Musical ships

[farming101]

Richardson has partial filled 4 ships, one of which
Cargill is finishing up and releasing.

Next Richardson is ordering in ship #5 to start loading it.
Steady work for the tug boats anyway.

[farmaholic]

What type of grain?

Sounds like the old days when ships had to load from different terminals before they were filled. Remember the stink raised about that.

Who would pay if there's a problem at destination....oh forget it, I think we already know.

Can someone explain why this would be necessary in this new marketing environment? No sarcasm intended, legitimate question.

[farming101]

Not sure if Richardson's expansion is online.
Construction might be part of the problem.

[Hopalong]

Maybe with very low freight rates, pressure is off to get ships loaded and on their way.

[bucket]

Not sure graincos should be able to use their basis to cover both rail and ocean freight?

At what point do these costs quit being the farmer's responsibility?

The grain is theirs after the semi slides are open.

Low ocean freight rates but increasing rail rates?

They are purposely backing up the system to the prairie points to say they are plugged and continue to use that excuse to extract grain without using the market.

The ports are not full, there are boats floating waiting for grain. Rail is running less than half capacity.

And people call this a functioning grain system?

[farming101]

Rain could be an issue too. Over 60 mm since Feb 28.

[farmaholic]

Sorry, couldn't help myself. Trying to stay on theme.

Weber puts out an Elevator Space chart, seems they've been below 50% capacity for a while, hard to believe.

I thought I saw West Coast port capacity at 1 MMT., is that so? At 50K MMT per cargo, thats 20 ships worth of grain if they are full. Why would ships have to wait if everything is firing on all 8 cylinders, or is the Industry happy using the "Active Fuel Management" system, where they're only firing on half the cylinders...

[riders2010]

Maybe the carbon tax thing is working to good?? hahahaha

[bucket]

Bit the railways still have the fuel surcharge in place .... right?

[farmaholic]

Make that 1.2 MMT. West Coast grain terminal capacity.

[bucket]

Railways and ocean vessels are the most environmentally friendly way of moving freight around the world.

If the current system in canada continues we will be paying truckers to haul grain to the west coast.

One guy has said with the right back hauls he could make a business case to truck mid point sask to vancouver.

And yet no one sees a problem with this?

[RTK]

So as producers what are we going to do about this problem? Sure it is the grain co problem but we pay for it until we come up with a solution. I have asked for solutions/ideas numerous times on this forum only to get a few ideas flowing; then the thread quits. What do you see as a solution and how do you implement it? Want government regulation imposed on grain cos maybe rail lines; joint running rights; new rail lines built; farmer owned facilities at port better add farmer run rail line; better add farmer run inland terminals and farmer run world marketing/selling group. In a free market sorry the rule is each person wants to make as much profit as possible and that's what we have now boys.

[farming101]

CGC says West Coast has had at least 50% stocks going back 10 weeks?
Only 1 week in the last 10 has it reported full to working capacity. 70%?
Being at working capacity consistently could make all the difference to
ship loading efficiency.

[bucket]

1. A costing review. 70 percent less pickup points/elevators. 110 car unit trains. Yet rail freight increases?

2. Then you need a government that will look at the file objectively and have some balls to do something about it.

3. The history is there and the logic as well. Just no one to do something about it. That's what people are elected to do.

[farmaholic]

RTK: in one word, ACCOUNTABILITY. If your link in the chain is holding up capacity they you pay... don't let the shit run down hill to the guy who has no way of recouping the costs burdened to him that he is not responsible for.

Maybe costs PLUS penalties.

We are expected to destroy yards in less that ideal conditions, haul light loads in road ban season, haul in cold conditions unfit for man, beast or machine to keep the ****ing grain flowing...