World Grain - March 2012 - 33

A ﬂour art museum story | No. 3
FEATURE: CANADA’S LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES

tion with a monopoly that controls your industry is difﬁcult to comprehend. As a monopoly, the CWB has advised farmers on everything from long-range weather patterns and what they should plant to when they should deliver their grain to the elevator, how much and at what price. Then, once the load was dumped, it became the property of the CWB and no longer of concern to the producer. All that was left for the farmer to do was to wait for the ﬁnal payment, which could come as much as a year later. GRAIN TRANSPORTATION IMPACT In short, for almost 70 years wheat and barley producers living in Canada’s major grain producing provinces — Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Peace River region of British Columbia — have not been involved in either marketing their crop, understanding customer needs or the logistics involved in moving their product to the buyer. The changes scheduled to be put in place at the beginning of next crop year will impact nearly every aspect of the wheat and barley industry in Western Canada and, particularly, the grain transportation business.

In its position as a single desk marketing agency, the CWB has been the conductor of Western Canada’s grain transportation system, a task that is perhaps best described in a CWB job opportunities bulletin that says: Among other things, the CWB’s logistics department is “responsible for determining railcar demand requirements (both quantity and product mix) to meet inbound vessel shipping requirements (export vessels, domestic milling lakers, as well as transshipments by laker to the St. Lawrence River) in the ports of Thunder Bay, Churchill, Vancouver and Prince Rupert, as well as transfer elevators in the St. Lawrence River, besides also coordinating vessel loading, the CWB’s grain tendering program, along with ocean freight and laker freight chartering. “As well, the logistics department is responsible for the creation, maintenance and communication of the pool accounts and export availability, which are drivers of the CWB sales program. This area also ensures that the approval of sales inquires take into account the operational capabilities and considerations for a sale to be successfully executed. “Rail Logistics is also responsible for

Big show with little rolls.
Probably everyone has dreamt of a fresh roll as they passed by a bakery and smelled the fresh, warm baked goods inside. But our dreams aren’t as famous as the scene in Charlie Chaplin’s 1925 ﬁlm "Goldrush", which is widely considered to be the best-known ﬁlm scene of all time. The Tramp played by Chaplin sits alone on New Year’s Eve in his cabin waiting for the pretty girls he’s invited, and who naturally do not show up. He starts to daydream, and dreams his way through a grand New Year’s Eve dinner. To entertain the imaginary girls, he spears two rolls on forks and performs a little dance with them on the table. It’s funny and heartbreaking at the same time. Tucholsky enthusiastically described this little dance, Johnny Depp played it in one of his movies, and loyal Charlie Chaplin fans have posted it on YouTube innumerable times. Flour isn’t just a staple food – it’s also a staple of our culture. www.ﬂour-art-museum.de www.muehlenchemie.de
For more information, see Page 90.

Court rejects appeal to block law ending CWB monopoly
An appeal to block a new law ending the Canadian Wheat Board’s (CWB) monopoly was turned down by the Canadian courts on Feb. 24, allowing the Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act to be law. Justice Shane Perlmutter of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Manitoba, the highest trial court in the province, dismissed an application for an injunction by eight former wheat board directors against the act. “Western farmers are pleased with the Court’s decision today,” said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. “Our government knows that producers need market certainty as they move forward and this decision allows farmers the best possible opportunities to succeed as they transition to an open market.” The Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act is now law and farmers can forward contract their wheat and barley with buyers of their choice for delivery beginning Aug. 1. The CWB also remains a viable, voluntary marketing option for farmers of all commodities in all parts of Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “We are working with farmers, the grain value chain, the CWB and provincial partners to ensure an orderly transition to a dual-marketing system that encourages entrepreneurs to seize new markets, increase sales, and drive the economy,” Ritz said. “The Harper Government remains focused on doing what is best for the agricultural sector by giving farmers the right to choose how they market their grain.”
www.World-Grain.com / World Grain / March 2012

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World Grain - March 2012

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