Topic: Greed

[FarmRanger]

<i>" in other words legislated greed."</i>

Very true. The difference is that governments think their greed is justified.

[Lifer]

Governments also think that thay are free and reasonable. It's perspective.

Continue to Lobby for change. Please!!! The challenge is to find meaningful ways to do it.

[Lifer]

I meant to say Fair and reasonable

[fjlip]

"when five companies control a big portion of the world grain trade do you think they compete?"

That's the issue with our grains and similarly with our inputs. Less competition more consolidation. Bigger is better and it's going to continue.

The "free market" is an ideal but sorry, not a reality.

"If you think they are being too greedy, don't give them your money"

Is a reaction and takes a common effort by many consumers over time, to get a positive result to control the greed.

[farmgal71]

Doesn't the recent run up in commodity prices show the market is working in regards to supply and demand. It might not be perfect but seems to be working.

The problem as I see it is that farmers have been encouraged to overproduce because of politics (Cheap food strategies) and we are always in a glut position and therefore low prices. That is not the case right now and the markets are pushing up prices.

[Hopperbin]

Canola just been in a drop most likely speculators taking profit or loss, today it was down a bit but just recently up 7.5 dollars per ton from the day low. Then we think supply and demand is responsible for the price increase specs playing a part. Greed can be an emotion to get one in more trouble than gain. Maybe one should call it profit or loss taking. Greed can be your worst enemy.

[burnt]

I'm just glad that farmers could never be accused of being greedy.

I would be interested in being shown where farmers have been encouraged to over-produce.

It would seem to me that we just keep on producing regardless of price and then cry to the government to bail us out.

I think we need government intervention, but rather than stabilizing incomes, they need to enforce fair-market practices. Then the prices will takes care of themselves, won't they?

[Hopperbin]

"I would be interested in being shown where farmers have been encouraged to over-produce.

It would seem to me that we just keep on producing regardless of price and then cry to the government to bail us out."

Wow, Do we keep on producing because we get bailed out all the time? Not sure what to say. We over produce cause that is how to make money, income minus expenses, bottom line.

[highwayman]

Burnt perhaps the example you need would be the CWBs handling of the durum situation in western canada in 09-10 when they encouraged farmers to grow 6 million acres with an initial pro in Feb of 303/tonne only to slash it to 211/tonne for a final. Talk about encouraging overproduction. The useless CWB pro had farmers in many non-traditional durum growing areas completely fooled and voila, the market crashes.

[TOM4CWB]

highwayman,

I agree with your assesment of the PRO.

It sets the cash price. THis is crazy.

As I have said time after time... the CWB has it backwards.

Cash prices should create the pool. If they did transparency would indicate when the market had been supplied... and then the price drop accordingly when demand dropped.

REAL back to back SALES... not fictious CWB 'supply agreements' not worth the paper they were/are written on!