Made in Canada Trade Retaliation and the CWB

[bshaw2]

Everytime we turn on the media we hear trade retaliation by the US against one of our Canadian commodities. Softwood lumber, feeder cattle, wheat, and now hogs.
When will it all end?

The wheat issue would be the simplest to solve right now. Rather than the CWB
rationing or quitting sales to our export wheat customers to satisfy Japan and the US 1st, why not quit shipping wheat all together to the USA. It won't be long before the US Millers tell the powers to be where to stick the tariff words from other parts. If nothing else maybe it will get the price up higher than they are now which we all know the American's are claiming anyway.

On another note.......... its ironic that the only ones that want to get rid of the CWB are the large Canadian grain farmers who are just following the drumbeat of Cargill's and ADM as they try to take over the family farms. The CWB must really be an effective (and fair) marketer of grain if the Americans want to derail it so much.

[les]

Bshaw.....Bullhunkys I am not a large grain farmer and i want the CWB ousted.

[bshaw2]

Then Sir you must be from the 51st state of Benadict Klien.

[carebear300]

I actually support the Canadian Wheat Board but I do think that it should be a vote amongst only wheat growers to determine if the wheat board should remain or if there should be a dual market system. Yes I agree that the wheat board can't be that bad or the americans wouldn't always be trying to get rid of it. The big grain companies want to get rid of it as well because they like to steal directly from us dumb farmers.

[bshaw2]

I hear you carebear, but what do you mean by only wheat growers should be able to "vote"? My income (most years) is 2/3's hog related. My small acreage780 acres, of which 400 are annual crops is generally about 1/4 wheat, 1/4 Canola, and 1/2 barley. The barley is all fed to my hogs and now some cattle. ALL of my wheat is marketed through the CWB. Does this qualify me to vote?

I personally support the CWB for it assures me that I don't have to spend all my time watching for the best price from numerous buyers, in multiple countries. I don't have to go hat in hand to Cargill or ADM, or L. Drey. to see if my little semi load (or 2) is worthy of their time. I don't feel comfortable with options and puts and frankly they disgust me. My barber who did understand them and made more money than I did buying and selling corn. He has never greased a combine, or shovelled $2 wheat or cried from a lack of rain (in fact he likely prayed for a drought).

Without the CWB (which I am sure will make some people happier), small grain farmers will just become another casaulty in this whole mad dash to the Global Market. Do the anti CWB'ers really think that the exporters they choose will really care about their best interests? Sure maybe the initial prices are a little low, but there are other selling options now. Ever notice how the open market prices are generally lower in the fall? When was the last time you ever heard of a feed mill paying you for protein? Atleast I know the CWB, within the legislation that they must work, are doing the best they can to find a market and find premiums from those buyers that really want Canadian wheats and barley This gives me and many other grain producers that have diversified the time to spend with the livestock that we choose.

Thank you for letting me get my "opinion" out too. Needless to say I am for Single Desk.

[bshaw2]

Not only are you single desk but also you are single minded Mr. Socialist Shaw.

[les]

Yes Mr.Shaw I am from Alberta,and jealousy wont get you no where.The more this Liberal one sided manure goes on here the more I wish I was part of the U.S. of A.

[wilagro]

The Americans have enough trouble makers already so if these 'dissident CWB haters' were to apply for citizenship or even a 'green card', I am sure they would send them back home post-haste. This talk of joining the 'States' everytime they don't get their way makes me puke.

Meanwhile...Back on topic.

We have a great country here despite the 'Liberals' and despite the 'Klein Gang' gov't in Alberta.
What we really need to fight the U.S. retaliation attempts is a Canadian Gov't with some backbone. Oh I forgot...Mr. Mulroney made sure that we would never be able to stand up to the U.S.A. with the Free Trade Agreement slanted in their favour. They only agree to contracts or treaties when they gain. Canadians are just too gullible.

[Deb]

When grain farmers were getting screwed by the middleman in the early 1900s, they wanted to build some kind of co-operative where they could each count on getting their grain sold and a paycheck before winter set in. they formed pools. Guess what? ALberta was the first one to have a wheat pool - in 1923. Now the big operators wouldn't be allowed to hog all the elevator space.

Guess what will happen if the CWB is dismantled? It will mean another nail in the coffin of the small to medium family farm (and hello to the Cargills of the world).

[bmj182]

bshaw,
How big is too big, as far as I'm
concerned the more grain you
produce the more say you should
have concerning the CWB. Big
farmers have more at stake! The
CWB is not saving the so called
"family farm". I know of several
farmers in the 13000ac range, who
are 4th generation farmers, do they
count in your world?

[flatbroke]

bshaw first let me say that as an Albertan please don't lump me in with the "board bashers"! Next, I think you hit it on the head,these guy's inflated egos have been pumped up by grain merchants telling them that they don't need the board, for they as producers are far smarter than board marketing specialists. And Deb, you're right, Albertans were the first to conceive of the pool concept, for the reasons you stated! ...another interesting note, by my informal little straw poll in my neck of the woods, most large wheat farmers around here favor single desk selling. Also, I do recall voting on this very issue a couple of years back, as did (or could) any permit book holder, many of whom only applied for one to vote against single desk, and guess what? ... YOU STILL LOST!! Merry Christmas :-)

[flatbroke]

oh, and P.S. wilagro, excellent point! A federal gov't with a spine would go a long way to ending this trade action nonsense!

[les]

If you want to sell to the CWB thats fine, but let us farmers that dont want to sell to them make our own free choice.

[les]

Flatbroke: I could have sold wheat this fall for $9.00 on the open market now the CWB will end up at less than $6.00 for me. Your name says it all, just keep up your socialistic, communistic and dicriminating attitude and keep wundering why rural Western Canada is getting less an less populated. Tranfer all of our wealth done east with your single desk.

Pool if you like but don't vote my freedom to choose a market away.

Merry Christmas comrade.

[flatbroke]

My x-mas wish list: I'd like to import and plant fusarium infested grain. I'd like to grow and sell unregistered wheat varieties. I'd like to retail non-inspected beef. I'd like to push manure into the river in the spring... You wouldn't want to impinge on my freedom to do that, now would you? If you hate single desk that much, don't you have the "freedom" to grow something else? CHEERS!