WTO danger
The United States and Europe are trying again to get rid of the Canadian Wheat Board by using the World Trade Organization.
Should they succeed, we will lose the protection we now have with the Wheat Board Act that does not allow cheap subsidized wheat to be dumped into our domestic market.
If the CWB were gone, wheat growers would find themselves in the same boat as corn, pulse and canola growers who are forced to compete with the U.S. treasury.
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In the past, we gave away the transportation subsidy, also the two-price system for wheat for Canadian consumption.
What did we get in return? The U.S. increased subsidies, that’s what happened.
I hope that our WTO negotiators this time will have the courage to tell the U.S. and Europe “you go first because we have been burned before. We have in the past made subsidy cuts and you responded with increases.”
– T. E. Finnson,
Arborg, Man.
U.S. model?
Jim Pallister thinks cash is the most compelling reason to adopt an open market system. I think Mr. Pallister had better look south to the United States experience.
The U.S. government has poured many, many billions of dollars into the farming community over the last 50 years in order to keep their farmers viable.
This aid was in the form of set aside, very lucrative storage payments, guaranteed prices at the farmgate and many other programs. The U.S. government also has paid many billions into the grain traders’ pockets such as sell one bushel and the government will give you a free one to sell, and other programs.
When Mr. Pallister talks about cash, he must be mixing U.S. government cash with that of the open market. About three years ago, canola growers could receive up to $100 US per acre for growing canola. This was verified by a group of U.S. farmers at a Man-Dak zero-till show in Brandon.
It is programs such as this that I am referring to. Programs like this also help destroy grain prices around the world.
If Mr. Pallister wants an open market, he had also better be prepared to bring the U.S. treasury. These people are preaching ideology and not farmgate economics in Canada.
– Don Dean,
Langbank, Sask.
Roundup comment
Re: Response to “Roundup response,” Western Producer, Nov. 10.
We too are “continually amazed, but not surprised” at Mr. Schmeiser’s “attempts to completely misrepresent the facts.”
Rather than wasting newspaper space correcting the numerous inaccuracies in Mr. Schmeiser’s version of events, anyone with an interest in this very outdated and old news story would be best served by reviewing the actual Supreme Court of Canada written judgment, which serves as an independent and public record of events and rulings on this dispute.
This judgment can be found at: www.lexum.umontreal.ca/csc-scc/en/index.html (see Supreme Court of Canada Published Judgments, 2004, Volume 1, Monsanto Canada Inc. vs. Schmeiser).
For the correct version on the results of tests on samples of Mr. Schmeiser’s crop, see para. 6 and 64. For the correct version of the Court’s opinion on “how” Roundup Ready canola ended up on Mr. Schmeiser’s 1,030 acre field see para. 6 and 66. For the correct version of the Supreme Court’s finding on the validity of Monsanto’s patent see para. 1, 2 and 14.
The Federal Court of Canada ruled on this case more than four years ago. Mr. Schmeiser lost. The Federal Court of Appeal ruled on this case more than three years ago. Mr. Schmeiser’s appeal was dismissed on all 17 grounds. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled on this situation more than 18 months ago. Mr. Schmeiser lost again.
Perhaps it is time for Mr. Schmeiser to move on.
– Trish Jordan
Public Affairs Lead
Monsanto Canada
Winnipeg, Man.
Stall advice
Re: Gestation stalls due for changes, Western Producer, Nov. 10.
If anyone is thinking about going to group housing sows during pregnancy, I would strongly recommend doing more research and talking to people that have barns with group housing.
Anybody that has ever worked with hogs knows there is always a boss sow in every group and a lot of fighting and bruising, especially after weaning.
I have worked with hogs for many years and went from group housing to individual stalls with great success, bigger and more even litters, and far less problems in the sow herd.
We have sows with 10 to 15 litters and they still have good sound legs.
Ninety percent of the problems in sows come from poor genetics and improper balanced feeding rations. I hope more hog producers speak up on this matter before restaurant and supermarkets tell us how to raise our livestock.
– Joe Gross,
Rockyford, Alta.
Barley position
Barley growers were asked by corn grower leaders why we do not support their efforts to get tariffs on corn imports. Surely, they say, we should back any action that would result in higher barley prices.
The short answer is that it would be a win for protectionists.
For many of us, the use of import quotas and tariffs, along with export subsidies, are offensive trade policy. Producers in other countries will see their expanded use as increased protectionism by Canada.
Other farm leaders are calling for Canada to slack off on efforts to get a new World Trade Organization agreement. Instead, they say, we should put all our efforts behind getting money for cash strapped farmers.
That would be another win for protectionists, who prefer to see us walk away from trade talks rather than make concessions on the wheat board or supply management.
Export-dependent producers cannot win from protectionism. Any benefits are more than offset by lost opportunity.
In the long run, consumers and taxpayers pay the price for protectionism. I would hope that they will support our position.
– Tom Hewson,
Langbank, Sask.
Short-term pain
Attention Mr. Leo McDonnell, President of R-CALF.
Unlike many others in Canada, I feel we owe you, your group and Judge Richard Cebull a thank you.
Although your actions of getting the border closed to Canadian beef has cost us millions of dollars and put many people involved in agriculture out of business on both sides of the border, my personal belief is that this kick in the groin is just what we needed to wake us up.
Over the past 75 years we have let much of our packing industry move south or be bought by foreign investors. At one time cities all across Canada had packing plants. We have watched them and the spinoffs from them go south in many cases.
The fact that only 150 people worldwide have ever died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, linked to BSE, is far from a disaster in my view.
We lose thousands of people every year to cancer linked to smoking, alcohol and drugs, all self inflicted. …
Mr. McDonnell, we now realize that when a very small association like yours has the power to stop an entire country from exporting to them, we are way too vulnerable to our biggest and sometimes best trading partner, and long overdue to create some alternatives.
Trying to build new facilities on low cattle prices is going to be quite a challenge, but I believe strategically located plants owned by Canadians with the help of our federal and provincial governments will be successful.
Our agriculture products are probably safer than anywhere in the world today…
Although our federal and provincial governments have been a huge help through the BSE crisis, more funding has to be available to agencies promoting our agriculture products around the world. …
So thanks again. We hope our short-term pain will be our long-term gain in the future.
– Barry Minor,
President,
Kootenay Livestock Association,
Cranbrook, B.C.
