CWB Name Your Sources Challenge

[Fransisco]

Could it be that the 75% number means <b>maltsters<b/>, not <b>farmers<b/>? And is for a specific time frame, say a month or two after harvest?

I could see where an individual maltster might want to lock up that much product for a certain time frame or when seasonally there is not a lot of product around.

There is a world of difference between maltsters and farmers. Is this another example of the wheat board playing fast and loose with the numbers, hoping that no one will notice?

Since no one has listed a source, what else can we assume?

[TOM4CWB]

Fransisco,

To Quote Sir Thomas Moore...

"Under the Law Silence is agreement."

Didn't help him much... they chopped off his head anyway!

[charliep]

Likely not a fair question for participants of the chat room - only the CWB could answer this question. Its their number.

Someone gave me heck for even making the question relevant. You have to go a lot deeper into the full malt barley contracting system in the US malt industry (Coors and Anheuser Busch early contracts are at a substantial premium to the plain Jane malt barley price). At the end of the day, a willing buyer and seller made an agreement last spring. The agreement has likely been kept/product has been delivered and additional supplies over and above the contracted volumes are now being sold at higher prices. I will let someone explain why the price of malt payments (noting projected payments) and feed barley (paid at delivery) are the same in western Canada.

[Fransisco]

Charlie if someone gave you heck, then it was definitely a relevant question.

Hey they put the number out there, they should be able to back it up with a source and the proper context.

Maybe the number is real but only when taken in a very specific context. One that is different than the board is using. It wouldn't be the first time.

[charliep]

Maybe I should shake everyone up and ask how the targets are calculated on page 40 of the annual report. Are they done externally (Richard Gray)? Is it an internal measure? What due dilegence is done on the process/number? Is it only comparing prices on the day sales are made? Is timing of sales included? Is the $6 to $9/tonne premium shown for the CWB system offset by the costs of the CWB system to that manager?

I note most businesses (including government) have performance measures. A key element is they are understood internally by staff, among stakeholders and by business partners. A key part is to understand the process of how developed and from there, the ability to varify by outside sources.

[parsley]

charliep, you ought to know!

During coffe break, the CWB marketing department each get a daisy, and as they pull off each petal, it goes like this:

We love farmers
We love them not

Been having bad plucking luck.
Parsley