CWB FIRING!

[craig]

Someone Please explain to me the following statement from the press release. Adrian Measner termination would put the CWB at risk during a critical time in it's history and potentially jeopardize the ability of the board to be held to account by western Canadian Farmers. The press release goes on to explain that Mr. Measner is needed to guide the CWB through a period of change and evolution. What change and what evolution? All I see is protect the status quo and more proposals to take money out of one producers pocket and give it to another.

[parsley]

Right, chaff.

If the CWB doesn't do something timely about their NAFTA situation, there is big doo-doo trouble. They've been harboring this problem since NAFTA came in.

The staff and Board of Directors are responsible for the mess, but the Minister will be blamed.

The CWB has a legal obligation to live up to the obligations of their international Trade Agreements, which includes NAFTA. R-Calf will see to it.

The information circulating 'out there' is a precursor to what's coming!

Section 61 of the Canadian Wheat Board Act states:

"Implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement
61.1(1) In exercising its powers and performing its duties, the Corporation shall give effect to the provisions of the Agreement [NAFTA] that pertain to the Corporation."

In practical terms, Cargill et al can buy feed grain directly from AdamSmith and that offBoard grain can move freely from province to province.

However, a US buyer wanting to purchase that same off-Board grain, cannot, because the Wheat Board will not issue the necessary export license to get the off-Board grain across the border.

The CWB only allows the grain to cross the border if the CWB owns the grain, or it has been purchased from the Board.

You've heard the CWB claim time and time again that they get a better price than the marketing-challenged AdamSmith.


So,Canadian feedlots, pigbarns, turkey barns etc. are able to buy cheap off-Board Canadian feed grain, while Americans cannot buy from the AdamSmiths, but can only buy fabulously high-priced Wheat Board grains.

According to NAFTA,this is a contravention, because there is a different price inside Canada than from outside Canada.
(That's scarey talk right there!)

This happens because the CWB's licencing policy prohibits exports of off-Board feed grain, and according to what I read, is a good in the stream of Trade and Commerce in Canada.

So, the CWB is in violation of Article 309 of NAFTA which forbids such export prohibitions.

Some single-deskers Directors have commented that this is strictly a Canadian grain issue.

But it's not American the grain producers who will take the Canadains to task.

It's the American livestock producer who cannot buy AdamSmith's cheap barley and feed it to his steers that will decimate the livestock.

And many American livestock producers are headed by R-Calf and they are not exactly frightened by countervail.

They'll claim American steers are fed expensive Wheat Board grain and Canadian pigs are fed AdamSmith's cheap farm grain.

Countervail of exports of livestock/products into the United States will happen overnight, and the CWB with their years of denying licenses, is squarely to blame.

Strahl won't know what hit him.

Livestock industry will be in chaos.

The CWB staff will hide under the bed.

The CWB Directors will still get their per diems.

And all can be prevented by the CWB Board of Directors deciding perhaps they would be wise to issue export licenses.

Parsley

[AdamSmith]

At the APAS general meeting there are reports of crying and hissy fits over this. Grown men crying and throwing tantrums and stomping out of rooms.

Any confermation on this?

[cropduster]

Great to see your posts again Parsley!!!!!

[wd9]

Quote: Great to see your posts again Parsley!!!!!

1

[wd9]

Silly thing, fine, longhand then:

plus one.

[TOM4CWB]

Cropduster,

I second that motion WD9!

[carebear300]

I think this would be a perfect time for the wheat board to open its books and prove once and for all if there is an advantage to producers(financially) to retain it, if not then shut up and let it be disbanded!!!!!!!!

[parsley]

carebear300,

What really is a financial advantage?

cropduster might only be happy with $4.50/bu barley while tom4cwb might need $6.00 malting, and agstar only sells a little bit of extra feed barley that is leftover and wants $1.75

The point being, pooling for those who really want to pool through the CWB, and the rest can bypasss the Board entirely.

Would you be amenable to that concept?

Parsley

[TOM4CWB]

Carebear300;

Interesting you would bring up the "Fair" point.

THe market place creates "fairness" by allowing those who have a certain cost base... to hold their produce until the price rises to meet their need.

Subsitution.

This can happen in 2 ways.

1. A different subsitutable product fills the demand. For instance rice or potatoes can be subsituted for wheat products to fill the human consumption market.

2. A different supplier can supply the same market. IE. the Former Soviet Union nations can crank up production to fill the hole the CWB creates when it holds back 20% of our CWRS and Durum this year. THen when we have strangled our customer... those people make contracts with others more willing to supply at a lower price.

Bingo... we have double trouble. We have left over inventory... plus a big crop of wheat on tap... in Canada... AND everywhere else...

DOUBLE TROUBLE.

CWB distortion in the supply side of the market system MUST be stopped.

Measner should know better.

Measner has single handedly been the biggest reason the CWB "single desk" must be dismantled.

Clearly if we Canadian producers get too greedy, then other global wheat suppliers crank up production... then when those who held back will be in a real and market distorting situation.

To have a the CDN non-voluntary gov. sanctioned monopoly cause this distortion is simply "Not ON" in today's global environment. Measner must be the object of attention... and he being the cause... and proud of it... must be dismissed.

[carebear300]

The dual marketing concept has always been my solution to the situation. I just would like to know once and for all if it can be proved that the wheat board has actuallly put extra money into the hands of producers on a per sale type basis. Now that doesn't sound just right, maybe am a little groggy this morning, but would like to know if a big sale to for instance China on a certain day was for more dollars per bushel than what could have been attained on the world market. I guess I answered my own question, because why would anybody in their right mind pay more than the asking price. Yep Tom, fire that so and so and lets get on with our lives and marketing.

[parsley]

carebear300,and tom4cwb,

The important point for me is how much do I end up with in my pocket?

If the CWB sells to Iraq for $80.00 per bushel, and I only get $3.10, being informed of the $80.00 figure only establishes that the CWB got a good selling price.

Show me the money? Gray and Fulton keep their budgets flowing from writing up reports that corroborate that the CWB gets a 'top price'. They claim it over and over.

Ahhh. The Board might get a top price, but producers don't.

So, where does the premium-money go?

carebear, does your question really ask, "where is the money?"

And if there is a wad of premium-money out there, where could it be?