Will the CWB Ever Stop Pillaging Organics?

[Fransisco]

As do I. There is absolutely nothing wrong with constructive critism.

[parsley]

chuckchuck,

IF as you say:

"You either believe in pooling and sharing the highs and the lows of the market or you don’t"

Then why did the CWB directors abandon pooling and marketing the millions of bushels of grain that passes through the Export Manufactuered Feed Agreement and let the feed mills buy directly from the farmer?

Parsley

[TOM4CWB]

ChuckChuck,

Why does the CWB give no cost export licenses on Pedigreed Seed wheat and barley being exported!

These "special" western Canadian "designated area" wheat and barley varieties we are told are the base determining quality key to Canadian differentiation from other grain qualities from other countries...

If this were true, the buyback should be double normal CWB commecial wheat and barley that belongs to the "single desk".
This is much like giving the patent on a product away for nothing and allowing others to reproduce without paying for the patent... why would the CWB do this when it breaks the "single desk" principal and makes it a farce?

Face it, the CWB is here to protect their agents... to keep commercial growers in Canada bound to them...

The reason the "buyback" can't be done direct with the CWB for commercial wheat and barley... like it is done for cheap ($1.50/t?) for organics plus special financing clearly proves this point.

We have been had in a big way ChuckChuck... deception upon deception layer upon layer.

[parsley]

Tom4CWB,

What's ggod for the goose is good for the gander.

An old tried and true axiom.....you should be teaching them to the CWB

Parsley

[chuckChuck]

Gerald D. There is a good case for making the buyback more predictable. But at the same time organic farmers need to think long term. For the most part the organic market has developed in a situation where demand has grown faster than supply. When the supply exceeds demand then what will prices look like? I doubt that organic premiums will look nearly as good. With major retailers like Walmart carrying organic, the pressure is on to reduce premiums. China is being very aggressive in some products as well. We also know that many farmers sell well below the going price in any marketing year which helps push prices down for everybody. The concept of a free market is all well and good when there is a lot of buyers and sellers in a transparent market, but as we have seen in the conventional market the number of buyers is being reduced to the point where there is less competition. In this situation individual farmers have little ability to be more than price takers. Groups of farmers have more marketing clout since they can bargain collectively on behalf of members like the Farmer Direct Coop does. The advantage the CWB has is if you want Canadian Wheat then you have no where else to go. It is a monopoly seller on behalf of farmers. Everyone is well aware of the power of monopolies when it comes to purchasing any product. When Roundup first came out it was $20 a litre. Monsanto had patent protection which effectively gave it a monopoly for nearly 20 years. What happened when the patent (monopoly)expired and there was competition? Prices came down. I doubt that it took 20 years for Monsanto to pay for the research investment. From the perspective of Monsanto which was better, the monopoly on Roundup or the open market with many sellers and lots of generic competition? From the perspective of a farmer selling a product which would be better a monopoly selling position or lots of competitive sellers?

[gregpet]

Chuck, unfortunately Canadian wheat or barley is not completely irreplaceable for millers, unlike roundup was when it was the only burnoff chemical option. May be a slight difference in pricing opportunity there. Why, Chuck, would the CWB sell to the Algerians at savings of 'tens of dollars per ton' if they have the only product out there available? My guess is that the competition is very and the CWB sold our grain at a discount to keep the customer. Is this what the CWB means when it states the without the monopoly designated area producers will 'bid the price down'? I know what my cost of production is and try not to sell below that cost. Does the CWB know what my cost of production is and what price I require to make a profit. I don't know, they have never asked they just sell at whatever price they can receive, not at what price they dictate to receive. They only dictate to me the price that I receive.

[parsley]

chuckchuck,

You are now a self-appointed organic expert-wanna-be.

Not.

Don't ever try to tell organics how to grow and develop an industry, because they did it in spite of people who write and central-direct as you try to do.

If we had depended upon advice, such as yours, organics would still be selling #3.00 wheat to third world countries with Machej as the accredited agent.

And with you pounding home to us, how profitable that is for farmers.

Your advice appears just as distasteful as your your gall does sufferable.

Your vision of benefitting farmers is about as beneficial as would be to adopt three novel CWB ideas:

1.Substituting green paper for white, on license application forms.

2.Adopting a different font on buyback instructions.

3. Prepare a list of 6 different ways to sell to the CWB,

The CWB vision, a discarded vision by so many Western producer,is frozen in "threshing days mentality", get new horses,get new leather for the reins, get the straw in a pile, get the stooking done. They reflect what you can let go of, ...sell to the Board, sell to the Board. sell to the Board.

Why don't you also mention that the Canadian Wheat Board Directors and Minister, a few years ago, purposely approved having changed the CWB Act, so that wheat and barley IMPORTS into Canada would not be suject to the national tariff requirement in 46(d)/14(b), and consequently, mills in Canada buy organic grain from other countries.

You opine for Jail Western farmers not allowed to sell out of the country, and vote "Open the Gates" for anyone bringing grain in. This is your idea of a monopoly. It is so sad and tired and bankrupt.

Lastly, Chuck Chuckchuck; you might at least have the metal of character to continue to write under your common handle.

Parsley

[chuckChuck]

gregpet.
1.
You know as well as I do Greg Arason CEO of the CWB contradicted the Minister of Ag. on the Algerian sales at Ag. Committee hearings. So who is more likely right, the CEO who understands and oversees the trade or a lumberman from BC turned politician with a political agenda? You put your faith in politicians of course?
2. Of course I know Canadian wheat is replaceable. But some customers are willing to pay more for some brands and service than others. Our brand is Canadian and it generally is worth more than other supplies to some customers ( not all). If this is not true why do many consumers buy Toyota and not GM or Ford products? GM cars can replace Toyota. Why the preference? Do you have brand preferences? Why, when many brands can be replaced with another brand? Do you pay more for some brands? Why?

[gerald.d]

Chucky: I'm not sure who you really are , hiding behind a nic, but I have no doubt that someone could hit you over the head with a bat and not change your mind about the CWB. Not with any kind of philosophical arguement for sure, so I will make you the same offer as I made Stewart Wells a few days ago-- write me a cheque for $50,000.00 out of your own personal bank account, to pay for the PDS screwing I have received from the CWB this year. And be prepared to do the same or more for each year that the CWB continues to stiffle the organic industry. This would show your commitment to keeping a strong healthy single desk monopoly. I know that I am not receiving any where near that kind of value so if you want to keep it,you pay for it! Put your money where your mouth is or shut it. If you do-- I'll shut mine!!

[gerald.d]

Chucky: You fear monger on and on about the big grain companies and how they would steal our wheat in we didn't have the CWB to protect us, I farmed conventionally for over 25 years before switching to organic.Wheat was never our "Cash Crop".Canola and peas and flax carried us, wheat was only a rotation crop to space out disease cycles. Canola can and regularly is substituted for by many other grains, yet it is of great value and grain companies compete for it and keep the prices high. There is no substitute for wheat, rye bread or barley bread are just not as palitable, so the low prices are a mystery,the CWB does not have a monopoly on the world.

[gregpet]

Chuck, Mr. Arason may have contradicted Mr. Strahl but if you read the letter posted on the CWB website at http://www.cwb.ca/public/en/hot/record/uswa/ I quote from the letter “…since our country receives preferential prices, which save Algeria tens of dollars per tonne purchased.” How can you contradict that? Unfortunately you put your faith in the CWB. As for brand preference, I agree Canadian wheat is preferred by some countries and I believe it would be preferred by those same countries without the CWB and we would still receive our premiums. In fact if you read this quote from the same letter you will see how loyal some customers are:

“However, the benefits of doing business with Canada do not end there: according to Kacem, Canada also provides technical assistance in the form of training for executives from the OAIC and the agricultural sector. In addition, the Canadian supplier pays the loading costs, and facilitations are offered with regard to the method of payment. “No other country offers us these advantages,” says Kacem. And Gauthier confirms the privileged status Algeria enjoys in its trade with Canada, stating that Algeria “is one of Canada’s traditional customers, and our relationship goes back to the early 70s.” According to Gauthier, trade between the two countries remains strong in spite of a drop in Algeria’s purchases in recent years, due to the increase in local production stimulated by the National Agricultural Development Plan (Plan national de développement agricole – PNDA).”

As long as the pool pays the cost of all these ‘added’ benefits out of my pocket without my consent I guess the customer is happy as long as they do not produce enough of their own to use.

As far as paying more for a particular product, I am all for it. When the CWB becomes a voluntary agency it will be your choice to choose the best price for your grain or you can choose the CWB brand of mediocre price.

What about your Roundup analogy?

[chuckChuck]

Don't worry folks. Once the CWB is gone all your problems will be solved.