Biofuel good
Re: “New studies question biofuel’s carbon use,” WP, Feb. 14.
The government of Canada knows farmers are proud to be stewards of the land and we are proud to work with them to protect Canada’s environment with strong leadership on biofuels. Biofuel production delivers real benefits across the country; through job creation, new markets for farmers or simply by providing a cleaner-burning, renewable energy source to protect our environment.
A recent article in The Western Producer questioned the environmental benefits of increased biofuels production in Canada. The article suggested there would be a significant increase in use of agricultural lands to meet the demand for food and fuel.
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Agriculture needs to prepare for government spending cuts
As government makes necessary cuts to spending, what can be reduced or restructured in the budgets for agriculture?
The fact is Canadian farmers already grow more than enough grains and oilseeds to meet our needs for both food and biofuels.
Typically, feedstocks used to produce conventional biofuels come from land that is already being used for agricultural commodities. Current estimates show that only two percent of Canada’s total farm area will be used to grow biofuel crops.
The economic benefits of biofuels for farmers are clear: more buyers bidding for crops means farmers are getting a better return for their efforts and investments.
The environmental benefits for Canadians are clear: biofuels reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The government’s actions for the country are clear: a concrete and focused plan that includes biofuels.
The government of Canada is taking real action for the environment and for farmers. This type of balanced action is good for our economy, our environment and our health.
– Gerry Ritz,
Minister of Agriculture
and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board,
Ottawa, Ont.
Freedom song
David Anderson (Open Forum Feb. 7) talks about marketing freedom. He also talks about choice – as if there is a real choice in the real world of the grain markets.
In the words of the song:
Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose
Nothing’s what we’ll get if they have their way
Head to head with Cargill is what we have to choose
And all that’s left that’s free
Is ideology.
– Cathleen Kneen,
Ottawa, Ont.
Hunting issues
Once again certain sectors of our society are expecting farmers to pick up the tab for feeding all of the wildlife that they want us to provide the habitat for.
In the Feb 14 issue of the WP, Burnell Bennett wrote about his view of paid hunting in Alberta.
He claimed that “land owners can be compensated for any wildlife damage to their property.”
This statement is true to a point. Crop producers can get paid up to 80 percent of a loss on harvested crops. This is paid over a six month period and at a weighted sale price for the commodity in question.
That is at harvest time only. What about the grazing that is done to the crop throughout the growing season? This is not only big game but waterfowl as well.
What about damage to hedgerows around our yards that moose and elk decide to use for rubbing and marking areas or fences taken out by big game? Deer climb on bales to eat and then urinate and defecate on these bales, making them quite unpalatable to our livestock.
Those are not insurable losses. As the “desirable” species increase in population, the less desirable, but just as necessary, also increase – the predators. Coyotes, wolves, cougars, etc. increase and sometimes feast on our domestic animals – cattle, sheep, cats and dogs.
I don’t think any one of us is expecting to be paid for 100 percent of our losses, but we are just asking to be treated fairly. During the hunting season, everyone down the line can charge for their services – restaurants, hotels, gas stations, B&Bs, guides, outfitters, government departments in charge of selling licences – everyone except the people who provide the habitat and the feed.
The Open Spaces Pilot Program is starting to put more of the onus on the public purse. Farmers that allow hunters on their land can get a small share of the hunting licence fee. This is not the answer, but it is a start in the right direction.
– Norm Hall,
Wynyard, Sask.
Biofuel question
After reading federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz’s’ condemnations of farmers for not jumping on the biofuel bandwagon, (WP, Feb. 14) and I quote, “I condemn them for that,” I have to make a few observations.
First, what an arrogant statement from a federal minister toward his constituents. Farmers, remember this, next election.
Secondly, Mr. Ritz has obviously not grasped that most prairie farmers are longsighted enough to have read or heard that grain based biofuel is not at all efficient when compared to biofuel from sugarcane and that the potential biofuel production from greenhouse algae is looming and either could basically kill any grain based ethanol plants with cheap production costs.
The October 2007 National Geographic magazine has nothing good to say about ethanol production from grain. Perhaps Mr. Ritz hasn’t had time to read it. He should make time.
Our government seems to be directly copying the U.S. model, which seems to be “why let a few basic science facts get in the way of our policy,” which puts them squarely in the Bush league, as far as I can tell. I condemn them for that.
Farmers, save your money for smart investments, i.e. well researched ones the government has no agenda with. And definitely stay away from grain based ethanol infrastructure investments.
– Dave Fries,
Zehner, Sask.
Biodiesel plus
While most of the recent focus has been on the merits of ethanol and ethanol production, let’s not confuse those considerations with biodiesel.
According to the University of Idaho, as recently as this month, they state that biodiesel energy conversion is becoming more efficient and has grown from 3.2 times to 3.5 times the energy it takes to produce it; that is to say, the energy to plant and harvest the feedstock, extract the oil and then convert it to biodiesel.
Furthermore, biodiesel has the ability to improve the energy efficiency of ethanol, if used to fuel grain production and transportation, which is almost entirely reliant on the diesel engine.
This is seldom accounted for by the naysayers. Saskatchewan agricultural producers have had value added processes and opportunities stolen from them for years.
Don’t let that happen with renewable fuels.
– Michael Shenher,
President and CEO, Canadian Green Fuels Inc.,
Regina, Sask.
Bread & bushels
This winter Saskatoon Co-op stores increased their price for a loaf of store-baked bread from 99 cents to $1.19, the first change in more than 15 years. Seventy-three one pound loaves from a bushel of wheat means the Co-op stores can now pay $14 more for a bushel of wheat?
Road-kill Diaries (a political blog) reported Feb. 12 that a North Dakota elevator had paid $20 a bushel for 50,000 bu. of wheat. We still have 5,000 bu. of wheat sitting in the bins on the farm from last year’s crop.
Luckily, there is no need for us to worry about making a bad marketing decision and selling for $20 per bu. Since we live north of the 49th, the law says we must sell our wheat to the CWB.
Thank you to Wayne Easter and Ralph Goodale for helping us to sleep soundly, without all those marketing worries ….
– George Forsyth,
Clarkboro, Sask.
History lesson
Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz announced that he is taking barley out of the CWB monopoly. The Friends of the CWB are predicting that this is the beginning of the end for everything from Medicare to the CBC.
It’s time for a history lesson.
Oats were removed from the CWB in 1989. Most farmers would agree that removing oats from the CWB was a good decision. Since 1989, we’ve exported more oats, increased our market share in the U.S., increased oat processing right here on the Prairies and farmers are making more money from growing oats than they did under the CWB.
Most important, under the open market, the Canadian oat industry responds to market forces, something that can’t occur under the CWB.
It is also more flexible since 1989. I can forward contract. I know what I am getting for my oats before I plant so I reduce my risk, something I have not ever been able to do with malt barley.
Also, we now have greater communication among oat growers, handlers, processors and millers. This results in farmers getting clear market signals, which helps us make our decisions.
It also means we have greater efficiency in the Canadian oat market, making Canada the largest exporter of oats in the world.
We make more money from oats under the open market and we will make more money with barley operating in an open market. Oats are a good example of why we don’t need the CWB to market our grain for us.
And, since taking oats out of the CWB monopoly, we have not seen the end of the CBC, supply-marketing or Medicare. We only see farmers making more money. And what’s wrong with that? We work hard for it.
– Bill Huber,
Lipton, Sask.
Dam support
I live near Empress, Alta. Our community has suffered greatly because of rail deregulation, which destroyed our elevators. Then our school and hospital closed.
Today, smoking is not allowed in our small town bar. This is the beginning of the end for another business in Empress.
I’ve about had it with governments negatively affecting my life. Why should some holier than thou city slicker decide it is illegal to smoke cigarettes in a bar when that government sells and taxes the same?
Instead, the government should be trying to revive rural areas. It could start in our community by constructing the Meridian Dam. Not only would we save the extra water that flows to Saskatchewan every year, but we would have jobs from construction through completion and into the future for our small town.
It seems that we really don’t have a shortage of water. We have a shortage of water management.
During this campaign, don’t allow present MLAs to double talk their way out of supporting the Meridian Dam. One MLA didn’t even know that the biggest beneficiary of the Meridian Dam is the 13 irrigation districts upstream of Medicine Hat.
Ask every candidate where he/she stands on the Meridian Dam and support the one who supports the project.
– Dick Bicknell,
Empress, Alta.
Premium market
As a longtime producer of cereals, pulses and oilseeds on the Prairies who will be affected by the outcome of the Canadian Wheat Board controversy, I feel that I must comment on the debate.
Frankly, I have become quite skeptical of anything that comes out of the mouths of the anointed freedom and choice spokespeople and our agricultural ministries. They continue to spew forth misinformation, disinformation and outright lies.
In its purest form, this is a controversy between business and ideology. The freedom and choice lobby group has been short on fact and blinded by their ideology in explaining their position to us.
An argument designed to convince me that an open marketing system would provide me with better marketing opportunities than my own farmer-run CWB has to produce cold, hard facts.
Because the argument espoused by the freedom and choice lobby group has no substance and does not make economic sense, they have resorted to the use of propaganda and the tactics of propagandists.
As I see it, we are being asked to give up control of the premium world wheat milling market. We are one of the largest exporters of wheat and barley in the world competing with the likes of Cargill, James Richardson, Bungee and Archer Daniels Midland.
Without the CWB, western Canadian grain farmers will have no influence in the international grain trade. Currently, western Canadian grain farmers are recognized as the world’s best suppliers of quality milling wheat.
This is a premium market and the buyers of this wheat pay a premium price for it. These premiums are returned to western Canadian grain farmers; numerous studies have proven this to be fact.
The CWB symbol is recognized worldwide. Countless shoppers in countries such as Japan, Korea, Italy, Algeria, Argentina and yes, even the U.S., look for the CWB symbol of quality when shopping for wheat based food products.
Their reliance on us to provide a daily food staple is unprecedented. From us they expect reliability and quality. For this assurance they pay a premium price.
At a time when world wheat stocks are at an all time low and a new era of global food shortages looms, it would be sheer stupidity to give up our control and influence in the quality world wheat trade. This is precisely what the freedom and choice lobby group and our government want us to do.
The level to which they will stoop to accomplish this becomes more and more apparent as this sorry debacle continues. Dismantling the CWB would essentially silence the powerful collective voice of western Canadian grain farmers. There are many extremely important issues facing farmers, dismantling the CWB is not one of them.
– Doug Scott,
Waskatenau, Alta.
Choice already
The Harper Conservatives, along with their cronies in the Alberta and Saskatchewan governments, want farmers to have something they call “marketing choice.” This is just another way of saying: “private market only.”
Considering how the Harper government has handled the Canadian Wheat Board issue since they were elected, it is very obvious their real agenda is to destroy the board regardless of how often they claim to only want marketing choice.
In 1989 the Mulroney government tried marketing choice with oats and we know that it did not work. When they removed oats from the CWB, the price dropped over 70 percent. This cost farmers thousands of dollars.
Harper and his cohorts claim farmers want choice in how they market their grain. We have choice now. Farmers know that if we follow Harper’s ideas, we lose our choices on how we market grain.
Over the years the CWB board of directors has made changes to improve marketing programs for all farmers. These changes have been the direct result of farmers’ feedback.
This is the way it should be. Changes should not be forced on farmers by any government….
Harper is not content to let farmers control their own actions. Instead, he wants to impose his undemocratic ideas on them.
The Harper government should remember that running the CWB should be left up to farmers and their elected directors. Heaven help Canada if Harper and his wrecking crew should ever form a majority government.
– George A. Calvin,
New Norway, Alta.
Work boots
Many years ago, on a cold and rainy spring afternoon, a group of local farmers had gathered at the Ambassador Hotel in Gravelbourg, Sask.
The boys were having a great time when a tall, lanky figure darkened the doorway. He sat next to us, ordered a drink and proceeded to enter a conversation with our table.
The stranger was a farmer from eastern Saskatchewan. He had been working in the oil fields of Alberta for the winter, he was headed home for seeding.
One beer led to another, then the conversation turned to a new pair of Redwing boots that the stranger was wearing.
An hour later, keeping in mind that an hour in the beer parlour does not necessarily consist of 60 minutes, we were still talking about work boots. Suddenly the bartender, a cantankerous old WWII vet, exclaimed, “I’m getting sick and tired of boot stories!”
The old Ambassador has now changed hands. It has a new name. I no longer indulge in alcohol, nor do I frequent drinking establishments. I try not to repeat the same sentence more than once or twice when engaged in a conversation, or when writing a letter to the editor of The Western Producer.
And every time I read the repetitious letters concerning the wheat board, I think of that incident back at the Ambassador Hotel in or about 1975. …
When you really think about it, wheat and work boots are much the same. If you’re the buyer, you try to get as much boot as possible for your money. If you’re the bootmaker or the grower, you try and give the customer a high quality product while keeping a fair profit.
If you work at it long enough, and give it your heart and sole, in the end, it all works out. How long does that need to be discussed?
– John Hamon,
Gravelbourg, Sask.
Public trust
The major function of any government is to protect the common good. As citizens, it is our responsibility in a democratic society to ensure that those we elect to serve us uphold this trust and hold them accountable when they do not.
Given the direction our governments have been taking for the past decade and a half, it would certainly appear that they have forgotten this basic rule.
In all aspects of our society and economy, the common good seems to have been put aside in favour of business interests.
The most recent example of this is our (Alberta) government’s bill 46, limiting input into development from concerned citizens.
This appears to be a knee-jerk reaction by a government embarrassed being caught hiring investigators to spy on citizens who opposed development.
The result of the political antenna used to gauge what to do with this scandal is interesting to say the least. No one at the Energy Utilities Board appears to have lost their jobs or suffered any ill for their wrongdoings.
It seems as though a shuffle has occurred to move people around. It is even not clear what became of the spies that were hired or if they were charged for the privacy laws that were broken.
The same disregard for law appears to be present in our federal government with their actions and continued actions to destroy the Canadian Wheat Board….
In the Peace we seem to be facing another threat to the common good with the seemingly already approved atomic power plant.
With the information about radon emissions from the proposed facility, this project would seem to be at odds with the common good and the public trust.
If you look at the problems in agriculture at the present time they also clearly show a lack of commitment by our governments to defend the common good.
At stake here are not only thousands of family farms but also the food safety, security and sovereignty of our nation.
No one in government seems to be all that concerned about this crisis. The public should be very concerned when we have surrendered our food supply to a few transnational corporations….
Rural Canada is most affected by the lack of governments performing their primary function of protecting the public trust….
It is time that we as citizens start to hold our elected officials accountable to do their primary job, which is protecting the common good for Canadians.
– Neil Peacock,
Sexsmith, Alta.
Life is precious
Re: Robert Latimer’s request for release from jail.
I spent 20 years transporting wheelchair and clients for the City of Edmonton. I never met anybody with cerebral palsy who wanted to die.
I drove several people who were very much the same as Latimer’s daughter.
When we gave them attention, they would always give us a beautiful radiant smile. Every time I saw Latimer’s daughter on the news reports she gave one of these smiles as soon as she realized the camera was on her.
I don’t believe she was in pain, but if she really was, pain is easily managed nowadays. I believe Robert Latimer killed his daughter for his own selfish reasons. It ended the very extensive care that is necessary for looking after someone handicapped as his daughter was.
My 32-year-old son is totally dependent with muscular dystrophy. My wife also is in a wheelchair from mild muscular dystrophy and severe arthritis. She’s had five hip replacements.
My wife and son very much want to live as long as possible. I want them to both live as long as they can as well….
Robert Latimer should stay right where he is for the rest of his life.
– Ron Henschell,
Edmonton, Alta.
Hands & knees
We have in our system commodity groups: (the) Western (Canadian) Wheat Growers (Association) has approximately 80 members, the Western Barley Growers has approximately 131 members, according to a submission to the CWB court case in Winnipeg.
(They) are getting all the media attention (by) destroying family farmers financially in Western Canada.
Those commodity groups are financed by taxpayers, against my wishes for improving the bottom line for corporations.
What is wrong with our other farm groups? They supposedly serve farmers’ needs financially policies, etc. These farm groups are sitting on their hands and knees. These farm groups think by being silent that all problems will go away.
The National Farmers Union is alone in (trying to) preserve the CWB and (fight) other insane farm policies that Tories are forcing upon farmers.
The farmers cannot sit idle anymore. …
– Eric Sagan,
Melville, Sask.
