CWB survey demographics

[tipsy]

A very accurate assessment Raven. If farmers controled the cwb we would definitely have marketing choice in barley,and probable would have marketing options for grains the cwb will not contract or accept 100% on a contract.As the goverment or cwb survey results point out farmers want choice in marketing barley.Where is it? What I can't figure out is if you are not going to do as farmers want then why continue to do the survey and why contine to promote the message that farmers are in control of the board when clearly there are NOT.

[Raven]

Winnipeg bureaucrats are currently controling the CWB, and neither farmers or the government. It isn't hard to figure out their interests. Hopefully this recent court case will cause the government to assert their authority and order the CWB to grant export licences to producers.

[Fransisco]

DESIGN OF CWB ANNUAL SURVEY OF FARMERS IS FLAWED


Release Airdrie, AB. – June 30, 2009: The Canadian Wheat Board annual survey of farmers has the Western Barley Growers Association (WBGA) concerned. ”The survey is one of the main tools used for strategic planning by the CWB Board of Directors” says Brian Otto, President of the WBGA. “Unfortunately the design of the survey is flawed.” First, the CWB only surveys CWB Permit Book holders. “The CWB doesn’t get the views of farmers who grow wheat and barley but do not have a CWB permit book’, says Otto. “Our view is that their opinion matters too.”

Second, the survey of 1300 farms across the Prairies does not take production into account. Alberta farmers, who produce 35% of the wheat and barley on the Prairies, represent only 27% of the survey.

“Let’s be clear”, says Otto. “If all farmers – both with and without Permit Books – were given a voice in proportion to provincial production, those favouring an open market in barley would be more than the 60% shown by the current survey.”

Third, the survey favours smaller and older farmers nearing retirement rather than farmers who are producing the bulk of the wheat and barley grown on the Prairies.

“The CWB is hearing primarily from their supporters. Taking volume of production by province into account and including farmers without Permit Books would go a long way to improving the information being gathered”, Otto says. “If the CWB wants farmers’ views to assist in future business decisions, they need to change the survey. Adjustments can be made to the process without losing information concerning historical trends.”

“We support the CWB’s use of farmer surveys to gauge how farmers view various issues. But to be relevant, the survey needs to be inclusive, not exclusive. Forming strategic plans without the benefit of all farmer stakeholders will generate skewed results. This is not in the best interests of the CWB nor the farmers it represents.

As it is right now, the survey shows CWB Permit Book holders’ views only, and does not represent all Western Canadian farmers.”

[Fransisco]

Good point Raven, the CWB is run by the bureaucrats for the bureaucrats, who are only accountable to themselves.

[classicalliberal]

Something that I can't believe is that the biggest support comes from Manitoba. I thought that most farmers in the Red River Valley were more progressive than that.

[bucket]

The guys in the red river get special programs like the fusarium program and every time it rains they get to deliver 100% of their grain because it might flood. They have a special relationship with the board. That and where do you think they fill all those 1-800-275-4292 pee on positions from?

[Fransisco]

The Barley Growers didn't get it quite right, the five year average for Alberta wheat and barley is 39% a tad higher than the 35% they said and a full 12 points higher than the weighting in the wheat board survey.

I'm sure its just an honest mistake. The Board would never intentionally give a lower weighting to the province which supports the monopoly the least.(Ha!!)

[tipsy]

Raven don't expect Mr. Harper and the present p.c. party to move on this cwb file any time soon.They have fallen in to the dangerous trap of being bullyed and pushed around,on most issues, by the oppoition parties and small left wing interest groups.Presently they lack vision, credible advise and the mangement skills to govern in a manner which their supporters elected them.I look forward to the day when the p.c. party can stand up for it's self and start to push back and move forward on issues that are important to their supporters.

[Raven]

I believe we should at least ask for export licences for producers. My observation is that the Government has tried to do what farmers have asked for. Asking to remove barley by regulation did not work because it went against the words of the Act. Wheat and barley are not removed from Eastern Canada.

[Fransisco]

"Presently they lack vision, credible advise and the mangement skills to govern in a manner which their supporters elected them."

No, what they lack are 'onions'.