A wake up call on traceability

[grassfarmer]

Someone forwarded the following link to me regarding cattle tagging in Namibia. The people that think Canada has a system that leads the world should maybe rethink after reading what this small SW African country is doing. The article highlights farmers unhappiness with the system but note that the reason they are doing it is to maintain access to the EU market. Maybe that's something Canadian leaders should be thinking about if they have any aspirations to supply that market?

http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=39730&title=Ear%20tags%20dea dline%20remains%20August%202

[Happytrails]

OK, I'll bite.

1. Call me whatever you want but I think we are somewhat higher on the food chain than Namibia. The EU technocrats must be Mr. Big over there.

2. There is nothing stopping anyone here from meeting EU rules.

3. Forcing the practices on the rest of us would nullify any premiums.

4. My guess is that in the fairly near future the EU will be looking for someone to sell them quality beef period. They might even find that they can do without the window dressing and make work projects.

Cheers HT

[grassfarmer]

You just don't get it HT do you?
What makes you think we are "higher on the food chain" than Namibia? Because they are a little African country and we are the big, advanced world leading country of Canada? When it comes to selling beef if our standards are lower than theirs in the eyes of the international beef buying customer we become the 3ed world country with the poor standards.

There might be nothing stopping us exporting to the EU now(except for the majority of our beef being hormone treated)but can't you see the message in that news story? The EU could turn around tomorrow and stop Canadian imports because we do not comply with the EU standard of double tagging just the same as they have done to Namibia.

You continue to believe the outdated thinking that if we just keep doing what we have always done eventually the rest of the world will get so hungry they will accept whatever we have even if it wasn't what they initially wanted. It didn't work with hormone treated beef in Europe so why should it work with untraceable beef if the Europeans decide to tighten the rules on that - like they have to Namibia or Brazil for that matter?

You continue to labor under the impression that the seller is always right and it doesn't matter what the customer wants. Not a good way to approach business.

[per]

Ok Grassfarmer you would be right if all of our beef was destined for the EU market. Beef from here that is traceable back to the farm, hormone free and double ear tagged goes from here to the EU on a weekly basis. Why would we need to meet that standard on the whole herd? The customer asks for red cars, we paint enough cars red to satisfy their needs. The customer should not care that the same factory makes green jeeps for a different marketplace.

[grassfarmer]

Fair enough Per but as long as the "industry" talks about exporting ever larger quantities of beef to markets around the world we have got to walk the walk as well as talk the talk when it comes to meeting their requirements. And quit boasting about being world leaders when in fact we trail behind beef exporting nations like Namibia.

[rkaiser]

Went to a meeting in Edmonton last fall with EU investors and ag politicians from both sides of the pond. The conversation led to talk of labeling Canadian or Albertan beef ---- lalala. It started to sound like and ABP/CCA meeting. I finally could not take it any more. Stood up and asked if I could contribute in my jeans and T shirt among a room full of suits and ties. I suggested that the only two groups that could enter the E.U. market with the kind of force they were talking about were not in the room and had no interest being there. I agree that E.U. marketing is for the bold value chain boys and just another game for CCA/ABP to talk about so they continue to justify their checkoff dollars. Not to say that ABP/CCA does not support the value chain gang, but talk of industry in Canada - come on - give me a break. We have no Canadian beef industry; just a dog eat dog mentality, profit driven and top heavy, with little respect for producers or consumers. And if we don't start thinking more collectively and change that mentality, the value chain gang will end up in the same boat.

[burnt]

Hey Randy, let me guess - I'll bet they didn't ask you to "...stay at the mike and tell us more? That's just what we want to hear!" haha

[per]

"value chain gang will end up in the same boat"

The top heavy don't care about anything but profit boat or the one sailing into troubled waters?

A quote I heard at a Wilson meeting... "Don't worry the big hole is in the other end of the boat".