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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2013

VOL. 91 | NO. 51 | $4.25 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013

VOL. 91 | NO. 52 | $4.25

1923 GROWING WITH FARMERS FOR 90 YEARS

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WWW.PRODUCER.COM

THE SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY ISSUE 1941

1970

2013

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GROWING WITH FARMERS FOR 90 YEARS

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INSIDE: A review of farming over the past 90 years & our predictions on the future of agriculture

WWW.PRODUCER.COM

Next week

HI HO HI HO, IT’S OFF TO DECORATE WE GO

The Western Producer is published in Saskatoon by Western Producer Publications, which is owned by GVIC Communications Corp. Publisher: Shaun Jessome Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240

DECEMBER 26, 2013 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 2500, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4

Our year-end issue explores agriculture’s past, present and future

COURT | WHOSE MONEY?

Court rejects most of CWB class action suit BY BARRY WILSON OTTAWA BUREAU

If a Federal Court judgment holds, a $17 billion class action suit against Ottawa over ending the C WB monopoly would be reduced to a potential claim worth a fraction of that. As CWB supporters consider an appeal, a Federal Court of Canada judge has rejected most of their arguments. A lawyer for Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board said the judgment still leaves open continuation of a legal claim but the stakes would be significantly lower. “I think the judgment leaves open continuation of the case and we could be looking at several hundred millions of dollars in those claims,” Winnipeg lawyer Anders Bruun said in a Dec. 16 interview.

Eli Collins, 4, carries this year’s Christmas tree to the truck with a little help from his father, John, at Mason Family Farm You-Choose Christmas Trees Dec. 15. It’s an annual tradition for the Kenaston, Sask., ranch family to select and cut their own tree. | WILLIAM DEKAY PHOTO

COURT REJECTS SUIT, PAGE 2

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GRAIN HANDLING | DELIVERY TROUBLES

Farmers feeling powerless

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BY ED WHITE WINNIPEG BUREAU

They are not only signs of a glutted grain handling system, but also offer proof of the powerlessness of farmers in years of large crops. Gaping basis levels and elevators refusing to even offer prices for some crops are becoming a growing problem across the Prairies. “Farmers are virtually giving away their excess yields just to get them off

the fields so they wouldn’t spoil,” said Starbuck, Man., farmer Ed Rempel, president of the Manitoba Canola Growers Association. “Their bins are full and grain bags are OK only as long as you can keep the wildlife away.” Some farmers are discovering they can’t even get a bad price for crops at their local elevators because some points have stopped posting prices at all. Others are having to swallow awful basis levels that steal profits.

BULK UP NOW. EARN UP TO

Even some farmers with delivery contracts have been told they’ll have to delay deliveries until enough rail cars can be found. And those who don’t have delivery contracted might not be able to move their crops until April, advisers say. “They hate to hear it, but you have to play the game that’s in front of you,” said Brennan Turner of FarmLead.com, an online crops marketplace. Jim Beusekom of Market Place

Commodities in Lethbridge echoed that thought. “People say ‘I don’t want to chase the market,’ and that’s generally right, but sometimes you have to chase the market. “We’re getting a lot of calls to our office now (in which) guys are almost in panic mode. They’re really worried. They’ve got wheat and they don’t know what to do with it.” FARMERS FEEL POWERLESS, PAGE 2

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The Western Producer is published in Saskatoon by Western Producer Publications, which is owned by GVIC Communications Corp. Publisher: Shaun Jessome Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240

DECEMBER 19, 2013 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 2500, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4

Elevators full | Prices are not available at some elevators and poor basis levels are eating profits


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