Accountability

[Happytrails]

Another rainy day in Alberta. This one is almost warm. Too bad that what is good for the Spec Areas is destroying the crop in Sask and Man.
Another thrust in the weird campaign to force mandatory RFID tag scanning on the cattle business happened at ABP last week. The promoters of this nasty plan have got their foot in the door and want more. In an attempt to sound the alarm I moved a motion to oppose mandatory ID tag tracking at the local ABP meeting last fall. It was passed easily. So I decided to go to the AGM in Calgary to speak to the motion and again it passed easily (with no debate). So what does ABP do with clear direction from producers? Sad to say but they ignore it. The manager apparently even implied that I, as the mover, was OK with that. Not! Guess this situation means that the only way to get a message to the ABP board is to ask for your money back. If enough of
us do that they might realize that this whole business depends on the guy that keeps a cow 365 days to get 1 calf.
P.S. From what I read about the BC cattlemens meeting they have taken a harder line on the practicality of tag scanning to trace cattle movement. Hope they are heard. HT

[grassfarmer]

HT I don't agree with you on the RFID issue as you know but non-accountability and ABP are maybe something we have in common. Time and again producer concerns and resolutions have been dealt with in the way you highlight. Time for people to vote with their dollars.

[Happytrails]

Thanks for that GF. Given the unholy alliance between govt and business that is ALMA the loss of our contribution is mostly symbolic. Regardless it does contain a message. HT

[kato]

I was reading in the newsletter we got yesterday that MCPA is also taking the same approach as it sounds like BC is taking. The bottom line in this province is that traceability is fine, but it should not impede commerce, and it should not add more costs to producers. There is more than one article in there about this.

The point was made that the government has already stated that it's preferred policy is that of "user pay", which means that whoever benefits from a program, should contribute to the costs. When you look at the kind of tracking system some eager bureaucrats want to set up, it's obvious that the only one to benefit is the government. Tracking like this would make their jobs much easier in the face of a disease outbreak, but in the meantime it just means more costs and regulations for us. The system we have now would also make their job just as easy in the face of a disease outbreak. It's a workable system just as it is for the purposes the government states it's needed. Anything above and beyond is just red tape, good paying government jobs, and a level of regulation that could kill the industry over time.

For producers, truckers, auction marts, feedlots, and everyone else who handles cattle, all they get are extra costs. Therefore the whole thing should be paid by the government.

Because quite frankly, we can't afford any more costs because we can't pay the bills we have now.

[Happytrails]

I'm with you Kato but want to add cattle feeders to those who might benefit from the ID tag scanning plan. It might result in a higher value product and cost them nothing. That is not a slam at feeders, just reality. If we let the market drive scanning it would set the premium they need to pay for that documentation. That is where the money to cover the cost of these exercises should come from. HT

[RShields]

It all comes down to profitability and allocating your dollars. If we were all profitable I might agree with investing $1000 a year in some ever promising market development that I can't identify any returns from after going on ten years of investment. At this time I have better things to spend my money on, like salt or Vaccine.
How many extra cows do I need to margin that $1000?
More regulation always results in less competition,something we may be past the point of no return on.
Maybe they need to do a better job of explaining to me how lucky I've been to have that when my main competitor doesn't bother and receives higher prices than I do.

[kato]

Apparently the U.S. is close to being able to export to Japan based on dentition alone. Which leaves us out in the red tape jungle for no good reason other than satisfying the need of a group of bureaucrats who just have to know everything just for the sake of knowing it.

The system already works for the purposes it was designed for, which is tracking in case of a disease outbreak. Any extra information collected by tracking every movement of every animal is just icing on the bean counter's cakes, and job security for their futures.