Farmcorp

[chas]

Your thoughts please on this organization to gain market power.

Website www.farmcorp.org type it into you address bar as it will not come up from a search.
I'm going to attend a meeting next week and would like some opinions before I go. Chas

[freebird]

Chas, it's for suckers that will beleive that the big bad corporations are preying on us poor little farmers, and all we need to do is band together to gain "market power" - the same idea that's behind the CWB and the SWP.

But, like the SWP, at least they're not going to throw you in jail if you don't deal with them.

[charliep]

Is this group related to Focus on Sabbatical? I find it interesting that everyone wants to focus on wheat. Wheat is the fundamentally friendliest crop going into 2001/02. Any factor that impacts crop production in a major wheat producing region will send prices higher.

[parsley]

Chas, one of the things that Farmcorp should have as an assett, would be member farmers' voluntary production estimates. At the present time, there is Federal legislation in place that requires farmers to provide seeding and storage information to Statistics Canada. In turn, Stats Canada sells this information to Companies on CD roms. Fertilizer, chemical etc. Of course, this is very valuable information....your information Chas.......and you have no control of it at the present time.....and for which you receive no compensation. Would you think this also has to change?
Parsley

[ianben]

Hi Chas
I have read through the farmcorp site and find I can agree with most of the facts and goals. Really what I have been trying to say here myself.
However I am not sure of the commitment of the organizers.
Why do they need all those $100
Why does it only appear to be in Sask.?
Only promises for Alb. Man. and no plans at all for rest of world.
I fear this is just a get rich quick plan exploting desparate farmers.
Which is a pity as it will make it even harder for a genuine solution to be sucessful.
I will look forward to your opinion after attending a meeting.
Ask what their plans are for the UK if you get the chance
Regards Ian

[ianben]

Hi Parsley
I agree this imformation should be confidencial it should be trade secret.
This is what I was trying to get at about the CWB market report.
When I can find a list of how many unsold combines JD etc. have around the world. Then I will believe we should be giving out similar information for free.

Regards Ian

[parsley]

Hi ianben,
Is it compulsory in England to submit your seeded acerage etc to government statisticians? Do they sell the information?
Parsley

[charliep]

Parsley: A comment on your ideas about your comments about Statscan reports. As someone who did research, grain companies/agri-business have tremendous market intelligence. There are a lot more ways to gather market information than asking farm managers directly. An interesting comment is that official government put farm managers on an more even basis with private information. It is also more disciplined in approach and likely more accurate. Information gathered in a disciplined manner based on survey principles is an important part of the pricing process.

[parsley]

"An interesting comment is that official government put farm managers on an more even basis with private information."

Translate, please charliep,
Parsley

[ianben]

Hi Parsley
Yes it is compulsary to give the government this information
We must fill in forms in June and December giving full details of our operation crops livestock employees sometimes even tractor and machinary numbers. The question vary from year to year.
Individual figures are confidential.
Overall results are published, this is how I know how many farmers left the industry last year.
We also have to give seeded acres livestock numbers to EU in order to recieve subsidy payments. Although not stricty compulsory it is impossible to farm without payments.
I am not sure they sell them but they are freely availible to all and sundry.

Regards Ian