CATTLE FAX

[perfecho]

And let us not forget the 90 people hired to help with age verification, that money is "given to farmers" as the AB gov budgets reflect. There have been millions spent to "help" livestock producers...this money is seen by taxpayers as gravy trains to the ag sector...and yet much of it goes to the Kim G's of the ag sector...(read the latest atricle on ALMS in the "Wheel and Deal")
This is a cost, mostly to us.
From the first post. the US is not doing much better with their cattle pricing, but I believe they have better support systems. They seem to suffer from the same problem we do, not enough competition. There is a great deal of money being made in between the farm gate and consumer plate....somehow this has to change....and it will not be done with ear tags.

[kato]

I'm ticked off that we aren't adding any value to our calves due to age verifying, but I'm not upset about that cost as much as other costs.

In this country there are added costs for SRM removal, and the loss of value for bits and pieces due to the total feed ban. Why are we holding our beef to a higher standard than the beef we import from the U.S.? What is that all about????

Either we need to demand the imported U.S. beef meets our standards, or we need to harmonize our standards with them. It's like our own regulators are right in bed with the likes of RCALF in the campaign to drive us out of business. They are doing us as much harm as anything else out there right now.

After all, so far, has this higher standard made any difference at all to our bottom line? Oh yea, it will help open new markets. Oh yea, and as we've seen, new markets do not mean new money, at least for us.

Geeezzzz .................

[perfecho]

Totally agree....but that doesn't help...and the powers that be make their income regardless how well we do!

[coppertop]

The entire ALMS has cost a bundle, not
to mention the fact that a lot of senior
staff in the Ag Department took packages
to make room for the new hires to
implement ALMS. The Deputy Minister will
be at our Auction Market on Saturday
morning for a customer appreciation day,
and info session on traceability. There
is a bred cow sale that day, hopefully
he stays around to watch them sell.
Today drafts of excellent simi/RA cross
620 weight steer calves sold for $1.02.