Saskatoon seed royalty meeting

[vvalk]

Very Well said Dml
Farmers don’t realize how much harm to agriculture was done under the Harper govt with guidance from WCWG and their handlers .
Ha farmers are even blaming this on Trudeau , funny unaware farmers. Some of us have been fighting this since 2013

I’m confused. Since the open market your farms are doing worse then before? For my farm signing multi year contracts direct with the end users with either delivery dates specified or storage paid has been quite nice. By the way my time in Ottawa wasn’t spent with the WG but the GGC. I’m sure for some of you anything but the NFU is organizations catering to the Multi nationals.

[walterm]

There has been a few comments about “his buddies” or “their masters”. Just would like you to elaborate on what you mean. I’ll assume you think that a board of young farmers whose livelihoods are strictly farming have an agenda to make farming less profitable? And by doing this these individual farmers get a kick back from these companies? Or worse yet Supposedly the WG get a bunch of money and the directors all take a hit on their farms? If you like the idea of archaic grading practises at the CGC where half trained people visually grade your grain so be it. I would rather not have a person who woke up grumpy or graded your grain after looking at 500 samples. I can give examples of durum grading #4 for $6 yet sell into Montana for $12 US$. Happened twice in the last 8 years do you think the grain companies wouldn’t sell that $6 durum bought on CGC specs and sell for $12 US on the coast based on spec? The grain companies love the CGC. WG directors work for profitability on our farms. You can disagree with the opinion but to bring in comments about our masters is amateur

In the USA farmers are still deducted for (damaged kernals) same as in Canada plus every sample is sent to USDA for further specific testing before you get paid. The initial assessment for damage kernals are the same factors as in Canada done visually by the elevator staff.

Can you explain the difference in training that the elevator staff in the USA receive than Canada and how they never are grumpy or make errors?

[vvalk]

In the USA farmers are still deducted for (damaged kernals) same as in Canada plus every sample is sent to USDA for further specific testing before you get paid. The initial assessment for damage kernals are the same factors as in Canada done visually by the elevator staff.

Can you explain the difference in training that the elevator staff in the USA receive than Canada and how they never are grumpy or make errors?

Most samples are sent to the state grader who grades on spec. Never in my experience has grain graded worse in Montana then in Alberta. On very rare cases ( never happened to me) nice looking grain with a low falling number will bid lower and your better off in Alberta. Maybe you have a different experience. One negative to American grading is they will discount price based on dockage.

[bucket]

There has been a few comments about “his buddies” or “their masters”. Just would like you to elaborate on what you mean. I’ll assume you think that a board of young farmers whose livelihoods are strictly farming have an agenda to make farming less profitable? And by doing this these individual farmers get a kick back from these companies? Or worse yet Supposedly the WG get a bunch of money and the directors all take a hit on their farms? If you like the idea of archaic grading practises at the CGC where half trained people visually grade your grain so be it. I would rather not have a person who woke up grumpy or graded your grain after looking at 500 samples. I can give examples of durum grading #4 for $6 yet sell into Montana for $12 US$. Happened twice in the last 8 years do you think the grain companies wouldn’t sell that $6 durum bought on CGC specs and sell for $12 US on the coast based on spec? The grain companies love the CGC. WG directors work for profitability on our farms. You can disagree with the opinion but to bring in comments about our masters is amateur

You did a shit job on the open market transition lobbying and the WCWGA is unqualified to start recommending changes to the CGC....and yes your description of WCWGA members is spot on....they spend time on boards to add to their resume and meet others ...then go for the golden ticket of becoming a conservative MP or MLA in western Canada and accomplish even less...your agenda might not intentionally be to make farms less profitable but your lobbying hasn't made me more money...

And you have to answer to your master's bias or they will pull their funding eventually......Viterra closed a 10000 tonne concrete elevator for really no good reason....cost my farm shitloads of extra fuel and storage....and everyone says it was a business decision....but they are not forced to sell that elevator for other companies to make a business case for it....it sits empty.....while trucks Drive to GDT or Moose Jaw wrecking a highway 150 feet from the rail line....the infrastructure bills come to the taxpayers for viterra's logistics....there is more but I am not sure you could understand it because this goes back to the competition bureau, GDT, agricore etc....at the end I didn't hear there would be any help from the conservative MPS or saskparty MLAs....they just fell asleep

a commercial salvage durum in 2016 was worth 3.25 picked up....in August 2018 it was worth 6.25...we all have examples of higher prices....I sold mine in 2016 and was happy to get it gone...

[vvalk]

You did a shit job on the open market transition lobbying and the WCWGA is unqualified to start recommending changes to the CGC....and yes your description of WCWGA members is spot on....they spend time on boards to add to their resume and meet others ...then go for the golden ticket of becoming a conservative MP or MLA in western Canada and accomplish even less...your agenda might not intentionally be to make farms less profitable but your lobbying hasn't made me more money...

And you have to answer to your master's bias or they will pull their funding eventually......Viterra closed a 10000 tonne concrete elevator for really no good reason....cost my farm shitloads of extra fuel and storage....and everyone says it was a business decision....but they are not forced to sell that elevator for other companies to make a business case for it....it sits empty.....while trucks Drive to GDT or Moose Jaw wrecking a highway 150 feet from the rail line....the infrastructure bills come to the taxpayers for viterra's logistics....there is more but I am not sure you could understand it because this goes back to the competition bureau, GDT, agricore etc....at the end I didn't hear there would be any help from the conservative MPS or saskparty MLAs....they just fell asleep

a commercial salvage durum in 2016 was worth 3.25 picked up....in August 2018 it was worth 6.25...we all have examples of higher prices....I sold mine in 2016 and was happy to get it gone...

Not sure your point about your durum sales
And I can’t wait to put my time in at the WG so I can take a massive pay cut to become a MP or MLA.

[walterm]

Most samples are sent to the state grader who grades on spec. Never in my experience has grain graded worse in Montana then in Alberta. On very rare cases ( never happened to me) nice looking grain with a low falling number will bid lower and your better off in Alberta. Maybe you have a different experience. One negative to American grading is they will discount price based on dockage.

So are you saying that all samples should be sent to CGC or trained third party to be assessed before settlement is made? You can have that now through the CGC subject to program. If you want to sell your grain based on including FN there is nothing stopping you and your buyer to agree on those additional specs.

My sample doesn't change in quality when I cross the boarder or between elevators it still has the same amount of quality factors in it. I agree it is the training that has been neglected in our system all the trained people have gone to 3rd party and most are getting to retirement age with no universal certified training to replace them.

[bucket]

Not sure your point about your durum sales
And I can’t wait to put my time in at the WG so I can take a massive pay cut to become a MP or MLA.

I thought you were volunteering at the WCWGA??????


You would make a good conservative MP....BUT A really excellent liberal MP would be your calling....not being to understand and answering with more nonsense.... while acting dense to what most are telling you here....

[bucket]

I usually disengage from threads after a while....but the seed tax is a big issue and now that the next target is the CGC .....it deserves some thinking....

I have been fooled by the lobbying of the WCWGA.....now it's my responsibility for my farm that details are well explained....

To date no one has explained what happens with a Triffid event in the new world of a seed tax.....big details....

Research is expensive but pales in comparison to a lost market to all farmers....

[bgmb]

The wheat growers is one of the better lobby groups out there IMO. I think in the case of the cwb most of us were so excited to end the single desk that we missed an opportunity to really fight to change the CWB into an organisation that would benefit farmers again.

On the seed royalties I think we dont want to make the same mistake. We have a really good system right now where we can access genetics from other countries if they are superior and a solid public breeding program here at home too. Seed companies have the ability to have farmers sign contracts to protect or pay for the reuse of varieties if they so choose and this is commonly done in many crops for many years. I really see no reason to change the seed system in Canada.

[vvalk]

I thought you were volunteering at the WCWGA??????


You would make a good conservative MP....BUT A really excellent liberal MP would be your calling....not being to understand and answering with more nonsense.... while acting dense to what most are telling you here....

Contrary to what most seem to think on here farming can be quite profitable and I couldn’t imagine quitting farming to take on a MP or MLA salary

[farmaholic]

As crazy as this site may make some people, it has kinda kept me abreast of Agricultural hot topics. If the rank and file grain producers never read a newspaper or get a two minute condensed version of this issue in some sort of news cast, how are the ever informed?

Then all of a sudden the proposed changes are made and the outcry begins.

Someone talked about polling the rank and file producers at the Seed Synergy(tax) meetings. How about polling outside any gathering specific to this issue. What percentage of Producers do you think know whats coming down the pipe.

Has Saskwheat/barley/canola/flax, or which ever commodity group you want to use, along with APAS, NFU,SARM,.... any rural group or self proclaimed Producer interest group sent out a circular making their members aware?

I do not recall seeing anything, unless it was in some of their newsletters. It may have slipped past me because I am already aware and it wouldn't have been alarming news.

Is it ever too political of an issue for some groups to address?

Edit in, SaskWheat has a comment on their website:

"Sask Wheat, SaskBarley, SaskOats, SaskFlax, SaskCanola and the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers will be hosting an engagement session on the seed royalty consultations on Wednesday, January 16 from 2:30 to 4:30 at TCU Place in Saskatoon. This question and answer session will give farmers an opportunity to provide feedback directly to AAFC as part of the ongoing consultation and understand how farmers will be impacted with respect to all farmer-directed research. All producers are welcome and encouraged to attend."

[walterm]

I have to commend vvalk for searching out and marketing his high quality CWAD into an acceptable market, albeit feed, when the market place (grain companies) had no market or a price acceptable to him.

In the past some farmers had the same situation with the market place, at that time (CWB) then let grain spoil in the bin or in piles then blamed the CWB for no market and used it as case to change.

I would ask tho why not just haul it to the USA and get the price? Was feed higher priced in Canada than #1 AD in USA or was there no market there either?

[farmaholic]

Contrary to what most seem to think on here farming can be quite profitable and I couldn’t imagine quitting farming to take on a MP or MLA salary

I figured that's what you meant....

But it's not up to me to make and defend that argument for you.

[bucket]

The wheat growers is one of the better lobby groups out there IMO. I think in the case of the cwb most of us were so excited to end the single desk that we missed an opportunity to really fight to change the CWB into an organisation that would benefit farmers again.

On the seed royalties I think we dont want to make the same mistake. We have a really good system right now where we can access genetics from other countries if they are superior and a solid public breeding program here at home too. Seed companies have the ability to have farmers sign contracts to protect or pay for the reuse of varieties if they so choose and this is commonly done in many crops for many years. I really see no reason to change the seed system in Canada.

Fair comments but the details have to be worked out prior to implementation this time....

1.Who is responsible for market disruptions????
2. Clear intentions of existing varieties and their future????
3. Will there be a guarantee of price increases for primary producers ????the R&D guys are guaranteeing their income with seed tax ...right????
4. Who is responsible for the infrastructure of more volumes.????

. There are more questions that others can add....

[bucket]

I figured that's what you meant....

But it's not up to me to make and defend that argument for you.

Liberal....say one thing mean another....