Lets ask the customer!

[ianben]

Tom
To be a customer dont you have to have choice?

I think you still see CWB as a buyer of grain not the competative seller I see in your dual market.

Perhaps the only way to learn is by experience. OOch!!

Asking a customer how we can best fill his needs must help in acheiving sales.

As I tried to imply even in a commodity I think just a small edge can make a difference.

Is the CWB an edge as far as your customer is conserned today.

I bet JD poll at least twice a year.

Who cares what people thought in 96 thats history.

Sorry but to even quote such figures if they are the most recent available shows the job the CWB is doing.

I had hoped to move the debate on with new information instead of this endless churning

How about it? Anyone going to send a customer an email.
I only quoted Warburton as an example as its the only customer I know and are unique I believe.
so not ideal
Vader
Why is the CWB different from the auctioneer in the cattle industry except that the ballot is replaced by the pool as a way to decide whos lot will be sold first.

Unpriced grain sorted into lots and sold to the highest bidder for a comission. A good way to sell in a shortage and a disaster in a glut.

The biggest difference I see is that competition keeps cattle comissions in line and the CWB?

Cant you see why other people would want to market differently.

[ianben]

Just a thought. I bet Warburtons are checking out the Ukraine.
Do you have the edge??

[bobn]

Thalpenny,

You stated:
"Curious eatmorewheat - if you feel overcharged by the CWB, yet contend that the farmer is underpaid - where do you think the money goes? "

The money just disappears in bureaucratic and corruptive waste. The CWB is just another middleman taking a huge bite out of our income. It has been proven over and over that about $1.00 per bushel just simply disappears when comparing what the US farmer gets as compared to what we get through the CWB. To top things off, the CWB likely overcharges customers like eatmorewheat to pay for more red tape and patronage.

An example of this waste is the forced shipping of grain east instead of west. How much political pressure is there for this when the Prime Minister and other ministers have a vested interest in eastern grain handling operations?

How can we ever know, when their is no mechanism to prevent such a thing from happening. The federal liberals have proved dozens of times that their not opposed to corruption, so why would we believe it doesn't happen at the CWB?

Another point I'd like to make is, why are you so critical of a customer, accusing him of having a hidden motive?
Shouldn't one look into his complaint?
From anything I have studied about marketing, "The Customer is King" and every caution should be taken not to offend. It is exactly this careless disregard for both the Farmer and the Customer that only a monopoly buyer and monopoly domestic seller can get away with. The CWB has never had to earn the respect of the farmer nor the customer, acting like a BULLY on the block!