New Ab Ag minister, new wish list??

[Happytrails]

Where is all the free advice for our new minister of agriculture? Oh well, since all the experts must be out working I will offer my suggestions. Guess they could be a word to the wise for Wildrose too.

1. Dump ALMA

[Happytrails]

Damn computers

2 Abandon mandatory age verification (sic) for cattle.

3. Help Harper govt and Gerry Ritz as much as possible in eliminating the CWB monopoly.

[grassfarmer]

So basically you just wish the dictatorship continues and keeps on ignoring what the majority wants?

[Happytrails]

Apparently if you consider reducing red tape, giving grain growers marketing freedom, and returning to democracy.

[ASRG]

How about an ag minister who protects our property rights and promotes a fairer deal on pipelines (annual rent & rent on control zones) and abandoned well setbacks? That might be helpful?
How about sub terranean rent for all the horizontal wells? After all you own the subsurface.....shouldn't you be getting paid something for oil companies using it?

[SADIE]

HT---After reading your thread and your three wishes for the new Alberta AG Minister I let things ponder for a couple of days on your wishes. Being now a Saskatchewan rancher/farmer I had to have a good long telephone conversation with "Sawbones" to gain the Alberta insite on your first two wishes.

1)ALMA---Isn't that just an extended arm of your provincial government. Why was it set up? When was it set up? What purpose does it serve?

2)Removing mandatory "age verification" of cattle. By making "age verification" voluntary wouldn't that regain an advantage to those that want to take the time to continue doing that process?

Watching a 1300 head calf sale last Tuesday at Saskatoon Livestock Sales there was no announcement of "age Verified cattle" nor was there any papers of "age verified cattle" handled. Producers there have been told ---forget it/ it is not worth the time or effort.

3)CWB issue. Agree with you HT totally. Basically along the same principles as defending ones "property rights". Cattle raised or grain grown on farms and ranches should be the property rights of those that raise or grow product and be able to market to the best ability as they choose.

[per]

Happy Trails I decided this was a good time for me to have a good listen to what folks have to say on this subject. So lets hear some more wishes for the new Ag Minister from the rest of you. GF, do you dream of anything the Ag Minister could do in your world?

[wilagro]

ALMA: AB GOVERNMENT
NKVD: USSR under STALIN

Why should the AB government know what animals I bought, when I bought them and where were/are they located? Within 30 days of buying a critter I have to send in a friggin report to the friggin government...and this pertains to most four legged creatures commonly raised for food, entertainment or whatever.

My farm has to have a friggin number to add to their friggin database so they can control my animal movements. If I don't obey these rules I can be FINED. My pioneer forebears would turn over in their collective graves if they knew of what Alberta has turned into.

[sumdumguy]

Wilegro, does it remind you of CWB? Don't like
to be forced? Pity!

[wilagro]

At least the CWB tried to market my grain and provided something tangible.

[littledoggie]

Mandatory age verification is a gift to the packers to get beef into Japan. They don't need any age verification from other provinces because they get enough from Alberta for free. Just another thing that the Alberta government stole from us, along with Bill 24 and the theft of pore spaces for their carbon capture and storage.
ALMA is top heavy with industry people making decisions that benefit them. It kind of reminds me of the "expectations" market where companies are working for the shareholders and not the customer.
Someone said on another thread that Alberta's new ag minister was a good friend of GG. I wonder if he shares the same points of view - if so, we are in trouble.

[Happytrails]

Some good comments. To Sadie in regard to ALMA: it is an agency created by the government about 4 years ago. Government appoints the directors and supplies funding. The board's mandate is to further the interests of the beef industry which of course is the same as their own interests. They are in no way accountable to anyone but the government. HT