JRI Pioneer -What is their deal

[bgmb]

Has anyone had a tough time dealing with their local pioneer elevator? They made me a horrible offer on my wheat this year. It also seems you can't buy a bag of seed from them at a reasonable price without signing a production contract. Forced to take my business elsewhere!

[chaffmeister]

Actually I have found the same thing to be true with the Pioneer. I have had no luck with them whatsoever!!

[grrrr]

Same with my local pioneer. Since harvest our pioneer price for canola has been .25/bu lower than anyone else. That is a pity when they are 3 miles from my farm. When I walk in their door I get the feeling they couldn't care less if I were there. Not the same as a few years ago when we had 3 companies in town.

[furrowtickler]

The Sask Pool and Cargil are of the same attitude here. They all try to demand 100% of your buisness in order to collect the premiums offered. The price for the inputs for these deals easily eats away any premium offered.
Also you are stuck with their dockage and grades, scary thought.
One local farmer is in their system(Cargil), farms 16,000 ac and he is told what to seed and givin the fert, chem program and has to pay a feild scout. Cargil writes the land rent cheques. Iam not sure what is in it for him. Seeded 24 hrs a day last spring with one outfit. Still has over 1000 acres out. I think that this system will implode on itself eventually, or is this a prelude to our future?

[rbrunel]

I have noticed that Pioneer is offering basis contracts with all of its' canola seed this year. I told them to shove it and went and took my business to an independent coop. I always like dealing with the manager, but this beef is with the people from above.

[bgmb]

Yeah that's exactly what i did too bought most of my canola seed at the local coop and some at agricore. Saved 50 cants per pound on my seed and i wasn't tied to their basis contract.
Talked to a guy that used to work for pioneer over the weekend he said it was unbelievable how much wheat business they lost this fall. I think you are right the top management must be driving this, something has changed and it seems to be company wide.

[parsley]

Sounds like there are bloaters in Pioneer's head office that need to be taken off their ration, and shipped out.

It's good that farmers have a choice in who they buy from.

Parsley

[Southpaw]

Same thing here with Pioneer. Have not darkened their door since Oct. Pioneer 3 miles from farm and I am hauling all our grain 22 miles down the road. Isn't it great that farmers still have "choice" of where to buy inputs. To bad we don't have "choice" of where to market wheat and malt. Funny how it works one way but not the other!!

[TOM4CWB]

Parsley,

The beauty of the Capitalist system is...

I can do business with you... or not.

JRI is a prudently run business... who has conserved capital, and developed personal relationships which create value.

Why should they do business any differently?

DOn't judge until you have walked a mile in their shoes!

What is so bad about just saying NO, I don't need your business!

It happens, and needs to happen every day in our business.

And no... I am not looking for a special deal from JRI... But I am sure there is a bunch more going on... than anyone here can prudently talk about!

[parsley]

Tom4CWB,

I agree with you. Chosing your partner is crucial to successful business. Everyone must be able to reject who they deal with.

I was looking at the PR side of it from the post:
"When I walk in their door I get the feeling they couldn't care less if I were there"

Most successful companies teach employees to make a customer/potential customer feel like it is nothing personal that they didn't deal.

Bloaters become arrogant, take their position for granted, look down their nose, and down the road it's not good for business.

Parsley

[bgmb]

Just to clarify, the main point I was making in the original message was that I have done lots of business with JRI in the past business which i'm sure was beneficial to both sides.
Now they seem to have changed tactics, everything for them and nothing for me.
There seems to be an increase in bundling of products and services in general in our industry. I think this is negative and will resist it unless it is clearly going to make me more money.