Restricted bids

[cpallett]

""It was further stated that they would pursue individual members with attractive bids, thus attempting to break up the organization," Lonsberry wrote.....

XL Lakeside is owned by Nilsson Brothers."

Seems to me you all should be a wee bit happier at this point than you appear. If the facts set out above are true, this could be a blatant public violation of s.45 of the Competition Act. A keen-eyed Alberta lawyer well versed in Competition Act issues ought to be able to put this one clean over the right field fence, I should think.

45. (1) Every one who conspires, combines, agrees or arranges with another person
(a) to limit unduly the facilities for transporting,producing, manufacturing, supplying,storing or dealing in any product,
(b) to prevent, limit or lessen, unduly, the manufacture or production of a product or to enhance unreasonably the price thereof,
(c) to prevent or lessen, unduly, competition in the production, manufacture, purchase, barter, sale, storage, rental, transportation or
supply of a product, or in the price of insurance on persons or property, or
(d) to otherwise restrain or injure competition unduly,
is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to a fine not exceeding ten million dollars or to both.

[perfecho]

Clip and paste Sawbones and cpallet and send to everyone, MP's, MLA,s newspapers!

[kato]

Holy Smoke! Go get a job in town, stay off the computer for a day, and all hell breaks loose.

Thanks for posting that!

[Sawbones]

If any of you are serious we need a commitment of what you are spending on commission and check-off for some of your calves and cows...that's about $30/head Once we have 100,000 head committed, we can buy our own packing plant. That $30 will be taken off annually as you deliver your cattle. You will actually be buying your spot on a value chain and in 10 years, the plant will be truly a producer owned plant. We currently have 188 producers. Once that is in place we have retailers that are ready to sit down and have a serious conversation We'll set up a table at Randy's demonstration.
Phone or Leave a message at 780-847-2445 and I'll get back to you

[grassfarmer]

At risk of taking this thread away down a side street I want to comment on two things. First a most interesting comment from cpallet - if only we were able to act on this but i'm guessing Nilssons would be rather more careful with their wording. Worth looking at though.
The second comment is on wd40s post - of course he is right that the competition board heard no dissent from the organisations he listed and that is a disgrace. As Per stated Big C and WSGA opposed the takeover as did the NFU.
Just to show how out to lunch and arrogant the ABP continue to be here is one of the few resolutions that were passed at their AGM "Be it resolved that ABP educate cattlemen and beef producers on the importance of supporting ABP with their checkoff dollars so that the Alberta Government or other groups won't have a reason to implement mandatory checkoff to support ALMA"
Yeah, it's all we need from ABP - an education on why we should continue to send them money. This from the organisation that defeated almost every resolution proposed by their members that carried any merit. Resolutions like mine that called for action on packer ownership and for the Canadian government to at least mirror any legislation the US draws up under their "marketing fairness" act were once again sidestepped - given the sideways shuffle to a committee where they can disappear without a fuss.
With leaders like ABP it's no wonder we are in the mess we are.

[dluther]

Sawbones you always get me EXITED about the cattle business, it's not hard to get down on things. It's to bad our stores are getting meat from down South.WE HAVE TO GET STORES TO HANDLE IT AND INFORM CONSUMERS SOON. D.L.M.S is a part of N.B.I. Perhaps we set up a internet site of some kind of website to let producers know they can keep their own calve and fatten them, and get a possibe premium or at least have a choice . Where is Randys at ?

[rkaiser]

Randy's here but runin. Talking to Red Deer Chamber of Commerce about a site for the meeting. Should have something for you all next week. And yes there will be room for tables for anyone interested in taking back our industry "One Steak Holder at a Time."

[Kathy]

I heard about this last week, also. May I say to Mr Terry Schetzsle and those with "Northwest Consolidation" - BRAVO!!

Mr. Pallett is correct, this is a flagrant violation of the Competition Laws, and is otherwise known as "rackateering" and "extortion".

Make sure this revelation is outed in every newspaper across Canada.

Yes, this IS a watershed moment for cattle producers. We cannot allow a perfectly legal and beneficial group, like Northwest Consolidated, to be threaten like this....

[grassfarmer]

I agree absolutely Kathy but can we mobilize enough people to do anything about it? Are there enough people prepared to draw a line in the sand and say "no more"?

[per]

I think maybe the answer GF is yes. This issue resonates across party lines. I hope.