Canadian Transportation Act Review,
I am writing your organization to show my support in our shortline railroad “Southern Rails Co-op”.
My intention is to inform you how vital the shortline is to my farming operation in my area;
and the benefits of my past experience of handling on-board grains through producer cars versus
the local or terminal grain elevators.
It has been consistently proven for me that grades and protein of all on-board grains shipped
through the producer car have been the same or better (never worse) than grains shipped
through grain companies. This solely benefits the farmer and proves that results of all grains
bought by grain companies can be ambiguous.
I have had grain handling savings of up to $1000/car. I find convenience loading locally on the
branch line track, and most times load in the amount of 3200bu of my own grain within a couple
of hours, versus waiting at the elevator for other customers/running out of elevator space till next
train run, etc.
I feel I have more control of the grade and protein because the producer car bypasses the middle
man (grain company), therefore one less institution “with it’s fingers in the pot”.
In conclusion, the producer needs to have the right to load a producer car as an option and has to
be kept in the Canadian Grains act. As a producer, in my opinion and through my experience this
is the only alternative left to move my grain efficiently to port originating from a branch line, and
yet more cost effective than transporting it to an inland terminal which is destroying our provincial
highways in the process, resulting in spending fruitlessly millions of taxpayers dollars for repairs.
Sincerely,
Mark Beingessner
Farmer
Truax, Saskatchewan, S0H 4A0
(306) 868-4618