Agriculture committee  I think the best reason would be grain not being in position to be loaded. Something such as a railway strike, an avalanche, or an act of God that was completely unpreventable might have happened, so we have to be aware of those things. There are also things like the loading of the ships.

Agriculture committee  Where are the weaknesses in the supply chain? Market access is always a big one, if we can't go in at an equal or preferential trade rate. In the case of Japan, soybeans versus canola is a great example. Soybeans have a better import tariff than canola does going in so it simply takes more off the table for an equivalent product.

Agriculture committee  I guess the proper term for that is demurrage. That would probably come out of the company's bottom line, but they would try to pass those losses back to me and every other producer filling the next boat. They have to build in extra profit margin to handle uncertain risk. In any business risk certainty and business certainty are crucial.

Agriculture committee  I think the greatest challenges for marketing and international access are knowing what's out there in the world and being very cognizant and very aware of our market advisers. I pay a lot of money to have good market advice to know what's happening around the world. I also talk to different farmers from Australia and the United States.

Agriculture committee  Absolutely, we need more processing, even in the livestock sector. That's the original value adding. If somehow we can make that attractive and competitive to world markets, that would be a great start, as well as durum, canola, lentils. Everything helps.

Agriculture committee  Thank you for the question. To expand processing, I think the very best thing we could do is encourage safe food. It's absolutely critical. As Elwin said, we could encourage open market access on an equal playing field with every other competitor around the world and provide a really strong, healthy, economic climate.

Agriculture committee  I'm very sorry for being late. The roads were horrible and traffic was atrocious. Thank you for the opportunity to provide our views on the supply chain for grains and oilseeds in western Canada. The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association is a voluntary farm policy organization with a 43-year history of advocating open and competitive markets and a history of promoting innovation and liberalized trade.

Finance committee  I don't think you could kill it fast enough. It's completely illogical to have bureaucrats or legislators from other parts of the world telling us how we should do things. If customers have one thing, they can come to us directly. But as a trading nation we have to be able to deal with science and do things properly.

Finance committee  Going back to my farm again, it's just inconceivable, as far as cashflow planning. Our farm has 16,000 acres, and we grew approximately 5,000 acres of wheat and 2,000 acres of barley last year, although it fluctuates every year. On the cashflow for that, if I happen to use the pooling option of the Canadian Wheat Board, it's just inconceivable that I would have to wait two Christmases to get my final payment.

Finance committee  I believe there's some sort of a fish cooperative....

Finance committee  I don't know.

Finance committee  Thank you for the opportunity to provide our association's views to the finance committee on the changes we believe the Minister of Finance should include in the 2011 budget. My name is Gerrid Gust, and I am a full-time farmer and the volunteer chair of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers.