THE CWB AND ORGANIC GRAIN

[parsley]

Good Morning ,

Cam...I posted a report on the thread CWB Director Meetings...it's down quite a ways....but I thought you might be interested in the organic part of it.
It's second hand because i didn't attend.

Parsley

[wedino]

Parsley,
This is the best news. Halyk finally sees the light. I see 8 board members favoring no cost export permitts for organic grain. (Of course I'm counting on the appointees)

>>Rees asked if Halyk would personally support a recommendation that would urge the CWB to grant free export permits to organic producers. When Halyk responded that yes he would support that recommendation at the Board table, the audience of 125, composed of mostly conventional farmers and 4 organic farmers, burst into applause. The farmer-reporter was surprised because it indicated that conventional producers overwhelmingly supported the organic producers' request for no-cost export licenses.. <<

[parsley]

8? Let you count the ways.

Parsley

[Vader]

You realize of course that at present there are only 4 appointed CWB Directors on the Board. Jim Stanford retired from the CWB Board last month and has yet to be replaced. Do you still count 8?

[CWBRules]

<Tom, Ken Ridder, at the supper meeting in Weyburn, stated "Regular grain is switched for & sold as organic grain in the USA & thereby competes with grain the CWB is marketing into USA">

Wouldn't all those hippies in the city love to hear about that one.....cause the last thing we need are protesters trying to figure out how to chain themselves around a wheat plant in protest.

*I shudder at the thought*

[CWBRules]

Sorry all for the reduntant posts, for some reason my post above did not accept a wedino quote. I'll try posting the quote here:

<<Tom, Ken Ridder, at the supper meeting in Weyburn, stated "Regular grain is switched for & sold as organic grain in the USA & thereby competes with grain the CWB is marketing into USA">>

CWBRules

[CWBRules]

Again, accept my appologies, but I think I figured it out. What's that saying again, oh ya, "3 strikes and you're out"

>>Tom, Ken Ridder, at the supper meeting in Weyburn, stated "Regular grain is switched for & sold as organic grain in the USA & thereby competes with grain the CWB is marketing into USA" <<

[TOM4CWB]

On the organic conventional wheat thing,

I think it makes about as much sense as saying I could burn gasoline in my 9650STS combine!

A person can do anything or stretch their imagination enough to say anything, if they really have nothing constructive to prove.

The CWB and CGC do not market or sell organic wheat.

Stop.

Period.

Just like Seed Wheat!!

CWRS Seed Wheat sold into the US comes back to compete 20-50 times as much in commercial competive production, yet the CWB still issues no cost export licenses for it.

Why?

[parsley]

Hear Ye Hear Ye .....New OrganicExpert


This is the latest out of Organic Country . And it's quite the story. I wrote it all down as good as it was told to me from another guy who'd talked to Mr.R. But reliable.


This brand new organic farmer Mr. R. phones up the CWB . They've got a brand new woman in there...an organic "specialist" and she's called the Organic Marketing Manager. By they way, the CWB doesn't market organic grain. Oh boy.

The CWB's buyback Department had "forgot" to tell Mr. R. on an earlier call that there was a $10.00/container deduction from his buyback costs for shipping overseas. Oops. Anyhow he got to arguing with her ...the new marketing Specialist...about the buybacks and asked her if there is a difference between organized crime and legalized crime.

She recommended that he talk to this certain organic farmer in Saskatchewan about how great the CWB is, because this particular farmer was in favor of pooling and could explain it better to poor old Mr. R. than she could. To sway him, so to speak. Mr. R. was hardly impressed.

But it was an interesting thing she did....to refer Mr.R. to get him enlightened. (Old Tom4CWB, who the hell would she refer you to? Or what would she ever recommend to straighten out Adam Smith?)

Anyhow, he also wanted to know from this new CWB "expert" why organic farmers making a sale, had to have their grain graded by the Canadian Grain Commision when his buyer didn't need it and it was going to cost old Mr. R. $25.00 extra. The buyer didn't want it either. The CWB "expert" said she hadn't known that the organic boys didn't use the CGC grading system. She'll sure be a money maker for those poor old organic boys, won't she?

Am waiting to report more from someone .....-who-should-know-something about organics, ......maybeit will be about that Saskatchewan farmer that "straightens out" guys like Mr. R. for the CWB .

Think he's on the CWB payroll?

More when I find out.

PS Why don't some of you old farmers out there tell the experts to read agri-ville to find out what organics is all about. there's been enough talk here, that's for sure.

Parsley

[TOM4CWB]

Parsley,

I would say it has been much more than just talk.

Anyone can print these statements out, examine them carefully, and discover the truth.

The truth is what we are all looking for, and that is more than talk, I believe it is constructive, and can help make us better people, and make our country better too!!!

[parsley]

Another question for a revitalized Thalpenny. The CWB told organic farmers that the CWB legislation would not allow organic farmers out of the CWB "single desk" monopoly.

March 14, 1996 the CWB wrote: "To exempt organic grain which was grown on a certified organic farm from the CWB, the CWB Act would have to be changed."

March 2000, the CWB wrote: "If an exemption were presented as an option to organic farmers, it could not be done right away since there is no clause in the CWB legislation to allow an exemption and the legislation would therefore have to be amended."

There was no misunderstanding about exemption. The CWB defined "exemption:

"An exemption is usually taken to mean that.......private marketers would be given export licences at zero cost."

This was the same as the organic farmers asked for.

Thalpenny was this information given by the CWB to farmers correct or incorrect?

Looking forward to your answer,
Parsley

[AppMan]

Interesting thread.

I am an organic farmer. I find it interesting that the CWB seems to think they are there to assist or help. They seem to think they are the only people who know how to market out wheat and barley. Maybe they can sell boatloads at discounted prices but they sure can not sell containers at premiums.

In my markets they are the biggest single deterent on my farm. The buyback on my last sale to Belguim (in containers) was over 34% of my selling price.
I have no other single expense of this magnitude.

On another note. I had an interesting conversation with a North Dakota friend last week. He is on a National Growers organization (oilseeds) in the US and was on a trade mission to Tiawan. A comment he made to me, Boy those people over their sure hate your CWB. I immediately thought, I wonder if this is one of those wonderful trading relationships the CWB refers to when talking about their abilities in marketing our wheat and barley????

AppMan

[parsley]

Question for CWB Rules.......conventional grain cannot sell into the organic market. That market would be filled by another country if organic growers in Canada did not fill it Whatwas Ritter trying to say?

AppMan...you mean the people in Taiwan hate the CWB or the buyers in Taiwan hate the CWB?

Parsley

[AppMan]

The buyer, I don't think the general public in Tiawan would know who the CWB is.

[CWBRules]

parsley,

Wedino posted the original Ritter quote, it's near the top. I took the quote to mean that conventionaly grown grains are being sold as organic grains in the United States. As a result, the CWB feels justified in marketing organicly grown wheat. I believe that TOM4CWB backs the Ritter quote up.

I feel that the CWB's argument is very weak (I'm being kind here). Is the CWB justified in lowering the organic standards in Canada just because another Country seems to have lax regulations regarding organicly grown productions????

If the CWB has no intention of lowering the organic standards in Canada, then how is Ritter's statement justified?

The CWB expects organic wheat producers to market their production through them (buy backs, ect.), even though the CWB IS NOT MARKETING IT (is that called a paradox?????). It just boggles the mind.......that the CWB expects to recieve money for doing absolutley nothing-----that's communism for ya.


*CWBRules hears knock at door*

CWBRules, "who is it?
"it's CSIS errrr, I mean, delivery"
CWBRules, "I'm not expecting anything, but come on in."

*CWBRules then opens up the door, is tackled and hand cuffed*

CWBRules, "what's going on here???"
CSIS agent, "We're here to take you to the CWB Programming camp, the CWB read your 3 comments on the agri-ville.com board and they don't like it."
CWBRules, "Ya, but look at my nick, it's
pro CWB, do I still have to go?"
CSIS agent, "Yes I'm afraid you do sir. Since the CWB is not privy to the freedom of information act, they can pretty much do what ever the heck they want."

*CWBRules thinks, damn, the fun I could have if I ran the CWB*