"Rules of engagement" in ongoing discussions from Agri-ville.com

[ValueChainFX]

My goodness it is so hard not to say anything as I read the comments. You already know what I think I am sure, but here goes again! The hard working guy should be totally prepared to look after his own business in the best way that he can! I do believe that to stay alive you can not do that by yourself. (You must remain focused on your CORE business) I recieve e mails daily from farm folks that can get as far as the processors front door and then they have no control from there.

Maybe just maybe a part of your business should be a part of a group that distributes the income fairly throughout the group! Has marketers, producers, shippers, retailors, wholesalers etc. holding a stake in the out come. Maybe just maybe, a long term customer base may want to be a part of this group so they could have a stable price. Oh my, loyalty, honesty, trust, cooperation, effectiveness, perserverance, team work almost think it would change the way things are done!

Why spit into the wind, maybe there is something out there that can help solve some of the challenges we have???

[ianben]

Hi Tom
I do not think you are unbalanced,in the present market your stradegy works to your best advantage,and the changes you suggest may improve your position.

Will it produce what we all want a future for the family farm?

I do not believe tweaking the present system will be enough to encouage bright young people to join us.
The capital sums now required to run a viable grain farm are so huge there needs to be a bottom line below which prices cannot drop.Otherwise young people will not have the confidence to borrow money, asumming the banks will lend it them, to join our industry.

Who can blame them when just bad timing can wipe them out.
I just want to put a floor in the market so we dont have falls of 50-100% for just a few percent of over production.Something to stop the position which occurs when we know to sell will drive down price for all, but to sell will be best for me as an individual.

Given that choice we all sell and produce the inevitable crash.

I maintain the presents systems encourage this. As the more volatile the market the greater the need for futures.
I believe the market for stable priced grain is vast. A green fuel,a marketers dream, but it needs a stable price BEFORE people will invest in a boiler to burn it.
Are your young people becoming farmers in enough numbers to contiue our farming traditions? I can't see them over here. It is the next generation who are leaving our industry to pay their morgage, not the old guys like me.
So whats your solution Tom?

Regards Ian

[chas]

Tom4CWB I am sorry about calling you unbalanced. You gentlemen are quit a bit more diplomatic in expressing a view point. I get emotional about (no value added) middlemen in this world of business that make more money than the producer of a commodity does. When cooperation amongst farmers could gain that profit and stablize price and supply. I'am thinking of a stable industry where are young people can farm and add quailty of life to our rural communties. Quality of life is destroying itself with every farm family that leaves the industry. Chas

[chas]

No one answered my question whether they export their canola themselves. Everyone wants freedom to export wheat and barley across the border whose doing it with canola it's on the open market already. Chas

[AppMan]

I could be exporting Canola at this time, if only I could grow it. The GMO contamination from pollen drift, wind and bees, makes it impossible for me to gaurantee GMO free. My markets demand GMO free and I can no longer gaurantee GMO free.

I do export wheat directly to Europe by the can, however the cost of the CWB buybacks is going to put me in the poorhouse and make the best part of my farming operation un-viable.

AppMan

[charliep]

There is relatively good trade across the US border depending on market conditions. Manitoba farmers have sold/shipped canola to Velva, N. Dakota (there may be other plants/I am still not sure whether open or switched to sunflowers). US farmers also ship canola into S. Manitoba - again depending on pricing relationships. Look in the CGC website under grain stats weekly for volumes.

[chas]

Appman: Boy you boys in Southern Sask. will try anything to make a living. Where are you exporting Canola if it has to be GMO free(Europe). GMO canola is making our canola industry in Alberta very rewarding like 50 bushel yields even at $5.00 don't look bad. Wheat in a can? CWB is worried about wheat in a jam can. Thanks Charliep for your information, not a great lot being moved export it seems by farmers. Chas

[TOM4CWB]

Chas,

I thought I did answer your question about direct exports!

When I invest in AgPro, Agricore, CanAmera I am an owner of these co-operative farmer co's.

Through these chanels farmers do directly export, and jointly we pool the risks involved with either direct export or exporting after value adding as is the case with CanAmera. Every time we do business with a farmer owned co-op we support these organizations.

I do not understand why we cannot work together voluntarily and export wheat and barley the same way?

[chas]

Tom4cwb yes we are doing this now but what I want to do is change our pricing mechanism from commodity market control to farmers agencies control. God did't create the commodity market grain buyers did to benefit themselves. We need to discover another way to establish price to create stability in supplies and price and I don't think we need to restrict production to do it. Its not a dream, it just takes people to change the direction of the commodity marketing mentality. Does the system need to be so complex that we can argue forever over it capabilities. Knowledge and commonsense run hand in hand. The more knowledge you have the less commonsense you have. Academic overcomes practically. Chas

[TOM4CWB]

I wonder?

What if so many people forget about those co-operatives that now exist, and start reinventing the wheel again and again, what will we have?

Change is a good thing because it creates opportunity.

What am I saying?

Is the problem between the CWB and the co-operative guys mean the regulation should win, and the co-ops should die?

Is this what everyone wants?

I like selling my wheat to Pioneer, and they treat me fairly, they respect me and I respect them. Other "multinationals" have helped make my business profitable in the past. I am thankful that all are still around.

Options mean opportunity for change, which means opportunity for profit!