NCBA Opposes Canadian OTM Cattle/Beef

[Willowcreek]

This Resolution was proposed by MSGA and passed at NCBA's convention last week:


Beef & Cattle Imports Over 30 Mos.

WHEREAS, the economic analysis of livestock and meat has not been completed, and
WHEREAS, there is consensus among the scientific community that cattle over 30 month of age are the primary risk animals for BSE.
BE IT RESOLVED that the Montana Stockgrowers Association does not support the USDA's proposed opening of the border to live cattle over 30 months of age or beef derived from these cattle until negative economic and/or health impacts are deemed to be minimal.

[cowman]

Willowcreek: I thought you said the NCBA was owned by Cargill and Tyson? And here they are voting for your group? What is with that?
And what is with this "economic" BS? Is it like if you can't compete then you ignore the trade deals you signed? Too bad you Americans don't honor your trade deals. By the way welching on a deal usually comes back to bite you in the butt? Do you guys go around screwing each other when you buy and sell cattle, too?
Luckily the USDA will make the final call...not you protectionists!

[blackjack]

...the r-calf boys should get on their knees and bow to the usda everyday to thank them for the (as randy k says )bseconomics...

[rkaiser]

When Cargill and Tyson say negative economic and/or health impacts are deemed to be minimal. Then Negative economic and/or health impacts will be deemed to be minimal.

Keep think you are running the show with your Rcalf buddies Oldtimer, you are simply another one of their many puppets.

Take a look at who has gained and continues to gain from BSE Willowcreek. Let's see - 20cents a pound extra on your cull cows, even if you have 30 head. I'll give you 3 culls a year for 3 years. Say you got 1200 pound cows - Around $2000.00 over three years. No wonder you want to keep out Canadain OTM cattle???? Cargill and Tyson leave this little crumb for you to feed off and blow the BSE thing up in the media on a daily basis.

Figure out what Cargill has made on those same 9 head, selling them into our Canadian consumers who wonder why their steaks aren't quite as good as they were in 2002.

Post your crap all til hell freezes over Willowcreek, you and the border issue with Rcalf is a joke. You are playing right into the hand of those who will use you til they decide.

Read some of my past posts Willowcreek, and start thinking for yourself. It is not that hard to figure out. If you keep reading Rcalf propaganda, spewed by men who may even see through this transparent veil themselves, you will never stop going back to square one. Canada vs. USA no Oltimer - it's mutinational vs. grassroots, and you have simply joined their team with your simple minded approach.

[mb_rancher]

Well said MR Kaiser you hit the nail right on the head!!!

[cowman]

The NCBA should be leery about getting into bed with R-CALF? Ignoring the "science" is a pretty risky way to go whether you believe it or not? Welching on your trade deals is also pretty risky behavior?
This continual R-CALF rant about how the USDA is allowing unsafe material in the food supply is not helpful for any cattleman...American or Canadian? Somehow R-CALF likes to have selective "amnesia" and forget...Yes you to have BSE and Yes the science says you should be finding more BSE positive cattle? hmmm...I wonder why you aren't? Instead the rant is keep out diseased and evil Canadian beef! This is totally schitzoid behavior...maybe R-CALF members should see a shrink and get the proper medication to control how they think?
Yesterday I attended a feeder sale at Innisfail. The good heifers were being bought up for breeding. The auctioneer said " When that border opens this fall for bred heifers, you boys are going to make a killing down in Montana"! Now was that wishful thinking? If it was there sure seems to be a lot of people willing to take that gamble!...why even a few Americans cattlemen?

[Willowcreek]

cowman
"Yesterday I attended a feeder sale at Innisfail. The good heifers were being bought up for breeding. The auctioneer said " When that border opens this fall for bred heifers, you boys are going to make a killing down in Montana"! Now was that wishful thinking? If it was there sure seems to be a lot of people willing to take that gamble!...why even a few Americans cattlemen? "

Just a personal prediction- but I don't think you will see breeding stock of anykind coming south until the US can get nationwide compliance on an ID and tracking system- which was scheduled to be in place by 2009- but which now USDA has pretty well dropped as a target date.....

[FRENCHMAN]

OTJust a personal prediction- but I don't think you will see breeding stock of anykind coming south until the US can get nationwide compliance on an ID and tracking system- which was scheduled to be in place by 2009- but which now USDA has pretty well dropped as a target date.....

Which R-calf helped kill.

[cowman]

Willowcreek: What is the problem down there with this ID thing? How come you guys aren't buying into it and how come the USDA just doesn't say "January 2007. All cattle sold must have an ID tag"? Thats what they did up here.
A lot of grumbling(I'll admit I was right there) but we had no other option.
Well maybe it is because we live in a commie dictatorship or something?
But in reality it was a good thing? It allows us to track cattle a lot better and allows us now to age verify. Hopefully somewhere down the road it will be able to give us some feedback on how these cattle perform in the feedlot/packing house?
I believe most exporting countries have an ID program in place? How come you guys are dragging your feet?

[FRENCHMAN]

Cowman this is an article I came across.willowcreek /Ot feels its a states rights issue

STOP the NAIS.....

The USDA plans to make every owner of even one horse, cow, pig, goat, sheep, chicken, or pigeon register in a government database and subject their property and animals to constant federal and state government surveillance, and the animal owner will have to PAY for the privilege of owning animals!

To learn more about the ramifications of this Government decree and how it will affect everyone, not just farmers and animal owners, navigate our site and visit our forum.

The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is a national program to identify and track livestock animals, including poultry, horses, cattle, goats and sheep for the purpose of disease containment. NAIS plans to use RFID and GPS technology to track animals, and requires every farm or “premises” be registered with government agencies, even if that premises houses a single animal. While NAIS’s purported goal of disease containment appears to be beneficial, the requirement for American citizens to register privately-owned property for tracking and monitoring purposes has very serious implications for our privacy, rights and freedoms.

StopAnimalID.org is the online manifestation of a grass roots refusal to submit to the latest grasping for control of what was once a government of We The People, but has now become a government of Them, The Agri-Conglomerates. This website is a means for like-minded individuals to band together and discover they are not alone in opposing this abuse of privacy and property rights.

Our agenda, perhaps obviously enough, is to stop the National Animal Identification System. We hope to do this by first raising awareness among the public. To do this we will compile a wealth of data regarding the NAIS in an easy to peruse format online. We will also provide printable materials to put the basics of this issue and what it means into places where it will count most, such as feedstores, farm supply stores, farm auctions, etc.

Secondly, we will facilitate communication and interaction via our forum, email and contact lists. We will seek to build an online community where like-minded individuals can go to review current events, their current personal and group tactics and actions and analyze both our successes and defeats.

Finally, we will provide the information needed to effectively combat the juggernaut that is the NAIS, which bears down on us. From editorials to links to analysis of the law and meetings and public hearings. We will seek to publicize the names and addresses of people in positions that make them important to contact. We will push this data into as many hands as we possibly can and fight this issue at the grass roots, online and if needed eventually in the courts.

But to succeed StopAnimalID.org needs the particpation of every single Citizen of these United States who still values freedom and the use of their private and personal property, not to mention their own privacy. Whether you own livestock or not your help is needed. We must have your participation, contribution and effort to succeed in spreading the word, raising consciousness and empowering this movement. Join the fight today. This may be one of the biggest issues of your life.

[Willowcreek]

cowman- USDA went about the program wrong by trying to federally mandate it- then worsened the situation by trying to give it to one Political Action Group (NCBA) to run...That has set M-ID back a few years...

M-ID will come to be..USDA is doing it right now by allowing the states to set up their own systems (under federal guidelines).. The states can build their own system or join with existing private systems...Montana has gone with e-merge dataabase I see...USDA possibly didn't have the authority and definitely didn't have the ability to enforce and/or police it and probably was illegal in trying to give it to any ONE private group (NCBA)...

Frenchie doesn't understand it- But our government (a Republic) was built around the idea of strong state governments and a weak (?) Federal government which most view as having gotten too powerful...People (and especially rural land owners) have little trust when someone shows up at your door and says "We're from the Federal Guverment and we're here to help you!!!"

The state governments have the constitutional ability to mandate it and enforce it- but USDA and NCBA's playing games have set it back a few years..

[cowman]

Willowcreek: I know you have a different mindset down there and I can understand that...indeed think it has a great deal of merit!
We didn't have that kind of option here and to tell you the truth if we did we probably would have rejected mandatory ID!
Personally I wasn't opposed to the concept of a national ID but I didn't think I should pay for it! After that steer calf leaves my place everybody benifits, from the feedlot, packer, retailer, exporter, government, consumer...but I do the labor...and I pay for the tag...and if there is a problem down the line they come to me!
I believe the federal government should have at least paid for the tag, seeing how no one else would.

[FRENCHMAN]

Cowman ..the point I was trying to make to Oldtimer was You can not have an effective national I.D program that allows producers in certain states to move non I.Ded livestock between them it just don,t work.

Just imagine 48 states trying to make their systems all work together..good luck

I.m.H.O As far as I.D cost.. its just another business expense to me.

What we all need to remember is we are producing food for someones table.

[cowman]

Frenchman: Yes I do agree it is just another business expense and if no one else is going to pick up the ball then we have to. The same idea was the idea of age verification this past fall? We did it here on the calves although it resulted in zero dollars in our pocket? We intend to do it with all the cows this year.
I do find it frustrating that a group like R-CALF would use the lack of their ability in the USA to come up with an ID plan, as a further excuse to bar Canadian breeding stock? In effect they have denied our seedstock producers access to their market by their own inefficient system? On top of this there is a huge pent up demand for Canadian genetics south of the border! It must also be frustrating for the American cattleman to be denied the ability to access Canadian breeding stock? I wonder if a good portion of R-CALF members are purebred breeders?