It was open season on the Canadian Grain Commission, grain companies and anyone else who wants to stand in the way of producers loading their own rail cars.
Shots were taken at all of them at a seminar of more than 300 proponents of producer car loading facilities in Regina Nov. 30, but the group was particularly upset at the CGC for putting up obstacles to prevent farmers from making money.
Ed Wallace, of the Empress Line Producer Car Association, called an earlier CGC ruling a “colossal collective cerebral meltdown.” The commission would require West Central Road and Rail, which recently built a producer car loading site, to be licensed as a primary elevator.
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Grain companies say West Central is a competitive threat. They say legislation allowing farmers to load producer cars was designed to accommodate farmers loading several cars with their augers, not a sophisticated system capable of loading a large unit train.
But Sinclair Harrison, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, told the meeting the legislation was put in place so farmers could avoid using the elevator system.
“We have to protect it,” he said of the right to avoid the costlier system. “The grain companies are going to fight us all the way.”
Gordon Fritzke, of Golden Prairie Short Line Co-operative, said producers must shake off the peasant mentality, educate themselves, think big and “get off your butts. We are in danger of losing the right to load producer cars. It is past midnight.”
Bill Drew, director of grain operations at the Canadian Wheat Board, said producers have to do this themselves because no one is going to hand them a producer car system. He said producers have to “take this fight and fight it hard.
“You have to be organized,” he said. “There is a danger in not having an association.”
Wallace suggested a resource registry so those interested in setting up loading sites could join the “revolution.”
He said if CGC chief commissioner Barry Senft cannot or will not resist lobbying by the large grain companies, he should be asked to resign.
There was loud applause.
Commissioner Albert Schatzke and assistant commissioner Donna Welke of the CGC participated in the meeting and expressed their support for producers.
Schatzke outlined the increased demand for producer cars over the past three years.
In 1998, producers loaded about 2,900 cars, representing 57 cars per week, or less than one percent of the total cars.
The next year they loaded 3,400, or 67 per week, which represents 1.2 percent.
Last year they loaded 4,700, representing 91 per week and 1.7 percent of the total.
“I can’t understand why one percent of the total fleet is scaring so many in the industry,” Schatzke said.
Ron Gleim, chair of the Western Rail Coalition, said producers who were abandoned by the grain companies are building a new system designed to efficiently move grain to port.
“The grain companies are now calling foul,” he said. “We’re not here to guarantee the grain companies’ future.”
He asked if the CGC’s mandate is to support producers or the grain companies.
Schatzke replied the commission is working to guarantee quality, not drive up producers’ costs.
