malsters are going to get what they deserve

[charliep]

forgot to source the cash plus contracts. also interesting to read the regular CWB contracts.

http://www.cwb.ca/public/en/forms/farmers/cp/08-09/0809cp_tc_preharvest.pdf

http://www.cwb.ca/public/en/forms/farmers/cp/08-09/0809cp_tc_postharvest.pdf

http://www.cwb.ca/public/en/forms/farmers/sb/0809sb_tc_sbarley.pdf

[broker]

I would also like to point out that I submitted a large quantity of barley that was not on production contract, some of which would have met the highest malt specs, yet it was turned down due to no market.
Just goes to show that they didn't have to accept sub-par barley from producers but did so to keep good relationships with production contract clients.

[charliep]

My experience and feedback from farmers is the same as yours broker by the way with a caveat happy people don't call me - just the ones that are mad and vocal. The system does work reasonably well with a note there is 4 MMT of selectible barley in western Canada this year and 2.6 mln tonnes of market.

[broker]

just curious...what is 4mmt of "selectable" barley? I maybe should know how this number is derived, but at this point I am not sure.
I know what there is for market, and I know the tonnes that I get selected and what is rejected, and how much of the non-selected could have been....but who tallies this for western Canada??

[charliep]

That was a number the CWB used at the District meeting in Wetaskwin. Seems like I have also heard them use it elsewhere.

Selectible barley is always a matter of definition. The highlight is this past years crop was generally good quality and a high portion suitable for selection (or at least within the quality specifications a maltster can use).

[Burbert]

Soooo, now the system is working very, very, well! It would seem that all the problems reported were bovine scatology. Now the malties are good, good, honourable fellows. It appears more and more however that the system is based on a very large pile of scat at the best of times, and most of us farmers don't even know,or can't recognize a problem. Broken contract, no problem, there is always next year boys, another shortage will result in the sucking up malties chasing us agin!!

[furrowtickler]

Sooo, no one is to blame eh? The CWB dropped their pants in all marketing last year, and the maltsers are playing god - it must be the stupid farmer who tried to get the best return for his product. what a bunch of b/s!!

[charliep]

I should note those numbers are for 2008. Other years have been different.

I encourage everyone to listen to Gord Flatens interview on crop prospects about malt barley and its outlook.

http://marketprospects.usask.ca/

Talks about the CWB philosophy and strategies around the malt barley pricing/payment side. The area of contract enforcement and arbitration does not come up. Again, I ask the question about whether a cash clearing house concept has merit in malt barley.

[Fransisco]

Wheat board sets up the contracts, gives the maltsters an easy out and the maltsters take it. And Malt growers are surprised because...?

[Burbert]

The malties, have always played god. Whinning and sniveling about grain that is off loaded. The malty says this, the malty says that, the malty says trying and make the grain, more uniform. .1% moisture wrong, what a mortal sin that is, lets doc, the farmer, no lets dry the grain and charge the farmer, then we'll just blend it and like majic its the best. Malty's know it all, they are perfect, they are in fact god. Go Maltin, only the best will do and git it in or they'll close the poooooooooooool on ya! Then its Cashplus all the way, big guys know, it the only way to gooooooo. Get rich plantin maltin ya!