Life After CWB

[chas]

Parsley my boy a question for you, can you export canola or other pulse crops across the USA border and make a big increase over the price we receive here in Canada.
Appman same question for you plus what kind of quality reputation will we maintain in the world with every body that you guys can't trust messing in your market. Your control will earn you a reputation that the American exports have earned for themselves in the open market. Hey don't bug me about my spelling (are for our). Chas

[ianben]

Thanks for the welcome everyone it still amazes me that we can comunicate like this.
I think I understand the way the CWB is supposed to work but it seems to be a bit like communism a great idea in principal shame it does not work in practice.
My point is neither do subsides in Europe, 26ooo farmers have left the industry in 2000 in the UK. We are told to diversify add value cut costs just like you.
We blame the French or Germans its always greener over there. You blame the USA.
The problem is not who where or how we sell but the PRICE we sell for.
The amount of money, time, and hardwork we have all invested in our farms should I think give us a decent income.
We need to learn to manage supply. Stop dashing round competing on price expecting to sell 100% of what we produce. I sold everything I produced in 95 and everything I produced in 99 but for roughly half as much, all because someone said there was a surplus.If we all left a few tons in the bin there would be no surplus and no need for prices to fall.
No-one in the world can survive at todays prices for long .CWB, subsides,freedom to farm etc have all failed to stabilize prices, lets see if worldwide co-operation by farmers over the internet could work.

[chas]

Sorry boys for the repeat messages it must be this new fangtangley machine here it can't be my fault after all I'am prefect. Ianben you have allowed them other fellows to lead you into beleiving the CWB is corrupt and communistic. It's trade rules developed by all governments to protect their countries that they want to break or have changed to suit their greed. They don't understand that once you remove the rules for exporting, large grain companies will some fill their niche markets and supply them at a price that we can not recover are cost of production at. Its Happening now all over the world and I'am sure the CWB is responsible for the farm crisis in Europe and the Western Hemisphere. Don't blame the CWB for problems that are world wide because farmers like Parsley and Appman can't see past the hoods of their trucks. As farmers we need to merge together into farmer controlled marketing boards that hire the best people we can get to market all of are grains and oilseeds to create a stable price in all commodities that we grow, so that farmers don't tend to over produce in anyone grain or oilseed to try to improve their profitability. I think that is common sense. Niche markets, like are learnt friends are talking about can be obtained in Western Canada as described in my aforementioned solution, have the CWB refund the freight portion of pooling system directly back to the farmer when he sells his grain to a pasta plant,feed mill or other value added processor in his farming area as the freight rate does not apply to this sale. This would foster some incentive to create value added companies in our areas. Like you said lets compete on every thing but PRICE. We must displace large grain traders and most of all remove commodity markets as a price discovery tool.
I'am a professional producer and would like to join with other professionals and hire a professional marketing team to get the best prices available in the world for my product. Most farm organizations in Canada and the USA are mainly concerned with lobbing government for more hand outs. If they actually solved the marketing problem they would be unemployed. We must get government at arms lenght if we plan to be sustainable. But maybe thats what this is all about employment? Parsley and appman it's time we stopped the arguement and come up with some sound solutions. I'am going to be in Radville Sk. next summer it would be nice to meet you stuble jumpers because I talk better than I write.(or at least you boys were whoing that I could eh!}. If you would like to shoot me make sure your gun is registered. Chas.

[TOM4CWB]

Chas

I find it interesting that you beleive our co-operative grain handlers are not the expert marketers you are searching for!

What does Agricore have to gain from ripping the grain farmers who do business with them? Nothing!

I would respectfully suggest that we already have the most efficient transportation and grain handling system in the world, for the conditions we must operate in. I am not saying we cannot do better. I beleive we can, as do the railways, grain handlers.

Now we are asking for a cartel to extract a ransom from the hungry billions, to make our lives more comfortable.

What will we do when those hungry billions rebel against your extraction plan, and come and take your farm away, by force?

Voluntary marketing means selling to a customer who beleives that they are getting fair value for the product purchased. Organic Grain receives its premium because customers are willing to pay a premium, not because they are hungary and are going to starve to death. Chas I can only interpret what you are proposing as BLACKMAIL, if you don't pay what I want, I will starve you to death!

Is this not a good way to start World War III?

[chas]

Tom4cwb you done understand and that's why I say I talk better then I write. The way the commodities market and big grain traders operate today does not allow the real market of farmer to customer price its commodity propertly or we would't be on here arguing with one another. Do you understand the basic simple need to create a price to cover cost of production, rather than the commodities market setting the price that is only concerned with protecting large grain traders who are not concerned about production cost. I think our marketing agencies should concern themselves with farmers, not corportation bottomlines that wealthy people can invest in to make money. Just because of the way we market now who will never see a publicly traded corportation get involved as a farmer growing grains and oilseed as the risk is far to high. Its a good thing agriculture gets into a humans blood because economically it does not make sense. Chas

[ianben]

Hope you dont mind my input on this topic I admit I dont know too much about how the CWB is suppose to work.
My point was that it does not seem to be providing you with stable profitable prices and neither is any other system in the world.
Perhaps we could at least try something new a minimum price worldwide fixed on the internet by farmers? a percentage of yearly production we agree to market based on estimated demand so as not to over suply the market.
Anything must be better than the roller coster ride the present systems produce.

Is this BLACKMAIL?

I would call it marketing in the 21century. Has the price of a loaf dropped in your suppermarkets in line with wheat. Have you ever bought a car with 50% off, perhaps things are alot different over there.
Do you believe low grain prices are good for anyone but market speculators. I dont the price of bread does not alter in the shops, our customers do not like prices to fluctuate say their owners. Sounds good to me!
Then we farmers go crying to our governments, aid please, and the public end up paying more tax to fund it. Crazy!
The third world? Depts to finance wheat £100/ton 1ton pays off £100 Wheat £10/ton 10 tons to pay off £100. If they could use our aid to pay off their depts we might be getting somewhere.

[chas]

Ianben I'am glad to have your imput. Its refreshing (or disappointing) to find out that your systems of marketing sound exactly like ours. I think your internet idea might be the best way to approach the idea. For more information on the CWB go www.cwb.ca it tells how and why it operates but does leave a few questions like the ones that Parsley and Tom4cwb have unanswered, but that's no reason to throw the best marketing agencies we have out the window without trying to do some repair. They must remember government policy and the worlds commodities markets are
getting in the way of a true producers market through this agency. I know very
little about computers but I know with the people, the ideas we have and the experience that exsist within this website we could put together a farmer controlled marketing system that would create stability and sustainable for all producters in the main exporting countries. We will not blackmail anyone and surpluses can be marketed to feed the hungary at the cost of production paid for by the governments of the world, IMF or similiar orgnaizations that better represent the welfare of people of the world then we do. Ianben please keep up your imput on how these goals might be acomplished.Chas

[ianben]

Thanks for the support Chas. Like you I am no computer wiz just a farmer who feels like he is beening mugged every time a load of grain leaves the yard, at these ridiclous prices.Anoyed by inability to have any affect on prices just having to accept the best offer, whatever that might be.My only option as an indvidual is to try and produce more which I know is crazy with the markets over supplied.

[ianben]

Thanks for the support Chas. Like you I am no computer wiz just a farmer who feels like he is beening mugged every time a load of grain leaves the yard, at these ridiclous prices.Anoyed by inability to have any affect on prices just having to accept the best offer, whatever that might be.My only option as an indvidual is to try and produce more which I know is crazy with the markets over supplied.

[ianben]

Thanks for the support Chas. Like you I am no computer wiz just a farmer who feels like he is beening mugged every time a load of grain leaves the yard, at these ridiclous prices.Anoyed by inability to have any affect on prices just having to accept the best offer, whatever that might be.My only option as an indvidual is to try and produce more which I know is crazy with the markets over supplied.