Reading NFU thread a question?

[chuckChuck]

So what is your position on Canpotex and supply management for dairy and poultry? No answer yet. Both are effective mechanisms to raise prices and manage supply for producers. Conservatives and the Sask party seem to support both. Why? Isn't the free market supposed to be better! Try to answer the question BP. Your non -answers so far are all politics and hot air!

[wakopa]

maybe the farmers for less should put the blame where it belongs, on themselves. maybe get out and find out what union government employees who have a little power are really like.i have friends ,relatives etc who have told me what its like for someone who gets a little power and what assholes they become.u try and tell them a better way of doing things and they wont listen and are total assholes.the cwb were warned that changes should happen and as usual they were arrogant. the blame starts with the union government employees at the cwb.thanks harper and ritz for making me more money.would be nice if a former cwb employee would write a book telling us all the screwups of the cwb. i would donate to that.

[furrowtickler]

How is it possible to regulate supply growing crops Chucky ?? You have a magic weather machine ?
The dead horse was a monopoly buyer - not a monopoly seller .

[chuckChuck]

The CWB was a single desk seller that was run by farmers for the benefit of farmers. The Board of Directors was elected by farmers. Now we have a handfull of not very competitive grain companies whose only mandate is to maximize profits for shareholders, not farmers! That is a big difference in the way the system operates. Regardless of whether there were real or percieved shortcomings at the CWB, farmers were able to oversee operations and had the fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interest of farmers.

Just a reminder that we didn't control the supply of wheat but if you wanted to buy high quality Canadian wheat you had no other choice but to buy from the CWB. In the durum market Canada often controlled over 50% of the world exportable supply which is enough to extract higher prices with careful market management. That market power can never be replaced in an open market unless you are a monopoly seller.

Richard Gray's work and other economists clearly showed the benefits of the single desk. Now I know most of you don't believe in peer reviewed economic studies and analysis, so I don't expect you to change your mostly political opinions.

The CWB is gone but the complaints about the price of wheat, grain transportation and grain comapanies have not. That in the end says it all.

[farming101]

Hundreds of millions being invested in grain system infrastructure. Things are looking up

[chuckChuck]

Yes all owned by someone other than farmers from profits extracted from farmers. Should have been farmers building and owning at least some of the infrastructure.