A couple of things in the “news” today bothered me. First off, a .2% decrease in unemployment last month is nothing to celebrate. When you realise most of the jobs where in the public sector (education) didn’t school start up again last month? Is this job creation? The other thing that really has me wondering is what is going to happen when Steven Harper dismantles the wheat board? I mean I have some idea of how it’s going to play out, I can see many things being affected, and greed always has a way of screwing hard working people out of a fair price for their crops. Freight fees will rise, say good buy to loan guaranties, buyers will hold the cards, and smaller farmers or ones with bad years will lose their farms. I wonder how many of us will be finically forced to live on the Atkins diet? The price of grain will certainly rise to the point that many of us will just have to go without bread, seems Harper has the “let them eat cake” approach to everything. I hope I am wrong about this, but would like to hear from others. Thanks.
dismantel the CWB ?
- Thread starter itsmesean
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The rise in the employed was a tad higher than that but - you are right about school starting up. The announcement here today was about the improvement in the rate of the un-employed rate but they openly stated that the reason for it was that school teachers were back at work. I am amazed that they would even be allowed to count teachers as un-employed for summer holidays. How would that get reported. I thought they couldn't apply for EI so why would gov't put out those numbers? It doesn't count because there are a certain number of positions to be filled regardless so they should have to go by that count. My city has had the highest rate of un-employed for awhile now but at least it's improved by nearly 1%. (every little bit helps). Funny that the HST in BC was supposed to create so many jobs and any fool could see it was going to delete not create jobs and now, that's proving to be right. Employment is rising so it has to be right. I'm not talking about the teachers. Probably lots in retail. The stores seem to be especially busy right now.
It was 7.3 now 7.1 and in the morning news there was no mention about teachers till the evening news. Yes many people are buying things, but on credit! We are going to cheer in the streets for weeks .2% wow! long live harper! all those min. wage jobs! what more could we want?
Dismantling the Wheat Board is an ideological move not a practical one. A few
years from now farmers will be fighting to get it back. Many agricultural groups
are fighting to attain supply management because its the only way food
producers will be able to survive.
years from now farmers will be fighting to get it back. Many agricultural groups
are fighting to attain supply management because its the only way food
producers will be able to survive.
I do understand the whole "value added" idea but could not that be done with the one desk in place?
I spoke with someone earlier today that said growing wheat and selling it off is like exporting raw lumber, really? Farmers don't need to and should not have to mill and bake bread and produce pasta, the market place is dictated by all of us as consumers, if we wont buy Canadian it wont be made.
so are you for it?
I spoke with someone earlier today that said growing wheat and selling it off is like exporting raw lumber, really? Farmers don't need to and should not have to mill and bake bread and produce pasta, the market place is dictated by all of us as consumers, if we wont buy Canadian it wont be made.
so are you for it?
The Canadian Wheat Board
The Grain Industry In Canada
Alberta Wheat Pool
Free markets is a myth when it comes to food production and when we talk about agriculture the independent farmer is the first one to lose the advantage of a good negotiated deal just because they’re leverage power is non-existent as an individual.
In order to get the best possible price they need a central board or pool to have that advantage.
We have to remember that manufacturers like to buy in big volumes and they act as a group and set buying prices, which are low.
This is the wrong time to dismantle the CWB and if I remember correctly the CWB was dismantled before the depression so that farmers could have more freedom to negotiate there own prices until the depression hit and had to beg the government to bring back the CWB.
I agree with you Liberalman, this move puts all the risk on the individual farmer, and for what? To maybe scratch out a living with no hope for ever retiring until death. and a lot of cost pasted on to the consumer. what's next the milk board $19.95 for a jug of milk?
Why is it called the Canadian Wheat Board when Ontario and Quebec Grain producers are not involved?
That's the nice thing about growing wheat in Que or Ont; you have the choice to opt in or out off the CWB... Not so in Western Canada, you were forced to sell to the CWB in addition to the reality that you were also unable to participate in the value-added part of the chain. By in large, Western grain producers were forced to sell their product for the lowest price and at the lowest part of the sales ladder.
Have you seen the size of an ON or PQ farm Cpt? It's not hard to sell a pick up truck full of wheat.
I can't say that I have seen that sight.
Much of my opinion is formed by my relatives that are in the agri business. In effect, the biggest reason that they consider grain farming is primarily to use as feed for their livestock. If they have a surplus, they sell the excess into the system.
I understand your position. The gist of what I was suggesting is that some folks in the agri business (ie. my relatives) do not see the value, in terms of an economic opportunity, it grain farming as a stand-alone business.
It is not actually the teachers, but the CUPE workers that are entitled to collect EI over the summer. Just irresponsible journalism at work.
Unless you work in the higher paying jobs like sawmills where the HST does help in remaining competitive with Washington State where wages and taxes are much lower.