What will save this turn of cattle feeding?

[grassfarmer]

Oh it's real simple vs the money is being made by the processors and retailers - it would take some forensic accounting to work out who gets what though. I just don't understand why so many people want to hide behind this issue rather than confront it.
If I can direct market my beef at 75% of average Canadian retail beef price after paying a processor $550 to cut n' wrap and still bank $400 ahead of commodity price it's clear there is a lot of lying going on amongst our hard up processing and retailing "partners". Time for an inquiry - and if they refuse to open their books this time they should be asked to leave the country - you cannot having corporations thinking they are above the law even if they have bought and paid for the politician and the rule makers.

[shaney]

At the time I supported the Nilsson's aquisition of
Lakeside fro a couple reasons:
-It was quite clear that Tyson was not very
interested in Canada in the long term and this was
very clear to many industry insiders and
stakeholders
-The plant being shut down and moth balled was
much worse for the industry than Nillsons
purchasing the plant.
-I firmly believe that Nillson;s is committed to
Canada and the Canadian marketplace in the long
term.

So if this makes me a packer lover then so be it but
I will tell you there were many ranchers and
feedyards that shared the same sentiment of the
deal and told me so.

I will say it again packer concentration is an issue
but not the issue that is killing this industry in the
immeadiate and long term. This industry was built
on a low candian dollar and we also have lack of
emand in the middle meats.

Your trying to die on the wrong mountain but so be
it, we agree to disagree.

[blackjack]

Well when the powers to be have had their run...they will see a change...the cows that are leaving the ranches now will be gone for good...there is no next generation on most these farms and ranches to take over...maybe big business can see into better than I...but without the grassroot producer there is no industry period.

[blackjack]

should have read into the future.need better proof reading skills.

[jensend]

it's fascinating in a morbid kind of way that people like ann dunford, canfax, the farm media or the execs of our beef orgs can ignore the elephant in the room. it's so easy to talk about the dollar, the drought, the recession the cattle cycle but nobody wants to talk about the concentration of ownership in the slaughter sector - except the grassroots producer. too many vested interests at work. at least charlie gracey and ted bilyea were willing to talk about a way out at brandon on monday.

[grassfarmer]

True enough jensend but I'm not so convinced with Charlie Gracey. I know he is regarded as a much respected elder statesman he seems to talk out of both sides of his mouth depending who the audience. I agreed very much with his support for BSE testing cows from the outset and some of his export views but on other occasions he just quotes the old CCA policies chapter and verse. I've read where he tells us that we have to quit picking on the packers as they never make any money, just like Shaney does.

[kato]

I think our producer organizations are a bit hamstrung by the fact that they have to look forward to trying to deal with these issues down the road, and they spend a lot of time trying not to burn bridges. I know the MCPA works hard trying to knock sense into our provincial government, but if they get too antagonistic, they know they won't even get the time of day from them.

The game is played in such a way that if you're not nice to the politicians, you will be shut out. And if you take the stance of the NFU, and get too insistent, you will not only be shut out, but they will do their best to discredit you. This is why Ritz shoots comments like the NFU not representing "real" farmers. It's because he knows they're hitting too close to home, and rather than address their issues, he attacks the organization instead in an effort to try and keep people from taking them seriously.

I've always tried to be polite in my regular Ritz letters, but I don't think I'm going to be doing that any more. Being polite doesn't work.

And Wayne Easter is going to get a cc of every letter, too.... He's already got his first one.

[jensend]

grassfarmer that may well be true. our conversation the other day indicated he did perceive the problem. i don't mean to pick on ann dunford; i should have said cattle market analysts because it seems to be a general problem. they flash some charts of numbers, dollars, consumption at an audience and ignore the packer situation entirely. the biggest jolt i've gotten lately was at a meeting of the newly minted sask cattleman's assoc. in conversation with one of the directors i suggested the issue of concentration of ownership of packers would be a difficult one to deal with. his response was that it might be a problem in the future. i would never suggesst that it is the only problem; the dollar, the economy, feed prices and on and on are always factors but to ignore a bottleneck in the value chain is disingenuous at best and ignorance at worst.

[jensend]

Yes we will survive this one again,
reading from 50 different reply,s
no wonder cattleman can not be optomistic any more.
Notice out there in S-AB huge big feedlots and when visiting the auction markets all large new TRUCKS and land bought up for a million a quater section ! by cattleman .
Beef Cattle operation over the years
have not been to bad for us.
considering huge payout kept us going.
Free enterprice and good management, hard work !
This beef cattle is still wide open farming no high price qouta needed like dairy and chicken. think about this cattleman.!! hope you all have a nice Christmas and keep reading AGI-VILLE

[jensend]

Yes we will survive this one again,
reading from 50 different reply,s
no wonder cattleman can not be optomistic any more.
Notice out there in S-AB huge big feedlots and when visiting the auction markets all large new TRUCKS and land bought up for a million a quater section ! by cattleman .
Beef Cattle operation over the years
have not been to bad for us.
considering huge payout kept us going.
Free enterprice and good management, hard work !
This beef cattle is still wide open farming no high price qouta needed like dairy and chicken. think about this cattleman.!! hope you all have a nice Christmas and keep reading AGI-VILLE

[jensend]

Yes we will survive this one again,
reading from 50 different reply,s
no wonder cattleman can not be optomistic any more.
Notice out there in S-AB huge big feedlots and when visiting the auction markets all large new TRUCKS and land bought up for a million a quater section ! by cattleman .
Beef Cattle operation over the years
have not been to bad for us.
considering huge payout kept us going.
Free enterprice and good management, hard work !
This beef cattle is still wide open farming no high price qouta needed like dairy and chicken. think about this cattleman.!! hope you all have a nice Christmas and keep reading AGI-VILLE

[jensend]

Yes we will survive this one again,
reading from 50 different reply,s
no wonder cattleman can not be optomistic any more.
Notice out there in S-AB huge big feedlots and when visiting the auction markets all large new TRUCKS and land bought up for a million a quater section ! by cattleman .
Beef Cattle operation over the years
have not been to bad for us.
considering huge payout kept us going.
Free enterprice and good management, hard work !
This beef cattle is still wide open farming no high price qouta needed like dairy and chicken. think about this cattleman.!! hope you all have a nice Christmas and keep reading AGI-VILLE

[jensend]

Yes we will survive this one again,
reading from 50 different reply,s
no wonder cattleman can not be optomistic any more.
Notice out there in S-AB huge big feedlots and when visiting the auction markets all large new TRUCKS and land bought up for a million a quater section ! by cattleman .
Beef Cattle operation over the years
have not been to bad for us.
considering huge payout kept us going.
Free enterprice and good management, hard work !
This beef cattle is still wide open farming no high price qouta needed like dairy and chicken. think about this cattleman.!! hope you all have a nice Christmas and keep reading AGI-VILLE

[jensend]

Yes we will survive this one again,
reading from 50 different reply,s
no wonder cattleman can not be optomistic any more.
Notice out there in S-AB huge big feedlots and when visiting the auction markets all large new TRUCKS and land bought up for a million a quater section ! by cattleman .
Beef Cattle operation over the years
have not been to bad for us.
considering huge payout kept us going.
Free enterprice and good management, hard work !
This beef cattle is still wide open farming no high price qouta needed like dairy and chicken. think about this cattleman.!! hope you all have a nice Christmas and keep reading AGI-VILLE