farm inputs $$

[farmerfudd]

I'd like to start by expressing my dispair at current input prices urea,fuel,seed.
QUESTION: Where can I find up to date pricing on fertilizer?
I'm do some bugetary work and the #'s are hard to pin down. The price from your retailer is priced if you take rite now. other prices are averaged out some including financing.
It's no secret the best value is to buy in the fall, but thats just real hard sometimes. I think the manufacturers know our business very well. I'm confident they know their own better. You can bet they buy their supplies at the lowest possible price, their shareholders demand it.
It would be interesting to hear what some of you are intending to use for fertility levels this spring. Here in ne alta luckilly we're sitting on quite high nitrogen levels. But urea at 415 a tonnne, please.

[TOM4CWB]

Parsley;

I see this report;

WEA costs for Govt: Labor


The Federal Government should cover some of the cost of the Wheat Export Authority (WEA) rather than force farmers to fund it entirely, Labor said today.

Opposition primary industries spokesman Kerry O'Brien said as the Government was getting benefits from the WEA, it should also pay for some of its operation.

The WEA is the authority which oversees the monopoly wheat export rights of AWB Ltd and virtually controls all wheat exports out of Australia.

When it was set up in 1999 it received $6 million in government funding, but this is about to run out.

It appears growers will have to cover the WEA's operations.









Senator O'Brien said evidence from authority chairman John Walters to a Senate committee today showed the Government was relying on the WEA's operations and so should financially contribute.

"It is clear from the chairman's evidence that the federal government is a major beneficiary of the work of the authority," he said in a statement.

"It therefore does not seem unreasonable that the Government meet some of the authority's costs as payment for the services it receives.

"(Agriculture Minister Warren) Truss should now reconsider his decision to force growers to meet the entire cost."

Senator O'Brien said it was also a concern the WEA was not legally obliged to provide growers with information about the performance of AWB, although it had to tell Mr Truss.

"Given that wheat growers are currently funding the operations of the authority, it is entirely inappropriate for the authority to suggest that it is not obliged to keep growers informed as to the performance of AWB," he said.

Isn't it about time Canadian farmers demanded the statutory obligation be fulfilled, that requires the Feds to pay for Admin. and costs of Part IV CWB Act activities?

Since it costs AWB farmers $6 million over 3 years, do we really think the CWB Part IV costs are less than the AWB costs, when the CWB is significantly more complex, and handles both domestic and export grain, when the AWB doe not?

In Canada the CWB Act requires the gov. of Canada pay these costs, yet they refuse to follow the CWB Act. WHY?

What reasonable purpose could there be in the CWB directors in refusing to obey the CWB Act, and cause these losses in our pooling accounts be paid by Ottawa?

[dfarms11]

well, based on soil tests, I don't really need to add anything but I will still add probably 1/3 of normal just to make sure I don't lose out in spots in the field. I mean soil tests are just an average of all spots tested so there must still be low fertilizer levels in certain parts of the field. The one good thing is at least if there ever was a year for high fert prices, this is the year since we need to only put a little on this year.

[brian99]

Here in S. Alta,the urea price is $450-$475 if you take delivery right now. Last fall it was $340. Highway robbery considering most of this stuff is two years old; caryover from last years drought.

[ALLFARMER]

The canola seed I thought I bought for $3.95/pound ended up being $4.20 It seems Agricard is not as good as cash. My fertilizer went up also because of fall billing Urea on the board was $465 and on the bill $485 UFA was $475 at seeding I thought they were higher but I guess considering payment terms they were not. From now on when I buy inputs I am getting a fax quote with Price & payment terms, Volume Amount, Variety with delivery date. Get it in paper and in there writing. Fax me!