Nobody Needs Your Cattle

[rsomer]

Rusty1: Good point. NAFTA gives Canada preferential access to the U.S. market. That same access is not available to non NAFTA countries.

If we sometimes question whether NAFTA is doing beef producers any good we only need to consider how much beef would Uruguay be importing to North America if they had a BSE positive test.

Still the U.S. continuing to dither and delay on allowing access for our young live cattle to their packing plants is not within the spirit of NAFTA if it is even with the law. I have always seen the BSE situation as a crisis for NAFTA not just for beef producers. Depending on how the "non-negative" test in the U.S. shakes out maybe we will finally see some movement.

[rsomer]

The USA doesn't treat Canadian beef special because it is from Canada. They want our beef, (the best beef in the world) because they can add value and sell it to customers with a taste for quality.

We could be looking at this crisis as an opportunity for all grassroots farmers in Canada to stand up for free trade for CANADIAN products.

I am truly sorry rsomer, that your team Canada approach saw no room for grassroots producers to have a voice, mine sees room for oppinions from all Canadains including grain producers and consumers alike.

[kato]

Before I get anybody riled up, my opinion on the CWB is from the perspective of someone who hasn't had a permit book for almost 10 years now, but Grassfarmer, I agree with you completely.

The CWB, as unpopular as it may be in Alberta, is really the only institution of any size that seems to be able to cope with the push by American interests to take over the grain industry as it has taken over the cattle industry.

Price this or price that doesn't mean much when the grain industry finds itself in the same boat we are in.

Remember a little over a year ago when we thought a ten cent drop in the feeder price was a big deal? Looking back with a bit of perspective it doesn't seem like such a big deal any more.

Until the government shows some willingness to actually DO something to protect the Canadian grain farmer, I wouldn't be too quick to throw out the CWB. So far, I don't think the government has shown any kind of willingness to go to bat for agriculture.

Multinationals (aka Cargill etc..) have already killed the prairie pools, and see the CWB as the only thing stopping them from complete control.

The grain industry is sitting right where we were the day before Cargill & Tyson set up shop. I hope they are seeing what happened to us, and learning from it.

Not everybody loves the CWB, but is the alternative REALLY better? How much do we trust our government to look after our interests? So far the track record is not good.

[kato]

Now, before this thread slips into a Wheat Board discussion....

The States doesn't need our beef? If they didn't need to import beef why are they doing it now? Why are they signing free trade agreements with Australia, and working out new ones with South America.

Need and want are two different things.

[rsomer]

Rpkaiser: After May 20 our industry spoke with one voice, whether it was grassroots producers, feedlots, government and even packers. Every sector of the beef industry saw the need to present an unified front to consumers that our beef was safe, that everything that needed to be done was being done and that there was nothing to fear from eating our tasty and nutritious product. A year later we take for granted that the Canadian consumer’s confidence and acceptance of our product actually increased post BSE but we forget that no other country has ever managed to come through a BSE crisis without loosing consumer confidence. Our unified approach worked.

I also have repeatedly pointed out that the U.S. approach to the North American crisis has not been helpful. The U.S. can only talk out of both sides of its mouth for so long by saying their beef supply is safe yet the American people need to be protected from unsafe imports of Canadian cattle. Ultimately American consumers will loose faith in their food system.

Presently we are waiting for the final word on the "non-negative" test in the U.S. These tests present crisis points for our industry in our need to retain consumer confidence. Now is not the time for individual groups, for instance R-Calf and others like them, to try and increase membership by being divisive and publicly raising contentious issues about what we should be doing better.

Bottom line, going beyond Canada’s borders, North America needs to be unified in our struggle to retain consumer confidence in beef. Part of this approach needs to be a quick opening of the U.S. border to Canada, now is not the time for the pot to be calling the kettle black. As well groups such as R-Calf and others must realize that they have responsibilities to the larger industry.

[rsomer]

A unified approach will still work rsomer, once you and a very few other folks like yourself quit taking the new ideas of BIG C personally, and admit that the majority support BSE testing for markets that ask for it.

Just can't stop, can you.

[rsomer]

You might be interested in knowing that the second round of scheduled talks between the United States and Japan are to be held in Colorado, U.S. this Monday 28 June for three days.

The first round of talks was held in May, which focused on BSE testing methods and inspection systems. A third round of talks is scheduled for 21-22 July in Tokyo, with the results of the talks expected to be released in August.

The purpose of these talks is to resolve the very problem you are referring to, the technical issues that revolve around BSE and testing and trade. The talks have been widely speculated upon by the Japanese media, with some proposing the ban will be lifted on boneless beef derived from animals under 20 months of age with the removal of SRMs.

The Australians are watching these talks very closely.

[kato]

It's all timed to end after the Japanese election.

Let's hope this new cow doesn't throw a monkey wrench in the works.

As for the unified approach, I think we still have it. The requests of the BIG C organization aren't that far off the party line to be divisive.

Much of BIG-C's approach is pretty basic common sense. Looking to a future with less dependence on one customer is just common sense. Nothing radical there.

Wanting to have a Canadian packing industry instead of being a colony is just common sense.

Since when is responding to customers' requests a radical approach? We're not asking for everything to be tested, we're just asking for those who wish to, to be allowed.

This isn't suggestive of unsafe food, it's suggestive of an industry that is at the edge of collapse.

Canadians understand that. These are pretty smart people we are talking about.

They know that if this isn't settled by fall, we are done. We are running out of time.

[grassfarmer]

rsomer, You mention above that after May 20th the industry spoke with one voice and that assured consumers the beef was safe. Yes it was good that consumer confidence remained in Canada -but it didn't do so because the packers, ABP,CCA and farmers gave a united front it happened because Canadian consumers are not stupid - they realise 1 animal with BSE that didn't get into the food chain is not a health risk. Unlike the other countries that had beef consumption dives Canada came out and told the truth from the outset. Canadian and particularily Albertan media have been fiercly loyal to the industry which has a far more important effect on consumer confidence than speeches by cattlemen when we live in a world of 5 second news clips.
Surely the old ABP dogma that we must stick together with our packer friends through this crisis is redundant now? I thought even ABP had given up flogging that dead horse as they watch the industry dissolve in front of them due to the packer antics.

[cowman]

Well cropduster, that is a good question! Just who is the government? Do you really believe that they are our servants and not our masters? Our so-called democracy is a total joke!
An example: How does my MP represent my views? Or the views of the little single moms, or the disabled, or the poor in my riding? And yet I guarantee without a doubt he will get in! You could run a yellow dog here and win...as long as he was Conservative!
People aren't idiots! They realize that no matter who they vote for, whether Conservative or Liberal or NDP, they still get the same self serving garbage! Read this carefully...all these parties are parties owned heart and soul by the power elite of this country! And who are the power elite? Why that's simple...they ARE the pirates!
So we get legislation that protects the rest of the pirates from the people! I think just about all of the legislation dealing with the banks would be a very good example? Or the international oil companies in Alberta?
If we had a government that actually worked in the peoples interests we would see an end to the mafia like tactics of the international pirates in this country.
For example the beef industry. How hard is it to pass legislation to not allow packing houses to own cattle, way out ahead, so they can manipulate prices? How about legislation to stop predatory business practices against small packers? How about legislated price discovery?
Why would we ever wonder why only 60% of our population votes? And something like only 50% in the USA? The simple answer...the people know it is a rotten game they can't win!
How about a different system? Proportionate representation? So if I live in Alberta I can vote for a party and still know my views are being represented at least? My MP absolutely refuses to support testing even though the general consensus here, among the cow/calf sector, is do the damned test! So is he representing us? Well no he isn't...but he will win in a landslide!