Reports from the CWB District Meetings

[charliep]

Apologize for those who want less CWB in this site but would be interesting to get the peoples notes about questions asked/mood from the CWB district meetings. These meetings started on March 2. Also interested in how many farmers are attending these meetings.

A very interesting article in the Lethbridge Herald. Questions about CWB risk managment strategies are front and center of everyones minds.

[Jeff Nielsen]

good idea Charlie
I look forward to good attendance and questions next week at the meetings in Westaskiwin (Monday) and Bassano (Tuesday).
Senior staff in attendance and there to ask questions to will be Bob Cuthbert - who is senior barley marketer (both malt and feed) and Jim Mclandress - legal council for the CWB.
I look forward to seeing farmers there and an informational session.
Jeff Nielsen
CWB director district 2

[BreadWinner]

I have mixed feeling about attending these meetings. If you attend they take it like your approving the boards process and if you ask any hard questions they wont give any answers in front of the crowd making you look like one of those radicals. Usually are attended by more supporters than non supporters. I also think they are just giving you these meetings so they can say that they let you have a say in board policy. Even when you know their policys wont change.

[BreadWinner]

I have mixed feeling about attending these meetings. If you attend they take it like your approving the boards process and if you ask any hard questions they wont give any answers in front of the crowd making you look like one of those radicals. Usually are attended by more supporters than non supporters. I also think they are just giving you these meetings so they can say that they let you have a say in board policy. Even when you know their policys wont change.

[Jeff Nielsen]

BreadWinner
I can understand your thoughts, yet if those who don't want to see actual change, actual progress and a strong push for ultimately a CWB who can function in the real world as one of many choices for producers, then it won't happen.
I have not/will not flip at the board table. I will continue to work towards an entity that can provide value for all producers. Can it work? it is still up to all of us producers. Come out to the meetings, express your views in a concise business fashion. I believe it can adapt and change.
It is our business that are affected, viable arguments backing up the needs of western Canadian wheat and barley farmers business needs can not be deflected. And the needs of our end users be them here or elsewhere.
Emotions/fear mongering/worries about big bad multinationals/ and such keep us in the rut that we find ourselves in.
Time to change that.
My thoughts,
Jeff Nielsen
District 2 CWB director

[haveapulse]

Jeff if you believe in what you say, then why not start a poll at these meetings and poll the farmers on how many want an audit, a thorough review of the trading offices, and some element of reporting back to farmers ont he % of the crop sold when and how to begin some element of accountability, pick one or all, and then follow the directive.

Talk is cheap.

[BreadWinner]

I feel the only thing I may acomplish in my director meeting is full stomach and a little larger share of the pool than my neighbor. Where do you even start asking questions with Kyle Korneychuk, how did this man even get elected? He defintly does not express all the farmers interests in his district, he is only interested in his own. CWB IS THE BEST, CWB IS THE BEST, CWB IS THE BEST, sorry I am just trying to think like Kyle.

[charliep]

Still waiting for the first report on CWB district meeting.

Apathy is the best friend of status quo and the worst enemy of change. If you feel lonely, fill your quad cab pickup up with your neighbors and be prepared to listen, ask good questions (you don't have to grandstand) and talk about what you heard on the way home. Be a community leader.

From the Willington meeting, I have indication that Allen Oberg indicated that the $18 mln portion of the $25.5 mln will be paid back eventually. No guarantees on taking any more grain on the "C" contract. One question on current new crop weak basis levels to which there was no answer. Also a question about the $1/bu plus premium in Montana markets over Canada and the typical mumbling about US sales only being a small part of CWB pool volumes.

From the Lethbridge Herald article, a lot more questions about the descretionary trading and contingency fund. Interesting in the article, Larry Hill only refers to the $29.5 mln deficit in the contingency fund as being paid back (implication the 2007/08 pool will have eaten the $25.5 mln loss). The PPO contingency fund deficit will be made manageable by the end of the 2008/09 crop.

A question I would have everyone ask is how the contingency fund deficit is being paid off. The obvious answer is wider PPO basis but you need to hear that from your BofD/the CWB operations people who attend. Indications are the PPO program is currently running a $30 mln plus surplus on 2008/09 operations (i.e. the contingency fund is back on the positive side) with a note still need to be pushed back to a positive balance of $60 mln (more if the federal government raises the contingency fund limit).

[Jeff Nielsen]

As to a poll, if it is the wish of the producers at the meeting to have such a poll then ok. This is a chance for producers to ask the hard questions. Push the issues, even with directors that are more one sided. By doing that, having hard facts to back your statements up then a sound debate can happen.
What does work for producers at the CWB? what doesn't and why? where should the changes be made?
Jeff

[parsley]

I put a few notes on my blog about the farmers going to the meetings that might be helpful for those who are in full calving season or seed cleaning. Pars

[bucket]

Jeff

How do you explain the inexcusable losses at your meetings?

How do you tell farmers with a straight face it didn't come out of their pockets?

I understand the role of the board member but this requires someone with some balls to set the record staight.

Did the cwb even fire anyone for this disaster?

Where is the gibson report and why do ex-cwb board staff who were probably responsible for the cwb practices allowed to study the fiasco?

I am asking the questions and consider this a farmer forum. Where are your answers and what is the spin the cwb tells you to say?

[Hopperbin]

One thing for sure if they keep the basis wide on PPOs we won't see the stampede to get one like years past.

[Hopperbin]

And I don't get it, the PPOs have always added value to the pools. Since when was an actual PPO value at world levels?

[gustgd]

I attended Cam Geoffs first meeting in Davidson Back on Monday sorry for the late reply.
Abbreviated report with out my notes so going from Memory.
probably 20-25 people there likely 18 current farmers balance was old boys who clapped when the local NFU lady did a big prepared monologue on how great McCreary was and that farmers have spoken and the rest of us should just accept the will of the "majority"
It's amazing who comes out when they offer "free" meals
When speaking from his notes he was coherent and told people nothing new blah blah blah .....
When he tried putting things in his own words he was embarrassing himself, I realize that he was nervous and that this was his first time being questioned by people who probably did not vote for him.
And explaining to people that their monopoly lost them 89 million through "extraordinarily" Bad management is tough.
One hard question from a monopoly supporter who does not like PPO's and was mad about the cross subsidisation from the pools after being promised by their prophet McCreary for last 8 years that would NEVER happen. Geoffs reply was that the pool would be paid back, my question was by whom Geoff made an analogy to when someone has a insurance claim premiums go up for a while.
Bed time 4 now if I get some responses I'll try and answer.
If your a wheat grower member call me I'm easy to find
G

[gustgd]

Does anyone else think that having Ward Weisensel (the Monopolys CEO) baby sitting elected directors is perhaps not the best use of his time?