Feed grain

[errolanderson]

riders2010 . . . Alberta cattle feeding
numbers rival Nebraska / Kansas, only
Texas is larger. And most of these
cattle are finished within a 15 to 20
mile area.

My concern is impact on generational
feedlot operations. Feeders are now
heard losing up to $300 per head mostly
due to the state of the North American
economy, but XL mess has also pressured
bids.

Personally was bullish barley prices
into spring, but now . . . not so sure
depending on the outcome.

[riders2010]

Why wouldn't 5 or 6 packing plants geographically spread out work? The reason this system has developed is like everything else. The big boys that scream about gov involvement are the first ones and biggest ones to rake in any gov program. Where did all the gov money go to during bse? not the producers, but the fat cats spreading their bullshit that gov has no business in the economy. Yet they used gov money to kill off the smaller guys that wanted to start things. Our Prime Minister just donated 18 million to some african country, how far would that have gone to improve our beef system here in Canada?

There needs to be an entire new way of thinking. Start with a quality product, educate people about the product. These cattle organizations are failing the industry miserably because they are pocket puppets for the gov thinking that the mega factory production system is the way to go.

You can believe what ever you want about the big feedlot big processor that you want. I know when I bought beef more than once at retail more times than not the stench while cooking turned my appetite off. Is it the growth hormones constant antibiotics in the feed, shit up to the eyeballs, I don't know but talk to people many will tell you the same thing.

If you want the big outfit strictly for export fine if other countries don't care that is up to them, but I think plenty of market is lost worldwide because of what is done to those animals after it leaves most cow calf opertations and all the chemical growth begins.

As far as CFIA there obviously is some sort of problem with that system, but if xl or anyone else was cleanly run and knew what was coming out of their plant and had some honesty and ethics, whether cfia was there or not would be irrelivant wouldn't it.

I asked you previously because I do not know, is the system operating where xl simply reports to the cfia about what they find or is cfia active on the floor doing their own tests as production is going on?

The reason I ask is because much was made about xl not reporting to cfia in a timely manner so what was that all about?

[jethro456]

Breadwinner, dont you think there are many feedlots
in the situation as you. Many are feedlot/grain
farms and when losing money on cattle, the grain
side keeps them out of a payment position. The only
farms around here that have been sold because of
financial issues in the last 5 years have been
feedlots.

[BreadWinner]

Yes, allot of mixed operations are in trouble because programs are not designed to help when half your business is loosing money. If want to diversify best to start a whole different company so if you loose money you still qualify for help.

[ASRG]

riders: I haven't been in a packing plant for a long time but at Cargill, High River around 1995 the company had an onsite lab to test for various things. I assume XL probably is the same.

We had regional plants. They all went broke....why would it be any different if we did it again?
Economy of scale actually works in the beef packing sector.

At the end of the day every business has to make a dollar....otherwise why do it? There is no reason anyone can't start up a packing plant? Why isn't that happening....because there is no money in it! They simply could never compete with the likes of Cargill and XL. Ranchers Choice in Rockyview county tried....they went belly up within 6 months....a brand new state of the art mid sized plant!

XL may very well close their doors after the financial hit they have taken. Love them or hate them, Brian and Lee Nilsson know how to make a buck and they won't lose their shirts to keep the cattle business going.

[hobbyfrmr]

Did anyone sell their feed barley for profit straight off the combine? Or, are barley producers caught in this XL foods/feedlot/producer crunch with unpriced barley waiting for higher prices?

[ASRG]

In my case it's sitting in the bin. I don't actually farm anymore, just do the one third crop share thing with my renter. I own my one third and get paid seperately, when he sells it.
He makes all the marketing decisions and usually holds until late winter or even summer when the price is higher. He is pretty good at what he does and it sure works for me (and has for over 22 years now).

[GreenValley]

Thought how about hemp, somewhere in
Camrose raise it. Mostly in Manitoba,
any in Sask?

[errolanderson]

hobbyfrmr . . . growers are incredibly
bullish barley, they don't need the cash
and they are waiting for the new tax
year to sell. It's got nothing to do
with XL. This is keeping the barley
price up right now despite weakness in
the U.S. corn market.

Once barley starts to flow to market in
the new year, expect feed bids to
potentially soften at that time.

[hobbyfrmr]

ASRG,
There is a hemp trade show in Edmonton, on
November 5&6.
If you are interested in growing hemp for seed
and/or fibre this would be worth attending.
Hemp is regulated by health Canada so be
prepared to do a criminal record check for
yourself and/or your producer.

www.hemptrade.ca