XPost: can.politics, sk.politics, man.politics   
   XPost: ab.politics   
   From: Paula@nyet.ca   
      
   The wheat is not getting to their customers on time, so Canadian wheat is being   
   replaced with American wheat.   
   And yet we get these kinds of lies from Harper's government.  The QUALITY of   
   our wheat is being questioned by the customers - and its delivery is no longer   
   on time.   
      
     See the problems, Mr Hermanson?   
   _________________________________________________________   
      
   CBC News Posted: Dec 21, 2014   
      
   Reuters reported more complaints from buyers since 2012 dismantling of Canadian   
   Wheat Board   
      
   Elwin Hermanson says wheat quality not down since end of monopoly   
      
      
   The chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission says there's no   
   evidence that the quality of Canadian wheat exports has decreased since the   
   dismantling of the Canadian Wheat Board's marketing monopoly in 2012.   
      
   Earlier this month, Reuters reported that international buyers had experienced   
   problems ever since the Harper government introduced what it called "marketing   
   freedom" for wheat and barley.   
      
        Buyers of Canadian wheat say quality lower than during board's monopoly   
        Analysis: Canadian Wheat Board prepares for corporate takeover   
      
   In addition to allowing farmers to sell their crop however they want, other   
   changes rolled out for the grain industry in 2012 affected how the crop is   
   inspected and handled on its way to market.   
      
   In an interview with CBC News, Elwin Hermanson said Canada has the best crop   
   inspectors in the world.   
      
   "Over the last three years the number of cargo complaints has decreased," he   
   said, adding that none of the complaints received were found to be justified.   
   "That's because we do a good job."   
      
   So what happened? Hermanson admits there may be a difference between a formal   
   complaint filed with and investigated by his agency, and informal grumbling   
   among industry players.   
      
   "Lots of things can happen after loading a vessel," he said, pointing out some   
   things are beyond Canadian inspectors' control. "If you talk to our customers,   
   they'll say Canada is among the best if not the best at... quality assurance."   
      
      
   Losing market share?   
      
   Reuters suggested the quality assurance problems threatened Canada's market   
   share of global wheat exports, currently at about 14 per cent compared to over   
   20 per cent in the early nineties.   
      
   "Canadian farmers are growing other crops.  That's why the share is down," he   
   said, describing a decrease in Canada's dependence on wheat.   
      
   "Diversification is a good thing.  It gives producers more marketing options.   
   They have to decide what to grow."   
      
   ​Hermanson is a former Reform MP and leader of the provincial Saskatchewan   
   party.   
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
   In 2008, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz appointed him to lead the grain   
   commission, the government agency responsible for inspection and crop quality   
   under the Canada Grains Act.   
      
   Changes he oversaw in 2012 increased the user fees for crop testing — fees   
   that   
   had been frozen since 1991, resulting in taxpayers footing half the bill for   
   grain companies' samples.   
      
      
      
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
   The CGC also ended "inward inspection" for grain, when a crop was weighed and   
   graded when first delivered to a grain terminal.   
      
   These services amounted to a government subsidy to grain companies, Hermanson   
   said.   
      
   The $20 million in "unnecessary costs" were ultimately borne by farmers, the   
   Harper government's press release said at the time.   
   "Outward inspection [before export] ... is what matters to the brand,"   
   Hermanson said. "That's what we can't leave up to companies."   
      
   While the end of inward inspection services meant a reduction in the   
   commission's workforce, outward inspection "hasn't been touched," he said.   
      
   Commission inspectors never missed a shift despite all of last year's shipping   
   problems and unpredictable delays, he said.   
      
      
   Brand challenges?   
      
   Reuters talked to a European grain trader who said that buying Canadian wheat   
   was less complicated under the monopoly system.   
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
      
   But Hermanson said the impact of the former Canadian Wheat Board was overstated   
   when it comes to Canada's international reputation. Quality issues aren't about   
   who is marketing the crop.   
      
   "The Canadian Wheat Board was not responsible for the brand [quality], the   
   Canadian Grain Commission was," he said.   
      
   The wheat board was the marketing "mouthpiece," but it could say how great it   
   was because of the commission's work, he said.   
      
   "A new voice needs to be found," he says, now that Canadian wheat is marketed   
   by multinational corporations, not one central organization. His organization   
   is working on that.   
      
   The industry "can learn from what happened in the past," Hermanson said, as it   
   continues to adapt to an open market.   
      
      
   2014 quality varies   
      
   The 2013 crop year was full of challenges.  Transportation backlogs and other   
   market access issues hurt farmers' bottom line despite an otherwise bumper   
   crop.   
      
   Environmental factors — or put simply, the weather — have hurt the gluten   
   strength and protein levels in recent years, but those were better in 2014, he   
   said.   
      
   This year's crop has "quite a variance in quality," presenting challenges for   
   inspectors and marketers. He'll be relieved when it's all moved through the   
   system, he said.   
   Some of the confusion among customers abroad is being resolved with better   
   communication, he said.   
   "We can't control the weather, we can't control exchange rates," he said.  "But   
   what we can control, we can do better."   
      
   "There will always be challenges," he says. "That's what makes this industry so   
   interesting and exciting."   
   ___________________________________   
      
   Go get excited and interested on someone else's livelihood, Hermanson . . . .   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)