Farmers screwed again!

[plowjockey]

SASKATOON - A group called Farmers of North America has filed an unfair trade complaint against 13 herbicide suppliers. Steve Nixon is the farm group's general manager. He says he went looking for a price on a bulk purchase of half a million litres of glyphosate. The chemical is sold under various names, including Roundup. Nixon says all 13 companies refused to quote a price. He can't understand why.'Why are these companies refusing to supply product, especially the retailers?' he asks. 'You would imagine that in the case of a retailer - which their whole being is to sell product - are they saying that they're just not interested in this type of volume? It just doesn't make any sense.' Nixon says manufacturers and distributors also refused to quote a price. So he complained to the Canadian competition bureau. It says it's examining the complaint under four sections of the law. They deal with conspiracy, price discrimination, price maintainance and refusal to supply. Isn't that a joke! Big corps giving the shaft to Farmers again! We form a group to save money and they won't deal with us! Conspiracy? Time will tell but it sure smells!

[dsheehan-millang]

Some of this 'unwillingness' to provide a quote on bulk buys, may be associated with the many company mergers as well as many of the large mulitnationals are getting ready to 'sell' direct via online large ecommerce sites. Sites such as Cargill, Centex and Dupont's www.rooster.com due to come online May 1st. This site like many others due to come online this spring or early Summer plan to sell chemcials, seeds, crop inputs direct to the farmer. While many of these new intiatives are U.S. based, it won't be long until Canadian sites follow suit. It is estimated that Canada is about 12 to 18 months behind the U.S. in adoption and use of E-commerece in business to consumer applications. Another site with similar goals soon to be online is www.agriplace.com it has U.S. funding but Canadian roots and Canadian/Alberta staff.

[noelm]

With all due respect, I can't see how the various companies planning to go online to sell chemical has anything to do with the suppliers refusing to quote a price for a 500,000 l. order. My guess is that they were either: - suspicious that the fellow trying to order the chemical was really just trying to get a lower price in order to 'prove' that the chemical companies were hosing the farmers, or - they did not want to encourage farmers in getting together and ordering as groups, as it cuts down on the net income.

[dsheehan-millang]

Online direct sales from their ecommerce sites 'may' offer special sale rates or reduced prices.

[edbaker]

Hi dsheehan-millang,

I wouldn't hold your breath, waiting. Ed Baker