Innovative auction mart project; a new way to communicate

[grassfarmer]

I'd rather have seen ALMA spend their money on getting started with a credible traceability system. Install alley way readers and software at the auctions - read them in, read them out and you know instantly where they came from and where they are going. And before anyone says it can't be done it can - I saw the system demonstrated in England in 1996 and it worked just fine.

[Sawbones]

Lori I think that the monitors at the auctions are just the tip of the iceberg. Could you tell me how many dollars have been given to those markets in the name of traceability. Could you also tell me how many similar dollars have been given to the two major packers to enhance their traceability. i understand that CCA and by extension ABP was supportive of giving the two major packers $50 million to assist with their losses due to BSE separation and disposal costs. I have heard a lot of rhetoric about the fate of CBEF because of diminished funding but if those same two packers were to pull their weight and put on $3/head like we're supposed to do, then CBEF would have a budget in excess of $6 million from them alone and let's face it, they are marketing 95% of the beef and with a $15 basis, there's very little trickling down to producers.

[grassfarmer]

Yes, the CBEF situation is ridiculous sawbones. I see that checkoff dollars paid 31.8% ($2.42 million)of CBEF budget with the "partner contributions" and memberships totaling only 2.9% ($222,000)
Talk about leveraging investment!! Absolutely no reason why producers should be on the hook for that amount of dollars - as F_S always says producers sell live cattle they don't sell beef.