Glass house or what

[rusty1]

Another thing they lost credibility on was the song and dance they gave the world as to how well their tracking system worked right from the get go. They never determined the source of the cow till just a few weeks ago. It was LIS who provided the resources for the tracking system!
You should ask some of the producers, who you so despertly need (as a cow calf producer and as you're comments seem to indicate you are)and who spent their own money running back and forth to Ottawa, trying to make our impart some simple common sense into those liberal beauracrats minds.

[Bruce14]

Imported U.S. Cattle Infected with Blue Tongue Disease

Asia Pulse Pte Ltd, November 05, 2003



SEOUL, Nov 5 Asia Pulse - South Korea's National Veterinary Research & Quarantine Service (NVRQS) today said eight of 762 cattle imported from the United States between October 21 and 24 have been found to be infected with blue tongue disease, considered a first-grade cattle disease here.

The agency said it would again inspect and quarantine the rest of the 754 cattle, inform the U.S. government of the infection and request American officials devise measures to prevent the reoccurrence of such an incident.

There has been no report of the disease among Korean cattle, according to the NVRQS.

Blue tongue disease, or catarrhal fever, is a viral disease of sheep and less frequently of cattle, goats, buffalo, deer and antelope. There are no reports of any human having caught the disease and it seems to be confined to certain species of animals.

The disease has been observed in Australia, the United States, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. It is transmitted by biting midges and its major symptoms are high fever, excessive salivation, swelling of the face and tongue and cyanosis of the tongue. The incubation period is about one week and all symptoms usually develop within one month.

[rsomer]

The animals we have been importing into Canada have been found to be positive for bluetongue and anaplasmosis too. But because the U.S. calves were coming in during the winter, when there aren't any biting midges and insects that can transmit these diseases from animal to animal, the disease hasn't spread beyond the Alberta feedlots importing these animals into the surrounding beef herds yet.

But the research done to date says that if these U.S. calves come into Alberta and Saskatchewan during the summer the disease would be expected to spread into the cow herd and we cow calf producers will have to deal with the consequences.

Beyond the symptoms mentioned in the article we would expect to see abortions from both bluetongue and anaplasmosis with death of older animals.

[cowman]

I often wonder if it's time to start a producer group solely for the cow/calf sector? It seems all our so called producer groups are in reality mostly working in the interests of the big feedlots, the packers and the retailers?
It's just like the ID tags thing. The CCA pushed it big time and in hindsight we can see it was a good thing. But how come only one group ended up paying for it?
The ACC, or whatever they call themselves today, has always been an elite driven organization. By a mandatory checkoff they have forced the small independent producer to support the goals of that elite. Which might be completely against his best interests. An example would be the huge amount of money they spent protecting the large grazing leases from the Alberta governments attempt to collect some of the oil money generated there. This is truly a horror story of a select group being paid to graze cattle and thus have a very unfair advantage in the cattle business!
And who gave them this mandate to collect $2 on every animal sold in the province? Slightly over 6% of the producers! Only 12% of the eligible producers voted and they squeaked in with 51% of that number! And used the forced checkoff to buy that vote through massive advertisements and a newsletter!
So in reality don't expect a lot of participation at the fall meetings...I know it is a sad state of affairs but that is just how it is!

[rsomer]

I appreciate your insights and comments. I was part of the discussions on the grazing lease issue. The issue did not revolve around large grazing leases rather the concern was that if payments were reduced on crown leases than payments for industry activity on deeded land would eventually end up reduced as well. Is there any difference between a producer who has a lot of wells on crown lease having an unfair advantage in the cattle business and a producer who has a lot of wells on deeded land having an unfair advantage. If industry had their way the farmers would not get paid anything for well sites and pipelines whether on crown or deeded land. This may solve the problem of someone having an unfair advantage but it is not the solution I would want to see.

I have always thought producer participation at the fall meetings was disappointing. Often the perception is that the producers just don’t care. Those community halls should be packed but I have been to meetings with as few as 8 producers. In the U.S., producer dissatisfaction with their beef organization has led to court challenges of the mandatory checkoff. Unless the ABP can provide genuine value to Alberta producers they eventually face the same fate. But the people who are showing up at the meetings I have been to seem to be supporting the increase to a $3 checkoff. If the people who have concerns about the ABP and their checkoff dollars don’t show up for the fall meetings then most likely their voice won’t be heard.

Cowman, there is a ABP meeting this Wednesday, November 12 in Leslieville at 6:00. If you don’t live too far away you might want to attend this meeting. I will be there and would enjoy meeting with you and discussing issues concerning the beef industry. Free beef supper so can’t beat that.

[cowman]

Rsomer: Here is the difference between private land and a crown grazing lease. It is a GRAZING lease not an oil surface lease. When the Alberta government collects 3 million in grazing lease fees and the leaseholders collect $40 million in surface leases then something is not quite right? Better to cancel all the grazing leases and come out $37 million ahead?
This is your money and mine that is being paid to these people so they can raise cattle that will compete with the guy using private land. Is this in any way fair?
Unfortunately I have an oil and gas meeting wed. but I have pretty well lost faith in anything the ACC stands for and I suspect nothing will ever change. I did my part opposing the checkoff increase last time. Did a lot of phoning and talking to my neighbors. It was pretty much a waste of time. I guess I have become pessimistic.

[pandiana]

I went to the Alberta Producer Meeting in Breton. It felt like a public relations exercise in which they showed a very nice film depicting all of the events that have transpired in the cattle industry to date, mostly BSE related. In particular they noted the Canadian people and media support which translated into a 60% increase in consumption of beef (their figure)for which by association they claim ownership. After this resounding pat on their back, the producers voted them another $1.00 check-off.

They did not mention any specific accomplishments that they were directly involved in other than 'we were part of a group of cattlemen' lobbying the Americans. They didn't outline a policy on fixing the problem, i.e. testing etc. They assumed there programs drove the consumer to the meat shelves in the stores.

The main problem it seems to me is that because nobody was selling any cattle their income was compromised and,therefore, in order to keep their frugal paid staff of ~20people employed they had to have more money. The irony of course is that the sector hardest hit again pays without any hope of recouping their expense.

[rsomer]

Unfortunately, that is a very accurate description of an Alberta Beef Producers fall meeting. But you did have the opportunity to vote for zone delegates which is good. I think a lot of people are like cowman and now derive at least part of their income from other sources so don’t have the same need or time to be concerned enough to attend these meetings. And so many cow calf producers have become disillusioned with their beef organization and stay away which is exactly the opposite of what they should do. But the feedlot industry recognizes that decisions affecting the profitability of the beef industry in Alberta are made within the Alberta Beef Producers and they are at these meetings and have lobbied successfully to get the feedlot sector special representation as delegates and on the Board of Directors. The cow calf sector should take a lesson from their feedlot counterparts and now more than ever should make it a priority to be at these meetings and influence the direction of their beef organization. It isn't always easy to get your point across at these meetings but you have to try and you need to show up to do that.

[ValueChainFX]

You're right there. If these groups say they represent you and the gov recognize them they have you!Unless you have a group that gives you hands on representation you have another control group that gives your money away to people that will spend it, and chances are not on your interests.

[cowman]

This is the problem with these old boy groups! They tend to turn into little beuracracies more intent on keeping the good times rolling than doing much.
When hard times hit what do most businesses do? They cut costs and they get out and hustle? Now a good portion of the ABPs funds go for export promotion, but guess what? We aren't exporting anymore! So where are they going to hustle?
So where does that money go? Probably for staff and per diems and buying the boys a roast beef dinner! It seems to me what the ACC/ABP is mostly promoting is themselves! Maybe instead of upping the checkoff they should seriously look
at downsizing? Maybe scrap the checkoff so the farmer might get a check for that old cow rather than a bill? When cows are worth 60 cents a pound what difference does a dollar make? But at 2 cents a pound it makes a big difference!
They talk about all the good work they did down in Washington. In reality that isn't their job. Trade and animal health issues are not our responsibility! That baby is the federal governments and we pay them very well to do it! If they bungle the job the cattle organizations need to make that very clear to the Canadian public but we don't need to send Janke, Haney etc. on an all expense paid junket to Washington!