In denial?
The Canadian Wheat Board is in denial. Bob Cuthbert, senior barley marketing manager for the CWB (“We have a strong malt industry”, WP, May 1) would like you to think that I am misleading western Canadian farmers in the April 10 issue of The Western Producer (“Malt plants a lost opportunity.”)
Mr. Cuthbert suggests the CWB’s single desk is not a factor in malt companies’ decisions to steer clear of new malt investment in Canada. However, those malt companies have a very different position.
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Steve Gorst, president of Canada Malting, stated very clearly in a meeting last January, hosted by federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz and attended by the CWB, that his firm is expanding in other countries, but as long as the CWB single desk is in place, they will not invest in Canada. Phil De Kemp, executive director of the Malting Industry Association of Canada, echoed Gorst’s sentiments. …
These are very clear, unambiguous statements. Perhaps Cuthbert was not aware of them since he wasn’t there. I was there and heard them first hand.
Other malt companies are equally explicit in their choice of locations to build. There are over 30 new malt plants or expansions announced or under construction in 21 countries totalling over three million tonnes.
International malt companies are taking the “ABC” approach to additional malt capacity: Anywhere But Canada….
Comments from the CWB like those of Cuthbert’s display much of our problem attracting investment in new malt capacity to Canada. Malt industry insiders know, and I’m pretty sure Bob Cuthbert knows, the CWB single desk, and the prospect of it remaining, is the problem.
Marketing ideology aside, right or wrong, it is. Ignoring this fact, or trying to dissuade others from believing it, the CWB is doing a disservice to the whole barley sector in Canada.
Rather than promoting the Canadian industry, fostering meaningful development in our barley sector, the CWB continues to be defensive, giving close-minded arguments that we shouldn’t expect more out of this industry. Because of that mindset, we will continue to watch capacity built elsewhere while our industry languishes….
– John De Pape,
Winnipeg, Man.
Sweet smell
Congratulations to Lacombe County for approving the site for the racetrack. It probably meets minimum distance separation requirements, has good visibility, good access. The separation is just right that neighbours will not see the tears nor hear the cries caused by the one-armed bandits.
But just a minute. On second thought, the county would never approve any sort of confined agriculture enterprise like a hog barn, a dairy or even a broiler barn on this site. They would have to be built in the middle of a 640-acre section.
There would have been opposition to the pollution of water wells. No confined housing would be permitted so near a watershed, let alone right in a slough which is the headwaters of Whelp Creek, and so close to Lacombe Lake. Is allowing a racetrack with 200 horses in that drainage system practicing good stewardship?
West of Lacombe is not primarily an edible food growing area. We need livestock to utilize our barley, our CPS wheat and our silage.
How much higher does the cost of oil have to go before farmers can no longer afford to buy commercial fertilizer? Suddenly the smell of manure is becoming sweet. It is a valuable resource, not a waste problem. It also is organic. It looks like we will be dependent on communal farms for our food in the future.
When we read about food riots in other countries, of armed soldiers guarding a ton of rice from starving humanity, and see a cartoon of a starving child holding his empty bowl up to an ethanol pump, we realize how much more important it is to grow food than to provide entertainment.
A racetrack may provide enjoyment for some, but food provides sustainability of life for many.
– George Weenink,
Lacombe, Alta.
CWB envied
In the letter “CWB envied,” (Open Forum, April 12, quoted) statements made by Dwayne Andreas, former chief executive officer of Archer Daniels Midland, and Dick Dawson, senior vice-president of Cargill, show that even corporations admit the Canadian Wheat Board is a good thing for farmers and show that farmers would be fools indeed if they allow the single desk power of the CWB to become a thing of the past.
There are those that say the wheat board was set up to lower prices. They should consider the value of the dollar in the 1940s. That $1.25 received by farmers who sold to the wheat board’s single desk were receiving parity prices with the rest of the economy.
Correlated into today’s value, that price would be much higher than the calculated $22.50 US per bushel last calculated in 2002 for a bushel of wheat. Who wouldn’t want $22.50 per bu. today?
Those that say the wheat board functioned well when first set up as a market of choice should have considered it also had a floor price attached that saved it from bankruptcy….
Farmers could have that required parity price tomorrow morning if only they could act co-operatively and use the collective bargaining system that could set-up the market required. There is nothing that could stop the farmer from getting that parity price once they get together and say, “this is the price you’re going to pay me.”
The corporations couldn’t do a thing about it other than pay the price. Farmers are being paid so low a price today that if the consumer was made to pay all of the increase, it would only mean a 1.7 percent increase in food costs. …
What the corporations really want to do is take it a step further and decouple the market, whereby there is no market and corporations contract buy, whereby they take ownership in the farmers’ grain before it is planted.
Thus any world price increases that occur are irrelevant to the farmer. All profits go to the corporation. The only thing standing in their way is the CWB’s single desk. …
– R. E. Kennedy,
Simpson, Sask.
Need vs. greed
What is happening in our world? Now even reading our farm papers is scary stuff. The escalating cost of fertilizer plus rising diesel fuel prices and improved grain and oilseeds prices are causing rising food costs.
The April 24 issue, page 95, of The Western Producer reports that the Chinese are willing to pay three times last year’s price for potash.
As is, the fertilizer companies are racking up huge profits. The primary producer is not making any more money due to the huge increases in input costs. Yet farmers are blamed for the rising costs of food. Rice prices have risen dramatically and poor countries react with riots as food becomes scarcer.
Why is land that could produce food being diverted to production of crops to produce fuel? Scientists tell us that no energy is really saved as it requires so much energy to turn corn into ethanol.
Third World countries are competing to produce more cheap goods, many really unnecessary items, for the consumers with dollars to spend. The demand for oil keeps increasing as its use results in more pollution.
Companies produce their products in countries where labour is cheap, use more oil to transport the goods back to North America, sell the goods at inflated prices in order to make very large profits for the shareholders of these companies. Something is wrong with this picture. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
There is enough on this earth for everyone’s need, but not for everyone’s greed. …
What is the solution to this problem? Is anyone even thinking of how to reduce the use of oil? Living in the country we have no choice but to use a motor vehicle to travel for medical care and to buy necessities.
The old philosophy was to use appliances, furniture, vehicles, etc. until they actually wore out. Now we are encouraged to buy bigger, better, newer, more beautiful stuff. It costs to make this stuff, in energy use, in resulting pollution.
Society is now used to living at a very high standard. The theme seems to be make more, sell more, profit more, with no concern for the earth, the environment or the poor.
If this spiral continues, with ever rising costs, it may suddenly take a downward direction and we will sooner, rather than later, become included in the definition of the poor.
– Naden Hewko,
Cactus Lake, Sask.
Hypocritical
The “new” government of Canada has become old very quickly as evidenced by the following: 1. Allegations of illegal electoral campaign spending; 2. Manipulation of Canadian Wheat Board voter lists; 3. Appointments of anti-CWB directors in order to erode CWB market power; 4. Use of handbooks on how to disrupt and paralyze parliamentary committees; 5. The minister of agriculture’s attempts to access private grain sales records; 6. Quickness to sue anyone who refutes their actions and strategies; 7. Refusals to release information to media and to the public, even though this same government campaigned on more transparency and accountability.
It is hypocritical to promote democracy, justice and good government in another country when this Conservative government is eroding these same principles in Canada.
– Frank Orosz,
Creston, B.C.
Blight threatens
Farmers have endured many adversities from droughts and floods, hail, cyclones and grasshopper plagues and much more, along with ever-increasing operational costs and bottomed-out prices for their products.
Through all of these trials, farming has adapted and survived in next-year country.
Now we have a blight of political arrogance to deal with, a blight which threatens the very existence of the family farm.
From the day of the election of the federal minority government, the agriculture ministers have insulated themselves with small-membership groups who tell them what they want to hear and in the process have lost sight of the fact that they represent all farmers.
Now, with Gerry Ritz as federal minister of agriculture, farmers with opposing views are continually and often loudly being taken down the temper-road with being told to get out of the way to a new low of name-calling.
(In the Feb. 14 issue) the agriculture minister reported as calling those farmers who are backing away from investing in biofuel projects as being shortsighted and further that they must become long-term thinkers.
Ritz is further quoted as saying, “Here’s your opportunity, guys, to broaden your scope…”
I assume the ag minister was addressing men. Yes, some men farm alone but is he oblivious to the fact that women and/or other family members are an integral part of the farm voice? Are he and his associates knowledgeable of the fact that an increasing number of women farm on their own or with family members? …
In (the March 6) issue … Ritz with reference to amendments to the Canadian Wheat Board Act proclaims, “Our date is still Aug. 1 of 2008 and we will move heaven and earth to make that happen.”…
To put power into the hands of megabusiness is where their actions are taking us. To avoid that pitfall, we who know the value of the farmer-controlled CWB must continue to work together so that our voices are heard.
May the next federal Minister of Agriculture, no matter who she or he may be, represent all farmers.
– Lillian Thorlacius,
Wynyard, Sask.
Meat grinder
I’m looking at your picture on page five of the April 3 Western Producer of a man grinding beef. I do my own butchering and meat cutting but I wear a white apron and latex gloves.
Looking at a bearded man with bare hands and dark clothing, grinding meat that appears to be 80 percent fat, seams to be poor advertising for the hamburger and beef industry. The picture on page 42 looks more appetizing and much cleaner.
– Leonard Desnoyers
Bonnyville, Alta.
Fuel thievery
Recently my old fuel wagon was stolen. It never occurred to me someone would value this old rust on white truck box trailer, but with a fuel tank in it, it becomes the perfect tool for a fuel thief.
I would like to warn everyone to watch their fuel. It has become a very valuable commodity.
The perfect way to guard against this would be to get a deer camera to get pictures of the thieves.
– Kellen Wickenheiser,
Medicine Hat, Alta.
Stag update
I appreciate the story by Sean Pratt on the launch of the Strategic Agriculture Institute (WP, May 8.) It appears that I created some misunderstanding during our interview that I hope you will allow me to correct. 

Stag is not joining the “cacophony that is Canada’s farm lobby.” Further, I never suggested there are “gaping holes” in the farm lobby. On the contrary, I tried to be clear that Stag will in no way compete or undermine the work of farm policy organizations. It is intended to be an institute, not a farm lobby organization. As such it will provide farm organizations with resources to pursue their objectives whenever those objectives are directed toward improving farm profitability. …
To try to aid in understanding the constraints this puts on the organization I used the example of improving farm income. The quote Pratt used, while completely accurate, could not convey the tone of voice when I said lobbying for income support or other broader policies “don’t do a damn thing for farm profitability.”
The point was not to be critical of trying to improve income support, but to illustrate that it is beyond the scope of the institute.
Rather than (duplicate) farm organization efforts, Stag’s intent is to provide the documentation, research and where possible, communication resources, to support efforts of farm organizations….
The reason Stag is needed is not to address gaping holes, but to provide for one very tightly focused vehicle to promote farm profitability that does not carry responsibility for all issues in agriculture. I fully expect farm leaders to keep us to that mission.
– Glenn Caleval,
President,
Strategic Agriculture Institute,
Saskatoon, Sask.
Grow your food
Re: headline on page 83 of May 1 issue of The Western Producer, “Rural residents dish out more for food.”
My question is, why are rural residents not raising and eating food from their own farms and gardens? The healthiest food is the food from your own yard.
I hear the cry from working couples, “we don’t have time.” Well, there are still the same hours in a day as there always have been and when I was growing up there were mothers who had to work outside in the fields as well as the usual inside the house work.
I also remember our teachers who were farmers’ wives. Many had to milk cows before coming to a cold school and have to be there to light the school heaters.
Many teachers also did the janitor work at school before leaving for the day. They taught Grades 1-8 and often had a few students in higher grades taking correspondence courses that had to be supervised….
Many young couples don’t even know how to garden or cook from scratch or preserve food. There are lots of experienced gardeners and cooks in all areas who would be only to eager to teach you….
Get the kids off the couch and away from the TV, computer, etc. and out in a garden. Weeding (and) seeding never hurt anyone that I know of. Even small spaces can grow lots of food with the use of trellises, pots, etc., if your yard is small. Start community gardens on those empty lots in your area if you are urban residents. …
There will always be low income or people on government aid amongst us. Wouldn’t it be more feasible in the long run to relocate some of these families to smaller towns where their children are safe and the parents could be more self-sufficient?
What child wouldn’t prefer a small house with a yard to play in over living in a run down city apartment? In the farming areas there is always farmers looking for seasonal help. Many small towns are looking for people to move in to help keep their schools, hospitals and stores open.
– Elaine Sloan,
Busby, Alta.
