World Grain - May 2008 - 14

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PEOPLE
Jim Feeney, long-time milling leader, dies at 83
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, U.S. - James J. Feeney, a prominent
leader both at General Mills, Inc. and in grain-based foods industry
affairs, died April 1 in Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S., following a brief
illness.
When he retired in 1989 after 41 years at General Mills, Feeney
was a corporate senior vice-president and general manager of the
company's Sperry Division, responsible for manufacturing and marketing consumer flour, food service and bakery flour operations as
well as a variety of consumer mix products (subsequent to his retirement, the division was renamed the Gold Medal Division and its

functions later were divided in corporate restructurings). Feeney held
a range of marketing, sales and management posts in General Mills
divisions dating to his joining the company in 1948.
He was a former chairman of Millers' National Federation (now
the North American Millers' Association) and was active in the baking and pasta industry affairs. Feeney is survived by his wife of 59
years, Patrice.
Memorials are suggested to the Jim and Pat Feeney Endowment
for Alzheimer's Disease Research at the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, or
to St. Bartholomew's Church, Wayzata, Minnesota, U.S.

CBH appoints new chair, celebrates 75th anniversary
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - Neil Wandel officially assumed his position as chairman of the Cooperative Bulk Handling Group (CBH)
on April 2 at the organization's 75th Annual Ordinary General Meeting (AGM) in Merredin, Australia. Tony Critch retired as chairman
after two years in the job at the meeting.
Wandel produces grain and cattle at his properties at Scadden
and Mt Ridley, near Esperance, Australia. He was elected as a director of the CBH Group board in 2002 and has served as deputy
chairman since 2005.
In his address to the AGM, CBH Group Chief Executive Officer
Imre Mencshelyi commented on the CBH Group's financial results
for the 2006-07 financial year, attributing the success to increased
efficiencies and ongoing support from growers.
"The CBH Group returned a better than expected net profit of

A$39.9 million before tax, based on a 6.4-million-tonne harvest, which is a very creditable
performance," Mencshelyi said. "In addition,
the value of the company's total assets has
grown to A$1.3 billion and our Asian flour mills
performed well over the last 12 months, clearly
highlighting the importance of our investment
along the value chain.
"Our strong financial outcome for 2006-07
Wandel
is largely attributed to increased operational
efficiencies stemming from careful and prudent management of
the business, and a strong performance by Grain Pool - a result
only possible due to the ongoing support and understanding from
growers."

Kazakhstan bans wheat exports
ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN - At a meeting of the Kazakh government
on April 15, a decision was passed to "introduce a ban on exports of
wheat - without restrictions on flour exports - for the period until Sept.
1, 2008, that is, until the new harvest," the Kazakh prime minister's press
service said in a statement.

"The decision was based on the need to ensure the country's food
safety and to not allow negative consequences on the domestic market resulting from the significant rise in prices on the global grain
market and a shortage of food grain throughout the world," the statement said.

ADM sues five railroads over surcharge
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S. - Archer Daniels Midland
Co. (ADM) filed a lawsuit March 25 in federal court in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. against five U.S. railroads for their alleged
role in violating antitrust laws in fixing fuel surcharges.
While the lawsuit does not claim the surcharges are illegal, it
does accuse the railroads of illegally acting in concert to set them.
ADM said it has paid more than $250 million in fuel surcharges
since 2003.
The five railroads named in the lawsuit are: Union Pacific
Railroad Co., Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.; BNSF Railway Co., Fort
Worth, Texas, U.S.; CSX Transportation Inc., Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.; Norfolk Southern Railway Co., Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.;
and Kansas City Southern Railway Co., Kansas City, Missouri,
U.S.
The lawsuit claims BNSF Railway and Union Pacific locked
their surcharges together in their main territory in the Western
United States, while CSX, Norfolk Southern and Kansas City
Southern did the same thing in the East.
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World Grain - May 2008

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