ABP Meetings

[smcgrath76]

Just wondered if people had gone out to
their zone meetings or not and how the
general mood was?
Missed ours tonight (first time in many
years) but there is only so much of me to
go around. Also, I really didn't care
what the AB Gov speaker had to say...
(imagine that).

[grassfarmer]

No, irrelevant.

[Happytrails]

Just got home from the local ABP election meeting. Pretty good turnout of generally happy cattle people. Chuck MacLean's presentation was sort of a summary of his 2 years at the helm. He spoke straight about some issues which was good to see. Was generally positive for beef demand at home and abroad. Said that the packing plants and feedlots will be challenged to maintain a high enough utilization to survive with the smaller beef herds.

There was one resolution passed by the meeting and that was to lobby the Alberta Gov't to scrap the ALMA. It was felt that it has no mandate and is an expensive way to fund research.

ABP's version of democracy may not be ideal but it is the best we have IMHO. HT

PS People are still paying some lip service to traceability but the dream of tracking the location of every ID tag has crashed into reality.

[perfecho]

Cattle prices up and complacency settles in....one of the greatest threats to the industry.

[Happytrails]

I saw no complacency. I did see and talk to cattle people who are deeply involved in the industry and are enjoying good returns. Did you go to a meeting perfecto?

[perfecho]

Have gone to previous meetings, was disenchanted with what got passed at that level and seemed to end there.
Have put more effort into other endeavours, some good, some not so......as a seed stock producer, have always maintained that we "all" need good prices to sustain this industry.
My "complacency" was not directed at ABP or any other group.....just feel that many great initiatives happen when producers are backed into a corner and would hate to see them disappear.

[kato]

Manitoba's annual meeting is today and tomorrow, but we (and a lot of others) unfortunately cannot go. They moved it up to early November, which is a terrible time for anyone trying to get things finished up before the snow. As if that isn't bad enough, the local annual meetings were bumped up into September because if it, and our district couldn't even get enough producers collected to form a quorum.

The only way to get to vote on a resolution at the AGM here is to pay for a two day full package deal, and quite frankly, at this time of year we can't commit to two days away from the farm. Besides, who can afford to pay almost $200.00 to simply vote on resolutions? Not us.

Too bad. I'd have loved to have been there.

[littledoggie]

We heard at our meeting that ABP was the only organization that presented the gov't with changes that needed to be made to Bill 36. They didn't get everything they asked for, but at the very least they are representing our interests as landowners and leaseholders. And claim that they will continue to do so.

[per]

I was going to leave this thread alone but out and out either lying or ignorance just can't go unchallenged. Many landowner and beef industry groups have made proposals and given input to ALSA up to, including and after the introduction of Bill 10. For ABP to make the erroneous claim that they were the only outfit to provide council is BS. Yes I know you were the messenger and never said whether you drink the kool aid or not so this comment is not directed littledoggie.

[Happytrails]

Some good comments here. Per and Littledoggie, maybe I wasn't paying attention but didn't get the impression that ABP claimed to be the only ones trying to correct the land bills.

Kato, your situation should remind Albertans that the local ABP meetings do give us a way to have our opinions heard.

Perfecto, ditto on getting a local resolution thru to the big meeting in any recognizeable form. But the opportunity is there and keeping your zone delegates motivated can help. Also there is a protocol for the mover of a zone resolution to speak to it at the AGM.

Ditto again to perfecto that often we benefit more by the actions we have to do rather than the ones we choose to do. I don't know if traceability is in the background of this discussion but it is a perfect example. We don't have to track the movement of a few million ID tags, a fair percentage of which aren't even attached to a live bovine. If the industry gets saddled with the expense and inefficiency of a tracking system it will because we chose to do it not because we had to. There are always a lot of good reasons to do the wrong thing. Now my horse is saddled and I have to go help my son and daughter in law wean their calves. HT

[per]

HT, I am only commenting on what Littledoggie reported. You know the truth of the matter, I just think sometimes untrue statements need to be challenged. Interesting that the new SRD Minister has met with the ABP and the WSGA (maybe more) on this issue. Those of us who are engaged are still trying to affect positive change. We are after all is said and done trying to support the same industry.

[littledoggie]

I'm glad to hear that there were others trying to effect change to ALSA. The more that contribute comments, the better chance of being heard.