Dec 05/08: Specialty Crop Exporter Rant
Category: Commentary
Canada's specialty crop exporters have been bearing the brunt of the international financial crisis for many months.But, the situation has worsened since prices started to collapse during the summer of 2008.
The level of frustration, anger, and fear in the industry is typified by an email message which has been sweeping through the trade. Following is the anonymous email message:
As a Canadian Exporter of Special Crops We Are:
1) Fully responsible for all pain, hurt and fiscal 'leaks' from any of our customers AND suppliers may feel.
2) We are to meekly accept " it is not our responsibility " when either customer or supplier cry these
words.
3) We are to forgive poor quality received from a grower by blending the hurt away and by suffering the
consequences of an outraged buyer in the event he noticed ?! Same grower is entitled to submit 33
samples of his high priced contract until someone some where agrees with him that it has graded !!
4) We are always responsible for falling markets and we must at all times have a bucket of benevolent
funds to soothe the pain for customers, and give them generous lashings of discounted values.
5) We must always ship in rising markets and expect no thanks, even if same has cost us considerable
pain and dollars.
6) We must always accept that a percentage of growers can walk on contrats in up markets whenever
they feel like it--but if you dare even hint at tit for tat, the pulse police will come a knockin'.
7) We must always accept that the railways can do what they will, when they mess with our goods even
if it is to forget them in some forsaken siding in the deepest recesses of the prairies or if our goods
are routed to a wrong outpost of the N.American continent. At least we should be gratefull that they
moved.
8) We should understand that common sense is on a long vaction and that toll processors do not need
to ask questions, just do..like receiving green bags with the words "lentils" and proceeding to load
yellow peas in them."not our responsibility, its what the bag company sent !! ".(We should not expect a
third party to ever think for us.).
9) We are assumed to be the best currency traders in the world. Deal with it !
10) We are fully responsible for the global credit crisis. Admit to it and move on.
11) We alone know what the markets will do tomorrow.
12) We alone must be happy to deliver paper to a buyer.."it graded" and dare not challenge the system
that now cause us pain.for Example, 30% wrinkled seedcoats in a laird #2 sample. It graded but would
you want to receive it in a falling market ( Yes there seems to be more forgiveness in an up market !!)
13) We alone are expected to sacrifice our "bodies" (aka companies) in the name of market integrity,
when market commentators can play scaremonger and quickly "help" denude values.
14) We alone are not allowed to measure integriety in dollars and cents.
15) We alone are not permitted to call a defaulter "a cheat" least we hurt the sensibilities of the politically
correct.
16) We alone are expected to and must establish a bond to protect the integrity of values committed to
growers, and have same scrutinized by the pulse police.
17) We alone are responsible for no containers available, dirty containers, containers with holes,
containers dropped from loading cranes, containers shipped 'on board' (but not really!!), containers left
behind, containers stuck or lost in transhipment, containers arriving with seals in tact but empty (yes it
happens!), rusty and hole 'y' containers, missing containers at destination, containers on demurrage,
containers subject to every surcharge man could dream and scheme--including but not limited to, CAF,
BAF, Fuel Surcharged, GRI, PHC (previous hazardous carge.)
18) We alone are responsible to ship IP goods, Be ISO and HCCP approved. Go green, Carbon emission
conscious, Nitrogen fixated etc ! Eat healthily.
19) We can not steal another competitors exclusive seed variety but you can take mine !
20) With a smile and with these subjective credentials, perhaps members of the CSCA are the very best
equipped to take over Ottawa and lead the country. We know how to take it on the chin. Give away
bucket loads of cash, manage a budget and be responsible for every ones woes----everyones!!!
The level of frustration, anger, and fear in the industry is typified by an email message which has been sweeping through the trade. Following is the anonymous email message:
As a Canadian Exporter of Special Crops We Are:
1) Fully responsible for all pain, hurt and fiscal 'leaks' from any of our customers AND suppliers may feel.
2) We are to meekly accept " it is not our responsibility " when either customer or supplier cry these
words.
3) We are to forgive poor quality received from a grower by blending the hurt away and by suffering the
consequences of an outraged buyer in the event he noticed ?! Same grower is entitled to submit 33
samples of his high priced contract until someone some where agrees with him that it has graded !!
4) We are always responsible for falling markets and we must at all times have a bucket of benevolent
funds to soothe the pain for customers, and give them generous lashings of discounted values.
5) We must always ship in rising markets and expect no thanks, even if same has cost us considerable
pain and dollars.
6) We must always accept that a percentage of growers can walk on contrats in up markets whenever
they feel like it--but if you dare even hint at tit for tat, the pulse police will come a knockin'.
7) We must always accept that the railways can do what they will, when they mess with our goods even
if it is to forget them in some forsaken siding in the deepest recesses of the prairies or if our goods
are routed to a wrong outpost of the N.American continent. At least we should be gratefull that they
moved.
8) We should understand that common sense is on a long vaction and that toll processors do not need
to ask questions, just do..like receiving green bags with the words "lentils" and proceeding to load
yellow peas in them."not our responsibility, its what the bag company sent !! ".(We should not expect a
third party to ever think for us.).
9) We are assumed to be the best currency traders in the world. Deal with it !
10) We are fully responsible for the global credit crisis. Admit to it and move on.
11) We alone know what the markets will do tomorrow.
12) We alone must be happy to deliver paper to a buyer.."it graded" and dare not challenge the system
that now cause us pain.for Example, 30% wrinkled seedcoats in a laird #2 sample. It graded but would
you want to receive it in a falling market ( Yes there seems to be more forgiveness in an up market !!)
13) We alone are expected to sacrifice our "bodies" (aka companies) in the name of market integrity,
when market commentators can play scaremonger and quickly "help" denude values.
14) We alone are not allowed to measure integriety in dollars and cents.
15) We alone are not permitted to call a defaulter "a cheat" least we hurt the sensibilities of the politically
correct.
16) We alone are expected to and must establish a bond to protect the integrity of values committed to
growers, and have same scrutinized by the pulse police.
17) We alone are responsible for no containers available, dirty containers, containers with holes,
containers dropped from loading cranes, containers shipped 'on board' (but not really!!), containers left
behind, containers stuck or lost in transhipment, containers arriving with seals in tact but empty (yes it
happens!), rusty and hole 'y' containers, missing containers at destination, containers on demurrage,
containers subject to every surcharge man could dream and scheme--including but not limited to, CAF,
BAF, Fuel Surcharged, GRI, PHC (previous hazardous carge.)
18) We alone are responsible to ship IP goods, Be ISO and HCCP approved. Go green, Carbon emission
conscious, Nitrogen fixated etc ! Eat healthily.
19) We can not steal another competitors exclusive seed variety but you can take mine !
20) With a smile and with these subjective credentials, perhaps members of the CSCA are the very best
equipped to take over Ottawa and lead the country. We know how to take it on the chin. Give away
bucket loads of cash, manage a budget and be responsible for every ones woes----everyones!!!
Mike wrote:
We must stay strong because this situation will continue...let us hope 2010 will be the year the crisis will cease to exist