First, I want to thank everyone who has taken time out of your busy schedules to reach out to us by phone and email over the past several weeks. We like hearing from readers, even when you’re unhappy.
Some of you haven’t been receiving your papers on time. As a result of continued consolidation of the newspaper printing business, there is no commercial web press capable of printing the Western Producer left in Saskatchewan.
Printing has shifted to Edmonton, which has led to some delays in getting the papers delivered through the postal system. The late-March snowstorm didn’t help.
We have been actively exploring several options for improving delivery. We thank you for your patience while we sort it out.
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Our goal remains getting the Western Producer into your mailbox by Thursday each week.
Now, about that markets page
The updates to the paper elicited many positive comments, including for the new markets column by Bruce Burnett.
I’ve also talked to livestock producers who are pleased that there is now a dedicated livestock markets section, which includes a new regular column from livestock markets analyst Jerry Klassen.
Multiple people have called in to say they like the new paper size and the staple that now holds each issue together.
However, I did hear from one subscriber who hates the staple because they like to use old editions for their compost, which I can sympathize with because I also use old issues as a mulch layer in my garden.
The change that attracted the biggest reaction, by far, was our decision to stop producing the market numbers page.
For years, the Western Producer has assembled weekly markets data from a variety of sources onto a page that appeared near the back of the weekly edition.
As part of our content reviews, we wondered whether this data was still relevant by the time the paper published. After all, market reports online can provide up-to-the-minute pricing.
However, we’ve heard from dozens of producers who appreciate having the data assembled into one easy-to-find location in their weekly paper.
You’ve told us you use this information to make marketing decisions as well as to benchmark your marketing plans. For many of our readers, these numbers tell a story.
As a result of your feedback, we will soon be reintroducing the numbers page. It will be modified to fit our new page size but will include the data you told us is important to you. Plus, we are looking for ways to replicate it digitally for those who would prefer to connect with it online.
If we don’t get it right, we’re counting on you to tell us.
In the meantime, thank you for telling us what you think — and for your continued patience while we implement these changes.
Contact robin.booker@producer.com
