CWB FIRING!

[parsley]

Hmmm. Will the CWB's B of D's actually listen to the Minister?

As I said in the other thread, a valid R-CALF trade dispute threat is simmering. Maybe the one ace in the hole the CWB actually has is George W. because a Texas cattleman might full well realize what a range NAFTA-war will do...countervail-strangle Canadian livestock imports to the USA.

So what will be the reaction of CWB Directors to Minister Strahl when he pulls up his chair at the CWB's Main Street building,(probably seating him in the hallway) and announces, "Hey, you farmers have a policy in place that contravenes NAFTA.

Is the Act important or not?

In the eyes of the B of D's, when does the Act finally become important, agstar?

Will Vader this time take the position that the Act should not be followed?

Parsley

[agstar77]

I guess we will never find out, who will listen to who, because Strahl refuses to meet. This has escalated to the point where grain farmers are set to take a financial bath because of political idealogues.

[chaffmeister]

Financial bath!?
How so? Because of political idealogues? (I think you mean idealogies.)

And please don't bore me with citings from Murray Fulton or the NFU. Or the CWB.
The CWB's value proposition has never been proven. Never.
So if you're going to predict a financial bath because Strahl has a different vision of the CWB that Measner, please be good enough to also explain it - in real terms, not theory.

[parsley]

Grain farmers will most certainly take the bath. And the B of D's still getpaid.

Because single-desk elected directors refuse to issue export licenses for off-Board feed barley, the CWB is in violation of Article 309 of NAFTA which forbids such export prohibitions.

We live in the Information Age! Couple that with smart farmers, and blogs such as Small Dead Animals (with Wheat Board related pages), and suddenly farmers can all read and understand that a silly single-desk farmer policy places the CWB in contravention of NAFTA. And duties add up.

single desk on barley = contravention

You can't have it both ways.

Which do you choose?

Parsley

[chaffmeister]

Parsley - are you saying farmers WILL take a bath due to the squabbling? (Which is what Agstar is saying.)

Or are you saying farmers DO take a bath because they can't access markets?

I'd agree with the latter - but not the former.

[parsley]

In Saskatchewan, a lot of grain farmers have livestock as well as grain, and a border fiasco will hit them hard.

I am saying that because the single deskers are ignoring their own legislation, and are not in compliance with NAFTA, that a trade dispute is in the pipe.

Single desk idealogues have chosen this route.

Single desk idealogues would sooner have duties imposed on livestock/products headed for the USA than give up the single desk.(Denying an export license means prohibiting exports)

By doing so, Single desk idealogues are saying to hell with Strahl or the Act. The single desk is the primary concern.

The trade dispute will hit livestock producers hard. Not just beef, but lamb producers. Porkers. Livestock producers are often grain producers as well. There will be countervail up to the producers' yingyang.
The price of feed barley will drop.

Countervailing duties have to come out of someone's pocket and I'll bet producers will end up paying.(But the CWB Directors will still get their per diems).

Single deskers will continue to claim that this the price one pays for a perfect political philosophy.

Parsley

[agstar77]

Idealogue , one given to fanciful ideas or theories. What does Strahl have to lose in meeting with his Board? Farmers have a lot to lose if he doesnt come to some truce, markets sales etc. Uncertainty is never good in business, and this is a multi- BILLION dollar business. He screws it up now and if he loses it continues on reputation damaged by his actions.

[chaffmeister]

Gotcha.
So you're saying that with the Status Quo, we're gonna have trouble. But if we see change (Stahl's agenda) we might not. (likely won't).

So it's not the ongoing idealogical argument that is the issue for you, its the fact we're not seeing change quick enough.

Close?

[parsley]

The single-desk risk that the CWB's B of D's are taking is foolhardy, and the consequences can devastate an entire livestock industry. For years.

Strahl's risk is not attending a Board meeting? Sales go on whether or not the Minister attends Board meetings.

Hardly a perspective I would expect from you, agstar.

Parsley

[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.