Supporters of the CWB single desk have made comments in the media about wide spreads between country elevator prices and west coast port prices. Their assumption is that this means windfall profits for grain companies at the farmers’ expense. Some are arguing that this year’s lousy basis is the result of no longer having the […] Read more
Stories by John De Pape
Power of the people not part of CWB Act
John De Pape is a business and agricultural analyst who writes The CWB Monitor, a blog critical of the Canadian Wheat Board. Single desk supporters are arguing against the government’s plan to end the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly by pushing for a plebiscite or insisting the CWB board of directors has the mandate to decide […] Read more
CWB laker debate
In Adrian Ewins’ article in the Feb. 17 edition of theProducer,“Wheat board’s business connections questioned” CWB spokesperson Maureen Fitzhenry takes exception to my blog about the CWB’s purchase of two lakers. In my commentary I provided some little known facts about the CWB’s business relationship with Mission Terminal in Thunder Bay and the transfer elevator […] Read more
CWB and PPO
The (Canadian Wheat Board) contingency fund was established to underwrite the Producer Pricing Option programs to ensure that program operating gains or losses will not impact the pool accounts. The way it was meant to work: when the CWB determines the prices for Fixed Price Contracts and other PPOs, it always includes a discount for […] Read more
Turn off the CWB propaganda – Opinion
De Pape is an owner of Integrated Malt Barley Management Ltd. based in Winnipeg. In recent weeks the Canadian Wheat Board and its supporters have been promoting their view of the value of the CWB by comparing this year’s pool return outlook to the average price received by U.S. farmers selling the same type of […] Read more
Malt plants a lost opportunity – Opinion
De Pape is an owner of Integrated Malt Barley Management Ltd. based in Winnipeg. Rod Flaman needs a lesson in the malt industry, or so it seems after reading his letter (Open Forum, March 13) in response to a piece written by Paul Orsak (Opinion, Feb. 28.) I have no doubt that Mr. Flaman has […] Read more
Poor signals from barley PROs – Opinion
De Pape is an owner of Integrated Malt Barley Management Ltd. and is based in Winnipeg. The Canadian Wheat Board recently announced its Pool Return Outlook for the 2008-09 crop year. At first glance the barley PROs look somewhat attractive but closer inspection shows they could pose a problem too. The 2008-09 PROs for barley […] Read more
Barley plan lacks transparency – Opinion
De Pape is an owner of Integrated Malt Barley Management Ltd., a firm specializing in international malting barley markets. Additional details and background information about this commentary are available at barley@depape.ca. Price transparency is a fundamental feature of a functioning marketplace. Without transparency, unnecessary costs and risks are added to the market. Unfortunately, the Canadian […] Read more
