Agriculture committee  Thank you, Humphrey. As Humphrey said, my name is Allen Oberg. My brother and I run a grain and cattle operation near Forestburg, Alberta. I have been a member of the Canadian Wheat Board's farmer-elected board since 2002 and was elected chairman of that board this past June.

Agriculture committee  Yes, that's right.

Agriculture committee  There's really no mechanism there for those efficiency gains to be passed back to farmers. In the previous system, where we had regular costing reviews, the railways were allowed to keep those efficiencies for four years. Then there would be a costing review and those efficiencie

Agriculture committee  That's right.

Agriculture committee  We have raised the issue of a costing review with a number of elected officials. Minister Ritz initially was supportive. We have also met with Minister Strahl. His answer was that “when you get support from Minister Ritz perhaps we can look at a costing review“, but the answer ha

Agriculture committee  A costing review would certainly reveal whether our numbers are reasonable or correct. We believe they are. This is the second time we've had Mr. Edsforth look at rail costing. This last report is actually an update of that. That's something a costing review would certainly revea

Agriculture committee  I think the legislation should be amended so that there would be regular costing reviews as part of the revenue cap formula.

Agriculture committee  Can I respond to that?

Agriculture committee  Pardon me?

Agriculture committee  We're not adding costs. We're actually saving.

Agriculture committee  No, actually—

Agriculture committee  I can tell you, Mr. Hoback, that the Canadian Wheat Board saves farmers millions of dollars in logistics every year.

Agriculture committee  By tendering to the grain companies, by our commercial agreements with terminal companies—

Agriculture committee  In fact, the number last year was $40.5 million. That's one of the great things about the Wheat Board--

Agriculture committee  --that the size of our operation allows the logistics—