Unfair?

[BFW]

Ivbinconned the fall of 2001 and winter of 2002 was the time that most of the corn was coming in. I just checked and we were paying $155.00-$160.00/tonne in the Strathmore area at that time. That equates to about $3.25/bushel so if you were getting only $1.60/bushel I can see why you have problems. Better check the facts.

[dolin]

i am an quebec farmer and you know what, almost all crop farmer in my area have a job outside the farm.we don t live just whit the grain dolin

[ivbinconned]

BFW; sorry about that! My mind was on the year 1999. By the way how much corn came in that year?

Cowmans point is still intact. There is little in the way of empathy between different sectors of agriculture in western Canada with 24- plus interest groups I am told. How many in Quebec...ONE.

[cakadu]

That is precisely the point - ivbeen - the producers in Quebec speak with one voice and out here we have a myriad of voices. The UPA is an extremely powerful and effective group. One of the newer threads gives a view on what the UPA does.

I don't really know the answer to this, so I will ask if it is a fair comparison between corn and soybeans versus the barley and even canola we grow out here? Seems to me that these former crops make more than at least the barley does. I have no idea on yields, so can't compare them that way, but I'm sure others on the site do.

I know a fellow that grows IP soy in Quebec and he likely gets paid a premium because it is IP. His costs are likely higher as well because of choosing to go into this program.

I've heard more than one person say that until agriculture starts to speak with one voice, it will go nowhere. Perhaps there is more than just a grain of truth to that statement (pun intended.)

[oxbow]

Cowman, "I would suspect R-Calf will be calling this an unfair subsidy and definitely pushing for trade action against Canadian beef?"


Already have, but RCALF is usually irrelevant. THey just have that 1 court ruling or they'd be completely ignored.

[cowman]

BFW: You are right on about the price.That is exactly what it was...$3.25. However the price had no where to go but up, until the subsidized corn came in and then it went down! I believe my cousin finally sold at $2.85 after holding it another 6 months!
Was he being greedy to hold out for more money? That year was a pretty ugly drought if you might remember. Yields were down about 40%...on an average? Supply and demand would dictate a higher price per bushel? Instead Canada lets in the unfairly subsidized corn and destroys any chance to make a profit. That is in fact what happened and it was blatantly unfair to the Canadian grainfarmer? Stold that money right out of his pocket!
Once again you had government picking the winners and the losers and not being fair to one sector. This is not a good thing? It breeds animosity between the various farmers and does not build confidence that our rulers are just and fair?
Another classic example of government favoring one industry over another was the fusarium infested hay and straw coming into Alberta from the eastern prairies. The Alberta government broke their own laws here to "save" the cattle industry...of course in the meantime they put our grain industry in jeoprody! Now maybe we dodged that bullet...or maybe it will come back to haunt us, but the fact is the government actively encouraged people to break their own laws!
This whole idea that we must sacrifice everything for the "cattle business" is a crock? There is one hell of a lot more to agriculture than a bunch of money losing cattle! If they killed off every darned cow in Alberta we all might be a lot better off!

[ivbinconned]

As to the re-named Quebec ASRA program and the comparisons that may be invoked. My contact in eastern Ontario seeds 1500 acres so for some to say oh ya but the farms are small doesn't wash.
The programs have some very unique aspects to them. Three that realy stand out, 1;they are based on cost of production. 2;they are acreage based (more acres more paymnent) 3; and this one I really like, they are based on 90% of a skilled workers salary!! So what ever the teacher or nurse or crown corporation employee is getting would have an impact on the farm subsidy.

All accomplished through the slight of hand, highway robbery, corrupt equalization system. Every Albertan must be made aware of this and take action to bring it to an end.

Cowman lead us out.

[cakadu]

What does ASRA stand for? Here in Alberta it is the Alberta Science and Research, but I doubt that is what you're referring to.

Is it possible to make a fair comparison between soy and barley on a cash crop basis?

[ivbinconned]

A.S.R.A. in Quebec stood for Assurance Stabilization des Revenus Agricoles but it now has a new name??

I think you can do a comparison of corn and barley and in 1999 the program paid out a net amount of $120.00 per acre (Alberta cash)to the Quebec producer.

Today the UPA, that represents all producer sectors, manages and disperses annually $300,000,000 (3 hundred million of Alberta cash) dolled out to them by the Quebec government!
They have in place a 7 year commintment from their provincial government and can therefore borrow against future assured money!

[ivbinconned]

Oh ...ONE MORE THING! These funds are managed a board of producers with just a token representative from their government.