’t occurred since 1995-96. At that time, the estimated 107.9 MT carried out helped to drive the annual average price for Hard Red Winter (HRW) wheat at the Gulf of Mexico (an indicator of world prices) to a record US$215/t (US$5.85/bu). And the stock-to-use ratio was then estimated at 19.7 per cent. In comparison, the USDA is estimating that the world will only carry out 18.4 per cent of our total annual use this year – a record low! So why haven’t prices rallied?

Is this of any help to me or you? I have never read a market report which gave me specific advice.

This is what I think we need -
By the end of 2000-01, global wheat ending stocks are forecast to fall 17.5 million tonnes (MT) to 109.9 MT relative to last year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), as record world consumption outstrips production for the third consecutive year. Stocks this low haven’t occurred since 1995-96. TO MAINTAIN THE PRICE AT US$180 AGAIN THIS YEAR WE RECOMEND YOU MARKET 95% OF YOUR PRODUCT AND SEED SIMILLAR ACRES TO LAST YEAR. FORCAST MARKET FOR NEXT YEAR IS 102%.

It would need trust I know,but we all believe a piece of paper is worth $100.

Has anybody a better idea to take on CNH's in this global market.

Ian

[chas]

Tom4cwb your hang up on freedom is a commentable rugged attitude but financially unstable.
Ianben you are showing a real good sense of sustainability.
I think its time someone started a new topic on how to create world prices on grain and oilseeds that stablizes them so there is no tendences by farmers to over produce in anyone commodity to cause surpluses and to create a margin between imputs and prices for sustainability. Could it be a reality or a dream.

[TOM4CWB]

Chas,

I find reality a little hard to take some days, but the sooner I try to do something constructive and positive, the better my life becomes!

I find it most unacceptable when the CWB becomes a speculator and does exactly the things the large grain companies and speculators do, only without the responsibility of having to live personally with the actions they just committed my farm to.

This is why a voluntary portion of the CWB is required!

If you are OK with what the CWB does with your grain fine.

But if I disagree and am totally against what they want to do with my grain and my farm, then some avenue must be provided to allow freedom of choice!